| Kungsholm (4) was built by John Brown, Clydebank in 1966, and entered service with Swedish America. She was sold to Flagship Cruises in 1975, retaining her name. The Kungsholm (4) was then bought by P&O in 1979 to replace the aging Arcadia. She was given a major overhaul in Bremen, which ruined her classic liner appearance, and renamed Sea Princess. Initially operated by P&O Cruises in the Australian, then British markets, she was later transferred to the US market and appeared in Princess Cruises colours. She eventually returned to P&O Cruises, and has subsequently been renamed Victoria. In Winter 1999/2000 Victoria operated a cruise on charter to the Union-Castle Line, and received a red/black funnel. It was announced in February 2001 that Victoria would be withdrawn and replaced in the P&O Cruises fleet from November 2002 with the Princess Cruises ship Ocean Princess, which would be renamed Oceana from November 2002. Victoria was sold to Leonardo Shipping, who chartered her to Holiday Kreuzfahrten as Mona Lisa. Holiday Kreuzfahrten failed in 2006, and she was used as an accommodation ship for the Asian Games in Doha. The owners then secured two 8-month charters in 2007/2008 with the Royal Caribbean-backed The Scholar Ship (www.thescholarship.com) for use as a floating student study ship. Not surprisingly in view of the Royal Caribbean connection, a summer charter with Pullmantur was also arranged for 2007. Mona Lisa was renamed Oceanic II. She also had a brief charter with Louis Cruise Lines to replace the lost Sea Diamond, before moving to Pullmantur - Photo © Sergio de Luyk |
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