Flandre
Flandre - Carla C - Princess Carla - Carla Costa - Pallas Athena
 
 
This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the French Liner Flandre, later sold to Costa as their Carla C/Carla Costa, and chartered by them to Princess Cruises as Princess Carla. She ended her career as Epirotiki Lines' Pallas Athena, when she caught fire at Piraeus.
 
 
Ship Names on This Page:-
Carla C
Carla Costa
Flandre
Pallas Athena
Princess Carla
 
Associated Pages:-
French Line Page 7 - Post WW2 Postcard Galleries
Costa Line - Linea "C"
Princess Cruises
Epirotiki Lines
Royal Olympic Cruises
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards -
Simplon Postcards Home Page
 
 
 
Flandre (2)
(CGT: 1952-1968)
 
The Flandre and her sister Antilles were the first new large post-war French liners. They were both launched with white hulls in 1951, intended for the Caribbean service. The Antilles was actually launched 6 months before Flandre, but Flandre was completed first. During building it was decided to use her on the North Atlantic routes, so she entered service with a black hull.
 
 
This early French Line official card of Flandre shows her planned appearance with white hull.
She did receive a white hull in 1963 when she finally transferred to her designed route.
 
 
 
French Line official card of Flandre showing her as delivered with a black hull.
 
 
 
French Line official card of Flandre
 
 
 
French Line official card of Flandre
 
 
 
French Line official card of Flandre
 
 
 
French Line official card of Flandre
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Princess Carla
(Princess Cruises Charter: 1968-70)
 
This ship was originally the French Line's Flandre of 1951. Designed to operate on services to the Caribbean, she was modified during construction for services between le Havre and New York. She was not a successful ship with CGT, suffering boiler and turbine problems. In 1963, her hull was painted white and she switched to the West Indies service for which she was designed. Her last voyage was in January 1968, when she was bought by Costa Line and renamed Carla C. After a very major conversion, she was handed over to Costa Line service in November 1968. However, they had already chartered her to Princess Cruises, so she entered service with their colours from Los Angeles, being the first Princess Cruises ship to display the now famous logo on the funnel. Although marketed as Princess Carla, her official name remained Carla C throughout.
 
 
Princess Cruises card of Carla C/Princess Carla
 
 
 
Princess Cruises card of Carla C/Princess Carla
 
 
 
 
 
 
Carla C
(Costa: 1970-84)
 
In 1970, after the loss of Costa's Fulvia, the Princess Cruises charter was cancelled and Carla C finally received Costa colours, as shown in the three cards below. She operated Caribbean cruises until 1974, when boiler problems prompted Costa to re-engine her with diesels. Carla C then returned to Caribbean cruises. She received another major refit in 1984, but was sold to Epirotiki in 1992 becomming the Pallas Athena. Her life with them was short, since she was destroyed by fire in 1994.
 
 
Official Costa postcard of Carla C.
 
 
 
Official Costa postcard of Carla C.
 
 
 
Official Costa postcard of Carla C.
Scan: Ken Murayama.
 
 
 
Official Costa postcard of Carla C.
Now with extended exhaust pipe.
 
 
 
Official Costa postcard of Carla C.
Reissued as Carla Costa (see below).
 
 
 
A Costa art card of Carla C, from the Costa Liners set using paintings by Stephen J.Card.
Enlarged images of the complete set are shown on this link.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Carla Costa
(Costa: 1984-92)
 
Carla C was renamed Carla Costa in 1984.
 
 
The card above of Carla C, reissued as Carla Costa, with additional yellow hull riband.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pallas Athena
(Epirotiki: 1992-94)
 
Carla Costa was sold to Epirotiki in 1992, and renamed Pallas Athena. Her life with Epirotiki was short, since she was destroyed by fire in 1994.
 
 
Official Epirotiki cards of Pallas Athena.
 
 
 
Official Epirotiki cards of Pallas Athena.
 
 
 
Pallas Athena at Bordeaux on a Compa Carterie postcard (serial 334032). An enlarged view of the ship is shown below.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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