Athena

The Athena began her long career as the Swedish-built passenger/cargo vessel Stockholm, achieving tragic fame after a collision with the Andrea Doria in Atlantic fog. Over decades of service, she operated under nine different names before emerging as a boutique cruise ship following a $150 million refit in 1994.

Early History as Stockholm

During her time as Stockholm, the vessel was involved in one of maritime history's most dramatic incidents when she collided with the Andrea Doria in thick Atlantic fog. In a remarkable story from this tragedy, a sleeping child was reportedly thrown from her bunk on one vessel onto the deck of the Stockholm, where she was found wandering alone, dazed and shocked. The Andrea Doria sank with considerable loss of life, with both captains being equally blamed for the disaster.

Service History and Transformations

The vessel operated under multiple names:

Volkerfreundschaft (1960-1985)
Volker (1985-1986)
Fridtjof Nansen (1986-1993)
Italia 1 (1993)
Italia Prima (2000)
Valtur Prima (2003)
Caribe (2005)
Athena (2005-onwards)

In 1994, the ship underwent a major $150 million renovation and conversion from a cargo/passenger vessel to a dedicated cruise ship.

Modern Operations

By 2008/9, Athena was operating boutique cruises for Australian passengers from Fremantle during the southern summer. Her inaugural South Australian voyage covered 313 nautical miles, visiting Kangaroo Island, Port Lincoln, and Thistle Island. The routing recalled memories of the historic vessel Moonta's Gulf Trip service. Future plans included a circumnavigation of Tasmania.

Key Facts