SS Southern Cross (1954)

Southern Cross in Sydney
History
Name	1955–1972: Southern Cross 1973–1980: Calypso 1980–1981: Calypso I 1981–1992: Azure Seas 1992–2003: OceanBreeze
Owner	1955–1973: Shaw, Savill & Albion Line 1973–1980: Ulysses Line 1981–1986: Western Cruise Line 1986–1991: Admiral Cruises 1991–1997: Dolphin Cruise Lines 1997–1999: Premier Cruise Line 1999–2003: Imperial Majesty Cruises
Builder	Harland & Wolff, Belfast
Yard number	1498
Launched	17 August 1954
Sponsored by	HM Queen Elizabeth II
Completed	February 1955
Out of service	27 June 2003
Identification	IMO number: 5335319
Fate	Scrapped at Chittagong, Bangladesh, in 2003
General characteristics
Tonnage	20,204 GRT (as built)
Length	184,50 meters / 604 feet
Beam	24 meters / 78.4 feet
Draught	25ft 10in
Installed power	20,000shp
Propulsion	Geared turbines, twin screw
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Capacity	As built 1,160 tourist class

SS Southern Cross was an ocean liner built in 1955 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Northern Ireland for the United Kingdom-based Shaw, Savill & Albion Line for Europe—Australia service. In 1975 she was rebuilt as a cruise ship and subsequently sailed under the names Calypso, Azure Seas and OceanBreeze until 2003 when she was sold for scrap to Ahmed Muztaba Steel Industries, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

The Southern Cross was the first passenger ship of over 20,000 gross register tons to be built that had the engine room (and as a result of that, the funnel) located near the stern, rather than amidships.^[1] She started a trend of aft-engined ships, and today most passenger ships are built this way. Southern Cross was also the first major liner to have no cargo space, other than for ship's stores and passenger luggage.^[2]