The M/V Azores Cruise Ship
Launched in 1946 as the MS Stockholm, was the biggest passenger ship ever constructed in Sweden, yet at that time, the smallest transatlantic liner. In the last 67 years has flown five national flags and had ten different names (Stockholm, Volkerfreudschaft, Volker, Fridtjof Nansen, Italia, Italia Prima, Valtur Prima, Caribe, Athena).
Operating as a no-frills liner it initially sailed between Gothenberg-Copenhagan and Halifax-New York. From 1951, the itinerary was extended to include the West Indies and the Caribbean. In 1956, sailing as the Stockholm in Atlantic fog, it collided with the italian ship Andrea Doria which subsequently capsized and sank next day. All passengers were rescued but sadly five Stockholm staff were killed.
In 1960, purchased by the East German government to become a trade union cruise ship, providing voyages to ‘deserving workers’ visiting friendly communist countries.
During the 1965 Cuban Missile Crisis, the ship found itself at the centre of the cuban blockade and threatened with disablement by the American government. Then in 1983, a West German submarine made contact with the ships propellor forcing the West German government to pay substantial reparations.
In 1989 the ship had a major refit being rebuilt from the waterline upwards.
In 2004, the ship was purchased by the portuguese company Classic International Cruises and became the flagship of its fleet, spending most of its time in the southern hemisphere. Notoriety followed in 2008 when in the Gulf of Aden, the ship became the focus of attention by Somali pirates. The crew prevented pirates from boarding by use of high pressure water hoses, the pirates scattered when a US Navy patrol aircraft appeared.
Sadly in 2012, the company struck financial trouble and the ship was impounded for five months before another company Portuscale Cruises rescued it and renamed it Azores. There followed another major refit in France.
The vessel has now been leased to Essex based Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV). In April 2015, the vessel was impounded in Lisbon due to a financial wrangle involving Portuscale and another third party. CMV gave all passengers a complimentary bar during the nineteen hour delay.
Technical Stuff:
8 Passenger Decks; 550 Passengers in 227 Cabins; Length 161m, Beam 21m, Draft 7.6m, Tonnage 15,614; Speed 19 knots (22mph).
Six laps of the Promenade Deck equals one mile.
More information: Wikipedia
Press any image to view a slideshow:
Six Sail to Iceland 