The Avelona Star was one of five splendid ships ordered by Blue Star Line in 1925, to be named Almeda, Avila, Andalucia, Arandora, and Avelona. Cammell Laird of Birkenhead built the Almeda, Arandora and Andalucia, whereas John Brown of Clydebank built the Avila and Avelona. As built the ships were virtually identical, with a slightly raked cruiser stern and two splendid funnels with Admiralty tops.

Powered by two sets of Parsons combined impulse and reaction turbines developing together some 13,880 shp, driving twin screw at some 120 rpm, giving a full sea speed of 16 kts. Steam was raised by three double-ended cylindrical boilers operating at 200 lbs/sq", these were oil fired although coal bunkers could also be carried.

In later years they were all altered variously, with the removal of the Admiralty tops and in the case of the Almeda and Avila the fitting of a Maierform bow. This did nothing for their looks and spoilt the graceful lines they had originally. The Arandora was considerably altered, with the passenger accommodation being extended twice.

In 1929 the Vestey's added the word “Star” to each of the passenger ships, probably to differentiate them from the ailing Royal Mail Steam Packet Co., whose ships’ names bore a close resemblance.

Due to passenger overcapacity brought on by the deepening depression, in 1931, the Avelona was converted at Greenock into a cargo ship, as shown in the photograph above. The well decks were closed in, the passenger accommodation removed and the after dummy funnel removed. This gave her a cargo capacity of 647,000 ft³ (18,321 m³). Her second funnel was later fitted to the Celtic Star .

In 1975 the name, Avelona Star was resurrected with the launching of a new Avelona Star, this time a fully refrigerated cargo liner to carry on the famous name.