MS Sunward (1966)

MS Sunward in Key West in 1970
History
Name
  • 1966-1972: Sunward
  • 1973-1977: Ile de Beauté
  • 1977: Grand Flotel
  • 1978-1988: Saudi Moon I
  • 1988-1990: Ocean Spirit
  • 1990-1993: Scandinavian Song
  • 1993-1994: Santiago de Cuba
  • 1994-2003: The Empress
  • 2003-2004: Empress
Operator
  • 1966: Kloster Sunward Ferries
  • 1966-1972: Norwegian Caribbean Line
  • 1973-1976: CTGM
  • 1976-1977: SNCM
  • 1977: Eastern Gulf, Inc.
  • 1978-1984: Amar Line
  • 1984-1988: Sabah Maritime Services Co.
  • 1988-1993: Ocean Quest International
  • 1991-1993: SeaEscape
  • 1993-1994: Fratelli Cosulich
  • 1994-2003: Empress Cruise Ltd.
  • 2003-2004: Jaisu Shipping Company
Port of registry
  • 1966-1973: Norway
  • 1973-1977: France
  • 1977: United Arab Emirates
  • 1988-1990: United States
  • 1990-1993: Bahamas
  • 1993-2004: Panama City
Ordered1966
BuilderBergens Mekaniske Verksted
Yard number455
Laid downJuly 1965
Launched24 March 1966
Completed1966
Acquired20 June 1966
Maiden voyage25 June 1966
In service1966
Out of service2004
IdentificationIMO number: 6610663
FateScrapped in Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2004
General characteristics
Tonnage8,666 tons
Length443 feet
Decks7
Installed power1,800kW
PropulsionTwo B&W 12-42VT2BF - 90 Diesel
Speed20 knots
Capacity558
Crew220

MS Sunward was a cruise ship built in 1966 for Knut Kloster. Originally designed and built for ferrying passengers and vehicles around the Bay of Biscay and Gibraltar, the promise and success of the Sunward would be short-lived. English currency restriction and the border closing between Spain and Gibraltar defeated the newly built ship's initial purpose. Ted Arison, an Israeli businessman, contacted Kloster about the possibility of converting the Sunward into a cruise ship in Miami. The Sunward operated as a cruise ship under the newly established Norwegian Caribbean Line. The ship proved to be such a success that Norwegian Caribbean Line commissioned newer, larger ships for its fleet, ultimately replacing the Sunward. She was sold to Compangnie Generale Transméditerranéenne in 1973, and later on with several companies. In 2004, the former Sunward was sold to Bangladeshi breakers for scrap. The vessel appeared in the 1970 dramatic film, "Darker than Amber" and the 1989 comedy "Going Overboard".