MS Albatros

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Bahaman-registered merchant vessel, Albatros, was a German passenger ship, owned by Happy Days Shipping Ltd of Nassau. Her keel was laid in 1955 by John Brown & Co (Clydebank) of Glasgow, Scotland.

Sylvania was completed for Cunard Line in 1957, for secondary North Atlantic services. In other words, for the Southampton (and later Liverpool)-Montreal service in competition with Canadian Pacific's Empress ships. The Sylvania was the last of an identical quartet. Its sisters were the Saxonia (1954), the Ivernia (1955), and the Carinthia (1956).

When the North Atlantic passenger operation began to tank in the early sixties, Sylvania was used on more and more cruises before finally being sold along with her sister ship Carinthia in 1968 to Sitmar Line. After extensive rebuilding, Sylvania entered full-time cruising under the name Fairwind. The ship was renamed Sitmar Fairwind shortly before P&O Princess acquired Sitmar in 1988. The Sitmar brand was closed, with all of its ships transferred to the more successful Princess Cruises brand. The Sitmar Fairwind became Dawn Princess, with cruises mainly in the American market.

The ship was quickly replaced by newer tonnage, mainly in the form of Princess's new giants Regal Princess and Crown Princess. In 1993, the ship was sold to the Vlasov Group (who had owned Sitmar), and they in turn chartered the ship to Phoenix Reisen, a German travel/cruise company. They operated the ship under the name Albatros until 2004 when, due to engine problems, the ship was sold for scrap. It arrived at Alang, India named Genoa and was dismantled.

Sylvania was the last ship Cunard Line built specifically for transatlantic crossings. Its sister ship Carinthia managed to survive until 2005 when it was also dismantled at Alang, India.

1 1997 Incident
2 Previous names
3 MS Albatros (II) 2005 onwards
4 External links

[edit] 1997 Incident

On 16 May 1997, carrying 800 people and 1,700 tonnes of oil, the Albatros hit Bartholomew's Ledge, St Mary's Sound, Isles of Scilly. The liner returned to St Mary's Road to anchor, escorted by the pilot boat and St Mary's Lifeboat. After two days, the 504 German passengers were taken from the listing ferry, returning home on land.

Bartholomew's Ledge had torn a 200-foot gash in the hull of the liner, which was maneovering out of the archipelago at 6 knots. The incident provoked a review of suitability of cruise shipping in the Isles of Scilly and the piloting and navigation around the islands.

[edit] Previous names

1957-1968 - Sylvania
1968-1988 - Fairwind
1988 - Sitmar Fairwind
1988-1993 Dawn Princess
1993-2005 Albatros
2005 Genoa (renamed shortly before being scrapped)

[edit] MS Albatros (II) 2005 onwards

After the disposal and subsequent scrapping of the original Albatros in 2005, the name was transferred to a vessel originally launched in 1973 as the Royal Viking Sea. This 206m, 28000 tonne vessel is currently operated by the German travel company Phoenix Reisen.

The latest vessel to carry the Albatros name also has had a long and distinguished career under many names and operators

1973-1990 Royal Viking Sea (Royal Viking Line)
1990-1996 Royal Odyssey (Royal Cruise Lines)
1996-2001 Norwegian Star (Norwegian Cruise Line/Norwegian Capricorn Line/Star Cruises)
2001-2005 Crown Mare Nostrum (Spanish Cruise Line)
2005 Albatros (Phoenix Reisen)