MS Albatros

"Royal Viking Sea" redirects here and is not to be confused with Viking Sea. For other ships named Albatros, see List of ships named Albatross.

MS Albatros was a Royal Viking Star-class cruise ship, operated by the Germany-based travel agency Phoenix Reisen until 2020 when she was taken out of service, and scrapped in 2021.

As Royal Viking Sea in 1986

As Norwegian Star in 2000

Albatros in 2009
History
Name	1973–1991: Royal Viking Sea 1991–1997: Royal Odyssey 1997–2001: Norwegian Star 2001–2002: Norwegian Star 1 2002–2004: Crown [1] 2004–2021: Albatros 2021: Tros
Operator	1972–1991: Royal Viking Line 1991–1997: Royal Cruise Line 1997–1998: Norwegian Cruise Line 1999–2001: Norwegian Capricorn Line 2001–2002: Star Cruises 2002: Crown Investments 2002–2004: Spanish Cruise Line 2004–2020: Phoenix Reisen 2020–2021: Pick Albatros Group 2021: Alang Breaker
Port of registry	1973–1987: Oslo, Norway 1987–2021: Nassau, Bahamas 2021: Gabon
Builder	Wärtsilä Helsinki Shipyard, Finland
Yard number	397
Launched	19 January 1973
Completed	1973
Acquired	16 November 1973
In service	25 November 1973
Out of service	2020
Identification	Call sign: C6CN4 IMO number: 7304314 MMSI number: 626151000
Fate	Scrapped in 2021
General characteristics (as built)
Tonnage	20,018 GRT 3,594 DWT
Length	177.70 m (583 ft 0 in)
Beam	25.20 m (82 ft 8 in)
Draught	7.30 m (23 ft 11 in)
Installed power	4 × Wärtsilä-Sulzer 9ZH40/48 13,240 kW (combined)
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Capacity	536 passengers
General characteristics (currently)[1]
Tonnage	28,518 GT 5,936 DWT
Length	205.46 m (674 ft 1 in)
Beam	27.00 m (88 ft 7 in)
Draught	7.30 m (23 ft 11 in)
Installed power	4 × Wärtsilä 6L38A
Propulsion	Two shafts; controllable pitch propellers
Capacity	812 passengers

History

She was built in 1973 by Wärtsilä Helsinki Shipyard, Finland for Royal Viking Line as Royal Viking Sea, and has also sailed under the names Royal Odyssey for Royal Cruise Line, Norwegian Star for Norwegian Cruise Line and Norwegian Capricorn Line, ^[2] and Crown. She was the second Albatros for Phoenix Reisen as she was the replacement of the original SS Albatros.

Albatros was also known for her Queen Elizabeth 2-esque funnel.

In October 2020 Albatros was sold as a hotel vessel for the Pick Albatros Group in the Middle East, which operates some 15 hotels and resorts in Hurghada region.^[3]

However, the project was never initiated, and the ship stayed at Hurghada until sold in 2021 for scrap, after a stop in Jeddah. She was beached in Alang, India, on 27 July 2021.^[4] Scrapping on Albatros started on 17 November 2021. According to the NGO Robin des Bois, the Hotel Ship project was a trick to export the ship from Germany to India for scrapping.^[5]