As the three ships showed signs of needing major refits, Lloyd Triestino decided instead to withdraw the three vessels and replace them with two much larger vessels. The Galileo and Marconi entered into service in 1963. MS Australia was the very first to be withdrawn from her Australian duties as she departed Genoa for her very last voyage on January 18, 1963. Her farewell return journey began from Sydney on February 21 1963. She called on the following Australian ports; Hobart on February 23, then Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle from where she departed Australia for the very last time on March 4 for Genoa.

MV Australia was handed over to the Italia Line, renamed Donizetti, and began servicing the Genoa to Valparaiso (South America) tourist route. A month later, MV Oceania returned from Sydney for the last time, was renamed and Rossini and joined Donizetti on the South American tourist route. Delays in the completion of Galileo Galilei led to MV Neptunia being returned on the Australia run for a further six months before joining her sisters, after being renamed Verdi. By the mid 1970s, the subsidy by the Italian government of shipping services to South America and Australia had been withdrawn and the three vessels were sold to shipbreakers at La Spezia in September 1977.

MV Australia: Specifications Built by Cantieri Reuniti dell Adriatico Shipyards, Trieste, Italy Gross displacement: 12,839 tonnes Length: 161 metres Beam: 21 metres Propulsion: Sulzer diesels, twin screws Rigging: 2-masts plus cargo jib cranes Cruising Speed: 18 knots Accommodation: 280 1st-class, 120 2nd-class, 392 3rd-class and 236 crew



Galileo Galilei berthed at Circular Quay, Sydney

SS Galileo Galilei; Galileo; Meridien; Sun Vista (1961 - 1999) The first of two impressive liners for Lloyd Triestino's for the Italy to Australia emigrant service, her maiden voyage from Genoa to Sydney commenced on 22nd April 1961. Galileo Galilei's identical twin, Gugliemo Marconi, joined her on 18th November of the same year. Both ships resembled smaller, more streamlined versions of Italian Line's famous Leonardo Da Vinci (1960), although they featured the distinctive flared "Cantieri bows" that would later be emulated by scores of ferries and smaller Mediterranean cruise ships. Their three-week itineraries included Naples, Messina, Port Said, Aden, Fremantle, Melbourne, and Sydney. Later, the return leg was made via Panama and billed as a "world voyage." By 1977 both ships were laid up at Genoa, terminating Lloyd Triestino's 140 years of passenger service.

In October 1977, Galileo Galilei was converted to a one-class cruise ship with a revised tonnage of 28,083 and her name shortened to Galileo, to cruise the Mediterranean under the Italian Line Cruises International banner. Her cruising days were short-lived as, within a year, she was laid up at Genoa. Galileo was sold to Chandris Lines in October 1983. A white "X" (Greek for "CH") was painted on her funnel and she underwent another refit. With a new capacity of 1,262 passengers, Galileo entered Caribbean cruise service from New York in 1984 and became a popular liner in the Chandris-owned Fantasy Cruises' fleet.
Galileo went to Bremerhaven in October 1989 for a major $45 million rebuild as a luxury cruise liner, her simple Formica and wooden interior of her migrant days replaced by new, modern fittings. Renamed Meridien, she departed on her first cruise from Port Everglades on 1st April 1990. Her success led other cruise operators to also introduce luxury cruise services with new liners. Meridien was sold to Sun Cruises of Singapore for $65 million at the end of her 1997 cruise season out of New York.

Under the new name of Sun Vista, she began cruising South East Asia. A collapse of the Asian economy followed shortly thereafter, and Sun Vista and the huge new fleet of ships owned by competitor Star Cruises were facing bankruptcy. While enroute from Phuket, Thailand to Singapore, the Sun Vista suffered an engine room fire on 21st May 1999, capsized, and sank 45 nautical miles west of Penang Island in the Andaman Sea. All 1,090 passengers and crew were safely evacuated.
Specifications Built at Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy as Galileo Galilei for Lloyd Triestino SpA di Navigazione, Genoa, Yard #1862 Sank May 20, 1999 Gross displacement: 27,888 tonnes Length: 189 metres Beam: 29 metres Propulsion: Twin Screw, geared De Laval turbines from builders. 44,000 shaft horsepower Cruising speed: 25.5 knots Accommodation: 156 First Class, 1,594 Tourist Class passengers

Guglielmo Marconi at Station Pier, Melbourne, 1971

Guglielmo Marconi; American Adventure; Costa Riviera (1961 - 2001) Built in 1963 for the Lloyd Triestino Line specifically for the Europe-Australia run. She arrived in Australian on her maiden voyage seven months after her sister, docking in Melbourne on 9th December 1963. The two ships maintained this service, with some variations, for almost a decade. By the 1970s, the service had become unprofitable and was being heavily subsidised by the Italian government. When the subsidy was reduced in 1975 because of the oil crisis, the service was cancelled. Both ships were laid up at Genoa, terminating Lloyd Triestino's 140 years of passenger service.
The Italian Government then used her for cruising, mainly for the American Market, starting a series of cruises to the Caribbean in 1978. Even though she had a refit, she failed US health inspections in July 1979 and again some months later. In 1983 she was sold to the Costa Line, but was in very poor condition. After a two-year rebuild, the ship reappeared as Costa Riviera for Costa Cruises in 1985. Costa Riviera alternated between Caribbean and Alaskan cruising during her time with Costa Cruises under the name American Adventure. The ship was given a major refit and mechanical overhaul in 1996. Renamed Costa Riviera, she continued cruising until October 2004 when she was sold to Indian ship breakers for US$1.76 million, making her the longest surviving Australian migrant ship of the 1960s.
Specifications
Built at Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy for Lloyd Triestino SpA di Navigazione, Genoa Gross displacement: (as Guglielmo Marconi) 28,136 tonnes (as Costa Riviera) 31,600 tonnes Length: 189 metres Beam: 29 metres Propulsion: Twin Screw, geared De Laval turbines from builders. 44,000 shaft horsepower Cruising speed: 25.5 knots Accommodation: 156 First Class, 1,594 Tourist Class passengers (as Costa Riviera) 974 passengers