MV Princess Seaways
ex Princess of Norway, Fjord Norway, Spir, Spirit of Tasmania, Peter Pan
© Andreas Wörteler
Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1986 at Schichau Seebeckwerft AG, Bremerhaven, Germany (Yard No 1058) as a passenger car and commercial vehicle trailer ferry
Technical Data
- Length: 161.45 m (overall), 144 m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 28.20 m (extreme), 27.6m (moulded)
- Depth: 8.1m
- Draught: 6.21 m (maximum)
- Tonnage: 31,356 (1986)gross/16,200 (1986), 14,025(1993) net/3761 deadweight
- Engines: Four MAK 8 M 552 diesels.
- Power: 19600 kW/26,655 hp
- Speed: 21.0 knots
- Capacity: 1700 passengers 550 cars (1987) or 120 trailers.
- Call Sign: DPPH, VLST, OXED2
- IMO Number: 8502391
- MMSI Number: 220489000
- Official Number: 31381
- Registry: Hamburg/Germany 🇩🇪, Devonport/Australia 🇦🇺, Bergen/Norway 🇳🇴, Copenhagen/Denmark 🇩🇰
- Sister ships: Nils Holgersson (1059), Olau Hollandia (II)(1067) ,Olau Britannia (II)(1068)
Current AIS Location
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History
The first of a quartet of “Peter Pan” class built, at Schichau Seebeckwerft AG, Bremerhaven, between 1985 – 1989.
July 8th 1985: Keel struck.
November 30th 1985: Launched.
May 30th 1986: Delivered to TT-Line GmbH & Co, Hamburg, Germany.
© Andreas Wörteler (Travemunde, May 1992)(Left) and © Capt Jan Melchers (Right)
June 2nd 1986: Commenced services between Travemünde – Trelleborg.
© Simonwp (Travemunde 20/06/1989)
December 1990: Sold to Government Of State, Tasmania for delivery in September 1993.
August 31st 1993: Final day in service between Travemünde – Trelleborg.
September 1st 1993: Taken over by her new owners and refurbished/refitted at Lloyd Werft. Bremerhaven, Germany.
© Frank Heine (Bremerhaven, 17/09/1993)
September 30th 1993: Officially renamed SPIRIT OF TASMANIA.
October 1st 1993: Trials.
October 1993: Left Germany for Australia.
November 12th 1993: Arrived in Devonport.
November 28th 1993: Commenced services between Devonport – Melbourne.
Andreas Wörteler Collection (Left) and Nigel Thornton Collection (Right)
September 5th 1999: Suffered engine failure and repaired in Devonport.
September 21st 1999: Returned to service.
September 1st 2002: Final day in service and then laid up for sale.
September 7th 2002: Arrived Sydney for further lay up.
December 11th 2002: Sold to Kommandittselskapet Nordsjøferger K/S, Bergen, Norway for 260 million Krone.
December 24th 2002: Renamed SPIR. Left Sydney via Colombo – Suez for Frederikshavn.
Andreas Wörteler Collection
January 28th 2003: Arrived at Örskov Yard, Frederikshavn refurbishment/refit costing 95 million Krone.
March 2003: Renamed FJORD NORWAY.
April 3rd 2003: Christened in Bergen.
April 8th 2003: Commenced service for Fjord Lines between Bergen – Haugesund – Egersund – Hanstholm.
© Andreas Wörteler (Hanstholm, 22/08/2003)
December 21st 2003: Whilst leaving Hanstholm in strong winds a rope fowled a bow thruster. The vessel remained in port until a tug arrived to assist.
© Frank Heine (Hanstholm, 26/06/2004)
November 3rd 2005: Trials between Bergen – Stavanger – Newcastle.
© Tim Vogel (Bergen, 21/07/2006)
November 17th 2005: Commenced services between Bergen – Stavanger – Newcastle.
© Ken Lubi
September 6th 2006: Sold to DFDS A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark for delivery on October 16th .
October 12th 2006: Final service for Fjord Line.
October 14th 2006: Left Bergen for Frederikshavn.
October 15th 2006: Arrived Örskov, Frederikshavn.
October 16th 2006: Taken over by DFDS A/S and renamed PRINCESS OF NORWAY.
November 6th 2006: Left Frederikshavn for Bergen.
November 8th 2006: Arrived Bergen and christened.
November 9th 2006: Commenced services between Bergen – Stavanger – Newcastle.
© Willem Oldenburg (Ijmuiden, 24/02/2008)
December 30th 2006 – January 2nd 2007: Cruise between Bergen – Gothenburg – Bergen.
January 22nd 2007 – February 4th 2007: Refit at Örskov, Frederikshavn.
May 29th 2007: Services between Newcastle – IJmuiden.
© Andreas Wörteler
February 2011: Refit at Fayard, Odense.
February 17th 2011: Renamed PRINCESS SEAWAYS.
February 18th 2011: Suffered a small fire originating in insulation in the funnel. Extinguished with minor damage.
February 20th 2011: Left Odense for Frederikshavn.
February 21st 2011: Arrived in Fredrikshavn for inspection and repair of the fire damage.
© Andreas Wörteler
February 26th 2011: Returned to service between Newcastle – IJmuiden.
© Ken Lubi (Tyne, 27/02/2011)
February 2018: After refit in Amsterdam, emerged with new livery.
© Willem Oldenburg (Ijmuiden, 13/02/2018)
February 4th 2019: Left Newcastle for Klaipeda.
February 9th 2019 – March 2019: Services Klaipeda – Karlshamn.
March 23rd 2019: Left Klaipeda for Ijmuiden.
March 27th 2019: Services Ijmuiden – Newcastle.
September 6th 2019: Announcement made that DFDS had purchased MOBY AKI and MOBY WONDER to replace the current vessels on the Newcastle – Amsterdam route.
“Moby will in turn acquire the two passenger ferries currently operating on the Amsterdam – Newcastle route: KING SEAWAYS and PRINCESS SEAWAYS…………”
“We expect to take over the new ferries during the second half of October. Therefore, DFDS will bareboat-charter KING SEAWAYS and PRINCESS SEAWAYS from Moby until January and February 2020, when the new ferries will be deployed.”
October 29th 2019: Agreement between DFDS and Moby cancelled.
January 2020: New livery on funnel
March 21st 2020: All sailings Newcastle – Amsterdam cancelled owing to COVID-19 pandemic. Vessel remained in Ijmuiden.
July 15th 2020: Reduced passenger capacity services resumed Amsterdam – Newcastle.
© Marcel and Ruud Coster (Ijmuiden, 09/05/2021)
© Frank Behrends (Ijmuiden, 18/04/2022)
January 15th 2023: Came off service at Ijmuiden and sailed to Gdansk for refit
January 18th 2023: Arrived Gdansk
February15th 2023: Left Gdansk for Ijmuiden
February 17th 2023: Arrived Ijmuiden.
February 18th 2023: Resumed service Ijmuiden – Tyne.
© Bernd Crause (Ijmuiden, 17/11/2023)
February 10th 2024: Came off service at Ijmuiden and sailed to Coenhaven (Amsterdam) for refit.
March 6th 2024: Left Coenhaven and sailed to Ijmuiden.
March 7th 2024: Resumed service Ijmuiden – Tyne.
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: Frank Behrends, Marcel and Ruud Coster, Bernd Crause, Frank Heine, Ken Lubi, Capt Jan Melchers, Willem Oldenburg, Tim Vogel and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.