Photo: John Beniston — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sun Viking completed Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's original trio of Wartsila-built ships, entering service in 1972 as the third and smallest of the founding fleet at about 18,455 GT. Built at the Oy Wartsila Ab Helsinki shipyard in Finland and registered in Oslo, Norway, she shared the compact, elegant profile of Song of Norway and Nordic Prince, including the cantilevered Viking Crown Lounge wrapped around her funnel that became Royal Caribbean's defining architectural motif.
Unlike her two older fleetmates, Sun Viking was never lengthened, remaining in her original as-built configuration throughout her Royal Caribbean career. Her smaller size and intimate scale made her a favorite for longer and more exotic itineraries as the line matured, and she served faithfully through the 1980s and 1990s even as vastly larger tonnage joined the fleet.
Royal Caribbean operated Sun Viking until 1998, when she was transferred to Star Cruises, the Asian operator that had become closely linked to the parent company, and renamed SuperStar Sagittarius. Under Star Cruises and its affiliates she shifted to the growing Asian market, later serving as a casino and gaming vessel operating out of regional ports.
After many years of second-career service in Asia, the ship that had once helped launch Royal Caribbean reached the end of her long life. She was beached for demolition at Gadani, Pakistan, in early 2022, the last survivor of the three original Wartsila-built ships to meet the scrappers, closing a career that spanned half a century.
Specifications
| Status | Transferred |
|---|---|
| Entered service | 1972 |
| Retired | 1998 |
| Cruise line | Royal Caribbean International |
| Class | Song of Norway class |
| Gross tonnage | 18,556 GT |
| Guests (double occupancy) | 714 |
| Port of registry | Oslo, Norway |
About the Song of Norway class class
Royal Caribbean's original trio of purpose-built cruise ships, several later "stretched" with added midsections.
Ownership & loyalty
Part of Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL).
Sister brands: Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises, TUI Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.
Loyalty status match - members keep an equivalent tier across the group's brands:
- Crown & Anchor Society (Royal Caribbean International) ↔ Captain's Club (Celebrity Cruises)
One-for-one tier status match across Royal Caribbean Group brands: Gold <-> Classic, Platinum/Emerald <-> Select, Diamond <-> Elite, Diamond Plus <-> Elite Plus, Pinnacle Club <-> Zenith. - Crown & Anchor Society (Royal Caribbean International) ↔ Venetian Society (Silversea Cruises)
One-for-one status match with Silversea Venetian Society: Gold <-> 1 day, Platinum/Emerald <-> 100 days, Diamond <-> 250 days, Diamond Plus <-> 350 days, Pinnacle Club <-> 500 days.
References
Descriptions on Cruise Ship Wiki are original write-ups paraphrased from public sources; facts are compiled from the references below and cross-checked. How we source our information.
- Photograph by John Beniston (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons - Primary ship photograph