SS ''Ausonia'', later known as the SS ''Ivory'' and ''Aegean Two'' while in service with her last owners, Golden Star Cruises, was a

cruise liner 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 ...

belonging to

Louis Cruise Lines Celestyal Cruises (formed in 2014) is a succession to Louis Cruises and Louis Cruise Lines. The Cruise line was a subsidiary of Louis plc (founded in 1935 as the first travel agency in Cyprus) until November 2021 when Searchlight Capital Partners ...

operating in the Mediterranean. She operated mostly cruise service during her 52 years of life. She was the last vintage Italian ocean liner in service when she was retired from service in September 2008 and beached for dismantling in March 2010.

1956–1998

She was commissioned by Adriatica Lines for its

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

–Egypt–Lebanon service. She was launched by Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico at

Monfalcone Monfalcone (; Venetian language#Regional variants, Bisiacco: ; ; ; archaic ) is a town and (municipality) in the Province of Gorizia, Regional decentralization entity of Gorizia in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northern Italy, located on the Gulf of Tr ...

on 5 August 1956, and delivered on 23 September 1957. She was rapidly fitted out and commenced service in October 1957. Ports of call were Trieste, Venice, Brindisi, Alexandria, Beirut, Piraeus and Bari. She remained in service with her original owners until 1978, when she underwent a major refit that increased her passenger capacity from 529 to 690. She remained in service with her new owners, Italia Crociere Internazionali, until 1998, when she was sold to the Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines. A baby girl was born which was named after the ship "Ausonia' on January 5, 1959 at 07:30. Her parents Elias Sleiman Saikali and Harba (Naufal), later her name was registered as 'Azonia'. Ausonia (Azonia) was delivered by Doctor Viviani Leonardo. Ausonia was baptized the same day, the godfather was Captain Gino Fabbro. Witness was Vianello Francesco. The couple were immigrating from Lebanon to Canada. Her birth was registered at the Lebanese Consulat in Napoli on January 8, 1959.

1998–2010

She never entered service with her original owners right away, as she was chartered to

First Choice Holidays First Choice Holidays Limited (trading as First Choice) is a British online travel agency and tour operator, headquartered in Luton, England. It is a subsidiary of TUI UK, itself a subsidiary of TUI Group, and its holidays are sold solely online. ...

for about four years, before entering service for Louis. She was then in 2005 renamed ''Ivory'' by Louis and continued to operate under Louis Cruise Lines until the end of summer 2008 (sailing from Cyprus to Port Said in Egypt for 2 day excursion cruises). The ''Ivory'' was withdrawn from service in 2009 due to her not fulfilling the SOLAS 2010 regulations.

Demise

She was beached for scrapping operations at Alang, India on March 3, 2010. She was renamed ''Winner 5'' in preparation for scrapping. The stripping of her interiors has begun, and cutting is imminent. By May 20 scrapping had begun, and the tip of her bow was cut. Fellow ocean liner ''Maestro'' replaced her and was beached in her plot, 141.

References

External links

*http://www.ssmaritime.com/ausonia.htm *http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Ausonia1PCs.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Ausonia Ocean liners Passenger ships of Italy Ships of Celestyal Cruises 1956 ships Ships built by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico Ships built in Monfalcone