MV Discovery

operator

*1971–1974: Flagship Cruises‡R1R‡ *1972–1999: Princess Cruises *1999–2001: Hyundai Merchant Marine *2001–2002: Fiducia Shipping *2002–2013: Voyages of Discovery *2013–2014: Cruise & Maritime Voyages

original cost

$25 million

registry

*1971–1974: Oslo 🇳🇴 Norway *1974–1999: London, UK *1999–2002: Panama, 🇵🇦 Panama *2002–2014: Hamilton, 🇧🇲 Bermuda *2014: Basseterre, 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis

laid down

1971

christened

14 December 1971

launched

3 March 1971

in service

1972

identification

* *Call sign: ZCDG2 *

fate

Scrapped at Alang, India in 2014.

completed

1972

maiden voyage

1972

out of service

2014

MV Discovery (formerly Island Venture, Island Princess, Hyundai Pungak and Platinum) was a cruise ship, which was formerly operated by Voyages of Discovery and was last in service for Cruise & Maritime Voyages. She was scrapped at Alang, India in 2014.

History

The ship began operation in 1972 with Flagship Cruises, under the name Island Venture. In 1974, she was sold to P&O's Princess Cruises along with sister ship Sea Venture. The pair were renamed Island Princess and Pacific Princess, the latter, laid up since 2008 at the San Giorgio del Porto shipyard in Genoa, Italy, was scrapped at Aliağa, Turkey. Both appeared in the 1970s television sitcom The Love Boat.[3] Island Princess operated as part of the Princess fleet until 1999, when she was sold on to Hyundai Merchant Marine of South Korea. Renamed Hyundai Pungak her role was to transport South Korean pilgrims to religious sites in North Korea.

After a brief stint as the Platinum, the ship went through a major refit between 2001 and 2003, after which the vessel sailed as Discovery under the care of the cruise company Voyages of Discovery, part of the All Leisure Group, cruising out of

March 2013 Maritime and Coastguard Agency detention

In early March 2013, on her maiden voyage with Cruise & Maritime Voyages, the Discovery was detained in Portland Harbour by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency after a recent routine inspection revealed that the ship's safety drills and crew's familiarisation of the vessel were inadequate. The cruise was cancelled after passengers spent around 24 hours aboard the ship, before leaving the vessel and boarding coaches out of the port. Afterwards, passengers expressed their anger about the cruise being cancelled but also about dirty wash areas and exposed electrics aboard the ship. Passengers were offered a full refund as well as £250 compensation and 40 percent off their next cruise with the company.[5] Cruise and Maritime voyages issued a statement in response to the incident.

"Due to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control and notwithstanding the recent dry-docking, the vessel has encountered technical problems which prevent her from sailing. We have been unable to resolve these technical issues to enable us to continue with the cruise on time and further works will have to be undertaken to ensure all issues are fully resolved.".[6]

The ship was due to set sail from Avonmouth after arriving from Italy after refit but due to weather conditions it was diverted to Portland, with the passengers being brought to the port from Avonmouth by coach.[7]

On 11 March 2013, Cruise and Maritime Voyages announced that the Maritime and Coastguard agency had cleared the ship for active service. The ship left on her second cruise with Cruise and Maritime Voyages on 15 March, from Avonmouth, the first cruise ship to do this in around 20 years.

Retirement

All Leisure Group took Discovery out of service in late 2014 due to operating losses. In mid-September, Discovery was sold by All Leisure Group "as is" for $5 million and her service with Cruise Maritime Voyages terminated two cruises early. For October she was replaced by Portuscale Cruises' MV Funchal and in 2015 was replaced by MV Azores. Discovery departed Bristol, Avonmouth for the final time on 9 October 2014, bound to anchor off Falmouth for a few hours the day after. Following her brief anchorage off Falmouth, she sailed south to the Strait of Gibraltar. Upon entering the Mediterranean, she was reported to have been renamed AMEN and flagged in St. Kitts and Nevis. She sailed directly towards Port Said and days later transited the Suez Canal. Discovery was broken up at Alang in 2014.[8] Her sister ship, MS Pacific, was broken up two years prior at Aliağa.

History

March 2013 Maritime and Coastguard Agency detention

Retirement

General characteristics

External links

References