MV Munster (1947)

For other ships with the same name, see Orpheus (ship) and MV Munster (1937).

MV Orpheus was a cruise ship launched on 25 March 1947 and completed on 17 January 1948 by the shipyard Harland and Wolff in Belfast as Munster for B&I Line. It replaced the earlier Munster, built in 1938, which sank in 1940.

MV Orpheus

MV Orpheus docked at Prince Rupert, B.C in October 1970
History
Name	MV Munster
Builder	Harland & Wolff
Launched	25 March 1947
Completed	17 January 1948
Fate	Commissioned by B&I Line
Name	MV Munster
Owner	B&I Line
Acquired	1948
Fate	Transferred to Epirotiki Lines
Name	MV Theseus
Owner	Epirotiki Lines
Acquired	1969
Decommissioned	1998
Renamed	MV Orpheus (c.1970)
Stricken	2000
Identification	IMO number: 5243762
Fate	Decommissioned and Scrapped
General characteristics
Tonnage	5,078 tonnes GRT
Length	110 metres (360 ft)
Speed	15 knots
Capacity	1,500; later, 372
Crew	105

By 1967, the ship, onto which cars were loaded by crane, began to look dated compared to newer ships of the roll-on/roll-off variety. It was sold in 1969 to Epirotiki Lines.

It was renamed Theseus for about a year before being given its final name, Orpheus. Epirotiki overhauled the ship for two years to bring it in line with market conditions, reducing its capacity for passengers from 1,500 to 372 while increasing passenger comfort, adding a pool and redesigning the cabins.

Orpheus was relocated to the Americas where it sailed in Alaska, Mexico, and Panama for about one year. It was then relocated to Greece and operated in the Mediterranean.

In 1974, the cruise line Swan Hellenic chartered the ship. Despite its age, Orpheus was very popular with British passengers, but by the mid-1980s it became difficult for the ship to hide its age. Swan Hellenic replaced it with Minerva. Orpheus was decommissioned in 1998 and scrapped in 2000.