Originally laid down in 1914 at Harland & Wolff as Orca, for Pacific Steam, she was eventually launched in April 1917 after delays due to war work. Completed as a very basic cargo vessel, once released from war duties she was returned to Belfast and completed as originally planned. Transferred to the Royal Mail group on 1st January 1923, she initially ran on the Hamburg to New York route. Sold to White Star in 1927 for an amazing £1 million, she was renamed Calgaric. Her first voyage for her new owners was on 4th May 1927, from Liverpool to Quebec and Montreal. She was later moved to the Southampton to Canada service, before the effects of the Great Depression meant that she was no longer viable.
Calgaric was laid up at Milford Haven from late 1930, apart from an occasional cruise and a brief summer service to Canada in 1931. No longer wanted following the merger of Cunard and White Star in 1934, Calgaric was sold for £31,000 for scrap. She finally sailed to Rosyth, arriving on 25th December 1934, where she was scrapped soon after.
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MSC Cruises confirmed just before Christmas that they have finalised contracts with STX France for two new cruise ships. They will be an extended version of the Meraviglia class, and will enter service in 2019 and 2020 respectively. The first of the Meraviglia class, pictured above, was launched in September 2016 and is scheduled to enter service in June next year. The second of the class is due to enter service in June 2019.