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Italia
Italia - Princess Italia - Ocean Princess - Sapphire
This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the advanced small cruise ship
Italia
.
Italia
was ordered by Sunsarda SpA in 1963, from the Felszegi yard in Muggia, near Trieste. Both the builders and ordering company were owned by the Giacomell group.
Italia
was one of the earliest purpose-built cruise ships, and was of an advanced design with rear engines and lifeboats mounted on lower decks, giving a very spacious open top deck. Her interiors were designed by Gustavo Finali and Romano Boico, who designed many other fine Italian liners such as the
Augustus, Guglielmo Marconi, Homeric, Raffaello
and
Oceanic
.
Construction proceeded slowly, and
Italia
was not launched until April 1965. During fitting out, both the owners and builders were declared bankrupt, and ownership passed to the the creditor bank BNL. BNL formed a new company Crociere d'Oltremare, based in Cagliari, Sardinia, to charter or sell the ship.
Italia
was delivered in 1967, with a logo of red and yellow triangles on her white funnel. A bareboat charter with Fratelli Cosulich (Genova) had been arranged, and
Italia
ran three Mediterranean cruises for them. Crociere d'Oltremare then chartered her to
Princess Cruises
, who used her to inaugurate their Mexican cruises out of Los Angeles.
Italia
was marketed as
Princess Italia
during her time with, although her name was not officially changed. At this stage she retained her original funnel logo, not receiving the famous Princess logo until the following year. In 1969,
Princess Italia
moved to Alaskan cruises out of San Francisco. The charter to
Princess Cruises
was cancelled in 1973, and
Italia
was returned to Crociere d'Oltremare. After a partial modernisation,
Italia
was then chartered to
Costa
in February 1974, although she was not purchased by them until 1977. She cruised around the world with
Costa
, plus served on further charters, until sold in September 1983 to
Ocean Cruise Lines
.
Under the name
Ocean Princess
, she spent summers in the Mediterranean, and winters on Latin America/Caribbean itineraries. In 1990,
Ocean Cruise Lines
was bought by Accor SA and Chargeurs SA, who also owned
Paquet Cruises
. Her career with them came to an abrupt end in March 1993, when she hit a sunken wreck in the Amazon, and she settled on the bottom, flooding the engine room and lowere decks. All passengers and crew were removed without injury.
Ocean Princess
was declared a Constructive Total Loss. She was sold by the insurers to a Greek company and she was renamed
Sea Prince
. She was due to re-enter service with Sunshine Cruise Line, but suffered a fire in May 1995 and was offered for sale again. She was bought by Cyprus-based
Louis Cruise Lines
and briefly renamed
Princesa Oceanica
. Following a further major refit, she was chartered to
Thomson Cruises
as the
Sapphire
. She remained in the Louis fleet after the Thomson charter.
Ship Names on this Page:-
Italia
- Crociere d'Oltremare 1967-1973
Princess Italia
- Princess Cruises charter
Italia
- Costa Line
Ocean Princess
- Ocean Cruise Line
Sapphire
- Louis Cruise Line
Associated Pages:-
Costa Line
Louis Cruise Lines
Ocean Cruise Lines
Princess Cruises
Thomson Cruises
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
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Italia
(Crociere d'Oltremare: 1967-1973)
Italia
was ordered by Sunsarda SpA in 1963, from the Felszegi yard in Muggia, near Trieste. Both the builders and ordering company were owned by the Giacomell group.
Italia
was one of the earliest purpose-built cruise ships, and was of an advanced design with rear engines and lifeboats mounted on lower decks, giving a very spacious open top deck. Her interiors were designed by Gustavo Finali and Romano Boico, who designed many other fine Italian liners such as the
Augustus, Guglielmo Marconi, Homeric, Raffaello
and
Oceanic
.
Construction proceeded slowly, and
Italia
was not launched until April 1965. During fitting out, both the owners and builders were declared bankrupt, and ownership passed to the the creditor bank BNL. BNL formed a new company Crociere d'Oltremare, based in Cagliari, Sardinia, to charter or sell the ship.
Italia
was delivered in 1967, with a logo of red and yellow triangles on her white funnel. A bareboat charter with Fratelli Cosulich (Genova) had been arranged, and
Italia
ran three Mediterranean cruises for them. Crociere d'Oltremare then chartered her to
Princess Cruises
, who used her to inaugurate their Mexican cruises out of Los Angeles.
Italia
was marketed as
Princess Italia
during her time with, although her name was not officially changed.
This photograph shows
Italia
with Crociere d'Oltremare funnel colours.
Italia
ran three Mediterranean cruises for Fratelli Cosulich, followed by one year with
Princess Cruises
, in this livery.
Scan: Sergio de Luyk.
Princess Italia
(Princess Cruises charter: 1967-73)
Italia
was delivered in 1967, with a logo of red and yellow triangles on her white funnel. A bareboat charter with Fratelli Cosulich (Genova) had been arranged, and
Italia
ran three Mediterranean cruises for them. Crociere d'Oltremare then chartered her to
Princess Cruises
, who used her to inaugurate their Mexican cruises out of Los Angeles.
Italia
was marketed as
Princess Italia
during her time with, although her name was not officially changed. At this stage she retained her original funnel logo, not receiving the famous Princess logo until the following year. In 1969,
Princess Italia
moved to Alaskan cruises out of San Francisco. The charter to
Princess Cruises
was cancelled in 1973, and
Italia
was returned to Crociere d'Oltremare. After a partial modernisation,
Italia
was then chartered to
Costa
in February 1974, although she was not purchased by them until 1977. She cruised around the world with
Costa
, plus served on further charters, until sold in September 1983 to
Ocean Cruise Lines
.
Official Princess Cruises release of
Princess Italia
in Acapulco (plus card back).
This is an early card still showing
Crociere d'Oltremare
funnel colours.
Scan: Sergio de Luyk.
Official Princess Cruises release of
Princess Italia
.
The card-back of this Princess release shown above.
Official Princess Cruises release of
Princess Italia
in Alaska (plus card back).
Scan: Sergio de Luyk.
Mexfotocolor postcard of
Princess Italia
in Ensenada (Mexico).
Scan: Sergio de Luyk.
Mexfotocolor postcard of
Princess Italia
in Ensenada (Mexico).
Scan: Sergio de Luyk.
Dedman's postcard of
Princess Italia
at Skagway.
Scan: Sergio de Luyk.
Photograph of
Princess Italia
at Morea.
Photo: © Sergio de Luyk.
Photograph of
Princess Italia
at Morea.
Photo: © Sergio de Luyk.
Photograph of
Princess Italia
at Morea.
Photo: © Sergio de Luyk.
Photograph of
Princess Italia
at Morea.
Photo: © Sergio de Luyk.
Photograph of
Princess Italia
at Malaga.
Photo: © Sergio de Luyk.
Photograph of
Princess Italia
at Sydney.
Photo: © Sergio de Luyk.
Photograph of
Princess Italia
at Sydney.
Photo: © Sergio de Luyk.
Photograph of
Princess Italia
in a storm.
Scan: Sergio de Luyk.
Princess Cruises 1968/69 brochure for
Princess Italia
.
Scan: Sergio de Luyk.
Princess Cruises 1969 brochure for
Princess Italia
.
Scan: Sergio de Luyk.
Princess Cruises brochure for
Princess Italia
.
Scan: Sergio de Luyk.
Advertising card for
Princess Italia
.
Scan: Sergio de Luyk.
Italia
(Costa: 1973-1983)
The charter to
Princess Cruises
was cancelled in 1973, and
Italia
was returned to Crociere d'Oltremare. After a partial modernisation,
Italia
was then chartered to
Costa
in February 1974, although she was not purchased by them until 1977. She cruised around the world with
Costa
, plus served on further charters, until sold in September 1983 to
Ocean Cruise Lines
.
Official Costa postcard of
Italia
.
Ocean Princess
(Ocean Cruise Line: 1983-93)
Italia
cruised around the world with Costa, plus served on further charters, until sold in September 1983 to
Ocean Cruise Lines
. Under the name
Ocean Princess
, she then spent summers in the Mediterranean, and winters on Latin America/Caribbean itineraries. In 1990,
Ocean Cruise Lines
was bought by Accor SA and Chargeurs SA, who also owned
Paquet Cruises
. Her career with them came to an abrupt end in March 1993, when she hit a sunken wreck in the Amazon, and she settled on the bottom, flooding the engine room and lowere decks. All passengers and crew were removed without injury.
Ocean Princess
was declared a Constructive Total Loss. She was sold by the insurers to a Greek company and she was renamed
Sea Prince
. She was due to re-enter service with Sunshine Cruise Line, but suffered a fire in May 1995 and was offered for sale again. She was bought by Cyprus-based
Louis Cruise Lines
and briefly renamed
Princesa Oceanica
. Following a further major refit, she was chartered to
Thomson Cruises
as the
Sapphire
.
Official Ocean Cruise Lines postcard of
Ocean Princess
.
Official Ocean Cruise Lines postcard of
Ocean Princess
.
Official Ocean Cruise Lines postcard of
Ocean Princess
.
Chantry Classics postcard CC/S73 of
Ocean Princess
.
Photo: A.O.Wilhelmi 3rd.
Princesa Oceanica - Sapphire
(Louis Cruise Line: 1995- )
The career as
Ocean Princess
came to an abrupt end in March 1993, when she hit a sunken wreck in the Amazon.
Ocean Princess
was declared a Constructive Total Loss and was sold by the insurers to a Greek company who renamed her
Sea Prince
. She was due to re-enter service with Sunshine Cruise Line, but suffered a fire in May 1995 and was offered for sale again. She was bought by Cyprus-based
Louis Cruise Lines
and briefly renamed
Princesa Oceanica
. Following a further major refit, she was chartered to
Thomson Cruises
as the
Sapphire
. She remains in the Louis fleet after the Thomson charter.
Sapphire
in the initial Thomson livery.
Sapphire
in the initial Thomson livery.
Sapphire
in later Thomson livery.
Sapphire
in later Thomson livery.
Thomson also have this generic card available on their ships, showing a very small
Sapphire
in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Official Louis postcard of
Sapphire
.
Scan: Rogerio Gouveia
Click to open larger image in new window
Photograph of
Sapphire
.
Photo: © Michael Jacob - Scan:
Fakta om Fartyg
.
Photograph of
Sapphire
.
Photo: © Michael Jacob - Scan:
Fakta om Fartyg
.