A grand old lady passed away earlier this year. She was just 63 years old, sleek and elegant, a classic beauty and much loved by everyone who knew her.

11,879 gross registered tons, she could carry 530 passengers and a crew of 215. She was the fastest and largest liner operating in the Mediterranean at that time.

This great Italian liner plied the seas giving much enjoyment to countless thousands of holiday makers from around the world.

What attracted many to this ship is the fact that she is a true vintage cruise ship that provided that something special that only a classic ship can, yet she had all the modern facilities that are available on other newer cruise ships.

The Ausonia was built especially for Adriatica Lines Trieste-Egypt-Lebanon service by Cantieri Riuniti dell’ Adriatico, Monfalcone. She was launched on 5 August, 1956 and delivered to Adriatica Lines on 23 September, 1957, and commenced her duties early the next month.

Her regular ports of call were Trieste, Venice, Brindisi, Alexandria, Beirut, Alexandria (Piraeus), Bari and Venice.

When built it is said that she was a “ship of advanced design featuring a contemporary style of accommodation and furnishings. She was the largest and fastest liner operating in the Mediterranean at that time.

The Esperia on the other hand, though a smaller and older vessel being completed in 1949, was an equally enjoyable cruise liner.

The Esperia was scrapped in 1973. As for the Ausonia, she was refitted and extended a number of times, transferred to new owners and twice given a new name but she remained a holiday cruise ship until quite recently.

Sadly though she was eventually decommissioned, laid-up, sold off and shipped to India for scrapping in March 2010. Arrivederci Ausonia!

This article first appeared in http://thriftytraveller.wordpress.com