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PAGE THREE: MV THE VICTORIA Hoists the Chandris House flag
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During an August sunset, Chandris' MV THE VICTORIA is shown at anchor off St. Maarten. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1989.
The fuel crisis of the mid 1970s was a particularly hard time for nearly all of the cruise lines, but for smaller operations like Incres, it was fatal. By the time she was chartered to Unitours for a trans-canal cruise in November 1994, the writing was on the wall. While still elegant and spacious, the VICTORIA had begun to fade. Her once pristine decks lost their sparkle and next to her Scandinavian luxury competition (SAL's GRIPSHOLM and KUNGSHOLM and the racy NAL SAGAFJORD and brand new VISTAFJORD), she could no longer keep her edge. Finally, in mid 1975, Incres quietly shut down its operations and offered the ship for sale. VICTORIA was laid up in Brooklyn and quickly deteriorated. Reports of her partial flooding soon circulated and with a hungry scrap market, it looked as though she would be joining the parade of passenger ships at the Taiwanese breakers.
MV THE VICTORIA at La Guaira, Venezuela. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1989.
The Greek-owned Chandris Lines were interested in her furnishings to distribute among other ships in their fleet, but when they inspected the VICTORIA, they saw the potential of revitalizing her. Instead of stripping the ship, they opted to refurbish her and bring VICTORIA back. A rumor at the time stated that Incres sold her to Chandris only on the condition that they change her name (presumably to keep her "legend" intact), and when Chandris agreed, the clever Greeks opted to alter her name ever so slightly to THE VICTORIA. If this rumor is true, it can be surmised that the Incres Line was not pleased.
MV THE VICTORIA at Barbados. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1989.
When THE VICTORIA entered service in early 1976 with a black-topped blue funnel sporting an "X" logo (which is actually Greek for "CH", as in Chandris), her new capacity was increased to 548 based upon double occupancy with a maximum of over 600. Chandris were wise in leaving the ship otherwise intact, and soon THE VICTORIA became a popular fixture in both Caribbean, Baltic, and Mediterranean cruising.
THE VICTORIA's famous lido was bright and inviting in its Chandris phase. Photo by and copyright Peter Knego 1989.
During a Mediterranean Cruise in October of 1979, she received a distress call from one of her fleetmates, the 1939-built MV ROMANZA (former HUASCARAN, BEAVERBRAE, AURELIA) which had grounded off Dhenousa Island in the Aegean. After successfully rescuing ROMANZA's passengers and crew, she steamed back to Piraeus and resumed her Chandris service, enduring until 1993, when she embarked upon yet another successful career. History would ultimately repeat itself over two decades later.
Our Coral Deck cabin retained most of its original features and was most comfortable. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1989.
I had the good fortune of sailing in THE VICTORIA on one of her San Juan-based Caribbean cruises in the late summer of 1989. She was immaculate at the time and a very happy ship. Under the care of Captain Anastassios Varsamis (now port captain for Renaissance Cruises), who was particularly proud of and aware of her rich history, much of her Incres atmosphere remained. While visiting the captain during one of his moments away from the bridge, it was quite amazing to realize that his office, with its stepped down entrance, had been unaltered from its DUNNOTTAR CASTLE layout. As a matter of fact, the captain pointed out that the entire bridge and officers decks retained a good deal of their original construction with wooden window frames and paneling as well as a special "tween" deck configuration.
This view facing aft from THE VICTORIA's starboard wing shows the "embossing" of the ships name on the housing aft of the bridge. Note the painted wooden window frames, which date to her original Harland and Wolff construction as DUNNOTTAR CASTLE. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1989.
Click here to see the MV PRINCESA VICTORIA as she is today....
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