MS Augustus (1952)

MS Philippines, was a floating hotel and restaurant at Manila.
History
Name:	1952–1976: Augustus 1976–1980: Great Sea 1980–1983: Ocean King 1983–1985: Philippines 1985–1987: President 1987–1999: Asian Princess 1999–2011: M/S Philippines, 2011-Onwards Philippine.
Namesake:	Emperor Augustus (original name)
Owner:	1952–1976: Italian Line 1976–1999: Various Hong Kong-based companies 1999–2011: Manila Hotel 2011–present Alang India ship scrappers.
Port of registry:	1952–1976: Genoa, Italy 1976–197?: Unknown,  Seychelles 197?–1980: Unknown,  Panama 1980 onwards?: Unknown,  Philippines
Builder:	Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico, Trieste, Italy
Yard number:	1757
Launched:	19 November 1950
Maiden voyage:	4 March 1952, Genoa to South America via Naples and Gibraltar
Out of service:	1987
Fate:	Sold for scrap in 2012
Status:	Scrapped
General characteristics
Type:	1952–1976: Passenger / cargo ocean liner 1956–2000: Passenger ship 2000 onwards: Onshore hotel
Tonnage:	27,090 GRT
Length:	207 m / 681 ft
Beam:	26.6 m / 87.2 ft
Draught:	8.5 m / 28 ft
Installed power:	Two 12-cylinder FIAT diesels developing 27,000 BHP
Propulsion:	twin screws
Speed:	Service speed: 21 knots Top speed: 23.3 knots
Capacity:	Until 1964: First: 178, Cabin: 288, Tourist: 714 From 1964: First: 180, Tourist: Approx 1,000
Crew:	493

MS Augustus was a 27,090 GRT, luxurious ocean liner built in 1950 for Italian Line. She was the sister ship to MS Giulio Cesare that was launched in the same year. These two ships were built to the same design, with similar specifications. After the Augustus was sold to Hong Kong, she sailed under five names. The ship was later sold to Manila Hotel and renamed MS Philippines, functioning as a static hotel. As reported by both Maritimematters, and ssmaritime, the MS Philippines, was sold for scrap in September 2011. As of December 2011, she was beached in Alang for scrapping.

After the end of World War II, the Italian Line lost many of their fleet including their two super liners, SS Rex and SS Conte di Savoia, so they planned to build two 27,000 GRT ocean liners for post war service to replace them. Giulio Cesare and Augustus were impression of power and beauty with fat and round bows, curved superstructures, modern masts, enormous funnel, and graceful sterns. Her external beauty restrained to the most canvassing standards with pleasingly sculptured bridge wings, an evocative nape at the aft funnel base, and even a trademark ventilator aft of the funnel that earned nicknamed the "robot" for its extraordinary shape. These two ships were one of the Italian post war ships. The ship had twin 12-cylinder Fiat diesel engines, generating 24,000 base horsepower (bhp) that drove her twin screws at a service speed of 21 knots. Both ships were designed to sail on the Italy-South America route, run with three classes. Both ships' interior were designed to have full air conditioning and swimming pools for each of three classes to make the ships looked like a luxurious hotel and to be the symbol of modern technology.

The Augustus was launched on November 9, 1950 at the Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, San Marco shipyard near Trieste, by Francesca De Gasperi (the wife of the Italian Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi). On March 4, 1952, she sailed from Genoa to South America on her maiden voyage. She was put in a normal route from Genoa, calling at Naples, Cannes, Barcelona (or Lisbon), Rio de Janeiro, Santos and Montevideo, to Buenos Aires. Following the loss of the SS Andrea Doria in 1956, she was put into the North Atlantic service in February 1957 before returning to her usual Genoa-South America route in 1960 after the new SS Leonardo da Vinci was in service on the North Atlantic route. She and her sister were converted to two classes, which the cabin class was removed. Like her sister, the ship was given a refit; however, these two ships were given a similar addition, which made them still look the same as each other.