Career
Name:	Stella Solaris
Owner:	Louis Cruise Lines, Messageries Maritimes (as Cambodge)[1]
Builder:	Societe des Ateliers & Chantiers in Dunkirk, France
Yard number:	208
Launched:	28 June 1949
Completed:	Summer 1953[2]
Maiden voyage:	July 1953
In service:	July 1953
Out of service:	N/A
General characteristics
Class and type:	Cruise ship (formerly ocean liner)
Tonnage:	10,595 GRT (13,520 as Cambodge[1])
Length:	545 ft (166 m)
Beam:	72 ft (22 m)
Decks:	9 (passenger accessible), formerly 7
Installed power:	Parsons geared turbines
Propulsion:	Twin screws
Speed:	21 kn (38.89 km/h)
Capacity:	765 as Stella Solaris,[3], 347 as Cambodge[2]
Notes:	[4]

The SS Stella Solaris, originally known as the Cambodge and later Stella V, is a French-built ocean liner originally built for the French Messageries Maritimes, Marseilles, in 1952. She was the final ship designed by Nino Zoncada. After undergoing a major rebuilding in 1970, Stella Solaris had a gross register tonnage of 10,595, and carried 765 passengers. She continued to operate until 2003 as a cruise ship under the Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines. Ultimately, she was one of the oldest vintage ocean liners still in service at that point.

Stella Solaris, then called Cambodge, sailed her maiden voyage from Marseilles, France, to the Far East along with her two sister ships, Laos and Viet Nam. In the 1970s, all three ships were sold. Laos and Viet Nam were later destroyed in a fire, but Cambodge survived. She was bought by Sun Lines and later Louis Cruise Lines, the former of which converted her into a cruise ship. Sold for scrap in 2003, she arrived at the scrappers after a working life of over 52 years.

Contents 1 Historic route 2 Historic layout 3 Renaming and revising 4 Later layout 5 Demise 6 Artworks 7 See also 8 References 8.1 Footnotes 8.2 Sources

[edit] Historic route

Stella Solaris, then known as Cambodge, entered service in July 1953, along with sister ships SS Viet Nam and SS Laos. Each ship carried 117 first class, 110 tourist (second) class, and 120 third (steerage) class.^[2] At that time, she measured approximately 545 feet (166 m) long, had a gross tonnage of 13,215, and had a beam of 72 feet (22 m). The three ships sailed monthly on a route that connected Marseilles, France, to Port Said, Suez, Aden, Djibouti, Bombay, Colombo, Singapore, Saigon, Manila, Hong Kong, Kobe, and finally Yokohama, via the Suez Canal.^[2] A French style was predominant throughout the three ships, but a small amount of Asian decorations were also blended into it.^[4]

First class cabins occupied the majority of the passenger space in the central portion of the ship, the other classes being tourist (second) class in the stern, and cabin (third) class in the bow. First class also had a large pool for their private use.

[edit] Historic layout

Most passenger space was occupied by first class in the central portion of Cambodge. Tourist (second) class occupied the stern, and third class occupied the bow area. Cambodge had one large pool for the first class passengers, which looked over the tourist-class area at the stern. The passenger accommodations started at F Deck, the second highest level of the superstructure.

• F Deck mostly consisted of officers' berths, but the Children's Playroom occupied the aft starboard corner of the deck.
• E Deck was entirely first class. Its most notable feature was the Drawing Room, which had a row of windows said to "rival those of Atlantic liners of the time". Aft of the Drawing Room, the Hall connected to the Promenade. Further aft on E Deck, there was the Bar, Smoking Room, and Writing Room. E Deck ended in the first class pool and lido.^[4]
• D Deck began with a fo'c'sle head that housed navigation equipment for the Cambodge. An open deck area was immediately aft of it, reserved for third class. Amidships, there was first class accommodation. Cabine de Luxe #5 was the most luxurious cabin on the ship, complete with a separate bedroom and sitting room, and it was situated on the forward starboard portion D Deck. Some D Deck cabins had private balconies, while some slightly larger ones did not. There were some "studio" cabins that were narrower than most other cabins as well. Aft of the cabins, there was a tourist class promenade.^[5]
• C Deck housed third class accommodation in the bow, with rooms on the starboard side and a simple dining room, the only enclosed public area given to third class, opposite. First class cabins followed, terminating at a stair tower. Remaining space was given to tourist class, which lacked private baths. There was a Tourist Class sheltered promenade aft of the tourist class cabins.
• B Deck also had third class accommodation in the bow, and the third class entrance to the ship was immediately aft. Amidships was the luxurious First Class Dining Saloon, positioned to minimize roll and lit with fluorescent lights. The Tourist Class Dining Saloon was located aft of the galley, and was accessed by a ramp-like stairway. Although similar in form to the first class saloon, it was not as lavish. It also doubled as a cinema.
• A Deck had more third class rooms and was the last passenger accommodation deck. Most of the space was for storage, crew's quarters, and the ship's engines. Notably, Cambodge's original steam turbine engine was functional throughout her entire working life.^[5]

[edit] Renaming and revising

Cambodge, Viet Nam and Laos operated successfully until 1967, when the Suez Canal was closed during the Arab-Israeli War of that year. The ships were then forced to sail around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.^[6] Cambodge helped to take the French back to France from Algeria, and due to the increasing popularity of air travel, began to run cruises from Australia to the Indian Ocean. In 1968, Viet Nam was renamed Pacifique, and along with Laos and Cambodge, sold in 1970. Pacifique and Laos went to Compania Navegacion Abeto for pilgrim service, and each was revised to carry well over 1,600 passengers. Both ships were destroyed by fire and scrapped in the mid-1970s.^[7]

Cambodge, however, had a different fate. She was purchased by the Greek Sun Line, a cruise line that mostly served the Aegean Sea with smaller cruise vessels. Cambodge was renamed Stella V at first, docked at La Spezia, and partially gutted.^[3] When rebuilding plans were finalized, she sailed in February 1971 to Perama, Greece, for conversion into the Stella Solaris. Some of the additions included a finned and streamlined funnel, terraced, lengthened and expanded superstructure, two pools, full circle promenades, larger public spaces, an air-conditioning system, and modernized cabins with private baths. A large amount of Greek decor, including ceramic, metal, and velour features, was spread throughout the ship.

Her passenger capacity was revised to 765 first class passengers,^[3] while her size was reduced to 10,595 gross tons. She spent summers in the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean, and wintered in the Caribbean and along the South American Atlantic coast.^[3] Stella Solaris soon became one of the most popular cruise ships of her time, and was said to have "a repeat passenger ratio that was the envy of her competitors."^[7]

In 1995, Sun and the rival Epirotiki Lines merged to become the Royal Olympic Cruise Lines. Soon after, in 1998, Louis Cruise Lines, the current owner, bought the majority of the shares in Royal Olympic. Due to the Kosovo War in 1999, Stella Solaris was temporarily laid up at Piraeus. An incident occurred in 2001, this being damage to one of her propeller shafts, but this was repaired.^[7]

[edit] Later layout

• Sports Deck: The Sports Deck was the highest of the nine later decks. The wheelhouse began this deck, which continued aft behind the ship's funnel and split into two separate walkways that surrounded the lido and pool area. The ship was updated to have two large, partially oval shaped pools.^[8]
• Lido Deck: Again, this deck began with the wheelhouse. The deck continued aft with narrow outside walkways that were inboard of the chip's lifeboats. Inside, there were officers' accommodations and the ship's Radio Station. Aft of these rooms, the Lido Bar served Continental and Greek cuisine.
• Boat Deck: Boat Deck was fully encircled by a spacious teak promenade, a feature that has become rare on modern-day ships. A dip someplace in the center of the promenade was said to increase the smoothness of the ride of Stella Solaris. Thirty-four of the most luxurious cabins on the ship were located in the inside portion of B Deck. One of the most luxurious, B6, had a separate sitting area, twin beds, large windows, and a private bath with half tub and shower. At the rear end of Boat Deck were two public rooms, the Card Room on the starboard side and Reading Room on the port.
• Solaris Deck: The ship's galley began Solaris Deck, and directly aft of it was the 420-capacity Dining Room, whose structure, notably, comes from the original Cambodge-era structure of first class E Deck. The 65-capacity Bar Grill extended aft off the starboard side of the Dining Room. Amidships, the Purser's Office and reception area were located in a small entrance hall, and there was also a small casino aft and port of these rooms. 550-capacity Solaris Lounge was on the starboard side of the entrance hall, and was used for various forms of entertainment. The 100-capacity Piano Bar was adjacent to it, but was separated from it by an intricate, 70 feet (21 m) long metal screen that contained likenesses of many ancient Greek figures.
• Golden Deck: Golden Deck began with the tip of the fo'c'sle (forecastle, or most forward part of the ship) which is usually off-limits to passengers on most ships. Golden Deck was mostly passenger cabins, but the Beauty Parlor and ship's hospital were also located on this deck. Amidships, there are 16 Deluxe Cabins. The aft of Golden Deck, part of which once was the Cambodge-era Children's Playroom, became the Gym and Spa. A fantail on Golden Deck marked the end of the deck.^[9]
• Ruby Deck: This deck, except for the fo'c'sle section, was laid out very similarly to Golden Deck.
• Emerald Deck: Emerald Deck housed an entrance hall for the Stella Solaris, as well as more passenger cabins. Recessed circular lighting was prevalent in the entrance hall, a style borrowed from 1950s-1960s Italian ocean liners.
• Sapphire Deck: Sapphire Deck's most prominent feature was the 275-seat Cinema Theater, with rows of plush velour seats facing aft and terraced downwards towards the stage and screen. Stella Solaris's lowest public area was the Discotheque, a 125-capacity room with decoration inspired from an old sailing ship or galleon.

[edit] Demise

In the months surrounding February 2004, an abnormal series of economic factors, including rising metal and oil prices and the overproduction of hundreds of modern cruise ships, sent hundreds of suddenly uneconomic, historic passenger vessels to a scrapper at Alang, a coastal shanty town in India. Alang is most known for its 10 miles (16 km) stretch of sandy beach, used to break up ships.

Stella Solaris was sold for scrap about this time, and, under the delivery name S Solar, arrived in Alang on 8 December 2003. Throughout the process of demolition, her profile, however, remained partially intact.^[10]

[edit] Artworks

Stella Solaris was said to be "a ship of enormous quality and detail."^[11] Many historic artworks from the ship were auctioned off during the remodeling. This is a list of some of them:

• Works of La Fontaine, rendered by Camille Hillaire. (in Children's Playroom)
• Italian Comedy Figures, a series of murals by Jean Souverbie (in Drawing Room)
• Vases by Luc Lanel (in the Hall)^[4]
• Gardens and Chateaux of Ile de France by Camille Hillaire (in Wriring Room)
• Pentecote de Honfleur by Hambourg (in Tourist Class Saloon)
• Naides reliefs by Guy Revol (in First Class Dining Saloon)
• Unnamed painting by Grau Sala, reminiscient of Paris, France (also in First Class Dining Saloon)
• Two interpretive paintings by Arthur Fages (Tourist Dining Saloon)^[5]

[edit] See also

• Louis Cruise Lines
• List of cruise ships
• List of ocean liners

[edit] References

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] Sources

• Miller, William H. (1986). The Last Blue Water Liners. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0 312 46980 2.