SS Ausonia (1956)
| Company type | Cruise ship |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping, Cruise line |
| Founded | August 5, 1956 in Monfalcone, Italy |
| Founder | Adriatica Lines |
| Defunct | March 3, 2010 |
| Fate | Scrapped |
| Successor | Maestro (ocean liner) |
| Headquarters | Italy / Cyprus (later owner) |
Area served | Mediterranean Sea |
Key people | Captain Gino Fabbro |
| Products | Passenger cruises |
| Owner | Louis Cruise Lines (later Golden Star Cruises) |
SS Ausonia', which was later renamed SS Ivory and Aegean Two under its final operator, Golden Star Cruises, was a Mediterranean-based cruise ship originally owned by Louis Cruise Lines. Throughout her 52-year operational lifespan, she primarily served as a cruise vessel. Upon her retirement in September 2008, she held the distinction of being the last classic Italian ocean liner in active service before being beached for scrapping in March 2010.
1956–1998
Commissioned by Adriatica Lines for the Trieste to Egypt and Lebanon route, she was constructed by Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico at their Monfalcone yard. The vessel was launched on August 5, 1956, and officially handed over on September 23, 1957. After rapid outfitting, she commenced operations in October of the same year. Her itinerary included ports such as Trieste, Venice, Brindisi, Alexandria, Beirut, Piraeus, and Bari. She continued with Adriatica Lines until undergoing a significant refurbishment in 1978 that expanded her passenger capacity from 529 to 690. Following this upgrade, she remained active under Italia Crociere Internazionali until her sale in 1998 to Louis Cruise Lines based in Cyprus.
On January 5, 1959, at 07:30, a baby girl was born aboard the ship and named after it—"Ausonia." Her parents were Elias Sleiman Saikali and Harba (Naufal). Later records show her name as 'Azonia.'
The birth was overseen by Doctor Viviani Leonardo, with the infant baptized on the same day. Captain Gino Fabbro served as godfather and Vianello Francesco as witness.
The family was emigrating from Lebanon to Canada when this event occurred. The birth registration was completed at the Lebanese Consulate in Naples on January 8, 1959.
1998–2010
Initially, the vessel did not commence operations with her initial proprietors immediately, as she was leased to First Choice Holidays for an approximate period of four years before joining the fleet of Louis. In 2005, Louis renamed her Ivory, and she continued to sail under Louis Cruise Lines until the conclusion of the summer season in 2008, primarily conducting two-day excursion voyages from Cyprus to Port Said, Egypt. The ship was taken out of service in 2009 because she failed to comply with the SOLAS 2010 safety standards.[1]
Demise
On March 3, 2010, she was beached at Alang, India for dismantling purposes. Prior to scrapping, her name was changed to Winner 5. The process of removing her interior fittings commenced, and cutting operations were imminent.[2] By May 20, scrapping activities were underway, with the bow’s tip already severed.[3] The ocean liner Maestro succeeded her and was beached in the same plot, number 141.[4]
References
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External links
File:Commons-logo.svg Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons
