I spent six weeks on the Achille Lauro as an eleven year old with my parents in 1971. The experience changed me forever and whenever I see a picture of that ship I cannot help but look at the starboard hoist on the upper economy sports deck where one balmy night, somewhere off the coast of West Africa I had my first kiss from my first girlfriend!
@midshipcinema
7 ай бұрын
Love hearing firsthand reports about people's experiences on this beautiful ship. Thank you for posting.
@annesoper911
2 жыл бұрын
My dad sailed from Sydney Australia to England in 1959. He was leaving the Australian navy to join the Canadian navy. Previously he had been in the Royal Navy hence our 2 loan services to the Australian navy. At this sailing he was traveling on this liner when she was Dutch. My mother and my 2 brothers were able to tour the ship as we saw him off.She was very elegant and on this trip returned to England via the Panama canal,a new experience for my dad.
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Fantastic memories, Anne. Thanks so much for watching and posting. Even as ACHILLE LAURO, she still had a good Dutch following.
@WesternAustraliaNowAndThen
6 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for making this series. It brought back so many memories for me. Here is a little of my own history with the ship. We first sailed on the Achille Lauro in 1966. Sadly my father didn’t put the month on the photo of me (aged 6) sitting by the pool. I think it may have been September but I can’t be sure. I do remember we were in one of the cabins with a private balcony and I remember seeing my mother out there all wrapped up and feeling sea sick as we crossed the Bay of Biscay. From what I can remember we visited Lisbon and went on to Naples and then Port Said before going through the Suez Canal. I don’t remember any stops from there until Fremantle (Australia) but then my memory isn’t great. We sailed back on her from Fremantle in October 1969 (according to the date on the photo - again of me by the pool, aged 9) and went Sydney, Aukland, Punta Arenas (Chillie) where there was snow all over the ship as we took a small boat to shore. Then we went on to Buenos Ares (Argentina) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) before heading back to Southampton (England). This was a special 6 week cruise. Our third trip was still on the Achille Lauro in October 1972 (again according to the date my father wrote on the photograph of me again sitting by the pool, aged 12). This time we went to Tenerife (Canary Islands) where the crew went on strike for some reason or other and we were stuck for a few days. I remember sneaking down into the gallery to get some plates and cutlery we could use with food we bought on shore. Once that was resolved we sailed to Cape Town (South Africa) and got to go up to Table Mountain. We were supposed to also visit Durban but because of the strike we were running late and it was skipped. It was then just a long haul across the Indian ocean to Fremantle once more. We were what was known in Australia as ten pound Poms as we came to Australia on an assisted passage that cost ten pounds. I remember my father commenting that the South American trip cost just an extra twenty pounds. I guess I was lucky enough to go right round the world in that lovely ship and this is just a little more history to add to her story :) PS: One other thing I remember from when we docked in Sydney was the SS Canberra docked behind us and she had been through a violent storm and much of her front glasswork was smashed in. She was quite an attractive ship, painted all white with twin rear funnels. The Canberra was famous for her role in the Faulklands war. She was scrapped at the end of the 1990s.
@midshipcinema
6 ай бұрын
Magnificent memories! Thank you for sharing them here. It's an honor to have your account of life aboard ACHILLE LAURO here. :)
@richatom71
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for capturing all this amazing footage .
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching it, Richard!
@matthewbowen5841
2 жыл бұрын
I have been following your internet documentation of ocean vessels for about 15 years now. I cannot thank you enough Peter. Endlessely fascinating.
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Dear Matthew, thanks so much for those very kind words! Welcome to my KZitem channel -- it's a nice way for me to use the footage I have shot these past three decades. Really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy the next video, which will be about the FAIRSTAR. Thanks again and Happy New Year!
@nauticaldreaming
2 жыл бұрын
Great conclusion to this series about my favourite ship. I am so glad you didn't end it with photos of her in her death throws.
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks, Jonathan. Yes, I wanted this to end with her sailing off into the proverbial sunset.
@shipspiros3766
2 жыл бұрын
@@midshipcinema 17:42 Where Is The Premier Cruise Lines SS Oceanic???
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
@@shipspiros3766 In drydock at San Giorgio del Porto shipyard. You can see her for a quick second in the view overlooking Genoa.
@j.j.1064
2 жыл бұрын
I've been on this ship and for me it was the most visually arresting and beautiful ship I've ever seen. Truly a masterpiece of artistic style. So sad that she was lost in such tragic circumstances.
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
She was gorgeous to behold. Agreed on her sad ending, too. Thank you for posting.
@massimocorsaro1831
2 жыл бұрын
M/s A. Lauro, a legendary thrue ocean liner with agressive magnificent funnels!
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
She really did have magnificent funnels!
@bobroodt5252
Жыл бұрын
Thank you Peter..I enjoy your videos immensly. I sailed on the Achille Lauro from Cape Town to Durban in 1980..it must have been in her dark days, she was so beautiful..but dirty, stinky, dreadful crew with their greedy hands out all the time..in fact one had to watch your valuables 24/7..was very sad. i still think she was scuttled by her crew.
@midshipcinema
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for posting, Bob. I have heard many tales, both good and bad about the Blue Ship. Fortunately, my experiences with her were extraordinarily good but I hear you well. I think there was a vast spectrum between her various eras.
@tropicalblum
2 жыл бұрын
I traveled on the Stella Oceanis with my family back in 1981, I was 11 years old. Then In 1987 I traveled on the La Palma , Venice to Athens, I appreciated those stylish ships as A kid and very much miss them. Today’s corporate monsters are god awful. Thank you for the great memories.
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you, James! STELLA O was a beautiful little ship. Made my first cruise to the Greek Islands in her and rescued all of her artwork when she went to the scrappers, so I think of her every day.
@user-lm6kf9co7w
4 ай бұрын
What do you think about the United States? You know the ocean liner tied up to a dock
@skylineXpert
2 жыл бұрын
learned about this ship from Keith Eastlake ship disasters
@enzopalomba5428
2 жыл бұрын
bellissimo grazie Peter un abbraccio lo pubblico sul gruppo achille lauro i love you ok
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Grazie, Enzo! So glad you enjoyed it!
@TheClive1949
2 жыл бұрын
Peter, A wonderful glimpse to a distant sunny Mediterranean with glorious ship, a fine antidote to this lead into the Christmas holidays. You leave me wishing even more for a time machine.
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much, Clive. It is so nice knowing that you are enjoying these nostalgic romps. At least we had a chance to see and experience ships like this. Not sure I would be a ship enthusiast if I only had today's fleet to ponder.
@TheClive1949
2 жыл бұрын
@@midshipcinema Peter, you have made me smile - Indeed to be a ship enthusiast with only the ships of today to consider. All that I can say is that I expect that somewhere out there in the world there are enthusiasts for shopping malls... ;-)
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
@@TheClive1949 Yep and buses (coaches), too!
@EfficientRVer
2 жыл бұрын
Your passion for documenting ocean liners is greatly appreciated. How interesting it is that our bodies generally far outlast these magnificent machines. All of the ones I was on in my teens through my forties, were scrapped by my fifties.
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much -- I really appreciate your post. And it is funny that these huge steel creations are so vulnerable to the natural elements while we fragile creatures outlast them.
@fhwolthuis
2 жыл бұрын
Magnificent Dutch design, look at that sheer line 😍
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Definitely and the Italians get props for their great makeover. She was a tremendous beauty.
@fhwolthuis
2 жыл бұрын
@@midshipcinema true! Do you also have films of the SS Rotterdam (1959)? I visited her a couple of years ago and had a tour, it is truly magnificent.
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
@@fhwolthuis Yes, many, many hours of footage. I sailed in her five times, including her final voyage, then once more as REMBRANDT and documented her on scores of visits. She will be a huge undertaking to properly cover but I will do so in the future. I stayed on her twice in Rotterdam, too. Magnificent ship!
@fhwolthuis
2 жыл бұрын
@@midshipcinema that sounds great! Can't wait! I didn't stay on her but made a trip with the tug Elbe to her with my father. Great day!
@bernardbmbm5391
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this series Peter. Absolutely brilliant! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much, Bernard! That is a nice compliment, indeed and I appreciate it!
@j.j.1064
2 жыл бұрын
This is the most beautiful ship ever to sail the seas. If like car museums, this would be the showpiece exhibit. It's the Ferrari of the ship world.
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Agreed! Although I think there are some other beauties that rival her, she was one of the best lookers ever. :)
@andrewbrendan1579
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Peter! As always your videos are so well done and have so much in them to both see and hear---and thank you for sharing all this with us. As I've said before I'll say again: you have documented and preserved so much ocean liner history and then made it available to others. Your time and effort are much appreciated! Maybe it was just the colors but some of the engine areas looked like they had oil all over them. Was that actually how it was and was that area where the fire broke out? I've known of the Doulos for many years through both church involvement and my interest in ocean liners. I'm already on the lookout for your video about the Doulos!
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
That's so kind of you to post, Andrew. I really appreciate that. It's been a learning process and a lot of fun to relive these ships and experiences.
@shipspiros3766
2 жыл бұрын
@@midshipcinema I Was Traveled With The MS Achille Lauro From Genova To Piraeus In June 1989!!!
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
@@shipspiros3766 Excellent. Must have been a similar itinerary.
@ChrisFrameOfficial
Жыл бұрын
Your videos are always remarkable
@midshipcinema
Жыл бұрын
Thank you. That is thee highest praise, considering the source. :)
@tf51d
9 ай бұрын
That hijacking caused me my scheduled 2- week Mediterainian-Mid-Easst cruise on the Original Royal Princesss that had to canceled scheduled just a week later! Oh wel!, I guess I should be thankfull as it could have been my cruise if the hijacking occurred just a week later!, as the Royal Princess would have been in the same area then!
@user-lm6kf9co7w
4 ай бұрын
It’s just very sad she’s sank after a fire, and if they wanted to go down and see her, she is deeper than the titanic. Wow and don’t forget about the kidnapping thing and the terrorism thing and the people that died on her It’s just very sad for a beautiful ship to go down like that.
@wellardsmith3629
2 жыл бұрын
Loved yr video. Thanks.
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Wellard. :)
@aston-martin-internationalist
2 жыл бұрын
I sailed on Splendid 3 years ago!
@legoinferno7
2 жыл бұрын
nice
@chrispeasley1780
2 жыл бұрын
She should've been fitted with new engines after about 30 or 40 years of service.... Cosmetic refits are all well and good,but propulsion and safety items should be priorities. We enjoyed sailing on her off the South African coast in 1986/88.
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
It would have been nice if she were given new engines or a major overhaul but I don't think there was enough money to do so during her Lauro years. Her last owners were planning to give her a major refit but the fire intervened.
@isleofthanet
2 жыл бұрын
@@midshipcinemaThats interesting about the major refit i have never seen anything about that before. I have read somewhere that Captain Orsi was told by officials in Genoa that there had to be someone on watch in the engine rooms at all times on that fateful trip. Why did they run at full speed the day before with rev counters in the red knowing the state of the engines. There were two lifeboat drills in the harbour before that trip and on departure Senor Aponte stayed out in the cold right to the end and watched Achille till it disappeared when normally he just got in his limo and drove away.
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
@@isleofthanet Fascinating about Aponte watching her sail off on that final departure. It may have been Captain Orsi, himself, who mentioned the upcoming refit as he is really the only officer I spent time with, other than the chief engineer, during that voyage. As with so many things in this industry, it remains a mystery and now gets blurred with time. On the other, I don't know why they chose to run her at speed when she was not in prime mechanical condition. :)
@TaT1CaL
Жыл бұрын
Sadly in late 1994 she caught fire and sank 125 miles of the coast of somolia but even worse her wreck was never found yet.i hope someone would find the wreck of this beautiful ship.
@midshipcinema
Жыл бұрын
10K plus feet under. She was a smoldering inferno when she sank. Even if they found her, she would be unrecognizable.
@shipspiros3766
2 жыл бұрын
American Adventure (1963-2002) American Family Cruises Royal Odyssey (1973-2021) Royal Cruise Lines Costa Romantica (1993-2021) Costa Crociere Mahrousa (1865-???) Royal Yacht Princessa Cypria (1968-2005) Louis Cruise Lines Princessa Marissa (1966-2008) Louis Cruise Limes Nissos Kypros (1958-2003) Salamis Lines Atalante (1952-200?) Paradise Cruises Mermoz (1957-2008) Paquet Cruises Pallas Athena (1952-1994) Epirotiki Limes Melody (1948-1990) Owner ??? Armeniya (1964-1993) Black Sea Shipping Arcadia (1968-) Golden Sun Cruises Odysseus (1962-2008) Epirotiki Lines Olympic (1966-) Epirotiki Lines Pacific Princess (1971-2013) Princess Cruises Stella Oceanis (1965-2003) Sun Lines Stella Solaris (1953-2003) Sun Lines Fiesta Marina (1955-2008) Fiestamarina Cruises Sea Prince (1967-2012) Sunshine Cruises Marianna VI (1951-2001) John S. Latsis Margarita L. (1961-2005) John S. Latsis Marianna VIII (1961-2002) John S. Latsis Pegasus (1975-1995) Epirotiki Lines La Palma (1952-2003) Intercruise Regent Spirit (1962-2010) Regency Cruises Doulos (1914-???) Owner ??? Costa Riviera (1963-2002) Costa Crociere Silverwind (1995-???) Silverwind Cruises Italia Prima (1948-) Nina Cruises Gruziya (1976-) Black Sea Shipping
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Yes, it was quite a cast of classic old ladies! So happy I was able to see and capture them during that cruise.
@darploin5071
2 жыл бұрын
Unlike the captain of the Costa Concordia he fulfilled his duty to the end
@RailPreserver2K
2 жыл бұрын
Did you see moss hills and robin boltman when you were aboard
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
Sadly, I wasn't aware of them at the time, so we may have crossed paths not knowing it.
@user-lm6kf9co7w
4 ай бұрын
And it’s just sad because if they can get her towed to port and will probably have to scrapper because the damage from the fire, what happened to tremendous for the ship company till a Ford insurance and the insurance so she will probably would’ve been towed to the scrap yard and scrapped
@darploin5071
2 жыл бұрын
I could see a fire starting in our engine room due to sit in our finals they should've stopped her for about 3 days they clean those funnels out and she probably wouldn't have caught fire
@robertetchell7804
2 жыл бұрын
i saw a lady next to you smoking in the dinning room i am glad cruise lines have a smoking ban on there ships i can not sit next to someone who smokes in room like that either my family would not like it at all
@midshipcinema
2 жыл бұрын
On Italian and most European ships at the time, you had no choice, Robert. At least she had character. :)
@1tzBry
Жыл бұрын
19:30
@darploin5071
2 жыл бұрын
And when it comes to ships what they call diesel fuel we call tar
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