Spirit of London

The Spirit of London after being launched in 1972.
Career
Name:	1970-1971: Seaward 1972-1974: Spirit of London 1974-1988: Sun Princess 1988: Majestic 1988-1994: Starship Majestic 1994-1998: Southern Cross 1998-2004: Flamenco 2004-2008: New Flamenco 2008-2010: Flamenco-1
Owner:	1970-1971: Norwegian Cruise Line 1972-1974: P&O Cruises 1974-1988: Princess Cruises 1988-1994: Premier Cruises 1994-1998: CTC Lines 1998-2004: Festival Cruises 2004-2007: Cruise Elysia 2008: Club Cruise
Builder:	Cantieri Navali del Tirreno & Riuniti
In service:	October 1972
Out of service:	November 2008
Fate:	Scrapped at Alang, India.
General characteristics
Tonnage:	17,042 gross register tons (GRT)
Length:	573 feet
Beam:	73 feet
Speed:	20.5 knots
Capacity:	760 (normal) 1,027 (maximum)
Crew:	390

The Spirit of London was an Italian built cruise ship put into service in 1972. After being inactive for almost two years the vessel was sold for scrap.

Delayed construction

The vessel was originally ordered in 1970 by Norwegian Caribbean Line as Seaward. The shipyard, Cantieri Navali del Tirreno & Riuniti, encountered financial troubles and was consequently taken over by the IRI Group, who canceled the building contract of Seaward. After much protest from NCL the IRI Group agreed to partially complete the vessel. Despite this Norwegian Caribbean sold the hull to P&O, who would complete the Seaward as Spirit of London. ^[1]

Due to being originally ordered for Norwegian Caribbean Line the Spirit of London had a sister ship in the NCL fleet, the Southward. Both vessels superstructures are identical. Although Southward is smaller in tonnage then Spirit of London, both are 537 feet long. ^[2]

History

In 1974, P&O bought Princess Cruises and transferred the Spirit of London to their fleet, with Princess operating her as Sun Princess, alongside the Island Princess and Pacific Princess.

1988 saw the sale of the Sun Princess by P&O to Premier Cruises, where it was initially named Majestic, becoming the Starship Majestic in 1989. In 1994, she was purchased by CTC and was renamed the Southern Cross. She was renamed again in 1998 when Festival Cruises began operating her as the Flamenco. When Festival Cruises collapsed in 2004,^{[citation needed]} she was sold for $12.25 million at a bankruptcy auction to Cruise Elysia, who renamed her New Flamenco. In 2007 Club Cruise acquired New Flamenco.^[3]

End of service

Club Cruise had New Flamenco serve as a hotel ship in New Caledonia until they failed in late 2008. The vessel was sold for scrap after over a year of lay up off Singapore. However, as of September, 2011, she is still in lay-up off Singapore in poor condition. ^[4]

In popular culture

The ship appeared in the 1975 Columbo episode "Troubled Waters", guest starring Robert Vaughn, as well as in Herbie Goes Bananas (1980). She was also featured in at least one episode of The Love Boat involving a competition between Captain Stubing of the Pacific Princess and the captain of the Sun Princess.

References

1. ^ "FlamencoPCs". Simplonpc.co.uk. http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/FlamencoPCs.html#anchor374736. Retrieved 2010-12-12. 
2. ^ "Rio: Rio Cruises". Ship Parade.com. http://www.shipparade.com/az/Rio/Rio.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-12. 
3. ^ "Spirit of London - Sun Princess - StarShip Majestic - Southern Cross - Flamenco - New Flamenco". Simplonpc.co.uk. http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/FlamencoPCs.html. Retrieved 2010-12-12. 
4. ^ "Alang Autumnal". Maritime Matters. 2010-11-20. http://maritimematters.com/2010/11/alang-autumnal/. Retrieved 2010-12-12.