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Sitmar Cruises and its predecessor Sitmar Line were company names derived from the acronym for the Societa Italiana Trasporti Marittimi ((英語:Italian Maritime Transport Company)). SITMAR originally was an Italian shipping line founded by Russian émigré Alexandre Vlasov, however the company's headquarters were later transferred to Monaco. Vlasov initially operated cargo services from 1937, gradually replacing these with passenger services from 1947 until 1988, when SITMAR was sold to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O). After the sale, most of the former SITMAR ships were transferred to the fleet of P&O subsidiary Princess Cruises, while one, TSS Fairstar, became the sole vessel of the newly created P&O-Sitmar Cruises (later P&O Holidays). As of April 2014, one briefly named former SITMAR ship (Sitmar Fairmajesty) is still operational, as P&O Cruises Australia's Pacific Pearl.〔http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/sitmar.htm〕〔Ocean Village (ship)〕 However, two other vessels originally ordered by SITMAR but delivered to P&O also currently operate from Australia, as Pacific Jewel and Pacific Dawn. ==Company History== SITMAR began when Alexandre Vlasov carried coal in the Mediterranean, using two small cargo ships. During the Second World War, these ships were lost to the company. Vlasov restarted SITMAR after the war and slowly assembled a new fleet of passenger and cargo ships. SITMAR obtained contracts with the International Refugee Organisation (IRO) to take refugees from Europe to Australia and other nations. SITMAR's first vessel to operate services to Australia was the Castelbianco. Amongst the many companies contracted to carry displaced people, SITMAR's vessels were noted for providing higher quality accommodation and food. During the 1950s, SITMAR became a major passenger shipping company. It offered regular services between Europe and Australia for migrants and full-fare paying passengers. For several years, the company operated voyages between Europe, Central America and South America. Periodically SITMAR also engaged in the seasonal tourist trade between Europe, the United States and Canada. The Central and South America services also the North Atlantic summer services were abandoned by 1957. SITMAR then sold its nominally last cargo vessel, the reefer Fairsky (1), while other V companies such as Silver Line, Italpacific and the Alva Steamship Co maintained the group's extensive cargo ship and oil tanker operations. SITMAR then concentrated on passenger services between Europe and Australasia until the early 1970s, when it also began offering family-oriented cruises from North America, marketed as Sitmar Cruises. Briefly from 1972, in Australia SITMAR entered a line voyage marketing agreement with Shaw Savill Line, named Sea Travel Centres. However, this agreement was short-lived as both partners ceased regular circumnavigations in 1974. The name Sitmar Cruises was subsequently also used in Australia, offering full-time Sydney based cruises, with TSS Fairstar and Fairsky (2). In July 1988, Sitmar Cruises' name and ships were purchased by the P&O Group. In Australia, the operation was renamed P&O-Sitmar Cruises then in 1991 became P&O Holidays. That company's then only vessel TSS Fairstar was the most popular cruise ship sailing from Australia until 1997, when Fair Princess formerly Fairsea (2), replaced it. In turn this vessel was replaced in 2000 by Pacific Sky. The Vlasov Group, now renamed V-Ships, currently operates Silversea Cruises.〔http://www.rosenbergpub.com.au/handleProduct.asp?id=39&catid=2〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sitmar Cruises」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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