5 Absolutely Terrible Ship Makeovers
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- Опубліковано 25 чер 2024
- Sometimes ships can be overhauled and rebuilt to create something truly unique - but in the case of SS America, SS New Australia, MV Astoria, MV Costa Marina and SS Hellenic Prince you can't help but wonder what they were thinking!
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Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s great ocean liners - from Titanic to Queen Mary but not forgetting the likes of Empress of Ireland or Chusan. Join Mike Brady as he uncovers the myths, explains the timelines, logistics and deep dives into the lives of the people and ocean liner ships that we all know and love.
0:00 Introduction
0:27 5. SS America
4:28 4. SS New Australia
6:55 3. MV Astoria
8:59 2. MV Costa Marina and Allegra
9:53 1. SS Hellenic Prince - Розваги
The sadness of SS America's sorry state is somewhat tempered by the absurd hilarity of an actual passenger mutiny. Perhaps her tow cable snapping at the end was the ship going "Hell no, I've had enough of this sh*t, I don't even want to know what they're going to do to me next". She really was a beautiful ship, showing the love Gibbs had for the gorgeous SS Normandie while foreshadowing his magnificent SS United States. America was a fine ship and deserved better. Of course, the same can be said for many ships.
I immigrated on the SS America/Australis from the Netherlands to New Zealand in 1976 at the age of seven. We had a fantastic time and I got to explore the ship from top to bottom on the journey. The crew were cool and let us kids do what we liked. I looked up what happened to her a couple of years ago, it was indeed a sad end.
'Gorgeous', yeah, if you're a kid and don't know what ships are-
@jdslyman or she could have been perpetually laid-up like the SS United States
@jdslyman i meant the SS United States’ horrible fate that’s even worse than being exploited by a Greek or Asian company who refuses to put effort into being , which is just rusting away even worse because nobody wants to do anything about it: at least the America was saved even more time rusting away forgotten and neglected with just bits of paint slapped on it to make it look like someone is trying to do something but isn’t.
The SS United States has been derelict for 45 years since being declassified by the US Navy
@jdslyman instead she snapped the cable and decided to commit and suicide
When the Astoria rolls into port the other ships shuffle to the side, the older ships whispering out the sides of their whistles "you see that little ship over there? Used to be called the Stockholm, had to change her name and flee Sweden to Germany, a nonextradition country for ships" naively the younger ships ask "why?" With a halfway grin. "She killed the Andria Doria off the coast of New York, rammed her right in the side, she got a face lift to hide the scar."
Probably one of the more clever things I've ever seen written on UA-cam.
When the Volkerfreundschaft was brought to Genoa for here refit the ever-so-loving local papers referred to her as the 'Death Ship'...
@@chezsnailez Honestly money are money but if i were the one to choose in Genoa's shipyards I would've refused to have anything to do with that cruise torpedo
"Nø i did nøT." "Yes you did, i literally seen it, i remember it, i always remember everything-"
😁 ok that's good
I actually saw the SS America in person. I used to live in Fuerteventura, an hour or so away from it. When I first saw her (mid to late 90s), the stern was just barely visible, but you could tell it was there. For the next several years, every weekend I visited her I could tell she was slowly but surely corroding away, all the while developing a very sharp list to port. Somewhere around 2008 it finally collapsed and sank to the sea. You can still get a very faint glimpse of the now broken up bow during low tide (or at least it was 3 years ago, the last time I went there was in 2019).
Must've been amazing to see her through its last years! It was an amazing sight, but sadly i never got to see it. The stern was visible up to late 1996, but then it collapsed (not sure if this was a sudden event or a more gradual one), do you remember the exact year you first saw it?
Any chance you took pictures that you still have? It's been a while of course. Must have been a sight to see.
HOLY SMOKES!!! My dad, his two brothers and their parents (my grandparents), left England in 1955 on the "New Australia." My Nanna hated it and was sea sick for much of the voyage, and almost fell overboard. They always told how highly unstable it became once reaching the Indian Ocean. Men & Ladies were separated at night, food was reportedly good for their voyage. However my day ate so much coconut upon the voyage, he couldn't stand it afterwards.
> 5:40
@@295g295 The May 24th 1947 warf fire occurred at Palmer shipyard of Hebburn, River Tyne (England). It was towed, a burnt-out hulk, to the Firth of Forth (Scotland). Further articles and details can be found via a Google search of New Australia, or Monarch of Bermuda 1947 fire.
The craziest makeover plans I have seen so far: In 1919, after Germany lost WW1 and really lacked merchants, there were plans to convert multiple unfinished or obsolete war ships to freighters. Some were, this being old cruisers. Sadly (maybe) we never saw a full blown Mackensen class battlecruiser or a Bayern class battleship converted into a freighter or passenger ship...
The German Navy, when advised that they would have to cede the 2 completed Bayern class battleships to the victorious allies, instead decided to convert them to reefs!
“Introducing our all new line of freighters, now featuring over a foot of belt armor!”
@@MScotty90 Und maybe ve vill keep ze undervater torpedo tubes, to eliminate some of our competition.
@@MScotty90 Pirates will certainly think twice before attacking a freighter armed with 8 38cm guns.
One of their old 1890s coastal defence ships must have had some fun masquerading as a freighter, with the guns removed, cargo booms added, and basically nothing else changed visually. I think she even kept her name too (Odin).
The designers of the Astoria must have had model enthusiasts in mind. They built the display stand into the ship.
Sadly the owners are selling her for scrap after 75 years of service. Big sad.
@@OWASMRThat was debunked by the owner of the ship, as of today she still remains laid up in Rotterdam
Being stuck on the SS Hellenic Prince for A MONTH?? I'm surprised there wasn't an ACTUAL mutiny... I guess it speaks to the horrible conditions those people were fleeing from if they were desperate to board the first thing smoking to Australia...
That wasn't Hellenic prince , that was 'hell'enic prince
Capt. King had been VERY lucky to not be thrown outboard. Those passengers were far too well mannered.
Maybe not well-mannered so much as just not wanting to be stranded at sea due to killing the captain? But maybe other crew could have radio'd for help?
@@WheelsRCool for how much shitty the company was, the captain was not the only one on the ship able to navigate.
@@neutronalchemist3241 Also there isn't any cameras so if you kill your captain in open waters no one will know. All you need is a good story like he fell over board or had a heart attack and trust that others on the ship will not care to ask to many questions.
For the non-German speakers, the German name for the MV Asotria is pronounced Foolker-Froind-Shahft, and means "People's Friendship".
Or "Folk Friendship" , or "Nation Friendship"
Hah ha, the name is a pun? The Friend -Ship.
@@percussion44 No, puns dont trascend language barriers
that's the kinda depressing socialist name you'd expect from a country like East Germany
@@percussion44 As well as "Deutsche 'demokratische' Republik" german 'democartic' republic, and "Volkseigentum" aka peoples possesion or "Volkseigener Betrieb" V.E.B. aka people possesed corporation.
the lines that made me laugh:
"fooo--foolkerfrraindshahft"
"anyway"
"what a lovely guy. anyway"
The Hellenic Prince could have been a rather striking yacht-like ship, had its owners sought out a different purpose and renovated it accordingly.
In terms of wrecking a beautiful ocean liner's aesthetics, I can't think of anything worse than what happened to SS France (1960) after she became SS Norway and had that ungainly top deck added.
I have, to my regret, looked it up and I hate what you have brought to my eyes' attention.
I have, to my regret, looked it up and I hate what you have brought to my eyes' attention.
Eh it's not bad
As a kid I went on a cruise onboard the Astoria, back then she was known as "Athena". We departed from Portugal and went to Morocco and then to Spain and finally back to Portugal, it was such a great time of my childhood. This was in 2008, at the time we had no ideia about the History of the ship.
About Stockholm, she was built for ice resistance, as have the ability to sail in the frozen Baltic Sea. So here hull is significantly tougher then you avrage cruise liner, hence more "hull life"
The company does not exist any more, but I was employed by Broström Shipping Company (ages ago). It has gone out of business today, but once it was Sweden's largest shipping company and consisted of a number of different shipping companies with Ångfartygs AB Tirfing as the mother company. Swedish America Line was one of them (the company name Broströms was introduced in the 1970's). The ocean liner days were gone when I worked there as a clerk, but many from its glory days were still employed. I have met Mr Carstens-Johannsen, who was on Stockholm's bridge steering the vessel when it collided with Andrea Doria. He had worked in the office for many years then and was a friendly and humorous person. A stupid story to tell, but it has, one way or another, a connection here.
Another fact I was told was that Stockholm's Marine superintendent had to attend the drydocking in USA. The thing was that his daughter was to be married soon so he had to put all his traditional "duties" as the bride's father, including planning and arrangements, on his brother before he got on the next plane to New York. It's not much of a story, but my reason for mentioning it is some sort of tribute to the men of that era for their commitment and dedicated work. Would a thing like that happen today? I think not.
Probably needless to say that Stockholm picked up most of Andrea Dorias passengers after the accident and Stockholm's crew, who knew well what the American Immigration demanded, worked very hard with listing all the passengers' names and other details required by the authorities. They managed to get all the paper work ready in time and could present it - in order - to the probably likewise surprised and happy authorities. Considering the circumstances, I think it is also worth mentioning.
Ok, no more walks down memory lane today. 😀
My father also worked for Broströms from the early sixties til the 90's. Mostly sailing on Sunnanland and Vinterland.
In a way Broströms still exist, although in Danish ownership sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brostr%C3%B6m_AB
A great and informative video. I sailed with my parents in 1965 from Southhampton to Australia aboard the P&O SS Canberra, what an amazing and beautiful ship a real princess of the seas. The ship at that time was pure luxury and was the fastest migrant ship on the run. My father had a 2 year contract with the Australian government, so it did not cost us anything to come to this beautiful country. The SS Canberra will be remembered and the grand old lady of the sea.
That's wonderful. These days, I don't believe many people these days have stories like that.
I lost my job today and I really needed this. Thank you.
Laughing my ass off at the thought of booking a cruise on the SS America and seeing that
So sorry to hear that Kalvin! I hope you can find something newer and better soon!
@Alex The Historian
must feel great to be impersonating a youtuber
@@mutilatedpopsicleswho?
@austinkruse7610 When I wrote that comment, the person I was talking to was impersonating a popular oceanliner history channel called Alex the Historian.
They deleted the comment
I really love your ship history videos. There are so many incredible and little known stories about ships that have been lost to time, and it’s difficult to find information as good as this about more obscure vessels.
Yay, thanks so much for watching!
Astoria is basically the only Swedish America Line ship "around" today, and it's not as bad looking as some modern cruise ships(particularly the ones where they gave up when designing them, by not giving them a cohesive stern).
There’s also the SS _Marieholm,_ built in 1934. She is now a restaurant ship in Gothenburg, and is even back in her original colors.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Marieholm
@@Daniel_Huffman I had no idea, if I go to Gothenburg again I have to visit her. 😮
If our choices are apartment block stern or, um, hoop skirt, I think I'll take featureless over fugly.
@@matthewbowen5841 I guess you are more forgiving of modern cruise ships than I, cause a "skirt" is not a dealbreaker for me, unlike an unfinished/lazy design.
Currently this ship is in Rotterdam, and is to be sold for couple of millions. Looks like scrap now.
Cutting a funnel off America to make it look "more modern" is akin to telling an old man to cut an arm off so he can look "younger".
I would add the USS Midway to your list: The aircraft carrier was launched in the 1940s. In 1970 it was retrofitted with a giant modern flight deck 1.4x the original size, increasing the ship's overall weight 1.4x, on top of the original hull. It was extremely unstable! In 1986 they added blisters to the hull in an attempt to improve stability, but they didn't help. The ship rolled so much that the flight deck dipped into the sea! Also, although it looked like a modern carrier similar to the one in "Top Gun" from the outside, below deck it was 1940s technology.
I actually sailed on SS America on a trip to nova Scotia from New York. The passengers were not happy as stabilisers were not working. The ship was rolling from side to side .Ropes were put around the ship for passengers to hold onto while walking. The toilets overflowed. Quite an adventure.We reached Nova Scotia and many of passenger's flew home as they refused to get back on ship. When we returned to New York ship was placed in dry dock
I agree with all of the ships picked for this video. If I had to sail on one of them, it would probably be the MV Astoria though I would almost certainly not want to sail on the SS Hellenic Prince. I agree that the SS Hellenic prince looks like a Kitchen Knife given her appearance.
I have been doing some research into the SS Hellenic prince and I found the HMAS Albatross built in 1928 and commissioned in 1929. The ship did indeed become the SS Hellenic prince, According to Wikipedia, it said that the ship in 1953, 2 years after her incident with Captain King and the Passengers, the ship served as a troop ship during the Mau Mau uprising but was broken up a year later in 1954. Great Video as always, keep up the good work. ;)
Hi Mike, I travelled onboard the SS Australis as a child!
Was nice that you mentioned the history of this ship.
It has now pretty.much disappeared from view where it beached itself.
if you want an absolutely Eye-Gougingly bad makeover...there is always what they did to the "Luciano Federico" in Uruguay lol
it was originally a Japanese built RO-PAX ferry from 1971 with a rather normal look overall...but in the 1980s her New owners Decided they wanted to Absolutely MAXIMIZE passenger capacity and then fully rebuilt the superstructure, it basically looked like if you took a 1980s era Stena Ferry's superstructure and grafted it to a WAY TOO SMALL hull, I did some digital renders a while back for Shipbucket but you can also find photos online of the real ship and OH BOY is it interesting, eventually though due to safety laws changing they were forced to remove basically all of the additions, and decided to instead operate it for its last years as a cargo ship, and later abandon it until finally broken up in the 2010s
Great vid as always man!
Wow, no joke! I have so many questions after just looking at photos of that ship!
@@OceanlinerDesigns I know lol, First time I saw it I actually choked on the water I was drinking, It seems Japanese ferries in particular are magnets to awful looking conversions for...some reason, then again, some look amazing! (For example the work done to the many that went to the Philippines and Greece like the old Train Ferry Rebuilt as "Aeolis" in Greece or the Simple changes made to the "Princess of the Orient" in the Philippines!...then...then there is what was done to the Ferry Dogo Maru in Thailand..."Wang Nok" or "Andaman Princess"...they converted a RORO Ferry from the 1960s into a "Coastal Cruise Ship" for southern China, AND OH BOY IS IT TERRIBLE. very little exists regarding imagery sadly though, but again, I did do some Shipbucket renders a while back)
@@thesketchydude1315 Also the Dõna Paz was an ex Japanese ferry.
@@chdreturns yeah but in her case I think the rebuild went quite well actually, all 3 of the rebuilds really, the 3 story tall stern deckhouse was a bit weird, but the rest was rather sleek
It's bad, but still nothing compared to French pre-dreadnoughts
One thing not mentioned, was that when the former STOCKHOLM (ASTOR) entered the port of Genoa, the long-remembering Italians booed and hissed at her.
...and that was probably the nicest things they did. I am sure there were some very rude gestures
When the 1960 SS France became the SS Norway they later on added two prefabricated boxy decks on top of its clean and sleek superstruture, right above the bridge. A hideous change...
The redo of the France was an act of nautical vandalism Instead of Norway the sign on the top deck should have read Holiday Inn
Absolutely, I don’t know what they were thinking to ruin such a beautiful ship…
The weirdest thing happened….I went to an estate sale where I purchased menus & guest lists from the SS America 1951. That very day I came across your channel & boom the SS America was the first ship. What are the odds?!?!
As a Bermudian, I’m thrilled that our liner history has been mentioned by such a huge channel! Thank you!
I’d love to see you do a video on the Furness Bermuda Line, or simply history of famous liners that have visited us.
Back in 2010 I had my first cruise on board Costa Marina, departing from Livorno for a cruise on the west part of the Mediterranean to visit Capri, Tunisi, Barcellona, Monaco, and other cities for a total of 7 days.
On the outside I'd agree with you, it didn't really look that nice, but on the inside it was really well thought out.
The main restorant was located on the stern of the ship and it covers the whole width of the ship. By the stern of the ship you coalso find the dance club where there was a very nice 3D model of the ship.
Walking to the end of the room where this dance club was you could see all the blue prints of the Costa Crociere cruise ships. Thy were displayed as in glass cases angled towards your eyes. Absolutely beautiful to see.
I think my interest for ships, ocean liners and cruise ships was born there, looking at the 3D model of this ship and at so many blue prints.
Later in 2014 and 2015 I was lucky enough to experience other 2 cruises on board Costa Magica and Costa Fortuna, 2 sister ships.
How interesting.
Great upload, one ship I thought might have an honorable mention was the heinous makeover Chandris gave the beautiful SS Galileo Galilei in to what became the SS Sun Vista. We sailed on the Sun Vista a few months before she "spontaneously combusted" and sank off the coast of Penang. Even then I thought she had the most odd proportions, really dumpy in the stern superstructure and really messed up. I also noted she had a list to port and when I politely commented to a crew member they denied it. Also remember having a shower and the waste water was coming up the plug, kind of spooky considering we were on the lowest deck in an inside cabin 🤔. It wasn't till many years after I saw what she looked like in her heyday.
"Also remember having a shower and the waste water was coming up the plug" Did they tell you that didn't happen, too? 🤦♂😲
I honestly hate the back of the Astoria but I love her. She was and is a great ship. Also her 2nd name translate to "Peoplesfriendship" or "nationfriendship". Great video mike!
Most underrated channel. Another great video mike, thanks so much. 10/10
Great video. During WW2 my father was re-patriated back to Britain on the Monarch of Bermuda, his ship (HMS Terror) having been sunk by German Stukas in the Med in '42. The MoB returned to Britain by sailing right around South Africa, stopping at Capetown. He said it was great fun until they spent days zig-zagging across a stormy Bay of Biscay. He was glad to get off at Liverpool!
Storms out there are no joke
Mike, you’re the absolute best of the best of UA-cam ship videographers!!!
Thanks so much Todd!
When you mention the MV Astoria you fail to mention that she also belonged to the Classic International Cruises under the name MV Athena. She was later sold to Portuscale Cruises who promptly went bankrupt.
I sailed both in the Costa Allegra in the Baltic in 1995 and Costa Marina in the Norwegian Fjords in 1999. I don't remember considering them ungainly ships. The Cruise in the Baltic was my first one and I remember well how thrilled I was on board Costa Allegra. It was a relatively small ship, so you weren't trying to find your way most of the time as you do in those huge cruise ships. Both ships were very pleasing inside, crew was charming and the dining room had an excellent view to the stern. I remember very foundly those 15 days I spent in the beautiful Baltic; did some eight cruises afterwards and that one was the nicest overall. They were both very pleasing ships with the right size, not too large, not overcrowded..
MV Costa Allegra had a very serious generator fire who left her adrift and without electrical power. Afterwards she was scrapped. I don't know the fate of Costa Marina, but I did enjoy sailing in both. On the other hand, I loathed sailing in the Eugenio Costa, former Eugenio C. By 1996 the ship was old and not very well kept. I sailed on her last cruise and the ship was a mess.
13:24 😆 this captain sounds like a load of fun
There's a bar on Fuerteventura (the island where the SS AMerica got beached), which is decorated/equipped largely with things "borrowed" from the beached ship.
Yeah I have been there. The bar was truly a shrine to the once great SS America and her many lives.
Thankfully, most great ships are scrapped in their original state, or at least with interior upgrades. Better than being remade into a floating monstrosity.
Or preserved as museum ships
@@metaknight115 Only a couple of the hundreds, perhaps thousands of ocean liners which sailed the seas are preserved unfortunately
The longer a ship serves its purpose, without endangering its crew and/or passengers of course, the better.
@@jjblocks Sad. All I know is of the Queen Mary, a late 1920s Japanese ocean liner, the bow and forwards superstructure of a French one being preserved, and a small one still running today as a converted ocean liner
@@metaknight115 a d the QE2 in Dubai of course.
Extraordinary to note that the Johnson Line had ships named Costa Allegra and Costa Marina, given that former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's first two wives were called Allegra and Marina respectively.
Can you please do top 5 or 10 videos about underrated/overlooked ships (technology marvels for time) and interesting shipwrecks.
Costa Marina and special Costa Allegra were excellent works of design, in the Italian superb intelligence and glamour simplicity.
The pool lido, the stern magnific facade, the original complexity of the straight triple funnel, the clever use of big portholes in combination with those rectangular windows in elegant rows.
Colours and materials of paneling and furnishing in the interiors, they were tasty modern ambiance generators and gave the passenger experience a real Costa Line feeling.
I'm late to the party on this video having just stumbled across this channel. I wanted to say that you are making wonderful content!
Also, I was realizing that it would really be cool to rebuild a now-lost grand liner as a hotel. She can be completely inland, shaped like her original self, with her old layout and appearance - just have the funnel stacks filled with more elevators and such, and most of the cargo/boiler spaces can be converted to modern hotel amenities such as a larger gymnasium, bigger pool, or a movie theater, and the dining saloons and cafes can be as they were. Leave the original now-undersized public rooms and command areas as a museum, and something like the Titanic can truly live again at the cost of a few billion dollars.
By rebuild you mean a brand new structure shaped like an ocean liner? That would be pretty nifty, not going to lie. If by existing shift, it would be a lot cheaper to do the former, though sticking a ship into solid concrete has been done before.
It would be a pretty cool idea to rebuild something like Titanic, though for the added touch (and this is my own opinion), I'd try and incorporate any surviving and salvageable parts of the ship that can be used in the rebuild, at least ones that have already been brought up to the surface. That way, the rebuilt vessel can be considered the original. It's like when you restore a car, a train, or another ship. Pending on the condition and age of the ship you are restoring, most of the original pieces will have to be replaced. But it's still the same ship in the end.
It would also be rather fitting and poetic, as we'd be giving Titanic a second chance at the life she never had
It would be very expensive to procure any of the very few pieces of metal that have been brought up. But if you have a solid balloon, some diesel and a compressor, you could lift it yourself with the aid of a net and trawler.
I’ve read the Chinese are doing exactly this with a “copy” of the Titanic in some landlocked province.
You could hypothetically do this with the SS United States save for the massive cost to refurbish her for that role. (Not to mention her interiors having been stripped.)
You should do a video about the most unrecognizable ship makeovers. One that comes to mind is the Lee A Tregurtha, which started off as an oil tanker in WW2 and went on to become an ore boat on the the Great Lakes
One of My Favorite Interlake boats, most of the Tanker Or Victory ship conversions looked fairly well, Cliffs Victory was great looking.
The ship that was responsible for sinking the Andrea Doria ends up in Andrea Doria's home port for a refit... You couldn't make this stuff up! (Also the ad break after the look at camera on the third attempt on the German name was perfectly timed!)
Also the Albatross was extraordinarily named. Someone must have read the Rime of the Ancient Mariner... Shame her buyers didn't look at her, look at her name, and back out of buying her instantly!!
This guy goes so into detail on each ship I forgot I was watching a top 5 video
If you want an awful makeover check out the Contender Bezant. Was refitted into a Aviation training ship in the early 80’s with a projected four year life span… anyway in the 1990’s it was refitted to add a large hospital… anyway a few years ago it was announced it’s lifespan would extend into the 2030’s. The fact that the ships laundry is that hot the door to it is an air conditioning boundary is a good clue to the bad design. An awful, but surprisingly amazingly useful ship.
The MV Astoria looks pleasant to sail on. I think I would go with that one.
I don't even know why it's on this lst, like, bruh, a small thing added during rebuild, does not an ugly ship make. Like, the Astoria literally is the only good-looking passenger ship left.
Great vid, I was not aware the HMAS Albatross became a passenger ship. Yikes.
The Astoria isn't THAT bad. Hopefully it gets bought and keeps on sailing for a few more decades; ships nowadays rarely see their 100th birthday after all. I think it might be a bit unlucky to stay in the bow section though, especially if there are any Italian ships around. :P
Hopefully it sinks without anyone on board to expiate the utter stupidity and incompetence of its former crew and the ramming of one of the most beautiful ships that run the sea and a far superior liner
Lol
The stern is the ugliest thing I've ever seen on a ship of any kind. They completely ruined a beautiful ship. It should have been #1 ugliest. Absolutely horrible.
@@XMarkxyz I bet you're the type of person to say Normadie was 'Gorgeous'.
@@dannystewart1412 Sir, it's literally a small thing. Like, yeah, i don't like extensive rebuilds either, but still, it's like saying a ship's rebuild was horrible cuz the funnel was changed slightly.
The Costa Marina and Costa Allegra might not have _looked_ all that great, but function-wise I can understand converting a container ship to a cruise ship: a container ship is designed to be reasonably stable while having what amounts to a tall boxy superstructure, so the main change is it's a permanent one made for habitation instead of a situational one made of containers. The oblong holds would also lend themselves well to conversion.
Imo that container ship class was styled better than the conversions.
Thank you, Mike, for all that went into this video: it was a great session of cringe-worthy ships! The worn-out Australis appeals to me in the same way I like abandoned, somewhat dilapidated mansions. As with an unoccupied house showing its years, the same with an ocean liner that is at the end of its career.
My family sailed the Australia/Britian route on the Australis in 1969. I was 5 at the time and loved the whole adventure. It gave me an abiding love of the sea as well.
@Andrew Brendan I can see what you mean; the ship was once a beautiful seagoing home that then became a sad and desolate ruin, broken and abandoned. To think, that it once carried countless happy passengers throughout its long & incredible service life, then left to rot and neglect, is heartbreaking for a ship enthusiast.
Having the first 4 letters of the Hellenic Prince being Hell sounds about right
Sad to say, I am an old man who does not travel very well. Truth is, I am only 72, but me bones keep me from long travels, otherwise, I would love to sit down with this chap and pick his brain on these ships, their history and other possibilities...As others have said, the fate of the SS America is too sad a story to repeat, but history is history..Same can be said for the Norway....So keep going my young friend. As a wise man once said, the future is for the young, those smart enough to grasp it.....CHEERS ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Costa Allegra was one of the vessels that made me love the cruise ships. Classical and great rebuild and I also made a homework about it !!
Your description of the last ship was hilarious but, I’m sure not for the victims- erm passengers.
“She looked better in her Swedish-American days. DONT AT ME” I will NOT MIKE BELIEVE ME MAN
I actually kind of like the Costa Marina and Allegro. Sure, they aren't the prettiest ships, but for a design that was never supposed to be anything resembling a passenger liner they cleaned up pretty well.
i had never seen the rear of the astoria before, so i always thought it looked half decent. after seeing that atrocious ducktail thing, it's now become one of the worse looking ships that are still sailing for me
Thank you so much for your absolutely amazing content. You’re my favourite creator without question. I’ve learned so much from you. ❤
I had no idea, until I found this channel, that I needed this channel in my life. Thanks mate, this is brilliant stuff.
"You got a 6."
"Out of 10, right?"
...
"Out of 10, right?"
I cannot even begin to explain how much weight I lost laughing at hellenic princess... it was ridiculous but well deserved. Been a member of this channel for so long now! Thank you Mr. Brady for such a lovely video 💖
Haha! So glad I could play my part in your weightloss journey :)
Congratulations man, now the trick is to keep the weight off!
To be honest from an exterior stand point, SS America is probably the most handsome ship out of the other ships in the list
I truly love watching your ocean liner videos! You do such a nice job with all of the information you provide.
Wow - that’s a great video! I had never heard of the Hellenic Prince before, and that definitely is the winner.
In your history of the Albatross/Hellenic Prince, and there is a bit more to her early history, that I think justifies her appearance. Also, I am sorry, but you did make a minor mistake.
She was designed and built at Cockatoo Naval Dockyard, Sydney, and indeed commissioned into the RAN as a floatplane carrier. One of the few ships designed specifically for the task. Her small size was about that of the converted cross-channel ferries used as extemporized RN floatplane "aircraft carriers" of WW1. The Washington Treaty also played a part in the size chosen. So she was not an unusually small size for that role at the time of her design, and the general air of compromise associated with the treaty. Obviously also this was the first RAN aircraft carrier.
Between the wars she was initially seen as a successful ship; but later only a fair success as floatplanes were of ever less value. Her unusual appearance meant that Albatross had a closed hangar, designed as such, that was a part of the hull structure. Of the early aircraft carriers, only HMS Hermes could also make that claim. The fast pace of development of the aircraft she was intended for, and the limited Depression-era budget for providing new aircraft, saw her utility increasingly limited. Traditional aircraft carrier designs were also being developed elsewhere, and beside them, yes she dated quickly.
A few years before WW2, she was accepted by the British Government as part payment for a new cruiser for the RAN. In British hands there was some discussion about what to do with her, including converting her to a more modern flat deck carrier. Her small size, the difficulty of conversion, and modest speed killed that idea, even for using her as an escort carrier.
I would have to check, but I seem to recall that she was a part of the D-Day fleet.
Regardless of the limited use she was put to, she was not sold out of service by the RAN, but by the Royal Navy.
From there on you expanded my knowledge about this ship. I had never heard the sad tales of how poorly she had been converted, and so how badly she performed in that role.
Thanks for clarifying that!
The SS America story is a sad one. It was a great example of art deco in her prime. A very beautiful ship.
Definitely! She was once the proud flagship of her country and had a long history of over 50 years.
Only discovered your channel today and already I've watched your videos on HMAS Sydney, How the Titanic Sank and now this one - I'm hooked! Never thought I'd find as much of an appreciation for naval vessels than I have watching your content! Please keep going :)
Thanks so much, glad you’re enjoying it :)
This is my first foray into this channel, and I’m already hooked by the excellent research and eloquent tongue-in-cheek sarcasm. Subscribed!
The Costa Marina and Allegra actually kinda look cool. Like a mix between a newer and older Liner.
The name Völkerfreundschaft is really a tongue twister for someone who doesn't speak German. But no matter how funny the name may be, the ship certainly looked better than the Astoria.
The glasses suit you, by the way. Little professor. 😉
13:25 bruhhh that record scratch and you taking of the glasses was hilarious
I believe _volkfruendshaft_ means "the peoples friendship" or something like that. Trick to German is to remember that they just look like really big long words, but in reality they are just a normal series of words stuck together. It would be like saying "the SS _EmpressofIreland_ ". Not any harder to say than it would be normally, but as a single word it appears to be long and difficult.
Great list! I'm not sure I agree with the America being here though... that was more a case of poor maintenance than a bad makeover. I would replace that with the brutal 1990s conversion of the Santa Rosa to the Regent Rainbow, or the blocky rebuild of the 1950's Monterey in the late '80s.
8:28 I actually like the modern bridge style more. It looks cleaner, safer, better protected, gives a better overall view and more friendly too.
Edit: yeah I would actually travel on it
I don't think I've seen you wearing glasses before, but they match your outfit so good for you!
As always, an excellent video, and yes, those ships are hideous. It should be illegal to ruin something.
13:17 even mike was surprised he did the glasses push now you know its serious.
Just discovered your channel, Mike! You’ve got a new sub! Great content, education and presentation! I’m looking forward to discovering more! All the best!
Yay! Welcome aboard :)
In regards to before their conversion, I no doubt would have wanted to go on SS America. Not as famous as her sister, but it must have been nice to have been on at her prime.
After their conversion, I would say Astoria. Not as nice looking as in the past, but it still manages to look better than most cruise ships and there doesn't seem to be anything awful about its onboard conditions.
S.S. America gets an inspection and, out of 100 points, only gets SIX
That is literally just a real life version of a specific SpongeBob joke
Awesome video!
My Mum came to Australia on the Australis in 1974 and almost fell off!
I went on a cruise from Fremantle to Albany and Esperance on the Astoria, back when it was the Athena in 2012. I remember well, throwing up all over the stern of the ship!
My maternal Grandparents along with my mother and her siblings emigrated from The Netherlands to Australia on the Australis. I’ve known the name of the ship for years, never knew it had an interesting history.
Hi Mike. I'm a kiwi and as a 6 year old boy who just loved ocean liners, I saw Australis in her layup in Timaru Harbour in 1977. It was criminal what was done with her but I understand that she was very well loved during her years as Australis doing the immigrant run. I can tell you that close up she was a truly beautiful ship. On the outside anyway, although in her day she was pretty nice on the inside too, especially as the SS America. Of course, I learned all about her, with fascination, long after seeing her as a lad. Beautiful vessel.
My first cruise was on Costa Allegra back in 1995. Say what you want about the appearance of the exterior of the ship, but it was a phenomenal experience.
For the sounds of it, seems they realised, correctly, that passengers generally don't pay to look at the ship and focused on making them comfortable and fun, best way if you ask me.
I really love your sense of humor here and it's extremely apt as some of these are just pathetic.
This is a really clever idea that I don't think I've seen done anywhere else. Very nice.
Hellenic Prince had Captain Ahab at the helm I guess? "From the depth of hell I spray water at thee!"
The Fact That The Stockholm Burst Into Flames As A Tradition Of Her Line Makes Me Think There Was A Crew Member Who Accompanied It In All Voyages Under All Names Who Smoked One Too Many & Ended Up Contributing To Her Ultimate Demise... Just A Thought.
Thank You.
Have to disagree about the Astoria.
Her reconstruction actually looks pretty well achieved for a hull that's considered 'special' in the days that saw her reconstruction.
I am a papercraft designer, and actually listed this one for making into a model; just have to get a hold on deck plans and drawings, which is always the hardest part when I start a ship model project... ^^;
I'm offended that MV Georgic didn't make it on the list, she was butchered after her sinking
Definitely not the Hellenic Prince, but also not the SS America Budget Line edition either. My school was in the stench path of a sewage works. I have no desire to relive that experience.
Hi Mike! I came across your channel today, and boy I'm glad I did! That's my evening sorted, thank you!
Wow, the Hellenic Prince was just a disaster. Another great video, Mike.
Australis is pronounced Ostraahlis not the way you were saying it. fantastic video as always though.
100%. Just tried to say that above. I didn’t even know he was talking about the same ship until I saw it picture. 😁 crew and passengers and owners basically said ‘Austral-as’
Yet another fantastic video! Keep up the great work, sir.
I've travelled on one of them - the SS New Australia. I was only 5 at the time so my memoeries aren't too strong, but forever after I cremember that Mum was totally disgusted that she only saw my Dad on deck during the day - they were in separate cabins - he sharing his cabin with a nuimber of other (male) migrants, and Mum sharing a cabin with other (female) migrants and their very young offspring. We arrived in Oz just about Christmas time, in 1950 after a long voyage. Dad was seasick for the only time in his life - Biscay didn't help the shortened vessels basic imbalances, and he was right up in to bow.
if you just paint it and remove a funnel for no reason, does that actually qualify as a makeover?
i nominate the Man Gyong Bong 92 as the worst conversion…it had a real renovation even if just slapped together to make “cabins” instead of empty space and holding cells for people
al just say i disagree with the Astoria and Costa Allegra on this list (maybe because i love weird-ass funnels) but everything ells disserves to be on this list, although the SS America disserves more attention
OMG this is THE Best and FUNNIEST video of them all....LOVE IT
Nice video. This is the first that I've seen of your channel. Now I must see more!