My cruise on Voyager arrived at the Spanish port of Cartagena on the 27th April 2014. I hadn't been here since 2009 so it was nice to come back and see add another ship to my collection. The 26,747grt Island Escape began life in 1982 as the ferry, Scandinavia for Scandinavian World Cruises then DFDS Seaways until 1985. From then until 1990, she was Stardancer, first for Sundance Cruises then Admiral Cruises and finally Royal Admiral Cruises. Royal Caribbean bought her in 1990 and converted her to a proper cruise ship, becoming Viking Serenade until 2002 when she was transferred to their Island Cruises subsidiary as Island Escape Once First Choice were bought by TUI, Royal Caribbean sold their remaining Island Cruises stake to them and since 2009, Island Escape has been sailing for Thomson, owned by TUI. She was sold in December 2015 to become refugee accommodation in Härnösand, renamed Ocean Gala, but that fell through. At the end of 2016 she was sold to breakers as Ocean Gala-I. After breakfast, I went for a wander.
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