# Kota Singapura



## sydney heads (Oct 10, 2007)

Would any fellow nostalgia shipmates have any knowledge of the history of a passenger ship by the name of Kota Singapura.
I sailed on her in 1972 from Fremantle to Singapore.
At the time she was used as a charter vessel for a "ship-jet" connection between Australia and Great Britain, aimed at the popular backpacker age group.
Unfortunately the venture was poorly run, with the vessel regularly overbooked, and air connections "iffy" to say the least, and the company sunk late that same year.
Hopefully someone has a better memory than I do now.


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## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

Try this web page

http://www.ssmaritime.com/tjiluwah.htm


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## sydney heads (Oct 10, 2007)

Many thanks gdynia! Mystery solved- and memories come flooding back.


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## CHRISTMAS (Dec 17, 2011)

I know it's been a few years since you asked the question, but I have only just found this site!! I sailed on the Kota Singapura in 1977 (with my family), perth to singapore, with a load of sheep below us (we were on c deck), and returned around end of october beginning of november and that was supposed to be her last cruise. She broke down twice from memory, once for nearly 2 days? There were also problems with the airconditioning and there was a bit of flooding in the public bathrooms. Very fond memories, very friendly crew.


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Greetings *Christmas* and welcome to* SN.* Bon voyage.


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## kotaqe2singapura (Jan 25, 2012)

I too travelled Kota Singapura from Perth to Singapore in 1977, departing Fremantle on 22nd May when I was 11.
We did have onward flight problems in Singapore, we did have one breakdown at sea and the lower decks were filled with sheep aft and cattle fore, but the overall experience was a good one. We had a B Deck cabin. The Kota Singapura experience was a lasting memory. It was intimate, and I was very aware. The main dining room was very special. Intimate, efficient and impeccable service and food. The crew were exceptionally friendly. I do remember us all being very concerned on the day of life boat drill as the pulleys and launching equipment looked to be completely seized up with rust and repaints.


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Greetings *kotaqe2singapura* and welcome to* SN*. Bon voyage.


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## shipmate17 (Jun 1, 2005)

id 5362506. Built 1951 by Van Der Geissen. Krimpen a/d Ijssel. as TJILUWAH. 1972 KOTA SINGAPURA. scrapped Kaohsiung 11/12/79.


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## Stephen Donegan (Mar 29, 2014)

*Kota Cockroach*

We travelled on The Kota Singapura, September 1977, from Freo to Singapore, where we flew SAS to Copenhagen, & BA to London. This was known as Ship Jet, a very cheap way to travel to the UK. We nicknamed it the Kota Cockroach for obvious reasons. We were 4 lads on our first expedition Overseas. A round of 4 cans of beer were approximately $2. (duty free). Our cabin was foreward of the restaurant. One night I walked on deck & it was packed with sheep, a kiwis dream come true. The reason for being a cheap cruise, was the fact we shared the ship with livestock. Very romantic when u step on deck for a breath of fresh air. The plumbing & aircond were dodgy. But a very memorable cruise for a young impressionable lad, followed by a stopover in Singapore & a night out at boogey street.


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## Robert Hilton (Feb 13, 2011)

I have heard of, and experienced, vessels that were described as "chatty but cheerful," but this is the first I have heard of a passenger vessel fitting that description. Could there be others?


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## MMYuen (Apr 3, 2011)

*Kota Singapura cruise*

Hello there. It looks like we all sailed on the Kota Singapura as passengers during the 70's. I've looked at my old passport and according to the stamp we arrived in Fremantle (from Singapore) on Aug 20th 1976. I was 15 at the time. Yes it was a fun cruise. I remember the wait staff wore crackerjacks. The band led by a guy named Shark sang 'tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree' every night. Ham and cheese sandwiches were good as was 'crossing the equator' party. Two weeks later voyage back to Singapore and that was my summer vacation. My first cruise!


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## Yoey (Nov 1, 2020)

CHRISTMAS said:


> I know it's been a few years since you asked the question, but I have only just found this site!! I sailed on the Kota Singapura in 1977 (with my family), perth to singapore, with a load of sheep below us (we were on c deck), and returned around end of october beginning of november and that was supposed to be her last cruise. She broke down twice from memory, once for nearly 2 days? There were also problems with the airconditioning and there was a bit of flooding in the public bathrooms. Very fond memories, very friendly crew.


Hi! This is very interesting to me. My family and I moved to Australia in 1977 from the UK, and we came on the Kota Singapura to Fremantle from Singapore in 1977! I was only 4. It is entirely possible that you went to Singapore the same day we arrived from there!!


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## Dead_gringo (11 mo ago)

sydney heads said:


> Would any fellow nostalgia shipmates have any knowledge of the history of a passenger ship by the name of Kota Singapura.
> I sailed on her in 1972 from Fremantle to Singapore.
> At the time she was used as a charter vessel for a "ship-jet" connection between Australia and Great Britain, aimed at the popular backpacker age group.
> Unfortunately the venture was poorly run, with the vessel regularly overbooked, and air connections "iffy" to say the least, and the company sunk late that same year.
> Hopefully someone has a better memory than I do now.


Hi. A friend and I sailed from Singapore to Fremantle, April 1972. Because of overbooking in ‘steerage’, and we were ‘older’ backpackers, 26, (I think 24 was the preferred limit), we were upgraded to better cabins. We even had seats at the captain’s table but couldn’t dress for the occasion after six months overland on ‘the hippie trail’ so we dined informally with everyone else and felt more comfortable. It was a great six-day trip, relaxing after the rigours of travelling, and we were welcomed at Fremantle wharf by crowds and a lone kilted piper, the beginning of our life in Australia.


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## Dead_gringo (11 mo ago)

sydney heads said:


> Would any fellow nostalgia shipmates have any knowledge of the history of a passenger ship by the name of Kota Singapura.
> I sailed on her in 1972 from Fremantle to Singapore.
> At the time she was used as a charter vessel for a "ship-jet" connection between Australia and Great Britain, aimed at the popular backpacker age group.
> Unfortunately the venture was poorly run, with the vessel regularly overbooked, and air connections "iffy" to say the least, and the company sunk late that same year.
> Hopefully someone has a better memory than I do now.





Yoey said:


> Hi! This is very interesting to me. My family and I moved to Australia in 1977 from the UK, and we came on the Kota Singapura to Fremantle from Singapore in 1977! I was only 4. It is entirely possible that you went to Singapore the same day we arrived from there!!


Hi. A friend and I sailed from Singapore to Fremantle, April 1972. Because of overbooking in ‘steerage’, and we were ‘older’ backpackers, 26, (I think 24 was the preferred limit), we were upgraded to better cabins. We even had seats at the captain’s table but couldn’t dress for the occasion after six months overland on ‘the hippie trail’ so we dined informally with everyone else and felt more comfortable. It was a great six-day trip, relaxing after the rigours of travelling, and we were welcomed at Fremantle wharf by crowds and a lone kilted piper, the beginning of our life in Australia.


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## Dead_gringo (11 mo ago)

sydney heads said:


> Would any fellow nostalgia shipmates have any knowledge of the history of a passenger ship by the name of Kota Singapura.
> I sailed on her in 1972 from Fremantle to Singapore.
> At the time she was used as a charter vessel for a "ship-jet" connection between Australia and Great Britain, aimed at the popular backpacker age group.
> Unfortunately the venture was poorly run, with the vessel regularly overbooked, and air connections "iffy" to say the least, and the company sunk late that same year.
> Hopefully someone has a better memory than I do now.





Yoey said:


> Hi! This is very interesting to me. My family and I moved to Australia in 1977 from the UK, and we came on the Kota Singapura to Fremantle from Singapore in 1977! I was only 4. It is entirely possible that you went to Singapore the same day we arrived from there!!


Hi. A


Yoey said:


> Hi! This is very interesting to me. My family and I moved to Australia in 1977 from the UK, and we came on the Kota Singapura to Fremantle from Singapore in 1977! I was only 4. It is entirely possible that you went to Singapore the same day we arrived from there!!


A friend and I sailed from Singapore to Fremantle, April 1972. Because of overbooking in ‘steerage’, and we were ‘older’ backpackers, 26, (I think 24 was the preferred limit), and had paid a bit more, we were upgraded to better cabins. We even had seats at the captain’s table, but couldn’t dress for the occasion after six months overland on ‘the hippie trail’ so we dined informally with everyone else and felt more comfortable. It was a great six-day trip, relaxing after the rigours of travelling, and we were welcomed at Fremantle wharf by crowds and a lone kilted piper, the beginning of our lives in Australia.


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## captarburns_7896 (11 mo ago)

sydney heads said:


> Would any fellow nostalgia shipmates have any knowledge of the history of a passenger ship by the name of Kota Singapura.
> I sailed on her in 1972 from Fremantle to Singapore.
> At the time she was used as a charter vessel for a "ship-jet" connection between Australia and Great Britain, aimed at the popular backpacker age group.
> Unfortunately the venture was poorly run, with the vessel regularly overbooked, and air connections "iffy" to say the least, and the company sunk late that same year.
> Hopefully someone has a better memory than I do now.


I sailed on the Kota Singapura as Chief Officer during 1975 - 1976, when she did round trips from Singapore to Fremantle. Six days at sea with one day in Fremantle and two days in Singapore, which were the only two ports that she visited during my time on board. 
She was an enjoyable ship carrying mostly Australia passengers, who were generally friendly as Australians tend to be. .They were amixed lot, sweet old ladies on board for the round trip to relax and spend a couple of days in Singapore. Families who would travel north one trip, spend a couple of weeks touring Singapore and Malaysia travelling back to Fremantle a couple of trips later. There were dozens of backpackers who were travelling to and from Europe, as the company PIL had ticketing arrangements with some airlines.
Recently I spent 14 years in Perth, Australia and not once did I meet any of the passengers that we carried on the Kota Singapura. The ship is listed on the Immigrant Ship Board outside of the Fremantle Maritime Museum.


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## Annletizia (8 d ago)

captarburns_7896 said:


> I sailed on the Kota Singapura as Chief Officer during 1975 - 1976, when she did round trips from Singapore to Fremantle. Six days at sea with one day in Fremantle and two days in Singapore, which were the only two ports that she visited during my time on board.
> She was an enjoyable ship carrying mostly Australia passengers, who were generally friendly as Australians tend to be. .They were amixed lot, sweet old ladies on board for the round trip to relax and spend a couple of days in Singapore. Families who would travel north one trip, spend a couple of weeks touring Singapore and Malaysia travelling back to Fremantle a couple of trips later. There were dozens of backpackers who were travelling to and from Europe, as the company PIL had ticketing arrangements with some airlines.
> Recently I spent 14 years in Perth, Australia and not once did I meet any of the passengers that we carried on the Kota Singapura. The ship is listed on the Immigrant Ship Board outside of the Fremantle Maritime Museum.


I too sailed on the Kota Singapura with my family. I was 17 at the time. I believe it was in May of 1976.


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