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Royal Cruise Line
 
 
These pages are devoted to postcards of the Royal Cruise Line. An alphabetical list of ships covered on this page is shown below. The Table below this gives links to complete postcard history pages on selected individual ships. Below the table are postcards of the fleet in chronological order.
 
Royal Cruise Line was formed in the early 1970s. Their first ship, the Golden Odyssey, was the first purpose-built Greek cruise ship, and she entered service in 1974. A second ship, the Royal Odyssey, was added to the fleet in 1982. The line developed a loyal following, and had a very high reputation. They ordered two new ships, of which the Crown Odyssey was delivered in 1988 (the second ship was not built). Royal Odyssey was sold in the same year as the arrival of the new ship, although postcards showing the fleet with all three were issued. The line was acquired by Norwegian Caribbean Line (Kloster) just one year later in 1989. NCL was in a period of rapid expansion at the time. Within two years, Norwegian Caribbean was in financial difficulties, and began selling off various assets. Royal Cruise Line initially retained its separate identity, but Golden Odyssey was sold in 1994, and Crown Odyssey became part of the NCL fleet as Norwegian Crown in 1996. NCL had managed to lose the excellent reputation of Royal Cruise Line, which was no longer worth maintaining as a single ship operation. In the late 1990s however, NCL acquired the new Orient Lines, and Norwegian Crown was transferred to that line, regaining her original name Crown Odyssey in the process. In November 2002, it was announced that Crown Odyssey would return to the NCL fleet in September 2003.
 
 
Ships on This Page:-
Crown Odyssey (1988-1989)
Golden Odyssey (1974-1994)
Royal Odyssey (1) (1981-1988)
Royal Odyssey (2) (1990-1996)
Star Odyssey (1993-1096)
 
Associated Pages:-
Deutsche Atlantik Line
Home Lines
Norwegian Cruise Line
Regency Cruises
Royal Viking Line
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
 
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Table of Ship Histories

Name

Other names

 Built
 Crown Odyssey  Norwegian Crown

 1988
 Royal Odyssey (1)  Shalom, Hanseatic, Doric, Regent Sun, Sea Venture

 1964
 Royal Odyssey (2)  Royal Viking Sea, Norwegian Star

 1972
 Star Odyssey  Royal Viking Star, Westward, Black Watch

 1972
 
 
 
 
 
 
Royal Cruise Line Fleet List
 
 
Golden Odyssey (1974-1994)
 
Royal Cruise Line was founded with the Golden Odyssey, built in Denmark in 1974. She was only 6757 grt, and carried just 460 passengers. She initially operated in the Greek islands and on America's west coast, but later cruised worldwide, as Royal Cruise Line created an excellent reputation, winning numerous awards. She was acquired, with the Royal Cruise Line name, by NCL in 1989, but was sold by them in 1994, subsequently serving as Astra II for various German cruise operators. In 2001 she is named Omar 2.
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line postcard of the Golden Odyssey.
 
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line postcard of the Golden Odyssey.
 
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line postcard of the Golden Odyssey.
 
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line postcard of the Golden Odyssey.
 
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line postcard of the Golden Odyssey.
 
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line postcard of the Golden Odyssey.
 
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line postcard of the Golden Odyssey.
 
 
 
An official Royal Cruise Line fleet postcard (oversized) of the Royal Odyssey and Golden Odyssey.
 
 
 
An official Royal Cruise Line fleet postcard (oversized) of the Royal Odyssey (2), Golden Odyssey and Crown Odyssey. This card must have been issued in 1993-94.
 
 
 
An official Royal Cruise Line fleet postcard (oversized) of the Crown Odyssey and Golden Odyssey.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Royal Odyssey (1) (1981-1988)
 
The Zim Israel liner Shalom was built in 1964. After only three years, she was bought by the Deutsche Atlantik group in 1967 and renamed Hanseatic (2). She was sold again to Home Lines in 1973, and named Doric (Home Lines needed to find a replacement for the fire-damaged Homeric (1)). She served with Home Lines until the new Atlantic was delivered in 1981, when she was sold to Royal Cruise Lines as their Royal Odyssey. She was given a new single funnel during refurbishment. In 1988 she became the Regent Sun in the Regency Cruises fleet. She has been inactive since the Regency Cruises bankruptcy, despite an announced sale to Royal Venture cruises as their Sun Venture. Current name is listed just as Sun, with owners Canyon Ranch. She is currently stripped and out of service, having been intended for use as a floating hotel.
 
Complete history of Royal Odyssey (1)
 
 
An official Royal Cruise Line postcard of Royal Odyssey.
 
 
 
An official Royal Cruise Line fleet postcard of the Royal Odyssey and Golden Odyssey.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commercial postcards of the Royal Odyssey (1)
 
 
Chantry Classics postcard CC/S120 of Royal Odyssey, photographed by Wil Moojen.
 
 
 
Harold Jordan postcard L4 of Royal Odyssey.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Crown Odyssey (1988-1989)
 
Crown Odyssey was built by Meyer of Papenburg, and was delivered to Royal Cruise Line in 1988, a year before the line was sold to NCL. In 1996 the various NCL fleets were reorganised, and Crown Odyssey became the Norwegian Crown in the main NCL fleet. More recently , she has been transferred to NCL-owned Orient Lines, and reverted to her original name Crown Odyssey. Crown Odyssey returned to the NCL fleet in September 2003 as Norwegian Crown. In 2006 she was sold to Fred.Olsen as the Balmoral, remaining on charter to NCL until 2007.
 
Complete history of Crown Odyssey
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line postcard of the Crown Odyssey.
 
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line postcard (oversized) of the Crown Odyssey.
 
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line postcard (oversized) of the Crown Odyssey.
 
 
 
An official Royal Cruise Line fleet postcard (oversized) of the Royal Odyssey (2), Golden Odyssey and Crown Odyssey.
This card must have been issued in 1993-94.
 
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line fleet postcard of the Crown Odyssey and Golden Odyssey.
 
 
 
Simplon Postcards sc2009 (released March 1992) of Crown Odyssey.
Photographed by Wil Moojen at Ijmuiden, 14/8/91.
 
 
 
CT Postcards 029 (released 1993) of Crown Odyssey.
Photographed by Nils Wegener at Copenhagen in 1989.
 
 
 
Chantry Classics CC/S109 of Crown Odyssey.
Photographed by Clive Harvey on the Thames.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Royal Odyssey (2) (1990-1996)
 
Royal Odyssey originally built as the Royal Viking Line cruise ship Royal Viking Sea in 1973. Royal Viking Line were acquired by Kloster (NCL) in 1984, and initially retained their separate identity. Royal Viking Sea was transferred to Royal Cruise Line in 1990 as the Royal Odyssey (2). The Royal Viking Line name was sold to Cunard in 1994. Royal Odyssey was transferred into the main NCL fleet in 1996 as Norwegian Star. She briefly operated for the NCL subsidiary Norwegian Capricorn Line in the Australian market, and in 2001 is part of the Star Cruises fleet.
 
Complete history of Royal Odyssey (2)
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line fleet postcard of the Royal Odyssey (2).
 
 
 
An official Royal Cruise Line fleet postcard (oversized) of the Royal Odyssey (2), Golden Odyssey and Crown Odyssey. This card must have been issued in 1993-94.
 
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line fleet postcard (oversized) of the Royal Odyssey (2).
 
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line fleet postcard (oversized) of the Royal Odyssey (2).
 
 
 
Harold Jordan's Chantry Classics postcard CC/S356 of the Royal Odyssey (2).
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Star Odyssey (1993-1996)
 
Star Odyssey originally built as the Royal Viking Line cruise ship Royal Viking Star in 1972. Royal Viking Line were acquired by Kloster (NCL) in 1984, and initially retained their separate identity. Royal Viking Star became the Westward in the main NCL fleet in 1990, and was then transferred to Royal Cruise Line in 1993 as the Star Odyssey. The Royal Viking Line name was sold to Cunard in 1994. Star Odyssey was sold to Fred Olsen in 1996, becoming the Black Watch.
 
Complete history of Star Odyssey
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line fleet postcard of the Star Odyssey.
 
 
 
Official Royal Cruise Line fleet postcard (oversized) of the Star Odyssey.
 
 
 
 
 
Royal Viking Line - Norwegian Cruise Line
Deutsche Atlantik Line - Home Lines - Regency Cruises
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