# Nostalgia Cruise Memories.



## Striker (Jan 22, 2012)

I would like some assistance in identifying a cruise ship holiday I took in 1974 or 1975 from Sydney to the Pacific Islands and back. I seem to remember it was on a Shaw Saville or CTC Line crewed by Russians. Female attendants being on every floor to assist or direct. First stop may have been Brisbane. I went to Villa, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga and I am sure I have missed other stops. The ship from memory was white with a red funnel or black band around it. It may have been a black hull.....unsure. Probably 14-16 days in cruise duration. I was in a four berth with people I had never met (Males unfortunately). I am sure our showers and toilet was not in the same room but may be wrong. I presume in those day it was diesel but not sure. I can clearly remember having two or more theme nights and alcohol on board was really cheap and the bars opened after leaving Sydney Heads. In those days this type of cruise was cheaper than P&O. I seem to remember the name being something like Admiral or General Bolgaldo and it was a former icebreaker but this may be wrong. I can even remember the ship of loading supplies onto a Russian sub somewhere in the Pacific and no I was not game to take a photo out of my porthole. Does anyone have any memories of cruising on a ship at that time or could point me in the right direction to clearly name the ship and the cruise line?


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## murrayis (Aug 20, 2010)

Hi Striker
I think you will find the ship was the Fedor Shalyapin. The following is from the website http://www.ssmaritime.com/author-ssmaritime.html _"Happily CTC Cruises would suffer the consequences in due course as there was an occurrence that would end their operation in Australia for a long time when the Fedor Shalyapin rendezvoused with a Russian submarine whist crossing the Tasman Sea towards Sydney. Upon her return to Sydney, passengers told the media of the strange events encountered and how both cargo and crew were transferred to the submarine. This caused great controversy in Australia, however, what and why it happened was never fully explained. Australia banned all Soviet based passenger ships for a considerable time. Never let it be said that a wrong does not get repaid in some way or another!"_
Plenty of happy snaps on the same site
Rob


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Another happy SN customer. That sub must have been in dire straits for the Russians to pull a stroke like that. I am left wondering what "Mikhail Lermantov" was really up to!

John T.


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## Striker (Jan 22, 2012)

Many thanks to those who contributed to date. Could be the same ship (Fedor Shalyapin) but I was sure it had a black hull. The of loading of supplies and crew was carried out in the middle of the night in pitch black with limited spotlights.and I watched it all for a period of time. Not sure it was sinister more like helping out a vessel needing supplies and crew changes I suspect. Of course those were different times and suspect the cruise ship was earning valuable money and merely aiding a 'fellow' ship but it may have been as the article suggests......who knows. Only question I had was why would it be so far south in the Tasman Sea coming back from Tonga which was I believe last port of call. Or did ships in those days take that route. due to global rotation, slow speeds and currents etc...........not sure if this was a different incident. The web site that Rob supplied I have seen before and the picture of the guys in grass dresses brings back my memories sharply but I did not believe this was the ship. The Island Bar does ring a bell and the garnishing looks similar but was it the same ship? Did the Fedor Shalyapin have a previous name because I can clearly remember the blurb on the ship in a main area.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Striker said:


> I would like some assistance in identifying a cruise ship holiday I took in 1974 or 1975 from Sydney to the Pacific Islands and back. I seem to remember it was on a Shaw Saville or CTC Line crewed by Russians.
> QUOTE]
> 
> From December 1973 to March 1974 the CTC ship in Australian waters was TARAS SHEVCENKO and for the 1974/1975 summer season they used the SHOTA RUSTAVELI.
> ...


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

More on this subject.

I cannot find any mention of the submarine/SHALYAPIN episode outside what was quoted here.

As far as SHALYAPIN and SIBINOV are concerned they were both chartered to CTC from their Soviet owners: Far East Shipping Co.

SHALYAPIN came to Australian waters in late 1973 and the SOBINOV arrived about April 1974. Both vessels cruises to Australia for CTC until mid 1975 when their charter to CTC expired. The charter for SOBINOV was renewed and the vessel continued to cruise and also make line voyage back to Britain. SHALYAPIN was chartered to Shaw Savill from October 1975 and she continued cruissing out of Sydney and alsso included some fly cruises out of Hong Kong. SOBINOV made her last sailing from Australia December 1979 and SHALYAPIN's final visit to Sydney was in December 1980. Both vessels were returned to Far east Shipping Company.

In addition to the above, SHOTA RUSTAVELLI and TARAS SCHEVENKO continued cruising in Australian waters until early 1980 wheen the Commonwealth Government banned Soviet passenger ships from Australian waters in protest over the invasion of Afganistan.

New Zealand did not followw this action and and so the TARAS SCHEVENKO and the MIKHAIL LERMENTOV continued to sail their waters. 

The goverment in Australia changed in 1984 and the ban on Soviet passenger ships was lifted. LERMENTOV returned to Sydney inDeceember 1984 and was later joined a few days later by ALEXANDR PUSHKIN. LERMENTOV sank after grounding near Cape Jackson in February 1986. PUSHKIN continued to visit Australia up until May 1989. 

Stephen


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Striker; Did the Fedor Shalyapin have a previous name because I can clearly remember the blurb on the ship in a main area.[/QUOTE said:


> SHALYAPIN , built 1955, started life as Cunard's IVERNIA. She was converted into a cruise liner 1962/63. Withdrawn from servioce in 1971. Laid up and later sold to the Soviets in August 1973.
> 
> I sailed in FRANCONIA was a deck Boy for three weeks in 1967. The following year I made two trips in her as a passenger.


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## Striker (Jan 22, 2012)

Many thanks Stephen. It was the Shota Rustavelli because I believe after much soul searching I sailed in March 1975. Reading a blurb on the web about the ship http://www.midshipcentury.com/shotarustaveli.shtml It did have ice strengthened bows and a black hull. From memory Shaw Saville probably did have a representation on board being a cruise director and a couple of staff. The entertainment was Australian and I remember they had a resident band. Believe me this vessel did help a Russian Submarine as explained previously but curiously never made the news! The only had to ask me! You have helped me out a great deal as has everyone who provided input. I broke up with my then fiancee on my return from the cruise who obviously had no sense of rumour in not stopping me going originally. I wanted to see some of the world and was very selfish I suspect but there was other reasons. Would a past passenger list be available anywhere to check or verify? Lastly would that have been normal in 1975 to sail to Brisbane en-route to Pacific Islands.


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## bobw (Apr 18, 2006)

The Melbourne Herald-Sun at the time reported the rendevous with the submarine.


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## Jojocamino (Oct 3, 2015)

I know this item was years ago, but just wanted to say that I travelled from Southampton to Sydney on the Fedor Shalyapin - November 1975 and travelled back on the Taras Shevchenko in January 1976. Both those ships did cruises around the pacific islands.


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## Jason T (5 mo ago)

I travelled on the Fedor Shalyapin around 1976. The cruise left Sydney, sailed out to the Pacific Islands, down to Auckland, and back to Sydney. I did not see it supplying the sub, but a very nice girl I befriended on the trip did see it. I can’t remember what colour it was but there is an image on the Alamy site of the ship from a time when it was black.









Postcard of the Cunard ship R.M.S. Ivernia. The R.M.S. Ivernia was launched in 1954. Her name was changed to the R.M.S. Franconia in 1963. In 1973 she was sold to the Soviet Union and renamed the S.S. Fedor Shalyapin. Scrapped in India in 2004 Stock Photo - Alamy


Download this stock image: Postcard of the Cunard ship R.M.S. Ivernia. The R.M.S. Ivernia was launched in 1954. Her name was changed to the R.M.S. Franconia in 1963. In 1973 she was sold to the Soviet Union and renamed the S.S. Fedor Shalyapin. Scrapped in India in 2004. - JHX166 from Alamy's...




www.alamy.com


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