OCEANIC em Nova Iorque

O paquete OCEANIC entrou em Nova Iorque no dia 25 de Junho último procedente de Reikjavik, Islândia, no decurso da 66ª viagem à volta do mundo afretado pela organização japonesa PEACE BOAT.
Uma inspecção da Coast Guard local detectou diversas deficiências a nível de segurança e uma fissura no casco, ao que parece efectuada na viagem da Islândia para os EUA, pelo que no Domingo 28 de Junho o navio desembarcou os passageiros e seguiu para o estaleiro de Bayonne, em New Jersey, em cuja doca seca está a ser reparado.
O OCEANIC despertou grande interesse junto dos entusiastas de navios de Nova Iorque, uma vez que esta visita representa o regresso do navio a N Y após ter sido baseado neste porto durante 20 anos, de 1965 a 9 de Novembro de 1985, no tempo da Home Lines, quando foi talvez o navio de cruzeiros mais popular e bem sucedido de entre os que estiveram baseados na Grande Maçã...
Para comemorar o regresso do OCEANIC, a secção de NY da World Ship Society publicou no seu site um conjunto de belas fotos do navio no porto de Nova Iorque. Ver aqui. Imagens de Bob O'Brien e Bill Donall.
Texto /Text copyright L.M.Correia. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia

OCEANIC in Peace Boat - Pullmantur livery

Historic photographs of the cruising steamer OCEANIC departing Barcelona for the final time, on 19 March 2009, to start her delivery voyage to new operators PEACE BOAT of Japan.
A farewell ceremony outside the harbour had been planned as her replacement in Pullmantur's fleet, the SOVEREIGN was due to arrive at the same time, but as she was delayed in Las Palmas, Canary isles, in order to disembark a crew member in need of medical assistance, so there was no such rendezvous.
The OCEANIC was in a rush not to loose a particular convoy at Port Said... (She did not arrive in time).
Photographs kindly sent by my dear friend Captain Amadeu Albuquerque, the first Pullmantur captain of OCEANIC in 2001 and now in command of the company's flagship SOVEREIGN. With both the Pullmantur and PEACE inscriptions on her hull those photos make a unique view of this famous Italian built passenger cruise liner.
Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright L.M.Correia. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia

OCEANIC sold to Japanese interests

Pullmantur Cruises has just sold their cruise ship OCEANIC to Japanese interests associated to the Peace Boat organization.
The Valencia operation of 2 and 5 night cruises due to start on 3 April and run until 18 September has been canceled and the ship is due to be delivered in April. She is being destored at this moment in Barcelona.
It was feared that following the scheduled withdrawal of OCEANIC from Pullmantur service in September 2009 she might be sold for scrap, but this lucky Italian-built Lady has just found another useful operation cruising around the world for the Japanese PEACE BOAT organization.
What a wonderful new lease of life for the luckiest of all the great liners of the 1960s...
The photo of the OCEANIC with red funnel was taken on 27 February in Barcelona by Jordi Montoro and published in Shipspotting. A very beautiful image of the old Pullmantur Lady.
Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright L.M.Correia. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia

SOVEREIGN substitui OCEANIC

Navio de cruzeiros SOVEREIGN fotografado ao largo deFreeport, Bahamas a 27 de Novembro, onde foi mudar o nome.
Construído em França em 1987, o SOVEREIGN era então o maior navio de passageiros do mundo, com 73.192 TAB, e o primeiro gigante, construído para operar nas Caraíbas baseado em Miami.
O SOVEREIGN vai substituir o OCEANIC em 2009, passando aquele a fazer mini-cruzeiros de valência de 3 e 4 dias.
Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright L.M.Correia. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia

OCEANIC refitted in Malta

Captain Moita kindly sent us the two photos of the OCEANIC alongside the Malta shipyard in Valletta where she was refitted this February in preparation for another season of Mediterranean cruising based at Barcelona as off next March.
Texto /Text copyright L.M.Correia. Images sent by Captain Moita. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia

The beautiful OCEANIC of 1965

When Royal Caribbean took over the successful independent Spanish cruise operator Pullmantur, I thought that it might be the end for their classic OCEANIC. Then ships were transferred between parent companies and when it was announced the SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS was in line for a late 2008 transfer to the Mediterranean, I thought once more. Now that's it. But no, Pullmantur intends to keep the OCEANIC until 2010 and the new SOLAS regulations. And she has got new funnel colours this month while receiving attention at a shipyard in Valletta, Malta.

Texto /Text copyright L.M. Correia. Images from the site Shipspoting. See link in the right column. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia