Safmarine - Passenger Services

Passenger Services

Safmarine operated a passenger liner service between the United Kingdom and South Africa in 1965—1977 and again in 1984—1985.

Safmarine passenger operations had begun in 1965, when two Union-Castle Line ships used on the Southampton—Durban service, RMS Transvaal Castle and RMS Pretoria Castle, were transferred to Safmarine in order to satisfy demands from the South African government. The ships were renamed S. A. Vaal and S. A. Oranje respectively, re-painted in Safmarine colours but continued on the same service as before. In 1969, both vessels were transferred from British to South African registry. During the 1970s the South African liner trade started to decline, mainly due to competition from the jet airplane and the rising success of the revolutionary new container ships, in carrying cargoes more efficiently and more economically than conventional, older vessels. Thus, in 1975 the S. A. Oranje - and her Union-Castle sister RMS Edinburgh Castle - were withdrawn and sold for scrapping. The popular RMS Pendennis Castle was also withdrawn in June 1976, leaving S. A. Vaal to remain with Union-Castle's RMS Windsor Castle (and the two smaller cargo/passenger mailships RMMV Good Hope Castle and RMMV Southampton Castle). In October 1977, both companies withdrew their passenger services and S. A. Vaal was sold to Carnival Cruise Lines, becoming their SS Festivale.

In 1984 Safmarine purchased the cruise ship MS Astor from the West German Hadag Cruise Lines. Following a refit she was used to revive the Southampton—Cape Town service, also making cruises out of South Africa and the United Kingdom between liner voyages. However, in service the Astor was found not to have enough speed to maintain the liner schedule, and Safmarine decided to order a new ship based on the same design from Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in Kiel, also to be named MS Astor, to replace the first Astor. In preparation for the delivery of the second Astor, the first Astor was sold to the East German Deutsche Seerederei (via a West German intermediary), becoming their MS Arkona. Ultimately the second Astor never entered service for Safmarine, as the company decided to abandon their liner service in 1986. The second Astor, still under construction at the time, was sold to Marlan Corporation in January 1986.