SS Canberra SS " Canberra " was an ocean liner , which later operated on cruises , in the P & O fleet from 1961 to 1997 . She was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast , Northern Ireland at a cost of £17 , 000 , 000 . The ship was named on 17 March 1958 , after the federal capital of Australia , Canberra . She was launched on 16 March 1960 , sponsored by Dame Pattie Menzies , GBE , wife of the then Prime Minister of Australia , Robert Menzies . She entered service in May 1961 , and made her maiden voyage starting in June . In the 1982 Falklands War she served as a troop ship . History . Early career . P & O commissioned " Canberra " to operate the combined P & O - Orient Line service between the United Kingdom and Australia . The arrival of the jet airliner had already caused a drop in demand for this service ; a reduction in emigration to Australia and wars forcing the closure of the Suez Canal saw the route become unprofitable . However a refit in 1974 saw " Canberra " adapted to cruising . Unusually , this transition from an early life as a purpose built ocean liner to a long and successful career in cruising , occurred without any major external alterations , and with only minimal internal and mechanical changes over the years . One of her public rooms included a ' Cricketers Tavern ' , which contained a collection of bats and ties from cricket clubs all over the world ; she also had the William Fawcett reading / writing room , named after the engine designer of early P & O ships . Like and that she replaced on the Tilbury – Brisbane route , " Canberra " had turbo - electric transmission . Instead of being mechanically coupled to her propeller shafts , " Canberra " s steam turbines drove large electric alternators that provided current for electric motors that , in turn , drove the vessel ' s twin screws . They were the most powerful steam turbo - electric units ever installed in a passenger ship ; at " per " shaft , they surpassed ' s on each of her four shafts . This would give her a speed of about . She also had a bow propeller for maneuvering in port and docking maneuvers . She was also the first British passenger liner to use alternating current as power . There are several operational and economical advantages to such electrical de - coupling of a ship ' s propulsion system , and it has become a standard element of cruise ship design in the 1990s , over 30 years after " Canberra " entered service . However , diesel engine and gas turbine driven alternators are the primary power source for most modern electrically propelled ships . She also had a bulbous bow , two sets of stabilizers , and two funnels side - by - side . The lifeboats , which were made from glass fibre , were placed 3 decks lower than usual for ships of her type , and were recessed into the hull to allow improved view from the passenger decks . Falklands War . On 2 April 1982 , Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands , which initiated the Falklands War . At the time , " Canberra " was cruising in the Mediterranean . The next day , her captain Dennis Scott - Masson received a message asking his time of arrival at Gibraltar , which was not on his itinerary . When he called at Gibraltar , he learnt that the Ministry of Defence had requisitioned " Canberra " as use as a troopship . " Canberra " sailed to Southampton , Hampshire where she was quickly refitted , sailing on 9 April for the South Atlantic . Nicknamed the Great White Whale , " Canberra " proved vital in transporting the Parachute Regiment and Royal Marines to the islands more than from the United Kingdom . While the was held to be too vulnerable to enter the war zone , " Canberra " was sent to the heart of the conflict . " Canberra " anchored in San Carlos Water on 21 May as part of the landings by British forces to retake the islands . Although her size and white colour made her an unmissable target for the Argentine Air Force , " Canberra " , if sunk , would not have been completely submerged in the shallow waters at San Carlos . However , the liner was not badly hit in the landings as the Argentine pilots tended to attack the Royal Navy frigates and destroyers instead of the supply and troop ships . After the war , Argentine pilots claimed they were told not to hit " Canberra " , as they mistook her for a hospital ship . " Canberra " then sailed to South Georgia , where 3 , 000 troops were transferred from " Queen Elizabeth 2 " . They were landed at San Carlos on 2 June . When the war ended , " Canberra " was used to repatriate captured Argentine soldiers , landing them at Puerto Madryn , before returning to Southampton to a rapturous welcome on 11 July . Captain Scott - Masson , who had started his apprenticeship on the Shaw , Savill & Albion Line troopship in the late 1940s , was awarded a CBE and made an Aide - de - Camp to Her Majesty The Queen . Final years . After a lengthy refit , " Canberra " returned to civilian service as a cruise ship . Her role in the Falklands War made her very popular with the British public , and ticket sales after her return were elevated for many years as a result . Age and high running costs eventually caught up with her though , as she had much higher fuel consumption than most modern cruise ships . She was withdrawn from service in September 1997 and sold to ship breakers for scrapping , leaving for Gadani ship - breaking yard , Pakistan the next month . She did not give up without a fight however ; her deep draft meant that she could not be beached as far as most ships , and due to her solid construction the scrapping process took nearly a year instead of the estimated three months .