| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | 1988-1999: Royal Viking Sun 1999-2002: Seabourn Sun 2002-present: Prinsendam |
| Operator: | 1988-1994: Royal Viking Line 1994-1998: Cunard Line 1998-2002: Seabourn Cruise Line 2002-present: Holland America Line |
| Port of registry: | 1988-1999: Nassau, Bahamas 1999-2002: Oslo, Norway 2002-present: Rotterdam, Netherlands[1] |
| Builder: | Wärtsilä in Turku, Finland[1] |
| Launched: | March 17, 1988[1] |
| Acquired: | November 26, 1988[1] |
| In service: | 1988-present |
| Nickname: | 2002-present: The Elegant Explorer |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class and type: | Cruise ship |
| Tonnage: | 37,848 gross register tons (GRT) |
| Length: | 674.2 ft (205.5 m) |
| Beam: | 91.8 ft (28.0 m) |
| Draught: | 23.6 ft (7.2 m) |
| Decks: | 9 passenger decks |
| Speed: | 22 knots maximum, (service at 18.5 knots) |
| Capacity: | 740 passengers |
| Crew: | 460 crew |
| General characteristics (2002-present) | |
| Capacity: | 793 passengers |
| Crew: | 443 crew |
The MS Prinsendam (formerly Seabourn 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 for the Royal Viking Line, and was renamed "Seabourn Sun" when Seabourn Cruise Line acquired the ship in 1999. Shortly after, in 2002, Seabourn wished to concentrate on more intimate vessels.[2] So, in 2002, they transferred the ship to Holland America Line, where she was renamed the Prinsendam.
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Launched in 1988 as the Royal Viking Sun for the Royal Viking Line this vessel quickly became renowned for her exquisite service and loyal passenger following. She became a popular addition to the fleet of Global Cruisers employed in Royal Viking service.
Cunard purchased the Royal Viking Sun (and the Royal Viking brand) as the failing Royal Viking Line ceased operations in the mid-1990s. Opting to keep the ship's name as is, they placed her into the newly formed Cunard Royal Viking division. This 5-plus star ship was rated the finest vessel afloat for most of her life with Cunard.[3]
Royal Viking Sun undertook World Voyages as Cunard's Global Roamer, and was a popular and highly sought after ship for passengers and crew alike.[4]
In 1999 Cunard and Seabourn were merged by parent company Carnival Corporation. It was decided to move Royal Viking Sun to Seabourn, and after an extensive refit she emerged as the Seabourn Sun. In 2002 she undertook her last cruise for Seabourn, a circumnavigation of South America.
After another extensive refit in 2002, Seabourn Sun re-emerged as the Prinsendam for Holland America Line - another division of the Carnival Corporation. She has remained as Prinsendam to this day. She is dubbed the Elegant Explorer as she is much smaller in size and passenger capacity and generally offers boutique, different destination cruises within Holland America Line.
The Prinsendam currently does multiple Grand Voyages every year, currently (as of 2011) she does a South American/Antarctica in Jan/Feb and Mediterranean/Black Sea in Mar/Apr. The Prinsendam is one of 3 Holland America Line ships that visit Antarctica, the other two being ms Veendam and the flagship, ms Amsterdam.
The Prinsendam is one of only a handful of cruise ships that can transit the Kiel Canal, due to her low height above the waterline.
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