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MV Ambassador II (Ex Munster (1990)/Prins Oberon) – Past and Present

IMO Number: 7011515

MV Ambassador II 

Ex Ambassador, Munster, Cruise Mahibah, Nordic Sun, Prinz Oberon, Prins Oberon

© Jorg Seyler

© Jörg Seyler

Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1970 at Werft Nobiskrug GmbH, Rendsburg, Germany (Yard No 663) a Passenger-Car-Cargo ferry.

Technical Data

  • Length: 134.05 m (overall) 116.80 m (between perpendiculars)
  • Breadth: 21.03 m
  • Depth:  12.50 m
  • Draught: 4.92 m
  • Tonnage: 7933 – 8093 gross/4321 – 4599 net/1750 – 1778 deadweight
  • Engines: 2 v Oil 4SA Pielstick 16PC2V diesels
  • Power: 11769 – 11936 kW/16000 bHP
  • Speed: 22.0 knots
  • Capacity: 1040 1135 – 1400 passengers/238  – 284 cars
  • Call Sign: SHEN, EIMY, C6FG4
  • IMO Number: 7011515
  • Register Number: 11149 (1974)
  • Port of Registry:  Halmstad/Sweden 🇸🇪, Bremen/Germany 🇩🇪, Hamburg/Germany 🇩🇪, Visby/Sweden 🇸🇪, Port Kelang/Malaysia 🇲🇾, Dublin/Ireland , Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾, Monrovia/Liberia 🇱🇷, Panama 🇵🇦, Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸

History

August 18th 1969: Keel laid.

February 21st 1970: Launched,

June 6th 1970: Delivered to Ab Bonnierföretagen (Lion Ferry), Halmstad, Sweden as PRINS OBERON.

Sapphire Postcard

Sapphire Postcard

June 8th 1970: Prinzen Linie services between  Bremerhaven – Harwich.

© A G Jones

© A G Jones (Harwich, 24/10/1971)

1972: Fitted with stabilisers.

September 30th 1978: Sold to Deutche Leasing AG, Bremen, Germany and renamed PRINZ OBERON. Eight-year charter to Prinzenlinien Schiffahrtsges, m.b.H & Co, Germany.

© John Jones © Ken Smith

© John Jones (Harwich, 11/08/1980) (Left) © Ken Smith (Parkeston Quay in the 1980s) (Right)

May 1st 1981: Management taken over by DFDS A/S, Copenhagen, Danmark.

December 17th 1982: Final day in DFDS service.

December 22nd 1982 – February 10th 1983: Laid up in Bremerhaven.

February 11th 1983  – March 11th 1983: Chartered to Stoomvart Maatschappij Zeeland, Hoek van Holland, Holland for services Hoek van Holland – Harwich.

©  Fotoflite Image Ref 4746 ©  Fotoflite Image Ref 4749

© Fotoflite

© Bob Scott

© Bob Scott

March 12th 1983  – June 10th 1983: Chartered to Sealink UK Ltd, England for services Harwich – Hoek van Holland.

© Brian Fisher

© Brian Fisher (June 1983)

June 11th 1983 – January 20th 1984: Laid up in Bremerhaven.

April 21st 1984: Laid up in Copenhagen.

November 30th 1983: Sold to DFDS Deutschland G.m.b.H. Hamburg, Germany.

January 21st 1984: Laid up in Copenhagen.

June 6th 1984 – June 26th 1984: Services Esbjerg – Newcastle – Gothenburg.

© Ken Lubi

© Ken Lubi (Tyne, 21/06/1984)

June 23rd 1984 – August 19th 1984: Services Cuxhaven – Harwich – Göteborg.

© Tony Garner © Tim Webb

© Tony Garner (Harwich, 01/07/1984) (Left) © Tim Webb (04/1984) (Right)

August 20th 1984: Laid up in Copenhagen.

October 8th 1984: Short charter to British Ministry of Defence.

November 14th 1984: Sold to  p/r Nordic Sun (Trans Nordic Line (50%) Rederi Ab Gotland (40%) and Gotlandstrafiken Ab (10%)), Stockholm. Management Rederi Ab Gotland.

December 3rd 1984: Left Copenhagen for Stockholm.

December 14th 1984: Taken over by her new owners and laid up at Finnboda Varv, Nacka. Renamed NORDIC SUN.

February 25th 1985: Arrived Werft Nobiskrug GmbH, Rendsburg, Germany for refit. The intention was to use the vessel on a new shipping line between  Sodertalje – Kalmar – Travemunde, but those plans were never realized.

May 1985: Chartered to TT-SAGA Line for services Trelleborg – Travemunde.

© Simonwp © Simonwp

© Simonwp (01/06/1985 & 18/09/1095)

Andreas Wörteler Collection

Andreas Wörteler Collection

April 27th 1986: Charter completed and departed for refit at  Wärtsilä, Helsinki.

April 30th 1986: Sold to Perbadabab Nasional Shipping Line Berhad, (PNSL), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Rebuilt and adapted for her new owners.

June 28th 1986: Renamed CRUISE MUHIBAH.

July 1st 1986: Left Helsinki for Port Kelang.

© Derek Sands

© Derek Sands (Felixstowe, 16/07/1986)

© Fotoflite Image Ref 313946 © Fotoflite Image Ref 313948

© Fotoflite

August 6th 1986: Arrived Port Kelang.

August 1986: Services Kota Kinabalu, (Sabah) – Kuching, (Sarawak) – Kuantan, Malaysia – Singapore.

October 1987: Suffered engine problems which were repaired whilst in service.

1987: Suffered an engine room fire. Repaired at Malaysia Shipbuilding.

January 1st 1989: En-route from Kuching to Singapore, ran aground.

January 10th 1989: Towed Singapore for repairs.

1989: Sold to  EPA Ireland Ltd (EPA Invest A/S), Dublin, Ireland.

December 29th 1989: Bare-boat charter to B & I Line Puplic Ltd, Dublin, Ireland. 

January 6th 1990: Left Jakarta for Dublin.

February 5th 1990: Arrived Dublin for refit and alterations, including bow visor, at Liffey Yard PTE, Dublin.

February 1990: Renamed  MUNSTER

April 27th 1990: Services Rosslare – Pembroke Dock.

© Aubrey Dale © Aubrey Dale © Aubrey Dale © Aubrey Dale

© Aubrey Dale (All)

© Tony Garner

© Tony Garner (Pembroke, 02/06/1990)

February 13th 1991  – March 1991: Services Dun Laoghaire – Holyhead.

© Robbie Cox

© Robbie Cox (Dublin, 01/03/1991)

February 14th 1992 – March 4th 1992: Services Dun Laoghaire – Holyhead.

March 31st 1992: Charter completed and laid up in  Dublin.

© Aubrey Dale © Aubrey Dale

© Aubrey Dale (Lay up Dublin)

April 1st 1993: Towed from Dublin to Skipsdokk Sør A/S, Kristiansand, Norway for refit.

May 1993: Transferred to EPA Investor No II, Limassol, Cyprus and six year bareboat charter to New Olympic Ferries Ltd, Limassol, Cyprus. Renamed AMBASSADOR

July 19th 1993: Left Kristiansand for Patras.

July 1993: Services Patras – Igoumenitsa – Bari.

February 1994: Services suspended as  Blaesbjerg Ferries went bankrupt.

February 1994: Laid up in Genoa.

March 8th 1994: Registered to EPA Investor Il Sociedad en Comandita Por Acciones (EPA Invest A/S), Panama.

March 9th 1994: Registered to and bareboat charter OVIEDA Shipping Company Ltd, (EPA Invest A/S), Limassol, Cyprus. Renamed AMBASSADOR II

May 20th 1994 – October 1994: Six month charter to COTUNAV, for services Tunis – Naples – Genoa.

October 31st 1994 – November 8th 1994: Left Tunis for refit at Fredericia Skibsværft A/S, Fredericia.

December 3rd 1994: Chartered to  Tallink Hansaway (AG Eminre-Tallink, Tallinn). Left Fredericia for Tallinn. 

December 10th 1994: Services Travemunde – Tallinn.

January 14th 1995: Suffered engine failure in one of her main engines.

January 24th 1995: Laid up in Travemunde.

March 21st 1995: Returned to her owners.

March 30th 1995: Towed to HDW Kiel, Germany for repairs.

May 4th 1995: Repairs completed.

July 6th 1995: Left Kiel for the Mediterranean.

July 1995: Chartered to Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation (COMANAV), Morocco. For services Sete – Nador.

October 1995: Laid up in Marseille.

1996: Laid up in Villefrance.

May 5th 1996: Laid up in Genoa.

October 1996: Chartered to National Maritime Transport Co, Benghazi, Libya for services Tripoli – Valletta.

November 1996: Laid up in Genoa.

November 19th 1996: Laid up in Marseille.

April 1997: Sold to Sterling Shipping One LLC (International Shipping Partners Inc), Monrovia, Liberia.

April 30th 1997: Left Marseille for Southampton.

May 1997: Laid up in Southampton.

© Tony Garner

© Tony Garner (Southampton, 13/07/1997)

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Tyne, 01/08/1997)

August 16th 1997: Arrived A&P Appledore, Tyne for alterations to a Casino Ship.

January 27th 1998: Suffered a fire in an electrical switchboard.

© Fotoflite Image ref 233320 © Fotoflite Image ref 233321

© Fotoflite

April 1st 1999: Re-delivered and left for Florida.

June 17th 1999: Operations for Sterling Casino Lines from Port Canaveral, Florida.

July 25th 1999: Ran aground on a sandbank outside Cape Canaveral. Floated herself.

July 6th 2008: Operations suspended.

July 22nd 2008: Laid up in Orange, Texas, USA.

January 2011: Sold to U.S. breakers.

January 16th 2011: Towed from Orange to New Orleans for scrapping.

 


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:  Robbie Cox, Brian Fisher, Fotoflite,  Tony Garner, A G Jones, John Jones, Ken Lubi, Derek Sands, Jorg Seyler, Simonwp, Ken Smith and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

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

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