Yard number 1070 In service 28 November 1989 Launched 17 March 1989 Builder Schichau Seebeckwerft | Acquired 7 November 1989 Length 134 m Beam 19 m | |
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Name 1989–2015 Seabourn Spirit
2015–present Star Breeze Operator 1989–2015 Seabourn Cruise Line
2015–present Windstar Cruises Port of registry 1989–2002 Oslo, Norway
2002–present Nassau, Bahamas | ||
Windstar cruises star breeze ship tour and review is this ship right for your cruise vacation
Star Breeze (formerly Seabourn Spirit) is a German-built cruise ship completed in 1989. The luxury liner travels between Europe and Africa, and is owned by Windstar Cruises. In early 2005 she was rated the best small cruise ship by Condé Nast. In April 2015, she departed the Seabourn fleet, and on 6 May 2015 she was rechristened and entered service with Windstar Cruises.
Contents
- Windstar cruises star breeze ship tour and review is this ship right for your cruise vacation
- Pirate attack
- References
Pirate attack
On 5 November 2005 at 5:50 am, while Spirit was underway 115 km off the coast of Somalia with 115 passengers, the ship was attacked by two pirate speedboats launched by a mother ship. Machine guns were fired as well as rocket propelled grenades at the cruise ship, and the remains of an RPG's rocket motor wedged itself in the wall of a room and was disarmed by sailors from USS Gonzalez after the attack. It was reported that a second RPG bounced off the stern. No passengers were injured, but the ship's Master-at-Arms, Som Bahadur Gurung was hit by shrapnel whilst attempting to combat the raiders with a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD). The sonic device repelled the pirates by blasting a powerful sound wave.
Security officer Michael Groves and British shipmate Som Bahadur Gurung (an ex-Gurkha) were honoured for their bravery by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday 16 May 2007, receiving the Queen's Gallantry Medal and the Queen's Commendation for Bravery respectively.
The ship then altered its course to Port Victoria in the Seychelles for repairs rather than the originally-planned Mombasa in Kenya. The ship then sailed to Singapore and returned to its original schedule.
