KENYA CASTLE Union Castle Line - 8" x 10" Colour PHOTO
The photo is in excellent condition.
It weighs 13g and exact measurements are 25 x 20.2cm.
HISTORY MINUTE
The Kenya Castle was a British steam turbine ocean liner built in 1951 by Harland and Wolff
in Belfast for the Union-Castle Line. She operated primarily on routes to Africa.
In 1967, she was sold to the Greek-owned Chandris Lines, refitted into a cruise ship,
and renamed the SS Amerikanis.
Launch & Original Service:
Launched on 22 June 1951, she was designed to transport both passengers and cargo to Africa.
Conversion to Cruise Ship:
In 1967, Chandris Lines purchased the ship. Her cargo holds were replaced with additional
cabins to increase capacity to about 920 passengers.
Pioneering Feature:
As the SS Amerikanis, she notably became one of the first passenger ships to feature a
television in every cabin.
Retirement & Scrapping:
She operated out of New York, Bermuda, and the Caribbean/Mediterranean.
After a long and successful career that included a lease to Costa Cruises, she was retired in
1996 and ultimately scrapped in Alang, India in 2001.