Sitmar Line
 |
|
| Public | |
| Industry | Transportation |
| Fate | Cruise ships (operational and in-build) acquired by P&O, 1988 |
| Founded | 1937 |
| Founder | Alexandre Vlasov |
| Defunct | 1988 |
| Headquarters | Monte Carlo, Monaco |
|
Area served
|
Europe Australasia North America Central America South America |
|
Key people
|
Boris Vlasov |
| Services |
Cargo Ships Tankers Migrant Ships Cruise Ships |
Sitmar Cruises and its predecessor Sitmar Line were company names derived from the acronym for the Societa Italiana Trasporti Marittimi (English: Italian Maritime Transport Company). SITMAR originally was an Italian shipping line founded by Russian émigré Alexandre Vlasov, however the company's headquarters were later transferred to Monaco. Vlasov initially operated cargo services from 1937, gradually replacing these with passenger services from 1947 until 1988, when SITMAR was sold to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O). After the sale, most of the former SITMAR ships were transferred to the fleet of P&O subsidiary Princess Cruises, while one, TSS Fairstar, became the sole vessel of the newly created P&O-Sitmar Cruises (later P&O Holidays). As of April 2014, one briefly named former SITMAR ship (Sitmar Fairmajesty) is still operational, as P&O Cruises Australia's Pacific Pearl. However, two other vessels originally ordered by SITMAR but delivered to P&O also currently operate from Australia, as Pacific Jewel and Pacific Dawn.
SITMAR began when Alexandre Vlasov carried coal in the Mediterranean, using two small cargo ships. During the Second World War, these ships were lost to the company. Vlasov restarted SITMAR after the war and slowly assembled a new fleet of passenger and cargo ships. SITMAR obtained contracts with the International Refugee Organisation (IRO) to take refugees from Europe to Australia and other nations.
SITMAR's first vessel to operate services to Australia was the Castelbianco. Amongst the many companies contracted to carry displaced people, SITMAR's vessels were noted for providing higher quality accommodation and food.
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