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With Reuben Goossens
Please Note: All ssmaritime and
my other related ssmaritime sites are 100% non-commercial and privately owned
sites. Be assured that I am NOT associated with any cruise or shipping companies
or travel/cruise agencies or any other organisations! The author has been in
the passenger shipping industry since May 1960 and is now semi-retired, but
continues to write article on classic liners and cruise ships in order to
better inform cruise and ship enthusiasts for their pleasure!
The two
delightful ships, MS Istra and Dalmacija became known as the “Great White
Yachts” yet in reality they were small and extremely popular intimate
ships. They were built in 1965 at the Brodogradiliste Uljanik ship yards in
MS
Istra is seen here in 1966 as built
An original
Jadrolinija postcard
Both ships
offered popular cruises offering a warm and friendly Yugoslavian style of
service. They operated 14 day voyages from the
Adriatic to the
1. The MS
Istra story
In
A
fine bow shot of the Istra
Photographer unknown
- *please see photo notes at bottom of page
Original
interior photographs of the MS Istra
The
Main Social Hall
The
Tavern (Bar)
The
lobby to the
The
Restaurant
Stairwell
and lobby
In May 1993 the
Istra was obtained by the Russian “Goring Shipping Company” who
renamed her, Astra and she was reregistered in the
She
was sold to Goring Shipping and renamed MS Astra & is shown here with the Caravalla livery
Postcard from the
author’s private collection
But again she
entered the European market and she was chartered by operators like Eurocruises and Mono Company. However, soon enough the
German giant cruise organisation “Neckermann Seereisen” decided to
add this gem of a ship to their fleet of chartered ships and she was extremely
popular due to her intimate size.
Another
postcard of MS Astra
Postcard from the
author’s private collection
Then in 1996, the
little Astra, ex Istra, was replaced in the Neckermann fleet by the larger MV
Astra II, which was previously the MV Golden Odyssey.
Goring Shipping
decided to reregister the MS Astra in
MV Arion:
In 1999, Astra I
was obtained at auction and taken to
Externally there
were some major changes as her Boat and Bridge decks were moved far forward,
and the forward windows on Promenade Deck were altered to make way for a full
width Main Lounge, Bar, Casino, etc. However, a good length of the glass
enclosed Promenade remains on both sides of the ship, which is now called the
“Wintergarden.”
Having
been just rebuilt for the second time and vastly modernised, she is seen as the
elegant MV Arion
From the
author’s private collection
This
is a close up view of her stern with both her restaurant and decks above having
been vastly extended
\
MV
Arion seen here more recently with her new enclosed tenders
From the
author’s private collection
The MS
Dalmacija Story
The
clean lines of the MS Dalmacija seen in port
Photographer unknown
- *please see photo notes at bottom of page
With the Dalmacija having been built mostly to
operate for cruise market with her sister the Istra, she continued to cruise
successfully throughout the years, even after the Istra had long been sold. For
Australian’s she did visit our shores during the summer if 1981 and 1982
as a photograph below and a brochure directly below it will prove. She was
chartered by a Western Australian venture by the name of “Australian
Ocean Line” (AOL).
MS Dalmacija Photo Album
This mini photo album
below has been sourced directly from the “Australian Ocean Line”
brochure mentioned above, which is part of the author’s private
collection. During her charter agreement in 1981/82, with the Australian Company
AOL she operated two line voyages, a 25 Night southbound and a 26 Night
northbound voyage to and from
The
Dalmacija visited Sydney Australia in March 1982
Photograph by & ©
Jeff-Eastwood
Whilst based in
Fremantle she operated five 25 night cruises: two Far East Asian cruises, one
South East Asian cruise and two complete circumnavigations of
Front and part of the back cover of the brochure. As
it had been punctured and placed in a file, it has been photo shopped and has
been repaired as has all images below!
A
delightful photograph of what was indeed a beautifully designed ship, such as
the Dalmacija which is now sadly no more
Photographer unknown
- *please see photo notes at bottom of page
Finally
the delightful MS Dalmacija was sold in 1997 to “Adriatic Cruises”
she remained in Croatian (previously Yugoslavian) hands until the very end of
her sailing days! She continued cruising and gaqve a
great deal of pleasure to so
many. But then suddenly twelve years after having obtained the delightful
“Great White Yacht”, Adriatic Cruises due to financial problems
folded in 2009, and the ship was sold at auction in September of that year to
“Baltanas Shipping Limited” for just US$770,000.
Still looking
radiant the MS Dalmacija departed her home
Specifications
& Details:
MS Istra
& Dalmacija:
Built: Brodogradiliste Uljanik,
Owner: Jadrolinija Cruises
Names: 1
- Dalmacija for Jadrolinija Cruises
& 1997 Adriatica Cruises
2 -
Istra for Jadrolinija Cruises – 1993 Astra & Astra I Goring Shipping Co.
Sold in 1999 MV Arion
First
Voyage: 1 – April 11, 1965
2 – May 30, 1965
Tonnage: 5,500 GRT (900 tons cargo)
Length: 383ft
Width: 50ft
Draught: 16.9ft
Engines: 2 Sulzer geared diesels
Screws: Two
Speed: 19 knots
Passengers: 165 First Class
52
Tourist Class
Also (Day) Deck
passengers
Air-Conditioned: Throughout
Stabilizers” AEG Danny Brown
********************************
Also
visit their three earlier smaller three sisters, the: MS Jadran and her
Sisters
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Please Note: ssmaritime and associated sites are 100% non-commercial and the author seeks no funding or favours of any shape or form, never have
and never will!