Passenger Ship Website - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Simplon Postcards Home - Recent Updates - Search - Copyright Information - Contact Simplon
This website has no connection with any shipping company, cruise line, boat operator or other commercial organisation
 
 
Dolphin Cruise Line
 
Premier Cruise Line - Page 3
 
 
These pages are devoted to postcards and photographs of the Dolphin Cruise Line fleet, which later joined Seawind Cruise Line in an enlarged Premier Cruise Line. An alphabetical list of Dolphin ships covered on this page is shown below. The Table beneath gives links to complete postcard history pages on selected individual ships. Below the table are official postcards of the Dolphin fleet in chronological order.
 
This is Page 3 of my coverage of Premier Cruise Line. Page 1 shows the original Premier 'Big Red Boats'. Page 2 covers the 'new' Premier fleet formed by the amalgamation of Dolphin Cruise Line (SeaBreeze, OceanBreeze & IslandBreeze), Seawind Cruise Line (SeaWind Crown) and the original Premier Cruise Line (StarShip Oceanic - The Big Red Boat). The single ship of Seawind Cruise Line, has already been covered on this link.
 
The origins of Dolphin go back to the Ulysses Line of the Greek Vlassopoulos family. They operated the Ithaca and Calypso on Mediterranean and Atlantic Isles cruises that were largely marketed by UK tour company Thomson from 1973. Following huge increases in oil prices, Thomson deemed that cruising was no longer economic, and did not renew their charter at the end of the first four year period. Ithaca was chartered to Strand Cruises for two years, before being moved to the Caribbean in 1979 as Dolphin IV, where she remained for the next 17 years, flying the Panamanian flag. Initially she was marketed by Paquet, but a new Greek-owned company, Dolphin Cruise Line was formed in 1984. she was joined by the SeaBreeze in 1988, the OceanBreeze in 1991 and IslandBreeze in 1996. SeaBreeze had come from Premier Cruises, returning to that line when Dolphin and Premier amalgamated under the latter's name. OceanBreeze was, of course, originally the Southern Cross, which had operated with Ithaca/Dolphin IV as the Calypso in the 1970s. IslandBreeze came from Carnival, and had originally been the Transvaal Castle. She was chartered to Thomson Cruises in the late 1990s when that company returned to cruising under their own name.
 
 
Ships on this Page:-
Dolphin IV
IslandBreeze
OceanBreeze
SeaBreeze
 
Associated Web Pages:-
Premier Cruises - Page 1 - the Original 'Big Red Boats'
Premier Cruises - Page 2 - the Amalgamated Line of Premier, Dolphin and Seawind
Seawind Cruise Line - Link to their single ship, the Seawind Crown
Thomson Cruises - Operated Dolphin IV, OceanBreeze and IslandBreeze on Charter
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
 
 
 
Table of Postcard Histories
Name  Other Names  Built
 Dolphin IV  Zion, Amelia de Mello, Ithaca

 1956
 OceanBreeze  Southern Cross, Calypso, Azure Seas, Imperial Majesty

 1955
 SeaBreeze  Federico C, Royale, StarShip Royale

 1958
 IslandBreeze  Transvaal Castle, S.A.Vaal, Festivale  1962
 
 
 
 
 
Dolphin Fleet List
 
 
Dolphin IV
 
Dolphin IV was originally built as the Zion of Zim Lines in 1956. She was sold in 1966, becoming the Portuguese Amelia de Mello. She was then sold again and converted to a cruise ship in 1972, reappearing as the Ulysses Line Ithaca. The ship was then transferred to the Caribbean as Dolphin IV in 1979. Ownership was changed to Dolphin Cruise Line in 1984.
 
A complete history of this ship is available on this link.
 
 
Official Ulysses Line card of Ithaca.
 
 
Official Ulysses Line card of Ithaca.
 
 
This is an Editions FISA card of Dolphin IV in original colours (as carried when Ithaca).
Photo by P.Asenjo.
 
 
Dolphin Cruise Line card of Dolphin IV in original colours (as carried when Ithaca).
This is an oversized card of 7" x 5" (180 x 130mm).
"3 & 4 Night Cruises from Miami to Nassau - Dolphin Cove Grand Bahama Island".
 
 
Dolphin Cruise Line card of Dolphin IV in later colours.
 
 
Dolphin Cruise Line card of Dolphin IV in later colours .
This is an oversized card of 7" x 5" (180 x 130mm).
"The beautiful and intimate SS Dolphin IV - 3 & 4-night cruises to the sunniest ports and warmest memories in the Caribbean".
 
 
Dolphin Cruise Line card of Dolphin IV in later colours.
This is an oversized card of 7" x 5" (180 x 130mm).
"Every Dolphin 3,4,7 or 14-night cruises to the Bahamas, the Caribbean or the Panama Canal is a magnificent orchestration
where everything blends together in harmony. A masterpiece. A symphony. In the key of sea".
 
 
Dolphin Cruise Line card of Dolphin IV and SeaBreeze.
This is an oversized card of 7" x 5" (180 x 130mm).
 
 
John Hinde Curteich card from the Bahamas, showing Dolphin IV and StarShip Royale, serial number 2BH 92-B.
 
 
Chantry Classics card CC/S135 of Dolphin IV at Miami. Photo by A.O.Wilhelmi 3rd.
 
 
CT Publishing card No.052 of Dolphin IV at Nassau in 1994. Photo by Richard Weiss.
 
 
 
 
 
SeaBreeze
 
SeaBreeze was built as the Costa line Federico C in 1958. She was sold to Premier as Royale (later StarShip Royale) in 1983. Acquired by Dolphin in 1988.
 
A complete history of this ship is available on this link.
 
 
This is an official Dolphin Cruises Line card.
 
 
Dolphin Cruise Line card of SeaBreeze.
This is an oversized card of 7" x 5" (180 x 130mm).
 
 
Dolphin Cruise Line card of SeaBreeze.
This is an oversized card of 7" x 5" (180 x 130mm).
"Every Dolphin 3,4,7 or 14-night cruises to the Bahamas, the Caribbean or the Panama Canal is a magnificent orchestration
where everything blends together in harmony. A masterpiece. A symphony. In the key of sea".
 
 
A fine line of cruise ships and ex-ocean liners, including SeaBreeze, at Miami.
The card was published by Astral Graphics (serial No.MIA102) from a photo by Dan Cowan.
 
 
Simplon Postcards sc2102 of SeaBreeze at Grand Cayman.
Photo by Michael Ralph.
 
 
 
 
 
OceanBreeze
 
The Southern Cross was built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, in 1955 for a new round-the-world passenger service of Shaw Savill Line. Escalating costs and competition from the air caused her withdrawal in 1971. She was laid up in the River Fal for two years before sale to the Greeks in 1973. She eventually reappeared in service for Ulysses Line in 1975, as Calypso. Calypso was sold again to Western Cruise Lines and renamed Azure Seas in 1980. The company later became Admiral Cruise Line, eventually being taken over by Royal Caribbean. However, Azure Seas was sold to Dolphin Cruise Line in 1991, and renamed OceanBreeze.
 
A complete history of this ship is available on this link.
 
 
This is a Dolphin Cruise Line official card of OceanBreeze.
 
 
An oversized Dolphin Cruise Line official card DPCD1 (07-97-25M-APPi) of OceanBreeze.
 
 
Enlarged image of the ship from the oversized Dolphin Cruise Line official card of OceanBreeze shown above.
 
 
An oversized Dolphin Cruise Line official card of OceanBreeze.
"Every Dolphin 3,4,7 or 14-night cruises to the Bahamas, the Caribbean or the Panama Canal is a magnificent orchestration
where everything blends together in harmony. A masterpiece. A symphony. In the key of sea".
 
 
Kevin Jenkins commercial card of Dolphin Cruise Line's OceanBreeze in Gatun Locks, Panama Canal (s/n 001)
 
 
Kevin Jenkins commercial card of Dolphin Cruise Line's OceanBreeze in Gatun Locks, Panama Canal (s/n002)
 
 
Van Dorp (Aruba) commercial card of Dolphin Cruise Line's OceanBreeze (plus Seawind Crown) at Aruba (s/n HH4).
 
 
Simplon Postcards sc2054, released November 1994, of Dolphin Cruise Line's OceanBreeze at Barbados
Photo: Errol Cornish
Follow this link to see a list of all Simplon cruise ship postcards.
 
 
Simplon Postcards sc2100, released June 1997, of Dolphin Cruise Line's OceanBreeze at Cozumel
Photo: Gordon Turner)
Follow this link to see a list of all Simplon cruise ship postcards.
 
 
 
 
 
IslandBreeze
 
The Transvaal Castle was launched in 1961 by John Brown & Co, Clydebank. She was delivered to Union-Castle Line, and served on their route to South Africa from Southampton from 1962. She remained in Union-Castle colours only until 1966, when she was transferred to the South African Marine Corp as S.A.Vaal. S.A.Vaal was withdrawn in Southampton on October 10th, 1977 and sold to Carnival Cruise Line, who rebuilt her in Japan with extra decks, almost doubling the passenger capacity. She returned to service in 1978 as Festivale, on Caribbean cruises in partnership with ex-Canadian Pacific liners Mardi Gras and Carnivale. Following the delivery of purpose-built cruise ships to Carnival, she was sold to Dolphin Cruise Line who renamed her IslandBreeze. She was chartered to UK holiday company Thomson during the late 1990s, and passed to Premier cruises with the rest of the Dolphin ships. IslandBreeze was later renamed Big Red Boat III. I have no postcards as Big Red Boat III. On 4th June 2003 Big Red Boat III (sailing as Big Boat) steamed from Freeport enroute to the shipbreakers at Alang, India, via Gibraltar. She had the sad distinction of being the first Carnival Cruise liner to be scrapped.
 
A complete history of this ship is available on this link.
 
 
Dolphin Cruise Lines official card of IslandBreeze (s/n: DPCD3 01-97-30M-APPi).
 
 
Dolphin Cruise Lines official card of IslandBreeze (enlarged detail from the above card. s/n: DPCD3 01-97-30M-APPi).
 
 
Kevin Jenkins card of IslandBreeze in Gatun Locks, Panama Canal (s/n: 0033).
 
 
Simplon Postcards sc2101, released June 1997, of IslandBreeze.
Photographed arriving New York, June 2nd 1996 by Richard Weiss.
Follow this link to see a list of all Simplon cruise ship postcards.
 
 
CT Postcards No.092 of IslandBreeze.
Photographed leaving New York, May 31st 1996 by Richard Weiss.
Follow this link to see a list of all CT Publishing ship postcards.
 
 
 
 
Premier Cruises Page 1 - Premier Cruises Page 2
Cruise Ship Postcards - Ocean Liner Postcards - Simplon Postcards Home Page
 

         
 
 
 
©1999-2007 Copyright Ian Boyle/Simplon Postcards (all pages on web site)
All Rights Reserved
 
Free Web Counter
Times viewed since 19/07/2007: