SS ''Eugenio C'' was a 1966

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-built

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cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours k ...

originally owned by the Costa Line. She was scrapped as ''Big Red'' at

Alang, India Alang is a census town in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Because it is home to the Alang Ship Breaking Yard, Alang beaches are considered the world's largest ship graveyard. Demographics As of the 2001 Indian census, Alan ...

in June 2005.

History

''Eugenio C'' was ordered for the South American service by Costa ( Linea C), to replace ''Frederico C'' on that route. Her

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...

was laid on 4 January 1964 at the Cantieri Riunite dell'Adriatico shipyard in

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, with ''Eugenio C'' being delivered to Costa on 22 August 1966, the same day she set out on her maiden trans-Atlantic voyage. For ten years she only operated trans-Atlantic voyages between

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and South America, until passenger loading dropped rapidly in the 1970s, when ''Eugenio C'' began cruising. After 1983 she would cross the Atlantic Ocean twice a year on a repositioning voyage. In 1984 she was extensively renovated and renamed ''Eugenio Costa''. It was planned the vessel would be renamed ''American Adventure'' and transferred to American Family Cruises, which was to be a branch of Costa, but this plan was never realized. ''Eugenio Costa'' completed her last cruise for her original owners in November 1996. Costa sold ''Eugenio Costa'' to the Bremer Vulcan shipyards in part exchange for the construction of .

Lowline Shipping Cammell Laird is a British shipbuilding company. It was formed from the merger of Laird Brothers of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century. The company also built railway rolling stock until 1929, ...

would go on to acquire her and

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her to Direct Cruises, a British cruise line which offered budget cruises marketed via

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. $12 million

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was spent on refitting ''Eugenio Costa'' into ''Edinburgh Castle''. The vessel's mechanical problems brought about great difficulty to Direct and Lowline, until Direct filed for

liquidation Liquidation is the process in accounting by which a Company (law), company is brought to an end. The assets and property of the business are redistributed. When a firm has been liquidated, it is sometimes referred to as :wikt:wind up#Noun, w ...

and Lowline Shipping filed for

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

in 1999. Ownership of ''Edinburgh Castle'' was passed on to Lowline's main creditor, shipbuilder

Cammell Laird Cammell Laird is a British shipbuilding company. It was formed from the merger of Laird Brothers of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century. The company also built railway rolling stock until 1929, ...

. Cammell Laird chartered the vessel to

Premier Cruises Premier Cruises was a cruise line holding company formed in the early 1990s, focusing on the family cruise market and expanding cruise operations into new geographic regions. The company’s business strategy centered on acquiring older cruise ...

, renaming her ''The Big Red Boat II'' and having her go under a ten-month, $25 million

overhaul. Premier went into liquidation in September 2000, as a result Cammell Laird briefly chartered her to the

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, after which time she was laid up at

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alongside fellow ex-Premier fleet mates ''Rembrandt'' and ''Big Red Boat III''. ''The Big Red Boat II'' was sold to

Argo Ship Management In Greek mythology, the ''Argo'' ( ; ) was the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. The ship was built with divine aid, and some ancient sources describe her as the first ship to sail the seas. The ''Argo'' carried the Argonauts on their quest for ...

, who kept her up on the market. By 2005 it was obvious cruise companies were not willing to take their chances with her due to her history of mechanical problems. The vessel was renamed ''Red Boat'', stopping in the

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to refuel before being broken up for scrap at

Alang Alang is a census town in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Because it is home to the Alang Ship Breaking Yard, Alang beaches are considered the world's largest ship graveyard. Demographics As of the 2001 Indian census, Al ...

scrapyards.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eugenio C, SS 1964 ships Cruise ships of the United Kingdom Ocean liners Ships of Costa Cruises Ships built in Monfalcone Ships built by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico