TN Roma - A Voyage from Australia to Naples Italy

Flotta Lauro Lines: TN Sydney & Roma - C3 cargo ships rebuilt into passenger liners in 1950 & 1951

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With Reuben Goossens

Maritime Historian, Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer, Author & Maritime Lecturer

Please Note: All ssMaritime and other related maritime/cruise sites are 100% non-commercial and privately owned. Be assured that I am NOT associated with any shipping or cruise companies or any travel/cruise agencies or any other organisations! Although the author has been in the passenger shipping industry since 1960, although is now retired but having completed around 680 Classic Liners and Cargo-Passengers Ships features I trust these will continue to provide classic ship enthusiasts the information the are seeking, but above all a great deal of pleasure! Reuben Goossens.

Flotta Lauro Lines

Page Four

Our voyage on the …

T/N Roma

October - November 1962

TN Roma seen in Sydney Australia in 1962

From the author’s private collection

The information and two images on this page was kindly provided to me by Ingrid, who was a passenger, who with her husband sailed on the Flotta Lauro liner TN Roma from Fremantle Western Australia on Tuesday October 16, 1962. The ship sailed via Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Singapore, Bombay, Suez, Port Sais, and Medina to Naples Italy, arriving there on November 24, where they disembarked. From there Ingrid and her husband proceeded to Germany where they remained for over a month spending both Christmas and New Year there. They then continued to the United States and now reside in the Bay Area in California. Although I do have the details, but the surname has been withheld by request.

Reuben Goossens.

Tuesday, October 16 - 12 Noon. We departed Fremantle, Western Australia and sailed southward and via the south of Australia for Melbourne.

Saturday, October 20 - 7.00 am. We arrived in Melbourne and went to the city and discovered the beautiful wide streets there.

The Roma in Melbourne at Station Pier

Photographer unknown – “See photo notes at bottom of page

Sunday, October 21 – 7.00 pm. The Roma departed Melbourne for Sydney.

Tuesday, October 23. We arrived in Sydney Harbour early in the morning and it was a beautiful sight. We had two great days of sightseeing and we left late the next day.

Friday, October 26. We arrived in Brisbane on a delightfully warm day and spent the day sightseeing.

Saturday, October 27. There was great excitement, the pool was filled today, and we had “Life boat drill.”

We feel all safe now!

Provided by Ingrid the Passenger

Sunday, October 28. Perfect weather, smooth seas, able to see land and many small Islands.

Monday, October 29. At 5.00 pm we passed Cape York. Then at 7 pm the pilot left the ship per a motorboat.

Wednesday, October 31. Today beautiful calm seas and we saw many Flying fish as well as some Shark fins in the sea.

Thursday, November 1. We were able to tour the Bridge and Chart room. At full speed the Roma does 17 knots. We learned that at 1.30 pm we passed a Volcano named “Komba.”

Friday, November 2. Deck & pool competitions started today. Amazingly we saw Dolphins surfing right next to ship.

Main Lounge

From the author’s private collection

Saturday, November 3. It was overcast today. Equator ceremony took place at 3.00 pm. Tonight at 9.30 pm was the Gala Ball in the Main Lounge.

Here I am receiving my official crossing the equator certificate

Provided by Ingrid the Passenger

Sunday, November 4 – 10.00 pm. We arrived in and went ashore. It was very dirty and we saw large beetles, people sleeping on the sidewalk. Shops were closed of course; a policeman said that the street lights go out at 3.00 am.

Monday, November 5. At 8.00 am we went sightseeing. Singapore seems to be very poor with women doing all the manual work. We took a taxi to Tiger Palm Gardens, which was very interesting; it had mystical figures as well as animals. We visited Singapore again in 1997 and certainly saw a huge difference, it was clean very modern.

The Roma is seen departing Singapore

Photographer unknown – “See photo notes at bottom of page

Tuesday, November 6. Today we rested on board the ship after a hectic day ashore yesterday.

Sunday, November 9. We passed Ceylon. Later during some pool games, an American won the diving competition. He managed to gather 19 plates in just 30 seconds.

Tuesday, November 11. As we are getting closer to Bombay we are seeing lots of small sailing boats and activity on the water.

Monday, November 12 – 7.00 am. Arrive in Bombay. Our first impression was simple – “squalid.” We hired a hose drawn carriage for sightseeing and things looked better from higher up. Nice big historic buildings, beautiful women in colourful saris, etc.

Thursday, November 15. Today I was trying to put something together for our costume ball on Saturday night.

Lounge bar

From the author’s private collection

Saturday, November 17. After a relaxing day, we took part of the Costume Ball up on Lido Deck. Judging concluded at 11.00 pm. There were too many people really, and outside the air was hot and muggy, but worse still the beer was warm.

Sunday, November 18. Sailors were busy most of the day painting and varnishing around the ship keeping everything ship shape. We now have Red Sea water in the pool. And it seems very salty!

Monday, November 19 – 10.00 pm. Arrived in the port of Suez. Went into town, but everything was closed except for the food stalls, ate some Flat bread. There were many peddlers surrounding our ship in small boats. We bought several stuffed camels. We finally went to bed at 4.00 am. .

Tuesday, November 20 - 8.30am. Excitement built as we entered the Suez Canal. The Egyptian side was dotted with small Houses with flat roofs, and women in long black dresses carrying pots on their heads. There was no sign of life on the Arabian side. We arrived in Port Said at midnight. It was very foggy and we anchored just outside the harbour.

Wednesday, Nov 21, 9.30 am Arrived in Port Said. Once again there were many peddlers in small row boats surrounding the ship. We sailed at 11.00 am. The agenda to day was simply washing and ironing.

Thursday, November 22. Getting close to the end of our voyage and packing is not easy with all those souvenirs and gifts that we have purchased during the voyage.

Friday, November 23. Today the sea very rough and many were sea sick, but luckily we were fine. We arrived in Messina at 6.00 pm, and went ashore, and back on board 9.00 pm.

A Flotta Lauro postcard of the TN Roma entering Naples

From the author’s private collection

Saturday, November 24 - 8.30 am. The TN Roma has arrived at her destination, Naples, Italy and we disembarked at 11.00am. We checked our luggage into a locker at the railway station and went sightseeing. We decided to take the night train to Rome.

Sunday, November 25. Rome. We rented a car for 24 hours to go sightseeing. We just loved this old historic city! We slept in the car. But it was a cold night.

Monday, November 26. Did more sightseeing around Rome and then took the night train to Cologne in Germany, where we stayed until after the New Year.

TN Sydney & Roma INDEX:

Main Page … TN Sydney & Roma history page.

Page One … First Class photo album.

Page Two … Tourist Class Photo album.

Page Three … Deck Plans.

Page Four … A Voyage description - Australia to Naples in 1962 on the Roma.

Page Five … Mr. Uma Shankar Jaiswal sails from Bombay to Naples in 1962.

Also Read about the larger ex Dutch liners MS Willem Ruys & MS Oranje that became ...

The became Flotta Lauro’s ... MS Achille Lauro & Angelina Lauro

“Blue Water Liners sailing to the distant shores.
I watched them come, I watched them go and I watched them die.”

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Photographs on ssmaritime and associate pages are either by the author or from the author’s private collection. In addition there are some images and photographs that have been provided by Shipping Companies or private photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors, however, there are some photographs provided to me without details regarding the photographer or owner concerned. Therefore, I hereby invite if owners of these images would be so kind to make them-selves known to me (my email address can be found at the bottom of the page on www.ssmaritime.com), in order that due credit may be given.