Arrested ship's link to 1956 tragedy

摘要

One of the five cruise vessels arrested last month when the Portuguese owner Classic International Cruises ran into financial difficulties was involved in the passenger ship sector's most infamous postwar incident. Athena, now somewhat altered structurally, began life in 1948 as Swedish American Lines' Stockholm. On the foggy night of 26 July 1956, Stockholm ploughed into the starboard side of the pride of the Italian fleet, Andrea Dona, then just three years old. More than 50 people died in the incident, mostly aboard the Italian vessel. At the time, the Andrea Doria represented the state of the art in passenger ship design and construction with a double hull and more than sufficient lifeboats for all on board.