Anyone know what happened to the old MV Freeport

Ohestu · September 20, 2005

Just looking for current information on a criuse ship that I was on in the early 70's. The ship was the MV Freeport and sailed between Miami and the Bahamas. Does anyone know when that ship went out of service or where it may currently be?

dougnewmanatsea · September 21, 2005

I do indeed. She is now the DISCOVERY SUN, making day cruises from Port Everglades to Freeport, after a long and interesting history.

Rather than recount all this myself, I suggest you take a look at here at a six-page article on the ship written by a friend of mine from Scotland, Bruce Peter.

Note that these are archived pages from The Internet Archive of a site which no longer exists; the server is sometimes a bit unreliable so check back later if the pages don't load.

Hope this helps.

PattiMerritt · April 4, 2006

My better half's step-father was captain of the Freeport for several years.... he remembers her with such fondness -- then we discovered she was renamed the discovery and we sailed on her to Freeport last year -- sometimes... memories are better left alone... he was sadly disappointed.

mack62 · February 15, 2013

Just looking for current information on a criuse ship that I was on in the early 70's. The ship was the MV Freeport and sailed between Miami and the Bahamas. Does anyone know when that ship went out of service or where it may currently be?

I too traveled on the Freeport in the early 70's. The article on this page is a good history, but i am amazed that it does not mention the engine room fire that happened on Dec 7th 1971, killing one crewman and causing the boat to sit dead in the water overnight. only CG rescue tugs saved her and had it been a stormy night, they might not have been successful. doesn't anyone remember that ? I and my wife certainly do.

VeracruzI · March 17, 2013

My father's company was the one that built her. My brother still has the 6 foot model from his office. She just went to the scrappers a few month's back. I tried to find some pictures but no luck.

Essiesmom · March 19, 2013

Taken in Freeport March 2008

Florida Cruisin' Couple · September 11, 2016

was renamed and used for trips to freeport, but later went to be cut up!

DISFANS3 · September 19, 2016

Cool looking old ship...

DavidinFLL · May 10, 2020

The Freeport was the first cruise ship I sailed aboard, in 1972. She was a pretty ship, and was actually a ferry used to carry passengers and freight from Miami to the Bahamas. Her bow opened by swinging upward, and the transom opened downward. Semi trucks could actually be driven into and out of the ships hold.

I had a cabin by myself on a 4 night cruise in June of 1972 which occurred while Hurricane Agnes was devastating Eastern Pennsylvania, where I was from. The cabin had two fold down berths, one above the other. The head was so small, that you had to decide what you needed to do before entering it because there wasn't enough room to turn around in it! But I loved the cruise! I was 23 years old and traveling with my parents, my sister and my mother's sister and her friends.

I moved to Ft. Lauderdale in 2004 and have cruised many times out of both Port of Miami and Port Everglades, and I sailed past the Discovery Sun, which was originally the Freeport, as she was tied up in port. My mail carrier at the time was born in Nassau and he had ferried aboard the Freeport many times while living in the Bahamas.

She was a fine ship and one I will remember with fondness. She was one of three ships that I have sailed aboard that have been sent to the breakers, along with the Imperial Majesty and the S.S. Norway. These three ships hold a special place in my heart and many ships I have sailied aboard since will join them there eventually!