"GUGLIELMO MARCONI" converted into a full-time cruise ship

"MARCONI" and her twin sister "GALILEO GALILEI" were very successful ships until 1973 on the migrant trade, after the decrease in passenger numbers travelling by sea and the oil-crisis,the sisters were doomed, everything has been done to keep them in service but eventually they were both withdrawn from Liner services, "MARCONI" was loaned for a short period of time to ITALIA LINE from January 1976 to May of 1977 to be used on the Europe/River Plate route, the "GALILEO" was kept in service until end of March of 1977. By April of 1977 both ships were laid-up near Genoa Airport. In 1978 Italia Crociere, a company owned by ITALIA NAVIGAZIONE chartered the ships for cruising, they were both given extensive refits, the "MARCONI" was sent to New York in December of 1978 an attempt to revive Italian Cruising in North America, "GALILEO GALILEI" started cruising for I.C.I. in March of 1979 mainly in European waters. After spending 14 years as Transatlantic Liners the former Lloyd Triestino sisters were now cruising full-time. Photo above of GUGLIELMO MARCONI copyright Luis Miguel Correia