Acquired August 20, 1967 Launched 10 December 1966 Beam 21 m | Yard number No. 23 Out of service April 11, 2003 Length 149 m | |
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Name 1967-1987 Yaohua1987-Present Orient Princess Operator 1967-1982 People’s Republic of China1982-1987 Salén Lindblad Cruises1987-1994 Republic of China Maritime Corporation1994-unknown Asphonel Servicesunknown-circa. 2003 Pallister Group Ltd2003-Present Unknown | ||
The MV Orient Princess is a 1967 built passenger ship, originally built as the Yaohua. She is notable for being the first purpose built passenger ship for the People’s Republic of China as well as their first flagship.
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History
Orient Princess was delivered as Yaohua to the China Ocean Shipping Company, who had her first operate from China to East Africa. She would later sail in the Far East. Yaohua had a larger swimming pool then most ships of her size.
In 1982 the vessel was chartered to Salén Lindblad Cruises, a move that allowed the ship to become more popular. Salén Lindblad operated her under the name China Cruises beginning in March 1983, having her cruise through the Yangtze River and along the Chinese coast. These cruises would begin in either Beijing or Hong Kong. In 1987 she was purchased and renamed Orient Princess. Throughout the 1990s the Orient Princess would change ownership and roles several times, once operating as a casino ship.
Current situation
Orient Princess was seized by authorities in April 2003 due to her underpaid crew. She was taken over by another Chinese company, who moored her in Tianjin as a floating tourist attraction. Two large restaurants were built atop Orient Princess, one being placed aft of the boat deck superstructure, the other on her promenade deck. As of 2010 not much else is known of the ship's current status.