| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | 1955-1965: RMS Empress of Britain 1965-1975: SS Queen Anna Maria 1975-1993: SS Carnivale 1993-1994: SS Fiesta Marina 1995-1997: SS Olympic 1997-2008: SS The Topaz |
| Owner: | 1956-1963: Canadian Pacific Steamships 1964-1975: Greek Line 1975-1994: Carnival Corporation & plc 1995-1997: Epirotiki Line 1997-2003: TUI Travel PLC 2003-2008: Topaz International |
| Operator: | 1956-1965: Canadian Pacific Steamships 1965-1975: Greek Line 1975-1993: Carnival Cruise Lines 1993-1994: Fiesta Marina Cruises 1995-1996: Epirotiki Line 1996-1997: Royal Olympic Cruises 1998-2003: Thomson Cruises 2003-2008: Peace Boat |
| Port of registry: | 1956-1965: Canada 1965-1975: Greece 1975-1994: Panama 1995-1997: Greece 1998-2008: Cyprus |
| Builder: | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering, Govan, Scotland |
| Yard number: | 731 |
| Launched: | June 22, 1955 by Queen Elizabeth II |
| Completed: | 1956 |
| Maiden voyage: | April 20, 1956 |
| In service: | 1955-2008 |
| Out of service: | April 2008 |
| Fate: | Sold for scrap in 2008. |
| Status: | Scrapped at Alang, India |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Ocean liner |
| Tonnage: | 25,516 GRT |
| Length: | 640 ft. |
| Beam: | 85.2 ft. |
| Draught: | 29 ft. |
| Propulsion: | 6 Steam Turbine |
| Speed: | 20 knots |
| Capacity: | 160 1st-class & 984 tourist-class passengers |
RMS Empress of Britain was a transatlantic ocean liner built by Fairfield Shipbuilding at Govan on the Clyde in Scotland in 1955-1956[1] for Canadian Pacific Steamship (CP). This ship—the third of three CP vessels to be named Empress of Britain[2] -- regularly traversed the trans-Atlantic route between Canada and Europe until 1964, completing 123 voyages under the Canadian Pacific flag. This Empress was distinguished by the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) prefix in front of her name because the British government and Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) had decades earlier reached agreement on a contract for subsidized trans-oceanic mail service.
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The Empress of Britain was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding in Govan near Glasgow, Scotland.[3] She was launched on June 22, 1955 by HM Queen Elizabeth II.[4] This was nearly fifty years after the first CP Empress of Britain was launched from Govan in November 1905. Eleven months later, she set out on a maiden voyage from Liverpool to Montreal, departing Liverpool on April 20, 1956.[5]
The 25,516 ton vessel had a length of 640 feet, and her beam was 85.2 feet. The ship had one funnel, one mast, twin propellers and an average speed of 20 knots. The ocean liner provided accommodation for 160 first class passengers and for 984 tourist class passengers.[5]
In November 1964, this former CP Empress was sold to the Greek Line; and the ship was re named SS Queen Anna Maria. This Queen rebuilt to 21,716 gross tons with accommodation for 168 first-class passengers and for 1,145 tourist-class passengers. She sailed on the Piraeus to Naples to New York route. Later, she provided service on the Haifa to New York route. In 1975, she was laid up at Piraeus for a time.[5]
In 1976, this former Greek Queen was sold to Carnival Cruise Lines; and the ship was re named yet again—this time as the SS Carnivale. As Carnival's market expanded and the company was able to afford buying new ships, the ship transferred in to a Latin market subsidiary cruise line.[5]
In 1993, Carnival Cruise Lines transferred registration of the Carnivale to a subsidiary cruise line, Fiesta Marina Cruises; and the ship was re named SS Fiesta Marina. She became something of a test ship in a cruise line expansion venture which proved ultimately to be unsuccessful.[5]
In 1994, Fiesta Marine sold the former FiestaMarina to Epirotiki; and the ship was re named the Olympic. In 1996, she was transferred to Royal Olympic Cruises operating under the same name.[5]
In 1997, the former Olympic was sold to Cyprus-based Thomson Holidays; and the ship was re named Topaz.[5]
In 2003, the vessel was chartered, and then later sold to Topaz International to sail for Peace Boat operating under the name Peace Boat. In April 2008, she was retired from the Peace Boat organization.[6]
After the Topaz was retired in April, she was laid up. On June 15, while she was anchored, she was struck by the tanker Champion Brali. The collision severed off part of her bow.[7] During her lay up, she was sold to the breakers. In the late summer of 2008, the Topaz was beached in Alang, India to be scrapped. She was placed not too far away from where the remains of the SS France / SS Norway are located.[8] The ship began demolition a few months after being beached. As of November 2009, most of the ship had been scrapped. [9]