VIKING SERENADE
March 2000 | Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
Our cruise aboard Viking Serenade (Royal Caribbean International) brought us to Ensenada, Baja California, in March 2000. This photograph shows the ship docked during our visit, when she was a familiar part of Royal Caribbean’s short-cruise service from Los Angeles.
Built in France in 1982, Viking Serenade began her career as Scandinavia, a cruise ferry designed for DFDS’s service between New York and the Bahamas. After operating as Stardancer, she joined Royal Caribbean and underwent a substantial conversion in 1991. Her ferry origins gave her a different profile from the line’s purpose-built cruise ships, while her Southern California deployment made her familiar to passengers taking short cruises to Mexico.
Information List
Name in March 2000: Viking Serenade
Operator in March 2000: Royal Caribbean International
Year Entered Service: 1982, as Scandinavia
Former Names: Scandinavia, Stardancer
Later Names: Island Escape, Ocean Gala, Ocean Gala 1
Shipyard: Dubigeon-Normandie, Nantes, France
Original Type: Passenger and vehicle cruise ferry
Length: Approximately 608 feet (185.3 meters)
Beam: Approximately 89 feet (27 meters)
Gross Tonnage After Conversion: Approximately 40,171 GT
Passenger Capacity During Royal Caribbean Service: Approximately 1,512 at double occupancy
IMO Number: 8002597
Major Conversion: Completed in 1991 at Southwest Marine in San Diego
Home Port During Southern California Service: Los Angeles, California
Final Disposition: Scrapped at Alang, India, in 2018
History and Features
Construction and Early Service:
The ship was built by Dubigeon-Normandie in Nantes, France, and entered service in 1982 as Scandinavia.
Designed for DFDS, she combined cruise accommodations with vehicle-carrying facilities.
Her original route connected New York with the Bahamas.
She subsequently operated on DFDS’s Copenhagen–Oslo route before becoming Stardancer for Sundance Cruises in 1985.
Through Sundance’s connection with Admiral Cruises and Royal Caribbean, the vessel eventually became Viking Serenade.
1991 Cruise-Ship Conversion:
Southwest Marine in San Diego carried out the major conversion from a passenger and vehicle ferry into a dedicated cruise ship.
Deltamarin provided design and engineering services for the project.
Former vehicle spaces were adapted for additional passenger accommodations.
The conversion added Royal Caribbean’s signature Viking Crown Lounge and changed the ship’s upper-deck profile.
The completed work prepared her for an extended period of short-cruise service from Southern California.
Design and Features:
Her broad hull and substantial superstructure reflected her original role as a cruise ferry.
The Viking Crown Lounge provided an elevated observation and social space.
The conversion expanded her passenger facilities while retaining the underlying ferry hull.
This combination of an existing ferry design and Royal Caribbean additions distinguished her from the company’s purpose-built ships.
Service:
Viking Serenade became associated with three- and four-night cruises from Los Angeles to Baja California.
Ensenada was a regular port on these short itineraries.
In 2002, she left Royal Caribbean’s operation and became Island Escape for Island Cruises.
She later operated under Thomson Cruises before leaving that service.
Her final years brought further ownership and name changes, followed by scrapping at Alang, India, in 2018.
Our March 2000 Cruise:
We sailed aboard Viking Serenade in March 2000, visiting Ensenada, Baja California.
The photograph shows the ship docked during our time in port.
Our voyage took place during her years operating short cruises from Los Angeles, before her later transfer to Island Cruises as Island Escape.
Legacy:
Viking Serenade demonstrated how a cruise ferry could be extensively adapted for a different passenger market.
Her Southern California service introduced many travelers to short cruises aboard Royal Caribbean.
Her career connected North American ferry operations, West Coast cruising, and later European cruise service.
