SS Stella Solaris
Encyclopedia
SS Stella Solaris (lit. "Star of the Sun", originally known as Cambodge) was an ocean liner
built for the Messageries Maritimes
in 1952. She mainly provided passenger service between France
, the Middle East
, Southeast Asia
, and Japan
.
Stella Solaris was built in Dunkirk in northern France as the Cambodge, and along with two sister ships, she sailed her first voyage in 1953. Following the 1970s, she was acquired by a Greek company and converted into a cruise ship
. Most of her working life was spent as a cruise ship in the Aegean Sea
and she also made frequent transatlantic voyages to South America
and the Caribbean Sea
. Few major damaging incidents happened to Stella Solaris, and she quickly became one of the more popular cruise vessels of the time. An unusual 2003-2004 economic crisis in the cruise ship sector caused many older vessels, such as Stella Solaris, to be sold for scrap. After 54 years of service, she was retired in December 2003 and broken up in Alang, Bhavnagar District
, India
.
-based shipping company, ordered three identical ships to be built around the late 1940s to provide passenger and mixed-freight service on a Marseilles-to-Yokohama
route, with many calls in South Asia as well. The first to be completed was in 1952, followed by Cambodge, the name which Stella Solaris was first christened, in 1953. Cambodge was built by the Societe des Ateliers & Chantiers in Dunkirk, Nord, in northern France. The name was derived from the Southeast Asian country of Cambodia
. Her keel was laid down in 1949 and she was launched on June 28, 1953, then completed and delivered to Messageries Maritimes in July 1953. The third ship, , was not completed until 1954.
Cambodge and her sisters were only mid-sized. The ship was , 545 feet (166.1 m) long with a beam
of 72 feet (21.9 m). She was powered by twin Parsons geared turbines, which gave her a cruising speed of 21 knots (41.2 km/h). Cambodge could carry 347 passengers on 7 decks—117 in first class, 110 in second (tourist) class, and 120 in third (steerage or cabin) class. First class cabins occupied the majority of the passenger space in the central portion of the ship, the second class in the stern, and third class in the bow. First class passengers also had a large pool for their private use. A large amount of artistic flair was employed in the design of Cambodge. A French style predominated, but some Asian decorations were also incorporated. Italian artist Nino Zoncada was hired to design some of the interior of the ship.
s were also on this deck. E deck was the middle deck of the ship's superstructure
. Most of E Deck consisted of first class cabins. The Drawing Room
near the front had a row of windows said to "rival those of Atlantic liners of the time". Aft of the Drawing Room a first-class promenade surrounded nearly the entire interior of the deck. The Bar, Smoking Room
and Writing Room were further astern, past the first class cabins. Aft of the public rooms were the outdoor first class swimming pool and lido deck area. The interior of D deck also primarily consisted of first class cabins, many with private balconies. Cabine de Luxe #5, with a separate bedroom and sitting room, was on the forward starboard portion of the deck and was the most luxuriant single berth on the ship. The back portion contained "studio" class cabins that were narrower and smaller than the other first class rooms. The deck also had the forecastle
of the ship and the primary navigation equipment. Aft of the fo'c'sle was a third class outdoor area. Aft of the private balconies of the interior first class cabins was a second promenade deck.
C deck was the highest deck within the ship's hull. Third class cabins were in the starboard bow section, and the third class dining room was opposite of the cabins. After the third class area were more first-class cabins, terminating at a stair tower. Aft of the stairwell were second-class berths without private bath facilities, and aft of the second-class rooms was a sheltered promenade. B deck consisted mostly of public space. The first class and tourist class dining areas were both located amidships, separated by the ship's galley. The first class dining saloon was lit with fluorescent lights and equipped with apparatus to minimize sensation of the roll of the ship. The second-class dining area was similar to the first-class area, but not as lavish, and also doubled as the ship's cinema. The bow section of B Deck had more third-class accommodations and the third-class ship entrance. A deck had mostly crew's quarters, storage rooms, and had the ship's engines. There were also third class cabins in the bow. Notably, Cambodges original steam turbine engine never suffered significant breakdowns and never had to be replaced.
promenade encircled the entirety of Boat Deck, designed to slope towards its amidships section as a way to compensate for the swaying of the vessel.
Solaris deck consisted almost entirely of public spaces. The main dining room was located just aft of the ship's galley. The much smaller Bar Grill extended aft off the starboard side of the dining area. Amidships, the purser
's office and ship's reception area were located in the primary entrance area of Stella Solaris. The Solaris Lounge and Piano Bar were located aft of the entrance hall, both used for various forms of entertainment. Golden deck was the lowest deck on the superstructure and was used for passenger accommodations. The ship's Beauty Parlor and hospital were directly aft of the cabins in the bow section, which contained the forecastle. Amidships were 16 "Deluxe Cabins". The aft of Golden Deck had the ship's gym and spa area, and the poop deck
and fantail
. Ruby deck, the highest deck in the ship's hull, also had passenger cabins and 16 Deluxe Cabins below those on Golden Deck. Emerald deck had further cabins and the main entrance area of the Stella Solaris. The entrance area had recessed circular lighting inspired by 1950s Italian ocean liners. Sapphire Deck had the lowest passenger cabins on the ship, divided into two portions. The ship's cinema was located in the back, as was the Discotheque, a public room located underneath the cinema.
in July 1953. Her route connected Marseilles with various ports along the Suez Canal
, Red Sea
, Indian Ocean
, South China Sea
, and western Pacific Ocean
. From Marseilles, she sailed across the Mediterranean Sea
and through the Suez Canal and Red Sea to Port Said
and Suez
in Egypt
, Aden
in Yemen
; Djibouti
; across the Indian Ocean to Bombay, India
; Colombo
, Sri Lanka
; and the island of Singapore
; through the South China Sea to Ho Chi Minh City
, Vietnam
; Manila
, Philippines
; Hong Kong
, and along the Pacific coast of Asia to finally reach Kobe
and Yokohama
in Japan
. Along with Viet Nam and Laos, she sailed without major incident on this route until 1967, when the Six-Day War
closed the Suez Canal.
Following the war, Cambodge helped to ferry French troops from the North African nation of Algeria
back to their home country, served as a hospital ship
during the Vietnam War
, and with the ever-increasing popularity of air travel, she withdrew from regular passenger service and began to run cruises from Australia
n ports to destinations in the Indian Ocean. In 1968, Messageries Maritimes renamed the Viet Nam the Pacifique, and put all three ships up for sale in 1970. Cambodges sister ships were purchased by Compania Navegacion Abeto to carry Muslim
pilgrim
s, and remodeled to hold over 1,600 passengers. Both were destroyed by a fire in the mid-1970s. Cambodge, however, had a different fate. She was purchased by Sun Lines, a Greek cruise line, for conversion into a cruise ship
.
In 1970, Cambodge sailed to the city of La Spezia
in northern Italy
, where she was renamed Stella V and her interiors were partially gutted for a massive planned remodeling. When plans were completed, Stella V sailed to Perama
, Piraeus
, in southern Greece
, for conversion into Stella Solaris. Her passenger accommodations were revised to 765—all first class—and nearly twice the original capacity. Her weight, however, was reduced to . Her funnel was replaced with a more finned and streamlined version, her superstructure was terraced, lengthened and expanded, her rooms were fitted with air conditioning
and private baths, and her pool and lido section was expanded and moved. Many of the French and Italian decorations were replaced with Greek-themed artwork, including ceramic, metal and velour
features. Upon incorporation into Sun Lines' fleet, she was the largest vessel.
From then, Stella Solaris sailed the Aegean Sea
and the eastern Mediterranean Sea during the summer, and operated cruise excursions in the Caribbean Sea
and the South America
n Atlantic coast in the winter. Stella Solaris soon became one of the most popular cruise ships of the time. She was featured on Cruise Travel magazine in July 1989 as "Ship of the Month", and was said to have a "repeat passenger ratio that was the envy of her competitors". In 1995, Sun and the rival Epirotiki Lines merged to form the Royal Olympic Cruise Lines (ROC). Soon after, in 1998, Louis Cruise Lines
, the final owner, bought most of the shares in Royal Olympic. Due to the Kosovo War
the following year, Stella Solaris was temporarily laid up at Piraeus. In 2001, an accident damaged one of her propeller shafts, which was repaired soon after, but continued to cause problems.
around late 2003. She sailed for Alang, Bhavnagar District
, India
under the delivery name S Solar, arriving on December 8, 2003, alongside another, smaller, Sun Lines ship, . Much of the artwork and furnishings from Stella Solaris was auctioned off, some materials and fittings were also recovered and sold, while the rest of her hull was broken up and turned into scrap metal.
Many historic artworks from the ship were auctioned off during the remodeling and after her destruction. This is a list of some of them:
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
built for the Messageries Maritimes
Messageries Maritimes
The Messageries Maritimes is an old French maritime company. It was originally created in 1851 as Messageries Nationales, later called Messageries Impériales, and in 1871, Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes.-History:...
in 1952. She mainly provided passenger service between France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Stella Solaris was built in Dunkirk in northern France as the Cambodge, and along with two sister ships, she sailed her first voyage in 1953. Following the 1970s, she was acquired by a Greek company and converted into a cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
. Most of her working life was spent as a cruise ship in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
and she also made frequent transatlantic voyages to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. Few major damaging incidents happened to Stella Solaris, and she quickly became one of the more popular cruise vessels of the time. An unusual 2003-2004 economic crisis in the cruise ship sector caused many older vessels, such as Stella Solaris, to be sold for scrap. After 54 years of service, she was retired in December 2003 and broken up in Alang, Bhavnagar District
Bhavnagar district
Bhavnagar is a peninsular district of South-Eastern Gujarat. Bhavnagar city is the administrative headquarters of the district. It had a population of 2,469,630 of which 37.86% were urban as of 2001. It covers an area of over 9940 km²...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Construction
Messageries Maritimes, a FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-based shipping company, ordered three identical ships to be built around the late 1940s to provide passenger and mixed-freight service on a Marseilles-to-Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
route, with many calls in South Asia as well. The first to be completed was in 1952, followed by Cambodge, the name which Stella Solaris was first christened, in 1953. Cambodge was built by the Societe des Ateliers & Chantiers in Dunkirk, Nord, in northern France. The name was derived from the Southeast Asian country of Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. Her keel was laid down in 1949 and she was launched on June 28, 1953, then completed and delivered to Messageries Maritimes in July 1953. The third ship, , was not completed until 1954.
Cambodge and her sisters were only mid-sized. The ship was , 545 feet (166.1 m) long with a beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 72 feet (21.9 m). She was powered by twin Parsons geared turbines, which gave her a cruising speed of 21 knots (41.2 km/h). Cambodge could carry 347 passengers on 7 decks—117 in first class, 110 in second (tourist) class, and 120 in third (steerage or cabin) class. First class cabins occupied the majority of the passenger space in the central portion of the ship, the second class in the stern, and third class in the bow. First class passengers also had a large pool for their private use. A large amount of artistic flair was employed in the design of Cambodge. A French style predominated, but some Asian decorations were also incorporated. Italian artist Nino Zoncada was hired to design some of the interior of the ship.
Layout as an ocean liner
F deck was the topmost deck, housing the ship's bridge. Berths for officers occupied most of this deck, but a children's playroom was in the aft starboard corner. The ship's lifeboatLifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
s were also on this deck. E deck was the middle deck of the ship's superstructure
Superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships...
. Most of E Deck consisted of first class cabins. The Drawing Room
Drawing room
A drawing room is a room in a house where visitors may be entertained. The name is derived from the sixteenth-century terms "withdrawing room" and "withdrawing chamber", which remained in use through the seventeenth century, and made its first written appearance in 1642...
near the front had a row of windows said to "rival those of Atlantic liners of the time". Aft of the Drawing Room a first-class promenade surrounded nearly the entire interior of the deck. The Bar, Smoking Room
Smoking room
A Smoking room is a room which is specifically provided and furnished for smoking, generally in buildings where smoking is otherwise prohibited....
and Writing Room were further astern, past the first class cabins. Aft of the public rooms were the outdoor first class swimming pool and lido deck area. The interior of D deck also primarily consisted of first class cabins, many with private balconies. Cabine de Luxe #5, with a separate bedroom and sitting room, was on the forward starboard portion of the deck and was the most luxuriant single berth on the ship. The back portion contained "studio" class cabins that were narrower and smaller than the other first class rooms. The deck also had the forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
of the ship and the primary navigation equipment. Aft of the fo'c'sle was a third class outdoor area. Aft of the private balconies of the interior first class cabins was a second promenade deck.
C deck was the highest deck within the ship's hull. Third class cabins were in the starboard bow section, and the third class dining room was opposite of the cabins. After the third class area were more first-class cabins, terminating at a stair tower. Aft of the stairwell were second-class berths without private bath facilities, and aft of the second-class rooms was a sheltered promenade. B deck consisted mostly of public space. The first class and tourist class dining areas were both located amidships, separated by the ship's galley. The first class dining saloon was lit with fluorescent lights and equipped with apparatus to minimize sensation of the roll of the ship. The second-class dining area was similar to the first-class area, but not as lavish, and also doubled as the ship's cinema. The bow section of B Deck had more third-class accommodations and the third-class ship entrance. A deck had mostly crew's quarters, storage rooms, and had the ship's engines. There were also third class cabins in the bow. Notably, Cambodges original steam turbine engine never suffered significant breakdowns and never had to be replaced.
Layout as a cruise ship
The Sports deck (topmost) was mostly an outside recreation area. Two walkways in the aft section abutted the swimming pools on the deck below. The section closest to the bow lay atop the ship's bridge. Most of the sports deck was a spacious rooftop space. Lido deck constituted the pool area of the ship and also housed the bridge closer to the bow. There were two nearly oval-shaped swimming pools surrounded by a spacious lido area. Ahead of the lido section and behind the officers' quarters aft of the wheelhouse was a small buffet. The interior portion of the deck continued around the lido area via glass enclosed walkways. These walkways were just inboard of the ship's lifeboats. Boat deck contained most of the first class cabins and there were 34 that were especially luxurious. The Card Room and Reading Room were aft of the passenger accommodations. A teakTeak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
promenade encircled the entirety of Boat Deck, designed to slope towards its amidships section as a way to compensate for the swaying of the vessel.
Solaris deck consisted almost entirely of public spaces. The main dining room was located just aft of the ship's galley. The much smaller Bar Grill extended aft off the starboard side of the dining area. Amidships, the purser
Purser
The purser joined the warrant officer ranks of the Royal Navy in the early fourteenth century and existed as a Naval rank until 1852. The development of the warrant officer system began in 1040 when five English ports began furnishing warships to King Edward the Confessor in exchange for certain...
's office and ship's reception area were located in the primary entrance area of Stella Solaris. The Solaris Lounge and Piano Bar were located aft of the entrance hall, both used for various forms of entertainment. Golden deck was the lowest deck on the superstructure and was used for passenger accommodations. The ship's Beauty Parlor and hospital were directly aft of the cabins in the bow section, which contained the forecastle. Amidships were 16 "Deluxe Cabins". The aft of Golden Deck had the ship's gym and spa area, and the poop deck
Poop deck
In naval architecture, a poop deck is a deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the rear, or "aft", part of the superstructure of a ship.The name originates from the French word for stern, la poupe, from Latin puppis...
and fantail
Fantail
Fantails are small insectivorous birds of southern Asia and Australasia belonging to the genus Rhipidura in the family Rhipiduridae...
. Ruby deck, the highest deck in the ship's hull, also had passenger cabins and 16 Deluxe Cabins below those on Golden Deck. Emerald deck had further cabins and the main entrance area of the Stella Solaris. The entrance area had recessed circular lighting inspired by 1950s Italian ocean liners. Sapphire Deck had the lowest passenger cabins on the ship, divided into two portions. The ship's cinema was located in the back, as was the Discotheque, a public room located underneath the cinema.
Career
Cambodge started her maiden voyageMaiden voyage
The maiden voyage of a ship, aircraft or other craft is the first journey made by the craft after shakedown. A number of traditions and superstitions are associated with it....
in July 1953. Her route connected Marseilles with various ports along the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
, and western Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. From Marseilles, she sailed across the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
and through the Suez Canal and Red Sea to Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
and Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
; Djibouti
Djibouti (city)
The City of Djibouti is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. The biggest settlement on the Gulf of Tadjoura, it lies on a peninsula that separates that basin from the Gulf of Aden.-History:...
; across the Indian Ocean to Bombay, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
; Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
; and the island of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
; through the South China Sea to Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
; Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
; Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and along the Pacific coast of Asia to finally reach Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
and Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Along with Viet Nam and Laos, she sailed without major incident on this route until 1967, when the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
closed the Suez Canal.
Following the war, Cambodge helped to ferry French troops from the North African nation of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
back to their home country, served as a hospital ship
Hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and with the ever-increasing popularity of air travel, she withdrew from regular passenger service and began to run cruises from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n ports to destinations in the Indian Ocean. In 1968, Messageries Maritimes renamed the Viet Nam the Pacifique, and put all three ships up for sale in 1970. Cambodges sister ships were purchased by Compania Navegacion Abeto to carry Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s, and remodeled to hold over 1,600 passengers. Both were destroyed by a fire in the mid-1970s. Cambodge, however, had a different fate. She was purchased by Sun Lines, a Greek cruise line, for conversion into a cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
.
In 1970, Cambodge sailed to the city of La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
in northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where she was renamed Stella V and her interiors were partially gutted for a massive planned remodeling. When plans were completed, Stella V sailed to Perama
Perama
Perama is a port city and a suburb of Piraeus that lies on the southwest edge of the Aegaleo mountains. It creates the western terminus of the Port of Piraeus and there is also a port that provides ferry services to Salamis. The town has only one main road connecting Lambrakis and Ralli Avenues,...
, Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, in southern Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, for conversion into Stella Solaris. Her passenger accommodations were revised to 765—all first class—and nearly twice the original capacity. Her weight, however, was reduced to . Her funnel was replaced with a more finned and streamlined version, her superstructure was terraced, lengthened and expanded, her rooms were fitted with air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
and private baths, and her pool and lido section was expanded and moved. Many of the French and Italian decorations were replaced with Greek-themed artwork, including ceramic, metal and velour
Velour
Velour or velours is a plush, knitted fabric or textile. It is usually made from cotton but can also be made from synthetic materials such as polyester. Velour is used in a wide variety of applications, including clothing and upholstery....
features. Upon incorporation into Sun Lines' fleet, she was the largest vessel.
From then, Stella Solaris sailed the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
and the eastern Mediterranean Sea during the summer, and operated cruise excursions in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
and the South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n Atlantic coast in the winter. Stella Solaris soon became one of the most popular cruise ships of the time. She was featured on Cruise Travel magazine in July 1989 as "Ship of the Month", and was said to have a "repeat passenger ratio that was the envy of her competitors". In 1995, Sun and the rival Epirotiki Lines merged to form the Royal Olympic Cruise Lines (ROC). Soon after, in 1998, Louis Cruise Lines
Louis Cruise Lines
Louis Cruises is a Cyprus-based cruise line that operates cruises from Cyprus, France, Italy, India and Greece . The company also charters several ships to Thomson Cruises...
, the final owner, bought most of the shares in Royal Olympic. Due to the Kosovo War
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
the following year, Stella Solaris was temporarily laid up at Piraeus. In 2001, an accident damaged one of her propeller shafts, which was repaired soon after, but continued to cause problems.
Fate
After the damage Stella Solaris suffered in 2001, she was planned for yet another remodeling and further cruise service. Unfortunately, in the years following, modern cruise ships began to take over older ships in terms of popularity. Maintenance costs rose and Stella Solaris was taken out of service in 2002. Along with hundreds of other relatively old ocean liners, she was sold for scrapShip breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
around late 2003. She sailed for Alang, Bhavnagar District
Bhavnagar district
Bhavnagar is a peninsular district of South-Eastern Gujarat. Bhavnagar city is the administrative headquarters of the district. It had a population of 2,469,630 of which 37.86% were urban as of 2001. It covers an area of over 9940 km²...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
under the delivery name S Solar, arriving on December 8, 2003, alongside another, smaller, Sun Lines ship, . Much of the artwork and furnishings from Stella Solaris was auctioned off, some materials and fittings were also recovered and sold, while the rest of her hull was broken up and turned into scrap metal.
Artworks
Stella Solaris was said to be "a ship of enormous quality and detail."Many historic artworks from the ship were auctioned off during the remodeling and after her destruction. This is a list of some of them:
- Works of La Fontaine, rendered by Camille Hillaire. (in Children's Playroom)
- Italian Comedy Figures, a series of murals by Jean Souverbie (in Drawing Room)
- Vases by Luc Lanel (in the Hall)
- Gardens and Chateaux of Ile de France by Camille Hillaire (in Writing Room)
- Pentecote de Honfleur by Hambourg (in Tourist Class Saloon)
- Naides reliefs by Guy Revol (in First Class Dining Saloon)
- Unnamed painting by Grau Sala, reminiscent of ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(also in First Class Dining Saloon) - Two interpretive paintings by Arthur Fages (Tourist Dining Saloon)