Later, as Cavour with Transatlantica Italiana, she was sunk by collision with the Italian auxiliary cruiser Caprera off the Spanish Mediterranean coast on 12 December 1917, without loss of life.

[3] In January 1909, Florida was on her usual route from Genoa and Palermo to New York, carrying 13 first class and 826 steerage passengers alongside her crew, under the command of 29-year-old Captain Angelo Ruspini.

On the morning of 23 January, Florida entered a thick fog bank while 50 miles (80 km) off the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and consequently reduced her speed.

[5] Florida completed her final voyage to New York on 20 April 1911 and was sold later that year, with her sister-ship Virginia, to Società di Navigazione la Ligure Brasiliana and renamed Cavour.

In 1913 Hamburg America Line bought the Ligure Brasiliana business, including Cavour and Garibaldi (the former Virginia), and the following July changed its name to Transatlantica Italiana Società Anonima di Navigazione.

When Italy entered the war in May 1915, the Italian chairman of Transatlantica Italiana was able to acquire almost all of Hamburg-Amerika's shares and in 1916 resold them to a member of the Ansaldo group.

It was under their service that on 12 December 1917, Cavour collided with the Italian auxiliary cruiser Caprera 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) off L'Ametlla de Mar, Catalonia, Spain.