SS Parthia (1870–1956) was an iron-hulled transatlantic ocean liner built for the Cunard Line by William Denny and Brothers in Dumbarton, Scotland.

After serving with the Guion Line and operating on trans-Pacific routes with the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, she was refitted and renamed Victoria.

Under her new owners, the Northern Pacific Steamship Company, Victoria began operating out of Puget Sound in Washington state.

The three ships would feature flush decks, an open bridge, three masts with barque-rigged sails[4] and a single funnel.

Only able to travel 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph), Parthia was not able to take the Blue Riband, which was held at the time by Cunard's paddle steamer Scotia.

Nevertheless, Parthia's performance was admirable and she quickly became the best vessel in Cunard's fleet and one of the top ocean liners on the Atlantic.

[4] Unlike her larger sisters, Abyssinia and Algeria, the Parthia was fitted with more efficient compound steam engines, reducing the space needed to carry coal.

In March 1880, Parthia began towing the partially flooded and damaged barque, Mary A. Marshall, to safety.

On October 27, 1881, Parthia was used as a troopship during the Mahdist War, backing up General Charles George Gordon with his attack on Khartoum.

[3][7] With the larger Umbria, Etruria and Oregon fulfilling Cunard's new ambitions, Sir William Pierce, the owner of John Elder & Co. had a new future in store for the old Parthia.

Pierce planned on transferring the Parthia to his other company, the aforementioned Guion Line, for passenger/livestock service from Glasgow to Canada.

[3][4] To prepare for her new service, the Parthia was re-engined with triple expansion engines and pressure boilers, which nearly cut her coal consumption in half.

Shortly before entering her new service, Parthia was once again called for use in the Mahdist War in hopes of saving General Gordon, which ultimately ended in failure.

After being returned to her owners, the Guion Line chartered the Parthia to Money Wigram and Company to transport immigrants from Sydney to Yokohama via New York and Suez.

[3] In 1887, the Guion Line chartered Parthia to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, which used her to inaugurate its new transpacific service, while awaiting the delivery of its new vessels.

In 1900, Victoria sailed from the Puget Sound to Nome carrying hundreds of prospectors as part of the Klondike Gold Rush.

[3] In 1910, the Victoria almost ran aground at Cape Hinchinbrook, Alaska,[4] where the steamer Oregon (1878) had met her end only four years earlier.

[8] During World War I, Victoria carried large quantities of cargo in transpacific service, earning her owners sizeable profits.

The superstructure was increased and heightened, she was given extra decks, the bridge was closed off from the elements and she was re-engined and re-boilered to burn oil rather than coal.

[3] In 1927, Victoria's engine blew a cylinder cover, forcing her to be towed to Akutan, Alaska by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter.

She called to the ports of Nome and Kotzebue and sailed to an Arctic ice cap within four miles of Wrangell Island in Siberia.