The MV Stella Maris II, then owned by Sun Line Cruises, cruised her way through the Aegean in 1994 with Doug and I on board. It was the birth of "Cataclysm in Blue Water."
Built for Argo Reederei, launched on April 2, 1960, this German-built ship was christened the MV Bremerhaven. In 1965, the ship suffered an accident and partially sank.
Enter Mr. Charalambos Keusseoglou, founder of the Greek Sun Line, who rebuilt the superstructure and turned the MV Bremerhaven into a luxury cruise ship. Part of the charm of the now Stella Maris II was that she was able to enter smaller ports (such as Delos) and provide a more intimate setting for her passengers. After a merger, Royal Olympic Cruises surfaced. ROC was an economic disaster. In 1998, ROC sold the Stella Maris II to ShatiekSHPG SA.
Continuing the saga, Viking Cruises renamed the Stella Maris II. Now the Viking Bordeaux, she crossed the Atlantic, docked in South America and the Falkland Islands, and languished in Eemshaven in 2004 under the name of Boudreaux.
New operators Indian Ocean Cruises gave the ship a major facelift, and she sailed as the MV Madagascar in 2005. This was short-lived. In 2007, as the MV Razzmatazz, she remained in Durban under the auspices of another South African company. This venture failed. Sold in auction on April 15, 2008, the ship was later broken up and demolished by Indian breakers at Alang.
Thanks for the memories! For me, this ship will always be the Stella Maris II sailing into Santorini.
Built for Argo Reederei, launched on April 2, 1960, this German-built ship was christened the MV Bremerhaven. In 1965, the ship suffered an accident and partially sank.
Enter Mr. Charalambos Keusseoglou, founder of the Greek Sun Line, who rebuilt the superstructure and turned the MV Bremerhaven into a luxury cruise ship. Part of the charm of the now Stella Maris II was that she was able to enter smaller ports (such as Delos) and provide a more intimate setting for her passengers. After a merger, Royal Olympic Cruises surfaced. ROC was an economic disaster. In 1998, ROC sold the Stella Maris II to ShatiekSHPG SA.
Continuing the saga, Viking Cruises renamed the Stella Maris II. Now the Viking Bordeaux, she crossed the Atlantic, docked in South America and the Falkland Islands, and languished in Eemshaven in 2004 under the name of Boudreaux.
New operators Indian Ocean Cruises gave the ship a major facelift, and she sailed as the MV Madagascar in 2005. This was short-lived. In 2007, as the MV Razzmatazz, she remained in Durban under the auspices of another South African company. This venture failed. Sold in auction on April 15, 2008, the ship was later broken up and demolished by Indian breakers at Alang.
Thanks for the memories! For me, this ship will always be the Stella Maris II sailing into Santorini.
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