Canadian Pacific's final transatlantic liner, the third Empress of
Canada was built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Walker-on-Tyne. Launched in
May 1960, she took her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Montréal on 24
April 1961. Throughout her career, Empress of Canada was used for
cruising as well as transatlantic service, and in March 1970 she became
Canadian Pacific's only surviving transatlantic liner, when Empress of England
was withdrawn from service and sold. Even so, she made only 13 Atlantic
crossings a year, spending the winters on cruises. Ultimately, on 7
November 1971, Empress of Canada made Canadian Pacific's final
transatlantic sailing, a Liverpool-Montréal roundtrip that ended on 23
November.
She was then sold to Ted Arison's Carnival Cruise
Line, becoming Carnival's first ship, Mardi Gras. She has subsequently
gone through several other owners and name changes, most recently
serving as Royal Olympic's Apollon. She is currently laid up, having
been at Piraeus, Greece, since November 2002.
