Cruise ShipsNorwegian Cruise Line (NCL)Past and PresentPhoenix ReisenRoyal Viking Line

MV Albatros – Past and Present

IMO Number: 7304314

MV Tros

ex Albatros, Crown, Norwegian Star I, Royal Odyssey, Royal Viking Sea

Royal Viking Sea – © Marc Piché

Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1973 by Oy Wartsila Ab, Helsinki, Finland (Yard No 397) as a Passenger (Cruise) Ship for Royal Viking Line, Oslo, Norway

Technical Data

  • Length: 177.70m (overall) (1971), 205.46m (1981)
  • Breadth of hull: 25.20m (extreme) (1971), 27.00m (1981)
  • Draught: 7.30m (maximum)
  • Tonnage: 20,018 gross (1971), 21,848 (1981), 28,018 (1983), 5,660 deadweight (1971), 3,594 (1981), 5,660 (1983)
  • Engines: Four 9-cylinder Sulzer-Wartsila diesels
  • Power: 13,240kW
  • Speed: 21 knots
  • Capacity: 536 (1971), 812 (1981)
  • Call sign: LECH, C6CN4
  • MMSI Number: 308784000
  • IMO Number: 7304314
  • Registry: Oslo/Norway 🇳🇴, Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸
  • Sister Ships: Royal Viking Sky (396), Royal Viking Star (395)

 


History

January 19th 1973: Launched.

November 16th 1973: Delivered to Viking Line, Oslo, Norway.

November 25th 1973: Maiden voyage Bergen – Newcastle.

December 11th 1979: World cruising.

 © Simonwp

Royal Viking Sea – © Simonwp

March 11th 1983: Arrived at Bremerhaven for lengthening, by insertion of 27.7m prefabricated section, at AG “Weser” Seebeckwerft.

June 5th 1983: Delivered back to owners

© Brian Fisher

Royal Viking Sea – © Brian Fisher

Courtesy of Chris Howell  Courtesy of Chris Howell

Royal Viking Sea – Courtesy of Chris Howell

November 29th 1983: Rescued 151 survivors from Indian ferry DOFO adrift 11 days off  Celebes.

May 1984: Agreement in principle for sale to US investor group did not proceed.

August 1984: To Norwegian Caribbean Line A/S, Oslo, but continued under Royal Caribbean Viking Line management.

1987: Registered under ownership of Nassau, Bahamas.

1991: Renamed ROYAL ODYSSEY. Owned by Royal Cruise Line.

May 2nd 1996: Suffered engine problems and was repaired in San Francisco.

May 27th 1996: Returned to service.

July 17th 1996: Suffered engine problems and as results a 2 week cruise was cancelled. Repaired in Vancouver.

August 1996: Returned to service. .

April 1997: 350 suffered from food poisoning. All her cruises were suspended.

November 1997: Sold to Actinor Cruise, Nassau, Bahamas and renamed NORWEGIAN STAR

© Glenn Towler

Norwegian Star – © Glenn Towler

November 1997 – December 1998: Chartered to Norwegian Cruise Lines, cruising from Houston, Texas.

January 1999 – June 2001: Cruising for Norwegian Capricorn Line.

October 2001: Returned to Actinor Cruise and all connections with Capricorn Holidays terminated.

November 2001: Renamed NORWEGIAN STAR I.

May 24th 2002: Charter completed.

June 2002: Chartered to Crown Investments and renamed CROWN. Commenced casino cruising from Shanghai to Jeju Island.

Crown - © Carlos Poveda (Visual Ships)

Crown – © Carlos Poveda (Visual Ships)

November 2002: Arrested in Shanghai, China owing to unpaid bills by Crown Investments.

February 2003: Guarantee from owners wiped out debts.

June 2003: Cruising in the Mediterranean.

January 2004: Chartered to Phoenix Reisen, Germany and renamed ALBATROS.

Albatross - © Carlos Poveda (Visual Ships)

Albatros  – © Carlos Poveda (Visual Ships)

2007: Remains on charter to Phoenix Reisen, Germany.

  

Albatros  – © Aleksi Lindstrom

Registered Owner Albatros Shipping Limited, Nassau, Bahamas.

© Ray Goodfellow

Albatros  – © Ray Goodfellow

© Ken Lubi  © Ken Lubi

Albatros  – © Ken Lubi

© Nigel Scutt

Albatros  – © Nigel Scutt (Dover Strait Shipping)

April 7th 2020: Arrived in Bremerhaven.

April 10th 2020: Arrived in Emden and laid-up owing to Coronavirus Pandemic.

 

Albatros  – © Jens Smit (Emden, 10/04/2020)

July 10th 2020: Sailed to Bremen and continued lay-up.

October 8th 2020: Announcement made that she had been purchased by Egyptian Pick Albatros Group who intend using her as a floating hotel.

October 12th 2020: Sailed from Bremen to Bremerhaven.

© Christian Eckardt  © Christian Eckardt

© Christian Eckardt

Albatros  – © Christian Eckardt (Kleinensiel, Niedersachsen, Germany, 12/10/2020)

October 19th 2020: Left Bremerhaven bound for Suez.

October 20th 2020: Passed Dover en-route to Suez

Albatros  – © Paul Jolliffe (Dover Strait Shipping)

October 22nd 2020: Arrived in Le Havre. News circulating suggested that her crew had been tested for Coronavirus prior to leaving Bremerhaven. Results of these tests were not known until she was en-route to Suez. Seven crew members were later found to be positive. The ship sailed to Le Havre Anchorage where further tests were administered.

October 24th 2020: Remains at Le Havre Anchorage.

October 28th 2020: Left Le Havre showing destination as Suez.

November 11th 2020: Arrived Hurghada, Egypt. 

Plans to convert her to a floating hotel failed and she was reportedly stripped of anything of value.

July 14th 2021: Sailed from Hurghada showing destination as Jeddah. (Noted as being renamed TROS).

(Reportedly sold for scrap and her final destination will be Alang)

July 27th 2021: Beached at Alang.


All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions found. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Christian Eckardt, Brian Fisher, Chris Howell, Aleksi Lindstrom, Ken Lubi, Marc Piché, Carlos Poveda (Visual Ships), Nigel Scutt & Paul Jolliffe (Dover Strait Shipping), Simonwp, Jens Smit, Glen Towler and Urbain Ureel for their assistance in compiling this feature.

Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)

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