# ARION ex NILI 1965



## Finnpartner_1966 (Feb 7, 2007)

I am looking for any kind of information about the 1965 built NILI of SOMERFIN Lines and later ARION of NEL Lines.

Thanks in advance
Fotis


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## Thamesphil (Jul 22, 2005)

Just type into google "Nel Lines" and "Arion" and there's quite a bit of info out there, e.g. http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/nili_1965.htm


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## Finnpartner_1966 (Feb 7, 2007)

Thanks for the answer, but I have already seen the photos on Fakta. I am searching for info on her life before Greece, and any photos early in her career. I cannot find anything here in Greece, and I do not think NEL has anything in their archieve...


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## Hillview (Jun 16, 2006)

M.V. Nili was built on the Clyde at Fairfields shipyard at Govan.Her sister ship the Bilu was built in Japan but when she came to trade in European Waters she had to have extensive alterations to bring her up to D.O.T. standards. Also Somerfin Lines were very difficult owners and Fairfields refused any other orders.


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## Fairfield (Apr 26, 2004)

Heard that also; shame because they got a good ship and could have got others.


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## Finnpartner_1966 (Feb 7, 2007)

Sorry, but BILU was built in BELGIUM NOT Japan! She was built at Cockerill Yards, at Hoboken in 1964! (http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/bilu_1964.htm) She was used in 1967 for Zim Line, and was renamed DAN. She later came to Greece, and I have seen a pic of her as VERGINA. I remember her laid up at Elefsis bay.

Would it be possible to tell me where did you read that she was built in Japan? Why did she have extensive rebuilt then?


What do you mean by "difficult owners"? They asked for too many things?? But i surely wish they had built more ships at Fairfield yard..... Arion was a great ship, but unlucky.... She was advertised by NEL as "the floating palace"! Even today, older people than me, remember she had great interiors!!!

Fotis


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## Hillview (Jun 16, 2006)

My mistake:
Bilu although purported built under British D.O.T rules did not comply with them on inspection when she was delivered.
When a ship is built under the D.O.T. rules everything pertaining to the ship must comply with all things being approved.
This apparently did not happen, and they had to be upgraded/approved.
FYI Somerfin lines were very strict with owners and they would use every method to delay payment and this was used with Fairfields and other shipyards.
I have sailed on Fairfield built ships and Doxfords engines built by them under license and have found them to be of excellent quality not like other vessels I have sailed on and I have 40years experience of this.


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## Finnpartner_1966 (Feb 7, 2007)

That's more like it! Thanks for the explanation!
I have heard that NILI was intended for the Southampton Spain route. Was BILU built for the same route? And since she wasn't accepted by the DOT she was aproved until she was modified.

About the SOMERFIN now... Were they the only company doing so with the money? All companies want to postpone the payments to their creditors... But as I can understand, they exceded the limit.... 

The only Fairfield ship I have ever been onboard, is the 1955 #731 Empress Of Britain, as Olympic in Pireaus port, in 1995 (as a visitor). I was 16, but I still can't forget her spacious wooden outside decks! She was the first ship I boarded having them actually! A really GREAT ship! I am happy to see her in our port every now and then, even after the ugly conversion at bow...

Fotis


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## fred henderson (Jun 13, 2005)

*Bilu and Nili*

Bilu and Nili were both intended for Somerfin's Haifa - Naples - Nice ferry service. Bilu opened the service, but the traffic was so low that Nili was chartered out to other users (but never out of the UK) before Somerfin became bankrupt and the ship was siezed by the Israeli Government.
There is a photograph of Nili and a lot more information in the Ferry Gallery.
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/51848/cat/502/si/Nili

Fred(Thumb)


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## Finnpartner_1966 (Feb 7, 2007)

Ah, this is why NILI was used by ZIM in later years. Is this the reason she was chartered to Micky Arison?

BTW, thanks for link!!

Fotis

PS. Fairfield your pics are simply GREAT!


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## bettermost (Jan 13, 2011)

Finnpartner_1966 said:


> Ah, this is why NILI was used by ZIM in later years. Is this the reason she was chartered to Micky Arison?
> 
> BTW, thanks for link!!
> 
> ...


The Nili was Leased to Pan American Cruise Lines of Miami in 1965 almost immediately after her launch and sea trials at Fairfield/Gloven yards to run between Miami and the Bahamas because Sumerfin was already having financial difficulties by the time the Nili was launched in November of 1964, but that deal fell through after Nili was sent to Miami when Pan American and Somerfin had a major disagreement so the contract was terminated. Ted Arison in 1966 took advantage of this situation and re named the Nili the "Jamaica Queen" and ran it for about a year between Miami and Jamaica before the ship was seized by the Israeli government when Somerfin who Arison was leasing her from got into even more financial trouble with its payments to an Israeli state owned bank, this put Arison immediately out of the cruise business leaving booked passengers stranded with many sailings booked months in advance as I understand it. The ship was eventually sold to Weston shipping Co. in 1967 and continued on as the Jamaica Queen now chartered/Leased to Continental Cruise Lines of Miami for another year or two in service between Miami and Kingston before being sent back to Israel. She was once again named Nili and sent into car ferry service leased to Finnlines as the "Helsinki Express", and others used between Greece, Israel, Italy and France in the 1969-1975 time frame. Very shortly after the seizure of Nili happened Ted Arison decided to try it again this time he teamed up with Knut Kloster of NCL fame to operate the "Sunward" another ship/ferry that Kloster had just acquired and needed a service route for, and the rest is history. They eventually parted ways in the early 1970s Kloster pushing Arison out as I recall to form NCL on his own and of course Arison teamed with another investor and retaliated by starting his own tiny one ship company, Carnival Cruise Lines, now two of the largest cruise Companies in the world. The Nili/Jamaica Queen was Arison's very first attempt at the cruise ship business. In late 1975 the Nili was sold to NEL and re named the Arion, and sadly in December 1981 was fire bombed by the "PLO" in Haifa Israel and was gutted by fire. Nili was then laid up and then scrapped in 1983. I sailed on the Nili as the Jamaica Queen in 1967 when I was just 10 years old she was a very nice modern ship at the time.

http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=839


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## Alan Rawlinson (Dec 11, 2008)

*Nostalgia all the way!*



bettermost said:


> The Nili was Leased to Pan American Cruise Lines of Miami in 1965 almost immediately after her launch and sea trials at Fairfield/Gloven yards to run between Miami and the Bahamas because Sumerfin was already having financial difficulties by the time the Nili was launched in November of 1964, but that deal fell through after Nili was sent to Miami when Pan American and Somerfin had a major disagreement so the contract was terminated. Ted Arison in 1966 took advantage of this situation and re named the Nili the "Jamaica Queen" and ran it for about a year between Miami and Jamaica before the ship was seized by the Israeli government when Somerfin who Arison was leasing her from got into even more financial trouble with its payments to an Israeli state owned bank, this put Arison immediately out of the cruise business leaving booked passengers stranded with many sailings booked months in advance as I understand it. The ship was eventually sold to Weston shipping Co. in 1967 and continued on as the Jamaica Queen now chartered/Leased to Continental Cruise Lines of Miami for another year or two in service between Miami and Kingston before being sent back to Israel. She was once again named Nili and sent into car ferry service leased to Finnlines as the "Helsinki Express", and others used between Greece, Israel, Italy and France in the 1969-1975 time frame. Very shortly after the seizure of Nili happened Ted Arison decided to try it again this time he teamed up with Knut Kloster of NCL fame to operate the "Sunward" another ship/ferry that Kloster had just acquired and needed a service route for, and the rest is history. They eventually parted ways in the early 1970s Kloster pushing Arison out as I recall to form NCL on his own and of course Arison teamed with another investor and retaliated by starting his own tiny one ship company, Carnival Cruise Lines, now two of the largest cruise Companies in the world. The Nili/Jamaica Queen was Arison's very first attempt at the cruise ship business. In late 1975 the Nili was sold to NEL and re named the Arion, and sadly in December 1981 was fire bombed by the "PLO" in Haifa Israel and was gutted by fire. Nili was then laid up and then scrapped in 1983. I sailed on the Nili as the Jamaica Queen in 1967 when I was just 10 years old she was a very nice modern ship at the time.
> 
> http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=839


Wow, how interesting is that!

I was just sorting out some very old papers, and came across notes about the Nili, as I was offered the Chief Officer post at the outset around 1964 and in answer to an ad. I was stuck in Heysham Harbour on the British Rail boats to Belfast, and the Nili offer looked very exotic. Don't know why I didn't follow up, but the notes mention pay in USD and proposed route to be Southampton/Algiciras in summer and Bermuda/Jacksonville in winter. Just had a look on ship photo and she was a nice looking ship. Very interesting to read the old posts here about the troubles behind the scenes and her subsequent career. Nothing changes!


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