MV Sun Viking

Not to be confused with Viking Sun or Royal Viking Sun.
"MS Long Jie" redirects here. For other uses, see Long Jie (disambiguation).
Sun Viking at Honningsvåg, Norway in 1993.
History
Name
  • Sun Viking (1972–1998)
  • Superstar Sagittarius (1998–1998)
  • Hyundai Pongnae (1998–2001)
  • Pongnae (2001–2003)
  • Omar III (2003–2007)
  • Long Jie (2007–2011)
  • Oriental Dragon (2011–2022)
  • Dragon (2022–2022)
OwnerCapital Dragon Global Holding[1]
OperatorIsland Ship Management, Ltd.[1]
Port of registry
BuilderOy Wärtsilä Ab Helsinki Shipyard, Finland
Yard number394
Laid down18 May 1971[2]
Launched27 November 1971
Completed10 November 1972[2]
Maiden voyage1972
In service1972
Out of service2021
Identification
FateScrapped at Gadani, Pakistan in 2022
General characteristics
Tonnage
Length171.69 m (563.29 ft)[3]
Beam24 m (78.74 ft)[3]
Speed21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)[3]
Capacity882 (lower berths)[4]
Crew350[5]

The MV Sun Viking, was one of the three original cruise ships ordered by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines as part of their early fleet. The ship was first put into service in 1972. She was scrapped at Gadani Ship Breaking Yard, Pakistan in February 2022.

Sun Viking at Vancouver in 1990.

Along with her sister ships, Song of Norway and Nordic Prince, the class comprised the first purpose-built ships intended for Caribbean-based cruise travel. Sun Viking cruised the Mexican Riviera on a 7-day itinerary out of Los Angeles and the Caribbean out of San Juan, Puerto Rico in the early 1990s. The ship was retired in the late 1990s by Royal Caribbean, but continued in service with other cruise lines.[6]

Sun Viking at Hong Kong.

In 1998 Sun Viking was sold to Star Cruises and renamed SuperStar Sagittarius. She was later renamed Hyundai Pongnae in 2003, sailing for Hyundai Merchant Marine, before becoming Omar III with Asia Cruises.[3]

The ship was renamed Long Jie in 2007.[5] She was put up for sale on 10 June 2010.[citation needed] After being dry docked in Singapore, Long Jie was transformed into Oriental Dragon, leaving Singapore on 24 March 2011 bound for Guangzhou, China.

After several years of service as a gambling ship in Hong Kong, she moved to Penang, Malaysia in late 2019 to continue her career. In 2021, the ship was finally retired and was scrapped at Gadani Ship Breaking Yard, Pakistan in February 2022 as Dragon.

Omar III
Long Jie
Oriental Dragon leaving Hong Kong
  1. ^ a b c "Oriental Dragon (7125861)". Equasis. Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Oriental Dragon". Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "LONG JIE". Retrieved 2012-04-28.
  4. ^ Asklander, Micke. "M/V VIKING SUN". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Long Jie". Archived from the original on 2008-12-01.
  6. ^ Beneath Crown and Anchor, a History of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines First 25 Years. [Maxtone Ghram]