Mona Lisa (ship)

MV "Mona Lisa" was built as the combined ocean liner / cruise ship MV "Kungsholm" in 1966. She was later furbished as a full-time cruise ship. She has also sailed under the names MV "Sea Princess", MV "Victoria" and MV "Oceanic II".

tatistics

The "Kungsholm" was launched in 1965, built by John Brown & Company, Clydebank, Scotlandcite web |url=http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2510|title=mv Kungsholm built by John Brown Clydebank|accessdate=2008-03-30 |author=Clydebuilt Ships Database ] . Unusually for a passenger ship at the time, especially one built as a trans-atlantic liner, she was fitted with slow speed two stroke diesel engines. Her two Swedish built Götaverken 9 cylinder engines have a combined output of 25,200 SHP which gave her a service speed of 21 knots, although she achieved 25 knots during her sea trials. The ship is equipped with Denny Brown stabilizers and currentlywhen has a maximum cruising speed of 21 knots. The vessel meets all updated SOLAS requirements as of the 1992 amendments.

The ship's original Gross Registered Tonnage was 26,700. After rebuilding for service with P&O, her tonnage was increased to 27,670 GRT. Currently,when the ship is measured at 28,891 GRT. She is 201 meters (660 ft) long with a breadth of 26.5 meters.

The ship's passenger capacity was 713 as a trans-Atlantic liner, but only 450 as a cruise ship before the addition of extra cabins increased the number of berths to 730. She carries 417 crew members. The maximum capacity utilizing upper (passenger) and lower (crew) berths is 994 persons.

Currently,when the 790-passenger vessel has 397 passenger cabins (292 outside, 105 inside), all equipped with televisions, safe boxes, hairdryers and additional amenities. Sixty-eight of the cabins also have refrigerators.

The ship currentlywhen has 8 passenger decks, 4 passenger elevators, 2 outdoor and 1 indoor swimming pool, a sauna and a massage parlor. She has 3 restaurants, 4 lounges, 4 indoor bars, 1 outdoor bar and a 300-passenger capacity theater. There is also a full-service fitness center, hair salon and a fully equipped hospital.

History

As the "Kungsholm", the ship first entered service for the Swedish America Line in 1966 as a transatlantic ocean liner, the last liner built for the Gotheburg- New York run. Although built for transatlantic service, she was also designed to spend a large proportion of the year cuising.

In 1975, the Swedish America Line dissolved and the "Kungsholm" was sold to Flagship Cruises, who retained her name and used her for cruising from the United States.

In 1978 she was purchased by P&O and had her appearance dramatically altered by the removal of her forward (dummy) funnel, reshaping of her remaining funnel, and the addition of extra cabins. She was renamed the "Sea Princess" and was initially based in Australia, taking over from the SS "Arcadia" which was scrapped in 1979. The Australian cruising role was taken over by SS "Oriana" in 1981 and from then "Sea Princess" alternated between deployments with P&O's UK fleet and the subsidiary Princess Cruises fleet. As her deployments changed, so did the colour of her funnel; buff (yellow) for P&O, white with the Sea Witch logo for Princess Cruisescite web |url=http://www.maritimematters.com/victoria2.html |title=P & O Lines' VICTORIA |accessdate=2008-03-31 |author=Peter Knego ] .

In 1995 she was renamed "Victoria" and for the rest of her career with P&O Cruises operated with its UK fleet out of Southampton. The name change was to allow the then new addition to the Princess Cruises fleet to be named "Sea Princess".

In 1999/2000 "Victoria" was chartered for the Union-Castle Line centenary voyage and had her funnel repainted in that company's livery.

In 2002 she was sold by P&O and sailed for Holiday Kreuzfahrten as "Mona Lisa" until 2006, bearing a large image of the painting of the same name on her funnel. Holiday Kreuzfahrten was declared bankrupt in 2006.

In 2007, the ship was chartered by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) and was renamed "Oceanic II". From 30 April to 28 May 2007, Louis Hellenic Cruises sub-chartered the ship as a temporary replacement for the MV "Sea Diamond", which went aground off the coast of Santorini, Greece and sank earlier in April. Following this she was operated by Pullmantur Cruises (a subsidiary of RCCL) for the 2007 northern hemisphere summer season.

The ship was refitted to become an educational vessel for The Scholar Ship international education program, a cooperative venture between seven major world universities and RCCL. The Scholar Ship offered undergraduate and graduate semester programs during four-month voyages. The inaugural voyage embarked in September 2007, with a second voyage in early 2008. In June 2008 the discontinuation of the program was announced.Fact|date=June 2008

The "Oceanic II" reverted to the name "Mona Lisa" prior to her charter to German tour operator Lord Nelson Seereisen, which ran from April 28 to August 31 2008. Her RCI charter for The Scholar Ship program is to resume in September 2008. On May 4 2008 the "Mona Lisa" was grounded in the Irbe strait while leaving Riga. She suffered no major damage,cite web |url=http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/24h/id89732.html |title=Karille ajanutta risteilijää irrotetaan Latvian edustalla |accessdate=2008-05-04 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-04-30 |work=YLE Uutiset / Ulkomaat |publisher=Yleisradio Oy] but the ship was evacuated after unsuccessful efforts to free her from the sand bank. [cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-mona-lisa-cruise-ship-080505-ht,0,4011692.story |title="Mona Lisa" cruise ship |last=Tribune |first=Wire Reports |work= |publisher=chicagotribune.com]

The Future

A letter of intent has been signed between the current owners of "Oceanic II" and Swedish entrepreuner Lars Hallgren for the acquisition of the ship in 2010. It is planned that certain features of the "Kungsholm's" original appearance, such as her two funnels, will be restored as part of her conversion to a floating hotel. Her likely mooring site will be in Gothenburg.cite web |url=http://www.salship.se/kung_hotel.asp |title=Kungsholm hotel plans|accessdate=2008-04-01 |author=Lars Hemingstam ]

References

External links

* [http://www.TheScholarship.com The Scholar Ship] web site
* [http://www.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/higherLearning.do;jsessionid=00000KMQKt79uU5WF9loGWxgxiL:12hbiocak Royal Caribbean International] Scholarship page
* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24453779 Stranded cruise ship evacuated] AP May 5 2008
* [http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=630711 "Mona Lisa" eastbound in Kiel-Canal, date 30.04.08]

sv:M/S Kungsholm (1966)