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With
Reuben
Goossens
Maritime Historian,
Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer & Author
M/S Philippines
Previous
names: MS Asian Princess, President, Philippines, Ocean King, Great Sea,
Augustus
Page Five
The
final Photo Album
This
is one of the best photographs of the once great ex Italian liner languishing
in Manila
The closing
chapter to the MS Augustus / Philippines.
As we will have read on Page Four, this once
great liner has had a troublesome life since being sold to Asian interests back
in 1976 and she never worked full time taking passengers from one place to
another ever again. Only occasionally was she reactivated for a short few
voyages, but these never lasted mote than one or two round voyages and she
remained laid up for most of her time in a variety of port. At times there were
ideas of turning her into a cruise ship, but none of these were ever fulfilled.
She has a stint in Manila as a hotel and the first time she failed miserably,
but later she was taken back there and became a floating restaurant, come
nightclub and successful in part, but soon she began operating as an overflow
hotel for the Manila Hotel. She was reasonably well maintained, especially the
areas where the guests would wander and her accommodations and public
facilities. However, sadly her engines were totally neglected and they simply
froze and are now totally dead! Other areas also are in a bad shape and she has
many areas that are in a poor state, but these are regions that have been out
of sight. He owner has obviously had little respect for this great liner and
although he has been attempting to sell this ship for many years, he has been demanding
an impossible price of US$19 to $20 million for her, considering that the
superb, and in far superior condition ex TSS Empress of Britain, the SS Topaz
was sold for just US$6 million, and remember her engines were fully operational
to the end as she was superbly maintained by her owner PeaceBoat
The photographs below were all provided to me
by a broker quite some time ago whilst she was on the market. I am aware that
they are not the best images, but it provides an overall view of her during her
latter days. Of course we are now well aware that her owner has sold her for
next to nothing to an undisclosed buyer, who has taken her under tow and she is
bound for Alang India and she is due to be sold to one of the breakers there.
However, the first tug did break down and she had to be placed at anchor
somewhere near Colombo
and a second tug would take her further. See the updates at the bottom of the
page for the latest news.
The
Bridge
Boat
Deck
The
original First Class pool
First
Class pool and the famous “robot” ventilator
Promenade
Deck
The
Coffee Shop
The
Auditorium was one the superb Social Hall - the ceiling still gives it away!
The
First Class dining room
The
1964 merged Cabin/Tourist Class dining rooms
Tourist
Class pool
Engine
room - FIAT Engines
Engine room
An original First Class twin bedded cabin as used for the hotel
M/S Philippines seen in 2010
Unknown photographer - *See photo notes
at bottom of page.
Final Updates:
1 … Sept 18, 2011: It
is with great sadness that I announce that the M/S
Philippines, ex MS Augustus has been sold
for scrap and last week she departed Manila for Alang India, even though there bis a current party interested in buying her?
2 … Update Sept 29: I have been advised that the tug that was towing the M/S Philippines on behalf of a cash buyer, a in between company obviously
and not an Indian breaker as yet, broke down and she is currently awaiting
another tug to tow her to Alang. Only when she arrives at Alang will the
breakers bid for her. However, we do have several interested parties at hand,
but like always, unless they have a solid and a viable preservation plan as
well as a big bank account and guaranteed financial backing, but more
importantly a berth, for withy the poor condition of her engines and her
general poor state of heath, she will most likely never sail again, without a
berth, there is no hope! Thus, any last minute reprieves must have a very
strong case for us to do something and achieve her salvation, but you know how
tough it is at this stage, it usually ends up in disaster, for I have to be
honest here! My greatest regret is that the “Italian Group” has
been writing me for years and they have been procrastinating on and off, even
though they did have a good plan nothing has come from it. Today I again
received yet another email and I replied rather strongly, for they should have
acted long ago as this ship should be in her home country as I have always
believed, but they just mess around and all I get is talk and no action! Now
she is all too close to being broken up! For me it sounds very much like
one of Verdi’s Italian Operas slowly playing
itself out!
3
… September 30: Apparently M/S Philippines has just passed Colombo and is
about eight days away from Alang India. Her current owner is happy
to sell her and is asking around US$10 million for her. This is our last
chance. However, we need to understand that her ex
owner in Manila
has greatly stripped the ship of her art and furnishings, according to what I
have heard from certain reliable source, and this should be kept in mind.
MS Augustus & Giulio Cesare
INDEX:
Page One
… MS Augustus
Page Two … MS Giulio Cesare
Page Three … MS
Giulio Cesare & Augustus - Photo Album
Page Four … M/S
Philippines
Page Five … M/S
Philippines – Photographs taken
whilst for sale
Also Visit … SS Michelangelo
& Raffaello Feature
**************************************************
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Commenced
in the passenger Shipping Industry in May 1960
ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net
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Story
Also visit my …
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Photographs
on ssmaritime and associate pages are by the author or from the author’s
private collection. In
addition there are some images that have been provided by Shipping Companies
and private photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors.
However, there are some photographs provided to me without details regarding
the photographer/owner concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images
would be so kind to make them-selves known to me (my email address may be found
on www.ssmaritime.com only), in order that
due credit may be given. I know what it is like, I have seen a multitude of my own
photographs on other sites, yet these individuals either refuse to provide
credit or remove them when asked, knowing full well that there is no legal
comeback when it comes to the net. However, let us show these charlatans up and
do the right thing at all times and give credit where credit is due!
This
notice covers all pages, although, and I have done my best to ensure that all
photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page,
that is, when a page is updated!
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