S.S. ALBATROS arriving in New York September 20, 2000.
(Image from video, authors collection)
The Port of New York will open the 2001 Season of ocean liner and cruiseship calls with the arrival of ALBATROS on Thursday April 12 at noon. This former Cunard liner will berth at the NYC Passenger Ship Terminal overnight and sail on Friday April 13 at 8pm. She is currently on a global cruise that began in Europe last December. An eastbound transit of the Panama Canal took place on March 25. She then sailed through the Caribbean and along the U.S. East Coast calling at, among other ports, Wilmington, Delaware before arriving at New York.
This fine steamship was built by John Brown & Co., Clydebank, Scotland as R.M.S. SYLVANIA for Cunard Line. She was launched November 22, 1956 and entered service from the U.K. to Canada on June 5, 1957. As SYLVANIA, she was a vessel of 22,000 gross tons and 608 feet in length capable of a speed of 20 knots with twin screws driven by steam turbines. Passenger capacity was 125 First Class and 800 Tourist. The last of four sisterships she was part of the weekly Liverpool to Quebec City/Montreal service during the ice-free conditions in the St. Lawrence.
As was customary, Cunard changed their winter routing to Halifax and New York, usually beginning in December and continuing until the end of April. Cunard transferred SYLVANIA to the service between Liverpool/Cobh and New York on a year round basis in 1961 to replace the retired BRITANNIC.
On November 24, 1966, SYLVANIA made the final Cunard sailing from Liverpool to New York, a service that had been maintained for 126 years. In 1968 the ship, along with her sistership CARINTHIA, was sold to Sitmar Cruises and SYLVANIA was renamed FAIRWIND. At a shipyard near Trieste, she was rebuilt in 1970-71 as a cruise-ship, resulting in her appearance being altered, in particular the funnel and forward superstructure. Sitmar used FAIRWIND for cruises in the Caribbean as well as Panama Canal transits. In 1988 P&O absorbed Sitmar into Princess Cruises and she became DAWN PRINCESS, At this point in her history she moved even further away from her usual North Atlantic haunts and sailed for many years in Australian waters. By the early 1990's several new cruise-ships were on order for P&O, they decided to dispose of older tonnage. DAWN PRINCESS was sold in the late spring, early summer of 1993 and renamed ALBATROS.
ALBATROS is owned by Happy Days Shipping, part of V Group and operated under a long-term charter agreement by Phoenix Reisen GmbH. Her current passenger capacity is 906, in one class, and her gross tonnage listed as 16,666 grt. Her new service caters to European; mostly German passengers and her itineraries are extensive. It has been reported that she is booked to capacity for the near future.
As one of the last true steamships, she possesses a classic steam generated whistle. It has been described as "...a lovely booming sound while her funnel is awash in wings of mercurial steam...". Occasionally unsuspecting passengers are drenched by built up water that is blown off before the steam hits the pipes.
April 12 will be an occasion to welcome back ALBATROS to the Port of New York. The following day she will sail for Boston, Halifax and a transatlantic crossing via Azores. S.S. ALBATROS is scheduled to return to Bremerhaven on April 26.