MS Prinsendam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Prinsendam | |
| Launched: | 1988 |
| Status: | in service |
| Tonnage: | 38,000 gross tons |
| Length: | 669 feet |
| Beam: | 106 feet |
| Speed: | 22 knots |
| Decks: | 8 |
| Complement: | 793 passengers, 443 crew |
| Registry: | Netherlands |
The ms Prinsendam (formerly Seabourne Sun and Royal Viking Sun) is a cruise ship for Holland America Line and is nicknamed the Elegant Explorer. She was launched in 1988 as the Royal Viking Sun, and was renamed the Prinsendam when she entered service with Holland America in 2002.
Since the Prinsendam is smaller than most Holland America ships, she is able to stop in exotic ports of call. Annually, the ship completes a Grand World Voyage that lasts over 100 days.
There was also an earlier vessel named ms Prinsendam which was built at Shipyard de Merwede in the Netherlands in 1973. That ship was 427-foot-long and typically carried about 350 passengers and 200 crew members. The liner was transiting through Gulf of Alaska waters, approximately 120 miles south of Yakutat, Alaska, at midnight on October 4, 1980, when fire broke out in the engine room. The vessel’s master declared the fire out of control one hour later and the Prinsendam sent a radio call requesting immediate assistance. The United States Coast Guard at Communications Station Kodiak, Alaska requested that the ms Prinsendam send out an SOS, the Captain declined, but Chief Radio Officer, Jack van der Zee sent out one anyway about a half hour later which resulted in the alerting of nearby vessels, such as the 1100 foot supertanker, Williamsburgh which was operated by Avon Marine of Lake Success, NY.
[edit] External links
Original ms Prinsendam
