After a long period of lay-up in Singapore, Flamenco I (1972/17,042gt) has finally found a new role. As Ocean Dream she has begun sailing in the Gulf of Thailand on short cruises for a new Chinese operator. P&O bought the ship off the stocks from Cantieri Navali del Tirreno e Riuniti at Riva Trigoso in Italy in 1972 after the order was cancelled by Kloster’s Norwegian Caribbean Cruise Line.
She was to have been named Seaward, but, as Spirit of London, she spearheaded P&O’s entry into the fast-growing American cruise market. With the acquisition of Princess Cruises, she reinforced that company as Sun Princess. In 1989 she was sold to Premier Cruise Line to become Starship Majestic, but six years later she was chartered to CTC for cruising from the UK and Australia. CTC ceased trading in 1997 and she went to Festival Cruises as Flamenco, but after that company collapsed in 2004 she operated under a number of charters as New Flamenco.
She became the accommodation ship Flamenco I in New Caledonia under the ownership of Netherlands-based Club Cruise. When that company also failed, she was sold, but her condition was such that she was not put back into service. It was reported that she had been sold to breakers, but she was never delivered. Her current role will surely be her last.
