MS Viking Voyager
{{other ships|Pride of Cherbourg}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = | Ship caption = }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship name = *Samothraki (2005-2011)
| Ship owner = *SAOS Ferries (2005-2011)
| Ship operator = *SAOS Ferries (2005-2011) | Ship registry = {{flag|Greece}} | Ship route = | Ship ordered = | Ship builder = Aalborg Værft AS | Ship original cost = | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = | Ship launched = 14 June 1975 | Ship completed = 1976 | Ship christened = | Ship acquired = | Ship maiden voyage = 20 January 1976 | Ship in service = 1976 | Ship out of service = 2007 | Ship identification = {{IMO Number|7358303}} | Ship fate = Scrapped 22 July 2011 | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship class = | Ship displacement = | Ship height = | Ship draft = | Ship depth = | Ship decks = | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship ice class = | Ship sail plan = | Ship power = | Ship propulsion = | Ship capacity = *918 passengers | Ship crew = | Ship notes = }} |
The Viking Voyager was built by Aalborg Værft AS, Denmark in 1975 {{cite web|url=http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/vik75.html|title=Merchantnavyofficers.com Townsend Thoresen|accessdate=20 June 2010}} for European Ferries Group Plc who traded as Townsend Thoresen. European Ferries Group was purchased by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company and became P&O European Ferries and the ship was renamed Pride of Cherbourg in 1989.
Early years
The vessel was launched on 14 June 1975, having been christened by the wife of European Ferries's Commercial Freight Director. She arrived in Felixstowe in January 1976 and began a service to Zeebrugge. She continued on this route until being transferred to the Southampton-Le Havre and Southampton-Cherbourg routes in 1986.{{cite web|url=http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/V_Voyager.html|title=Simplonpc.co.uk Viking Voyager|accessdate=20 June 2010}} In 1987 European Ferries was acquired by P&O, following which, under P&O's new branding scheme she was renamed Pride Of Cherbourg. In 1994 she was again renamed Pride of Cherbourg II to release the name for the Pride of Le Havre 1 which was being transferred to the Portsmouth-Cherbourg route following P&O's chartering of the Pride of Le Havre 2 and Pride of Portsmouth. Later in 1994, the vessel was sold by P&O to Fred Olsen Lines
Post P&O
In 1994 P&O sold the Pride of Cherbourg II to Fred Olsen Lines, the vessel was brought into service as the Bañaderos in the Canary Islands, she continued in this role, being renamed to Barlovento in 2000. In 2005 the Barlovento was replaced by the Benchijigua Express 3, she was consequently sold to SAOS Ferries where she now runs a ferry service supporting the Greek Islands. She was laid up at Alexandroupoli port, after the closure of Saos Ferries, and she was auctioned to be removed from the port in the summer of 2011. She left the Alexandroupoli bound for Aliaga, to be broken up on 23 July 2011.
Sister Ships
Viking Voyager was one of four sister ships ordered by Townsend Thoresen.
The other three were:
- {{MS|Viking Valiant||2}}
- Viking Venturer
- Viking Viscount
References
=Notes=
{{Reflist}}
=Bibliography=
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book|last1=Cowsill|first1=Miles|last2=Hendy|first2=John|title=Remembering the Thoresen Vikings: Townsend Thoresen trend setters|date=2007|publisher=Ferry Publications|location=Ramsey, Isle of Man|isbn=978-1871947731}}
{{refend}}
{{P&O ships|ferries=no|north=no|stena=no|pandoro=no|irish=no|portsmouth=no}}
{{European Ferries ships}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Viking Voyager}}