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This website has no connection with any shipping company, cruise line, boat operator or other commercial organisation
Greek Line
These pages are devoted to postcards and photographs of the Greek Line fleet. This page shows company and commercial cards of ships in Greek Line service. An alphabetical
index of ships on this page
follows.
The table below
links to
career histories of selected ships
, some of which are still in preparation. Beneath the table is a
fleet history of the Greek Line
in chronological order.
The General Steam Navigation Company of Greece (marketed as the Greek Line) was formed in 1939 to run transatlantic sailings from Greece. As air travel hit passenger figures in the 1960s, the vessels devoted more time to cruising. The Company began to fall on hard times in the early 1970s, following the death of Basil Goulandris, owner and chairman of Greek Line. It collapsed finally in 1975, although their two final ships,
Olympia
and
Queen Anna Maria
, sail on (in 2002) as the
Regal Empress
and
Topaz
.
Ships on this Page:-
Arkadia
Canberra
Columbia
Lakonia
Katoomba
Nea Hellas
Neptunia
New York
Olympia
Queen Anna Maria
Associated Pages:-
Canadian Pacific Line
Nederland Line
Shaw Savill Line
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
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Table of Ship Histories
Name
Other Names
Built
Arkadia
Monarch Of Bermuda, New Australia
1931
Lakonia
Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt
1930
Nea Hellas
Tuscania (2), Nea Hellas
1922
Neptunia
Johann de Witt
1920
New York
Tuscania (2), New York
1922
Olympia
Caribe I, Regal Empress
1953
Queen Anna Maria
Empress of Britain, Carnivale, Olympic, Topaz
1955
Greek Line Fleet List
Nea Hellas - New York
(Greek Line: 1939-59)
The General Steam Navigation of Greece, known as the Greek Line, began operations with this ship, originally the
Anchor Line
's
Tuscania
of 1922. She was acquired in 1939, although returned to
Anchor Line
management as a British troopship during WW2. Originally named
Nea Hellas
, she was renamed
New York
on 1955, and was withdrawn in 1959.
This card as
Nea Hellas
was published by F.Cali of Genova.
A Greek Line official as
Nea Hellas
, given a broader funnel by the artist, to look more modern.
The same Greek Line official image as the card above, re-issued as
New York
.
Two variations on the same painting, issued as Greek Line officials of
New York
.
A modern card by
CT Publishing
of
New York
, serial number 017.
Photograph by John Blake showing an arrival at Boston in 1956.
Katoomba - Columbia
(Greek Line: 1946-57)
Columbia
was built in 1913 for McIlwraith McEachen's Sydney-Melbourne-Fremantle services as the
Katoomba
. On delivery,
Katoomba
was the second largest Australian coastal steamer. She served as a troopship from 1918-1920, and made a number of transatlantic crossings, before returning to her previous service.
Katoomba
also operated one-class Pacific cruises. During WW2, she again acted as a troopship, but remained in Australian waters.
Katoomba
was not considered worth refurbishing by her owners after the war, and was sold to the Greek Line for transatlantic services between Piraeus-Genoa-Oran-New York. She also did charters with the French Line from Le Havre and the West Indies. In 1949,
Katoomba
was converted to oil firing, and renamed
Columbia
, and was then used for a while on the Genoa-Australia run. She was damaged by fire in Bremerhaven in 1952. In 1957
Columbia
was placed on a Liverpool-Quebec service, but again suffered a fire in August, plus she collided with the
Homeric
in fog.
Columbia
was withdrawn in December 1957, and scrapped in Japan in 1959.
The following Greek Line official was printed in Italy.
The same Greek Line official as shown above.
Greek Line official card of
Columbia.
Superb photographic card of
Columbia.
Published: K.Eden, Bremerhaven.
Photographic postcard of
Columbia
.
Superb aerial view of
Columbia.
Neptunia
(Greek Line: 1948-57)
Neptunia
was built in 1920 for
Nederland Line
as the
Johan de Witt
. She entered service for Greek Lines in 1948, and was renamed
Neptunia
. She was withdrawn in 1957 after running aground near Cobh.
Postcard of
Neptunia
.
Scan: Lisa Grimsey, whose mother emigrated from Germany with her family aboard the
Neptunia
in December of 1952.
Greek Line official postcard of
Neptunia
.
Greek Line official postcard of
Neptunia
, printed in Italy.
Photographic card E157 of
Neptunia.
Published: K.Eden, Bremerhaven.
Canberra
(Greek Line: 1948-54)
Canberra
was built for Howard Smith in 1913 for the coastal trade from Melbourne to north Queensland ports via Sydney and Brisbane. She held the record for the fastest passage between Melbourne and Sydney. She served as a troopship during both wars, but was not considered to be worth refurbishing by Howard Smith after the second conflict. She was sold to Singapore-based Chinese interests in 1947, but resold within months to the Greek Line, retaining the name
Canberra
throughout. She was initially used on emigrant services to South America and Australia from Mediterranean ports. In 1949,
Canberra
was given a major refit, including conversion to oil firing, and began a service from Piraeus to New York. In 1950 she was moved to the Canadian service, with a single trip from Piraeus to Montreal, returning to Bremerhaven which became her regular European terminal. Calls were made at Southampton, Cherbourg and Cobh.
Canberra
was retired by the Greek Line in October 1954, and sold to the Dominican Republic, where she received her first name change to
Espana
. She carried sugar and migrants to Spain until broken up in 1959.
Photograph of
Canberra
in Australian service
Scan: Chris Tyrer
Click to open larger image in new window
Greek Line company card of
Canberra.
Scan: Ralph O'Hara.
Greek Line company card of
Canberra.
Different copy of the card above.
Alex Becquemin postcard 130 of
Canberra
at Cherbourg.
Olympia
(Greek Line: 1953-75)
The first and only ship built for the Greek Line was the
Olympia
.
Olympia
was completed by Alexander Stephen & Sons, on the River Clyde, in 1953. She was initially measured at 22979 GRT, and carried 138 First Class, and 1169 Tourist Class passengers. She was registered in Liberia. Parsons turbines of 25000shp drove her at a service speed of 21 knots (23 knots maximum). The maiden voyage left Glasgow for Liverpool and New York on April 16th 1953. Her first voyage on the intended route from Piraeus to New York did not take place until March 1955. In 1961, the route was extended to Haifa. In 1968,
Olympia
was registered in Greece, and spent more time cruising, this becoming her exclusive occupation in 1970. By this time she had been re-measured at 17400 GRT. She was laid up at Piraeus in 1974, and the Greek Line suffered financial collapse the following year.
In 1981, the
Olympia
was bought by Sally Shipping and refitted, with diesels replacing the steam turbines. She returned to cruising as the
Caribe I
in 1983, in the Commodore Cruise Line fleet. The elegant funnel had been replaced by exhaust pipes and a ludicrous framework design. Happily, this was later replaced by a more traditional funnel, though lacking the style of the original. In 1993 she was sold to Regal Cruises and renamed
Regal Empress
. She is now described as being only 14500 GRT.
A complete history of this ship is available
on this link
.
This is a typically excellent photographic card by W.Ralston of Glasgow, presumably on trials in the Firth of Clyde.
Greek Line official art card of the
Olympia
.
Greek Line official art card of the
Olympia
.
Greek Line official art card of the
Olympia
.
Greek Line official card of the
Olympia
.
An excellent aerial Greek Line official card of the
Olympia
. printed in Greece.
It is a tragedy that the stylish funnel was lost when she was sold in 1982, after being
laid up since 1974. She has subsequently sailed as the
Caribe I
and the
Regal Empress
.
Arkadia
(Greek Line: 1958-66)
Built by Vickers-Armstrongs in 1931 as the
Monarch of Bermuda
. She was gutted by fire during her post-WW2 refit, and rebuilt as the emigrant carrier
New Australia
, managed by
Shaw Savill
. The former three funnels were replaced by one proper funnel, and a trunked mast/funnel arrangement forward. She was bought by the Greek Line in 1958 and renamed
Arkadia
. She was broken up in 1966.
This is the official Greek Line card.
Dixon card SS.100 of
Arkadia
.
Unidentified photographic card S20612 (Photo Precision?) of
Arkadia
.
Lakonia
(Greek Line: 1963)
Built for the
Nederland Line
in 1930 as
Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt
. she was bought by the Greek Line in March 1963 and renamed
Lakonia
. In December of the same year she caught fire on a cruise from Southampton, and was abandoned with the loss of 128 lives. She later capsized and sank.
Complete postcards history of this ship
.
Greek Line official postcard of
Lakonia
.