Where Ships Go To Die...

[oldsilverfox]

The Island Star is now part of the Island Cruises fleet. Island Cruises is equally owned by RCCI and First Choice, a UK holiday company. RCCI has a 20% stake in First Choice.

[JLC@SD]

Or there was one ship that had run aground, a famous one, in Hong Kong. It was fictionalized to be a spy head quarters in a James bond movie.....I think it was the Man with the Golden Gun.

 

She was the original Queen Elizabeth, and at the time was named Seawise University. While in Hong Kong she mysteriously caught fire and sank. Most think it was arson that caused the fire. After the movie was filmed, the wreck was removed.

[albertiger]

looks like your old Rotterdam may get a happy ending. Plans are almost finalized and funding in place for her to return to and stay in her namesake port of Rotterdam with accomodations, (not public) restaurants, meeting facilities entertainment and educational functions. She is in Cadiz, Spain being refitted.:D

[dougnewmanatsea]

I remember reading an article about this years ago in the Atlantic Monthly

This excellent article by William Langeweische has since been expanded into a chapter of a superb book, The Outlaw Sea.

 

The cruise industry is very much an "above-ground" industry if you will, populated by legitimate companies like Carnival and Royal Caribbean which are long-established and have open and transparent business practices. It is really more a part of the hospitality industry (like hotels) than the shipping industry. But other parts of the shipping business are very different - while there are certainly "good guys" out there, the international nature of the shipping industry provides opportunity for foul play that is hard to find anywhere else. This book offers a fascinating look into that world. (Just remember, when reading it, that most of what is said doesn't apply to cruising - so don't let it scare you out of taking your next cruise!) I highly recommend it.

 

I'll also never understand why they couldn't do all the upgrades and keep her in Celebrity's fleet....

It's not a matter of "couldn't" - it's simply that the company only has a finite amount of money, and they felt that that money would best be put to use doing something other than upgrading HORIZON.

 

Outside this board, the general cruising public wants bigger, newer ships. The cruise lines (the ones that can afford it) are more than happy to deliver on that - especially as the big, new ships cost less to run and are generally just more profitable all around.

 

I might add that back when HORIZON was a big, new ship, all the negative things people say about new ships now, were being said about her then. It's all a matter of perspective!

 

HORIZON/ISLAND STAR is barely in early middle age; she probably has anywhere between 15 and 25 more years ahead of her. By no means is she nearing the end of her life; she simply doesn't offer all the gadgets that the US mass market wants in this fast-changing industry.

 

One of my first cruises was on the Dawn Princess and here is a photo of her in Venice in 1988:

Not to be pedantic, but that photo can't have been taken in 1988 - at the time she was still FAIRWIND. She became DAWN PRINCESS in 1989.

 

They were both destined to be towed over to India for scrap.

Actually, they're both thankfully still around. OCEANIC is now sailing with the Spanish operator Pullmantur Cruises. ROTTERDAM is in Spain being refitted for future use in Rotterdam as a floating hotel/musuem. More info on her here from the Steamship Rotterdam Foundation.

 

Sad to know that she is gone

Fortunately, she is not (see above).

 

do you think that ships get "Reincarnated" when they christen a new ship under the old name? Probably not.

HAL would say that they do ;) .

 

I was on the new (now almost ten years old) ROTTERDAM this past summer. She's a beautiful ship, but she belongs to a different era than the previous one.

 

Of course, there have actually been six ROTTERDAMs! It is HAL tradition to re-use old names, and having been the name of their very first ship, ROTTERDAM is the oldest and most prestigious of all the "DAM" names. The name goes all the way back to the founding of the Line in 1973.

 

Or there was one ship that had run aground, a famous one, in Hong Kong.

This was SEAWISE UNIVERSITY, née QUEEN ELIZABETH (not to be confused with my favorite ship, QUEEN ELIZABETH 2, which is very much alive and well). She was the largest passenger ship ever built for over 50 years. You can read more about this amazing ship here.

[Cruise Arizona]

Now I have a reason to go to the Neatherlands!!!!

 

We are actually planning on a trip to Europ in 2008, first time there for the kids. Maybe we will visit Rotterdam to visit the Rotterdam. Isn't the old Stattendam in the same kind of arrangement? or am I Confusing what I heard was coming up for the Rotterdam with the Stattendam???

 

Its funny, because back in 93, I never thought twice about being to old for HAL, and had a great time, but we are looking at returning to Alaska next summer with a big group, and everybody is voting for Celebrity because they think they are to young for HAL, (And we are all Captains Club Members).:D

[signman]

Suzanne, I believe Peter Knego, the author of the Cruise Travel article about Alang, has some of the furnishings he rescued available for sale. Check in at http://www.maritimematters.com

[TEXASMUNK]

on their way to the scrap yard sink!

 

The insurance policy is often times worth more than the scrap. Also odd how they seem to sink in very deep water....

[ocngypz]

First, on the issues of camera, yes the environmental issues are probably a big reason for no cameras. The article said Alang was a once pristine beach, but no more, and workers live in shanty towns made from ships scrap.

 

My Honeymoon was on the Rotterdam, and she was such an elegant old style ship. Sad to know that she is gone, or is she, do you think that ships get "Reincarnated" when they christen a new ship under the old name? Probably not.

 

Does anybody remember the Angelina Laura sitting keeled over in the harbor after the fire in the harbor in St. Thomas?

 

Or there was one ship that had run aground, a famous one, in Hong Kong. It was fictionalized to be a spy head quarters in a James bond movie.....I think it was the Man with the Golden Gun.

 

 

The Rotterdam V is being restored as we speak.. thankfully.

[JLC@SD]

Not to be pedantic, but that photo can't have been taken in 1988 - at the time she was still FAIRWIND. She became DAWN PRINCESS in 1989.

 

We did sail in 1989, and she had just converted to Dawn. The Sitmar logos were still in place like at the door handles.

 

Here she is in Monte Carlo later on the cruise, the cruise started in Venice and ended in Lisbon. She was a beautiful ship with beautiful lines.....:)

[dougnewmanatsea]

Now I have a reason to go to the Neatherlands!!!!

In additon to the fact that it's a really nice place ;) ?

 

Isn't the old Stattendam in the same kind of arrangement?

No, she was broken up... Sadly. But most of her original interiors had been gutted in the '70s (by HAL) and '80s (by Regency, when she was REGENT STAR) anyway.

 

ROTTERDAM, on the other hand, is still in original condition, making her a better preservation candidate. Also, she is more historically significant, as she was the national flagship.

 

everybody is voting for Celebrity because they think they are to young for HAL

I'm sure there are plenty of good reasons to choose Celebrity over HAL, but being "too young for HAL" is not one of them ;) !

 

I'm only old at heart ;) , but I like HAL anyway!

 

Peter Knego, the author of the Cruise Travel article about Alang, has some of the furnishings he rescued available for sale.

Indeed he does. You can see what he has on offer at MidShipCentury (which is one of the cleverest web site names I've heard in a long time).

 

The Sitmar logos were still in place like at the door handles.

They were probably there until the day she was broken up!

 

In 1998 I sailed in SKY PRINCESS, the former FAIRSKY, and she too still had the original public room door handles in the shape of the Sitmar logo. I think they're still there today (now she's PACIFIC SKY for P&O Australia, and soon she becomes SKY WONDER for Pullmantur, the same people who own OCEANIC).

[dmarch@islc.net]

She was my first girl. Sailed on her when I was child. She deserved better.

 

Does anyone know where you can purchase parts, art, furniture from these old ships? Would love to incorporate a few things into the next house we build.

[JLC@SD]

She was my first girl. Sailed on her when I was child. She deserved better.

 

Does anyone know where you can purchase parts, art, furniture from these old ships? Would love to incorporate a few things into the next house we build.

 

http://maritimematters.com/mall_alang_pk.html

 

This link has some information on what happens to the furnishings.

[Cruise Arizona]

What has the old Rotterdam been doing for the last 10 or so years. I think that is how long she has been out of service as the Rotterdam, with the new one coming on line about ten or so years ago????

 

I love the pictures, and I am so glad that they are preserving her. She looks really pretty good. and with that fresh coat of primer and paint she will look nearly brand new.