Fred Olsen's cruise ship MS Black Watch soon to be scrapped at Alang India

   May 21, 2022 ,   Accidents

The 1972-built (as "Royal Viking Star") cruise ship MS Black Watch was the oldest vessel in the Fred Olsen Cruise Line's fleet, with fleetmates Boudicca (sistership, 1973-built/2021-scrapped), Balmoral and Braemar. The boat was last refurbished in 2019 December and sold in 2020.

On August 21, 2020, Fred Olsen confirmed the retirement of its oldest ships - Boudicca (47-years-old) and Black Watch (48-years-old). All bookings on Boudicca and Black Watch were automatically transferred onto the new ships (acquired from Holland America Line in July 2020) MS Bolette/fka Amsterdam and MS Borealis/fka Rotterdam.

In late-September 2020 was announced that Boudicca and Black Watch are both sold (later was revealed that the new shipowner is the Turkish company "Miray International Shipping Agency and Trade Co"/Istanbul-based) and not to be scrapped but to serve the new owner as hotel ships under the brand "Miray Cruises".

On October 21, 2020, Black Watch left the UK (Port Rosyth, Edinburg Scotland) en route to TRTUZ (Port Tuzla, Istanbul Turkey).

On November 13, 2020, the AIS last showed Black Watch docked in Tuzla, reportedly, awaiting scrapping at Aliaga Turkey.

On April 17, 2022, the 50-year-old Black Watch (renamed ODIN) left Turkey (Port Yalova's anchorage), transited the Suez Canal (April 22), stayed overnight anchored at Port Suez (April 23-24), and on May 20th anchored off the coast of India's Gujarat state/current location by the AIS where is the world's largest shipbreaking yard Alang (near Bhavnagar).

Alang Ship Breaking Yard (India)

Royal Viking Star (Black Watch) had two sisterships - Royal Viking Sea (scrapped at Alang in 2021 as Albatros) and Royal Viking Sky (Boudicca).