Orient Queen (1989)

Orient Queen is a former cruise ship built in 1989 for the company Mar Lines by the Union Naval de Levante shipyard in Valencia, Spain.[1] On 4 August 2020, it was badly damaged by an explosion in Beirut near where it was berthed, and it subsequently capsized.

As Vistamar in 2008, entering the port of Stralsund, Germany
History
Name:
  • 1989–2012: Vistamar
  • 2012–2016: Orient Queen II
  • 2016–2018: Med Queen
  • 2018–2020: Orient Queen
Owner: MED Cruises
Operator: Abou Merhi Cruises
Port of registry:
Builder: Union Naval de Levante[1]
Yard number: 175
Identification:
Fate: Capsized
General characteristics
Type: Cruise ship
Tonnage: 7,478 GT
Length: 128.8 m (423 ft)[2]
Beam: 16.82 m (55.2 ft)[2]

History

Originally named Vistamar, it was operated under charter by German-based cruise companies, first Jahn Reisen then Plantours & Partner.[1] The ship was operated in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, but also undertook voyages to the Arctic and the Antarctic, to Greenland and up the Amazon river. In 2003 it sailed through the Amazon river to Iquitos, Peru, around 4,400 kilometres (2,700 mi) from the coast of Atlantic Ocean, becoming the first large cruise ship to do so.[3]

In 2001, Vistamar struck a submerged object in the South Atlantic; in 2003, it struck submerged rocks near Ibiza (the ship's then home port) soon after departing on a 12-day cruise, and required repair in drydock. The ship was towed back by tugs and the passengers disembarked.[4][5]

In the 21st century, its ownership changed many times but it continued to be mainly operated by Plantours.[1] In 2012, it was renamed and acquired by the Lebanon-based Abou Merhi Group.[3]

The vessel's home port was Beirut and it typically operated in the eastern Mediterranean, calling at ports in Greece and Turkey. There was accommodation for 370 guests.[6]

2020 Beirut explosion
Chris Cassidy's photograph of the Beirut Port from the ISS on August 11. The capsized ship is visible in the top right angle of the closeup.

Orient Queen arrived in Beirut on 27 June 2020 following a 22-day voyage from King Abdullah Port in Saudi Arabia.[2] On 4 August, the vessel was severely damaged by an ammonium nitrate explosion while moored at its berth.

The ship was left listing to starboard. Two crew, both Filipino nationals, were killed[7] and several people injured.[8][9] A crewmember, interviewed after the explosion, stated "The ship is totally destroyed – the cabins, the saloon, everything".[8] The ship capsized that night after its list worsened, then partially sank.[7][10] Several other ships were damaged in the same incident.[11]

On 7 August, the first lawsuit related to the explosions was filed by Abou Merhi, whose offices were also destroyed.[7][12]

References
  1. "Vistamer". Castles of the Seas. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  2. "Orient Queen". www.marinetraffic.com. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  3. "Orient Queen". Cruisemapper. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  4. "Damage reported". Somerset County Gazette. 31 July 2003. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  5. "Testimony of Ross A. Klein, PhD Before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Hearings on Oversight of the Cruise Industry". United States Senate, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. 1 March 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  6. "Orient Queen Cruise Ship Damaged in Beirut Blast". www.cruiseindustrynews.com. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  7. "Orient Queen Sinks in Beirut, Two Crew Reported Dead". Cruise Industry News. 5 August 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  8. "'I can't believe I'm alive': Survivors recount Beirut explosion". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  9. "Orient Queen Cruise Ship Damaged in Blast In Beirut". Cruise Law News. 5 August 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  10. @cedar_news (5 August 2020). "غرق الباخرة السياحية" (Tweet) (in Arabic) – via Twitter. (with video)
  11. Voychenko, Mikhail (4 August 2020). "Beirut port explosion mystery solved? UPDATES: 3 ships disappeared. VIDEO". Fleetmon. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  12. "Beirut explosion: cruise ship owner sues 'those responsible', as more protests loom". The Guardian. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
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