RMS Carinthia (1956)

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RMS Carinthia (1956).jpg
A postcard of the RMS Carinthia
Career
Name: 1956—1968: RMS Carinthia
1968—1971: SS Fairland
1971—1988: SS Fairsea
1988—2000: SS Fair Princess
2000—2005: SS China Sea Discovery
2005: Sea Discovery[1]
Owner: 1956—1968: Cunard Line
1968—1988: Sitmar Cruises[1]
1988—2000: P&O Cruises[2]
2000—2002: Emerald Sea Cruises
2002—2005: China Sea Cruises[1]
Operator: 1956—1968: Cunard Line
1971—1988: Sitmar Cruises[1]
1988—1995: Princess Cruises[2]
1997—2000: P&O Cruises[3]
2000: Emerald Sea Cruises
2002—2003: China Sea Cruises[1]
Port of registry: 1956—1968: Liverpool,  United Kingdom
1968—2005: Monrovia, 22x20px Liberia[1]
Ordered: 1955[citation needed]
Builder: John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland[1]
Laid down: 1955[citation needed]
Launched: 14 December 1955[1]
Christened: 1956[citation needed]
Completed: 1956[citation needed]
Acquired: June 1956[1]
Maiden voyage: June 1956[1]
In service: June 1956[1]
Out of service: 2003[1]
Identification: IMO number: 5063629[1]
Fate: Scrapped at Alang, India, 2005[1]
General characteristics (as built)[1]
Class and type: Saxonia class ocean liner
Tonnage: 21,946 GRT
Displacement: 8,500 metric tons deadweight (DWT)
Length: 185.40 m (608 ft 3 in)
Beam: 24.39 m (80 ft 0 in)
Draught: 8.70 m (28 ft 7 in)
Installed power: 4 × John Brown steam turbines
combined 18,277 kW
Propulsion: Two propellers[2]
Speed: 19.5 knots (36.11 km/h; 22.44 mph) service speed[2]
25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph) maximum[citation needed]
Capacity: 868 passengers
Crew: 461[citation needed]
General characteristics (after 1970 refit)[1]
Type: cruise ship
Tonnage: 16,627 GRT
Displacement: 9,509 DWT
Capacity: 884 passengers
Notes: Otherwise the same as built
General characteristics (after 1984 refit)[1]
Capacity: 906 passengers
Notes: Otherwise the same as built

RMS Carinthia was an ocean liner built in 1956 as one of the four Saxonia class ships. She sailed for Cunard Line from her completion until 1968 when she was sold to for Sitmar Line, rebuilt into a full-time cruise ship and renamed SS Fairsea. She sailed with Sitmar until 1988, when Sitmar was sold to P&O. She was renamed SS Fair Princess and sailed for Princess Cruises and P&O Cruises until 2000. She was then sold to China Sea Cruises and renamed SS China Sea Discovery. In 2006 she was scrapped in Alang, India.

Concept and construction

Near the end of 1951 Cunard Line designed new ships for the Liverpool-Montreal route. Cunard originally decided to built just two ships but later on two more were ordered. These ships were largest ships to be operated to Canada at the time. The ships were be built in Clydebank and they were designed for luxury and speed including carrying passengers and cargo up the St Lawrence River.

Service history

RMS Carinthia started on her maiden voyage on 27 June 1956 with 890 passengers and crew onboard. She arrived in Montreal for the first time on 27 June 1956. After that she made four more voyages she was so successful with the RMS Saxonia that other ships that operate on that route were all scrapped leaving the four ships the only ships that go to Montreal.[clarification needed] During 1960 the Carinthia suffered a fire in one of her cabins. In 1961 the ship workers went on strike and the ship didn't operate for two weeks. Also during 1961 she collided with the SS Tadoussac. In 1962 her propellers failed during a voyage. During 1964 another strike happened. The Carinthia was still operated from Blackpool to Montreal well into 1965.

Cunard Line decided start operating the Carinthia as a cruise ship during the winter months. She was used on 10 day cruises from New York to Bermuda. During 1968 she was sold to Sitmar Line and renamed SS Fairland with the intention of converting her into a migrant carrier. Instead, she was rebuilt as a full-time cruise ship, renamed Fairsea and used for cruises on the US West Coast. Following the sale of Sitmar Line to P&O in 1988 she was transferred to Princess Cruises used her for cruising on the Pacific Ocean as the Fair Princess. In 1996 she was transferred to the fleet of P&O Cruises for cruising out of Sydney, Australia, retaining the name Fair Princess.

In 2000 she was sold to China Sea Cruises and renamed China Sea Discovery. She operated as a casino cruise ship but was unsuccessful. During 2001 she operated in Taiwan. Finally after many unsuccessful voyages she was decided to be scrapped in Alang, India. While under scrapping a fire broke out in the engine room injuring 9 people. In the end the ship was scrapped.

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 Asklander, Micke. "S/S Carinthia (1956)" (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/carinthia_1956.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-05. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Miller, William H (1995). Pictorial Encyclopedia of Ocean Liners, 1860-1994. Mineola: Dover. pp. 24. ISBN 0-486-28137-X. 
  3. Plowman, Peter (2004). The Sitmar Liners: Past and Present. Hong Kong: Rosenberg. pp. 226–227, 247–249. ISBN 1-877058-25-4. 

External links

fr:Sea Discovery