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Israel issued, in February last, a set of three stamps showing respectively the ports of Elat, Ashdod, and Haifa, all of these stamps showing various ships in the ports. One ship is very easily recognisable as the Theodor Herzl, on the Haifa stamp. This Zim Line twin-screw passenger liner of 9,914 gross tons and 2,913 deadweight, is 487 ft 1 1 ins. in length; beam 64 ft. 8 ins. and draft 21 ft. 5 ins.
The vessel was built to work in the Mediterranean, between Haifa and Marseilles, with off-season cruises in the Mediterranean, or from New York to the Caribbean. She left London on May 7, 1957, on her maiden voyage to Haifa, only after a thorough search of the ship had followed a warning that a bomb had been placed on board. A frogman inspected the underwater section of the hull to see if a limpet mine had been attached to it. Nothing was found. The bomb scare began with a message to a London newspaper, which passed the warning to the police, who were at once sent to the ship in the West India Dock, while a special lunch was taking place. Among the guests were Sir David Eccles (president of the Board of Trade), Mr. E. Elath (Israeli Ambassador), the Lord Mayor of London (Sir Cullam Welch) and Dr. Israel Brodie (Chief Rabbi). The search went on throughout the afternoon and all passengers had to stand by their baggage in the customs shed to see it cleared. It was hardly the bright, cheerful send-off one associates with a maiden voyage. Info E Argyle SB5/69. Israel SG407.

Built as a passenger-cargo vessel under yard No 697 by the Deutsche Werft, Finkenwarder near Hamburg for the Zim Israel Nav. Co. Ltd., Haifa, Israel.
01 October 1956 launched as the THEODOR HERZL, named after the first Minister President of Israel.
Tonnage 9,914 grt, 5,258 net, 2,913 dwt. Dim. 148.7 x 19.7m., length bpp. 132.7m, draught 21.5ft.
Powered by 4 AEG steam turbines, 12,640 shp, twin shafts, speed 20 knots. One bow-thruster.
Passenger accommodation for 571 passengers.
She together with her sister the JERUSALEM was the first ships with Simplex stabilizers.
29 April 1957 completed.

She was built for the Mediterranean service between Haifa and Naples and Marseille.
07 May 1957 maiden voyage from London to Haifa was marred by a bomb scare, but nothing was found.
March 1958 she made one round voyage across the North Atlantic to New York.
End 1964 refitted in Haifa in a cruise vessel.
1969 Sold to the American Internat. Travel Service, Boston, under Liberian flag and renamed CARNIVALE.
27 November 1969 laid up at Toulon France.
1970 Sold to New Horizon Shipping Corp., Monrovia.
Laid up until 1975.
1975 Sold to Freeport Cruise Lines, Panama Inc., Panama and renamed FREEPORT. She was refitted and tonnage increased to 10,595 grt. Passenger accommodation for 880 passengers.
1976 Renamed in VERACRUZ I.
Under charter of the Strand Cruises Line, Panama, and spent several seasons in the West Coast Alaska service, followed in 1980 by weekly cruises between New York and Montreal.
During the winter she generally cruised in the Caribbean.
1982 Sold to Bahama Cruise Line Inc., Panama, not renamed.
1987 Sold to Bermuda Star Line Inc., Panama not renamed.
1990 Sold to Veracruz Transport Inc., Panama, renamed SUN AMBASSADOR, refitted in Perama, Greece for Mediterranean cruises starting in the summer of 1990.
1991 Renamed in FIESTA.
14 October 1991 while alongside in Drapetzona, near Piraeus Greece for a refit, she got on fire and sank.
Declared a total loss. The wreck was later cut up and lifted to the surface in May 1992.

Israel 1969 £1.00 sg407, scott380.

Marine News. http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz Log Book.