Villa Vie Odyssey
![]() Braemar in Nieuwe Waterweg
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History | |
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Name |
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Operator |
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Port of registry |
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Builder | Unión Naval de Levante , Valencia |
Yard number | 198 |
Laid down | 21 March 1991 |
Launched | 31 January 1992 |
Completed | 21 June 1993 |
In service | 1993–present |
Identification |
|
Status | Completed dry dock in Belfast. Will resume service in August 2024 (planned). |
General characteristics [2] | |
Type | Cruise ship |
Tonnage | 24,344 GT[1] |
Length | 195.82 m (642 ft 5 in)[1] |
Beam | 22.52 m (73 ft 11 in)[1] |
Draught | 5.41 m (17 ft 9 in)[1] |
Installed power | 4 x Wärtsilä 8R32 Diesels |
Propulsion | |
Speed | 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) |
Capacity | 929 passengers[3] |
Crew | 371 |
Odyssey (formerly Braemar, Crown Dynasty, Cunard Crown Dynasty, Crown Majesty, and Norwegian Dynasty) is a cruise ship, most recently operating with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. During her Cunard ownership, she was marketed as Cunard Crown Dynasty, but her official name remained Crown Dynasty.[4] The vessel was handed over to Villa Vie Residences in February 2024 with more than 70% of cabins sold (340/485 approximately).[5]
History
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Crown_Dynasty_%28ship%2C_1993%29_%2815004067099%29_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-Crown_Dynasty_%28ship%2C_1993%29_%2815004067099%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Norweigiandynasty_cordovaalaska_%284306216486%29_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-Norweigiandynasty_cordovaalaska_%284306216486%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The vessel was constructed in 1993 for Crown Cruise Line, as Crown Dynasty, but she was marketed as the "Cunard Crown Dynasty" when Cunard Line signed an agreement to manage marketing, sales, and reservations for Crown Cruise Line.[6] The vessel sailed under this name until 1997, when she was transferred to Majesty Cruise Line, which renamed her Crown Majesty. This only lasted until the end of 1997, when the vessel was transferred again, this time to Norwegian Cruise Line, which renamed her Norwegian Dynasty.
The vessel returned to her original fleet and name in 1999, but was sold to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in 2001, where the vessel operated under the name Braemar until 2020.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Braemar_%28ship%2C_1993%29_IMO_9000699%3B_Split_%28N43%C2%B030%27%2C_E16%C2%B026%27%29%3B_2014-09-23%2C_15h18m28s.jpg/220px-Braemar_%28ship%2C_1993%29_IMO_9000699%3B_Split_%28N43%C2%B030%27%2C_E16%C2%B026%27%29%3B_2014-09-23%2C_15h18m28s.jpg)
Her sister ship,[citation needed] originally named Crown Jewel and now known as Celestyal Nefeli, currently sails for Celestyal Cruises and operates cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Floating_accommodation._London_Olympics_%287644847470%29.jpg/220px-Floating_accommodation._London_Olympics_%287644847470%29.jpg)
In 2008, during a second major refit, the vessel was also stretched, receiving a new 31-meter hull section that increased its tonnage to the current 25,000 GT. The ship's passenger capacity was also increased to 977.[7]
On 9 October 2019, while carrying her full capacity of 929 passengers, she became the longest ship ever to cruise through the Corinth Canal.[8]
On 8 March 2020, government officials in Cartagena, Colombia, announced that a recently disembarked passenger had tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019, and was accepted by a private local clinic for care. On 9 March 2020, government officials in Alberta, Canada, announced that a recently disembarked passenger had tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019.[9] A day later, Alberta officials confirmed a second infection of a passenger returning from Braemar.[10] On 13 March, the ship was denied entry to the Bahamas as a result of five passengers testing positive for the virus. For the same reason.[11] Sint Maarten also denied a request from the cruise ship to allow passengers to fly out.[12] The infected passenger disembarked off the cruise in Kingston, Jamaica, but it was unknown where they contracted the disease.[11] On 16 March, it was announced that Cuba would accept the ship and evacuated all travelers to the United Kingdom.[13][14] The ship was laid up in Scotland in 2020 as part of the operational pause during the pandemic.[citation needed]
In November 2022, the ship still had not returned to service; Fred Olsen cruises put the ship up for sale.[15]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/9000699_Braemar_1993.jpg/220px-9000699_Braemar_1993.jpg)
On 13 December 2023, it was announced that Villa Vie Residences bought the ship, renaming it the Villa Vie Odyssey, for their 3+1⁄2-year cruise.[16] She was refittet at Harland & Wolff shipyard.[17][18]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Equasis". www.veristar.com.
- ^ Faktaomfartyg. "M/S Crown Dynasty (1993)". Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- ^ Fred Olsen Cruises. "Our Ships - Braemar". Retrieved 20 November 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Braemar (9000699)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "Residenzschiff Villa Vie Residences meldet Tagesrekord, 70% Innen- und 50% Außenkabinen verkauft". www.seereisenportal.de (in German). 17 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ Co, Lakeside Publishing (11 November 1993). "Cruise Travel". Lakeside Publishing Co. – via Google Books.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to lengthen the Braemar". www.travelweekly.com.
- ^ Woodyatt, Amy (12 October 2019). "Huge cruise ship squeezes through Greek canal to claim record". CNN Travel. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ^ Bennett, Dean. "Alberta announces seven new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 14". National Post. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Alberta's COVID -19 cases rise to 14". Lethbridge News Now. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Cruise Ship Carrying Persons With Coronavirus 'Will Not Be Permitted To Dock'". The Tribune. 13 March 2020. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ "St. Maarten denies 'MS Braemar' request to allow passengers to fly out". The Daily Herald. 12 March 2020.
- ^ "Coronavirus-hit cruise ship in diplomatic scramble to find somewhere to dock". cnn.com. 16 March 2020.
- ^ "Coronavirus-infected cruise ship stranded at sea for weeks to dock in Cuba". ABC News. 17 March 2020.
- ^ "Fred. Olsen To Sell Braemar". Cruise Industry News. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ Buckley, Julia (13 December 2023). "There's now a three-and-a-half-year cruise planning to set sail in May". CNN. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/07/villa-vies-petterson-details-odyssey-refit-and-challenges/
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDyF93CvpPA
External links
[edit] Media related to IMO 9000699 at Wikimedia Commons
- Fred Olsen Homepage Archived 4 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- Additional pictures of the Braemar including its May 2010 visit to Dartmouth, Devon
- Timelapse video of the enlarging of MS Braemar