The Eagle’s introductory brochure covers all bases by calling her “the new cruise liner car ferry??? and, operating a Southampton-Lisbon-Tangier service, she sailed direct to some of the most fashionable holiday regions of the age. Algeciras in Southern Spain was later added to the schedule. The ship’s hull lines were designed by ferry specialists Knud E Hansen, and supposedly optimised for the Bay of Biscay whilst there was a noticeable bulwark aft of the mooring deck to keep the worst of the waves off the forward superstructure, a feature missing from the Eagle’s two half-sisters, Fred. Olsen’s Bolero and Paquet’s Massalia.
The passenger accommodation was rather intriguingly finished, much use being made of bold colours and vinyl wall coverings, with the Red Room Lounge Bar and the lime-green Panoramic Lounge particularly notable although the choice of a quite distracting paisley orange and green colour scheme in the ten cabins de luxe was maybe regrettable. The design ethos of architects George Trew Dunn however was perhaps the Eagle’s most long-standing contribution to the evolution of ferry design, the firm conceiving an almost “disposable??? interior which could be renewed every five or ten years rather than the “last for life??? attitude which had heretofore prevailed. Dismissing concerns as to how the most contemporary aspects would look in the long run, as they could be replaced, would supposedly enable interior design to be more “of the moment???, and, alas, just as quickly “of the past??? as the cycle of fashion moved round. None of which carried much weight with Design Magazine, the house magazine of the Council of Industrial Design, which quite scathingly commented that “good taste is not usually the top priority of the holiday maker, and though the architects have used the better furnishing firms available the mixture they have produced is at best entertaining, at worst restless and irritating. But … as the architects say, [it] can always be replaced.???
The Eagle managed to last just five seasons; the recessionary aftermath of the OPEC oil crisis in 1973 severely undermined traffic and she was sold to the Nouvelle Compagnie de Paquebots, already owners of her half-sister the Massalia, becoming their Azur. Like the flamboyant Sunward, which had crossed the Atlantic and become the first successful modern Miami cruise ship, securing a place as perhaps one of the World’s most influential passenger ships in the second half of the twentieth century, the Azur’s future lay in cruising, and she was permanently converted in 1981 with additional cabin accommodation on her former garage deck. Chartered to Chandris from 1987 to 1994, slightly renamed as ‘The Azur’, the ship retained this name for the subsequent decade operating for Festival Cruises. Since the latter’s’ demise in 2004 the ship, now the Royal Iris, has remained a familiar sight in mainstream Southern European cruise destinations, catering specifically for the Israeli market of operators Mano Maritime.
Fascinating Blog. I almost went down with the Eagle in Sept 1974, when she was hit by a freak wave in the Bay of Biscay.A tough old tub, she managed to right herself – bulkhead of 1st. class cabins dented in, engine room flooded as water poured down funnel, captain injured when he was thrown across the wheel house – we limped back to Falmouth to dry her out.
An unforgettable trip! – S
Interesting page. The ‘children’s room’ shows – I think – Jo Ball who was a nanny at this time. I had the privilege to enjoy 20 years marriage with this wonderful lady, before her tragic death, from Melanoma, in Dec. 2005.
She was the love of my life.
Can anyone add to or clarify the evidence of the picture, please.
I was chief officer and Master on Eagle and served for the whole five years until I took the ship to new owners in Marseille.I knew Jo well but looking at the picture It could be her.On the picture of the ship,s bridge I am the one in the background.After the Eagle finished all went vatious ways.I ended up in Dover.Sorry I cant be of further help.Looking at the whole site it would appear that they are publicity shots
I sailed on a round-trip mini-cruise aboard Eagle in 1973 as a 9-year old. We had sailed the previous year aboard Orsova and I guess Eagle was ‘a little different’. We managed to get the obligotary beat up in the Bay of Biscay in a Force 10 and ended up 12-hours or so late into Lisbon. Bad weather aside it was a great trip and I feel privalaged to have voyaged on such a significant (if largely forgotten) ship. By the way the photos of the playroom and the starboard side corridor are very familiar, another funny incident was my father lighting up his pipe in the cabin and an officer knocking at the door to see if there was a fire, it produced so much smoke.
I went on the Eagle twice as a child in 1973 and 1974. It was quite an experience and was the brave new world after holidays with a land ladies in Torquay. I remember the 1970’s chairs very well and it was so modern.
We were in a storm just before Christmas 1973 and i rember my brother and i being at the front of the ship just below the bridge when a wave hit the bow. We stood there as the wave which remained green came towards us and knocked us clean over and we ended up rolling about on the floor. I have no idea how high it was but we were thrown about like rag dolls. We got up and ran into ship only for my mother to go mad over the fact that we were in our new clothes for the holiday. She had no idea how close we came to being washed overboard!
Its a real shame this route is no longer in operation. I aways thought that the real holiday was the journey to and from Portugal. Great memories.
I would really like to communicate with chief officer John Robinson as I had a remarkable journey on the mv eagle in a January between tangiers and Lisbon where we all got a certificate to mark the storm we endured. I’d love to hear his memories of that voyage. Jeremy Hill
With refence to my entry 30.06 2010 ,the Captain in the picture was Gordon Renshaw who sadly passed away late in 2011 ,in his early 90,s
Eagle was indeed the first of her kind, certainly under the British flag. Her failure to keep the run going,apart from the fuel costs, was partly because she was ahead of the times and not enough passengers or freight travelled.
Looking at the first post from Sheilah Cardno, she was clearly, and probably just as well, not aware that the wave that caused the damage went over the top of the wheelhouse and smashed in the bridge windows, flooding the bridge and with all equipment except the engine controls out of action. Captain Renshawe was in the way of the flying glass and suffered a bad cut over his left eye.
I was the Chief Officer that voyage, and for the next eight hours the passage to Falmouth can only be described as an interesting experience in storm force 10 or worse, though thankfully now astern of us.
She was a well built ship and the fact that she is the last of the three sisters to be still working shows it. She was a happy ship, and many of those who sailed on her still meet up and remember those five years.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH! You can’t! Imagine how grateful I am for the photos of Eagle’s interior. This was the only ship on which I’ve ever traveled. I love ships from the steam liners till cruise ships from the 1970’s. I made the voyage Lisbon – Tangier – Lisbon in 1973, I was a teenager. I’ve only to photos on board because my relative’s camera crashed. Memories are fading from my mind made some of them come back. I’m going to copy those photos from the interior (I have form long a photo at sea). And keep them all in my cellphone.
I found “Eagle” very beautiful and find her actual painting very kitsch.
I find nowadays cruise ships very ugly; they look like a huge and stocky hotel over a sternless hull. Those times vessels were elegant. There are some (along with the now called Royal Iris) still travelling and I’de love to travel through the Mediterranean on one of this, but can’t afford it 🙁
I’m a member of Belfast Titanic Society and a Titanic enthusiast, along with Eagle. Thank you once again.
Forgive some missing letters and words. I’m writing from a cellphone.
I have many fond memories of the Eagle. I did the maiden voyage as a stewardess and continued to sail for a further two years. Happy days. Very sad to hear that Captain Renshawe passed away 2011. We used to call him Curly Renshawe. He was a wonderful captain and really enjoyed being with the crew below decks in the Pig & Whistle.
Happy memories. I remember taking a cruise back from Lisbon to Southampton in 1971 with my mother and her Triumph Spitfire. As a 9 year old, I was in love with the sea life and couldn’t wait to return. We booked a suite for the Spring of 1973 to go to Tangier and back. I was devastated when the cruise was cancelled due to engine problems. To soften the blow, my father booked us on an 11 day cruise around the Canaries on the Union Castle Reina Del Mar, which was most memorable, although no suite here – an inside berth with no loo!
I spent two happy years on ‘Eagle’ as Third Engineer. We worked our socks off to keep her going as her engines were the first of their size and type ond they broke down a lot but we played hard as well.
I well remember the week after ‘Eagle’ was damaged as per Barry Peck above – I was told to fill the fore peak ballast tank with sea water and shortly after I started pumping I had a call from a steward whose cabin was near the tank to say that he had just climbed out of his bunk and found himself standing in water! Barry Peck is rather modest as he took command of Eagle for a while aftr Curley Renshaw was injured and steered her on engines alons as the steering gear was out of action. for a while.
I should have pointed out that the water was coming from a large crack where the tank joined the hull and that this had obviously been caused by the impact of the wave. I should also have checked my spelling!
I was on the Eagle in the spring of 1973. Got caught in a hurricane. Massive amounts of damage and everything tied in the corners of lounge. I fell down the stairs and broke my foot. I still have newspaper cuttings and a few pictures of the damaged vehicles on the quay in Lisbon. Frozen peas and green paint I remember. Never been so terrified in my whole life. I was 17 and employed as a Nanny to a man and his two children.
Wow – please I found this site – I was about 9 when we sailed on the Eagle Southampton – Lisbon. I remember it running aground on a sandbank by the Needles, the wind in that Bay of Biscay and I won a hat competition and shook hands with the captain, he gave me a pen with the Eagle’s logo on it. Playing ping pong on deck and running around all over the place, trying to walk in the corridors when the ship was really going up and down ha-ha.
I have no idea how I have found this site but I’m so glad that I did – such memories! I was the ship’s plumber from April 72 until June 73 and had many adventures on board Eagle including 36 hrs in a hurricane off Cape Trafalgar when a huge wave came through the forward cabins in the middle of the night and myself and the ship’s carpenter (Albie Ackland) were wandering about in the dark with the ‘old man’ curly Renshaw stuffing mattresses in the port hole openings and attending to burst pipework etc. The next day a wave came down the funnels and stopped the engines and we all thought our number was up as we were ordered to stations and the passengers were assembled on the upper deck with life jackets on – ready to go! There was a rescue at sea that went badly wrong and all the A.B.’s (seamen) were trapped on the other ship unable to return and every spare crew member had to take over watch keeping duties and tying up the ship in Lisbon. Another rescue at sea involved picking up a german national who had his arm cut off in a winch – accident boat launched – helecopter rescue etc. Many nights in the Pig and Whistle and P.O.’s bar – runs ashore to the ‘Texas Bar’ in Lisbon – having a few beers with Kenneth Williams in a Tangiers beach bar!
Happy days – happy ship and soo Young!!
We travelled to Portugal regularly on the Eagle between her second voyage in 1971 and the revolution in April 1974. I was 9 years old the first time I went on the ship and I loved every minute of the adventure. There were a few teething troubles on board, including the time early one morning when a big wave caused the ship to roll and a load of the crockery fell off the shelves in the nearby kitchen. I also remember the engines breaking down and arriving a day late in Lisbon on one journey. I loved the entertainment on board and remember the ship’s hostesses very well. My parents enjoyed the Panoramic Bar at the top of the ship (only open in the daytime) where the barman would mix all sorts of fabulous, colourful cocktails. On one journey in 1973 I was asked to to take part in a publicity photo shoot for the ship with a little girl of similar age on board (I was 12 then). In ‘payment’ I was given a model car (the door fell off) and a certificate from Captain Renshawe which I still have. Sadly I don’t think that the photos were ever used as the ship was taken off the route to Lisbon afte the revolution. I still have all the brochures for the Eagle (and some for the Azur as she became after she was sold on in 1975) and have very fond memories of our journeys to and from Portugal. Some of the photos above came from the brochures but it is good to see others of the red room, the Panoramic Bar and the corridor that led to the Aquila Restaurant. I used to sit in the windows there watching the sea go by. I see that the ship, now renamed the MS Royal Iris, is for sale for 7 million USD. Could this be the end for the MV Eagle after 45 years of service?
PS My parents would only dine in the Aquila Restaurant and used to kick up a big fuss if they were allocated a table in the Garden Restaurant.
What memories of my first posting in 1972 after leaving Gravesend training college spent over 12months on her as assistant steward
I have a Welsh Woollen blue tweed jacket that I think I bought in the early 1970’s in the shop on board the Eagle, the car ferry from Southampton to Lisbon. It is still in perfect condition and people frequently comment on it.
Awful memories of sailing to Lisbon with our parents probably before Christmas 71, storm all night, everyone called for a drill in the morning, many unable to make it. People falling and being sick. One stabiliser gone and at slower speed wallowing in high seas, hideous. Arrived into Lisbon 6 hrs late and were flown home after holiday.
Swore I’d never cross the Bay of Biscay again.
I joined the Eagle as a steward, coming off the S.S.Canberra, 45.000 tons to 11.500 tons, everything seemed smaller apart from the waves. I too fondly remember Captain Renshaw and the night the bridge got clattered.To the rear of the Aquila Restaurant were I worked, port and starboard were french doors onto an outside deck,out of bounds to passengers in heavy weather but not to me. Looking up at torrents of airborne spray passing high over the funnels, having broken from the bow, and landing in the sea behind us then looking over from the back rail, where for a moment you could almost touch the sea but then you rose and rose until you could see a propeller turning slowly in thin air. It was a breathtaking experience. I was amazed to read that she was for sale as late as 2016 but then she was a brave little ship.
I was a photographer on this ship for a few trips. I remember the storm of 1974 well. One voyage a crane broke loose in the car deck and smashed up some cars, force 8 I believe. Next was the worst storm I’ve ever been in, possibly off the chart. All the windows on the bridge taken out along with the first class cabin windows below.
The captain had to borrow my display screens to fill the gaps where the bridge windows had been.
Several of us were asked to keep the passengers entertained while we diverted to Falmouth. We weren’t making any headway and would probably have gone under if not for Captain Renshaw. Remarkable seamanship to turn us around. I left the ship after that voyage.
I was the master who took EAGLE to Marseille wherewas name AZUR in1975.She carried this name untilAug 2008.She was aquired by Mano Marine of Panama.She seems to cruised fromHaifa for the next few yearsaround the Eastern Med.At some time she was laid up in greek portCHALKIS, and I feared the worst.It appears that in Jan 2017 her owner appears to be Russian Federation and renamed KNYAZ VLADIMIRand appeared to have runSOCHI toSEVASTOPOL.A 350 miles trip.My latest info says she is laid up in the later port since Sept 2017.It is niceto think that since entering service on18th May 1971 she is still afloat after 52 years later.I was only 32 at the time.
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Further to my previous blog, the following web site is a good record of the Eagles goings on
http://www.faktaomfartyg. se .I belive itis Swedish.
To all my old ship mates I send my best wishes, they were happy days.
Earlier Martin Baker was enquiring about the lady in the playroom.I blew the picture up I am 99 per cent certain that it was not Jo, another lady who if memoryserve correct was one of the directors daughter
What a fascinating site! We lived in Portugal in the early 70s and in the summer of ’74 went back to the UK on holiday, sailing on the good ship Eagle. I don’t think we had any bad weather on the trip but I certainly do remember the stories of what happened on other trips.
Amazingly, it appears that the Eagle is still in business, now called Knyaz Vladimir (Prince Vladimir) and is playing a part in Mr Putin’s politics for the Black Sea area.
http://forumyalta.com/news/119/?langswitch=en
https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/16722-new-russian-cruise-line-to-start-in-june-in-the-black-sea.html
http://cruisebruise.com/Cruise/Laws/News/New_Russian_Cruise_Ship_Ukraine_Crimea_Itinerary_Planned.html
I have very happy memories of travelling on the Eagle with my parents and Nan as a 3 or 4 year old, around 1973. I remember on one occasion my nan insisted I go on the rocking horse in the play room, against my wishes, and I was subsequently violently sick all over her new dress! Despite this, I can remember lovely family times around the pool and other areas. Seeing some of the photos makes me feel quite nostalgic.
Very pleased to have found this site and read all the interesting stories! When I was age 10 my family moved to Portugal to farm in the Altentejo. Quite an experience in those days! We travelled to Lisbon on the Eagle, along with all our possessions including tractors & farm equipment, plus our family pets, two dogs and two horses (well one horse Lady, and our pony Billy). It was the beginning of a fantastic adventure and I have very fond memories of the Eagle, including the wonderful food & dining experience in the two restaurants. I remember waltzing on the dance floor with my lovely Dad, who has sadly passed away since. Happy times!
For anyone interested in how the Eagle looks today now she is the Knyaz Vladimir there are some great photos on this website:
https://sputniknews.com/photo/201706151054648299-knyaz-vladimir-cruise-ship/
And there some more rather alarming information here:
http://maritimebulletin.net/2017/06/16/russian-black-sea-cruises-putin-style/
Like Kate Baxter in the spring of 73 on board with my husband and 2 young children in the same force 12 hurricane in the bay of biscay for 2 nights. Our Volkswagen caravanette took 3 weeks to repair in Lisbon so we could travel on to Spain. Remembered the spilled paint on the car deck , and the British press who reported the SS Eagle limped intonLisbon harbour. Been sea sick ever since,
6th May.further to my previous blog the old Eagle now under Russian owners has resumed service between Sochi and Sevastopol, she soldiers on.It would be interesting to hear how she fareing and what her condition is like and what is she like to travel on.Regards to all my old ship mates
Just had a natter with an old P&O pal of mine who was the last Captain of Oriana on her handover trip to the Japanese. We were both on Oriana during the seventies and he was wondering when the Eagle big wave occurred because Oriana hove to. So I googled and found this website very interesting, I was on secondment from Passenger Division for the whole of August 1975 as RO with Dave Atkinson.
I traveled from Lisbon to Southampton in January, 1972 through 40 foot waves in the Bay of Biscaye- ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic’.
The ship had been in dry dock at S’hampton for 3 months and this was to be the last sailing of the season. As it turned out, it seemed it would be its last sailing EVER!
‘Eagle’ didn’t get more than 100 yards from the dock when the engines failed, causing the ship to drift back, hit the wharf and smashed a hole in the starboard side. Even with the holed hull, she again got underway around midnight. They set the ship’s stabilizers to sail at a portside angle to the mountainous waves (in an effort to keep the starboard side hole above wave level!) all the way to Lisbon. For more details, check my ‘ship’s log’ about the highly adventurous journey here:
http://www.webjam2.com/drewdrewit/kkdhs50s/kkdhs_ships_log
One of the more hair-raising events of my entire life! And would not have missed it for the world!
Would anyone like a 1970s brochure and Welcome Aboard information leaflet for the Eagle Southampton-Lisbon-Tangier? A lot of the images from the brochure are on this blog, but the real versions are very interesting.
Re THE EAGLE she has resumed her sailings, she is
now 47 years old, a tribute to french ship construction.
Incidentally I was overlooking Dover Port the other dayfrom th National trust facility , sadly it has lost its
bussle of ship movements , there seems to be no haste in the Western Docks development .
I love your testimonies on board the MS Eagle.
Do they have photos to send me? in particular from Lisbon?
Thank you, for your attention.
Best regards
I love your testimonies aboard the Eagle.
Do they have photos to send me? in particular from Lisbon?
Thank you for your attention
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cruise.ferry.madeira/
pjmelichfarinha@sapo.pt
I took the round trip cruise in February 1971 or 2 (memory blurred)with my former husband. We loved everything about it apart from suffering terrible sea sickness in the Bay of Biscay along with most if the other passengers and crew. I felt very sophisticated playing roulette in the casino until one night when the groupies had raked in my bet I fainted dead away. The other players in true British fashion just carried on playing maybe thinking I’d just lost a fortune. A very large ge tleman helped me to my feet….it was Willie Rushton the t.v.personality who had been betting next to me. Incidentally there were no ‘chips’ in the casino and people played with cash.I had only lost about 2 shillings and had fainted due to the heat and alcohol! We danced every night in the disco. I was 22 years old. Such lovely memories. How nice to find this site and be able to share them. Thank you
Haha! Reading through the comment I left at silly o clock this morning I see I said it was 1971 or 2 when I should have said February 1973. Also predictive text has changed croupier into groupies which makes for strange reading!
Now Im actually awake and looking at everything again I’m surprised there isn’t a photo of the casino – but it was great to see the other pictures especially as a few years ago our house was flooded and I lost a lot of very old photos forever.
Does anyone remember Capt Ian Leggatt – he was master on my only Eagle trip when as a young teenager I teamed up with some other pax and we got second prize in the fancy dress …possibly as there were only a couple of teams who could remain upright in the ‘Bay. It was the trip before the crane incident and a bit bumpy.
I am just digitising our family photos and have some of Eagle which is how I came to this site. I’d be happy to share them if I can have a link.
A happy ship – perhaps marketed ahead of her time. Glad she is still in service.
Ross
Capt john here again.Eagle news.She is now called KNYAZ VLADMIR.She has been la id up in
NOVOROSSIYSK ,(Black Sea )for the past 47 days.Is this the end? Now 47 years old.Seasons greetings to all who sailed on her.Robbie
I have original pictures of damage
My brother, P.E. Webb was purser on Eagle. I remember a wonderful cruise on her with my parents back in the early 70s. I have a photo shaking hands with you, Robbie! Happy days!
My first and only cruise was aboard the Eagle, aged 8 with my grandparents.
I was violently ill as we left Southampton and we went to Portugal, Spain and Morocco.
I remember crying my eyes out when my grandmother turned me into a witch for the fancy dress competition – I wanted to be a good witch, but she?d plastered me (and my teddy bear ?cat?) with black make up. I came second to an organ grinder and her monkey – I believe her name was Toni.
Good memories (apart from Teddy, who never recovered).
I worked with David Strange when he came to Townsend Thoresen as Second Mate at Felixstowe, he was ex-EAGLE. Does Capt John remember him? Dave stayed with us becoming Master eventually, now retired like the rest of us. Thank you HHVFerry for a really good bio of this ship. Have you done any work on Stena’s Searunners of 1977/78? Best Wishes.
It was 50 years ago this month that I travelled at the age of ten from Southampton to Lisbon on the Eagle. My first ever voyage, I was in awe of her size and appearance.
My cousin and I shared room 533 on ?C? deck. The trip was very smooth across biscay going out but six weeks later on the return trip, the bay?s swells were scary to say the least. I discovered that my sea legs weren?t so great after all lol.
I?m grateful for this page as I always wondered if the Eagle was still in service.