MS Rhapsody
Encyclopedia
MS
Ship prefix
A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship.Prefixes for civilian vessels may either identify the type of propulsion, such as "SS" for steamship, or purpose, such as "RV" for research vessel. Civilian prefixes are often...
Golden Iris is a cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
owned an operated by the Israel-based Mano Maritime
Mano Maritime
Mano Maritime is an Israeli owned cruise line, based in Haifa, Israel. The cruise line is aimed at the Israeli public. The parent company of the line, Mano Holdings Ltd., operates cargo ship services as well. Mano Maritime itself serves as a general agent in Israel for the Japanese shipping...
. She was built 1975 by the Burmeister & Wain
Burmeister & Wain
Burmeister & Wain was a large established Danish shipyard and leading diesel engine producer headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded by two Danes and an Englishman, its earliest roots stretch back to 1846. Over its 150-year history, it grew successfully into a strong company through the end...
shipyard in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark for Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
as MS Cunard Conquest, but her interior fittings were subsequently installed at the Navali Mechaniche Affini in La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
, Italy. Following re-delivery from Navali Mechaniche Affini in 1977 the ship was renamed MS Cunard Princess. In 1995 the ship entered service with StarLauro Cruises (later rebranded MSC Cruises), briefly retaining her previous name before being renamed MS Rhapsody. Later during her career with MSC Cruises the ship came to be marketed as MS MSC Rhapsody, but her official registered name remained Rhapsody throughout her MSC career. In 2009 the ship was sold to her current owners.
Concept and construction
The ship that eventually became known as the Cunard Princess was originally one of two ships ordered by the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based Overseas National Airways
Overseas National Airways
The original Overseas National Airways was an American airline, formed in June 1950 as a supplemental carrier. It ceased operations on September 14, 1978. A second related company, took the name in 1978, later renaming to National Airlines, going bankrupt in 1986.- History - First ONA :ONA was...
. Unusually Hugh Hefner
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
, the founder of Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, was involved in the design process of the ships, envisioning them as "floating Playboy Club
Playboy Club
The Playboy Club initially was a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first club opened at 116 E. Walton Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States, on February 29, 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room...
s". Order for the two ships was placed with the Burmeister & Wain
Burmeister & Wain
Burmeister & Wain was a large established Danish shipyard and leading diesel engine producer headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded by two Danes and an Englishman, its earliest roots stretch back to 1846. Over its 150-year history, it grew successfully into a strong company through the end...
shipyard in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark. However, during construction the ships were sold to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
. Although better known as luxury cruise operators, Cunard decided to maintain the original informal cruise concept developed for the ships by Overseas National Airways.
Cunard Conquest, the second of the two sisters, was launched from drydock
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
in December 1974. Instead of having the ships completed at Burmeister & Wain, Cunard decided that once the hulls of the ships were complete they would sail to the Navali Mechaniche Affini in La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
, Italy, where interior fittings would be installed. Therefore, following delivery to Cunard on 30 October 1975 the Cunard Conquest sailed to La Spezia, where she arrived on 6 November 1975. While the ship was being fitted out Cunard decided to change her name to Cunard Princess. Following delivery to Cunard in early 1977 the ship sailed to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where she was renamed by Princess Grace of Monaco.
1977-1995: Cunard Princess
Cunard Princess set on her first cruise from New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to the Caribbean in March 1977, joining her elder sister in the Caribbean cruise service. At the time the Cunard Princess was registered in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, but in 1980 she was moved to the Bahamian registry, with Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
as her homeport. Later during her career with Cunard the ship started cruising around Europe, while the Cunard Countess remained in Caribbean service.
During the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
the Cunard Princess was chartered to the United States Armed Forces Recreation Center as a recreational facility for troops involved in the conflict. The ship arrived in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
on 24 December 1990. Initially the plan was to operate the ship on three-day cruises around the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, but for economical reasons she was permanently moored in Bahrain instead. Following the end of her service in the Gulf War, the ship was docked at Valletta
Valletta
Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
, Malta on 23 September 1991. She re-entered normal service with Cunard on 19 October 1991.
In 1993 the Cunard Princess was moved to the fleet of Cunard's newly created mid-market subsidiary Cunard Crown Cruises, joining her sister Cunard Countess and three ships chartered from EffJohn. Cunard Crown Cruises proved to be short-lived, and in 1995 the Cunard Princess was chartered to StarLauro Cruises, who were in need of a replacement for their that had sunk following a fire in 1994. Initially the Cunard Princess kept her older name in StarLauro service.
1995-2009: Rhapsody
After a short time under charter to StarLauro, the company acquired the Cunard Princess. Initially the ship was planned to be renamed Harmony, but in the end she was renamed Rhapsody. Coinciding with the change of ownership the ship was re-registered in Panama. Initially she was used for cruising around the Mediterranean out of Italy. Shortly after acquisition of the Rhapsody StarLauro was rebranded as Mediterranean Shipping Cruises on 1 October 1995. Subsequently the company further rebranded themselves into MSC Cruises.In 2001 the Rhapsody was re-registered to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. On 9 April 2009 MSC Cruises sold the Rhapsody to the Israel-based cruise operator Mano Maritime
Mano Maritime
Mano Maritime is an Israeli owned cruise line, based in Haifa, Israel. The cruise line is aimed at the Israeli public. The parent company of the line, Mano Holdings Ltd., operates cargo ship services as well. Mano Maritime itself serves as a general agent in Israel for the Japanese shipping...
.
2009 onwards: Golden Iris
Following the sale to Mano MaritimeMano Maritime
Mano Maritime is an Israeli owned cruise line, based in Haifa, Israel. The cruise line is aimed at the Israeli public. The parent company of the line, Mano Holdings Ltd., operates cargo ship services as well. Mano Maritime itself serves as a general agent in Israel for the Japanese shipping...
, Rhapsody was renamed Golden Iris. She is due to enter service with Mano Maritime on Mediterranean cruises from Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
on 31 May 2009, following the completion of a refit.
Exterior design
The Cunard Conquest was designed with a heavily raked bow and a tapering stern. She has a low superstructure that extends slightly outward from the sides of the hull. The open-winged bridgeBridge (ship)
The bridge of a ship is the room or platform from which the ship can be commanded. When a ship is underway the bridge is manned by an OOW aided usually by an AB acting as lookout...
is located two decks above the top deck of the hull. An observation lounge is located above the bridge; a pool area is located aft of the bridge and forward of the heavily raked, round funnel that has a large deflector fin extending aft of the funneltop. The terraced rear superstructure houses additional sundeck areas.
Like her sister ship Cunard Countess, at delivery Cunard Princess appeared in the traditional red/black Cunard funnel colours, complimenting a white hull and superstructure. In addition, a red decorative stripe was painted between the hull and the superstructure. In StarLauro service her funnel was repainted in that company's livery of blue with a black top and a white five-pointed star in the centre. Following the eventual new owners' rebranding into Mediterranean Shipping Cruises, her funnel was repainted white with a dark blue top and gilded MSC logo centrally, while the blue decorative stripe was divided so that top half of the stripe was navy blue and the bottom half grey. Subsequently the funnel colours were altered into dark blue with MSC Cruises' blue/white "compass" logo replacing the earlier MSC logo.
Decks and facilities
As Rhapsody, only including facilities accessible to passengers:- Outside and inside cabinsCabin (ship)A cabin or berthing is an enclosed space generally on a ship or an aircraft. A cabin which protrudes above the level of a ship's deck may be referred to as a "deckhouse."-Sailing ships:...
.
- Outside and inside cabins, medical centre.
- Information, shops, outside and inside cabins.
- Main dining room, buffetBuffetA buffet is a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners generally serve themselves. Buffets are offered at various places including hotels and many social events...
restaurant, outside and inside cabins.
- Showlounge, children's playroom, nightclub, sundeck, outside and inside cabins.
- BridgeBridge (ship)The bridge of a ship is the room or platform from which the ship can be commanded. When a ship is underway the bridge is manned by an OOW aided usually by an AB acting as lookout...
- Observation lounge, casino, card room, sundeck, swimming poolSwimming poolA swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, jacuzziJacuzziJacuzzi is a company that produces whirlpool bathtubs and spas. Its first product was a bath with massaging jets. The term "jacuzzi" is now often used generically to refer to any bathtub with massaging jets.-History:...
s, spa.