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HISTORY
MS Gripsholm was a
combined ocean liner/cruise ship, built in 1957 by Ansaldo
Shipyard, Genoa, Italy for the Swedish American Line for use
in transatlantic traffic from Gothenburg to New York as well
as long-distance cruising.
In 1971 she was laid up for 3 months in Göteborg, being
converted into a pure cruise ship, thus ending her
Transatlantic career.
In 1975 she was sold to the Karageorgis Lines, who named her
MS Navarino and used her on Mediterranean routes until 1981,
when she was damaged in a grounding off Patmos.
After some repair difficulties, in 1984 the vessel became
the first ship of the newly formed Regency Cruises, and was
named MS Regent Sea. In 1995, Regency went bankrupt, and
Regent Sea was auctioned off to United States American
Cruise Line, who started on a conversion to a casino ship,
but which was never completed due to bankruptcy of the new
owner.
In early 2001 the ship was sold for scrap and began a
journey under tow to breakers in India. A Swedish plan to
turn her into a floating hotel in Stockholm ran into
resistance from residents, and in the meantime (June) the
ship was looted by pirates while at Dakar. On 12 July of the
same year, the hulk sank in heavy seas off Algoa Bay in
South Africa.
| Name: |
MS
Gripsholm (1957)
MS Navarino (1975)
MS Regent Sea (1984) |
| Owner: |
Swedish
American Line (1957)
Karageorgis Lines (1975)
Regency Cruises (1984)
Karageorgis Lines (1975)
United States American Cruise Line (1997) |
| Route: |
Gothenburg –
New York |
| Builder: |
Ansaldo
Shipyard |
| Cost: |
₤7,000,000
|
| Christened: |
by Princess
Margarethe |
| Completed: |
1957 |
| Maiden
voyage: |
14 May 1957
|
| In service: |
2 April 1957 |
| Sunk: |
12 July 2001 |
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