Princess Daphne
The Princess Daphne, 2009 in Kiel
- Port Sydney (1955-1959)
- Akrotiri Express (1960-1974)
- Daphne (1974-1997)
- Switzerland (1997-2001)
- Ocean Odyssey (2002-2002)
- Ocean Monarch (2002-2008)
IMO no. 5282627
Princess Daphne (formerly Ocean Monarch, Switzerland, Daphne, Akrotiri Express, Port Sydney ) is a 3 - star cruise ship.
History
Use as a cargo ship
The ship was built as a cargo ship under the hull number 1827 on the British shipyard Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Newcastle upon Tyne, for the cruise port Line, London. The keel-laying ceremony took place on 13 August 1953, 29 October 1954, was launched from the dock. Following the solemn baptism took on the name Port Sydney by Mrs. Ronald Senior, wife of the chairman of the Port Line instead. The delivery to the shipping company and was putting on 3 March 1955.
The ship, built in 1955 with the Port Melbourne a sister ship, which was also converted to cruises.
Both ships were built for the regular service between the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The maiden voyage of the Port Sydney led some ports in South Africa to Brisbane, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand. From there, the journey home was begun.
The ship was equipped with a six-cylinder Doxford diesel engine that powered two screws that hold the ship reached a speed of 17 knots. The freight capacity stood at 180,000 frozen lamb halves and 15,000 bales of cotton. On board was also accommodate twelve passengers who were traveling in eight single and two double cabins.
As of March 10, 1968, the ship of Blue Port, a joint company of Port Line shipping company and the Blue Star Line was. In 1972 the ship to the Chion Shipping Co. Ltd. was. sold to Greece and renamed in 1973 in Akrotiki Express.
Use as a cruise ship
In 1974 the ship at Chalkas Shipyard has been converted into a cruise ship with a capacity of 503 passengers. In the same year the ship was sold to the Akrotiki Express Shipping Co. in Greece and renamed Daphne. The new owner used the ship for cruises in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
In 1976 the ship was sold to Delian Cruises Inc. Athina, Greece. The name was retained. In 1978 the ship for a season of Flotta Lauro was chartered. From 1979, chartered Costa Armatori SpA ( Linea C), Genoa, the ship for five years.
1985 bought Armatori Costa SpA ( Linea C ) the ship and registered it under Independent Continental Lines Ltd.. , Panama. In the following years it was used for cruises in American waters.
In the early 1990s the ship of Prestige Cruise Lines was bereedert. In 1996 the ship was thoroughly renovated, this changed to some extent technical data.
In 1997 it was chartered by ICH ( Switzerland ) and renamed in Switzerland. The management took over Leisure Cruises in Panama. At this time, took that ship 440 passengers and 210 crew.
On 23 August 2001 almost 25 percent of the passengers sick on a cruise in Northern Europe on a Salmonella infection. As the source of this infection chickens were suspected, were part of a supplies delivery in Amsterdam.
In September 2001, the ship was modernized again. The work was completed on 27 September 2001. The cabins were refurbished and the entire ship new flooring and carpets. At this time I was the charter company from Switzerland, a subsidiary of the airline Swissair, unable to settle by their bankruptcy unpaid bills. The ship was then put up for sale. On February 24, 2002 Majestic Cruises bought the ship and called it in to Ocean Odyssey. It then drove the Panamanian flag. In the same year the ship Majestic Navy has been registered. It was renamed Ocean Monarch and brought under the flag of Portugal. The management took over Majestic Marine, Athens, Greece.
In 2005 the ship was chartered by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There were transported 800 tons of relief supplies and medicines to Sri Lanka, which was severely affected by the tsunami due to the earthquake in the Indian Ocean. After the ship was used as a floating hospital with specially trained medical personnel of various charities. Majestic International Cruises offered the charter at a special price.
In 2007, the vessel was sold to Golden Laurel Maritime Inc., Madeira, and renamed Princess Daphne and transferred from Piraeus to Lisbon in January 2008. The ship management took over World Cruise Agency, Lisbon. The ship first went for the tour operator Hansa Cruises. Following the insolvency of Hansa Cruises drove the Princess Daphne 2012 for the newly created company ambience cruises. In early October 2012, the ship was arrested in Crete because of outstanding claims of creditors of the shipping company.