An early view of PRINCIPE PERFEITO. Peter Knego collection.

Among the most underrated of all the post war flagships, this lovely vessel began her her career in 1961 for Companhia Nacional de Navegacao. Very solidly built by the famed Swan Hunter Wigham and Richardson's Neptune Works yard at Newcastle, her profile was reminiscent of the sleek Italian liners of the era. The 19,393 gross ton PRINCIPE PERFEITO a two class ship and sported wonderful British woodwork and evocative midcentury fittings, much of which was unchanged when she was broken up in 2001.

In 1974, CNN merged with the two other major Portuguese passenger shipping companies, Companhia Colonial de Navegacao and Empresa Insulana to form Companhia Portuguesa de Transports Maritimos. She served the Lisbon to Beira run until 1976, when she was laid up at Lisbon. Later that year, she was sold to Panamanian interests who took her back to Swan Hunter for conversion to the 820 berth accommodation ship AL HASA at Damman. In 1980, she was sold to Sitmar Line for a planned rebuilding into the cruise ship FAIRSKY. Instead, she sat idle when the plans were shelved in favor of building a completely new ship. She was renamed VERA in 1981.

In 1982, Greek shipping and oil tycoon John S. Latsis purchased and renamed her MARIANNA IX after one of his daughters. She became an accommodation ship at Jeddah and later Rabigh and had her name slightly altered to MARIANNA 9 in 1984. In 1986, she was sent to Kalamata to serve as temporary housing for earthquake victims before returning to Rabigh. In 1992, she was laid up at Eleusis alongside the MARGARITA L, the former WINDSOR CASTLE. After years of neglect, she was sold for scrapping and sailed to Alang in June 2001 under the delivery name MARIANN 9.

PRINCIPE PERFEITO Items For Sale: