The greatest post-war trend-setter in liner design was Shaw Savill Line's 20,203-ton Southern Cross, which entered service in 1955 on the Southampton to Australia route.

Nearly half a century later the ship, now named OceanBreeze, is still in service, based in Florida and undertaking short cruises to the Bahamas.

Back in the 1950s she was considered a most unusual looking liner, with a mast just behind the bridge and a short single funnel set well aft.

For the first time in a big passenger liner, engine room and boilers were also installed aft. Further, the ship had no cargo holds, which enabled the company to provide some excellently-designed public rooms.

Built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast, the ship was launched by the Queen on August 17, 1954.

The new liner arrived in Southampton in March 1955 and at a reception she was described as being "tailored for the needs of tomorrow.'' She was also said to be a "star turn'', a reference to the fact that she was named after a constellation in the southern hemisphere.

The first three outward voyages were fully booked before Southern Cross went into service, an indication of the considerable interest taken in the liner by the travel trade and the public.

There were 1,600 passengers for the maiden voyage to Australia and New Zealand. Outward calls were made at Trinidad, Curacao, Panama, Tahiti and Fiji and the liner returned home via South African ports and Las Palmas.

The early 1970s were a testing time for many liners with the explosive rise in fuel costs. Shaw Savill were faced with this in addition with the prospect of heavy expenditure on Southern Cross to enable her to comply with new regulations, particularly in the US market.

It was felt that with changing trends in passenger traffic this expenditure was unjustified. In May 1971, Southern Cross was withdrawn and laid up for 15 months in the River Fal.

The vessel then passed into the hands of a number of operators until finally she was purchased by Imperial Majesty Cruise Line in May 2000.