This ship was built as the America for United States Lines.  Sadly, she ran aground off the Canary Islands where her battered wreck remains to this day.

The wreck of the Australis. The similarity to the United States is clear in this picture.

Built as the Monterey for the Matson line, she was also operated as the Lurline and Matsonia before being sold to Chandris and operated as the Britanis.   After being laid up in Tampa for a number of years, she sank on the way to the scrappers off the South African coast.

 

Some pictures I took of the Britanis during her layup in Tampa Bay

After its immigrant and transatlantic service ended, Chandris continued to operate budget cruises. Ships like the Amerikanis and The Victoria were regular callers in New York. As new companies entered the market with more modern and luxurious ships, the Chandris liners -- many of whose cabins lacked private bathrooms -- became obsolete.

The Victoria was built in 1936 as the Duttonar Castle for Union-Castle Line. She still sails for Louis Cruise Lines of Cyprus as their Princessa Victoria. The Amerikanis was built as the Kenya Castle, and was laid up in Greece for years before being scrapped.

Chandris reinvented itself as Celebrity Cruises, for a time operating both brands but eventually concentrating on the high-end market. The first Celebrity ship was the former Lloyd Triestino liner Galileo Galilei, which Celebrity rebuilt as the Meridian.

She was shortly joined by a newbuild, the Horizon. As Celebrity grew in popularity, the Meridian was eventually replaced by new tonnage. She last operated as the Sun Vista, before she burned and sank in 1999.

Celebrity Cruises was purchased by Royal Caribbean International; however, John Chandris continued to serve on the Board of Directors.

Some Chandris & Celebrity Ships

Name Built Pax Crew GRT Length Breadth Speed Notes
Australis

Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.
Newport News, VA 1940 (as America for US Lines)

 1046 (as built) over 2400 while in Chandris service
 643 33,961 723 94 22.5 Acquired by Chandris in 1967. Sold in 1978 & renamed America (Venture Cruises). Back to Chandris as Italis. For'ard funnel removed. Laid up Piraus 1984. Sold 1992 renamed American Star. Beached at Fuerteventura in Canary Islands while under tow & split in two. Forward half remains on beach.
Amerikanis Harland & Wolff
Belfast 1952 (as Kenya Castle for Union Castle)		 526 (as built)
617 (900 max) while in Chandris service		 390 17,041 as built
19,904 after refit
 576 74   Acquired by Chandris in 1976. Laid up in 1996. Scrapped in 2001.
Azur Dubigeon-Normandie
Nantes, France 1971 (as Eagle for P&O Ferries)		 686   14,714 466 71 23 Built as the Eagle for P&O Ferries. Acquired by Paquet in 1975. Converted to cruise ship in 1981. Sold to Festival Cruises in 1994. Laid up.
Britanis Bethlehem Steel Corp.
Quincy, Mass. USA 1931
(as Monterey for Maston)		 930 (up to 1632) 550 26,000 638 82 20 Built as the Monterey for Matson Steam Navigation Co., for service between the US Mainland and Hawaii. Served in WW2. Renamed Matsonia 1957. Renamed Lurline 1963. Acquired by Chandris in 1970. Laid up in Florida as Belofin. Sank enroute to scrappers.
Galileo Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy, 1963 (as Galileo Galilei for Lloyd Triestino) 1088 560 28,000 700 94 24 Built as the Galileo Galilei for Lloyd Triestino. Acquired by Chandris in 1983. Rebuilt and renamed Meridian in 1988 as the first ship of the new Celebrity brand. Sold to Sun Cruises of Singapore in 1997 and renamed Sun Vista. Burned and sank off Malaysia in 1999.
Horizon Meyer Werft, 1990
 1354 642 46,811 682 95 21.4 Celebrity's first newbuild. Will transfer to Island cruises in Oct. '05. Sistership Zenith joined fleet in 1992
Century Meyer Werft, 1995 2150 843 70,606 807 105 21.5  
Galaxy Meyer Werft 1996 2209 900 77,713 852 105 21.5 Sistership Mercury joined fleet in 1997
Millennium Chantiers D'Atlantique
St. Nazaire, France 2000		 1950   91,000 965 105 24 Sisterships Infinity (2001) Summit (2001) Constellation (2002)

 

greece index