History

Design & Construction (1954):

She was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Queens Island, Belfast. She was launched on the 21st January 1954 by Lady McGrigor, wife of the First Sea Lord (Admiral Rhoderick McGrigor). She underwent sea trials in September 1954. She was delivered to P&O on the 10th September 1954. She was named after the Iberian peninsular where Spain and Portugal are located and which has a strong connection to the formation of P&O and the company's early years.

P&O Years (1954 - 1970):

She sailed on her maiden voyage on the 28th September 1954 from London (Tilbury) to Sydney, Australia via Suez. On the 11th June 1955 she began her first summer season of Mediterranean cruises. 

On the 27th March 1956 at about 0130 she was rammed broadside on the port side by the tanker Stanvec Pretoria in heavy seas about 275 km (170 miles) off Colombo. She received damage to her promenade and boat decks. Temporary repairs were made at Colombo. On the 16th April 1956 extensive repairs were undertaken at Cockatoo Shipyard, Sydney. This work was completed on the 26th April 1956 and she returned to service.

In April 1957 she called at St Paul Island in the Indian Ocean and this marked the first call there by a P&O ship since the Malacca rescued the crew of HMS Megaera which had run around there in 1871. On the 15th February 1959 she ran aground while travelling northbound in the Suez Canal.

In January 1958 P&O and Orient services to Australia were extended across the Pacific in a joint service marketed as Orient & Pacific Line. The Iberia thus started operation in March 1960 on her first trans-pacific services and sailings continued from Sydney to Auckland, Suva, Honolulu, Vancouver and San Francisco.

In May 1960 her management and operation was transferred to P&O-Orient Lines.

In 1961 from January to March she was refitted by J.I. Thornycroft Ltd, Southampton. During the work she was modernised and fitted with air conditioning and stablisers.  On the 17th October 1961 she suffered a complete electrical failure while leaving Auckland which required 5 days of repairs. On the 12th August 1962 she struck a sandbank near Port Tewfik and damaged a blade of her port propeller.

In 1966 she had her passenger capacity revised to 651 first class and 733 tourist class. That year her managment and operation was transferred to P&O Lines. On the 10th June 1966 while sailing for Yokohama from Kobe she had to put back for repairs to a turbine coupling. This delayed the voyage by 4 days. On the 19th January 1967 she collided with the quayside in Funchal, Madeira and damaged bow plates 2.5 metres above the waterline. On the 2nd February 1968 she was delayed in Funchal by 2 days with a power system breakdown. On the 16th November 1968 her number 2 boiler room forced draught fan failed. Repairs were made in Dakar and delayed the voyage by 24 hours.

On the 12th June 1969 she sailed on her final voyage from London (Tilbury) bound for Australia before P&O's terminus moved to Southampton. On the 8th December 1969 she finally arrived in Southampton from Australia after a trouble ridden voyage during which her funnel had caught fire at Pago Pago, there had been an electrical failure at Honolulu, the starboard engine had failed at Acapulco and one of the first class baggage rooms had flooded with fuel oil at Curacao. On the 9th December 1969 she underwent a major two week overhaul in dry dock. On the 26th December 1969 she suffered a stabliser failure.

The Final Years (1970 - 1973):

In October 1971 her management and operation was transferred to the P&O Passenger Division.