The
Media
and her twin sister Parthia were
designed for Cunard’s Liverpool to New
York cargo-passenger service, with just 250 first
class passengers travelling in style and comfort.
Cunard
Post Card of the “combination” Cargo Passenger Liner Media.
She was the first
transatlantic liner to be given stabilisers. In
addition, this postcard shows herwith a partially closed promenade deck
Media was
transformed as the ultra modern Passenger (Migrant) Liner Flavia in 1962/63
Official Flavia Post Card
With
WWII at an end, Cunard was ready to return to full passenger services across
the Atlantic. The Queens were made ready for
their normal Atlantic duties, yet Cunard realised that new ships with good
cargo capacity were needed. The Media and her twin sister Parthia
were designed especially for Cunard’s Liverpool to New York
cargo-passenger service, carrying just 250 passengers in first class comfort.
This Postcard shows her with a fully glass
enclosed promenade deck
History
of Ship Owners and Names
Cunard
Liner - Media 1947/1961
Cogedar
Liner - Flavia 1961/1969
Costa
Line’s Cruise Ship - Flavia 1969/1982
C.Y.
Tung Group (HKG)
Cruise Ship - Flavian 1982/1986
Virtue
Shipping (HKG)
Lavia (laid up off Lantau) 1986/1989
Specifications
- Media
Builders:
John Brown & Co, Clydebank
Launched:
12 December 1946
Maiden
Voyage: 20 August 1947 (Liverpool to New
York)
Tonnage:
13,345 GRT
Dimensions:
531 ft x 70 ft
Draught:
26 ft
Engines:
Steam, D.R. geared turbines, twin screw.
Service
Speed: 18 knots
Passengers:
250 first class only
Both
ships were relatively successful, but in 1953, the Media was overhauled and she became the
first transatlantic liner to be fitted with Deny-Brown fin stabilisers. These
fins greatly reduced the rolling at sea and provided a more comfortable crossing of the Atlantic. In fact, these stabilisers proved to be so
successful; they were soon fitted to the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth.
-Left: Media heading back to Liverpool from Canada
By the early
sixties, it became apparent, especially with low passenger loading’s,
that Cunard had to dispose of both the Media and Parthia.
TheParthia was purchased
by the New Zealand Shipping Company and was renamed Remuera. She was purchased to replace
NZSC's much loved Rangitata and Rangitiki, which were sold one year later.
The Media was
sold for 740,000 pounds to Compagnia Genovese d'Armamento S.p.A., or Cogedar
Line, in July 1961, but she completed her service with Cunard on 30 September
and was handed over in Liverpool on 12 October
to Cogedar Line. She arrived in Genoa
on the 21st and after being registered ten days later, the Media was
duly renamed Flavia.
Cogedar purchased her with the intention of using her as a replacement for
their ageing Flaminia.
She received one
on the most extensive rebuilding programmes on any liner to date. For nine months,
she was completely transformed into a sleek liner by Officine A & R Navi, Genoa. Flavia gained 26 ft
in length as her bow was reshaped and lengthened. A sleek new funnel with a
large fin, was her crowning glory. Her old accommodation was scrapped and her
cargo spaces were transformed into extra passenger decks.
Flavia
showing her sleek lines
Flavia
now had accommodations for up to 1,224 tourist class passengers in 153 two-berth
cabins, 220 four-berth cabins and five eight-berth cabins, plus 100 folding
bed-settee for children. The majority of cabins had private facilities and were
comfortably furnished with warm timber tones. Public rooms extended the full
length of Riviera
deck, which is directly below boat deck. Forward was the two deck high
Ballroom with the cinema located
right aft. She featured two swimming pools and a glass enclosed
children’s playground with paddling pool forward of the upper level of
the main lounge. Her two dinning rooms catered for all passengers in two
sittings.
Flavia, now
15,465 GRT, departed Genoa on her first voyage to Australia on 2 October 1962. As she
steamed towards Sydney,
she was an impressive sight, a beautifully streamlined, a gleaming white
passenger liner. Sailing via the Suez, she
arrived in Fremantle on 30 October, Melbourne 5 November and remained there for
two nights, reaching Sydney
on 9 October departing the next day. She returned to Bremerhaven, which became her European turnaround
point. Flavia departed Bremerhaven
on 22 December. It would be in 1963, the Flavia began operating her round the
world service.
Above: the Main Ballroom / Lounge, looking, starboard to forward. The bar
was located just aft of the stairs seen at the right
Flavia in Southampton.
Right is Sitmar’s Castle Felice.
Smoking funnels in the background is RMS Queen Mary
Ports of Call; Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, London (Tilbury), Curacao,
the Panama Canal, Papeete, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle, Aden, Suez,
Port Said, Cannes, London, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven. When the Suez Canal was
closed in 1967, Flavia was
diverted via South Africa.
Flavia also made a number of Pacific
cruises out of Sydney, including one to the Far East.
A
link to our Photo album is located further down the page
Just one year
later the popular Flavia
was withdrawn from the Round the world service, due to changes of the migrant
contract. She made one final cruise out of Australia
and the departed Sydney on 18 October 1968 for
her return to Europe. During her return
voyage, she was chartered to Atlantic Cruise Line for cruising out of Miami to the West Indies.
She received a quick refit and refurbishing and commenced her life as a cruise
ship.
In 1968, the Flavia was sold to
the giant Italian shipping Company Costa Line. Costa was one of the first
companies to operate full time cruising with the historic Franca C. Her
accommodation was vastly upgraded and capacity was reduced to 850 passengers.
Costa C postcard of the cruise ship Flavia
Flavia began a successful career,
operating year round three and four day cruises from Miami
to the Bahamas.
She remained on this service until July 1977. Thereafter she operated a series
of cruise out of South America, before returning to Europe
for Mediterranean cruise duties, commencing in April 1978. Later that year in
September, she returned to Miami
and recommenced her previous cruise duties.
In 1982 the Flavia was withdrawn
and sold to Hong Kong based C.Y. Tung Group.
Her name was changed to Flavian
and was to commence cruising locally. Instead, she was laid up for four years
and was sold in 1986 to another Hong Kong
shipping company, Virtue Shipping, who changed her name to Lavia. This once
proud Cunard liner, the fine Cogedar Liner and Costa Lines Cruise Ship, was
laid up and remained at anchor near LandauIsland.
As
the Flavian she was poorly maintained, loosing her external elegance
On
January 7, 1989,
the sleek, but neglected Lavia caught Fire. She was completely gutted and her
hulk was sold to Taiwanese shipbreakers. A sad end for such a remarkable ship
with a remarkable history!
January 7, 1989 – Lavia ex Flavian, Flavia was gutted
by fire
Personally, I
sailed on this delightful ship from Rotterdam to Auckland via the Panama, in February 1964. My memory
of her as a young man was a joyous one. She was a modern, bright, comfortable
and a spacious liner. Yet, like so many fine liners, she is gone, but the
memories remain!
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 and associated
cruise sites are 1. By the author. 2. From the author’s private
collection.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.
Ballroom with the cinema located
right aft. She featured two swimming pools and a glass enclosed
children’s playground with paddling pool forward of the upper level of
the main lounge. Her two dinning rooms catered for all passengers in two
sittings.
