MS Dunnottar Castle

MS Dunnottar Castle was a British passenger vessel built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast for Union-Castle Line. Launched in January 1936 and completed later that year, she was one of a pair of intermediate-sized liners intended for the company's scheduled service between Britain and South Africa. Named after Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeenshire, she combined passenger accommodation with refrigerated cargo capacity and was designed for a regular route linking Tilbury and South African ports. Her initial accommodation comprised first-class and tourist-class spaces, with a total capacity of just over 500 passengers. She also operated as a supply ship for Saint Helena during her pre-war career. The Second World War transformed the ship's role. The Admiralty requisitioned her in 1939, converted her into an armed merchant cruiser, and commissioned her as HMS Dunnottar Castle. Equipped with naval guns and anti-aircraft weapons, she undertook patrol and convoy-escort duties, particularly on routes connecting Freetown with Liverpool. In 1942 she was returned to commercial ownership and refitted under the Ministry of War Transport as a troopship. She then carried Allied personnel through the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and Pacific theatres. Her wartime voyages included support for Operation Torch, movements between Britain and North Africa, service to Egypt and Italy, and long-distance passages involving Bombay, Colombo, Australia, and New Zealand. She continued military transport work through the end of the European war and into the later months of 1945. After government service, the ship underwent a substantial overhaul and returned to Union-Castle's Britain-to-South-Africa liner route in 1949. During this period she was indirectly connected with the history of coelacanth research: a message concerning the discovery of a second specimen reached scientist J. L. B. Smith when the vessel called at Durban in December 1952, while his scientific equipment was aboard the ship. Union-Castle sold her in 1958, ending her principal liner career. The next phase was as a dedicated cruise ship. Incres Steamship Company extensively remodelled her at Wilton-Fijenoord in the Netherlands, replacing her machinery and reshaping much of her external appearance. Her former class-based accommodation was reorganized into approximately 600 air-conditioned, single-class cabins with private facilities. Renamed Victoria, she began cruises from New York to the West Indies. Ownership later passed to a company associated with Swedish Clipper Line, while Incres continued to act as agent. In 1975 Chandris Line acquired the vessel and renamed her The Victoria, using her on Caribbean and European cruises. Chandris carried out a notable refurbishment in 1987 by converting former storeroom space into additional passenger cabins while the ship remained in service. Louis Cruise Lines purchased the vessel in 1993 and renamed her Princesa Victoria. She operated short cruises from Cyprus, spent winters laid up at Perama, and was also used as a hotel ship for Expo '98 in Lisbon and the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa. She was laid up permanently from 2002. At that point she was regarded as the oldest large liner still operating, although she no longer returned to regular service. In 2004 the former Dunnottar Castle was dismantled at the Kumar Steel Breakers Yard in India, bringing a career of more than six decades to an end.

Union-Castle ordered Dunnottar Castle and her sister ship Dunvegan Castle in 1935 for a scheduled service between Britain and South Africa. Harland and Wolff built the pair in Belfast under consecutive yard numbers. Dunnottar Castle was launched on 25 January 1936 and completed on 27 June. She was a diesel-powered motor ship with twin screws, a reported speed of 16 knots, and accommodation for 258 first-class and 250 tourist-class passengers. Her refrigerated cargo spaces supported the mixed passenger-and-freight character of the route. After a maiden voyage from Southampton to Cape Town in July 1936, she entered regular service between Tilbury and South Africa and also served as a supply ship for Saint Helena. The outbreak of war led to requisition by the Admiralty. Converted into an armed merchant cruiser, she was commissioned as HMS Dunnottar Castle and fitted with 6-inch naval guns and anti-aircraft weapons. Her first patrol began in October 1939. From December of that year she participated mainly in convoy escort between Freetown and Liverpool, with additional convoy duties in the Atlantic. The last convoy associated with her armed-cruiser period was SL 110 in May and June 1942. Later in 1942 she was returned to Union-Castle and refitted for the Ministry of War Transport as a troopship. She carried troops to Algiers for Operation Torch and subsequently operated on routes involving the Clyde, North Africa, Egypt, Italy, West Africa, India, Ceylon, Australia, and New Zealand. Her wartime movements included escorted and independent passages, repairs in British waters, and extensive Mediterranean and Indian Ocean service. She remained involved in military transport after the 1943 Italian armistice and continued voyages between Britain and Mediterranean ports during 1945. Government service ended in 1948. Union-Castle comprehensively overhauled the ship before returning her to the South African liner route in 1949. A notable non-commercial association occurred in December 1952, when a telegram reporting the discovery of a second coelacanth reached J. L. B. Smith during a Durban call; Smith's research equipment was also being carried in the ship's hold. Union-Castle sold Dunnottar Castle in 1958, beginning her transformation into a cruise ship. Incres Steamship Company had the vessel rebuilt at Wilton-Fijenoord near Rotterdam. The work included a new Fiat engine, revised superstructure, a raked bow, a streamlined funnel, removal of the original masts, and new derricks. Passenger accommodation was reorganized into roughly 600 single-class cabins with private facilities and air conditioning. As Victoria, she operated from New York on West Indies cruises. In 1964 she was sold to Victoria Steamship Company of Monrovia, associated with Swedish Clipper Line, while Incres Line continued as agent. In 1975 Clipper Line sold the ship to Chandris Line, which renamed her The Victoria. She continued on Caribbean and European cruises, receiving a significant 1987 refurbishment that created 38 cabins on the newly designated Jade deck from former storerooms while the vessel continued carrying passengers. Louis Cruise Lines acquired her in 1993 and renamed her Princesa Victoria. Her later activities included two- and three-day cruises from Cyprus, seasonal lay-ups at Perama, hotel-ship service for Expo '98 in Lisbon, and accommodation connected with the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa. Princesa Victoria was laid up in 2002. By then she was described as the oldest large liner still operating, although her active career had effectively ended. In 2004 she was scrapped at the Kumar Steel Breakers Yard in India.

• 2004

  Scrapping

  [1]MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org

  The former Dunnottar Castle was broken up at an Indian ship-breaking yard.

• 2002

  Permanent lay-up

  [1]MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org

  Princesa Victoria was withdrawn from active service after more than six decades afloat.

• 1993

  Renamed Princesa Victoria

  [1]MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org

  Louis Cruise Lines purchased the ship and placed her in short-cruise and special-event service.

• 1987

  Jade deck refurbishment

  [1]MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org

  Chandris converted former storerooms into 38 passenger cabins while the ship remained in operation.

• 1975

  Renamed The Victoria

  [1]MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org

  Chandris Line acquired the vessel and modified her name for continued cruise operations.

• 1964

  Transfer to Victoria Steamship Company

  [1]MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org

  Ownership passed to a Monrovia-registered company associated with Swedish Clipper Line, while the ship retained the name Victoria.

• 1958

  Conversion into Victoria

  [1]MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org

  Incres purchased and extensively rebuilt the ship for single-class cruising from New York to the West Indies.

• 1949

  Return to the South African liner route

  [1]MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org

  After overhaul, Dunnottar Castle resumed commercial service between Britain and South Africa.

• 1942

  Conversion to troopship

  [1]MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org

  She entered Ministry of War Transport service and carried Allied troops across several wartime theatres.

• 1939

  Commissioned as HMS Dunnottar Castle

  [1]MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org

  The Admiralty converted the passenger ship into an armed merchant cruiser for wartime patrols and convoy escort.

• 1936

  Launch and completion

  [1]MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org

  Harland and Wolff launched Dunnottar Castle in January and completed her in June at Belfast.

• 1936

  Commercial service begins

  [1]MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org

  The ship made her maiden voyage from Southampton to Cape Town and entered scheduled Union-Castle service.

• 1935

  Union-Castle orders an intermediate liner pair

  [1]MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org

  Union-Castle commissioned Dunnottar Castle and Dunvegan Castle for its Britain–South Africa service.

A versatile mid-sized passenger vessel whose identity evolved from British colonial-route liner to wartime naval and military transport ship and, ultimately, long-lived international cruise vessel.

• Passenger liner · 1936

  Dunnottar Castle

  The ship's original commercial configuration was a mixed passenger-and-cargo liner for Union-Castle's scheduled Britain–South Africa route. She offered first-class and tourist-class accommodation for slightly more than 500 passengers and included refrigerated cargo holds. Her regular itinerary linked Tilbury and South African ports, with additional supply-ship work connected to Saint Helena.

• Armed merchant cruiser · 1936

  HMS Dunnottar Castle

  During the early part of the Second World War, the vessel served under the Royal Navy as an armed merchant cruiser. Her conversion included 6-inch naval guns and anti-aircraft weapons. She conducted patrols and escorted Atlantic convoys, particularly between Freetown and Liverpool, before being returned for troopship conversion in 1942.

• Military transport · 1942

  Dunnottar Castle wartime troopship

  From 1942, the ship transported Allied personnel under Ministry of War Transport arrangements. Her wartime service included the North African landings, Mediterranean movements, voyages to Egypt and Italy, West African routes, and long-distance passages to India, Ceylon, Australia, and New Zealand.

• Cruise ship · 1958

  Victoria

  Incres converted the former liner into a single-class cruise ship with approximately 600 air-conditioned cabins and private facilities. The rebuilt vessel received revised machinery, a new superstructure, a raked bow, a streamlined funnel, and altered deck equipment. She operated cruises from New York to the West Indies and retained the Victoria name under later ownership.

• Cruise ship · 1975

  The Victoria

  Under Chandris Line, the ship was renamed The Victoria and continued Caribbean and European cruise operations. A 1987 refurbishment added 38 cabins on a newly designated Jade deck, created from former storeroom space while the ship remained in passenger service.

• Cruise ship and hotel ship · 1993

  Princesa Victoria

  Louis Cruise Lines operated the vessel as Princesa Victoria from 1993. Her later employment included short cruises from Cyprus, winter lay-ups at Perama, and hotel-ship use during Expo '98 in Lisbon and the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa.

• 2002

  Withdrawal from serviceStrategy

  Background

  By the early 2000s the vessel had become exceptionally old for a large operating liner.

  Action taken

  Princesa Victoria was laid up and no longer operated regular cruises.

  Aftermath

  The vessel remained out of service until being scrapped in India in 2004.

  Source

• 1993

  Louis Cruise Lines acquisitionM&A

  Background

  After years of Chandris operation, the aging cruise ship changed ownership again.

  Action taken

  Louis Cruise Lines bought the vessel and renamed her Princesa Victoria.

  Aftermath

  The ship entered short-cruise service from Cyprus and was also used for hotel accommodation at major events.

  Source

• 1975

  Chandris acquisition and renamingM&A

  Background

  Victoria had spent more than a decade operating in the cruise market under ownership associated with Clipper Line.

  Action taken

  Chandris Line purchased the vessel and renamed her The Victoria.

  Aftermath

  She continued cruising in the Caribbean and Europe and later received a substantial cabin refurbishment.

  Source

• 1958

  Sale and conversion to a cruise shipM&A

  Background

  After two decades of liner service, including wartime government employment, Union-Castle sold the ship to Incres Steamship Company.

  Action taken

  Incres extensively remodelled the vessel, renamed her Victoria, and repositioned her for single-class cruises from New York to the West Indies.

  Aftermath

  The sale began a second major commercial life that lasted through several owners and successive cruise identities.

  Source

1. 1MS Dunnottar Castleen.wikipedia.org