21,406 GRT, loa 185m, 929 passengers. She was built by Betlehem Steel, Quincy, Massachusetts, USA in 1952 as the Free State Mariner as a freighter for the US Marine Coprs. She was sold to Matson Lines in 1955, rebuilt into a passenger ship and used on the service from San fransisco to Australia. She also sailed on Matsons traditional voyages to Hawaii. Matson sold her in 1970 to Pacific Far East Line who continued to use her in the Pacific. In 1978 she was laid up and changed hands several times whilst laid up. At last, in 1988 she returned to service for Aloha Pacific Cruises who had her rebuilt into a full time cruise ship. Alas, the company went bankrupt within a year and she disappeared into lay up again, this time for almost two years. Then, the Italian cruise line Star Lauro at first chartered and later purchased her when she proved very succesful in Mediterranean cruise service. Star Lauro later transformed into MSC Cruises. In 2006, Monterey suffered boiler problems. MSC decided not to have her repaired and she was sold for scrap.

20 photographs, made in 2001 during a ship visit in Barcelona.