History of Christina O
The boat was originally in the Canadian Navy and was built in 1943. It was part of the Normandy landings, and eventually Onassis bought Christina O in 1952 with 9 other ships from a Baltimore scrap merchant. Obviously, Aristotle Onassis turned the former warship into a luxury yacht. Ex-King Farouk of Egypt, who was on board Christina O many times and was known for his luxurious lifestyle, once called the yacht “the height of opulence.”
Suites on Board
Each suite on the boat was named after a different island in Greece. For example, the Santorini, Mykonos, Lesbos, Andros, Crete, Rhodes, and Corfu suites hosted the guests. Each room had custom wood and stonework with materials from the Greek islands. The most impressive suite was without a doubt the suite of Onassis. It had 3 rooms - the stateroom, the office, and a luxurious custom bathroom.
Ari’s Bar
One of the most popular areas for guests was Ari’s Bar, with special seats covered with whale skins. The footrests had whales’ teeth and ivory armrests that showed scenes from the Iliad and the Odyssey, Onassis’ favorite books. In Onassis’s days, inside the boat was an elevator, an operating theater, and a network of 42 telephone lines.
Famous Visitors
Among the guests on the boat were Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli and Rudolf Nureyev. Heads of state and famous businessmen to come on the boat include: John Kennedy and Sir Winston Churchill, the Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Paul Getty, Prince Rainier and Princess Grace. Winston Churchill famously visited many times, and Onassis gave up his own suite whenever Churchill visited, something he didn’t do for anyone else. Churchill joined for 8 cruises in total.
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