MS Mona Lisa
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (January 2009) |
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | list error: <br /> list (help) 1966—1979: Kungsholm 1979—1995: Sea Princess 1995—2002: Victoria 2002—2007: Mona Lisa 2007—2008: Oceanic II 2008 onwards: Mona Lisa |
| Owner | list error: <br /> list (help) 1966—1975: Swedish America Line 1975—1978: Flagship Cruises 1978—2002: P&O Cruises 2002 onwards: Leonardo Shipping |
| Operator | list error: <br /> list (help) 1966—1975: Swedish America Line 1975—1978: Flagship Cruises 1978—1999: P&O Cruises/Princess Cruises 1999—2000: Union-Castle Line 2000—2002: P&O Cruises 2002—2006: Holiday Kreuzfahrten 2007: Louis Cruise Lines 2007: Pullmantur Cruises 2007—2008: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (The Scholar Ship) 2008: Lord Nelson Seereisen[4] 2008—2009: Peace Boat[5] |
| Port of registry | list error: <br /> list (help) 1966—1975: Gothenburg,  Sweden1975—1978: Monrovia,  Liberia1978—2002: London,  United Kingdom2002 onwards: Nassau,  Bahamas[1] |
| Builder | John Brown & Company, Clydebank, Scotland[3] |
| Yard number | 728[3] |
| Laid down | January 1964 |
| Launched | 14 April 1965[3] |
| Christened | 14 April 1965 by Mrs. Annabella Broström[2] |
| Completed | 17 March 1966[2] |
| Maiden voyage | 22 April 1966[2] |
| Identification | IMO number 6512354 |
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | list error: <br /> list (help) 26,678 gross tons (as built) 27,670 (1979) 28,891 (as of 2008) |
| Length | 201.33 m (660 ft 6 in) |
| Beam | 26.57 m (87 ft 2 in) |
| Draught | 8.56 m (28 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power | 25,200 SHP |
| Propulsion | list error: <br /> list (help) Two direct drive Götaverken 9 cylinder slow speed two stroke diesel engines Twin screw |
| Speed | 20 kn (37.04 km/h) service speed; 25 kn (46.30 km/h) top speed |
| Capacity | list error: <br /> list (help) 713 passengers (transatlantic service) 450 (cruising as built) 782 (as of 2008) |
| Crew | 417 |
MV Mona Lisa is a cruise ship owned by Leonardo Shipping[citation needed] and operated under charter by Peace Boat (as of January 2009).[5] She was built in 1966 by the John Brown & Company shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland as the combined ocean liner / cruise ship MS Kungsholm for the Swedish American Line.[2] She was later rebuilt as a full-time cruise ship. She has also sailed under the names MV Sea Princess, MV Victoria and MV Oceanic II.[5]
Statistics
The Kungsholm was launched in 1965, built by John Brown & Company, Clydebank, Scotland[3]. 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.[2] The ship is equipped with Denny Brown stabilizers and currently[when?] 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 currently[when?] 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.[2]
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 Cruises[6].
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[2][6].
In 1999/2000 Victoria was chartered for the Union-Castle Line centenary voyage and had her funnel repainted in that company's livery.[2]
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.[2] Holiday Kreuzfahrten was declared bankrupt in September 2006. Following the bankruptcy of Holiday Kreuzfahrten the Mona Lisa was briefly laid up at Pireus, Greece,[1] but in November 2006 she was chartered for use as a hotel ship in Doha, Qatar for the duration of the Asian Games. The charter to Qatar ended on 1 January 2007.[1][5]
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.[1]
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.[citation needed]
The Oceanic II reverted to the name Mona Lisa prior to her charter to German tour operator Lord Nelson Seereisen, which ran from 28 April to 31 August 2008.[4] On 4 May 2008 the Mona Lisa was grounded in the Irbe strait while leaving Riga. She suffered no major damage,[7] but the passengers were evacuated from the ship on 5 May after unsuccessful efforts to free the ship from the sand bank.[8] The Mona Lisa was eventually pulled free from the sandbank on 7 May 2008. She subseqently sailed to a drydock in Ventspils, Latvia for inspection and returned to normal cruise traffic on 8 May 2008.[1]
Following the completion of her charter to Lord Nelson Seereisen, the Mona Lisa was chartered to Peace Boat for the duration of the 2008/2009 northern hemisphere winter season.[5]
The Future
A letter of intent has been signed between the current owners of Mona Lisa 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.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d e Asklander, Micke. "M/S Kungsholm (1966)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 January 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Othfors, Daniel. "Kungsholm (IV)/Sea Princess (I)/Victoria (II)/Mona Lisa". The Great Ocean Liners. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ^ a b c d "mv Kungsholm built by John Brown Clydebank". Clydebuilt Ships Database. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ^ a b "Cruise ship runs aground". news.com.au. News Limited. 5 May 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Boyle, Ian. "Kungsholm". Simplon Postcards. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
- ^ a b Knego, Peter. "P & O Lines' Vistoria". Maritime Matters. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
- ^ "Karille ajanutta risteilijää irrotetaan Latvian edustalla". YLE Uutiset / Ulkomaat. Yleisradio Oy. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Stranded cruise ship evacuated off Latvia". Associated Press / msnbc. 5 May 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Kungsholm to Gothenburg". A Tribute to the Swedish American Line (in English/Swedish). Retrieved 1 April 2008.
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