Orient Queen

Ship and identity

The Orient Queen, IMO number 8701193, was the same hull built in 1989 as Vistamar by Unión Naval de Levante in Valencia. The ship sailed under the flag of the Bahamas and was registered in Nassau. It measured 120.8 metres long and 16.82 metres wide, with a gross tonnage of 7,478.

Ship specifications

The ship specifications list accommodation for 304 passengers, with a maximum capacity of 330, eight decks, one restaurant and a crew of 153. By contrast, during a port call in Marmaris in August 2019, 219 passengers and 145 crew members were observed on board.

Operating area and nature of the voyages

A seven-day cruise departing from Beirut and calling at Marmaris and Mykonos was advertised for 1–8 September 2019. On another voyage in August 2019, the ship arrived in Marmaris from Santorini and was due to continue to Beirut that evening. Together, these details show the ship travelling between island and coastal ports in the eastern Mediterranean.

Name and service history

The hull went through several names and operators. As Vistamar, the ship sailed for Jahn Reisen from 1989 to 1992, then for Plantours & Partner until 2012. From July 2012, Abou Merhi Lines operated it as Orient Queen II. It was named Med Queen from 2016 to 2018, and was renamed Orient Queen in May 2018.

Following the explosion in the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020, the ship sank there the next day. Two crew members died in the sinking and seven were injured; there were no passengers on board. This event marked the end of the hull’s service as a cruise ship.