MS Dunnottar Castle: Difference between revisions

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "MS Dunnottar Castle" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

History
United Kingdom
Name	Dunnottar Castle (1936-1958) Victoria (1958-1975) The Victoria (1976-1993) Princesa Victoria (1993-2004)
Operator	Union-Castle (1936-1958) Incres SS Co (1958-1964) Clipper Line (1964-1975) Chandris Lines (1975-1993) Louis Cruise Lines (1993-2004)
Builder	Harland and Wolff
Yard number	959[1]
Laid down	1935
Launched	25 January 1936
Completed	27 June 1936[1]
Maiden voyage	July 1936
Out of service	2004
Fate	Scrapped at Kumar Steel Breakers Yard in India, 2004
General characteristics
Tonnage	15,007 GRT as built
Length	560ft. (174m.) as built
Beam	72ft. (22m.) as built
Draft	22.2ft. (8.1m)
Propulsion	Burmeister & Wain Diesels as built, in 1959 refitted with Fiat diesel-engines
Speed	18 knots
Capacity	285 first class, 250 tourist class as built, 696 single-class at the time of scrapping
Crew	250 as built

The MS Dunnottar Castle was the original name of a twin-screw passenger ship built in 1936 and more widely known under her later name Victoria or The Victoria. Victoria was a

in 2004. Victoria retained a classic liner look with several features unchanged since her pre-war construction for her entire operational life.

Construction and war service

The ship was originally built by

St. Helena

.

At the outbreak of the war, Dunnottar Castle was converted into an armed merchant cruiser by the Royal Navy. She departed on her first tour of duty on 14 October 1939. In 1942, she commenced duties as troop ship until 1948, when she was decommissioned from Naval service. She immediately received a comprehensive overhaul and resumed her London to Africa service in 1949, which continued for the next nine years.

The ship played a small part in the search for the

Career as cruise liner

Dunnottar Castle was bought by Incres Steamship Co in 1958 and substantially refitted as a cruise liner at the Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard near Rotterdam. The ship received a new engine, new superstructure and a new raked bow, changing her overall appearance significantly. The first and tourist class cabins were reconstructed into 600 single-class cabins with private facilities and air-conditioning. Incres renamed her Victoria and ran her out of New York City on West Indies cruises

In 1964, she was sold to Victoria SS Co Monrovia, a subsidiary of Swedish company Clipper Line from Malmö. She retained both her name and service. Incres Line continued as agents for the ship. For eleven years, Victoria made cruises from the United States to the Caribbean.

In 1975, the company sold her to

and she ran on Caribbean and European cruises until 1993 with a minor refurbishment in 1987. It was in 1987 that Jade deck was created by converting storerooms into thirty eight (38) passenger cabins. This was a major feat as the ship was cruising with passengers on board at the same time.

Final years

The ship's final incarnation was as the Princesa Victoria making 2 and 3-day cruises from

in 2001.

Finally, the ship was laid up in 2002 and broken up in 2004 at the Kumar Steel Breakers Yard in India. At the time, she was the oldest large liner still operating anywhere in the world.

References

• Maritime Matters website [1]
• ss Maritime website (archived) [2]
• Chandris lines fleet [3]
• Pictures of the various incarnations of the Victoria [4]
• Detailed timeline Dunnottar Castle - Victoria - Princesa Victoria [5]