The Last Ocean Liners

Lloyd Triestino

Galileo Galilei / Guglielmo Marconi / Africa / Europa / Asia / Victoria

 

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One of Italy's great passenger shipping companies, Lloyd Triestino Societa di Navigazione built seven fine motor liners in the early 1950s for their long distance trades from Italy. It was the "Golden Age" of the combination liner, and they were among the most beautiful of the type ever built.

The first trio were named Australia, Neptunia and Oceania, which were assigned to the Australia service via Suez. However, the migration trade soon outgrew their capacity, and in 1963 they were transferred to the Italian Line for service to South America.

Lloyd Triestino placed orders for the much larger and faster Galileo Galilei and Guglielmo Marconi. They were spectacular, sleek, fast and modern, built in the last great age of ocean liners that included the Leonardo da Vinci, Eugenio C and Home Lines' Oceanic. Consequently Galileo Galilei and Guglielmo Marconi were very popular, attracting passengers from across Europe as the finest ships on the Australia run. Each class had its own swimming pool and lido, ballroom, lounge, writing room, card room, dining room and enclosed promenade.

The second pair of combination liners, the Africa and Europa, were assigned to the vital route from Trieste and Venice down the eastern coast of Africa which included Italy's former colonies of Eritrea and Somalia as well as Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa.

The final pair were the Asia and Victoria for the exotic month long Far East run from Italy's Adriatic ports to Egypt, Yemen, Pakistan, India, Indonesia (most sailings), Singapore and Hong Kong.

All of the combination ships were of modern Italian design which included a curved superstructure, streamlined funnel and terraced afterdecks. Each class had its own pool and lido, main lounge, verandah, card room and writing room.

They earned an envied reputation for fine accommodations, good food and attentive service. Fully air-conditioned and with private or shared facilities in most or all cabins, the Africa, Europa, Asia and Victoria were perhaps overall the best equipped ocean liners on their routes.

"On board it is as if you were staying at a Riviera hotel ... On this small but complete floating city, passengers will have the opportunity of spending their days absolutely free of care without any need to forego their most cherished habits."

With the closure of the Suez Canal in 1967, all of the Lloyd Triestino liners had to detour around South Africa to reach the Indian Ocean. The Galileo Galilei and Guglielmo Marconi were frequently routed homeward via the Panama Canal, attracting around-the-world and port-to-port travelers. But the limited appeal of the longer routes, combined with airline and container ship competition, eventually ended the services altogether.

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Sample minimum one-way fares from Genoa to Sydney: First class $603; Tourist class $531; from Trieste to Cape Town: First class $379; Tourist class $295; from Trieste to Hong Kong: First class $605; Tourist class $423; All fares are per person in U.S. dollars.

Continue to the ships below ...

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Go to Lloyd Triestino sailing schedules or select schedules by ship below:

Galileo Galilei Lloyd Triestino Built: 1963 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy Gross tons: 27907 Length: 702ft (214m) Width: 93ft (28m) Draft: 28ft (9m) Speed: 24kn Power: 44000 shp Propulsion: Steam turbines twin screw Passengers: 156 First 1594 Tourist End of service: Laid up 1977; sold 1983 as Galileo then Meridian then Sun Vista; burned and sunk 1999 Go to sailing schedules for this ship.

Guglielmo Marconi Lloyd Triestino Built: 1963 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy Gross tons: 27905 Length: 702ft (214m) Width: 93ft (28m) Draft: 28ft (9m) Speed: 24kn Power: 44000 shp Propulsion: Steam turbines twin screw Passengers: 156 First 1594 Tourist End of service: Laid up 1976; cruising only from 1979; sold 1983 as Costa Riviera; scrapped 2001 Go to sailing schedules for this ship.

Africa Lloyd Triestino Built: 1952 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy Gross tons: 11434 Length: 523ft (159m) Width: 68ft (21m) Draft: 23ft (7m) Speed: 19.5kn Power: 16100 bhp Propulsion: Diesel twin screw Passengers: 148 First 298 Tourist End of service: Sold 1976 as Protea; scrapped 1980 Go to sailing schedules for this ship.

Europa Lloyd Triestino Built: 1952 by Ansaldo SpA, La Spezia, Italy Gross tons: 11440 Length: 522ft (159m) Width: 68ft (21m) Draft: 23ft (7m) Speed: 19.5kn Power: 16100 bhp Propulsion: Diesel twin screw Passengers: 148 First 298 Tourist End of service: Sold 1976 as Blue Sea; burned and sunk 1976 Go to sailing schedules for this ship.

Asia Lloyd Triestino Built: 1953 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Trieste, Italy Gross tons: 11693 Length: 520ft (158m) Width: 68ft (21m) Draft: 23ft (7m) Speed: 19.5kn Power: 16100 bhp Propulsion: Diesel twin screw Passengers: 286 First 181 Tourist End of service: Sold 1975; converted to livestock carrier 1977 as Persia; scrapped 1985 Go to sailing schedules for this ship.

Victoria Lloyd Triestino Built: 1953 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Trieste, Italy Gross tons: 11695 Length: 520ft (158m) Width: 68ft (21m) Draft: 23ft (7m) Speed: 19.5kn Power: 16100 bhp Propulsion: Diesel twin screw Passengers: 286 First 181 Tourist End of service: Sold 1974; converted to hospital ship 1978 as Anastasis; scrapped 2007 Go to sailing schedules for this ship.