page seven: MS PHILIPPINES Ship Tour, ctd. Midships Upper Deck to Engine Room.

Although originally designed for the ship's cabin class clientele, the Visayas Saloon Room is one of the most elegant and impressive rooms onboard the MS PHILIPPINES. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1999.

The ship's galley is aft, and adjoins the former cabin class Dining Room, now the Visayas Saloon Room.

 

Lustrous paneling, original murals, furniture, and light fixtures have remained thankfully unaltered for fifty years. Left, a serving station with carved silhouettes of culinary images. Right, one of the bulkhead fixtures in detail. Photos and copyright Peter Knego 1999.

Here, carved mahogany paneling, richly polished wooden support beams, chairs, and cabinets mingle with backlit bronze and amber "teardrop" patterned bulkhead fixtures, pointed "breast-like" ceiling fixtures, and more quadrants of bronze portholes.

The forward Visayas Saloon Room mural, in a port-facing view. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1999.

The piece de resistance is the trio of hand painted cloth murals affixed to bulkheads (two forward and one aft), depicting scenes from early Roman life.

The Visayan Dining Room extension, shown facing starboard/aft. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1999.

The Visayan Dining Room extension occupies what was formerly the tourist class Lounge, Smoking Room, and Bar. Together with the Saloon Room, it holds 750 patrons. In 1998/1999, when the ship was still ASIAN PRINCESS, these public rooms were extended into the promenades on either side, their porthole quadrants merely "relocated" in the process.

The former tourist class writing room has been incorporated into the expanse of the Visayan Dining Room Extension, although its original features have been largely left intact. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1999.

The bulkheads that compartmentalized the area were removed, but key features were left intact: the Lounge's circular dome, crescent-shaped piano platform, and a splendid gold leaf, glass and wooden cabinet; the Smoking Room's descending wooden staircase; the shelves and desk in the Writing Room aft/starboard; and the sleekly curved wooden bar on the port side.

The wonderful former tourist class Bar, left unaltered in its mid-century deco magnificence. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1999.

Rich maroon carpeting is a new addition, but it works beautifully within its vintage surroundings. The fantail, which was under construction during our visit, now houses a Chinese restaurant and galley.

The former first class Foyer, shown facing starboard, is the MS PHILIPPINES' main entrance, where the visitor is immediately greeted with the rumble and aromas of a living ship. The vintage chairs and pronounced sheer are but a few of the original AUGUSTUS' features to indicate what lies ahead.

Foyer Deck (4) begins with crew accommodation, followed by the former first class Lobby.

The former cabin class Foyer shown in a starboard/forward view. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1999.

The midships accommodation is similar to that of Deck 5, leading aft to the former cabin class Foyer.

The Mindinao Dining Room, facing forward/port. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1999.

The 500 seat Mindinao Dining Room follows, with two large private dining areas and a large main hall with banquet-style seating. Intended for tourist class, it is more utilitarian than the other salons, but still features vintage paneling and cabinets. The fantail area contains mooring equipment and a workshop where old furnishings are repaired and restored.

A Deck (3) contains former tourist class cabins and the original tourist class foyer, which is being used for crew access.

B Deck (2) is devoted to more former tourist class cabins and the huge infirmary, which is made up of a series of sick bays (with original steel bunks), an operating theater, and a morgue. Antique medical equipment and left over medications from generations past made this a particularly interesting study at the time of our visit.

C Deck (3) has baggage rooms forward and more accommodation aft. During our visit, the crew was just beginning to refurbish these areas, which still contained Italia water bottles and glasses in addition to all of the timeworn soft furnishings.

The MS PHILIPPINES' engine room, facing forward. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1999.

Not only are the public areas, decks, and accommodation perfectly preserved, the MS PHILIPPINES' powerful diesels are still fully operational. Originally intended for the re engining of the prior AUGUSTUS of 1927, these twin 12 cylinder Fiat diesels date from 1938. At the time, they were the most powerful engines of their type, generating a remarkable 24,000 break horsepower (bhp), ultimately driving the ship's twin screws at a service speed of 21 knots. With the advent of the second world war and, ultimately, the destruction of the prior AUGUSTUS in 1944, they were kept in storage until being installed in the new ship.

Even the brass instrument panels in the MS PHILIPPINES' engine room are kept beautifully polished. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1999.

Although the MS PHILIPPINES does not carry passengers on cruises, she can sail with little notice. This is particularly useful in the advent of a typhoon, allowing the ship to leave the harbor for the relative safety of the high seas. It would not be too difficult to imagine her magnificent profile motoring under its own power back to the sanctuary of Genova....

Facing forward along the starboard shaft. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1999.

Our tour concludes just about as far down and aft as one can get on board this magnificent ship, just forward of her afterpeak in the starboard shaft alley.

Aft from the port wing, lit up like a former Italian Christmas tree. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1999.

A perfectly preserved, fully operational passenger ship from the early 1950s. One of only a handful left in this world of disposable heritage. Hopefully the forces that have kept the AUGUSTUS with us to this day will see that she continues to survive, despite dire economic and political challenges. Of the last ocean liners afloat, only the REMBRANDT (former ROTTERDAM of 1959) and MARGARITA L (former WINDSOR CASTLE of 1960) can match her magnificence, ton for vintage ton.

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