MV Pride of Bruges
ex Norsun
Norsun – © Andreas Wörteler
Steel twin screw motor vessel, built in 1987 by NKK, Tsurumi, Japan (Yard No. 1033 ), for North Sea Ferries (Nedlloyd), Rotterdam, Holland as a passenger and vehicle ferry.
Technical Data
- Length: 179.35m (overall) 169.50m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 25.35m (extreme)
- Depth: 17.91m
- Draught: 6.187m
- Tonnage: 31,598 gross/18,174 net/6,403 deadweight
- Engines: Two 9-cylinder and two 6-cylinder Sulzer-Wartsila ZA40 diesels.
- Power: 19,200kW/HP
- Speed: 19.0 knots
- Capacity: 1,250 passengers, 850 cars
- Call Sign: PGJW
- MMSI Number: 244387000
- IMO Number: 8503797
- LR Number: 175682
- Port of Registry: Rotterdam/Netherlands
- Sister-Ship: Norsea
Location Data
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History
August 29th 1986: Launched without ceremony.
March 31st 1987: Delivered to North Sea Ferries (Nedlloyd), Rotterdam, Holland.
Norsun – © Patrick Hill
April 2nd 1987: Left Yokohama, Japan carrying 800 Nissan export cars for Amsterdam.
May 12th 1987: Commenced services for North Sea Ferries between Rotterdam – Hull. Registered to Hollandse Vrachtvaart Maats. BV, Rotterdam, Holland.
Norsun – © Capt Jan Melchers (left) Chantry Classic Postcard (right)
January 1st 1997: Registered to Norships CV, Rotterdam, Holland and commenced services for P&O North Sea Ferries between Rotterdam – Hull.
April 29th 2001: Final day in service between Rotterdam – Hull.
May 2001 – June 2001: Refit/rebuild at Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven.
July 2nd 2001: Commenced services between Zeebrugge – Hull.
October 15th 2002: Commenced services for P&O Ferries between Zeebrugge – Hull.
Norsun – © Leo Johannes (left) P&O North Sea Ferries Postcard (right)
January 15th 2003: Renamed PRIDE OF BRUGES.
Pride of Bruges – © Andreas Wörteler
November 14th 2004 – November 25th 2004: Services between Rotterdam – Hull.
November 2004: Services between Zeebrugge – Hull.
Pride of Bruges – © Rob De Visser
January 2007: Services between Rotterdam – Hull.
Pride of Bruges – © Trevor Kidd
Pride of Bruges – © Paul Bilbrough
January 2007: Services between Zeebrugge – Hull.
Pride of Bruges – © Cedric Hacke
Pride of Bruges/Pride of York together (December 2014)
Pride of Bruges – Departure (28/04/2015) © Andrew Atkinson
May 11th 2017: Taken out of service owing to “technical problems” (believed to be associated to gearbox)
May 2017: Received new livery and accommodation refit at Remontowa Shiprepair Yard.
Pride of Bruges – © Cedrick Hacke (Zeebrugge 12/05/2018)
September 30th 2020: Announcement made that the Hull – Zeebrugge route would be closed.
October 22nd 2020: Commenced services Hull – Rotterdam.
January 25th 2021: Left Hull on her final sailing to Rotterdam.
January 26th 2021: Arrived in Rotterdam.
January 27th 2021: Left Rotterdam for Zeebrugge.
January 27th 2021: Arrived Zeebrugge and laid up.
April 13th 2021: Reports circulating suggest she has been sold to to a subsidiary of MSC Group and that she will be chartered to MSC subsidiary Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV). It is anticipated the she will be renamed GNV ANTARES serving Barcelona-Mallorca & Valencia-Mallorca-Ibiza.
April 23rd 2021: Left Zeebrugge bound for Naples.
All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Andrew Atkinson, Rob De Visser, Cedric Hacke, Trevor Kidd, Leo Johannes, Patrick Hill, Capt Jan Melchers, Paul Bilbrough and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
