MS Island Escape |
|
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | 1982—1985: MS Scandinavia 1985—1990: MS Stardancer 1990—2002: MS Viking Serenade 2002-present: MS Island Escape[1] |
| Owner: | 1982—1985: DFDS 1985—1987: Sundance Cruises 1987—1988: Admiral Cruises 1988—1990: Royal Admiral Cruises 1990—2002: Wilh. Wilhelmsen 2002-present: Island Cruises[1] |
| Operator: | 1982—1983: Scandinavian World Cruises 1983—1985: DFDS Seaways 1985—1987: Sundance Cruises 1987—1988: Admiral Cruises 1988—1990: Royal Admiral Cruises 1990—2002: Royal Caribbean International 2002—2009: Island Cruises[1] 2009-present: Thomson Cruises[2] |
| Port of registry: | 1982—1991: Nassau, Bahamas 1991—2002: Monrovia, Liberia 2002 onwards: Nassau, Bahamas[1] |
| Builder: | Dubigeon-Normandie S.A., Nantes, France[1] |
| Cost: | $100 million[3] |
| Yard number: | 164[1] |
| Laid down: | April 6, 1981[1] |
| Launched: | October 16, 1981[1] |
| Christened: | September 28, 1982[1] |
| Acquired: | August 20, 1982[1] |
| In service: | October 2, 1982[1]-present |
| Identification: | IMO number: 8002597[1] |
| Status: | In active service as of 2010 |
| General characteristics (as built, 1981)[1] | |
| Type: | cruiseferry |
| Tonnage: | 26,747 GT (gross tonnage) 4,294 metric tons deadweight (DWT) |
| Length: | 185.25 m (607 ft 9 in) |
| Beam: | 27.01 m (88 ft 7 in) |
| Draught: | 6.80 m (22 ft 4 in) |
| Installed power: | 2 × B&W 9L55GFCA diesels combined 19,850 kW |
| Propulsion: | Twin propellers[3] |
| Speed: | 20 knots (37.04 km/h; 23.02 mph) |
| Capacity: | 1606 passengers 1606 passenger berths 530 cars 51 trailers |
| General characteristics (as of 2009)[3] | |
| Type: | cruise ship |
| Tonnage: | 40,132 GT (gross tonnage)[1] |
| Length: | 189.89 m (623 ft 0 in) |
| Draught: | 7.20 m (23 ft 7 in) |
| Decks: | 10 (passenger accessible) |
| Capacity: | 1544 passengers (lower berths) 1741 passengers (all berths)[4] |
| Crew: | 540 |
| Notes: | Otherwise the same as built |
MS Island Escape is a cruise ship owned and operated by Thomson Cruises under their Island Cruises brand. She was built in 1982 by Dubigeon-Normandie S.A., Nantes, France for Scandinavian World Cruises (a subsidiary of DFDS) as the cruiseferry MS Scandinavia. At the time of her construction she was the largest cruiseferry in the world. After being withdrawn from Scandinavian World Cruises, she briefly sailed for DFDS Seaways. Between 1985 and 1990 she sailed for Sundance Cruises and Admiral Cruises as MS Stardancer. In 1990 the ship was sold to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and renamed MS Viking Serenade. The following year she was converted into a genuine cruise ship. In 2002 she was transferred to the fleet of Royal Caribbean's new subsidiary Island Cruises. Island Escape joined the fleet of Thomson Cruises in April 2009, but retained her name and continued with her more informal style of buffet restaurants and relaxed dress code.[2]
Island Escape operates in the Canary Islands and the Western Mediterranean under Thomson Cruises. In November 2010, Thomson will spend a further £4 million in refurbishing Island Escape.[5]
Island Escape was featured in a mini-series TV documentary which consisted of 10 episodes. The documentary was initially broadcast in the UK during 2002. Repeats of the documentary were later shown on Bravo. The documentary followed the working lives of several crew members and gave a good insight into what it was like to work on a cruise ship.[6][7]
| Preceded by MS Finlandia |
World's Largest Cruiseferry 1982–1985 |
Succeeded by MS Svea |
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