Launched February 17, 1954 by Lady Churchill. Completed the following August with her maiden voyage September 2, Liverpool to Montreal. She was the first of four sister ships known as the "Saxonia Class" built for the North Atlantic, England to Canada service. June 19, 1957 she commenced her first Southampton to Montreal sailing. The service switched again to Liverpool to New York in April 1961.

With falling passenger traffic on the North Atlantic she and her sister IVERNIA (1955) were refitted as cruise ships. During 1962 she returned to her builders, John Brown & Co. at Clydebank, for dramatic reconstruction (which included the replacement of the cargo holds with passenger accommodation). Remeasured at 22,592 GRT, her hull and superstructure were repainted in several shades of green like the famous CARONIA of 1948. Full air-conditioning throughout and bathroom facilities were added to the tourist cabins. A lido area with a heated kidney shaped pool was added aft, surrounded by a sun terrace sheltered by glass screens. Accommodation for 117 first, and 764 tourist class passengers. She was renamed CARMANIA and sailed on her first voyage from Rotterdam to Montreal April 8, 1963, cruising from Florida to the Caribbean in the winter. In 1967 she was painted white, and in 1969 became all one class with accommodations for 929 passengers.

On January 12, 1969 she ran aground on a sandbar during a Caribbean cruise from Port Everglades. Her passengers were transferred to the Italian Liner FLAVIA (ironically the 1947-built former Cunarder MEDIA) for a voyage back to Miami, CARMANIA was stuck for five days then sailed to Newport News, Virginia for inspection. A month later she was back in service while an enquiry proved the Admiralty chart to be at fault. Three months later she was in a collision with the Russian ship FRUNZE on May 11, but neither ship suffered serious damage. In 1970 she was registered in Southampton and it was clear that she and her renamed sister FRANCONIA were in need of a refit. British yards were approached but instead both ships were laid up for sale in Southampton. In 1972 they were moved to the River Fal in Cornwall. Bought by Nikreis Maritime Corp, Panama in August 1973 which acquired her for the Soviet State Shipping Company.

LEONID SOBINOV at sea with original hammer and sickle livery. Peter Knego collection.

She was renamed LEONID SOBINOV (after a famous Russian actor) and chartered to British-based CTC Lines. Following a refit by by Swan Hunter at South Shields, her first voyage as LEONID SOBINOV from Southampton to Sydney commenced on February 25, 1974. She then cruised Australian Waters and made occasional UK to Australia voyages. This segment of her career ended when Australia banned Russian ships from their ports in December 1979 after Soviet troops invaded Afganistan. She and her sister FEDOR SHALYAPIN were next rumored to have sailed to Vladivostock. Later used for trooping between Cuba and Angola. In 1989, LEONID SOBINOV was given a refit and mechanical overhaul which saw much of her original furnishing and paneling replaced. In 1990, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, she was registered at Malta, spending her final active years on low-budget Mediterranean service.

S.S. LEONID SOBINOV at Iliychevsk, Ukraine, July 1997. Photo and copyright by Peter Knego