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What Happened to the NCL Sunward?


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We cruised from Miami to the Bahamas on the Sunward, but I can't even put a year to it. It was our first cruise, a short one, but we enjoyed it. Didn't get back into cruising until years later when we became empty-nesters instead of a family of 8. Now we are addicted to cruising! Does anyone know what years the Sunward sailed to the Bahamas, and what ever happend to her? Thanks for any help.:D

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This is somewhat of a complex question, only because there have been three SUNWARDs - or, more precisely, two SUNWARDs and one SUNWARD II.

 

We start with the first SUNWARD. She was built in 1966 under that name for Klosters Sunward Ferries, as a cruise ferry for Southampton-Vigo-Lisbon-Gibraltar service. This was, however, unsuccessful and in December 1966 she moved to Miami and entered into service for Norwegian Caribbean Lines, a joint-venture between Knut Kloster and Ted Arison. (Later, in 1974, Arison would leave NCL and form Carnival.) She continued with NCL - carrying cars and trailers as well as cruise passengers - until 1972, when she was sold to the French state-owned Compagnie Generale Trasmediterranee (CGTM), formerly the Mediterranean arm of Compagnie Generale Transatlantique (CGT, better known as the French Line), who used her on service from Toulon to Sardinia. In 1976, CGTM became the Societe Nationale Corse Mediterranee (SNCM), but later that year, she was sold, renamed GRAND FLOTEL, and used as a floating hotel at Sharjah. In 1979, she was sold to Amar Line, a joint venture between the Monaco-based Vlasov Group and the Saudi entrepreneur Gaith Pharaon. She was renamed SAUDI MOON I and entered service between Jeddah and Suez. She continued as such until 1988 when she was chartered to an American company called Ocean Quest Cruises who renamed her OCEAN QUEST. She was refurbished at Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore and began operating cruises from New Orleans for diving enthusiasts. This lasted until 1990 when she was sold to International Shipping Partners who renamed her SCANDINAVIAN SONG and gave her to their subsidiary SeaEscape. In 1994, ISP chartered her to a Cuban company owned by the Cosulich family of Italy. She was renamed SANTIAGO DE CUBA and began operating cruises from Havana, but this was not successful and she was soon chartered to Singaporean interests who used her on short cruises from Port Klang. She ended her career laid-up at Singapore in November 2002. She was sold for scrap in 2003 and left Singapore in April 2004.

 

Our second ship, SUNWARD II, was originally ordered for Overseas National Airways (then a large American charter airline) along with a sister ship. The ships were sold while under construction to Cunard, and "our" ship entered service in 1971 as CUNARD ADVENTURER, Cunard's first purpose-built cruise ship. Cunard soon made plans to replace her and her sister CUNARD AMBASSADOR with larger ships, and in 1977 she was sold to NCL who renamed her SUNWARD II. She continued to serve NCL until 1991, when she was sold to the then-dominant Greek cruise line Epirotiki Lines, who renamed her TRITON. In 1995, Epirotiki merged with Sun Line into Royal Olympic Cruises, and TRITON became part of the new fleet. ROC lasted until 2004, when they went bankrupt. TRITON was auctioned to the Greek Cypriot-owned Louis Cruise Lines, who allocated her to Louis Hellenic Cruises, a Greek subsidiary which took over ROC's routes in the Greek Isles. She was renamed CORAL and entered service from Piraeus in 2005.

 

The third (or second, to be technically correct) and final SUNWARD began life in 1973 as ROYAL VIKING SKY, the third of a series of three ships ordered by Royal Viking Line, a new company created by three Norwegian shipping firms to enter the top end of the American cruise business. RVL was such a success that they decided to "stretch" their ships; in 1982 ROYAL VIKING SKY received a new 28-meter midsection, enlarging her by more than 6,000 GT. In 1987, the original owners sold RVL to Kloster Cruise, the owners of NCL. In 1991, with RVL having taken delivery of the new ROYAL VIKING SUN, Klosters transferred ROYAL VIKING SKY to NCL and renamed her SUNWARD, replacing SUNWARD II. In 1992, the cash-straped Klosters sold her to the Finnish-owned Birka Line AB, who renamed her BIRKA QUEEN and used her on short cruises from Stockholm. This was not a success and later that year she was chartered back to NCL, who once again renamed her SUNWARD and resumed her old schedules from Miami. This continued for just a year until 1993 when NCL sub-chartered her to Princess, who renamed her GOLDEN PRINCESS. In 1996, her charter to NCL and sub-charter to Princess ended, and Birka Line sold her to the then rapidly-growing Singapore-based Star Cruises (ironically, today the owners of NCL). They sent her to Asia and renamed her SUPERSTAR CAPRICORN. This didn't last long though: in 1998, she was sub-chartered to Hyundai who renamed her HYUNDAI KUMGANG and used her for short cruises from South Korea to Mount Kumgang in the North; part of the Hyundai-influenced "Sunshine Policy" toward North Korea. This venture lasted until 2001, when she was re-delivered to Star Cruises who again renamed her SUPERSTAR CAPRICORN and returned her to service. This nomadic vessel was then sold again in 2004 to the Spanish tour operator Iberojet who put her into service on cruises from Barcelona for the Spanish market. Yet earlier this year (2005), they sold her again to the Norwegian-owned, British-market Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, who already own the former ROYAL VIKING SUN, now BLACK WATCH. Fred. Olsen will take delivery of GRAND LATINO next month (October 2005), rename her BOUDICCA, and give her a major refit before she enters their service in February 2006.

 

So there we have it - the history of the three SUNWARDs, or two SUNWARDs and one SUNWARD II. Sorry I can't help you as to which one you sailed in!

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Host Doug, thank you for all the information:) . I should be able to do a little more sleuthing of my own with the dates you have given for each Sunward. I appreciate your time and thorough explanations. We did sail on one of them, our very first cruise ever, and loved every minute. Thank you for giving us the "Rest of the Story.";)

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Did you deliberately omit the period with Danish Cruise Line out of San Juan, just before the SANTIAGO DE CUBA phase, or was DCL also a subsidiary of Cosulich?

 

This is somewhat of a complex question, only because there have been three SUNWARDs - or, more precisely, two SUNWARDs and one SUNWARD II.

 

We start with the first SUNWARD. [...] This lasted until 1990 when she was sold to International Shipping Partners who renamed her SCANDINAVIAN SONG and gave her to their subsidiary SeaEscape. In 1994, ISP chartered her to a Cuban company owned by the Cosulich family of Italy. She was renamed SANTIAGO DE CUBA [...]

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  • 4 weeks later...

I must add my thanks as well. I sailed the Sunward II in 1984 and that started my passion for cruising. I sailed the Sunward in 1992 and had a wonderful time on that ship as well. I often wondered what happened to those two ships, and was delighted to see the links you provided. Thanks again!

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Did you deliberately omit the period with Danish Cruise Line out of San Juan, just before the SANTIAGO DE CUBA phase, or was DCL also a subsidiary of Cosulich?

Don't know how I missed your post when it was new... Anyhow, Danish Cruise Line was a subsidiary of International Shipping Partners/SeaEscape, not Cosulich.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Don't know how I missed your post when it was new... Anyhow, Danish Cruise Line was a subsidiary of International Shipping Partners/SeaEscape, not Cosulich.

 

I was never quite sure exactly what the relationship was between ISP and DCL, but I was present when ISP 'repossessed' the Scan Song from DCL, so it rapidly turned sour. (I was too engrossed in writing dBase code to pay much attention to the bullets whizzing over my head :cool: )

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In a way, the Sunward II got me hooked on cruising. My mother and farther sailed during the earlier 80's and the stories they would tell. From my mother's addiction to dime slots to the buffets. I would listen as they told the tells and look (no, study) the daily cruise newsletters. I had planned what I would do way before my first cruise.

 

I never sailed that ship but I do wish I had.

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I used to work for NCL and from time to time we get updates on old friends and old ships. This was from our last newsletter.

 

"Within 2 days in Rodos they had the Southward (now Perla) Sunward II (Coral) and the Starward (Orient Queen) in. The Southward and Sundward II were docked together - fantastic sight for an old NCLer. Check out his pictures at

http://www.CrewNewsletter.cc/Newsletter/0510WhiteShips

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  • 1 month later...

Our second ship, SUNWARD II, was originally ordered for Overseas National Airways (then a large American charter airline) along with a sister ship. The ships were sold while under construction to Cunard, and "our" ship entered service in 1971 as CUNARD ADVENTURER, Cunard's first purpose-built cruise ship. Cunard soon made plans to replace her and her sister CUNARD AMBASSADOR with larger ships, and in 1977 she was sold to NCL who renamed her SUNWARD II. She continued to serve NCL until 1991, when she was sold to the then-dominant Greek cruise line Epirotiki Lines, who renamed her TRITON. In 1995, Epirotiki merged with Sun Line into Royal Olympic Cruises, and TRITON became part of the new fleet. ROC lasted until 2004, when they went bankrupt. TRITON was auctioned to the Greek Cypriot-owned Louis Cruise Lines, who allocated her to Louis Hellenic Cruises, a Greek subsidiary which took over ROC's routes in the Greek Isles. She was renamed CORAL and entered service from Piraeus in 2005.

Doug,

Do you know what happened to the Epirotiki? We sailed on it out of Boston for our honeymoon in June 1988.

Thanks,

Jackie:cool:

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Epirotiki was a line with many ships.. do you recall which ship it was you sailed?

Yes, the name of the ship and the line was Epirotiki. At least I never saw any other name on the ship or any of the paperwork we had.

These are some of the ones that were sailing at the time we cruised, but I haven't been able to narrow it down.

Apollon XI (Epirotiki: 1968-81) - ex-Irish Coast

Apollon 11 (Epirotiki: 1968-81) - ex-Irish Coast

Argonaut (Epirotiki: 1964-??) - ex-Orion (built: 1929)

Oceanos (Epirotiki: 1976-91)

Odysseus(2) (Epirotiki:1988- )-ex-Princesa Isabel, Marco Polo, Aquamarine

Orpheus (1) (Epirotiki: 1968-81) - ex-Irish Coast

Orpheus (2) (Epirotiki: 1969-97) - ex-Munster

Pegasus (1) (Epirotiki: 1961-??) - ex-Princess Elizabeth

Pegasus (2) (Epirotiki: 1987-91) - ex-Svea Corona, Sundancer

Thanks for replying.

Jackie:cool:

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  • 1 month later...

I just found this thread, and this forum. Very interesting. I was trying to find out what happened to the Sunward (the final one) as it was the ship my wife and I had our honeymoon on. We actually sailed on the 'maiden' voyage of the last Sunward in October of 1991. It had just been transferred over to NCL from Royal Viking. It was kind of neat because they had a send off party on the first day for the Sunward II. Sort of a celebration on deck and we watched as Sunward II sailed away to her new owners.

 

Our cruise was filled with problems though, presumably because it was the maiden voyage. Looking back now, 15 years later we remember the cruise with fondness but at the time, it was really maddening. They had Royal Viking line dishes and glasswear sitting out on deck. The ship was 1/2 full probably because the ship was almost 2 times as big as the Sunward II and was sold for that amount of people. We sat at a table for 8, alone. Which looking back was ok for our honeymoon, but it looked like we smelled or something sitting at a big table with no one around. We also had no hot water in the shower for the entire 4 day cruise. Ah the memories of taking cold showers on your honeymoon! Like I said though, I look back on that cruise now really fondly.

 

Does anyone have any links to recent pictures of the 3rd Sunward? I would love to see how she looks now and what they did with the interiors.

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Divette - Thanks for posting the link to the pic of the now Orient Queen, former Starward of NCL. I've been wondering what happened to this ship! My hubby and I sailed her for our 1st wedding anniversary in Sept. 1994. Sailed on a Sunday from San Jaun....along with 350 honeymoon couples. (Overload of young hormones!)

 

In spite of our juvenile tablemates, the line and crew left such a wonderful impression on us that we still measure service against that of Gary, our dining room waiter. We even had the pleasure of sailing with our Starward maitre D' when we sailed the Dreamward (now NCL Dream) three years later.

 

I also remember fondly the captian and first officer. Both from Norway, the first officer gave the bridge tour and when another passenger and I were still chatting with him, the captian came onto the bridge and offered us coffee. So charming were they.....

 

I, too, sailed the Norway - which was classically delightful. Because of these experiences, we would jump onto an NCL cruise in a moment, if given the chance.

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  • 2 months later...

I know this is an old thread but it brings back memories. My wife and I sailed on the Sunward II on our honeymoon in 1979. It was a Monday-Friday cruise. We sailed on her again ten years later for a Friday-Monday cruise. It was a great experience.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This old thread really caught me off guard!! I sailed the original Sunward out of Miami in the late '60s (think probably '68). Has sailed before that on Bahama Star & Bahama Star II (Eastern Steamship Lines) and was thrilled to beable to sail a NEW ship. DW & I sailed Emerald Seas (ESL) in about '73 but a bad experience. Didn't come back to cruising until 2000 and now can't stop.

 

 

Paul

 

Now I wonder about the ESL ships???

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  • 4 years later...

Back in the '80s, my wife and I were avid Scuba enthusiasts. I had heard of this 'new concept in dive vacations' offered by an upstart cruise line called Ocean Quest International. They boasted a freshly refitted ocean going ferry whose car deck had been converted to carry approximately a dozen high speed dive boats. Their special feature was self contained diving experiences going to such places as Belize, Roatan, Honduras, Mexico and even offering certification for 'diving' their on-board chamber! Diving was intense, often offering 4 dives each day and even offering a night dive on one night. We had the option of going landside, but that wasn't our purpose aboard this fantastic dive ship. True she was old, and yes she had more than her share of mechanical problems (loosing an engine on return to New Orleans leaving the Miss whatever, beauty queens fuming on the pier for hours! But at the end of the experience (yes we sailed her multiple times) it was politics that killed her. She was barred from launching her own fast boats in Mexico, relegating us to hire those decrepid mexican taxis that took most of the time just getting to our dive walls and having to pay extra for 'port fees' in Belize even though we never tied up. It was a fantastic concept that unfortunately ran into insurmountable difficulties - including running into the stern of another ship at dock on her last cruise arriving at St. Petersburg, Florida. The shame is that it was a sound idea built on a worn out, poorly refitted ship that never gave them a fighting chance! So glad we got the chance to experience her while she sailed here.

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  • 3 years later...
I know this is an old thread but it brings back memories. My wife and I sailed on the Sunward II on our honeymoon in 1979. It was a Monday-Friday cruise. We sailed on her again ten years later for a Friday-Monday cruise. It was a great experience.

This was our first cruise too. May 1979. We are about to go on the Allure to celebrate our 35th! Cruise bug never left us and we passed it on to our children. LOL

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  • 2 months later...

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