MS Viking Voyager

For other ships with the same name, see Pride of Cherbourg.

The Viking Voyager was built by Aalborg Værft AS, Denmark in 1975 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.

History
Name	Samothraki (2005-2011) Barlovento (2000-2005) Banaderos (1994-2000) Pride of Cherbourg II (1994) Pride Of Cherbourg (1989-1994) Viking Voyager (1975-1989)
Owner	SAOS Ferries (2005-2011) Fred Olsen & Co. (1994-2005) P&O Ferries (1987-1994) European Ferries (1975-1987)
Operator	SAOS Ferries (2005-2011) Fred Olsen Lines (1994-2005) P&O Ferries (1987-1994) European Ferries (1975-1987)
Port of registry	Greece
Builder	Aalborg Værft AS
Yard number	205
Launched	14 June 1975
Completed	1976
Maiden voyage	20 January 1976
In service	1976
Out of service	2007
Identification	IMO number: 7358303
Fate	Scrapped 22 July 2011
General characteristics
Tonnage	6,386
Length	128.81 m
Beam	19.81 m
Draught	4.54 m
Speed	19 knots
Capacity	918 passengers 280 cars

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. 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:

• Viking Valiant
• Viking Venturer
• Viking Viscount

References

Bibliography

• Cowsill, Miles; Hendy, John (2007). Remembering the Thoresen Vikings: Townsend Thoresen trend setters. Ramsey, Isle of Man: Ferry Publications. ISBN 978-1871947731.