British-built, Egyptian-registered vessel of 3480 gross register tons, 329' overall, beam 48'. Single screw steam turbine engine, speed 17 knots.

110 passenger berths; the crew numbers about seventy persons; officers are mostly British, Australian, or Canadian, stewards and service staff are Egyptian and Near Eastern, sailors and engine room crew are mostly Indian. On the upper (B) deck are twelve single and seventeen double first-class cabins (one "family suite" with private bath, others without); and two "special suites", double-bedded cabins with sitting-rooms and private baths. On the main (A) deck and lower deck are thirty double-berth second-class cabins. Four lifeboats, each with a capacity of 50 persons, are carried on the promenade (C) deck.

The promenade deck (C) and bridge (D) deck are exclusively for the use of first class passengers -- their dining room, smoking room/lounge, and salon/veranda are located here. A gymnasium (with stationary bikes, massage machine, rowing machines, boxing bags, etc.) and shuffleboard courts are present on the bridge deck. Second class passengers take the air on the upper (B) deck, ahead of and behind the deckhouse; large canvas awnings are erected here while underway. The baths, sick bay, second class dining room and lounge are all located on the main (A) deck.

The "Khedivial Mail Line" serves four Mediterranean routes (plus others through and beyond the Suez Canal):

-- TSS Khedive Ismail (12000 grt) sails on the route Alexandria - Piraeus (Greece) - Valetta (Malta) - Marseilles (France)

-- TSS Mohamed Ali El Kebir sails on the route Alexandria - Port Said (Egypt) - Famagusta (Cyprus)

-- TSS Zaafaran sails on the route Alexandria - Port Said (Egypt) - Jaffa (Palestine) - Haifa (Palestine) - Beirut (French Mandate) - Tripoli (French Mandate) - Alexandretta (French Mandate, special province)

-- TSS Zamalek sails on the route Alexandria - Izmir (Turkey) - Istanbul (Turkey); this journey, of 862 nautical miles, takes about 54 hours (60 hours if the ship stops at Izmir, which is listed in the schedule as "optional"); first class fare is 10 to 15 pounds per bed, second class fare is 4 pounds per bed. Children under 12 are half-fare.

The KML was British-owned until 1930, when it was purchased by the Egyptian entrepreneur Pasha Ahmed Abboud.

Note: the KML routes are approximately correct; the ship names are known, but the plans, capacities, photos, etc. are taken from similar ships of the period and location.