5 November, 2026 by Manuel Aguilera Panadero 👁️ 825

The Norwegian Training Ship “Sørlandet” Meets the Luxury Cruise “Emerald Azzurra” in Seville

On Wednesday, November 4th, the Norwegian training ship Sørlandet, which is celebrating its 99th anniversary this year since entering service in 1927, arrived at the port of Seville.

The ship Sørlandet has a very interesting history that deserves to be told. Its origin lies in the idea of shipowners Marie and Oluf Andreas Skjelbred to create an institution that would train young people to serve in the merchant and naval fleets. To this end, they ordered the construction of a ship at the Høivolds Mek Verksted shipyards located in Kristiansand on the southern coast of Norway. The keel was laid in 1925, and it entered service in May 1927. The name given to the vessel was Sørlandet, honoring the region where it was built.

During its early years, it became the first Norwegian training ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, making a voyage to Chicago in 1933 for the World’s Fair.

During World War II, it was used by the Norwegian Navy as a supply ship in the port of Horten. Following the German invasion, it was captured and initially used as a prison ship, but was sunk in an attack, later being salvaged and subsequently moved to Kristiansand where it was converted into a submarine support vessel.

After the war, in 1948, it returned to its previous functions until it was sold to a private owner in 1974, who kept it inactive in Kilsund for three years, after which it was purchased in 1977 by its original owner, who donated it to the city of Kristiansand.

Since 1981, the Stiftelsen Fullriggeren Sørlandet foundation has been responsible for its management, and it has been used by various institutions since then. Since 2015, it has been the support for the A+World Academy, dedicated to preparing secondary school students for university.

The most important characteristics of the ship Sørlandet are as follows: length 56.7 meters (64.15 including the bowsprit), beam 8.9 meters, draft 4.5 meters, with a gross tonnage of 499 tons and a displacement of 891 tons. For propulsion, it has three masts, the tallest of which is 35 meters high, carrying up to 27 sails with a total area of 1,240 square meters. It also has a Deutz Diesel auxiliary engine that allows it to reach speeds of up to 9 knots using only the engine. Besides the permanent crew, it can carry about 70 students. Its port of registration is Kristiansand.

The ship Sørlandet was equipped in 1958 with an auxiliary engine and propeller, as it had previously relied solely on its sails for propulsion. Between 1977 and 1980, it was completely restored and has since been renovated in 1988, 2003, 2007, 2012, and 2020 coinciding with the COVID pandemic.

The current voyage of the Sørlandet began in mid-August at the port of Kristiansand and has already visited Dublin, Saint Malo, Vigo, and Funchal, from where it came, docking first at the Tablada dock and later at the Delicias dock, where it had already been last autumn.

In Seville, it coincided with the usual river cruise La Belle de Cadix and the ship Emerald Azzurra, a luxury cruise that arrived from Tangier as part of a journey that departed from Civitavecchia on October 27 and will end in Lisbon on November 6, having already visited Livorno, Ajaccio, Palma, Cartagena, and Málaga. Subsequently, it will cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean where it will begin its winter season.

The ship Emerald Azzurra was built in Vietnam, specifically at the Halong Shipbuilding Company shipyards in Ha Long City, entering service in March 2022. Its dimensions are 110 meters in length and 16 meters in beam, with a gross tonnage of 5,175 tons. It belongs to Emerald Yacht Cruises, part of the Scenic group. It has a capacity for only 100 passengers in 50 cabins, all of which are exterior and most with balconies, and its crew consists of 76 members. A few weeks ago, a sister ship, the Emerald Sakara, was also in Seville.

It is worth mentioning that the ships Sørlandet and Emerald Azzurra coincidentally arrived in Seville on the same day. At noon, the Sørlandet docked at the Tablada dock, and hours later, the Emerald Azzurra arrived. As both ships were to dock at the Delicias dock, the bridge of the same name had to be opened, allowing first the Emerald Azzurra to pass, followed closely by the Sørlandet, creating unforgettable images.