chandris cruises

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King of the surfboard… duke kahanamoku, cruise history: the chandris line and the ss america was the precursor of celebrity cruises..

Posted by: Michael Grace July 3, 2009

Cruise History: The Chandris Line and the SS America was the precursor of Celebrity Cruises. For a history of the SS America click here.

One of the ships operated by Chandris was the beautiful Trans-Atlantic liner America previously owned by the United States Line and initially captained by Demitrios Challioris who had been in charge of a crude oil tanker in Southampton.  Chandris changed the name to the Australis.

The ship had previously accommodated three classes but underwent a major refit and became a one-class configuration geared to carry 2300 passengers.

The aft promenade decks were extended, a swimming pool was added, and air conditioning was installed.

She made 3 month voyages around the world from Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Southampton, Casablanca, Las Palmas, Cape Town,(or through the Mediterranean via Gibraltar, Naples, Malta, Piraeus, Port Said and Aden), Freemantle, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Suva, Tahiti, Acapulco, Balboa, Cristobal, Port Everglades and return to Southampton.

Chandris Lines also had the Australian Government’s prized immigrant contract bringing tens of thousands of new immigrants out to major ports in Australia The ships were always sold out so that there were 3 sittings for dinner and special sittings for kids. P&O, a rival cruise line, had ceased the line voyage business to Australia so that the Australis was now known as “the world’s largest express liner.”

In 1977 Australis tried a new itinerary from the South Pacific to points in South America to Portugal.

Because of the jet travel and the 747, sea travel for transportation decreased and became the sole remaining liner on the trade.  New Immigrants now traveled by jet. In November of 1977 Australis was laid up. In 1978 she was sold to US investors.

They mismanaged the ship and their company, Venture Cruises, was declared bankrupt. Guess who bought the ship in bankruptcy court? Chandris Lines.

For $4 million less than the amount for which they sold her four months earlier! The ship was laid up and sold in 1992.

Celebrity Cruises was created by Chandris Lines as a separate luxury cruise line, initially using Chandris’s Galileo, which was renamed Meridian after she was rebuilt. She was joined by the new ships Horizon and Zenith in 1990 and 1992.

In 1989 there was a need in the Cruise Industry for a luxury product at a decent price. Chandris wanted to establish a worldwide standard for cruising by The company was determined to set a new, worldwide standard for cruising.

Exceptional Cuisine and all its facets became the mainstay of the Celebrity Cruise experience. Master Chefs serve as the line’s revered culinary and wine consultants since its founding.

In 1995 Celebrity introduced the so called Century Class Fleet with an Industry first:

Luxurious Spa Experiences.

In 1997, Celebrity Cruises merged with Royal Caribbean International, bringing together two extraordinary cruise brands within one corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Today Royal Caribbean uses 29 Cruise Liners.

Cruising has become so popular that from 2000 to 2002 Royal Caribbean doubled its passenger capacity.

Its newest ships use gas turbine engines reducing exhaust emissions by 95% and have become traveling art shows as well.

They boast original paneling and artifacts from famous transatlantic luxury liners.

In 2001, building on the strengths of both the Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises brands,Royal Celebrity Tours was started to offer truly unique vacations in Alaska, Canada and Europe, combining outstanding cruises with exceptional pre- or post-cruise land tour packages now known as “cruise-tours.”

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Anthony J. Chandris

• Modernising President of the Union of Greek Shipowners
• Founder of Intercargo
• Leading passenger shipping entrepreneur

ANTHONY J. Chandris was a popular and admired shipowner during his lifetime, and he occupies a special place in Greek and international shipping history since the Second World War.

With roots in the island of Chios, the Chandris family was active in shipping during the age of sail. His father, John D. Chandris, made the family name a presence in the industry during the interwar years, but he died in 1942 at the age of just 52, leaving his widow, Evgenia Chandris, and their two sons, Dimitris (1921-1980) and Anthony to carry on the business.

The family had lost seven steamships – about half its fleet – during the Second World War, and was qualified to buy one of the Liberty vessels of about 10,000 tons being sold to Greek shipowners at the end of the war. In March 1947, the family took delivery of the 1943-built Nathaniel Macon, which became the Evgenia Chandris. In addition, the family was able to acquire one of the original seven T2 tankers of about 16,500 tons capacity that were allotted by the US for sale to Greeks. This was promptly renamed John Chandris and the family remained in both the dry cargo and tanker trades thereafter.

Although they were still very young men Dimitris and Anthony, then London-based, lost little time taking advantage of the opportunities that they saw after the war. By the time the family had received its first Liberty ship and tanker, Dimitris had already taken the initiative to acquire the Newcastle-based Charlton Steam Shipping Co. It provided a vehicle for a first passenger shipping operation focusing on the needs of post-war refugees. Initially, the company provided a service for the International Refugee Organisation, resettling displaced Europeans in Australia and the Americas. There followed charters to the British government, for troop deployments.

Their father had operated a passenger ferry between Piraeus and Corinth during the 1920s, and later a link between Greece and Italy. But his sons wrote an impressive chapter in the history of international passenger shipping, while maintaining their interests in cargo shipping. By 1960, the brothers and their mother had built up an impressive fleet of 30 tankers and freighters, but they had great ambitions for the passenger business. That year, Dimitris launched Chandris Cruises, one of the pioneers of the modern Mediterranean cruising industry. Meanwhile, Anthony had become convinced of the potential for ocean liners as migration from Europe boomed in the post-war era and established Chandris Lines, focused predominantly on transporting settlers from Europe to a new life in Australia.

The first ship, the Bloemfontein Castle, had initially been designed to carry migrants to South Africa for Britain’s Union-Castle Line. After acquiring the vessel, he refurbished it for the burgeoning trade for Greek migrants to Australia. Renamed Patris, the vessel made its first departure from Piraeus on December 14, 1959. During the next 18 years, Chandris Line focused predominantly on the Europe-Australia trade, including increased demand in the UK for passage to Australia. Several different ships were purchased. The key addition to the fleet was the SS Australis.

Formerly the SS America, the ship was the second-largest passenger liner in the US fleet when it was acquired by Chandris in 1964. The vessel duly became the largest passenger ship under Greek flag. Chandris Lines offered a one-class, relatively informal environment on board its ships, but with air-conditioned cabins, a lot of organised entertainment (for that era) and a high standard of food in the dining room. However, Chandris himself differentiated his service from luxury cruises that cost perhaps double the price. The company provided good service on board but the primary focus was on transporting passengers safely and pleasantly to their destination.

By the mid-1970s, the Chandris brothers – through their separate businesses – were operating the largest passenger-cruise fleet in the world with a combined total of 13 ships, surpassing the likes of P&O, Cunard and Union-Castle.

In 1978, Chandris suspended Chandris Line in response to increasing costs and a decision by Australia to end its assisted passage schemes for European migrants. In addition, the arrival of the jet age had made long-haul aircraft a powerful competitor and the passenger trade by sea began to suffer. Hundreds of thousands of passengers who travelled with the two companies, however, had come to recognise the name Chandris – making the family probably the most familiar Greek shipowning ‘brand’, with the possible exception of Onassis.

As Anthony Chandris did not have children, after his death the descendants of Dimitris continued in cruising for many years. They formed the deluxe Celebrity Cruises fleet with US-based Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG) as a 49% partner, until the company was acquired by Royal Caribbean International in 1997. Meanwhile the family had not neglected its cargo shipping business and by the 1960s was one of the top 10 Greek shipowners, with a fleet of about 30 ships. Chandris was among the first Greek companies to own very large crude carriers (VLCCs), ordered from shipyards in Denmark and Japan. In 1969, the 205,000 ton Evgenia Chandris was the largest tanker ever owned by a Greek company when it was delivered from the Odense shipyard. However this and two later newly built VLCCs were sold off in 1976.

The brothers commanded respect in the shipping industry. Older brother Dimitris had served a term as Vice President of the Union of Greek Shipowners from 1962 to 1964 and would later be elected to head the London-based Greek Shipping Co-operation Committee, only for his chairmanship to be cut sadly short with his death in 1980.

Anthony, who had a degree in marine engineering from Switzerland during a period when most Greek shipowners lacked a university education, had been elected as Vice Chairman of the London Committee during the 1960s. When democracy returned to Greece in 1974 with the fall of the military junta, he was a popular new President of the Union of Greek Shipowners. He accepted the post reluctantly, but it was soon clear he was the right man in the right place at the right time. Under Chandris’ leadership, the UGS for the first time became a broad church under which traditional London-based Greek shipowners began to mingle more easily with the dynamic ‘newcomers’ of Piraeus who, in their turn, would soon become stalwarts of the Greek shipowning establishment. He also encouraged younger shipowners and forged good relations with all political parties, a process that included a historic first meeting between a shipowner’s president and the leader of Greece’s Communist Party.

Drawing on experience of the passenger shipping trade and a naturally outgoing personality, Chandris was not afraid to reach out to the press and to create a more public presence for the shipping industry, in an effort to repair some of the damage that the shipping community’s image sustained during the years of the Dictatorship. He was outstandingly successful.

In responding to the new Greek government’s demands for reform, Chandris also ensured that the country’s favourable shipping legislation was included in the revision of the Constitution in 1976, setting the seal on its favoured status up to the present time. Internally, in running the affairs of the UGS, he was also a democrat, and his period in charge marked the start of a new era in the organisation which would guarantee proper elections and impose a maximum two terms of office on the President.

During his reign, Chandris helped to raise money from shipowners for national causes and he encouraged the shipping community to be supportive of the Greek economy. His own group exemplified this. The family had established an electrical goods and appliances company in 1960 and the following year founded its own shipyard on the island of Salamis near Athens. The yard converted and repaired many of chandris’ own ships. Chandris was among a group of shipowners who tried to establish the first Greek insurance company for shipping – Hellenic Ship & Aircraft Insurance, in 1964. He was also a partner in another insurance company, a brewery and a football team. The family also invested in several hotels, representing the largest presence in the sector among several shipowners who invested in the country’s tourism infrastructure.

Having been so successful in promoting a collective spirit among Greek shipowners, Chandris also pursued a vision of creating a forum which would draw together shipowners internationally for the common benefit. As a result of his lead the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (Intercargo) was launched in 1980 and today it remains one of the leading associations in the world of shipping. Chandris served as President of the UGS until 1981, but illness cut short his career and he died at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York in November, 1984, aged 60.

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Nicky Pappadakis remembers Anthony Chandris

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SS America / SS Australis

Later:   America – I talis – Noga – Alferdoss – American Star

Inside front cover photo of SS Australis found in her official 1967 brochure

Author’s private collection

This Page covers a great American liner, the SS America , (renamed West Point for five year during her wartime service) later to become the much loved Chandris Liner SS Australis . It covers her glory years as the America , West Point and Australis . However, her final years were tragic to say the least.

This page has five parts . 1, SS America & West Point . 2, SS Australis . 3, SS America. 4, SS Italis . 5, Her final years as the Alferdoss , Noga and American Star .

United States Lines

  SS America

West Point during wartime service

  SS America departs New York for Southampton

Langsdale Library

SS America predates a ship that became America ’s greatest maritime achievement the SS United States . The America was designed by William Francis Gibbs , who also designed the United States ( lovingly known as the “ Big U ” ) which obviously looked similar to the America , but the Big U was larger and became the fastest liner ever built. Architects chosen to design her interiors were Eggers & Higgins NY, and Smyth , Urquart and Marcwald NY was commissioned to complete her décor.

America ’s keel was laid on August 22, 1938 at the Newport-News Shipbuilding and Dry-dock Company. At 11.45a.m, on August 31, 1939, hull #1 was launched by Mrs Franklin Roosevelt , which just happens to be one day before Hitler invaded Poland . She was completed in July 1940, but she was unable to operate a Trans-Atlantic service as World War II had already commenced. The United States Line decided to place her on cruise duties. SS America departed New York on August 10, 1940 for her maiden voyage (cruise) to the Caribbean a service she continues over the next twelve months. During her first few cruises it became quite clear that there was a design problem relating to her aft funnel, as volumes of smut was falling on her afterdecks. Although her forward funnel was a dummy, United States Line decided to raise both funnels by 5m (15ft) , giving her a well balanced look.

As built SS America accommodated 543 passengers in Cabin Class, 418 in Tourist Class, and 241 in Third Class making a total of 1,202 passengers.

SS America was built with a partial US government subsidy which meant that the Government take her for wartime duties should it be needed. In July 1941 this became a reality as she was handed over to the US Navy. Renamed West Point and was converted as a troopship, which was completed in November. For her first war time voyage she joined a convoy from Halifax which was due to go to Egypt , but, was rerouted to Singapore sailing via Cape Town . West Point had an eventful war service having been attacked from the air many times.

SS West Point

As a troopship she called on Australia to collect Australian soldiers bound for Singapore . West Point also called on New Zealand to collect American troops bound for Noumea . This great ship covered much of the world, Europe, South America, the Pacific, Australasia, Asia, and Africa . In fact she sailed well over 550,000 miles having transported over 500,000 persons.

SS West Point was returned to the United States Line on July 22, 1946 and she was sent back to Newport-News Shipbuilding and Dry-dock Co to be refitted. Upon completion SS America was able to accommodate 516 First Class passengers, 371 Cabin Class, and 159 Tourist Class, reducing her original passenger capacity by 156.

  SS United States seen after the war

On November 14, 1946, she departed New York for her maiden Trans-Atlantic crossing as a passenger liner with 972 passengers on board. She called at Cobh, Southampton and Le Havre , a service she continued until October 1951 when Bremen was included as an occasional port of call. She was the company’s flagship until July 1952, when the great 44,893-ton SS United States entered service. Together they operated the Atlantic for the next 12 years.  

America seen at Southampton

With declining loadings it was decided in 1961 to convert the America into a two class liner combining Cabin and Tourist Class into a single class which could offer a new level of lower fares to encourage sea travel. In this new configuration she now accommodated 530 Tourist Class passengers.

A German United States Lines poster

On September 14, 1963, a union dispute stopped the ships departure from New York and there were no signs of her departing in the near future. The United States Line had her towed to Hoboken where she was laid up until February 1964. She recommenced her Trans-Atlantic service on February 7, and was to operate a regular service and summer cruises; however, the inevitable happened as the SS America became unprofitable to operate with a host of newer ships competing on the Atlantic . She departed New York on October 9, 1964, for her final return voyage to Europe and she returned to New York on October 27, and returned to Newport-News Shipbuilding Yards.

During her commercial service she made 288 voyages carrying a remarkable 476,462 passengers.

ddddddddddddddddddddddd

Chandris Lines

SS Australis

Ex America , West Point , America

SS Australis takes to sea

SS America was sold to Chandris Lines on October 5, 1964, and was handed over 12 days later when she was transformed externally with her funnels pained blue emblazoned with the famed Chandris large white – X- . On the same day SS America was renamed Australis . With the Greek flag flying from her stern, she departed New York on November 18, to the Chandris Shipyards at Piraeus to be converted to a liner for the UK to Australia and New Zealand service. Her accommodations were substantially increased now accommodating 2258 passengers in an all Tourist Class configuration. In addition both Upper and Main Decks were extended aft, replacing several Tourist Class lounges with cabins. In addition her hull was pained white with a blue ribbon.

The superb grand Ballroom

A postcard provided by ex steward Amos Ramponi

The Smoke Room

SS Australis departed Piraeus for her maiden voyage to Australia on August 21, 1965, sailing via the Suez Canal, and arriving at her destination, Sydney on September 15. She departed Sydney heading for Southampton , sailing via New Zealand and Tahiti, the Panama Canal , and Port Everglades. Her next voyage from Southampton to Australia was in reverse, sailing via the Panama Canal and returning to Southampton via the Suez Canal . Thereafter she sailed mostly to and from Australia via the Suez Canal until it was closed in 1967 due to the Middle East war and began sailing via Cape Town and Durban . SS Australis was the largest of all Chandris liner and she became a popular ship with Australians and New Zealanders. For this reason Chandris decided to commence operating cruises out of Australia during the summer of 1967.

A wonderful photograph from her official 1967 brochure

In 1968 several exterior changes were made, with her hull being painted a light grey, and her mainmast was removed. In 1967 she was reregistered in Panama , however, one year later Chandris Lines returned her to Greek registry.

SS Australis seen after the 1968 refit

1971 Chandris schedule

  Author’s private collection

In 1970 Chandris obtained the much sought after contract to bring British migrants to Australia . But on October 22, 1970, whilst sailing between Auckland and Suva , a fire broke out which damaged some 40 cabins as well as the famed red and gold Ballroom. In Suva minor repairs were made and she was able to continue eight days later. She continued on her Southampton to Australia service (as well as cruise duties) from both Brotain and her popular cruises from Australia of the Pacific and New Zealand .

One of ssMasritime staunch supporters Mr. Stan Evans under took a cruise on the Australis and provided the following photographs of the ships taken during his cruise.

The brass and glass doors of the main Lounge as seen from the Mezzanine level

Here we Stan alongside the SS Australis at Suva

  Passengers exploring the market stalls

The four photographs above are all © Stan Evans Newcastle Australia  

She continued her voyages and cruises until she arrived in Sydney on December 17, 1977. She was scheduled to undertake another cruise, however this was suddenly cancelled, and she sailed for Auckland where she arrived on December 20. After her arrival she was laid up at Timaru , New Zealand .

Note her aft funnel smoke uptake

A superb model of the SS Australis

An unknown source

Venture Cruise Line

Chandris sold her America Cruise Lines, thus, four months after her lay up SS Australis departed New Zealand for New York , arriving there on May 19, 1978. Her new owners placed her in dry-dock, where her hull was painted dark blue, as were her funnels but her band atop was pained red. Externally she looked a little like her original self. America Cruise Lines decided to rename her America once again, hoping to cash in on patriotism. Due to some confusion regarding the company’s name, they changed it to Venture Cruise Line.

SS America, looking good, but only for a few months

On June 30, 1978, SS America departed New York for a mini cruise with 950 passengers on board. However, as renovations had not been completed, a large team of workers remained on board to make her - well the only word I can use is “habitable.” Many passengers rebelled due to the ships poor condition and soon there was chaos on board. It was a bad start, as passengers from the moment they boarded did not feel like this was a cruise ship ready to sail. Six hours after her departure she turned back to New York and anchored off Staten Island where 250 unhappy passengers disembarked and taken ashore in lifeboats.

Passengers stated that she was filthy and rubbish was scattered around the ship, this included old mattresses, linen and bags full of rubbish etc. But, they stated the worst was a stench that filled the ship. The bad odour was apparently due to a large blocked toilets on the lower decks, but worse still much of it came from the ships galley.

There was no doubt, when Australis was sold she was in a run down state as Chandris had kept maintenance to a minimum during her last year. Tragically her decks were suffering, as no corking or sanding had been done for a number of years. Rust was to be found everywhere, especially in her forward “dummy” funnel. The list was endless. It is sad to say, but this was not exactly Chandris’ highpoint considering their past record. Obviously, Venture Shipping Line should have given her an extended refit and a complete maintenance regime at a major shipyard before commencing cruising.

Upon her return three days later, she departed for her second cruise with 640 passengers on board, but it was decided during this cruise that due to the ongoing problems, all future cruises would be cancelled. Sadly the revival of the SS America proved to be a total disaster for Venture Cruise lines who soon filed for bankruptcy.

From ashore SS America seemed to look fine

Photograph from an unknown source

Chandris Cruises

SS Italis looking somewhat sad without her forward funnel

SS America was sold at auction back to Chandris who purchased her for just $1 million, being 4 million less then what they had sold her for just four months earlier. With a small number of crew on board she departed New York on September 6, 1978, bound for Piraeus , where Chandris gave her an extensive a refit making her ready to become a full time cruise ship. Her hull was repainted in a lighter shade of blue, which suited her, but sadly, this refit saw one other change to her well balanced external appearance, her badly rusted forward “dummy” funnel had to be removed, as it had become a danger due to the massive corrosion that had taken place over the past years, something Chandris knew very well before they sold her. No, not all things about Chandris Lines in their latter years could be considered as great. In the past I greatly respected Chandris as a company, having worked closely with hem, having been the Queensland ( Australia ) General sales Agent!

Upon completion, she was renamed Italis and she was now ready to commence Mediterranean cruises out of Genoa . She was marketed as the “Italian lady.” SS I talis departed Genoa on July 28, 1979, for her first cruise, but just two months later she was permanently withdrawn from service. She was laid up at Eleusis Greece . Her 1980 cruise schedule was transferred to her ex running mate, RHMS Ellinis .

After her second, very short career with Chandris, this once great liner would never carry passenger again, however, unlike other vintage ships in her position, amazingly she remained afloat for well over a decade, but it has to be said, throughout those years she was in a disgusting condition.

Italis seen laid up at Eleusis Greece

The final years

In May 1980, she was sold to the “Inter Commerce Corporation” for “ Noga d'Importation et d'Exportation,” who renamed her Noga . But again she remained idle. In 1984 Silver Moon Ferries Ltd purchased her and she was given an Arabic name Alferdoss , meaning “paradise.” Well, she may have been named “paradise,” but onboard it was more like hell remaining laid up. Then in October 1988, one of her bilge pumps had rusted so badly her engine room flooded resulting in her listing to port. It was decided to beach her and pump her dry.

Eventually a ship breaker purchased her for $2 million, placing half as a deposit. As soon as they could they began to partially dismantle her, but soon it became clear with the breakers defaulting with the final payment, demolition work was immediately halted. The question is , was this great liner fighting back?

The end of the old girl

There was a move in Australia to purchase her and have her permanently berthed on Melbourne as a tourist facility. This would have been ideal as she brought countless thousands of European and British migrants to Melbourne and had become much loved ship by all. However, before a deal could be completed another company entered the scene as the Alferdoss was purchased by a Thai company in 1992.

The intention was to renovate her to become a floating hotel in Phuket. In order to prepare her to be towed to Asia she was dry-docked for two months, after which she was to be towed by the Ukrainian tug Neftegaz 67 for the 100 day voyage to Asia .

Renamed American Star she departed Piraeus on December 24, 1993, however due to extreme weather conditions Alferdoss had to return to port the next day. Six days later on New Years Eve she recommenced her journey and passed Gibraltar on January 12, 1994.

But trouble struck the ill-fated ship. On January 15, during a severe storm she broke loose and remained adrift with four salvage crew still on board. Several attempts were made to take her under tow again, but this failed. The four crew members were winched off the ship by helicopter, and she was left adrift. On January 17 American Star ran aground on the west coast off Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands . Then 48 hours later with massive waves pounding her she broke in two. American Star was officially declared a total loss six months later in June . Eventually due to the elements, her stern section collapsed into the sea. Today her bow, part of her forward superstructure and the lower section of her funnel (the top having fallen into the sea recently) remains. As can be seen from the photograph below, the bridge is also slowly collapsing, and soon the sea will finally claim her.

The end of a great liner - American Star is slowly disappearing into the sea

It is now 67 years (October 2006) since SS America was launched, and for 39 years she faithfully transported passengers on line voyages and on cruises, as well as carrying troops during the war. In addition she was laid up in Greece for 14 years and she has sat defiantly on the beach for another 13 years. This old girl certainly has not given up easily, but, I have to say that her end is now close as stated earlier, she is deteriorating rapidly. All this proves that she was a strong and a well built ship, one America can be proud off, and I hope that Americans will take a stand, and prove their pride in remembering the great shipbuilding days of the Unites States. SS America has gone, but the SS United States remains and she should be retained by America and place in New York as a reminder of America ’s great maritime history!

March 2009 : As can be seen from the photo below the American Star has slowly succumbed to the sea and will soon disappear altogether. It is amazing how she has stood the forces of the ocean for this long!

 The American Star, once the much loved Australis & America is arriving at her final hours!

I am well aware that the once great SS America will remain in our memories, as thousands of Americans, English and Europeans have sailed her. Then, as the beloved Chandris flagship SS Australis she provided a service countless thousands will never forget, be it as passengers that came to Australia and New Zealand as migrants, or as holiday makers to and from the UK as well as on Pacific cruises. For 39 years she served the United States Line and Chandris Line well.

I trust that ex passengers and those who admired her whilst she was in port have enjoyed this feature on the great SS America and SS Australis , a ship that will not be forgotten by all who sailed on her!

As stated earlier, I was the General Sales Agent (GSA) of Chandris in Queensland Australia and was fortunate to sail on all the Chandris liners more than once. My company (Australian Express) operated the annual “Round the World Tours,” sailing to and from the UK , and touring the UK and Europe . Each departure saw around 800 passengers depart Sydney heading for the UK , and believe me at times this was a logistical nightmare.

My memories of the Australis , as well as the Patris , Ellinis and Britanis are memorable, especially the many friendships made with the always happy Greek crew!

Cover of the official 1967 Chandris brochure

INDEX 

SS America – Australis Main Page

SS Australis 1967 brochure and photo page 1

SS Australis 1967 brochure and photo page 2

Also visit the following Chandris features online

SS Britanis

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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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Celebrity Cruises

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Celebrity Cruises fleet

Celebrity xcel, celebrity ascent, celebrity beyond, celebrity apex, celebrity flora, celebrity edge, celebrity reflection, celebrity silhouette, celebrity eclipse, celebrity equinox, celebrity solstice, celebrity constellation, celebrity infinity, celebrity summit, celebrity millennium, review of celebrity cruises.

Celebrity Cruises Inc (celebritycruises.com) is the second-largest (by fleet) subsidiary and travel brand in the RCG/Royal Caribbean Group of companies (fka RCCL/Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd). The 1990-established "Celebrity" cruise brand joined RCCL in 1997.

Celebrity represents one of the best "luxury ship travel" companies for adults, as well as a signature operator of regularly scheduled Panama Canal transition itineraries and one of the top 3 Alaskan cruise lines. In May 2020, the company celebrated its 30th Anniversary.

Company history and changes

Celebrity is a medium-priced luxury cruise company , whose travel vacation package product is associated with top-hotel amenities, premium services, sophistication, style, elegance, and technology innovations. Celebrity's ships offer impeccable service and exquisite cuisine, appealing to moderately affluent, well-educated travelers (mostly adults in their 40s). Celebrity offers "Family Cruises" during holidays (particularly on voyages from the USA to the Caribbean and Bermuda) and "Seniors Cruises" (on European and South American itineraries).

The letter "X" on ships' funnels stands for the name "Chandris" (in Greek "Xandris").

The company was founded in 1988 as part of Chandris Group ( Athens Greece -based marine corporation, now Chandris Hellas Inc) - shipowner and vessel management. Before Celebrity, Chandris Group operated the cruise brands "Chandris Line" (1960-1974, passenger shipping between Greece and Australia), "Chandris Cruises" (1974-1996, Mediterranean itineraries from Greece) and "Chandris Fantasy Cruises" (1985--1996, North American itineraries). Starting with cheap voyages on second-hand ships, Chandris' brand "Celebrity Cruises" became one of the industry's most prominent premium "affordable luxury" ship travel brands.

The company's current President and CEO is Laura Hodges Bethge (Celebrity's former Executive VP) who succeeded in 2023 (May) Lisa Lutoff-Perlo (now Vice Chair and External Affairs for RCG). Michael Scheiner is the company's Senior VP and CMO/Chief Marketing Officer. Tim Jones is the VP and Managing Director for Australia, New Zealand & APAC/Asia Pacific region.

Celebrity entered the luxury cruising marked with roundtrips from the USA to Bermuda, acquiring more and newer liners.

As a brand of RCG, Celebrity's sister companies are RCI-Royal Caribbean International , Marella (UK) , TUI (Germany) , and Silversea . RCG also owned Pullmantur (Spain) .

The company's headquarters address is "Celebrity Cruises, 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami FL, 33132-2096 USA".

The company attracts a diverse passenger base, targeting mainly baby boomers and their families, honeymooners, and seniors. In addition to North American customers (USA and Canada), it also draws travelers from Europe, Central and South America. Longer itineraries tend to attract older travelers.

Week-long roundtrips in Alaska and the Caribbean attract many families. To appeal to multi-generational groups, Celebrity's family programs were expanded to include dedicated, well-trained staff serving shipboard kids and teen centers with enrichment and educational activities.

On October 4, 2018, was launched "Celebrity Central" (website for travel agents). It has 6 sections (news, marketing, and sales, learning and training) and is accessed via personalized log-ins. It combines AirWaves, CruisingPower, the company's sales and marketing toolkit (Rewards, Digital Library) and Celebrity Passport (e-learning resource). Celebrity Central has a search bar and tags for popular terms and topics.

In December 2020, the Galapagos-based ship Celebrity Xperience was sold to Emerald Blue Cruises Panama. The boat was named Celebrity Xperience (January 2016 through March 2020), "MS Xperience" (April through November 2020) and "Emerald Dream" (since December 2020).

Since 2022, Celebrity's well-being advisor is Gwyneth Paltrow (1972-born American actress and businesswoman, owner of the lifestyle brand company Goop Inc). The first "Goop at Sea" event debuted on Celebrity Beyond's 9-night "Italian Riviera and France Cruise" (Barcelona roundtrip, departure Sept 24, 2022). Each "Celebrity Goop Cruise" is Goop-curated and features a live interview-Q&A session (with a wellness expert), themed experiences (food tastings, product trials, sale promotions, massages), interactive sessions (led by practitioners), gifts, surprises, on-demand TV classes (in the public restrooms), a detox smoothie and fitness tools (for Aquaclass cabins), an ultra-luxury wellness experience (for Aqua Sky Suites). Feres on the Goop-themed voyages start from US$750 pp with double occupancy.

By March 2023, Celebrity added pickleball playing (at the sports courts) fleetwide. The sports facilities are complimentary, including the equipment (net, paddles, balls). Pickleball Court's locations vary by ship class - EDGE ships at Rooftop Garden (Deck 15), on SOLSTICE ships on the Sports Deck (Deck 15), and on MILLENNIUM ships at the Multi-Sports Court (Deck 12).

Starting in April 2024, for the first time ever, Celebrity ships (Beyond and Reflection) visited RCG's private island CocoCay Bahamas .

In June 2024, RCG launched the Loyalty Status Match program allowing loyalty members from each brand (RCI's Crown & Anchor Society, Celebrity's Captain's Club, and Silversea's Venetian Society) to attain reciprocal tier status across all brands.

In June 2024 the company sold two Galapagos-based ships ( Celebrity Xpedition  and  Celebrity Xploration ) to Linblad Expeditions , starting operations for the new shipowner in 2025 January. Both boats were acquired in March 2016 from the two-ship company Ocean Adventures. The purchase of the 16-passenger catamaran Athala II (Celebrity Xploration) and 48-passenger yacht Eclipse (Celebrity Xperience) increased Celebrity's Galapagos capacity by 65%. Xploration and Xperience joined Celebrity's fleet in spring 2016 but started regular operations in January 2017 following extensive drydocks.

The following YouTube video (official release) reviews the company's newest Edge-Class vessels and their unique features. The EDGE series includes all 5 units - Celebrity Edge (2018), Celebrity Apex (2020), Celebrity Beyond (2022), Celebrity Ascent (2023) and Celebrity Xcel (2025).

On April 11, 2019, the shipowner RCCL signed an MoU agreement with Chantiers de l'Atlantique Shipyard ( St Nazaire, France ) to order a 5th Edge-Class vessel, with scheduled delivery in 2024-Q3.

In February 2014, Celebrity Cruises announced it would add "The Suite Class" fleetwide. Suite Class passengers have their own private restaurant and VIP lounge. Key features on Solstice Class ships include the Lawn Club, which is a freshly manicured lawn on the ship's highest deck. Passengers enjoy casual outdoor activities, a country-club atmosphere, and grass between their toes. They can watch a glass-blowing demonstration on Equinox, Eclipse, and Solstice, or a meal in the Lawn Club Grill. Celebrity ships also have Cellar Masters, inspired by the Napa Valley vineyards, which brings to life a global wine cruise tour experience, while guests learn about and taste a variety of premium wines from around the world.

Since March 2018, RCCL/RCG offers one login for RCI and Celebrity websites and mobile apps. The new policy allows one account to be used for loyalty program benefits, bookings, and reservations with both brands. The account security was also simplified and strengthened to ensure customers' personal data.

Celebrity's loyalty program "Captain's Club"

In June 2021, Celebrity updated its "Captain's Club" loyalty program (for repeat customers).

The offerings now include:

• onboard events "Captain's Club Sneak Peek Series" (ship tour with cocktail sampling), "Create and Pour" (wine sampling), Welcome Parties (outdoor events held at Lawn Club and Rooftop Garden), "Captain's Club Cocktail Hour (free drinks daily between 5-7 PM at all bars and lounges).
• Spa discounts (10% off for Select and Elite members, 15-20% off for Elite Plus and Zenith members), deals exclude MedSpa and Spa Retails, but for Elite and above members Persian Garden's access is complimentary on one of the port days (guest's choice).
• Photo discounts (25-50% off any photo packages, up to US$300 off Studio Packages), added were greenscreen photo sessions (with changing background scenery) as well as aerial and 360-degree photos.
• Laundry packages (on select voyages only) now include "Evening Chic" (dry cleaning for US$35, 8 max items) with the optional US$20 add-on for unlimited pressing (throughout the cruise).
• Internet discounts (10-35% off any Internet package) plus bonus minutes for Elite and Elite Plus members, an additional 10% discount (combinable) is offered with pre-cruise booking. Zenith members receive complimentary the Stream package (for 1x mobile device).
• Beverage package discounts (5-10% off to upgrade from "Classic" to "Premium", if purchased pre-cruise). Zenith members receive complimentary the "Premium Beverage Package".
• Wine discounts (20% off per bottle / valid for all wine brands available for purchase on the ship). Zenith members receive one complimentary dinner (per voyage) at a specialty restaurant, marked with complimentary wine and flowers.

Celebrity brand's cruising experience

• Accommodations: some of the largest cruise suites (all served by butlers). Luxurious "ConciergeClass" staterooms, attentive highly personalized impeccable service; and enjoying seating preference, priority check-in. 2:1 guest-to-staff ratio
• Dining: award-winning cuisine, excellent alternate dining venues. Celebrity's "Gourmet Bites" every afternoon, themed lunch buffets. Culinary demonstrations. The line has partnered with "Elizabeth Blau and Associates", as to menu and wine selections, and all the standards of serving.
• Facilities: the largest cruise ship spa and gym facilities at sea ("AquaSpa by Elemis" - world-class beauty salon, spa treatments and fitness programs). "Celebrity Theatre" for Broadway-style productions, huge European-style casinos, bingo, themed bars, and lounges, including a discoclub, large pools, poolside recreation programs (massages, yoga), onboard boutique shopping.
• Enrichment: "Celebrity Lecture Series". Rich contemporary art collections. Art auctions, and enhanced golf program.
• "Celebrity Escape" concept (reserved exclusively for adults ages 21 and older) offers complimentary classes, workshops, themed events, fashion shows, deck parties, etc.
• By the "Family Cruising Program", on all voyages are offered complimentary games, parties, educational and fun activities, history and sea life explorations, dedicated/exclusive pools and discos for teens.

Via partnership with CG Technology (fka Cantor Gaming), Celebrity Cruises introduced the industry's first casino gaming mobile app. Passengers download the free app (Cantor Mobile Casino) via ship's WiFi network to Android or Apple phones/tablets. The app allows them to play slots, video poker, and table games anywhere on the ship. At the ship's casino lounge passengers can play (for real) games like roulette, poker (plus Texas Hold 'Em) and blackjack. Some ships have Let It Ride and baccarat available upon request. All ships have at least 1 poker table in the casino and host tournaments during the voyage.

Since 2013, the company has been partnered with "Top Chef" (US reality competition TV series). In late 2014, both companies started the exclusive "Top Chef at Sea" cruising experience. By this onboard culinary program, fans and foodies have the opportunity to travel with a lineup of celebrity chefs on food-themed "Top Chef Signature Sailing" each year. Celebrity also offers an interactive "Quickfire Challenges" and "Top Chef"-inspired menu evenings fleetwide on cruises 5-nights or longer (excluding Galapagos Islands).

In 2017, Celebrity Cruises partnered with Bravo Media for a new cooking video series - "Isaac Takes On". This digital show follows Top Chef's Isaac Toups as he cruises around the Caribbean on the ship Celebrity Reflection , competing against passengers in a variety of culinary challenges. The ship has its own Michelin-star chef - Cornelius Gallagher, who also makes appearances throughout the series.

In February 2019, Celebrity Cruises announced two new (exclusive) partnerships - with Daniel Boulud (Michelin-starred Chef) and with ABT-American Ballet Theatre ( NYC -based, 1939-founded classical ballet company). Both partnerships created unique onboard culinary and entertainment experiences fleetwide.

• The Celebrity-ABT partnership allows passengers (on selected ships) to enjoy ballet shows by guest performers and to join the dancers for seminars and ballet classes.
• Chef Daniel Boulud is the founder of a global restaurant group that includes 7 NYC restaurants plus 6 in other (national and international) destinations. As Celebrity's Global Culinary Brand Ambassador, he designs signature dishes for Luminae (exclusive / Suite-only restaurant). Celebrity also introduced "Chef's Table by Daniel Boulud" - a private galley/kitchen tour and 5-course VIP dining package.

The new experiences were introduced in 2019, starting with the liners Summit, Equinox and Millennium.

In December 2019, the company signed an exclusive partnership with OneSpaWorld Holdings Ltd (Bahamas-based global provider of health and wellness services and products to cruise ships and land-based resorts). The partnership starts in May 2020 and is fleetwide (including the newbuilds under construction ).

All-inclusive deals

Since November 17, 2020, every Celebrity Cruises deal includes unlimited beverages (Classic Drink Package/cocktails, beers, wines by the glass, sodas, juices, bottled water, brand coffees and teas), Basic Wi-Fi, and onboard gratuities. However, since October 2023, the brand's "All Included" packages don't include the prepaid shipboard gratuities.

Option upgrades offered to all bookings include:

• ELEVATE Package (unlimited premium drinks and shore excursions priced up to USD 200 per person)
• INDULGE Package (ELEVATE Package plus unlimited streaming Wi-Fi Internet and up to USD 400 per person in OBC/onboard credit).

In August 2022, the shipowner RCG signed a deal with SpaceX/Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (2002-founded by Elon Musk) for using Starlink's satellites to provide faster and low-latency Internet connections across the global fleet (Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity, and Silversea ships). Fleetwide Starlink installations were scheduled to be completed in 2023-Q1.

"Celebrity Revolution" fleetwide refurbishments

In July 2018, the company announced a USD 500 million fleet modernization ( drydock refurbishment ) program dubbed "Celebrity Revolution". The project was scheduled for February 2019 through February 2023.

Fleetwide renovations include all staterooms and public spaces on 9 liners to bring their onboard amenities and services up to the standards of EDGE-class ships. For the staterooms were contracted HBA (Hirsch Bedner Associates / US-based hospitality interior design company) and Kelly Hoppen (UK-based interior designer).

All staterooms were upgraded with eXhale bedding sets (premium cashmere mattresses) and high-tech amenities (RFID locks, Bluetooth, Xcelerate / Wi-Fi Internet).

The drydock-renovated Celebrity ships have "The Retreat" (adults-only sundeck) with a full-size swimming pool, Jacuzzi, private cabanas, padded loungers, and poolside bar service (food and drinks). The Retreat suites' passengers have priority access to the facilities and their fares are inclusive of Premium Wi-Fi Package and Premium Drink Package.

Luminae Restaurant (Suites-only) was redesigned and introduced new/custom-made menus by chef Cornelius Gallagher.

Qsine Restaurant was added fleetwide and offers "Le Petit Chef" (virtual dining-entertainment experience) created by Skullmapping artists and presented by TableMation Studios exclusively for Celebrity.

Main Dining Rooms, Oceanview Cafe and Sunset Bar were redesigned, as well as most public venues. In the SPA was expanded SEA Thermal Suite. Retail shops were expanded with new shopping brands - including Hublot (luxury Swiss watches) and Shinola (luxury watches, jewelry, premium leather goods).

The 4-year fleet refurbishment program started in February 2019. The current list of scheduled for drydocks Celebrity ships (by the "Celebrity Revolution" project) is as follows:

• Celebrity Millennium Feb 9, 2019
• Celebrity Summit Mar 23, 2019
• Celebrity Equinox May 25, 2019
• Celebrity Silhouette Jan 24, 2020
• Celebrity Eclipse Apr 1, 2021
• Celebrity Constellation May 1, 2020
• Celebrity Infinity Nov 14, 2020
• Celebrity Solstice Oct 1, 2021
• Celebrity Reflection Feb 2, 2023

(NEW) Celebrity cruise gratuities 2023

Since July 2023, the company's daily gratuity rates (per person/pp, both adults and kids are charged) were increased. The new rates (listed below) are compared to the previous/2022's rates).

• Standard cabins' (inside, oceanview, veranda) daily gratuity was increased from US$17,50 to US$18 pp (per day).
• ConciergeClass and AquaClass staterooms' daily gratuity was changed from US$18 to US$18,50 pp (per day).
• Suites' daily gratuity was changed from US$21 to US$23 pp (per day).

Daily gratuity is an automatic service charge added to the passenger's onboard account each day. Passengers can prepay gratuities. Daily gratuities are split between the ship's staff (dining, housekeeping, cabin stewards).

In 2018, Celebrity's daily gratuities (pp per day) were USD 13,50 (interior-oceanview-balcony staterooms), USD 14 (Aqua-Class and Concierge-Class) and USD 17 (Suites).

In 2020, Celebrity's daily gratuities (pp per day) were USD 15,50 (interior-oceanview-veranda), USD 16 (Aqua-Concierge Class) and USD 19 (Suites).

In October 2022, the gratuities were increased from US$15,50 to $17,50 (Standard), US$16 to $18 (Concierge-Aqua Class) and US$19 to $21 (Suites/The Retreat) or with ~16%, ~15%, ~21% (respectively).

Celebrity cruise ship Room Service

Celebrity Cruises requires a fee of USD 4,95 for ordering items from the cruise ship's room service menu.

• Room Service is operated on each Celebrity cruise vessel and between 11 pm - 6 am.
• Prior to September 2015, the basic room service items delivery to passengers' cabins was complimentary. The exception was for some premium items (like a cheese platter, filet mignon, Caprese salad).

New shipboard Wellness classes

In 2018, Celebrity and Canyon Ranch upgraded fleetwide the onboard fitness program by adding more (to a total of 20) fitness classes and wellness seminars for passengers. Of all classes, 6 are based on different exercise groups - Acupuncture (Pain Relief), Conditioning (Pilates), Longevity, Mindfulness (Spiritual Cycling), Nutrition (Detox 101), Sweat (Tabata).

Among the new wellness offerings are:

• "Acupuncture for Pain Relief" revives energy levels, treats pain and digestive discomfort, de-stresses, aids a healthy sleep.
• "Pilates to the Beat" is a mat class choreographed with upbeat songs.
• "Age-Defying Technology" reviews the latest technologies, wellness products and services that help anti-aging.
• "Spiritual Cycling" Incorporates mind and energy awareness while cycling to musical beats.
• "Detox 101: Weight Loss and More" reviews the most effective detox foods and how they promote weight loss.
• "Tabata Impact" is a Japanese intense and fast full-body workout offering best cardio and training techniques.

(Coronavirus crisis) passenger shipping pause 2020-2021

Due to the COVID pandemic, RCG-Royal Caribbean Group (shipowner) suspended its entire fleet's passenger shipping operations (RCI-Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity, Silversea, Azamara) worldwide by canceling all voyages with pre-scheduled departures in the period March 13, 2020, through June 30, 2021.

Next are listed all Celebrity ships and their first scheduled departure dates/regions - APEX (June 19, 2021/Mediterranean from Piraeus-Athens), BEYOND (April 27, 2022/ Maiden Voyage /Europe), CONSTELLATION (Nov 7, 2021/Caribbean from Tampa), ECLIPSE (April 23, 2022/Hawaii-Australia repositioning from Vancouver to Honolulu), EDGE (June 26, 2021/Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale), EQUINOX (July 25, 2021/Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale), INFINITY (June 25, 2022/Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale), MILLENNIUM (July 23, 2021/Alaska from Seattle), REFLECTION (Nov 6, 2021/Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale), SILHOUETTE (July 3, 2021/ UK from Southampton ), SOLSTICE (May 6, 2022/Alaska from Seattle), SUMMIT (Sept 14, 2021/Caribbean from Miami). Celebrity's Galapagos ships' restart dates were - Flora (July 4, 2021/ Maiden Voyage ), Xpedition (July 31, 2021), Xploration (January 1, 2022).

• Celebrity's Australia and New Zealand 2021-2022 programs were canceled (affected ship Eclipse, homeported in Sydney NSW and Auckland NZ).
• All Celebrity repositioning cruises in 2021 (Alaska, Panama Canal, Transatlantic) were canceled.
• Most Celebrity's European schedules 2021 (ships Constellation, Edge, Infinity, Reflection) were canceled, excluding APEX (Med) and SILHOUETTE (UK).
• Celebrity's South America 2021-2022 program (Infinity ship from Rio de Janeiro) was canceled.
• Celebrity's Japan 2021-2022 program (Solstice ship from Yokohama) was canceled.

All affected bookings received full refunds (100%), including on prepurchased through Celebrity Cruises packages and services. The refunds were in FCC (Future Cruise Credit) for itineraries with departures from April 30, 2022. The FCC had to be redeemed by December 31, 2021. Changing the FCC to a monetary refund (100%) was possible thru December 31, 2020. Celebrity's Cancellation Policy was extended to allow penalty-free cancellations up to 48 hours prior to departure (all itineraries departing up until September 1, 2020 / initially thru July 31) and receive an FCC.

Itinerary of Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity cruise line's destinations include Alaska, Canada, Hawaii, Bermuda, Bahamas, Caribbean (all, but mostly Southern), Mexico (Caribbean/Yucatan, Pacific/Mexican Riviera), Panama Canal , South America, Australia-New Zealand, Asia (Taiwan-China-Japan, Thailand-Vietnam), Northern Europe (from the UK), Eastern and Western Mediterranean.

The Royal Caribbean-owned brand Celebrity operates one of the industry's youngest and most innovative fleets. The vessels all are Malta - flagged , except the Galapagos -based Celebrity Flora (Ecuador-flagged).

Celebrity's 2024-2025 schedule (16 ships) included 250+ destinations/ports (in 70 countries), ~500 departures, new ports, more overnight and double overnight port stays. The Caribbean 2024-2025 program featured the biggest Caribbean season (9-ship fleet, new 3-4-night Caribbean itineraries and visits to CocoCay/firsts for Celebrity), and 4x American homeports (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, San Juan Puerto Rico). The European program included 40+ itineraries and overnights in 11 capital cities.

Celebrity 2024-2025-2026 cruise ship deployments

In June 2023 was announced that in 2024 (starting in April), for the first time ever, Celebrity ships (Beyond and Reflection) will be seasonally deployed to the Caribbean (both homeported in Fort Lauderdale for the summer) and will visit Royal Caribbean's private Bahamian resort island CocoCay . Celebrity Beyond has scheduled 6-8-night voyages to Western and Southern Caribbean destinations, while Celebrity Reflection’s 3-4-night short breaks/weekend getaways also visit Key West FL USA and Resorts World Bimini Bahamas . The 3-night itinerary (Friday departures) and the 4-night itinerary (Monday departures) both visit Key West, Nassau and Bimini, and CocoCay.

In Aug 2023 was announced that for 2024-2025 winter season (October-April), Celebrity deploys in the Caribbean 4x ships (Apex, Constellation, Equinox, Summit) whose schedules include visits to CocoCay. The ships' USA homeports were all in Florida ( Port Canaveral/Orlando ,  Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale ,  Tampa ). The homeporting in Port Canaveral (Equinox) is also new/first time for Celebrity. Those special voyages were open for booking on August 22nd, 2023.

In October 2021, Celebrity revealed the program for 3 Alaskan ships during the 2023 summer season (May 3, thru mid-September), with each itinerary visiting Inside Passage . Season's highlights include:

• Homeported in Vancouver BC Canada  and passing twice through the Inside Passage,  Celebrity Eclipse sails on 7-night itineraries to Hubbard Glacier , Juneau ,  Ketchikan (Revillagigedo Island) , and either  Sitka (Baranof Island) /Icy Strait Point.
• With 7-night itineraries roundtrip from homeport Seattle (Washington USA) and one 9-night "Ultimate Alaska Cruise", Celebrity Solstice is the fleet's only to visit Endicott Arm Fjord and Dawes Glacier , along with Juneau, Skagway , Ketchikan, Victoria BC Canada .
• Celebrity Millennium  offers 7-night Alaskan itineraries between homeports Vancouver and Seward, with a multi-night Cruisetour Denali option.
• Offering 9- to 13-night Cruisetours in 2023, tourists stay in first-class lodging, ride the Wilderness Express scenic train, visit destinations like Anchorage , Fairbanks, Homer .

Celebrity Eclipse's South America program lasts 4 months (December 2023 thru April 2024) and offer visiting a total of 16 destinations, a 14-night Antarctica, and a 12-night Argentina & Patagonia voyages. Call ports include Valparaiso-Santiago (Chile) ,  Buenos Aires (Argentina) , Montevideo (Uruguay) , Antarctic Peninsula . Signature land tours offer visits to Chile's Osorno Volcano (from Puerto Montt ), Argentina’s Playa El Doradillo (from  Puerto Madryn ), as well as Peru's  Cusco and Machu Picchu  (from  Callao ) during the 16-night repositioning voyage from the USA (Los Angeles) to Chile which includes 2 overnights in Callao-Lima (Peru) .

In November 2022 was announced 2024-2025 program with ~500 itineraries (scheduled for 16 ships) visiting 250+ destinations across 70 different countries.

Celebrity Edge is due to set sail out of Australia between October 2024 and April 2025. She operates on itineraries from 3 to 14 nights hitting some of the country's most exciting spots. Celebrity Edge makes her way out to new ports of call across the Pacific, such as Fiji, American Samoa, Samoa, and Tonga.

Other highlights include a range of new European offerings (7 ships) including Celebrity Apex - the first EDGE liner to homeport in Europe and also sailing a new itinerary (12-night Norwegian Fjord & Arctic Circle).

Two ships are deployed in Asia (Millennium, Solstice), with Millennium leaving from Tokyo Japan on a series of 12-night itineraries with destinations including Osaka, Mt Fuji, Kyoto.

Celebrity ships also visit destinations in the Caribbean, South America (also Galapagos Islands ), Alaska, Greenland, and Iceland.

In November 2022 was announced Celebrity's ever-biggest season (2024-2025) with 16 ships, ~500 departures, 250+ destinations (70 countries), new homeports and call ports, numerous in-port overnights and double overnights, new (year-round voyages) in Europe, new land tours.

2024-2025 season's highlights include:

• 40+ different itineraries in Europe, with overnights in 11 port cities, new European ports of call - France's Bordeaux , Italy's Brindisi and Trieste , Greece's Kavala  and  Volos .
• Celebrity Edge is scheduled to sail in Alaska roundtrip from Seattle WA .
• Celebrity Apex departs from London (England UK) to the Arctic Circle and the Norwegian Fjords.

Celebrity Millennium is homeported in Yokohama/Tokyo Japan in 2024 (April thru October) to sail 12-night roundtrip itineraries featuring overnights in Osaka . After the Japan season, Millennium joins Celebrity Solstice in Southeast Asia (September 2024 thru April 2025) for 11- to 14-night voyages visiting 32 ports/islands across Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Millennium and Solstice make Celebrity’s biggest Asian season with 32 destinations (including 7 new ports).

In August 2023, Celebrity Cruises introduced an array of Caribbean options for the Winter 2024-2025 season, available on 4 ships:  Celebrity Apex ,  Celebrity Constellation ,  Celebrity Equinox , and  Celebrity Summit . Departing from 3 Florida ports –  Port Canaveral  in Central Florida,  Port Tampa Bay  in West Florida, and  Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale)  in South Florida – travelers can select from over 40 new itineraries.

Catering to the diverse preferences of today's travelers, this new program provides a diverse range of experiences, ranging from revitalizing quick getaways to 7-night weekly cruises and extending to 9-night escapes. These voyages transport passengers to idyllic tropical destinations such as  Belize ,  Bimini ,  Grand Cayman ,  San Juan , and some itineraries even include visits to  Perfect Day at CocoCay .

As a highlight of this program, Celebrity Cruises expands offerings from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, featuring more opportunities to set sail on two award-winning vessels: Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Summit. From October 23rd, 2024, to March 8th, 2025, travelers can partake in five new sailings on the Celebrity Apex, spanning 6 to 7 nights and calling at destinations like  St. Maarten , San Juan, Grand Cayman, Mexico, and select sailings to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Perfect Day at CocoCay, a vibrant private island haven situated in The Bahamas, delivers a blend of beachfront bliss and sun-soaked thrills. This paradise offers pristine white sandy beaches, clear turquoise waters, the largest freshwater pool in The Bahamas, and a bar serving tropical cocktails. Additionally, guests can bask in relaxation and seclusion at Coco Beach Club, featuring an infinity pool, a specialty restaurant, 20 exclusive overwater cabanas, and more. Debuting in January 2024, Perfect Day at CocoCay will introduce Hideaway Beach, an adults-only retreat boasting private cabanas and a new signature food venue.

Furthermore, from February 25th, 2025, to April 10th, 2025, Celebrity Summit presents 5 itineraries ranging from 5 to 9 nights, encompassing both Western and Eastern Caribbean destinations.

In an unprecedented move, Celebrity Cruises is also sailing from Port Canaveral in Orlando, offering 20 new itineraries from November 21st, 2024, to April 19th, 2025, aboard the Celebrity Equinox. With the majority of itineraries spanning 7 nights, passengers will have the chance to explore coveted Caribbean locales including the Bahamas, Belize, Grand Cayman, Mexico, San Juan, and St. Maarten. In time for the Spring Break season, two sailings on March 1st and March 15th, 2025, feature visits to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

The Caribbean program from Port Tampa Bay is also revamped by Celebrity Cruises. Travelers can now opt for more frequent 6- to 7-night cruises aboard the Celebrity Constellation. This expanded program includes 4 new itineraries and a total of 14 sailings, spanning from January 2nd, 2025, to April 6th, 2025. The itineraries encompass destinations like Belize, Honduras,  Key West , Mexico, and  New Orleans (Port NOLA)  during the Mardi Gras festivities scheduled for March 1st, 2025.

On November 17, 2025, officially debuts the fleet's newest member - Celebrity Xcel . Being the 5th/last EDGE-class ship, Xcel starts revenue operations with the 5-night "Maiden Voyage - Bahamas & Mexico". The 5-night itinerary (roundtrip from homeport Fort Lauderdale) visits Resorts World Bimini Port and Cozumel. Xcel's inaugural winter season is based on two alternating 7-day itineraries: Bahamas (Bimini), Mexico (Cozumel) plus Grand Cayman (George Town Harbour) , and  Dominicana (Puerto Plata) ,  St Thomas USVI (Charlotte Amalie)  plus  St Maarten (Philipsburg) .

Itinerarires 2025-2026

Celebrity's 2025-2026 program is the brand's "most ambitious" to date, grouping 800+ voyages with 290 destinations across 70 different countries and a fleet of 16 ships.

European offerings include  Celebrity Apex , which once again homeports in  Southampton UK , featuring Arctic Circle and Norwegian Fjords itineraries. Additionally, Celebrity Ascent sails 7- to 11-night Adriatic itineraries from  Barcelona  and  Rome .

Celebrity Equinox joins Mediterranean routes with 9- and 10-night itineraries in the Italian Riviera, Greek Islands, France and Iberia (Spain and Portugal).

Celebrity Infinity  and  Celebrity Constellation operate 7-night Greece and Turkey sailings from  Athens and 10-11-night Italy and Croatia roundtrips from Rome and Ravenna . 

Celebrity Eclipse from Amsterdam offers 12-13-night Best of Scandinavia/Baltic cruises.

Celebrity's "mini-season" in Iceland groups four 7-night circumnavigating voyages on Celebrity Silhouette  in July and August 2025.

In the Caribbean, 9 ships are homeported in Florida (4 different ports) during winter, and 3 ships during summer, including  Celebrity Xcel 's 7-night roundtrips from Fort Lauderdale .

In Alaska are deployed 3 ships - Celebrity Edge from  Seattle WA (second season) and Celebrity Solstice  and  Celebrity Summit sailing between Vancouver BC and Seward AK .

Celebrity Millennium and Celebrity Solstice operate in Asia, offering the 12-night "Best of Japan" itinerary and the 12-night "Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Thailand" itinerary, respectively.

In South America, Celebrity Equinox is homeported in Buenos Aires .

Celebrity Edge's program is in the South Pacific/Australia and New Zealand.

In November 2023, Celebrity officially opened bookings for its 2025-2026 Alaska and Australia itineraries, featuring the esteemed  Celebrity Edge ,  Celebrity Solstice , and  Celebrity Summit . These premium cruise offerings aim to provide nature enthusiasts with exceptional experiences amid the pristine landscapes of Alaska, including glaciers and wildlife encounters. Celebrity Edge later extends exploration to Australia and New Zealand during the Winter season.

• Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Solstice, and Celebrity Summit are set to navigate the Alaskan waters.
• The outward-facing design of Celebrity Edge ensures passengers enjoy proximity to nature and iconic views.
• Adventurous options for a roundtrip through the picturesque  Inside Passage  are available.
• Celebrity Summit offers a CruiseTour featuring a 2-6-Night land tour, providing insights into Alaska's interior.
• CruiseTours include stays in authentic lodges, journeys on the Wilderness Express Railway, and exploration of  Anchorage , Talkeetna, and Denali.

Australia and New Zealand:

• Celebrity Edge returns for the Winter season, offering sailings through Sydney Harbour and New Zealand's majestic fjords.
• Departure ports encompass  Sydney ,  Auckland , and  Honolulu , with diverse itineraries catering to different preferences.
• Highlights include round-trip sailings from Sydney Harbour and overnight stays at  The Great Barrier Reef .
• New Zealand itineraries encompass Milford, Dusky, and Doubtful Sounds, providing a harmonious blend of tradition and breathtaking scenery.

2024-2025-2026 Caribbean itineraries

Celebrity Cruises  is set to offer new 3- and 4-night weekend itineraries in the Caribbean for the first time in 2024. The cruise line deploys  Celebrity Reflection ,  Celebrity Silhouette , and  Celebrity Summit  for these shorter cruises, aimed at providing guests with a break from their routines from Friday to Monday. Celebrity Reflection's 3-night 'Bahamas & Perfect Day' itinerary includes a visit to  Perfect Day at CocoCay , the private island owned by Celebrity Cruises’ parent company,  Royal Caribbean Group .

Celebrity Beyond is spending her inaugural season in the Caribbean with a 6-night 'Western Caribbean and Perfect Day' voyage, including a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay starting in May 2024.

The latest addition to the Edge series,  Celebrity Ascent , embarks on a 7-night 'Bahamas, Mexico, & Grand Cayman Caribbean' cruise starting from February 4, 2024. This itinerary, departing from  Fort Lauderdale FL , includes port calls to  Philipsburg in St. Maarten ,  Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas , and  Puerto Plata  in the Dominican Republic. Following this, Celebrity Ascent is due to reposition to the Mediterranean in April 2024 for her European debut.

Other ships like  Celebrity Apex ,  Celebrity Constellation ,  Celebrity Equinox , and Celebrity Summit also operate Caribbean itineraries for the winter 2024-2025 season. In addition to the Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises has announced new itineraries exploring Alaska onboard  Celebrity Edge  from June 2024 and cruises in Japan onboard  Celebrity Millennium  from August 2024.

In March 2024, Celebrity Cruises unveiled its newly announced 2025-2026 cruise season, catering to guests seeking short Caribbean getaways on  Celebrity Reflection  and  Celebrity Summit . The season features calls to destinations such as  Bimini ,  Cozumel ,  Key West ,  Nassau , and the renowned private island,  Perfect Day at CocoCay . For the first time, Celebrity Cruises is introducing 3- and 4-night Caribbean voyages during the summer, extending the appeal to guests seeking convenient escapes.

Operating year-round from  Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale , Celebrity Reflection offers 100+ sailings of 3- or 4-night trips, providing guests with flexible options that fit into their busy schedules. 

Celebrity Summit, also departing from Port Everglades, offers 4- and 5-night itineraries, inviting guests to explore destinations like Key West and Tulum or indulge in onboard relaxation at The Spa. 

With midweek and weekend cruise options, Celebrity's 2025-2026 Caribbean season provides ample opportunities for unwinding and exploring unique destinations. Additionally, longer immersive vacations, including 7- to-10-night sailings aboard  Celebrity Beyond , are available for guests seeking extended escapes.

Asia 2024 itineraries

The company's Asia 2024 program is based on two ships ( Millennium and  Solstice ).

Starting September 2023, Millennium operates in Northeast and Southeast Asia visiting China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka. The 12-night itineraries visit ports like Klang-Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia , Lombok Indonesia, Mumbai India , Benoa Bali , as well as the maiden for Celebrity ports Hambantota (Sri Lanka)  and  Celukan Bawang (Bali Indonesia) .

Starting November 2023, Solstice operates on 12-night Southeast Asia itineraries (to Thailand and Vietnam) departing from homeports Singapore  and  Hong Kong . Two 17-night Transpacific relocation voyages (RepositionCruises.com) are also offered - leaving from either Sydney NSW Australia  or  Honolulu Hawaii and visiting New Zealand and French Polynesia. Asian ports include Hanoi (Vietnam) , Mumbai (India),  Bangkok-Laem Chabang Thailand .

Celebrity's 2024 Caribbean season (8 ships) includes the 2023-built Celebrity Ascent , plus 2 more EDGE ships. Caribbean itineraries range between 4-12 nights.

Celebrity Ascent's maiden voyage departs on December 3, 2023. Homeported in Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades, Florida) , Celebrity Ascent visits Eastern Caribbean ports Philipsburg St Maarten (Netherlands Antilles) ,  St Thomas Island USVI (Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands) ,  Puerto Plata-Amber Cove (Dominicana) . Actually, Ascent starts passenger shipping operations in November 2023 as in mid-March 2023 were added two "preview cruises" (both roundtrips from Port Everglades). The previews depart on Nov 22nd (4-night to Cozumel) and on Nov 26th (3-night to Nassau).

Following the maiden voyage, Ascent's 7-night roundtrips depart from Terminal 25 (Port Everglades) on Sundays. Eastern Caribbean voyages visit San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tortola (British Virgin Islands), and Basseterre (St Kitts), while Western Caribbean voyages visit Nassau, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman.

Starting November 2023,  Celebrity Apex is scheduled to embark on rotating 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. Setting sail from Fort Lauderdale guests can visit Eastern Caribbean islands, including San Juan, Philipsburg St Maarten, St Thomas, and Puerto Plata. Apex also takes guests to the Western Caribbean with calls in  Key West , Grand Cayman (George Town) , and Belize . In summer 2024 (May thru November) Apex will be homeported in Southampton (England UK) for 4- to 13-night roundtrips, replacing Silhouette.

Celebrity Beyond  is due to sail on 9-, 10-, and 11-night cruises to the Southern Caribbean, including overnights in Oranjestad Aruba (Netherlands Antilles) . A shorter voyage on Beyond takes passengers on a 6-night trip to  Bimini Islands (Resorts World Bimini Bahamas, Bailey Town) , the retreat of choice for Ernest Hemingway.

Celebrity Silhouette  is returning to the Southern Caribbean and the Bahamas with itineraries ranging between 4-11 nights. For the first time since 2011, Silhouette will call at  Scarborough , the main city on the island of Tobago.

For those wishing to celebrate Mardi Gras,  Celebrity Constellation  offers a 12-night voyage departing from  Tampa (Florida USA)  that starts with a double overnight in  New Orleans (Port NOLA)  for Fat Tuesday, prior to taking guests on a journey in Belize,  Mexico (Cozumel) , and Honduras.

Passengers looking for a short getaway will find it on  Celebrity Summit , as she sails from  PortMiami Florida  on alternating 4- and 5-night Western Caribbean itineraries.

Celebrity Equinox  and  Celebrity Reflection  round out the offerings via 6-night Western Caribbean and 8-night Eastern Caribbean sailings, which includes calls at the  Dutch island Kralendijk Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles) , where the official bird of the isle, the flamingo, is spotted on many of the white-sand beaches.

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•   show more news

S.S. AMERICA, S.S. UNITED STATES sailing on the 'All American' team to Europe

United states lines and the heydays of trans-atlantic travel on the last two great american ocean liners, the s.s. america and united states., the story of the australis.

The early 1960s hit American shipping companies particularly hard. Passengers were deserting ocean liner travel, preferring the speed of jet aircraft. On the other hand, the Greeks were buying. Anthony Chandris, the chairman of Chandris Lines, needed ships to fill the company’s ambitious plan to expand cruise service in the Mediterranean and the growing immigrant service to Australia and New Zealand. When US Lines president John Franklin president listed the America for sale, Chandris moved quickly and dispatched the company’s technical director over to New York for inspection. The ship passed with flying colors, a final price tag of $4,250,000 cemented the deal. On November 15 , 1964, the ex America now Australis sailed for the Chandris  Ambelaki in Greece shipyard for refitting as a one-class ship.

” There were many modern ships on the seas but none did it better. It wasn’t always the quality of the cabin or the carpet that counted. I visited other famous ships such as the France and the QE 2 , none had the magic of the America/Australis . She may not have been as attractive, but to me, the attraction was her interiors, as the S.S. America and the knowledge that she was a friendly, safe, and extremely comfortable ship”.

Former passenger Steve Mullis

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S.S. America Home page

SS Australis/ Chandris

8 thoughts on “ AUSTRALIS ”

We came with my parents ( my brother was not 5 years old and I turned 6 shortly after we arrived) and we dont remember 99.9 % of that trip. All I remember is my mother making me a paper mache dress to wear that night AND the rest is left in the history of my mind … One other thing I do remember is that we spoke to another passenger whom my mother told me was French. That man offered me a cap to wear with a long “ponytail”and I have a photo somewhere in my mums stuff. I am hoping that someone will have photos from their trip and could share at some point. We arrived into Sydney from Greece on 14 December 1966.

Hi Rob my wife Angela traveled from Piraeus to Australia with her parents and twin brother and friends they arrived in Freemantle on 29 May 1968 then to Bonegilla refuge victoria

I sailed from Southampton, on the 13/10/1965. We were supposed to dock in Melbourne, but because of a storm in Port Philip Bay, we had to sail on to dock in Sydney, on the 25/11/65. We were transported to Melbourne on the Southern Aurora, where we we set down in what is now Southern Cross station, which was always known as Spencer street station. I was 9 almost 10 years old, I remember the sail away, I remember the only port where my elder brother, sister, and I, got off with our father, was at Port Said. I remember a lot of little things, most memorable was when an Arab man spoke to my father, On our way back to the ship, wanting to buy my sister, he apparently offered my father a lot of money for her. I’d love to talk to and maybe meet other people from that cruise. we went to Baccus Marsh boarding school, our parents went to the Broadmeadows Hostel.

If anyone reads this who was on a 1968 trip per Australia, to Melbourne, Australia, I’d love to be in contact. A Greek passenger on that trip was headed for Bonegilla camp and as of June 2020, is near the end of his life. I’m trying to find some memories to share with him. Thank you in anticipation, Rob

Yes , I was on board the ” fire ” trip cabin 135 = lovely cabin with two portholes , a four berth. which was originally a first class two bed cabin. Chandris said I was to fly to UK from Suva , but I declined and enjoyed the voyage with vastly reduced passenger numbers and only two in our cabin. During the days in Suva , I always chose the coach going to a nice coastal hotel ( forgotten name ) But a left turn after Suva and maybe a journey of 15 minutes , with great food and pool right on the ocean edge. I remember us all having Chandris towels to use after swim. Happy memories of an era now long gone.

Thanks for the information Joanna ,sorry I just sow your message here, I dind’t think anyone will replay me, how you know the Australis ? passenger , crew or friends ? and where you live now ? thanks

Silvio are you on the https://www.facebook.com/groups/ssaustralisphotosnstories/ Facebook page? It is a lively group of really friendly ex passengers and crew.

Hello I was a crew member on this ship S/S AUSTRALIS in 1967 1968 made 9 trip around the world ,I was from Italy but now living in USA for 45 years, I just wonder if any crew member of that era is reading this note ,will love to get in touch with them, I did work on the crew restaurant and also as LIFT BOY ( elevator ) thank you Silvio

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• What Ever Happened To........???

Chandris Fantasy Cruiseline

By kbt2 , December 22, 2005 in What Ever Happened To........???

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We took this cruiseline back in the 80's for a Senior Cruise out of Miami's port. Boy, we thought it was the bomb being able to drink and stay out late. I remember they had games by the pool and disco until 4am, and we closed it down everynight. Gosh...now looking back after so many cruises...the ship literally was a bomb wreck. ha ha

whatever came of these ships...anyone know??

I am certain i still have a souvenier glass from this line in my high school boxes in the attic. LOL

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dougnewmanatsea

First time I read this post, I thought, "wow, that must have been some lively group of senior citizens" ;) !

But in all seriousness, originally founded in 1915 and having first entered into the passenger business in 1936, the Chandris family of Chios (Greece) bought their first big passenger ship, PATRIS, the former BLOEMFONTEIN CASTLE, in 1960 and made a fortune carrying emigrants from Europe to Australia. Chandris Cruises developed at the same time with small ships doing cruises in Europe. After losing the Australian emigrant contracts in the early 1970s, they sent some of their big liners to the US to operate cruises. They soon bought an American travel agency to help them market their ships in the US and thus Chandris Fantasy Cruises was born. By 1976, Chandris was the largest passenger shipping company in the world and in the 1980s they dominated the mass-market cruise scene both in the US and Europe, until taken over by Carnival in the US and Costa in Europe. In 1989 they turned their attention to a more upmarket product, forming Chandris Celebrity Cruises with the rebuilt MERIDIAN (formerly the Chandris Fantasy GALILEO) and the orders for the brand-new HORIZON and ZENITH. From that point onward they phased out the older Fantasy ships in favor of Celebrity, and by the early 1990s the "Chandris" name was dropped from both Fantasy and Celebrity Cruises. Fantasy Cruises finally faded into oblivion in 1997, and in the same year Chandris sold Celebrity to Royal Caribbean in exchange for both cash and Royal Caribbean stock. The Celebrity "X" logo - really the Greek letter "Chi" for "Chandris" - and the Greek officers on Celebrity ships are both reminders of the Chandris era.

wow...that is very interesting to know! THANKS for the reply with the info on my 'ole Senior cruise!

• 2 months later...

If the ship you sailed on was the BRITANIS, she has met her maker. Sank in October of 2000 en route to be scrapped.

http://www.rhmsamerikanis.co.uk/myweb/britanis-sinking.htm

If the ship you sailed on was the BRITANIS, she has met her maker. Sank in October of 2000 en route to be scrapped.   http://www.rhmsamerikanis.co.uk/myweb/britanis-sinking.htm   -Rob

Rob...wow thanks...I cannot remember if that was the exact ship, but that does look like the one I was on. I guess I should look through old high school stuff and see what my drink glass says on it.

Did they sink it on purpose? Natrual reef? it appears so.

Britanis, or Belofin-1 as she was named at time of sinking, sank due to leaks in the structure. She was being towed by oceangoing tug to a breaker in Alang, India at the time. Actually, you can see the tug in one of the photos from that last link. I know she was laid up at Tampa for a few years before being sold off to an investor for scrapping. She was one of the oldest active ships on the sea at the end of her passenger service career. I never sailed on Britanis, but remember seeing her multiple times in port at Nassau.

Here's a more comprehensive history of the ship if you are interested:

http://www.maritimematters.com/britanis.html

Rob...after reading that interesting article I am certain that was the ship then. Because it was 1988 and we were on a 5 day out of Miami to the Western Caribbean and that's the time frame they show she did that type of sailing. Very interesting to see that since the cruise industry has changed so much. I have always tried to describe to my DH about the ship of my first cruise, as he never cruised on a ship like that...so now I can show him.

And I do see the tow boat in pic, that's what made me possibly think it was sunk on purpose, but I see otherwise. Very interesting...thanks a bunch for some memories of my "SENIOR CRUISE" :) :)

The history of the Britanis is fascinating, especially when it was a glamorous vessel on the Hawaii run, with lots of movie stars onboard, and then during the WWII years. She was the first ship I sailed on, as the photographer for STARLOG magazine, covering a floating STAR TREK convention with actors from the various shows. The ship had been chartered for the week, so it was an...interesting...group. We went to Jamaica, Grand Cayman Island, and circled around Cuba back to Miami. On the way back, we picked up a raft full of Cuban refugees, and tried to give them some of our extra Starfleet passports to present to immigration in Miami (it seemed like a good idea at the time--rum will do that to you). I believe the next year she was sold to the government and used as a floating barracks at Guantanamo Bay for a couple of years. The funniest part of the cruise was the Captain's formal dinner, the one where you get photographed shaking hands with him. The look on his face as he had to do his "grip and grin" with Vulcans, Klingons, women painted blue, and lots of people in Starfleet uniforms was priceless. The ship's officers seemed puzzled by the whole thing; I'm not sure they had ever seen the show or movies. The crew, on the other hand, were over the moon at rubbing shoulders with Jimmy Doohan, George Takei, etc.

Well...that is another interesting story about this ship I would have never known. I don't remember the Captain, but I do remember one night on the way into dinner there was someone dressed in a Bunny Rabbit suit and they took pics with us as we were going into dinner and like now those pics were for sale on the ship. How funny is that now? a BUNNY? Where did that come from. LOL

Very interesting I am learning about this cruise ship! :)

a BUNNY? Where did that come from.

I guess they ran out of pirate suits :rolleyes: !

(Is it just the ships I've sailed in lately, or have cruise lines gone off the ridiculous idea of having pasengers ambushed by "pirates" in the middle of dinner one night so that photographers can take bad photos?)

Doug...it seems like those pirate pics coming out of the dining room have been around FOREVER...I guess for us that have cruised a bit get sick of it. yes, get rid of it...but maybe the first time cruiser enjoys it. Who knows...but the Bunny is definitely WAY worse! LOL :)

• 1 month later...

Just found this forum. Funny enough I was one of the photographers on the Britanis. Worked there in 85/86 and again on the fifty day around S America. Remember well the Cubans too.....David [email protected] :)

Well you probably took some photos of my older classmates as our HS would go on this ship for senior trips many years. Mine wasn't until '88. Do you remember the bunny I am talking about or was that something mayber they started right after you left???

• 3 weeks later...

Rattler_Cruiser

I think my high school senior trip was aboard this ship also! I'm going to look at some of the pictures from my senior trip when I go to my parent's house this weekend. We went in 1982. We also enjoyed being able to drink and gamble in international waters!

Funny thing, as seniors we vowed to take a cruise 5 years later - by then everyone would be out of college with one year experience (and savings) under their belt. We thought it'd be fun to go back with no chaperones and no rules. Well, that didn't happen! I've been on three cruises since then, and none have been with my senior class!

I actually went on a cruise in 1974 at the age of twelve. It boarded in Miami also. I want to find the name of that cruise ship so when I put my cruise history in my signature, it will be complete!! :D

I spent the summers of 1980, 81 and 82 taking long weekend cruises on the Chandris lines out of all the east coast ports and some in Florida as well. Once of our friends was a travel agent and got us amazing rates for 4 young women in a cabin. We never paid for a drink onboard and danced into the wee hours of the night/morning with all the officers.

I don't remember the names of the ships we were on but I will check my photo albums as soon as I get home!

One of my friends ended up dating the Vice Captain and I had the Chief Engineer chasing me around. He never caught me, much to his dismay.

I remember a bunny but it was on the Sitmar Line (another golden oldy) and it came out around the Easter cruise. I still have a picture of myself with the bunny - I'm the one in the hideous striped dress!

• 10 months later...

I think I'm going to be sick! The Britanis was my first cruise (back in 1989). It was my senior week cruise also. To think the home of all those memories I have, is sitting at the bottom of the ocean right now. It makes me sad and it makes me feel old. But it only sank 11 years after I was on it so I'm not that old. It's not like I was on the Titanic! I have many memories of the ship's photographer too, hmm!;););)

Funny, you were on it the year after I was...and just last month I reconnected with a girlfriend from high school, and her and I shared the cabin together on this cruise and I emailed her those photos...she too was sad...LOL Piece of high school history/memories! :)

i was on the britanis in august 1991, 6 girls, we did a back to back 5 night then 4 night through labor day. what a great time we had, did not want to get off the ship when we got back. 4 of us had a nice size room with a port hole, 1 bathroom and another room with a sink and mirror which was great for 4 girls in 1 room to get ready. about 4 years ago i did a search on the computer to see what ever happened to the britanis and was very sad to see her sinking. small ship but lots of fun!

Hi LISAPO...funny it was a big time...I guess I really should post in my siggy like u did, just never had because I figured most would have never heard of it...and see u are a RCI fan like us too...we're going on Mariner in 2 mos. saw u have been on it...did u like it? We like the VC ships...have fun on your upcomign cruise as well...not quite the same as Britanis is it?? LOL

• 1 year later...

peanut cruiser

Well, this is just hilarious b/c my sister, my college roomate and I sailed on the Britanis in the early 80's and we weren't seniors; quite the opposite. We were three young women afloat at sea with about 500 gorgeous Greek crew members and 1,500 senior citizens. And they said "The Love Boat" was just a TV show!

• 4 weeks later...

coastieretired

This was my first cruise ship!!!! Honeymoon cruise 1993. My marriage lasted a little longer than the ship!

• 2 weeks later...

divinitylives

Our first cruise was on the Brittanis and I will never forget it. It was in 1987 and we paid about $750 per person including air from Denver to Miami with transfers from our hotel. You can almost get that good of a deal nowadays! On our transfer to the ship we were with another couple that was heading to a Royal Caribbean ship with the big Crows Nest bar that was such a signature for RCCL. When we pointed out our battleax looking ship with the two big X's on the stacks we were a little embarrased! But we had no idea what to expect and we had the best time ever. Our waiter "Digno" from Honduras goes down as one of our fav's of all time still to this day. He would spell it out "D-I-G-N-O - DIGNO" because people would inevitably call him Dingo.

We had an inside cabin and it made the most funny creaks and whistling noises in the middle of the night. I remember my husband and I just layed there and giggled. The captain was Greek and I can still hear him saying "Welcome to my sheep...the ss Bree-tan-ees" It went to Cozumel and Key West and at sea for the rest of the 5 day cruise. One of the couples we dined with we are still in touch with today. ahhh, you never forget your first one!!!! It was sad to see the pics of her floundering but still such great memories.

We took our first cruise on the Britanis back in the 1980's, it was a 5 days cruise out of New York to Bermuda. Long before all of the security concerns of today, we were able to tour the ship before we booked our cruise. We found out when the ship was in port in New York and we went down to the pier on our lunch hour and were able to checkout the entire ship. We were throughly impressed and immediately booked our cruise with Liberty Travel.

After our cruise, we were hooked and booked 2 more cruises on the Britanis' sister ships, the Galileo and the Amerikanis also doing 5 day runs to Bermuda. We later went on the Britanis again out of Miami to the Western Caribbean.

Based on the current ships, the Fantasy ships were primitive, no TV or Internet, just a newletter that was published on a daily basis. The old flush toilets overflowed, there was only one bar called the Smoke Bar (how times have changed!) and everything on the ship was ancient having been built in the 1930's.

We loved it all!:)

18 cruises and 25 years later, and we are still cruising thanks to the great experience on Fantasy.

Based on the current ships, the Fantasy ships were primitive, no TV or Internet, just a newletter that was published on a daily basis.

Actually, the Amerikanis was the first cruise ship to boast of TVs in each passenger cabin. My first cruise in 1979 was a 14 dayer out of Venice to the Eastern Mediteranean on Chandris' The Victoria and my second was on the Amerikanis in 1980 (she had TVs then, if memory serves me correctly) a 7 day to the Caribbean out of San Juan.

I was hooked during the first cruise and haven't stopped yet! The Chandris ships were tons of fun and good value for the money. GREAT memories!! :D:D

cruisinsince81

This was our first cruise also and though it rocked and rolled and a little old LOL. It started us on our 28 year run on cruises. Funny story we were standing at the rail entering the harbor in Bermuda and a gentlemen came next to us looking out at the ocean when he turned to us and said this is the 2nd time I have been on this ship, we turned to each other, both of us thinking the same thing why would anyone come on here twice on purpose. (After all before we went on the Britanis in New York RCCL was giving tours on the Nordic Prince) So we said oh you have been to Bermuda on this ship before, he said no I was Medivaced out of Normandy on this ship in WWII.

My wife turned green and said we are flying home LOL.

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Cruise Ship Odyssey

Ellinis (1932), chandris lines.

• June 16, 2023

Visit  Ellinis photopage  with pictures taken on board during one of her last cruises in the Mediterranean in 1980

Ellinis  started her career as the  Lurline  being one a quartet of luxury liners,  Malolo, Mariposa and Monterey . Ordered by the Matson Line to be operated on their famous San Francisco-Hawaii service,  Lurline  was designed by famous naval architect Francis William Gibbs (well known for his masterpiece the  ss United States ) built by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched in July 1932 and delivered in January 1933. Known for her beautifully appointed interiors with public spaces done Hawaiian-style as well as for her classy accommodations she had capacity for just 715 guests, 475 in first class and 240 in cabin class. Driven by twin geared steam turbines  Lurline  could manage a top speed of just over 22 knots, her service speed was 20.5 knots.

She served on her familiar route to Hawaii for the next eight years. In December 1941 she was just two days out of Honolulu on her way to San Francisco when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, she had left Hawaii in the nick of time. Shortly thereafter, she returned to Hawaii with her sisters  Monterey and Mariposa  ferrying troops to the war zone, being requisitioned by the US Navy and converted to a troop ships for service the Pacific war. During this period she made several trips to Australia and had her moment of fame when Prime Minister John Curtin sailed with her to America to meet with President Roosevelt in April 1944. It took a lengthy two-year refit before she returned to her familiar route to Hawaii in April 1948. Her luxurious interior fittings needed restoration and she was technically upgraded at a cost of a staggering 20 million dollars.

During the following years Matson started to employ her and her sister  Monterey  more and more as five-star cruise ships having seen the success Cunard’s famous  Caronia  was having at the time, serving the top-end of the market. At the time, the  Lurline  was regarded the premier liner sailing the Pacific.

Matson Line was not doing too well financially during the early sixties mostly because of dwindling passenger loads as the jet airliners became increasingly popular with travellers and only the necessary maintenance was done on its ships. As a result  Lurline  suffered serious engine problems and was subsequently laid up. After investigations, it proved too costly to repair her troublesome port turbine, the source of the problems and she was quickly listed for sale. Her sister  Monterey , which had already been taken out of service was reactivated and quickly renamed  Lurline  (the name of one of Matsons’ first ships and since then reserved for its current flagship) as Matson hoped to continue the impeccable reputation of her predecessor.

In February 1963 she was acquired by the Chandris Line. She later replaced their  Brittany , which had caught fire in April 1963 during maintenance in a Greek shipyard and became a total loss. She was renamed  Ellinis  meaning “the Greek Lady”. Chandris had a strong preference  for acquiring US-built vessels which were extremely well constructed, required minimum maintenance and just seemed to keep going forever. She was sent to Smith’s Dock, North Shields to be refitted and have her engines overhauled and was given a more modern streamlined look with two great looking funnels. Her passenger capacity grew considerably to 1668 passengers in one single class. Although  Ellinis ’ exterior was modernised somewhat, her famous Hawaiian-style interiors were mostly retained as they were still in great shape.

On 30 December 1963,  RHMS (Royal Hellenic Mail Ship) Ellinis  left Piraeus bound for Australia, her first departure on the migrant service to Australia which she would from then on serve out of Southampton as Chandris had secured the contract to ferry British migrants to Australia. She sailed on several round the world voyages, returning to the UK from Australia and New Zealand via the Panama Canal and New York.

But sadly, like on all other liner routes,  Ellinis  lost the battle with the aeroplane as more and more travellers decided to fly out to Australia, the migrant trade dried up and her passenger loads plummeted. So Chandris decided to end the Australian service and on 30 August 1977,  Ellinis  left Southampton for her last voyage to Australia.

From now on,  Ellinis  became a full-time cruise ship and then spent the next six months cruising out of Sydney. During one of her cruises to Japan in April 1974 she suffered engine problems once again and she managed to return to Europe. Luckily at the time, her one-time sister-ship the  Mariposa , which had passed on to Home Lines ownership and had been renamed  Homeric , had just been sold to the scrappers in Taiwan. Chandris Lines reacted immediately and purchased one of her engines which were transported to Rotterdam, where it was installed in the Ellinis. She returned to service in March 1975.

The remaining years of her career, she sailed as a cruise ship in the Mediterranean.

During her last season in the Mediterranean in 1980, I was aboard during a 14-day cruise out of Genoa to Barcelona, Sicily, Naples, Alexandria, Haifa, Kusadasi, Piraeus, and Naples before returning to Genoa. She really showed her age now after half a century of service. Her former splendid interiors had been replaced with much simpler fittings or had been poorly maintained. The three of us shared a very large six-bed cabin, left over from her liner days. Only the lower ones of her bunk beds were in use when she sailed as a cruise ship. Part of the metal doorframe had rotted away. During a visit to the engine room we were wondering how it was possible that her engine room staff could survive the intense heat here, it must have been at least 40 degrees Celsius… A plaque referring to her wartime duties in the Pacific was still in place.

In the fall of 1980 she was laid up in Perama Bay near Piraues where she silently sat between the  Noga , the former America and later Chandris’  Australis  and the  Ariadne  (former  Bon Vivant ).  Plans of returning the old girl to service or using her as a floating hotel in San Francisco didn’t materialize and the worn out and decaying vessel was finally scrapped of all usable parts which were reused to keep her former Matson-sister  Monterey  (now also owned by Chandris and sailing as their  Britanis ) going. In 1986 she was sold for scrap to Taiwanese breakers. She left Perama on December 3, 1986 for Taiwan, but after a long, slow three-month voyage she had come as far as Singapore when she started taking on water causing a significant list to starboard. However, the problem was rectified and she arrived in Kaohsiung on April 15, 1987 to finally be broken up after a long and impressive 55-year career.

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Chandris to Launch Chandris Celebrity Cruises

• April 17, 1989

The Chandris Group is launching a new cruise line, Chandris Celebrity Cruises, aiming at a more upscale market in the $200 per diem range, to be operated and co-marketed by the Chandris organization alongside its existing cruise line, Chandris Fantasy Cruises.

Initially, the Celebrity division will operate two ships: the new $175 million Horizon, which is under construction at the Meyer Shipyard in West Germany; and the Meridian, which will be created by a $35 million reconstruction of the 26-year old Galileo.

The Horizon will begin service to Bermuda in spring of 1990 where she will be joined by the Meridian which will have made her debut in early winter of 1990, sailing seven-days from Port Everglades to Antigua, St. Thomas and Nassau.

Exclusive Bermuda

Under a ten-year, semi-exclusive contract, Celebrity Cruises will be one of only three cruise lines calling regularly in Bermuda and the only cruise line to have two ships serving the island. (Only two other ships will make regular calls: the Royal Viking Star and the Nordic Prince.)

A Chandris spokesperson said that the two cruise divisions would be marketed as different brands under the Chandris umbrella with their own brand managers. Top level executives, however, would be the same for both divisions as would sales and reservations personnel.

In a prepared statement, Chandris Chairman John D. Chandris stated “We have chosen to grow from within, from our own resources rather than through a merger. This two division concept will support our planned growth in both the quality and the value sector of the market.”

According to Harry Haralamboulos, Executive Director of the line, most of the new generation cruise vessels have substituted glitter and plastic for quality and comfort, while their grossly inflated rates insult the intelligence of today’s smarter buyers. Speaking in general terms, he said that “Chandris has a clear understanding of the kind of environment the quality passenger enjoys, and has translated that into the two vessels.”

The Galileo will undergo a bow-to-stern reconstruction beginning at the conclusion of the 1989 Bermuda season, which will include the incorporation of new luxury cabins and expanded public areas for upgraded on-board service, according to Haralambopoulos, who added that the ship will emerge from the reconstruction essentially as a new ship. A yard contract has not yet been signed.

According to Al Wallack, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales, the rebuilding of the Galileo is the next logical step following the steady improvement of the line’s ships over the past four years – with major refurbishments and upgrading of on-board service.

While Chandris today may be enjoying an image as offering a sound value-product, it wasn’t always that way, according to industry sources, who said there are still passengers and travel agents with bitter memories from the “old” Chandris.

Travel agents interviewed by CIN, said that their clients were largely pleased and that they themselves were pleased with the sales service and general cooperation offered by Chandris.

Nevertheless, sources emphasized that in order for Chandris to build an upscale image, the line faces a tremendous job creating national recognition. At press time, no further information was available on Chandris’ marketing strategy.

The combination of the Horizon and the Meridian will give Chandris 57 percent of the cruise capacity in the New York-Bermuda market in 1990, according to Wallack. The Horizon will be calling at Hamilton and St. George’s, and the Meridian at the new West End Pier, Somerset.

During the winter the Horizon will sail from San Juan, offering seven-day cruises every Saturday to Martinique, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua and St. Thomas. Wallack said that Chandris will also be dominating the winter San Juan market with a weekly capacity of more than 3,000 passengers aboard the Horizon, the Amerikanis, and the Victoria.

The Meridian will sail seven-day cruises from Port Everglades during the winter seasons.

In addition, Chandris will continue to operate the Britanis on two- and five-day cruises from Miami.

Chandris noted that there are further expansion plans ahead for both divisions. “In today’s volatile industry there will be many opportunities to expand our Fantasy fleet,” he said.

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Khanty-Mansiysk: Why you simply must visit this northern land of mammoths

“I have been to Yugra many times. I was sworn in as a Siberian in a cedar forest,” producer Andrey Suleikov writes in the preface to a collection of legends called Yugra. It’s My Land . “I tasted lingonberries in the cold and could not tell whether the berries were coated in sugar or ice. I also enjoyed outdoor hot springs while taking a traditional Siberian bath." 

Fuel pumping stations

Sounds more like time travel than a present-day tourist trip, doesn’t it? But that is what Yugra is like: a fusion between prehistoric things like mammoths and modernity, which has brought oil, gas and new buildings. Even the region’s official name (which is quite long: the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area – Yugra) combines the present with the past.

Tying a ribbon is a national tradition

There is a beautiful legend about Yugra’s origins. In one very bright, warm and sunny city, twins of unprecedented beauty were born: a brother named Yug and a sister named Ra. At first, they grew up like ordinary small children, but with age they began to argue and fight, so much so that when they did flames flared up around them. The townspeople were afraid that they would burn everything down, so they exiled Yug and Ra to a remote northern land covered with ice and snow. The brother and sister illuminated this land with their light and made it warm so that people could come here to live. Yug and Ra stopped fighting and began living together in harmony. Since then, this northern land has been called Yugra.

When you look at the map, it may seem that Khanty-Mansiysk is located almost in the middle of Russia. However, the climate here is similar to regions of the Far North. In winter, the temperature here drops to below -40 degrees Celsius.

We asked local residents and people who know this region well to tell us more about it and to share some tips for tourists who come to visit.

Why should a foreigner visit Khanty-Mansiysk?

“If you want to feel the coldness and colors of Russian winter, then you should definitely stop by in our small cozy town,” says a local tattoo artist, Semyon Chepurnoy.

A Khanty man in a traditional dress

Yevgeny Zinovyev, a journalist and the former editor-in-chief of a local media outlet, says that Khanty-Mansiysk provides the opportunity to experience a real and not touristy part of Russia. “In winter, there are frosts, snowdrifts and wind. In summer, heat, midges and bears. At any time of the year, you can experience the everyday life and customs of the indigenous peoples: the Khanty and Mansi. And of course, in Khanty-Mansiysk you can get to know the backbone of modern Russia – its oil and gas sector."

“We have unique scenery here. Khanty-Mansiysk is located on seven hills and is surrounded by the taiga. There are a lot of fish in the rivers, and a lot of mushrooms, berries and pine nuts in the forests surrounding the city,” says local insurance company employee Sergey Yankovich.

View of the city and the Irtysh River

The harsh climate of the region influences how local residents relate to visitors. “Residents of the city are very good-natured and welcoming and are always ready to offer help in any situation, even to a stranger, because in the north, there is an unspoken rule: If you see that a person is in distress, be sure to help them, because tomorrow, it may be you in their place. The harsh climate and surrounding scenery leave no room for error, especially in winter,” Sergey says.

Things to see/do/taste in Khanty-Mansiysk

Mammoths at the Archeopark

According to Irina Pudova, a local resident and the author of a collection of legends called Yugra: It’s My land , the first thing to do in Khanty-Mansiysk is to see the local mammoths. Seven life-size bronze prehistoric animals "roam" the area near Samarovsky Hill on the grounds of the Archeopark complex. Here you will also find a prehistoric bison, a pack of wolves, a cave bear, two woolly rhinos and prehistoric people themselves.

Sculptures of bisons at the Archeopark cultural and tourist complex

“Then you could get something to eat,” Irina advises. “The thing to do is to go to any local restaurant of Siberian cuisine and ask for muksun. It is a valuable freshwater fish of the salmon family, which is highly prized by locals and tourists alike.”

Khanty-Mansiysk is a relatively new city and only received this status in 1950. Soo oil was discovered in the region, prompting a dramatic push in its development. Prior to that, there were just Siberian settlements built by Russia in the late 16th century. Irina is impressed that a modern city was built in such harsh conditions.

The Church of the Protection of the Holy Virgin

“Cultural objects, squares, houses - all this is unique. And everything is new, there is nothing very ancient here. Except for mammoths!” she says.

In addition to the Archeopark mentioned above, Yevgeny Zinovyev’s list of favorite places in the city includes the Museum of Geology, Oil and Gas, along with the Museum of Nature and Man and the centuries-old cedars in the Samarovsky Chugas natural park. He recommends checking out the views from the observation deck near the Monument to the Explorers of the Yugra Land and paying a visit to a local bathhouse.

'Red Dragon' bridge over the Irtysh River

Yevgeny also provided us a checklist of culinary delights that anyone visiting Khanty-Mansiysk should be sure to try:

• Muksun (in any form but best of all frozen and sliced as Stroganina).
• Wild berries (cranberry, cowberry, cloudberry).
• Venison (in any form but best of all stewed and sprinkled with frozen berries and pine nuts).

Sergey Yankovich recommends visiting the open-air ethnographic museum Torum Maa, which means "Sacred Land" in Mansi. “There you can get acquainted with the history of the city and the district, as well as with the life of the indigenous peoples of the Khanty and Mansi, who belong to the Finno-Ugric group,” Sergey says.

Torum Maa ethnic center

In addition, he advises anyone who comes to Khanty-Mansiysk to visit the spot where the Ob and Irtysh rivers meet, pay a visit to Misne Hotel’s restaurant and taste traditional dishes there, as well as dishes prepared by local fishermen and hunters while in the taiga.

According to Semyon Chepurnoy, the Valley of Streams natural park is another must for any visitor. It is one of local residents’ favorite recreation areas, where you can stroll along a dedicated footpath offering stunning views of the city. Semyon also advises trying pancakes at the GoodFood chain of cafes.

What are the best souvenirs?

“We all love something mystical and supernatural. There is a strong culture of shamanism here, so I think it’s cool to take with you some local amulets charged by a shaman—a bear claw or a pendant made of beads and deerskin,” says Irina Pudova.

A Khanty woman in the traditional dress selling souvenirs

Sergey Yankovich advises that authentic souvenirs can be found at the Crafts Center on Roznina Street. “There you can also see and even try on the national costumes of the Khanty and Mansi and try to solve traditional puzzles that representatives of the indigenous peoples made for their children.”

According to Yevgeny Zinovyev, the best souvenirs are Khanty and Mansi amulets, clothes, jewelry, as well as traditional local treats such as muksun, wild berries, pine nuts and venison.

Cowberry bush

For his part, Semyon Chepurnoy recommends bringing away memories and photographs as well as a little bit of Siberian Frost ❄.

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• Places - European, Western and Northern Russia

KHANTY-MANSI AUTONOMOUS OKRUG: RUSSIA’S MAIN OIL-PRODUCING REGION

Khanty-mansi autonomous okrug.

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug is usually called Yugra or Ugra for short. It is named after two indigenous groups native to the region — the Khanty and the Mansi, known collectively as Ob-Ugric people. It covers 534,800 square kilometers (206,500 square miles), is home to about 1.53 million people and has a population density of 2.9 people per square kilometer. About 91.5 percent of the population live in urban areas. Khanty-Mansiysk is the capital, with about 80,000 people. The largest cities are Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk, and Nefteyugansk.

As of the early 2010s, about 51 percent of the oil produced in Russia and 7.3 percent of the world’s supply came from Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug, making the region very important economically. More than 10 billion tons of oil has been was recovered from the okrug’s fields so far . The okrug contains around 70 percent of Russia’s developed oil fields, about 450 in total, including Samotlor, which is the largest oil field in Russia and the sixth largest in the world. Gas was first found in the region in 1953 and oil began to be produced in 1960.

As far as tourism is concerned this autonomous okrug combines unique historical, cultural and natural resources, the most important of which is the way of life of its indigenous peoples. If you visit a nomad camp, you can ride on a reindeer sleigh, live in a chum tent, learn to harness a deer, ride a sled and taste stroganina (slices of frozen meat) and patanka (thinly sliced frozen fish). In the Sub-Arctic Ural Mountains, it is popular to climb Mount Narodnaya — the highest peak of the Urals — and go fishing.

The winter in Khanty-Mansiysk is cold. Snow lies on the ground about 200 days of the year and temperature of -50 degrees, C are not unusual. The summer are short but sometimes can get surprisingly hot, with temperature over 30 degree heat. The best time to visit is May or or September, when it is not yet cold and the annoying mosquitos, no-see-ums and midges are not out in full force.

Getting There: By Plane: The flight Moscow or St. Petersburg to Khanty-Mansiysk is about three hours. To Surgut, three and a half. To Nizhnevartovsk, four hours. The cost of an adult round-trip economy class ticket is from 8,000 to 12,000 rubles, depending on the airline. The airport of Nizhnevartovsk. Website: /nvavia.ru. Phone +7 (3466) 49-21-75. By Train: you can reach Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk, Yugorsk, Nyagan and Kogalym. Trains do not reach Khanty-Mansiysk. The nearest station to it, Demyanka, is located 240 kilometers away. From it to the capital of Ugra there are minibuses. A round-trip ticket for a berth in a compartment from Moscow to Surgut is 14,000 rubles. The trip takes two days.

By Car: Two roads lead to Yugra. The main one is the Federal highway R404 Tyumen-Khanty-Mansiysk. This is convenient if you are going to the eastern part of the okrug. If you need to go to the western part or to the capital, it is better to go by the Northern route — through Perm, Serov, Ivdel and Yugorsk. The road quality on both routes is pretty good, but there is much less traffic on the northern one. If you are traveling in Ugra by car, do not forget to refueling. The distances gas stations can reach 200 kilometers or more. It is a good idea to have a canister of fuel in the trunk just in case. Regional Transport By Bus: From Khanty-Mansiysk to Surgut is 300 kilometers, Bus tickets range from 1100 to 1400 rubles. From Surgut to Nizhnevartovsk — 220 kilometers — bu bus costs about 1000 rubles. From Surgut to Kogalym — 80 kilometers — is about 500 rubles. The bus station in Nizhnevartovsk. Website: www.nvav.ru. Phone: 8 (3466) 45-72-97.

Accommodation in the Region: In all major cities there are a lot of hotels. The level of service is high everywhere, but the prices are also high: starting from 5,000-6,000 rubles for a standard price double room. It is much cheaper to rent apartments, at 1,500 to 2,500 rubles.

Khanty and Mansi

The Khanty (pronounced HANT-ee) are a group of Finno-Ugric-speaking, semi-nomadic reindeer herders. Also known as Ostyaks, Asiakh, and Hante they are related to the Mansi, another group of Finno-Ugric-speaking reindeer herders. Only about 60 percent of Khanty speak their native language and a much smaller percentage live in the forest. In the Khanty-Mansiisk District they are fa r outnumbered by other ethnic groups. [Source: John Ross, Smithsonian; Alexander Milovsky, Natural History, December, 1993]

There are about 23,000 Khanty. They live primarily in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug , a region along the northern tributaries of the Ob River in northwestern Siberia about 1,100 miles northwest of Moscow and 200 mile south of the Arctic Circle. Their cousins, the Mansi, also live there. The region has been damaged by oil and natural gas exploration and production.

The Mansi, known in the old days as the Voguls, are close relatives of the Khanty and live primarily in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.. There are around 8,000 or so Mansi. The Mansi have traditionally survived by fishing, hunting and gathering, The hunting methods they employed and the animals they went after was determined by what was available. Often they relied chiefly on fishing and dried enough fish during the summer to last through the winter. They hunted elk, bears, wild reindeer with spears, bows and arrows and traps until the 19th century when the began using firearms. Elk were caught with a system of traps and triggered bows.

Many Mansi still hunt. They use dogs and firearms and go chiefly after muskrats and squirrels. Sable are hunted with nets and guns by a pair of hunters: one who flushes the sable from its den into the net and the other who shoots the animal. Their traditional religion is often aimed at securing a successful hunt.

KHANTY factsanddetails.com ;

Oil and Natural Gas in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

Oil was prospected in the West Siberia from the beginning of the 20th century. Local people reported finding discharges on the surface from time to time. The first Soviet prospectors arrived to Ugra in 1935. They confirmed the presence of natural oil seeps on the Ugan river in the Surgut area. Over 2.5 tons of equipment were delivered to the drilling pad by air. Other supplies were hauled by horses, since the nearest railroad ran about 1,000 km away from the prospecting site. The place was very remote and was only accessible during the winter. The early workers lived in a camp under extremely cold conditions. [Source: Technologies Department of Ugra]

In 1953, natural gas was found for the first time in Western Siberia, in Berezovo, about 300 kilometers northwest of Khanty-Mansiysk. in Berezovo. In 1960 the first oil was found in the vicinity of Shaim. Soon after oil fields were discovered in Megion, West Surgut, Pokur, Vatinsky, Mamontovo, Salym, Pravdino and other places. The biggest discovery was in 1965, when the first oil gushed out from the marshland at Samotlor. One of the largest oil fields in the world, it has already produced 2.67 billion tons of oil.

Oil quality in the region is quite high. Some is light, some is black, but most of it is brown. Its characteristics and composition can differ significantly even within the same field. In 2013 255.1 million tons of oil were produced in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and eight new fields were brought into development. Total gas production in Ugra was 33,0 billion cubic meters in 2013. This was mostly associated petroleum gas.

Owing to its explored and proven raw hydrocarbons resources, production capabilities, industrial infrastructure and oil fields commercial viability Yugra will remain Russia’s main strategic raw hydrocarbons resource base for the next several decades. Over 475 oil and gas fields have been discovered in the territory of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. Total length of the region's pipelines network is 107,000 kilometers.

Ob River (flowing northeast of Novosibirsk and Tomsk) is the forth longest river in the world if you include its major tributary the Irtysh River and the seventh longest without it. The westernmost of three great rivers of Asiatic Russia, the Ob is 3,650 kilometers (2,270 miles) long and is an important commercial waterway that transports goods back and forth between the Trans-Siberian Railway and the resource rich regions of northern Siberia. Since it is frozen over half the year activity on the river is concentrated mostly in the summer months. The Ob-Irtysh is over 5570 kilometers (3461 miles) long

The Ob and the Irtysh River begin in the Altay Mountains, a range located near where Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia all come together, and flow northward. Although the Ob and the Irtysh begin at points within a couple of hundred miles of one another the two rivers don't join until the Irytysh has traveled over 1,600 kilometers (1000 miles). Once the two rivers have dropped down out of the highlands the meander lazily through open steppes, then rich farmland, and meet in flat, swampy plains, where the width of river ranges between a half a kilometer and a kilometer and a half. The Ob then passes through fir and spruce forests of West Siberia, then through Arctic tundra before finally emptying into the Kara Sea, an arm of the Arctic Ocean. The Ob is one of the great Asiatic Russian rivers (the Yenisei and the Lena are the other two). According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it has the longest estuary (550 miles long and up to 50 miles wide) and is widest river that freezes solid. The mouth of the river on the Arctic Ocean is ice free only a couple of months a year. Huge flood sometimes form in the spring when high waters fed by melting snow and ice meet still frozen section of the river.

The main city on the Ob is Novosibirsk. Parts of the Ob are very polluted and nearly void of life. At the mouth of the river so much land has been degraded by gas exploration that huge chunks of permafrost land have literally melted into the sea. [Source: Robert Paul Jordan, National Geographic, February 1978, ♬]

Traveling on the Ob and Irtysh Rivers

There is a regualr ferry the Ob and Irtysh Rivers that travels between Omsk – Tobolsk – Khanty-Mansiysk – Berezovo and Salekhard (Yamal Nenets Autonomous Region). Omsk and Tobolsk both have train stations on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Khanti-Mansiysk is accessible by bus from Tyumen, which has a train station. After Khanti-Mansiysk you are beyond the road network. As well as the major stops listed on the route above, the boat also stops at plenty of isolated indigenous villages in between them. Salekhard is the only city in the world located exactly on the Arctic Circle.

The name of the ferry is the Rodina. It travels three times a month in June and September and four times a month in July and August. Going from Salekhard to Omsk: Day 1): departs Salekhard at 5:00pm; Dat 2) stops at Berezovo for 30 minutes ay 7:30pm; Day 3) stops at Oktobraskaya Market for one hour. Day 4) stops at Khanty-Mansiysk for two hours at 8:00am; Day 6) one hour stop in Tobolsk at 7:30. Day 9) arrive in Omsk at 3:00pm. Traveling the other direction, with the current, takes one third less time.

On the Salekhard - Tobolsk - Omsk trip on person posted on Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree forum in 2013: “I'll start by saying that this boat is amazingly good value for money. Here some example prices. The first is for beds in the common area, similar to platzkart on the train, the second is for a bed in a private 4-, 6-, or 8 bed cabin and the third is for a bed in a private 2 bed cabin. 1) Salekhard - Omsk (8 days): 1162 / 1437 / 3926 roubles; 2) Salekhard - Tobolsk (5 days): 774 / 969 / 2632 roubles; 3) Tobolsk - Khanty-Mansiysk (2 days): 429 / 526 / 1394 roubles. Children go half price!

“Tickets can be bought in advance at the airport in Salekhard or on the boat itself an hour before departure (it's apparently never full). Most people get off at one of the stops in the first 24 hours when going south from Salekhard, leaving only one or two people in most of the cabins for most of the route. The beds are comfortable , both longer and wider than on trains. Everything is cleaned several times a day, there's a shower, laundry, restaurant with simple but tasty meals and alcohol. Breakfast about 70 roubles, lunch and dinner 150 - 300, beer 50 - 80, wine, vodka and so on also available. Theres also a small room where films are shown starting in the afternoon and a shop selling all sorts of useful stuff such as toiletries, mugs, books.

“You can walk around on deck as much as you want or sit and read a book on the benches up there. The scenery is more or less the same all the way - endless taiga forest with absolutely no sign of civilisation. There are a few villages such as Pitlyar for which the boat is their only access to the outside world and a couple of towns where you can get off the boat and walk around - Beryozovo 24 hours after Salekhard and Khanty-Manskiysk 3 days from Salekhard. From Khanty Mansiysk there are regular buses to Tyumen on the Trans Siberian which take 8 hours. At Tobolsk the boat stops next to the stunning kremlin, the only one in Siberia.

“Anyone can freely sail the whole route between Omsk and Pitlyar, a small village of 500 and the last stop before Salekhard. Salekhard and areas north are closed to outsiders, Russian or otherwise, unless they get a temporary permit. See the Yamal Peninsula link in my signature line for how to get this permit. Permit in hand, you can continue the journey north from Salekhard a further two days to Antipayuta, well beyond the Arctic Circle, with a similar level of comfort and price.

“It sails the whole route from June to September and once in October from Khanty-Mansiysk to Omsk. Check www.irsc.ru for timetables and fares. Only about half the boats from Salekhard go as far as Omsk, the rest stopping in Tobolsk. Eg in July and August, the most frequent sailing months, 6 boats go from Salekhard - Tobolsk each month but only 3 continue to Omsk. Check the timetable carefully when planning if you want to sail all the way to Omsk!”

Khanty-Mansiysk City

Khanty-Mansiysk is the capital of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug and home to about 80,000 people. Despite its remote location and relatively small size, it has a Norman Foster skyscraper, world-leading medical center that is free and has hosted international film festivals, major sports events and political summits. How is this possible?: Oil wealth and close ties between local politicians and Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t hurt.

Khanty Mansiysk has showy headquarters for Russia’s main oil companies: Rosneft, Lukoil and Gazprom-Neft. Not far away enormous drilling towers rise and gas flares burn above the birch forests and pipelines cut through the landscape. Around 90 percent of the city’s economic revenues are tied directly to the oil and gas industries.

The city is located in a picturesque area of the West Siberian lowland, where steep hills overgrown with age-old dwarf pine, rise up from the right bank of the mighty Irtysh River. Two of the largest rivers of Siberia — the Irtysh and the Ob — merge twenty kilometers from the city. Not far from town the “Coniferous Urman” ski complex with a cable car. The cedar forest of the Samarovsky Chugas Park has trails for cross-country skiing and hiking. For children there is a water park and a small zoo in the village of Shapsha 20 kilometers from the city. In the summer, there are boat tours to the confluence of the Ob and Irtysh, where you can see the floating chapel-lighthouse.

Places of interest to tourists the gold domes of the Church of Christ’s Resurrection; the gallery of the artist Gennady Raishev; the Geology, Oil and Gas Museum, which traces the history of Western Siberian oil and gas development; and the open-air Archeopark, which has bronze sculptures of Pleistocene animals like mammoths and woolly rhinosl a sporting venue that hosts international ice and skiing events. A new triple concert hall dominates the center of the town. Servicing villages that cannot be reached by road, is an ultra-modern hospital ship that cruises Ob and Irtish rivers treating the sick on board. Complex operations are supervised by surgeons from the central hospital in Khanty-Mansiysk using TV monitors that relay pictures by satellite.

Accommodation: There are several hotels of different levels in Khanty-Mansiysk. The best service and, accordingly, the highest prices at the Ugra valley Valley Complex. At the Tarey business hotel prices start from 4800 rubles per night; at the Olympics Hotel, from 3000 rubles per night. If you want to save money, it is better to rent an apartment: a one-bedroom can be found in the area of 1500 rubles per day.

History of Khanty-Mansiysk City

The first written mention of the town of the Khanty Prince Samara, where the modern city of Khanty-Mansiysk is located, dates back to 1582. In 1637, a settlement of Russian coachmen was formed in the place of this town. It was named after the Prince Samara — Samarovsky Yam.

By the beginning of the 19th century, Samarovsky Yam turned into a large village of Samarovo and became the center of crafts and trade thanks to the favourable location on the river trade routes. In 1931, a few kilometers from the village of Samarovo, a workers settlement Ostyako-Vogulsk was built, which became the district center of the Ostyako-Vogulsk national district. The settlement began to be built up with new industrial enterprises, administrative buildings, apartment houses, public and cultural institutions. By the end of 1950s, pebble roads were laid in the settlement.

In 1940, Ostyako-Vogulsk was renamed Khanty-Mansiysk, and the district was renamed Khanty-Mansiysk, since at that time Ostyak tribes began to be called Khanty, and Voguls tribes — Mansi. In 1950, Khanty-Mansiysk received the status of a city, including Samarovo village. Since 1977, Khanty-Mansiysk has become the administrative center of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug formed from the national district.

Sights in Khanty-Mansiysk

Torum Maa Open Air Museum (Ulitsa Sobyanina, 20, Khanty-Mansiysk) is located on one of the seven holy hills, in the Samarovsky Churas Nature Park, and features authentically reconstructed buildings and dwelling of indigenous peoples of the North, including a Mansi winter camp and traditional Khanty residential and household structures dating to the early-mid-19th century. You can learn more about hunting culture of the Khanty and Mansi on a special hiking trail.

At the museum you can find a 15th-17th century smithy, reconstructed using materials from archaeological excavations of Emder city; displays of idols and protectors of this land. The museum is especially active during traditional holidays of the Ob river Ugric people when Khanty and Mansi come from all over to celebrate. The most popular of these are: Tylasch pori (the Rite of Offering to the Moon), which takes place in February or March when the moon is waxing; Crow Day, which symbolizes the beginning of spring and is celebrated in April; the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, which is celebrated globally on August 9; and the main holiday for the museum staff and visitors — the anniversary of the Torum Maa Museum on October 30.

Archeopark Cultural and Tourist Complex (in Khanty-Mansiysk) covers 3.5 hectares near a rock outcropping and includes a geological monument, the Samarov Villiage Archaeological Monument (dating from the 11th-18th centuries), and a the Sculpture Park with giant bronze sculptures of mammoths and other Pleistocene-era animals and Paleolithic humans.

The park was set up where the bones of mammoths and other pre-historic animals have been found. The first large bones and tusks were found in the 19th century, when the northern region came to be called the “elephant homeland.” For local inhabitants, the archaeological findings along the river banks were not so uncommon. The bones had been in demand as a decorative material and therapeutic powder.

All the sculptures were created in cooperation with paleontologists, who made sure that the ancient inhabitants of this area look as authentic as possible. Some of the sculptures, for instance, rhinoceroses, were made in life size, while others are two to three times larger. The height of the largest sculpture in the Mammoth composition is eight meters. The sculptures are lit up at night. The little mammoth is named KoJourka. The sculpture probably has the world's only sign that prohibits mammoth climbing.

Sights Near Khanty-Mansiysk City

Floating Chapel-Beacon in Honor of Saint Nicholas (20 kilometers Khanty-Mansiysk) opened in 2013 near the confluence of two mighty Siberian rivers — the Ob and Irtysh. Blessed by Bishop Pavel of Khanty-Mansiysk and Surgut and consecrated by Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus, it is Russia's first floating chapel-lighthouse. The chapel is eight meters high, it weighs 10 tons and is fixed on a pontoon. Below the cross crowning the chapel there is a beacon light. There are eight illuminated alcoves with icons. The chapel is not intended to hold a service inside. Only maintenance personnel looking after the power supply can moor to it.

Originally the idea of building the chapel was suggested by S. Sandulov, president of the local branch of the Association of Ports and River Transport Owners. For river transport workers the Ob-Irtysh confluence is a special place. And for the local people — Khanty and Mansi — this is a sacred area. However, for a long time there was no monument or sign to mark the place. At the confluence of the Ob and Irtysh people have traditionally made a wish by throwing a coin into the water. The water here is considered to be sacred and many tourists wash themselves with the water of the two rivers.

Silava Ethnographic Center (near Uray, 250 kilometers east of Khanty-Mansiysk) and the Ela Hoth community of indigenous peoples "was founded in 2008 to preserve features of the traditional culture and way of life on the site of the former village of New Silava. Visitors can participate in Mansi ceremonies and celebrations and Mansi cooking and engage in recreational activities such as skiing, sledding, tubing, ice sliding and riding a snowmobile "Buran" in the winter; and pick mushrooms, berries, medicinal plants and go boating in the summer. The center may difficult to get to.

Swimming is possible in the cold Konda River. You can also go hiking on eco-trails and participate in various types of fishing and children's entertainment programs. The community has assembled a small museum of household items and fishing items. You can see how fishing camps were set up and a functioning bread oven and a machine for weaving mats and try grinding flour at the mill and baking bread.

Priobskoye Field

The Priobskoye field (65 kilometers east of Khanty-Mansiysk, and 100 kilometers west of Nefteyugansk) is an oil field that occupies an area of 5,466 square kilometers (2,110 square miles. It is located along both banks of the Ob River, and is serviced by the town of

The field was discovered in 1982. The northern three-quarters of the field was controlled by YUKOS via unit Yuganskneftegaz, and began oil production in 2000. In 2004, Yuganskneftegaz was bought by Rosneft, which is now the operating company of that portion of the field. The southern quarter of the field was controlled by Sibir energy, which began a joint venture with Sibneft to develop the field, with volume production beginning in 2003. Sibneft subsequently acquired complete control of the field via a corporate maneuver to dilute Sibir's holding. Sibneft is now majority controlled by Gazprom and renamed Gazprom Neft.

In 2007, the field was producing 675,000 barrels per day: 550,000 barrels per day in the northern Rosneft area and 125,000 barrels per day in the southern Gazprom Neft area. For 2008, Rosneft reported a growth of production to 680,000 barrels per day, while Gazpromneft's share grew slightly. In 2009, Gazprom Neft produced 160,000 barrels per day in its share of the field. In September 2019, Russia’s finance ministry approved tax breaks for developing the Priobskoye oilfield, Russia’s largest, to oil giants Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, Alexei Sazano.

Surgut (300 kilometers east of Khanty-Mansiysk by road) located on the Ob River and is one of the few cities in Russia that has a larger population than the capital of its federal subject. It is home to about 375,000 people compared to 80,000 in Khanty-Mansiysk. Surgut is home to the largest port on the Ob River, the largest road-railway junction in northwest Siberia. Two of the world's most powerful power plants — the SDPP-1 (State District Power Plant 1) and SDPP-2 (State District Power Plant 2), which produce over 7,200 megawatts — are also there supply most of the region with relatively cheap electricity.

Surgut's economy is tied to oil production (the city is known as "The Oil Capital of Russia") and the processing of natural gas. The most important enterprises are the oil firm Surgutneftegaz and Surgutgazprom (a unit of Gazprom). The Surgut-2 Power Station providing Energy for the city is the largest gas-fired power station in the world. In addition, there are factories: gas processing, stabilization of condensate, motor fuel. Enterprises food (meat processing, dairy, etc.) industry, timber industry. Manufacture of building materials (production of reinforced concrete structures, etc.).

The city is served by the Surgut International Airport, which offers flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Dubai, Irkutsk, and a number of other cities. Through Surgut are trains to the east (in Novy Urengoy, Nizhnevartovsk), to the south-west (in Tyumen, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Ufa, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg). Road P-404 connects Surgut with Tyumen. Places to stay in Surgut include the Ob, Den, Ark, and Center hotels

Old Surgut is a historical and ethnographic complex with 14 restored copies of wooden houses that once stood in the city. Among them “house of nature”, “House of local historian”, “house of Cossacks”, “House of indigenous peoples of the North” and others. Every winter, the center hosts a festival of ice sculptures.

Barsova Mountain Tract (west of Surgut) is located he state natural and archaeological park. Barosova Gora stretches for eight kilometers along the right Bank of the Ob river. Along the tract there are remains of ancient buildings, sanctuaries, burial grounds, some dating back to the Stone Age. In total, there are more than 400 archaeological sites on Barsova Mountain. It is better to visit this place in the summer or early autumn. The standard tour lasts about three hours.

Nefteyugansk

Nefteyugansk(30 kilometers west of Surgut) is located to south of the Ob River and is home to about 125,000, people. It was founded on October 16, 1967, after an oil field had been discovered on a small forest clearing in the middle of the taiga marshland in 1961. The main and the only big enterprise in the city, Yuganskneftegaz, was founded in February 1966. The name 'Yugansk' comes from the indigenous Khanty name of a small river near the city, neft' means oil in Russian, and gaz is natural gas.

The economy of the city remains petroleum-based, and was a major center for the Russian oil enterprise YUKOS, which owned Yuganskneftegaz. In fact, the "Yu" in "YUKOS" comes from the "yu" in "Nefteyugansk" and therefore from "Yuganskneftegaz". The other three letters come from the oil-refining factory "Kuibyshev-Org-Sintez", situated in Samara.

Nefteyugansk has been at the center of violence and drama involving YUKOS. On June 26, 1998, city mayor Vladimir Petukhov was shot dead on the way to his office. Before his murder, Petukhov had been on a hunger strike demanding that the chairmen of municipal and district tax offices be dismissed from their positions and a criminal case against Yukos be filed on counts of tax evasion. Petukhov's widow later on called for an investigation into Mikhail Khodorkovsky's role in events. Back then Khodorkovsky was head of Yukos. On September 20, 2005 Dmitry Yegortsev, acting mayor of Nefteyugansk, was assaulted and wounded with a knife. After the stabbing of Yegortsev, Igor Gribanov took over City Hall as acting mayor. Just a few months later, he died of carbon monoxide poisoning at his home on January 6, 2006. Since January 2005, Yuganskneftegaz has been owned by the state-owned oil company Rosneft. [Source: Wikipedia]

Hay Al Ruv Ethnographic Center of Indigenous Peoples of the North is an 1.5-hectare open air ethnographic which recreates the Khanty camp and has a house, storage shed, traditional tent, "red" tent for visitors and a bread oven.

Nizhnevartovsk

Nizhnevartovsk (220 kilometers east of Surgut) is home to about 250,000 people. Since the 1960s, the town has grown rapidly in the coat-tails of the Western Siberian oil boom due to its location beside the Samotlor oil field along the right bank of the Ob River. The presence of the petroleum industry has made it one of the wealthiest cities in Russia. Accommodation is available at the Hope, Aviator, Venice and Waters hotels.

Nizhnevartovsk is situated in the Sredneobskaya Lowland of West Siberian Plain, in the middle course of the Ob River on its northern bank. It remained a relatively small settlement until the 1960s when the Soviet authorities began widespread prospecting for the petroleum industry in the Western Siberia region, discovering the Samotlor oil field, one of the largest oil fields in the world, beneath the nearby Lake Samoltor to the north of Nizhnevartovsk. During the early boomtown years, Komsomol volunteers were brought in from across the country to construct the city, whose population soared from 2300 people in 1959 to 15,663 in 1970.

Lake Samotlor is the home of the massive Samotlor oil field. A visit to the lake is part of a local oil tour, during which you can see how oil is produced, and study the history of the development of fields in Western Siberia. Tourists visit the Samotlor oil field, the school of drilling masters and eat in the dining room with the oilmen. The tours are hard to arrange on the spot, They need to booked in advance through a travel company. Oil tours can be combined with a visit to a Khanty camp.

Samotlor Field

Samotlor Field (near Nizhnevartovsk) is the largest oil field of Russia and the sixth largest in the world. Owned and operated by Rosneft, it is located at Lake Samotlor in Nizhnevartovsk district and covers 1,752 square kilometers (676 square miles). The field was discovered in 1965; development began in 1967 and first oil was produced in 1969. Nearby Nizhnevartovsk went from being a small village into a booming oil city as Samotlor became the most important oil production base of the Soviet Union. After breakup of the Soviet Union the field was owned by Samotlorneftgaz and TNK-Nizhnevartovsk, which later formed TNK-BP.

At Samotlor Field a total of 2,086 well clusters (containing more than 17,000 wells) have been built and about 2.6 billion tons of oil has been produced. The peak production occurred in 1980 when Samotlor produced 158.9 million tons of oil. Production has been in decline ever since, although according to TNK-BP the field production has stabilized over the past few years.

The proven reserves are approximately 44 billion barrels. The field is 80 percent depleted with water-cut exceeding 90 percent. At the end of the 1990s, production rate dropped to 300,000 barrels per day. However, through an aggressive exploration program and application of cutting-edge technologies TNK-BP had raised production up to 750,000 barrels per day. TNK-BP plans to invest US$1 billion per year for maintaining oil production at the level of 30 million tons per year. The production of oi in 2012 was 332,782 barrels per day. The estimated oil in place is 4 billion barrels. The oil comes from Cretaceous formations.

Ural Mountains

Ural Mountains are the traditional dividing line between Europe and Asia and have been a crossroads of Russian history. Stretching from Kazakhstan to the fringes of the Arctic Kara Sea, the Urals lie almost exactly along the 60 degree meridian of longitude and extend for about 2,000 kilometers (1,300 miles) from north to south and varies in width from about 50 kilometers (30 miles) in the north and 160 kilometers (100 miles) the south. At kilometers 1777 on the Trans-Siberian Railway there is white obelisk with "Europe" carved in Russian on one side and "Asia" carved on the other.

The eastern side of the Urals contains a lot of granite and igneous rock. The western side is primarily sandstone and limestones. A number of precious stones can be found in the southern part of the Urals, including emeralds. malachite, tourmaline, jasper and aquamarines. The highest peaks are in the north. Mount Narodnaya is the highest of all but is only 1884 meters (6,184 feet) high. The northern Urals are covered in thick forests and home to relatively few people.

Like the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States, the Urals are very old mountains — with rocks and sediments that are hundreds of millions years old — that were one much taller than they are now and have been steadily eroded down over millions of years by weather and other natural processes to their current size. According to Encyclopedia Britannica: “The rock composition helps shape the topography: the high ranges and low, broad-topped ridges consist of quartzites, schists, and gabbro, all weather-resistant. Buttes are frequent, and there are north–south troughs of limestone, nearly all containing river valleys. Karst topography is highly developed on the western slopes of the Urals, with many caves, basins, and underground streams. The eastern slopes, on the other hand, have fewer karst formations; instead, rocky outliers rise above the flattened surfaces. Broad foothills, reduced to peneplain, adjoin the Central and Southern Urals on the east.

“The Urals date from the structural upheavals of the Hercynian orogeny (about 250 million years ago). About 280 million years ago there arose a high mountainous region, which was eroded to a peneplain. Alpine folding resulted in new mountains, the most marked upheaval being that of the Nether-Polar Urals...The western slope of the Urals is composed of middle Paleozoic sedimentary rocks (sandstones and limestones) that are about 350 million years old. In many places it descends in terraces to the Cis-Ural depression (west of the Urals), to which much of the eroded matter was carried during the late Paleozoic (about 300 million years ago). Found there are widespread karst (a starkly eroded limestone region) and gypsum, with large caverns and subterranean streams. On the eastern slope, volcanic layers alternate with sedimentary strata, all dating from middle Paleozoic times.”

The fauna of the vertebrate animals in the Reserve includes 19 fish, 5 amphibian and 5 reptile. Among the 48 mammal species are elks, roe deer, boars, foxes, wolves, lynxes, badgers, common weasels, least weasels, forest ferrets, Siberian striped weasel, common marten, American mink. Squirrels, beavers, muskrats, hares, dibblers, moles, hedgehogs, voles are quite common, as well as chiropterans: pond bat, water bat, Brandt's bat, whiskered bat, northern bat, long-eared bat, parti-coloured bat, Nathusius' pipistrelle. The 174 bird bird species include white-tailed eagles, honey hawks, boreal owls, gnome owls, hawk owls, tawny owls, common scoters, cuckoos, wookcocks, common grouses, wood grouses, hazel grouses, common partridges, shrikes, goldenmountain thrushes, black- throated loons and others.

Mount Narodnaya: the Highest Mountain in the Urals

Mount Narodnaya (700 kilometers northwest of Khanty-Mansiysk) is the highest mountain in the Urals. Also known as Naroda and Poenurr and "People's Mountain", it is 1,894 meters (6,214 feet) high. It lies in in Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug but is only 500 meters east from the border of Komi Republic. The name is derived from the nearby Naroda River.

Mount Narodnaya is the highest point in European Russia outside the Caucasus and rises 1,772 meters (5,814 ft) above the landscape. Narodnaya is located in the Ural mountains water divide, and therefore on the border between Europe and Asia: The mountain is formed with quartzites and metamorphosed slates of the Proterozoic Eon and Cambrian Period. There are some glaciers on the mountain. Also, there are sparse forests of larch and birch in the deep valleys at the foot of the mountain. The slopes of the mountain are covered with highland tundra.

Mount Narodnaya was identified in 1927. If you ascend from the territory of Ugra, you first need to get to the village of Saranpaul (by helicopter from Berezovo, in the winter you can snowmobile), then about 180 kilometers to overcome by all-terrain transport to the camp site “Desired”, where you can climb Narodnaya and Manaragu. The cost of the tour, depending on the time of year, transport and service varies from 15,000 to 200,000 rubles, with a lot of the cost depending on whether you use a helicopter or not..

The easiest route to the summit is a technically easy hike on the moderate north-west slope. Depending on snow and ice conditions, crampons may be required. The south wall of Narodnaya is steeper and less commonly used to reach the summit. Accommodation: The cost of living at the camp site “Desired” — from 2300 rubles per day. In the forest in tent-for free.

Numto Natural Park

The Numto Natural Park (400 kilometers north of Surgut) is in the center of the Western-Siberian plain. The park covers 7,217 square kilometers and was created in 1997 to preserve the unique natural complexes of the Siberian Uvaly and protect the places where the the northern Khanty and forest Nenets live and work. The area is also inhabited by many animals and birds included osprey, white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, red-footed falcon, gyrfalcon, and others.

Because of its remoteness and difficulty to access, the Numto lake area remained a “blank space” during the development of Siberia. It was explored properly only in the early 20th century. It was first described by A. Dunin-Gorkavitch, who reached the place with reindeer teams in November 1901. He wrote: “Thus, during this journey I was able to explore the Kazym River and the watersheds of four other rivers: Kazym and Nadym on one side, Pima and Trom-Yugan on the other, as well as the Samoyed Lake Numto, known as “the lake of God”. The lake is located at the following coordinates: 63°30'N 41°30'E. It's oval in shape and has a narrow sandy spit from the northwest”.

The traveler gives a rather detailed description of some of the area's features: “...to the south from the lake, some 35 kilometers away, there is a watershed of four- rivers, from which the Kazym River begins. The watershed area is actually a tundra with huge hills up to 64 meters high with bogs in between. And these very bogs have springs and that is where the rivers Kazym, Nadym, Pim, and Trom-Yugan begin”.

Numto Lake was a kind of a sanctuary for peoples of the northern Ob. It was worshiped like a living creature. Even fishing was prohibited there. Some of these religious bans still exist; for example, it is not permitted to chop ice with an axe, fix anchoring poles in the lake bottom or block the connection between the lake and the Ukhlor Gulf with nets. With the coming of the winter, the Khanty and Nenets people come to Holy Island to offer a deer in sacrifice.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation (official Russia tourism website russiatourism.ru ), Russian government websites, UNESCO, Wikipedia, Lonely Planet guides, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, The New Yorker, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Yomiuri Shimbun and various books and other publications.

Updated in September 2020

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Surgut map, satellite – loading . . .

Khanty-mansiyskiy avtonomnyy okrug - yugra, 🌍 surgut map.

Name: Surgut

Latitude: 61°15'00"N

Longitude: 73°25'00"E

City: Surgut

Region: Surgut

Region: Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra

Region: Ural Federal District

Country: Russia