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Costa Line - Linea "C"

 

Page 1A - The Early Liners 1948-65

 

 

This page is the first of three devoted to postcards and photographs of the Italian Costa Line fleet, known as Linea 'C', then Costa Crociere. This page shows official and commercial cards of liners acquired after 1966. Page 1B shows the later liners acquired 1966-83. Page 2 shows the fleet of more modern cruise ships. Alphabetical lists of ships shown on each page are shown below. The table below gives links to complete ship histories of selected ships. The dates given after each ship's name refer to the years in Costa service, not the age of the ship.

 

Costa Line was formed in 1924, but only operated freighters until 1947, when temporary accommodation was added to the Maria C. Their first true passenger ship was the Anna C, bought in 1948. The line operated mainly to South America, with occasional cruises from an early date, converting later to full time cruising. At its peak, it was the largest cruise company in the western world, second only to the communist fleet in size. As part of the Carnival group, they still form part of the largest cruise company in the world.

 

 

Ships on This Page 1A - 1948-65:-

Andrea C - 1948-81 (ex-Ocean Virtue)

Anna C - 1948-71 (ex-Southern Prince)

Bianca C (1) - 1957-63 (ex-Indrapoera)

Bianca C (2) - 1959-61 (ex-La Marseillaise)

Enrico C - 1962-65 (ex-Provence)

EnricoCosta - 1962-65 (ex-Provence)

Federico C - 1958-83 (later the StarShip Royale, SeaBreeze)

Franca C - 1952-77 (ex-Medina)

Giovanna C - 1947-53 (ex-Eastern Trader, Horace Luckenbach)

Luisa C - 1947-51 (ex-Eastern Merchant, Robert Luckenbach)

Maria C - 1947-53 (ex-Pommern, William Luckenbach)

Melanesian - 1957-63 (ex-Indrapoera)

Provence - 1962-65 (later the Enrico C)

 

Ships on Page 1B - 1965-83:-

American Adventure - American Family Cruises

Amerikanis - chartered from Chandris Lines

Angelina Lauro - chartered from Flotta Lauro

Carla C - 1968-92 (ex-Flandre)

CarlaCosta - 1968-92 (ex-Flandre)

Columbus C - 1981-84 (ex-Kungsholm, Europa)

CostaRiviera - 1981-2002 (ex-Guglielmo Marconi)

Danae - 1979-94 (ex-Port Melbourne)

Daphne - 1979-96 (ex-Port Sydney)

Eugenio C - 1966-96 (later the Edinburgh Castle)

EugenioCosta - 1966-96 (later the Edinburgh Castle)

Flavia - 1968-82 (ex-Media)

Fulvia - 1969-70 (ex-Oslofjord)

Italia - 1967-83 (later the Princess Italia, Ocean Princess, Sapphire)

World Renaissance - ex-Renaissance

 

Ships on Page 2 - 1983-:-

Costa Atlantica - 2000-

Costa Allegra - 1992-

Costa Classica - 1991-

Costa Europa - 2002-

Costa Fortuna - 2003-

Costa Magica - 2004-

Costa Marina - 1990-

Costa Mediterranea - 2003-

Costa Playa - 1995-98 (ex-Finlandia)

Costa Riviera - 1983-2002

Costa Romantica - 1993-

Costa Tropicale - 2001-

Costa Victoria - 1996-

 

Associated Pages:-

Costa Line - Page 1B - The Later Liners 1966-83

Costa Line - Page 2 - The Modern Fleet of Cruise Ships 1983-

Costa Postcard Set - Set of 10 attractive paintings by Stephen J.Card

Cruise on Costa Europa in March 2008

Cruise Ship Postcard Galleries

Ocean Liner Postcard Galleries

Simplon Postcards Home Page

 

References:-

   

 

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Table of Ship Histories

Name	Other Names	Built
Amerikanis	Kenya Castle	1952
Angelina Lauro	Oranje	1939
Carla C	Flandre, Princess Carla, Carla Costa, Pallas Athena	1952
Columbus C	Kungsholm, Europa	1953
Costa Europa	Homeric, Westerdam	1985
Costa Playa	Finlandia, Finnstar, Pearl of Scandinavia, Ocean Pearl, etc	1967
Costa Riviera	Guglielmo Marconi	1972
Danae & Daphne	Switzerland, Princess Danae	1955
EnricoCosta	Provence, Enrico C, Symphony	1950
EugenioCosta	Edinburgh Castle, Big Red Boat II	1966
Federico C	StarShip Royale, SeaBreeze	1958
Flavia	Media	1947
Franca C	Medina, Doulos	1914
Fulvia	Oslofjord	1949
Italia	Princess Italia, Ocean Princess, Princesa Oceanica, Sapphire	1967

 

 

 

 

 

 

Costa Fleet List

Part 1A - The Early Liners 1948-65

 

 

 

 

Maria C (Costa: 1947-53)

Giovanna C (Costa: 1947-53)

Luisa C (Costa: 1947-51)

 

Giovanna C was built as the Eastern Trader, one of a batch of 30 freighters built in Japan for the US Shipping Board between 1918-20. She was sold by the US Government in 1922, serving with the Luckenbach Steamship Company as the Horace Luckenbach until bought by Costa in 1947. Two other Luckenbach ships, the Robert Luckenbach (sister of Horace Luckenbach) and the William Luckenbach, were also sold to Costa, becoming the Luisa C and Maria C. Maria C became the first passenger carrying ship in the Costa fleet, when converted to carry 120 passengers in addition to her cargo. She served on routes to South and North America until sold for scrap in 1953. Giovanna C also served as a cargo-passenger ship, until converted into an emigrant carrier in 1949, carrying around 1300 passengers in dormitory accommodation. She was always intended as a stop-gap passenger ship, and was withdrawn and scrapped in 1953. The third ex-Luckenbach ship, the Luisa C, had cabins for 25 people, but also carried emigrants in converted cargo areas. She was withdrawn and sold by Costa in 1951. She continued in service as the Sula, and was scrapped in 1958.

 

 

An official Costa art card of Giovanna C.

Scan supplied by Dimas Almada.

 

 

 

 

 

Anna C

(Costa: 1948-71)

 

Anna C was the first true passenger ship (as opposed to cargo-passenger ship) in the Costa fleet, entering service in March 1948. She was originally the diesel-powered Southern Prince of Prince Line, built in 1930 for use on their New York-Argentina service. She was acquired by Costa in 1947, and named Anna C, after a year's renovation, in 1948. Her route was from Italy to South America. In 1951, she was re-engined, and accommodation was further upgraded. She began cruising in 1960, and spent increasing amounts of the year doing this until suffering a serious fire in 1971, after which she was sold for scrap.

 

 

An Alex Duncan photographic card of Southern Prince is shown below.

 

Scan of postcard supplied by Dimas Almada.

 

 

Scan of postcard supplied by Dimas Almada.

 

 

An attractive Costa art card of Anna C, showing her earlier Costa configuration.

 

 

Costa card of Anna C, showing the extended accommodation fitted in a 1959 refit.

 

 

Costa card of Anna C, showing the extended accommodation fitted in a 1959 refit.

 

An official Costa postcard of Anna C, overlaid with her cruise itinerary for 1968.

 

 

A Costa art card of Anna C, from the Costa Liners set using paintings by Stephen J.Card.

Enlarged images of the complete set are shown on this link.

 

 

 

 

 

Andrea C

(Costa: 1948-81)

 

Andrea C started life as the American Ocean Class wartime freighter Ocean Virtue of 1942. She was torpedoed in 1943 off Sicily, and spent the rest of the war laid up in Italy. She was bought by Costa in 1946, earlier than the Anna C shown above, but did not enter service until June 1948, a few months after her fleet mate. Like the Anna C, she operated from Genoa to South America, and ran on this route for over ten years. Andrea C was rebuilt again in 1959, receiving a new bow, superstructure and funnel. She then began to spend part of each year cruising. Further improvements were made in 1970, including the extension aft of the superstructure, and the addition of a bathroom to all cabins. Andrea C spent her last years cruising in the Mediterranean, and was withdrawn in 1981 when replaced by Columbus C. Andrea C was scrapped in La Spezia in 1983.

 

 

A Costa art card of Andrea C, showing her original Costa configuration.

 

 

A later Costa card of Andrea C, after the 1959 rebuild with new bow, funnel and superstructure.

 

 

Costa card of Andrea C, show the additional superstructure extensions, and loss of the main mast, after the 1970 refit.

 

 

Costa card of Andrea C, show the additional superstructure extensions, and loss of the main mast, after the 1970 refit.

 

 

A Costa art card of Andrea C, from the Costa Liners set using paintings by Stephen J.Card.

Enlarged images of the complete set are shown on this link.

 

 

 

 

 

Franca C

(Costa: 1952-77)

 

Franca C was originally built in 1914, and is the oldest ocean-going passenger ship still in service. She is currently the missionary ship Doulos, and recent refitting carried out by her owners mean that she may survive to see her centenary in 2014. Franca C was built as the Mallory Line fruit carrier Medina. In 1947 she was bought by an Italian company Genaviter for conversion to an emigrant carrier, not entering service again until 1950. The owners soon declared bankruptcy, and she was acquired by Costa in 1952. Renamed Franca C, she entered service from Genoa to the Caribbean in 1953. In 1957 she received a new funnel and upgraded accommodation. In 1959 she was replaced on the Caribbean service by the larger Bianca C, and received a more substantial refit, with the promenade deck being extended to the stern. She continued cruising until 1977, when sold to continue her already lengthy career as the Doulos.

 

Complete history of Franca C

 

 

A Costa art card of Franca C, showing her original Costa configuration.

 

 

Official Costa card of Franca C, showing her configuration after the 1970 refit.

 

 

Official Costa card of Franca C, showing her configuration after the 1970 refit.

 

 

Official Costa card of Franca C, showing her configuration after the 1970 refit.

 

 

Official Costa card of Franca C, showing her configuration after the 1970 refit.

 

 

A Costa art card of Franca C, from the Costa Liners set using paintings by Stephen J.Card.

Enlarged images of the complete set are shown on this link.

 

 

 

 

 

Bianca C (1) - Melanesian

(Costa: 1957-63)

 

This ship was originally the Indrapoera of Rotterdam Lloyd. She was acquired by Costa in 1957 and named Bianca C, but soon went to Messageries Maritime on charter, where she was named Melanesian. An unidentified photographic card of Melanesian, in service with Messageries Maritimes, is shown below. She was scrapped in 1963

 

 

 

 

 

Federico C

(Costa: 1958-83)

 

Federico C was the first new ship built for Costa Line, entering service in March 1958 on a route from Genoa to Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. She continued on this run until 1966, when she was replaced by the new Eugenio C. Federico C then inaugurated a route from Genoa to Florida, the Caribbean and Venezuela. In 1968 she received a major refit, and then alternated her liner service with Caribbean cruises. Cruises became her full time activity from 1972 to 1983, when she was sold to Premier Cruise Line.

 

 

A Costa art card of Federico C, showing her configuration as built.

 

 

Costa card of Federico C, showing her configuration as built.

 

 

Costa card of Federico C, showing her configuration as built.

 

 

A later Costa card of Federico C, showing her configuration after the 1968 refit, with funnel extension, additional superstructure forwards (replacing a hold) and covered upper promenade.

 

 

A Costa art card of Federico C, from the Costa Liners set using paintings by Stephen J.Card.

Enlarged images of the complete set are shown on this link.

 

 

 

 

 

Bianca C (2)

(Costa: 1959-61)

 

This ship was originally the La Marseillaise of Messageries Maritimes, and later the Arosa Sky. She was acquired by Costa in 1959 and named Bianca C but was destroyed by fire only two years later, when an explosion in an engine starter manifold ruptured a fuel tank and caused a fire which was soon out of control. The accident occured at St George in Grenada, on a cruise from Venezuela. Passengers and crew were evacuated safely (although three crew died in the explosion and fire) and Bianca C was being towed away from the harbour entrance when she sank off Punta Salinas in the Antilles Sea.

 

 

Scan of official Costa postcard supplied by Dimas Almada.

 

 

Scan of official Costa photograph supplied by Ned Middleton.

 

 

Scan of official Costa postcard provided by Ralph O'Hara.

 

 

Scan of official Costa postcard supplied by Dimas Almada.

Note the slightly different background to the card above.

 

 

A Costa art card of Bianca C, from the Costa Liners set using paintings by Stephen J.Card.

Enlarged images of the complete set are shown on this link.

 

 

 

 

 

Provence (Costa: 1962-65)

Enrico C (Costa: 1965-83)

Enrico Costa (Costa: 1983-94)

 

The Provence was built on the River Tyne in 1951 for the Marseilles-based Soc.Gen.Transports Maritimes (SGTM) for their services to South America. The card below shows Provence in SGTM colours, although it was actually published by Costa, to whom she was chartered from 1962 (she had a black hull in previous SGTM service).

 

 

The Provence sailed for Costa from 1962 under charter, but was purchased in 1965 and renamed Enrico C. She sailed from Genoa to Buenos Aires. From 1972 she was used for cruising only.

 

 

Official Costa card of Enrico C

 

 

Official Costa card of Enrico C

 

 

Official Costa card of Enrico C

 

 

A Costa art card of Enrico C, from the Costa Liners set using paintings by Stephen J.Card.

Enlarged images of the complete set are shown on this link.

 

 

The Enrico C was renamed Enrico Costa in 1983, being extensively refitted in 1989, as shown in the lower two official Costa cards below. In 1994 she was sold to Starlauro, becoming their Symphony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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