The cruise ships of today may well be many times larger and offer diversions to the passengers that had never even been dreamed of when this ship entered service and yet not one of them has an atom of her grace and style. I certainly know which ship I'd sail on today - does one really need a dozen choices of places to eat....?
She was built for the Lloyd Trestino service to Australia from Italy and not a cruise liner. She was built to replace three smaller liners on the run Australia, Neptunia and Oceana and for speed. her identical sister Marconi was just as lovely as Galileo . In my opinion we were lucky to have known her and remembering when a passenger liner looked like a passenger liner. I was not impressted what Chandris line did late in her life putting passenger cabins into cargo space at the front. At least she kepped her looks unlike the ugly mess Costa did to her sister Marconi.
I sailed on GALILEO late in her life, when she was owned by Chandris. She was not as well run as BRITANIS, but there was still a lot to admire, such as her large winter garden, forward on the Promenade Deck. I particularly liked the aft bridge wings. It was possible to stand on them and look forward along the ship's entire length. Her lines were still lovely, as was her distinctive funnel (with a top that could be raised or lowered). At night, when the ship was blazing with lights, I loved to stand on one of those wings and lean forward. With the wind in my face it was as if I was flying along next to the ship. Quite magical.
Today's ships have no charm or beauty. Big overgrown boxes. Give me the older ships any day. They had beautiful lines, and were all unique in their own way.
Yes, considering the stunning conversions by the Italians of ships like the Oranje into Angelina Lauro and Carinthia and Sylvania into Fairsea and Fairwind, the job Costa did on Guglielmo Marconi must rank as one the most unsympathetic conversions ever.
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