Song of Norway

Ship and fittings

Song of Norway was the first cruise ship built specifically for Royal Caribbean. Nordic Prince and Sun Viking followed as other early ships in the fleet. Wärtsilä built the hull in Helsinki under yard number 392; its IMO number is 7005190. The ship was launched on December 2, 1969, and delivered on October 5, 1970. Her maiden voyage began in Miami on November 7, 1970, and headed to the Caribbean.

In her original configuration, Song of Norway was 168.32 meters long, measured around 18,000 gross register tons, and accommodated 724 passengers. As demand for cruises grew, the ship was lengthened at her building yard in Helsinki in 1978. The yard cut the hull in two and inserted a midsection about 26 meters long. Her length increased to 194.3 meters, and additional cabins and public spaces were added.

Key features included open decks and the Viking Crown Lounge, located high above the stern in the ship’s funnel. The lounge offered elevated views and became a recognizable feature of early Royal Caribbean ships. When the ship moved to Sun Cruises in 1997, she was renamed Sundream; the Viking Crown Lounge was removed during the transfer.

Names and years in service

After the Sundream era, the ship successively bore the names Dream Princess, Dream, Clipper Pearl, Clipper Pacific, Festival, Ocean Pearl, and Formosa Queen. She was scrapped in China in 2013.