Cunard Ambassador
Encyclopedia
MV Cunard Ambassador was a cruise
ship
planned as one of a class of eight ships for the charter airline Overseas National Airways
. At the same time, the well-known Cunard Line
was moving into the cruise market because the increasing popularity of international flights meant that its transatlantic passenger services were no longer viable.
soon ran into financial troubles and was forced to abandon it. Cunard saw the opportunity and quickly took the project on, soon reducing the order to two ships, which it christened Cunard Adventurer
(1971) and Cunard Ambassador (1972). Both ships were intended for seven-day cruises, including New York
to Bermuda
, San Juan
to other Caribbean
ports, and Vancouver
to Alaska
during the summer seasons.
The two ships were less successful than intended. Cunard Adventurer was soon sold and became Sunward II and later Triton; Cunard Ambassador was withdrawn from Cunard
service on September 12, 1974 after a fire on a positioning trip. There were no passengers on board and no fatalities but, after being towed to Key West
, the ship was declared a total loss.
She was bought as a gutted hull and refitted to become the Danish
sheep carrier, Linda Clausen later the same year. In 1980, she was sold again and became Procyn and, in 1983, Raslan. In 1983, only a year after being rechristened Raslan, she suffered another devastating fire in the Indian Ocean
. The former Cunard Ambassador was beyond economic repair and, after only thirteen years of service, two of which were with Cunard, she was sold to Taiwan
ese ship breakers and scrapped.
planned two new ships, Cunard Countess
and Cunard Conquest, later changed to Cunard Princess. The design incorporated many features of the failed Adventurer and Ambassador including a similar sleek profile and angular funnel and the white-painted hull.
Cruising (maritime)
Cruising by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a boat while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to round-the-world voyages.- History :...
ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
planned as one of a class of eight ships for the charter airline Overseas National Airways
Overseas National Airways
The original Overseas National Airways was an American airline, formed in June 1950 as a supplemental carrier. It ceased operations on September 14, 1978. A second related company, took the name in 1978, later renaming to National Airlines, going bankrupt in 1986.- History - First ONA :ONA was...
. At the same time, the well-known Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
was moving into the cruise market because the increasing popularity of international flights meant that its transatlantic passenger services were no longer viable.
Ship history
Because of the cost of the eight-ship project, Overseas National AirwaysOverseas National Airways
The original Overseas National Airways was an American airline, formed in June 1950 as a supplemental carrier. It ceased operations on September 14, 1978. A second related company, took the name in 1978, later renaming to National Airlines, going bankrupt in 1986.- History - First ONA :ONA was...
soon ran into financial troubles and was forced to abandon it. Cunard saw the opportunity and quickly took the project on, soon reducing the order to two ships, which it christened Cunard Adventurer
Cunard Adventurer
Cunard Adventurer was a Cunard Line cruise ship that operated from 1971 - 1977. She was the first of the company’s vessels in the 20th century to bear a name that did not end in “ia” or begin with “Queen.”...
(1971) and Cunard Ambassador (1972). Both ships were intended for seven-day cruises, including New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
to other Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
ports, and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
during the summer seasons.
The two ships were less successful than intended. Cunard Adventurer was soon sold and became Sunward II and later Triton; Cunard Ambassador was withdrawn from Cunard
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
service on September 12, 1974 after a fire on a positioning trip. There were no passengers on board and no fatalities but, after being towed to Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
, the ship was declared a total loss.
She was bought as a gutted hull and refitted to become the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
sheep carrier, Linda Clausen later the same year. In 1980, she was sold again and became Procyn and, in 1983, Raslan. In 1983, only a year after being rechristened Raslan, she suffered another devastating fire in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. The former Cunard Ambassador was beyond economic repair and, after only thirteen years of service, two of which were with Cunard, she was sold to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese ship breakers and scrapped.
Influence
Shortly after the sale of Cunard Adventurer and the first fire on Cunard Ambassador, CunardCunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
planned two new ships, Cunard Countess
Cunard Countess
Ocean Countess is a cruise ship owned by Majestic International Cruises of Greece, on long-term charter to the UK-based Cruise & Maritime Voyages. She was completed in 1976 as the '4-star - Premium' style Cunard Countess for Cunard Line. Cunard Countess had an almost identical sister ship Cunard...
and Cunard Conquest, later changed to Cunard Princess. The design incorporated many features of the failed Adventurer and Ambassador including a similar sleek profile and angular funnel and the white-painted hull.