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Daphne
Port Sydney - Akrotiri Express - Daphne - Switzerland - (Ocean Odyssey?) - Ocean Monarch - Princess Daphne
The
Danae
and
Daphne
were built in 1955 as the fast cargo liners
Port Melbourne
and
Port Sydney
for Port Line's UK-Australia express service. They had a service speed of 17 knots, faster than most contemporary cargo ships. This made them suitable for conversion to passenger use and in 1972, both ships were sold to John Karras for conversion to car ferries, as
Akrotiri Express
and
Therissos Express
. However, the plans changed, and instead they were completely rebuilt as the up-market cruise ships
Danae
and
Daphne
, operated by Delian Cruises on lengthy (and expensive cruises).
Daphne
entered service in July 1975, but the venture was not a success, and both ships were offered for charter,
Daphne
sailing for
Lauro Lines
between 1978-1979. Both ships were then chartered by
Costa Lines
, and purchased outright in 1984.
In 1990,
Danae
and
Daphne
were transferred to Prestige Cruises, a joint venture between
Costa Lines
and Sovcomflot, receiving new funnel colours. Sovcomflot later pulled out of the agreement, and she returned to Costa. In 1996, for delivery in 1997,
Daphne
was sold to a Swiss company who renamed her
Switzerland
. She was managed by Leisure Cruises, and was largely owned by Swissair, who went bankrupt in 2001.
Switzerland
was sold soon afterwards to
Majestic International Cruises
who renamed her as the
Ocean Monarch
(after a possible period as
Ocean Odyssey
). She was chartered to Page & Moy, Hansa Kreuzfahrten and again Page & Moy. In 2004 she spent time in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, as a hospital ship for tsunami victims as the
Hellenic Aid
. After returning for another Page & Moy charter, there were plans to send her to New Orleans as a Hurricane Katrina relief ship. This fell through, and she was laid up in Eleusis Bay, whilst Majestic put her up for sale.
At this time there was dispute between
Louis Cruise Lines
and
Golden Sun Cruises
over the ownership of the
Aegean I
, the ship being taken over by the Greek courts until resolved.
Golden Sun Cruises
needed a replacement vessel for booked passengers, and took
Ocean Monarch
on charter. This proved surprisingly successful, and for 2007 Majestic are running her themselves, through new subsidiary
Monarch Classic Cruises
. In 2008
Ocean Monarch
was sold to
Classic International Cruises
, joining her sister
Princess Danae
. It was announced that she would become the
Princess Daphne
, but for 2008 continued to run as
Ocean Monarch
.
Company names (Costa Lines/Cruising/Crociere etc) follow the usage on the card shown.
Summary of Name Changes:-
Port Sydney
>
Akrotiri Express
>
Daphne
>
Switzerland
>
(Ocean Odyssey?)
>
Ocean Monarch
>
Hellenic Aid
>
Ocean Monarch
>
Princess Daphne?
Port Melbourne
>
Therissos Express
>
Danae
>
Starlight Express
>
Baltica
>
Princess Danae
Ship Names on this Page:-
Daphne
- Delian Cruises: 1975-1979
Daphne
- Costa Cruises: 1979-1997
Switzerland
- Leisure Cruises: 1997-2001
Ocean Monarch
- Majestic International Cruises (Page & Moy/Hansa Kreuzfahrten charters): 2002-2004
Ocean Monarch
- Majestic International Cruises (Monarch Classic Cruises): 2007-2008
Ocean Monarch
- Classic International Cruises: 2008-
Port Sydney
- Port Line: 1954-1972
Princess Daphne
- Classic International Cruises: 2008-
Daphne
- Prestige Cruises: 1990-199? (joint Costa/Sovcomflot)
Associated Pages:-
Princess Daphne
- Classic International Cruises: 2008-
Danae
- complete history of sistership
Princess Danae leaving Harwich
- sequence of photos from May 1999
Classic International Cruises
Costa Line - Linea "C"
Portuguese Liners
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
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Daphne
Port Sydney - Akrotiri Express - Daphne - Switzerland - (Ocean Odyssey?) - Ocean Monarch - Princess Daphne
Port Sydney
(Port Line: 1954-1972)
The fast cargo liners
Port Melbourne
and
Port Sydney
for Port Line's UK-Australia express service. They had a service speed of 17 knots, faster than most contemporary cargo ships. This made them suitable for conversion to passenger use and in 1972, both ships were sold to John Karras for conversion to car ferries, as
Akrotiri Express
and
Therissos Express
. However, the plans changed, and instead they were completely rebuilt as the up-market cruise ships
Danae
and
Daphne
, operated by Delian Cruises on lengthy (and expensive cruises).
Port Lines official card of sister ship
Port Melbourne
, showing the original configuration of these ships.
Daphne
(Delian Cruises: 1975-1979)
The
Danae
and
Daphne
were built in 1955 as the fast cargo liners
Port Melbourne
and
Port Sydney
for Port Line's UK-Australia express service. They had a service speed of 17 knots, faster than most contemporary cargo ships. This made them suitable for conversion to passenger use and in 1972, both ships were sold to John Karras for conversion to car ferries, as
Akrotiri Express
and
Therissos Express
. However, the plans changed, and instead they were completely rebuilt as the up-market cruise ships
Danae
and
Daphne
, operated by Delian Cruises on lengthy (and expensive cruises).
Daphne
entered service in July 1975, but the venture was not a success, and both ships were offered for charter,
Daphne
sailing for
Lauro Lines
between 1978-1979. Both ships were then chartered by
Costa Lines
, and purchased outright in 1984.
An official Delian Cruises card of
Daphne
, by Vita Nova, Holland.
An official Delian Cruises card of
Daphne
.
Scan: Rogerio Gouveia.
Click to open larger image in new window
Daphne
(Costa Cruises: 1979-1997)
The fast cargo liners
Port Melbourne
and
Port Sydney
were completely rebuilt as the up-market cruise ships
Danae
and
Daphne
, operated by Delian Cruises on lengthy (and expensive cruises).
Daphne
entered service in July 1975, but the venture was not a success, and both ships were offered for charter,
Daphne
sailing for
Lauro Lines
between 1978-1979. Both ships were then chartered by
Costa Lines
, and purchased outright in 1984.
Official Costa Linea card of sistership
Danae
, printed by AGIS, Genova.
Official Costa Linea card of sistership
Danae
, printed by AGIS, Genova.
An official Costa Crociere card of sistership
Danae
, printed by G.Martelli, Genova.
An official Costa Cruising card of
Daphne
, printed by G.Martelli, Genova.
An official Costa Crociere card of
Daphne
, printed by AGIS, Genova.
An official Costa Lines card of
Daphne
, printed by AGIS, Genova.
Chantry Classics postcard CC/S175 of
Daphne
at St Marten, and photographed by Wil Moojen.
CT Publishing postcard No.016 of
Daphne
at St Lucia, 1991, photographed by Richard Weiss.
Daphne
(Prestige Cruises: 1990-199?)
A Prestige Cruises official card of
Daphne
, printed by G.Martelli, Genova, Ed '92.
A Prestige Cruises official card of
Daphne
, printed by G.Martelli, Genova, Ed '92.
Simplon Postcards serial number sc2062 of
Daphne
Photo: Wil Moojen, North Sea Canal, June 1993
The card was released in March 1995.
Switzerland
(Leisure Cruises: 1997-2001)
In 1996
Daphne
was sold to a Swiss company who renamed her
Switzerland
. She is managed by Leisure Cruises. From 2003
Switzerland
was sailing as the
Ocean Monarch
for Majestic International Cruises, chartered to Page & Moy for much of the year.
A Leisure Cruises official card of
Switzerland, ex-Daphne
.
A much better Leisure Cruises official card of
Switzerland, ex-Daphne,
plus the card back with ship's stamp.
Ramsey Postcards serial no.102 of
Switzerland
.
Photograph of
Switzerland
in the North Sea Canal.
Photo: © Wil Moojen, 25th May 1997.
Photograph of
Switzerland
in the North Sea Canal.
Photo: © Wil Moojen, 20th June 1998.
Ocean Monarch
(Majestic International Cruises - Page & Moy charter)
From 2003,
Switzerland
was sailing as the
Ocean Monarch
for
Majestic International Cruises
, chartered to Page & Moy and Hansa Kreuzfahrten. She was also used as medical ship
Hellenic Aid
in Sri Lanka.
Page & Moy publicity image of
Ocean Monarch.
Majestic International postcard of
Ocean Monarch.
Ocean Monarch
at Dubrovnik.
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic
Click to open larger image in new window
Ocean Monarch
at Dubrovnik.
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic
Click to open larger image in new window
Ocean Monarch
at Dubrovnik.
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic
Click to open larger image in new window
Ocean Monarch
at Dubrovnik.
Photo: © Neven Jerkovic
Click to open larger image in new window
Ocean Monarch
(Majestic International Cruises - Monarch Classic Cruises)
In 2007,
Ocean Monarch
runs 3- and 4-day cruises out of Piraeus, whilst
Blue Monarch
takes a 7-day circuit from the same port.
Monarch Classic Cruises
image of
Ocean Monarch.
Click to open larger image in new window
Monarch Classic Cruises
2007 brochure for
Ocean Monarch and
Blue Monarch
.
Click to open larger image in new window
Ocean Monarch
at Piraeus, with
Perla
of
Louis Cruise Lines
Photo: © Tien-Lun Yao, 10th January 2007
Click to open larger image in new window
Ocean Monarch
at Piraeus, with
Perla
of
Louis Cruise Lines
Photo: © Tien-Lun Yao, 10th January 2007
Click to open larger image in new window
Ocean Monarch
at Piraeus, with
Perla
of
Louis Cruise Lines
Photo: © Tien-Lun Yao, 10th January 2007