Flotta
Lauro released this post card prior to her completion
Part Two -Achille Lauro
At
the end of 1964, due to poor passenger loadings, Willem Ruys was laid up in Rotterdam, and Oranje was laid up in Amsterdam. Both, these old rivals were placed
on the market and sold. In January 1965, she was officially handed over and
renamed Achille Lauro after the managing director of the Lauro Line.
She
was about to be extensively rebuilt and modernised by CN Riunitidi Palermo. On August 29, the ship was rocked by an
explosion, and a fire broke out. After, the ship was safe, work was continued,
but obviously, completion was delayed.
Externally
there were some significant changes made to this already beautiful ship. The most
obvious being, her twin funnels, each were the heightened, painted blue, with
the traditional Lauro star added. The high slim-line funnels were topped by
stylish twin smoke dispersers, giving Achille Lauro a distinctive look. In
addition, promenade deck was extended forward with glazing, whilst her upper
decks aft were also glazed in to protect the forward pool from the wind. Her
hull was repainted dark blue, with a red boot topping. Undoubtedly, she was a
magnificent sight, for a pre-war ship, looking very much like new modern liner.
Her gross tonnage had now been increased to 23,629. Sadly, the Achille Lauro
became a much troubled ship right up to her eventual sinking on December 2, 1994.
Achille Lauro arriving in Sydney
This
beautiful ship was placed once again on the Australian service. April 13, 1966
Achille Lauro departed Genoa heading for Sydney
Australia, continuing on to Wellington New Zealand.
She remained on this service for six years. However, due to a lack of
passengers, she was withdrawn from service. Achille Lauro was about to join the
cruise industry.
Achille Lauro was
involved in a collision with a cargo ship, the Youssef.
This incident resulted in one casualty. Sadly, the Youssef
sank. Then in 1981, Achille Lauro suffered yet another fire. After repairs, she
was placed back into service again .
In
1982, the Tenerife authorities seized her as
Lauro Line had not paid the port duties. She remained laid up for several
months before she was able return to her homeport, Genoa. She was again laid up until Lauro
Lines paid their various debts.
Below: the Santa Maria
Lauro Lines merged with
the Chandris Line in 1985. It would be this year, that
became Achille Lauro’s most notorious year ever, with an event, which the
world would remember, even to this day. On October 7, 1985, Achille Lauro was on
a ten-day cruise, however, just before arriving at Alexandria, the Achille
Lauro was taken hostage by five Palestinian terrorists. Not since the hijacking
of the Argentinean Liner Santa Maria, by a Portuguese rebel group on January 23, 1961.
The Santa Maria
was held for 13 days. The Palestinian terrorists were in a rage, when they
murdered a disabled passenger, American Mr. Leon Klinghoffer. After which, they
threw him and his wheelchair overboard. After various demands, the Egyptian
authorities gave the hijackers permission to leave the ship without punishment.
As they left the ship, they made a victorious lap around the harbour, soon
after they departed by plane. However, the American authorities forced them
down over Sicily.
In the meantime, the Egyptian government retained the Achille Lauro, in
retaliation. Again, whilst under the Italian flag, she suffered another crisis.
Eight days later, the Achille Lauro returned to her homeport. One of the
terrorists was captured by the Americans during the 2003 war Iraq.
The cruising lifestyle around the pool
The
ship continued her cruise duties, although she was re-flagged in 1987, when the
Lauro Line became Star Lauro. In 1990, a TV movie was made, named, “Voyage of Terror - The Achille
Lauro Affair,” starring Burt Lancaster and Eve Marie Saint.
Like most movies, we cannot believe what it shows, as general exterior shots
were of other cruise ships, even cargo ships, but it came off reasonably well.
Post card release by Star Lauro
The Achille Lauro now sailing under a Swiss
flag
Several
years later came the demise of the great Willem Ruys / Achille Lauro. November 30 1994,
she was cruising off Somalia
in the Indian ocean, when yet another fire broke out. This time there would be
no reprieve for her, as this fire would be devastating. After the fire began to
burn out of control, the captain gave the order to abandon ship at 0500 local
time, 0200 GMT. All 1,090
passengers and crew abandoned ship. The tanker ‘Hawaiian King’ was
the first of a number of ships that answered Achille Lauro’s SOS.
The
Panamanian registered ‘Hawaiian King’ rescued most of the
passengers. Sadly, two souls died, and eight were injured during the transfer
of passengers from life rafts onto the tanker. As night fell, survivors were
recovering onboard the ‘Hawaiian King.’ The US
Navy cruiser Gettysburg.which by now had been stocked with much needed food.
The fire raged for three days, and the Achille Lauro was declared a total loss.
“The Achille Lauro is listing by at least 40 degrees, and you can still
see smoke and flames, the passenger decks on the stern side are burning, and
flames are licking halfway up the vessel,” said the tanker’s captain,
DimitriosSkapinakis.
Achille Lauro sank on December 2.
The tragic fire ended the distinguished
career of this fine ship
The
BBC reported on the Achille Lauro
fire. It may be viewed by clicking the link shown below. You will need RealPlayer
to view it.
PLEASE NOTE: I receive
hundreds of requests for Passenger Lists and Sailing Schedules. I hereby
wish to advise that I am unable to assist due to time restrains and as most
shipping companies have long gone these lists/schedules are no longer
available. I regret to advise that any request for these will no longer be
answered
Photographs
on ssMaritime –Cruise-Australia
and all associate pages are: 1. By the author. 2. From the author’s private collection (including those
photos the author has purchased outright and own copyright to).3. As provided by Shipping Companies and private
photographers. Credit is given to all contributors. However, there are some
photographs sent to us without details of the photographer/owners concerned. We
would therefore appreciate if owners of these photographs would make themselves
known to me, that due credit may be given.
This
notice covers all pages, although, we have done our best to ensure that all
photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page as
each page is updated!
Achille Lauro was
involved in a collision with a cargo ship, the Youssef.
This incident resulted in one casualty. Sadly, the Youssef
sank. Then in 1981, Achille Lauro suffered yet another fire. After repairs, she
was placed back into service again .
Lauro Lines merged with
the Chandris Line in 1985. It would be this year, that
became Achille Lauro’s most notorious year ever, with an event, which the
world would remember, even to this day. On 
