Chandris ships mid-'70s

[cruising cockroach]

As pre-teen, I sailed on a couple of Chandris ships in the mid-'70s but can't remember the name of either (could have been the same ship).

 

One itinerary was Southampton heading to Madeira and Canary Islands before heading back to Southampton. Don't remember time of year but not winter so either Easter or summer school holidays. Maybe 1975?

 

The second was Bruge and up the coast of Norway to North Cape before crossing to Scotland (Firth of Forth for Edinburgh before ending at Tilbury. I remember this cruise as being in August. Most likely to have been 1974

[chengkp75]

One was probably the Britanis, which started life as a US flag Matson ship. Another possibility is the Ellinis, another ex-Matson steam ship. Chandris is the original parent company of Celebrity.

[cruise_mojo]

it was on the Britanis out of Wilmington NC on the two day cruise to nowhere

 

that would be squeezed in with one trip to Bermuda and maybe one to the bahammas out of Wilmington each spring or fall as the B worked its way up to new York for the summer or to Miami for the winter

 

however, my wife and I cruised the Amerikanis out of NY to Bermuda in the 1988 - 89 time frame

 

at that time they had a smaller ship the VICTORIA that was based in San Juan for southern Caribbean itenerarys and I think it would do the med too

 

the Galileo was one of their later ships that became Celebrity's first ship

 

I just tossed some old guides out, they were probably too new to have any good info in them.

 

I maybe somewhere have a book or two to check. Wikipedia might have some of the other ships listed too.

 

:)

[cruise_mojo]

Romanza and Azur are also likely candidates.

 

I may still have brochures with these laying round somewhere. There's a lot of really small ships listed in the wiki thing too!

[cruise_mojo]

it was pulmatur for several years from 2k -2008 ish, then chartered over to the Japanese as the Peace Boat until returned to Pulmantur around 2012 and set for scrapping

 

which I assume happened

 

there are some great webpages on it with just a little googelating!:)

 

including some great detail on a 2009 world cruise as the peace boat, where it struck and underwater object while leaving Iceland on its way to New York

 

as the story goes, upon arrival in new York it underwent a pretty strenuous inspection since it was the first arrival of the year, there were several minor infractions, but, also a small crack in the hull was discovered!

 

the passengers had to be debarked and put up in local hotels while temporary repairs were made to allow the ship to reach drydock and be fully repaired in the harbor before continuing on its world voyage

 

:)

[cruising cockroach]

One was probably the Britanis, which started life as a US flag Matson ship. Another possibility is the Ellinis, another ex-Matson steam ship.

 

I just can't remember the names. Wish I could.

 

 

Chandris is the original parent company of Celebrity.

 

Unfortunately they won't give frequent cruiser credits for these cruises.

 

Princess would for P&O liner sailings in the '60s and HAL does for cruises in the '80s.

[cruise_mojo]

with the arguing and proving we have cruised on ships before

 

 

when NCL first started Lattitudes we proved our two sunward 2 cruises to them to get credit and qualify for stuff on our Norway cruise

 

 

later on, when we were doing a 7 day on Norwegian majesty we were at the cruise desk looking at other cruises and when they checked our records they only shown us having two cruises!

 

we had all those cruises counted when we sailed Norway, nad when booking the majesty

 

but Ncl came up with new criteria and denied us those first two cruises for some reason, we provided proof again and got credit again

 

then the next time we sailed the majesty they took our credit away again around that time, then they gave it back

 

then about two years later they decided to take it away again a different way

 

so now, they don't count any cruise before a certain date, or any cruise shorter than 5 days, unless they have changed it again>?

 

we have cruised NCl 5 times, for 27 days but they only credit us for 3 and 21 days

 

big part of the reason we haven't cruises ncl for about 10 years!:mad:

[Scandinavian World]

Hi Cruising Cockroach,

 

 

I am always interested in Chandris History, I read your lines and looked back in my "archive"-

 

 

....One itinerary was Southampton heading to Madeira and Canary Islands before heading back to Southampton. Don't remember time of year but not winter so either Easter or summer school holidays. Maybe 1975?....

 

As you write in your signature - it was 1976 - so the ship from Southampton must be the "Ellinis".

The schedule starting for the Saturday August the 7th 1976:

 

 

Southampton

Zeebrugge

At sea

At sea

Lisbon

At sea

Madeira

Tenerife

Tenerife / Las Palmas

At sea

Casablanca

At sea

Vigo

At sea

Southampton

 

 

 

"Ellinis" was engaged in 1976 in Line Voyage from Australia in spring, then summer season cruising from Southhampton (Atlantic Isles / Med) following Line Voyage to Australia in the autumn

other ships employed in this season were

"Australis" (Line Voyages to/from Australia & Pacific cruises)

"Amerikanis" (Caribbean/Bermuda)

 

"Britanis" (Northland/Baltic from Amsterdam/Tilbury)"Fiorita", "Fiesta", "Romantica", "Romanza", "Regina Prima", and "Bon Vivant" (Mediterranean)

"The Victoria" (Mediterranean / Transatlantic - Caribbean)

"Queen Frederica" & "Regina Magna" (laid up in Greece)

"Patris" (in rebuilding to Ferry for Italy-Greece service starting 1977)

 

 

for the other cruise you wrote:

 

....The second was Bruge and up the coast of Norway to North Cape before crossing to Scotland (Firth of Forth for Edinburgh before ending at Tilbury. I remember this cruise as being in August. Most likely to have been 1974.....

 

see in your signature August 1974!

 

so - the only ship in this year operating for Chandris from North European ports was the "Regina Magna". She was purchased 1972 from North German Lloyd when her name was "Bremen"

 

 

 

 

Schedule for August 17th,1974:

 

 

Amsterdam

At sea

Bergen

At sea

North Cape

North Cape / Tromsoe

At Sea

Trondheim

Ytterdal/Geiranger

Olden

Stavanger

Leith (Edinburgh)

At Sea

Tilbury

Amsterdam

 

 

She was popular in UK as a cruiseship but fuel hungry (Oil crisis in 74) and faulty engines stopped her career with Chandris and after the 1974 season, she get laid up in Greece until sold as a accomodation ship for Djidda in 1977.

 

 

other ships engaged in this 1974 season:

 

 

"Autralis" and "Ellinis" (Line Voyages to/from Australia)

"Patris" (Line Voyages Singapore- Australia, "Ship/Jet")

 

"Regina Prima", "Romanza", "Fiorita" & "Romantica" (Mediterranean)

"Amerikanis" (Caribbean/Bermuda)

"Britanis" (Line Voyages to/from Australia) in late autumn "Britanis" ended her last line voyage from Australia in Curacao and took over the cancelled Caribbean cruise program planed with "Regina Magna"

"Bon Vivant" (chartered to Flagship Cruises)

"Queen Frederica" (laid up in Greece)

 

 

Hope this info´s will help you to remind your "preteen cruise time"

 

 

Ahoi Frank

 

 

 

Scandinavian World

[cruising cockroach]

Scandinavian World,

 

Thanks for the reply and I really appreciate your research. Not sure if it was any of those itineraries as I don't remember a stop in northern Europe on the Southampton-Canaries-Southampton run. Definitely no Zeebrugge.and I don't recall a Vigo stop though I am not as certain as no Zeebrugge stop.

 

The one to Norway definitely started in Belgium (quite sure if was Bruge) and not in Amsterdam. Don't remember Ytterdal/Geiranger and Olden stops either but I was young. Maybe a month or year ahead or behind?

 

My signage may be wrong on date from the '70s.