"Voyager", 25 Years Later

After the ship “Cabo Izarra”, built at the shipyard of the Spanish Society of Naval Construction in Cádiz and put into service in 1967, a long hiatus opened until the Spanish shipbuilding industry reappeared, albeit timidly, in this specialty. First, there were some transformations, such as the ship “Las Palmas de Gran Canaria”, converted into “Crown del Mar”, followed by “Don Juan”.

The same shipyard, Unión Naval de Levante in Valencia, delivered the ship “Vistamar” in 1989, followed in November 1990 by the ship “Crown Monarch”, the same one that yesterday, a little over 25 years after its debut, docked at the port of Vigo, although we especially remember the stop it made on November 12, 2015, at the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma, renamed “Voyager”.

Built on behalf of the Panamanian company Commodore Cruise Line, it premiered in December of that same year based in Palm Beach. In August 1994, it passed to the ownership of Crown Cruise Line – a company controlled by the former – and sailed under the name “Nautican” in Asian waters, based in Singapore, being renamed “Walrus” in 1996.

Seen from the port side. Celebrating 25 years of maritime life

Seen in full length from the port side

In the renovation carried out in 2009, a ducktail was installed

In September 2001, it was anchored in the waters of Hong Kong as a floating casino, and in July 2006, it was sold to the Panamanian company Cham Elysees MV, proceeding to the shipyard in Genoa where significant transformation took place. In April 2007, it sailed again renamed “Jules Verne”, a stage in which we had the opportunity to see it in the port of Barcelona.

In March 2008, a new stage began chartered by the German tour operator Phoenix Reisen and renamed “Alexander von Humboldt”. In December of that same year, it was docked at the Brendo shipyard in Bremerhaven, where it remained for a year under judicial embargo. In November 2009, it was sold at public auction and acquired by the British company All Leisure Holidays. Flagged in the Bahamas, since September 2012 it has been sailing under the name “Voyager”.

Construction number 185 from the Valencian shipyard, it is a ship of 15,343 gross tons, 5,799 net tons, and 1,384 tons of deadweight. It measures 150.72 m in overall length, 20.60 m in beam, and 5.20 m in draft. It has accommodation for 559 passengers and is powered by four Normo-Bergen BRM-9 engines coupled to two gearboxes and an equal number of shafts, with a power of 13,240 kW, allowing it to maintain a speed of 18 knots. IMO Code 8709573.

Photos: Alberto Pérez Fernández