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Historian
--Royal Interocean Lines--
Page One
MS
Tjiwangi & Tjiluwah
MS Tjiwangi the first of the pair to enter
service
All images, unless stated
otherwise are from the author’s private collection
These
two compact liners were considered the most beautifully proportioned passenger
cargo liners seen in Australian waters, becoming the most popular ships to sail
between
Company background: After the turn of the century
the Koninklijke Java-China Paketvaart
Lijnen (KJCPL) and Royal Interocean
Lines (RIL) was founded in
In
1948 KJCPL decided to build two intimate 9,000 GRT passenger cargo liners, and these
ships were built by Van der Giessen at Krimpen. Their keels were laid as follows: MS Tjiwangi in
1949 and MS Tjiluwah in 1950, and they were launched April 29, 1950 & April
28, 1951 respectively. Both ships were completed in the same year of their launch.
Tjiwangi launching on April 29, 1950
Built for KJCPL, but now operating for RIL, one of their larger
passenger liners the 14,304-ton MS Ruys
(Three identical ships sailed
between
For the next ten years, Tjiwangi
and Tjiluwah operated on the Dutch East Indies to Hong Kong service, until 1960
a decision was made to change their service and commence them on the
A KJCPL postcard of the MS
Tjiwangi
Ports
of call:
RIL Postcard of the
Accommodations on the Tjiwangi and Tjiluwah as built: All cabins were outside with one or two
portholes.
First Class cabins were located
on B Deck, which had 2 single cabins with private facilities. 17 Twin bedded
cabins all with private facilities, and 20 Twin bedded cabins that offered a
sofa that converted into a third bed if required, as well as 1 two berth cabin,
but the 20 Twins with the sofas and the two berth cabin had share facilities.
First Class was fully air-conditioned throughout.
Second/Tourist Class cabins were
located on C Deck and comprised of 40 four berth cabins all having shared
facilities. Tourist Class had Gyro fan-forced air-cooling.
Photo
Gallery
First
Class
Above & Below: The elegant Main Lounge
The Wintergarden surrounded the Main Lounge – starboard
looking aft
The Bar
(At the same location starboard was
the library/card/games room)
Twin bedded cabin with a sofa that
converted to a third bed
Second
/ Tourist Class
The Main Lounge
The delightful Verandah Lounge
The Library
The swimming pool
Cover of a Cabin Plan
See my other Deck Plan
via the links below
Specifications
Tonnage:
Tjiwangi 8,679
GRT - Number 751
Tjiluwah 8,675
GRT - Number 752
Length: 479 ft
– 146m
Beam: 63 ft
– 19.2m
Draught: 23.7
ft – 7m
Engines: Werkspoor
Diesels
Screws: Two
Service speed: 16
knots
Passenger Decks: Three
Passengers:
1950/1963: 98
First Class - 160 Second Class
1963: 104
First Class - 118 Tourist Class
1950/1963: First
Class fully air-conditioned
1963: Ship
fully air-conditioned
Crew: 200
Livery 1950/1963: Black
hull / white superstructure with red boot-topping
black funnel Dutch flag with white triangle & gold crown
Livery 1963/1972: White
hull & superstructure
MS Tjiluwah seen in 1963
In 1962/63, both ships received a
refit, and had their hulls painted white, after which they became known as the
“Elegant White Yachts.” The after end of the starboard Promenade
Deck was glass enclosed creating the delightful Tourist Class Verandah Lounge.
Even though Tjiwangi and Tjiluwah
had considerable competition from the well established Dominion Lines George
Anson and Francis Drake, later the Chitral, Aramac and other vessels, however, the two Dutch flagged
RIL ships were the more favoured, for they were renowned for their refined atmosphere
and superb service.
Tjiluwah, seen here in Brisbane
Today these
wharves have now been rebuilt as upmarket apartments, boutiques, cafes and
restaurants
whilst the
famed historic wool stores have been converted into luxury apartments
Photograph
by R. Goossens
The Australian to
MS Tjiwangi seen in
Photograph
by & © Graham-Emery
In November 1973 RIL finally decided to sell the Tjiwangi, which was sold
by Singaporean PIL, and she was handed over at the end of January 1974 and was dult renamed Kota Bali and she joined her sister Kota Singapura.
With the sale of the two popular “Elegant White Yachts” as
ship lovers called the Tjiluwah and Tjiwangi, Nieuw Holland’s days were
rather short. For: 1. Cargo loading where changing to containers, and 2. Many
tourists were choosing vacations by air, thus the Nieuw Holland was sold just
three years later due to declining loadings.
MS
MS Tjiluwah and Tjiwangi offered
the very best in traditional cruising with an emphasis on comfort, service, and
excellent food. Entertainment was minimal to today’s standards, but both
ships had a small band and a pianist. The emphasis was very much a voyage of
quiet relaxation, enjoying the ships excellent facilities, comfortable lounges,
two pools and the spacious decks. It was a time where we enjoyed a drink on the
promenade, reading a book in the Wintergarden or
enjoying a drink in the bar and the main lounge engaging in interesting
conversations with those who had cruised the world, or
on their very first ocean voyage. Tjiluwah and Tjiwangi offered the very best
in traditional cruising. Many of today’s vacationers would not enjoy this
style of elegant cruising as the preference these days is to be entertained all
day and night, private balconies, towering atriums, rock climbing walls, ice
skating rinks, etc, etc, and sailing with a herd of 2,000 to 6,500 passengers
on a floating hotel/resort which can hardly be described as ships.
A superb looking MS
Tjiwangi seen on one of her rare visit’s to
A stern view of the
pristine MS Tjiwangi in
MS
Tjiwangi and Tjiluwah will always be remembered as the “Elegant White Yachts”
NEW:
Page Two: Kota Singapura, ex Tjiluwah – Kota
Bali, ex Tjiwangi
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