STOCKHOLM / VOLKERFREUNDSCHAFT / ITALIA PRIMA / VALTUR PRIMA

BUILT IN 1946 IN GOTHENBURG AT THE GOTAVERKEN SHIP YARD, FOR THE SWEDISH AMERICAN LINE. SHE WAS COMPLETED AND STARTED SERVICE IN 1948 SAILING BETWEEN SCANDINAVIA AND NEW YORK / HALIFAX. LEAVING NEW YORK ON JULY 25TH 1956 IN FOG SHE RAN INTO THE ANDREA DORIA WHO WAS MAKING HER WAY INTO NEW YORK .ANDREA DORIA BEGAN TO SINK AND SURVIVORS WERE TAKEN ONBOARD STOCKHOLM AND THE  NEARBY ILLE DE FRANCE. ANDREA DORIA SANK THE NEXT MORNING. STOCKHOLM WAS TAKEN INTO A BROOKLYN SHIP YARD AND HER BOW DAMAGE REPAIRED, A TASK WHICH TOOK FIVE MONTHS. IN 1959 STOCKHOLM WAS SOLD TO THE E.GERMAN GOVERNMENT AND USED AS A WORKERS HOLIDAY CRUISE VESSEL, SHE WAS RE-NAMED 'VOLKERFREUNDSCHAFT'. IN 1985 SHE WAS SOLD TO AN ITALIAN COMPANY WHO TOTALLY REBUILT HER, ENGINES AND ALL AND RE-NAMED HER 'ITALIA PRIMA'.SHE IS STILL AFLOAT TO DAY AND STILL OWNED BY THE ITALIANS AND IS NAMED 'VALTUR PRIMA', SHE DOES CRUISES AROUND THE CARIBBEAN.