Summer "Thomson Spirit" in Ceuta

About 1,800 tourists, mostly Americans and Brits, are traveling aboard the ship “Thomson Spirit,” which arrived this morning at the port of Ceuta for a scheduled stop lasting nine hours. This is the third time this ship has arrived at the Ceuta port this year, where it has been photographed by our collaborator Eduardo Pérez Fernández.

This ship is the former “Nieuw Amsterdam,” construction number V27 from Chantiers de l’Atlantique, a shipyard in St. Nazaire (France), and it entered service in May 1983 under the flag of Holland America Line, debuting with a voyage between Le Havre and New York in July of that year.

Since May 2003, it has been in service with Tui, renamed “Thomson Spirit.” In May 2008, it was purchased by Bella Shipping Co. Ltd., a company based in Limassol (Cyprus). In February 2010, it came under the ownership of Spirit Holding Ltd., being flagged in Malta, and since April 2012, it has been owned by Spirit Trading Opco LLC, flying the same flag.

Weighing 33,930 gross tons and 4,217 net tons, it measures 214.66 m in length, 27.21 m in beam, and 7.40 m in draft. It is powered by two Sulzer RLB66 engines, which provide a total power of 22,400 kW, allowing it to maintain a speed of 21 knots. IMO Code 8024014.

Photo: Eduardo Pérez Fernández