Princesa Isabel
 
Princesa Isabel - Marco Polo - Aquamarine - Odysseus - Joywave - Odysseus
 
 
This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the Brazilian ship Princesa Isabel. Her sister ship was the Princesa Leopoldina.
 
In 1961, Soc. Espanola de Construccion Naval, Bilbao, constructed two coastal passenger ships for the Brazilian shipping Company, Cia. Nacional of Nav. Costeira. These two ships were named Princesa Isabel and Princesa Leopoldina.
 
The 9.696 GRT Princesa Isabel was launched on January 18th 1961, and was delivered to her owners in August 1962. During speed trials, she attained 17.5 knots. Her accommodation consisted of:- First Class: 200 passengers (29 double and 46 three-berth cabins), Tourist Class: 250 passengers (mostly four berth cabins). Her owners were amalgamated with Lloyd Brasileiro in 1967 following financial problems, and they soon withdrew the two Spanish-built sisters. Princesa Isabel was laid up in Rio de Janeiro in early 1968, and placed on the market. During this time, machinery parts were removed, being used on her sister Princesa Leopoldina. After an 18-month lay-up, Dominion Far East Line purchased her in 1969. She was towed from Rio de Janeiro to the River Clyde were she received a seven month refit. Upon completion, her passenger capacity had reduced to 375. She departed the Clyde under a British flag, renamed Marco Polo, and was delivered to Melbourne Australia in June 1970. Upon arrival, she commenced her cruise programme of the South Pacific and Asia. After an eight years service, Dominion Line announced the sale of the Marco Polo in May 1978.
 
Marco Polo had been purchased by a Greek owned Hong Kong Company, known as Aquamarine International, a company with connections with the Greek Kavounides family. On her final Asian cruise, Marco Polo was caught in the grip of a typhoon and suffered a battering for five days, resulting in a number of injuries amongst her 192 passengers. After an extensive refit in Greece, which included her forward superstructure extended, she was renamed Aquamarine, for a series of 14-day Asian cruises out of Hong Kong. Her new cruise schedule competed directly with her sister ship, Coral Princess, ex-Princesa Leopoldina, which had been obtained by the Hong Kong based Swire Group China Navigation in 1970. However, Aquamarine's loadings were poor and she was laid up in Hong Kong after her first season. On April 27, 1980, she was arrested, and bought by the Commercial Bank of Greece at auction. She moved to Piraeus in 1981, where she was laid up until 1988, when she was sold to the Epirotiki Lines, and renamed Odysseus (2). She entered service after a further refit, when her aft superstructure was extended toward the stern. Odysseus (2) mainly operated cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean, with occasional charters further afield.
 
Odysseus (2) passed to Royal Olympic Cruises in 1997 continuing to work on similar cruises. Odysseus returned to her home continent in the winter of 1997-98 when chartered to cruise out of Buenos Aires. In the spring of 2000 it was announced that she would be long-term chartered to Legend Cruises for a series of 3- and 4-day cruises as the Joywave from Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. There was a purchase option after three years. The deal fell through before cruises started and Odysseus returned to work on 7-day cruises from Heraklion through that summer. Royal Olympic Cruises was renamed Royal Olympia Cruises in 2003. Following the collapse of Royal Olympia, Odysseus reportedly passed to Hansa Kreuzfahten, who in 2005 owned three small cruise ships which are chartered out to travel agencies. She may have been renamed Odysseys. Later reports indicated that she was running gambling cruises from Hing Kong or Taiwan.
 
 
Ship Names on this Page:-
Aquamarine (Aquamarine: 1978-1980)
Joywave (Legend Cruises: 2000)
Marco Polo (Dominion Far East: 1969-1978)
Odysseus (2) (Epirotiki: 1988-1997)
Odysseus (Royal Olympic: 1997-2005)
Princesa Isabel (Costeira: 1961-1969)
 
Associated Pages:-
Epirotiki Lines
Royal Olympic Cruises
UK Excursion Ships
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates
Simplon Postcards - Home Page
 
References:-
Liners & Cruise Ships - Some Notable Smaller Vessels - Anthony Cooke: Carmania Press 1996
   
 
Search Simplon Postcards:-

powered by FreeFind  
 
 
 
 
Princesa Isabel
(Costeira: 1961-1967)
(Lloyd Brasileiro: 1967-1969)
 
In 1961, Soc. Espanola de Construccion Naval, Bilbao, constructed two coastal passenger ships for the Brazilian shipping Company, Cia. Nacional of Nav. Costeira. These two ships were named Princesa Isabel and Princesa Leopoldina. The 9.696 GRT Princesa Isabel was launched on January 18th 1961, and was delivered to her owners in August 1962. During speed trials, she attained 17.5 knots. Her accommodation consisted of:- First Class: 200 passengers (29 double and 46 three-berth cabins), Tourist Class: 250 passengers (mostly four berth cabins).
 
Due to poor loadings, Princesa Isabel was laid up in Rio de Janeiro in early 1968, and placed on the market. During this time, machinery parts were removed, being used on her sister Princesa Leopoldina. After an 18-month lay-up, Dominion Far East Line purchased her in 1969. She was towed from Rio de Janeiro to the River Clyde were she received a seven month refit. Upon completion, her passenger capacity had reduced to 375. She departed the Clyde under a British flag, renamed Marco Polo, and was delivered to Melbourne Australia in June 1970. Upon arrival, she commenced her cruise programme of the South Pacific and Asia. After an eight years service, Dominion Line announced the sale of the Marco Polo in May 1978.
 
 
Modern art postcard NB-11 of Princesa Isabel.
Painted and published by Antonio Giacomelli.
 
 
 
 
 
Marco Polo
(Dominion Far East: 1969-1978)
 
Due to poor loadings, Princesa Isabel was laid up in Rio de Janeiro in early 1968, and placed on the market. During this time, machinery parts were removed, being used on her sister Princesa Leopoldina. After an 18-month lay-up, Dominion Far East Line purchased her in 1969. She was towed from Rio de Janeiro to the River Clyde were she received a seven month refit. Upon completion, her passenger capacity had reduced to 375. She departed the Clyde under a British flag, renamed Marco Polo, and was delivered to Melbourne Australia in June 1970. Upon arrival, she commenced her cruise programme of the South Pacific and Asia. After an eight years service, Dominion Line announced the sale of the Marco Polo in May 1978. Marco Polo had been purchased by a Greek owned Hong Kong Company, known as Aquamarine International, a company with connections with the Greek Kavounides family. On her final Asian cruise, Marco Polo was caught in the grip of a typhoon and suffered a battering for five days, resulting in a number of injuries amongst her 192 passengers.
 
 
Official company postcard of Marco Polo.
Scan: Rogerio Gouveia
 
 
 
 
 
Aquamarine
(Aquamarine: 1978-1980)
 
Marco Polo had been purchased by a Greek owned Hong Kong Company, known as Aquamarine International, a company with connections with the Greek Kavounides family. On her final Asian cruise, Marco Polo was caught in the grip of a typhoon and suffered a battering for five days, resulting in a number of injuries amongst her 192 passengers. After an extensive refit in Greece, which included her forward superstructure extended, she was renamed Aquamarine, for a series of 14-day Asian cruises out of Hong Kong. Her new cruise schedule competed directly with her sister ship, Coral Princess, ex-Princesa Leopoldina, which had been obtained by the Hong Kong based Swire Group China Navigation in 1970. However, Aquamarine's loadings were poor and she was laid up in Hong Kong after her first season. On April 27, 1980, she was arrested, and bought by the Commercial Bank of Greece at auction. She moved to Piraeus in 1981, where she was laid up until 1988, when she was sold to the Epirotiki Lines, and renamed Odysseus (2).
 
 
Official company postcard of Aquamarine.
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
Photographic postcard of Aquamarine.
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
 
 
 
Odysseus (2)
(Epirotiki: 1988-1997)
 
On April 27, 1980, Aquamarine was arrested, and bought by the Commercial Bank of Greece at auction. She moved to Piraeus in 1981, where she was laid up until 1988, when she was sold to the Epirotiki Lines, and renamed Odysseus (2). She entered service after a further refit, when her aft superstructure was extended toward the stern. Odysseus (2) mainly operated cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean, with occasional charters further afield. Odysseus (2) passed to Royal Olympic Cruises in 1997 continuing to work on similar cruises.
 
 
Epirotiki official postcard of Odysseus (2).
 
 
Epirotiki official postcard of Odysseus (2).
 
 
Chantry Classics postcard of Odysseus (2).
 
 
 
 
 
Odysseus
(Royal Olympic: 1997-2005)
 
Odysseus (2) passed to Royal Olympic Cruises in 1997 continuing to work on similar cruises. Odysseus (2) returned to her home continent in the winter of 1997-98 when chartered to cruise out of Buenos Aires. In the spring of 2000 it was announced that she would be long-term chartered to Legend Cruises for a series of 3- and 4-day cruises as the Joywave from Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. There was a purchase option after three years. The deal fell through before cruises started and Odysseus returned to work on 7-day cruises from Heraklion through that summer. Royal Olympic Cruises was renamed Royal Olympia Cruises in 2003. Following the collapse of Royal Olympia, Odysseus passed to Hansa Kreuzfahten, who in 2005 owned three small cruise ships which are chartered out to travel agencies. She may have been renamed Odysseys.
 
 
Official Royal Olympic postcard of Odysseus (2).
 
 
Official Royal Olympic postcard of Odysseus (2).
 
 
Rare official postcard of Odysseus (2) as Joywave.
Retouched image of the Royal Olympic card.
Scan: Rogerio Gouveia
 
 
Chantry Classics card CC/S271 of Odysseus, published by Harold Jordan.
 
 
Ramsey Postcards serial number 127 of Odysseus.
 
 
 
 
 
UK Excursion Ships - Ferry Postcards - Cruise Ship Postcards - Ocean Liner Postcards
Top of Page - Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates - Simplon Postcards - Home Page
 
 
 
 

           
 
 
 
 
 
©1999-2006 Copyright Ian Boyle/Simplon Postcards (all pages on web site)
All Rights Reserved