MS Explorer II (cruise ship)
Minerva as Alexander von Humboldt at Kieler Hafen.
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name: | MS Minerva |
| Operator: | Swan Hellenic |
| Port of registry: |
Nassau,  Bahamas
|
| In service: | April 29, 1996 |
| Identification: | IMO number: 9144196 |
| Status: | Laid-up |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 12,892 GT |
| Length: | 436 ft (133 m) |
| Beam: | 66.5 ft (20.3 m) |
| Draught: | 18.9 ft (5.8 m) |
| Decks: | 6 (passenger decks) |
| Speed: | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Capacity: | 350 passengers |
| Crew: | 160 |
The Minerva is a cruise ship built in 1989, and originally intended as a Soviet research vessel, the Okean. The deal to purchase her fell through and she was purchased by Swan Hellenic (at the time a subsidiary of P&O Cruises) in 1996, and renamed Minerva. She is 436 feet long, has a beam of 65.6 feet and measures 12,500 GT.
She sailed with Swan Hellenic until her lease ran out in 2003. She briefly sailed with Saga Cruises as the Saga Pearl, and was then chartered to Abercrombie & Kent as the Explorer II, making voyages to Antarctica and South America from December to April with up to 198 passengers. From May to November, she sailed for the German-owned travel company Phoenix Reisen as the Alexander von Humboldt.
In July 2007 it was announced that the ship had been acquired by the relaunched Swan Hellenic line and the name would revert to Minerva. In early 2012, the Minerva received a multimillion-pound, 83-day refit.
In January 2017, her parent company Swan Hellenic went into administration and cancelled cruises on the Minerva until further notice.
Saga Pearl at Tallinn in 2003
Explorer II at Grytviken, South Georgia in 2007
Alexander von Humbold after departure from Bremerhaven in 2007
Minerva in 2009
Minerva arriving at Tallinn in 2013
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Wikipedia