Unfinished Spy

The port of Vigo received the cruise ship “Minerva”, flagged in the Bahamas, on Friday, August 19, coming from Portsmouth on its way to Leixoes. It was an unusual visit for this type of ship, lasting 14 hours. On board, this time, were 236 passengers and 181 crew members. During its stay, seven buses departed with the excursions booked on board, to points of interest: Compostela, Cambados, and Bayona. The consignment was handled by the Pérez y Cía. delegation, reports Alfredo Campos Brandón, the author of the accompanying photos.

This vessel has an intriguing origin. The hull, construction number 1 from the Okean shipyard in Nikolayev, Ukraine, was intended for a research and espionage ship for the Soviet Navy – “Okean”, based on the project – whose construction began in 1989, but a few months later, due to the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the works were halted.

Originally intended to be a military intelligence spy ship

Several years passed until in 1994, the company Swan Hellenic Cruises, a subsidiary of V-Ships, bought the hull at a bargain price with the aim of transforming it into a tourist cruise ship. To do this, the fundamental works had to be completed, allowing its launch on December 10, 1994, and it was then towed to the T. Mariotti shipyards in Genoa (Italy), where it was converted for expedition tourism, a segment that has been growing significantly in recent years. This means that, in contrast to the classic offerings of large companies with highly standardized itineraries, a differentiated option has emerged that allows access to places others cannot reach. And that has its clientele, and increasingly so.

Named “Minerva”, it entered service on April 29, 1996, and on June 7 of the same year, it was officially christened in London, marking the beginning of its commercial operation with a schedule of cruises through Europe and the Baltic Sea, among other destinations.

In May 2003, it was chartered for two years by Saga Holidays and renamed “Saga Pearl”. At the end of the contract, a new three-year phase began under the German tour operator Phoenix Reisen, and the ship in this story was renamed “Alexander von Humboldt”, in honor of the German scientist and botanist (1769-1859) who is so closely associated with Tenerife from his famous visit in 1799.

A ship dedicated to a segment that avoids conventional overcrowding

In January 2008, the company Artica Adventure & Cruise Shipping was established, based in Nassau (Bahamas), and when the contract with Phoenix Reisen ended, it came under their control for six years, renamed with its original name “Minerva”.

With a gross tonnage of 12,331 tons and a deadweight of 1,500 tons, it measures 133 m in total length, 20 m in beam, and 4.50 m in maximum draft. It is powered by two MAN B & W PC2-6E engines, with a power of 6,920 kW over two shafts driving an equal number of variable pitch propellers, allowing it to maintain a speed of 16 knots.

It has a capacity for 350 passengers in 181 cabins – of which 44 are exterior with private balconies – with a classic standard for this type of travel, styled in English decor. Between November 2011 and February 2012, it was modernized at the Lloyd Werft shipyards in Germany. IMO Code 91441196.

Photos: Alfredo Campos Brandón (alfysumundonaval.com)