Hebridean Princess

Hebridean Princess is a small cruise ship operated by Hebridean Island Cruises, with an interesting history.

Cruise Ship Hebridean Princess in Bergen
Hebridean Princess alongside at Festningskai, Bergen
Built in Aberdeen in 1964 as RMS Columba, she spent her first 24 years as a ferry in the Hebridean islands, operating on a variety of routes. Her original passenger capacity as a ferry was 600, which was later increased to 870 with the addition of extra seats on her aft deck.

Cruise Ship Hebridean Princess in Bergen
The gangway of Hebridean Princess
In 1988 Columba was sold to the newly-formed Hebridean Island Cruises for conversion to a luxury cruise ship. She underwent a major refurbishment the following year in Great Yarmouth and emerged as Hebridean Princess.

Cruise Ship Hebridean Princess in Bergen
The central superstructure of Hebridean Princess 
Today Hebridean Princess carries just 49 passengers with a crew of 37. She offers a high level of service and has a loyal following. In July 2006, HM Queen Elizabeth II chartered Hebridean Princess for a week-long trip around the Scotish Isles to celebrate her 80th birthday with her family, and again for a 2-week cruise in 2010.

Cruise Ship Hebridean Princess in Bergen
Hebridean Princess alongside in Bergen
Hebridean Princess stayed alongside overnight, with an early morning departure scheduled for the following day.
Location: Vågen, Bergen, Bergen, Norway

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MS Stavangerfjord - Ship Visit and Photo Tour

Image
Last week I went on board Fjordline's cruise-ferry Stavangerfjord, for a whistle stop tour of her passenger facilities during her impressively fast turnaround in the city. MS Stavangerfjord approaches Bergen, Norway To find out a bit more about her design, construction and service, take a look at my previous post here , with photos of Stavangerfjord approaching Bergen taken last December. Otherwise, keep reading to have a look around her public rooms, cabins and suites... A plan of Deck 7, showing the layout of Stavangerfjord's public spaces (credit: fjordline.com) With a few exceptions, Deck 7 contains all of Stavangerfjords public spaces. The gangway leads directly to the middle of this deck, adjacent to the reception desk. First impressions are good, with an attractive entrance area and smiling staff to welcome you on board. The Reception Desk Directly opposite the reception desk is Bungalow Wine & Tapas Bar, with the fresh food on display making t
Read more

MS Trollfjord - Photo Tour

Image
Up next in the series of photo tours on board the ships of Hurtigruten is MS Trollfjord. Regular readers of this blog will know the drill by now; MS Trollfjord is one of a fleet of 11 ships that together offer daily departures from Bergen on the Express route along the coast of Norway. The ships serve a dual roll as both cruise ships and cargo ships, and are vital in connecting many of the smaller communities in the northern part of the country. Scroll down to take a look around her interiors and public decks. Hurtigruten's MS Trollfjord alongside at Hurtigruteterminalen, Bergen EXTERIOR A sister ship to Midnatsol , Trollfjord is one of the newer and larger vessels in the fleet. She makes for a handsome sight whilst moored alongside at Hurtigruteterminalen, Bergen. With her slightly squat but attractive profile she is a well presented ship. A few streaks of rust along her superstructure will be repainted during upcoming routine maintenance Built in Norway in 2002,
Read more

MS Vesterålen - Photo Tour

Image
One of the more unusual members of the Hurtigruten fleet is MS Vesterålen . She operates on the 11-day round trip from Bergen, calling at 34 ports along the coast of Norway. The route is popular with cruise tourists keen to experience 'the most beautiful voyage in the world', and also serves as a lifeline for many smaller communities in Norway's more isolated north. Take a look inside her passenger decks with this full photo tour. Hurtigruten's MS Vesterålen alongside in Bergen, Norway EXTERIOR Built in Norway in 1983, Vesterålen has undergone a number of refurbishments during her career, including a substantial rebuilding and extension in Germany in 1989. These have left her with a slightly awkward profile, and a disjointed interior layout. With a gross tonnage of 6,261 she can accommodate up to 510 passengers, with berths for 294. Vesterålen refuels whilst alongside at the terminal Vesterålen 's sister ships have all since left Hurtigruten, ma
Read more