{{Short description|Cruise ship (1982–2015)}} {{redirect|MS Scandinavia (1981)|other ships with the same name|MS Scandinavia}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image | image = Viking serenade san diego 2 (cropped).jpg | image_caption = ''Viking Serenade'' in San Diego }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career | hide_header = | name = *1982–1985: ''Scandinavia'' *1985–1990: ''Stardancer'' *1990–2002: ''Viking Serenade'' *2002–2015: ''Island Escape''<ref name=Asklander>{{cite web |url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/scandinavia_1982.htm |title=M/S ''Scandinavia'' (1982) |accessdate=2008-11-26 |date= |last=Asklander |first=Micke |work=Fakta om Fartyg |publisher= |language=Swedish |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006152215/http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/scandinavia_1982.htm|archivedate=2012-10-06}}</ref> *2015–2017: ''Ocean Gala'' *2017–2018: ''Ocean Gala 1'' | owner = *1982–1985: border|20px DFDS *1985–1987: Sundance Cruises *1987–1988: Admiral Cruises *1988–1990: Royal Admiral Cruises *1990–2002: Wilh. Wilhelmsen *2002–2015: Island Cruises *2015–2017: Cruise Holdings Inc<ref name=Asklander /> | operator = *1982–1983: Scandinavian World Cruises *1983–1985: border|20px DFDS Seaways *1985–1987: Sundance Cruises *1987–1988: Admiral Cruises *1988–1990: Royal Admiral Cruises *1990–2002: Royal Caribbean International *2002–2009: Island Cruises<ref name=Asklander /> *2009–2015: Thomson Cruises<ref name=Thomson>{{cite web |url=http://www.thomson.co.uk/cruise/ships/island-escape-ship-details.html |title=Ship Details > ''Island Escape'' |accessdate=2008-11-26 |date= |last= |first= |publisher=Thomson Cruises }}</ref> *2015–2017: US Shipmanagers | registry = *1982–1991: Nassau, {{flag|Bahamas|civil}} *1991–2002: Monrovia, {{flag|Liberia|civil}} *2002–2018: Nassau, {{flag|Bahamas|civil}}<ref name=Asklander /> *2018: {{flag|Togo|civil}} | route = | ordered = | builder = Dubigeon-Normandie S.A., Nantes, France<ref name=Asklander /> | original_cost = $100 million<ref name=Ward>{{cite book |title=Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships |last=Ward |first=Douglas |year=2008 |publisher=Berlitz |location=Singapore |isbn=978-981-268-240-6 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/berlitzcompleteg00ward/page/405 405–406] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/berlitzcompleteg00ward/page/405 }}</ref> | yard_number = 164<ref name=Asklander /> | way_number = | laid_down = April 6, 1981<ref name=Asklander /> | launched = October 16, 1981<ref name=Asklander /> | completed = 1982 | christened = September 28, 1982<ref name=Asklander /> | acquired = August 20, 1982<ref name=Asklander /> | maiden_voyage = 1982 | in_service = October 2, 1982<ref name=Asklander />-2015 | identification = *Call sign: C6SK4 *{{IMO Number|8002597}} *{{MMSI|311368000}} | fate = Scrapped at Alang, India in April 2018 | notes = }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics | hide_header = | header_caption = (as built, 1981)<ref name=Asklander /> | type = cruiseferry | tonnage = *{{GT|26,747}} *{{DWT|4,294}} | length = {{convert|185.25|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | beam = {{convert|27.01|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | height = | draught = {{convert|6.80|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | depth = | decks = 10 | deck_clearance = | ramps = | ice_class = | power = *2 × B&W 9L55GFCA diesels *combined 19,850 kW | propulsion = Twin propellers<ref name=Ward /> | speed = {{convert|20|kn}} | capacity = *1,606 passengers *1,606 passenger berths *530 cars *51 trailers | crew = | notes = }}

|section4={{Infobox ship/characteristics | hide_header = | header_caption = (as of 2009)<ref name=Ward /> | type = cruise ship | tonnage = {{GT|40,171}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://app.gl-group.com/fleetonline/equasis.do?imo=8002597|title=Equasis View|author=DNV GL SE|work=gl-group.com}}</ref> | displacement = | length = {{convert|623|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="virgin-main">{{cite web|title=Island Escape Cruise Ship|url=http://www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk/island-cruises/island-escape/|work=Virgin Holiday Cruises|publisher=Virgin Holidays|accessdate=2012-04-23|archive-date=2012-04-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430174115/http://www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk/island-cruises/island-escape/|url-status=dead}}</ref> | beam = | height = | draught = {{convert|7.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | depth = | decks = 9 (passenger accessible)<ref name="thomson-deck-plans">{{cite web|url=http://www.thomson.co.uk/cruise/ships/island-escape-deck-plans.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227091531/http://www.thomson.co.uk/cruise/ships/island-escape-deck-plans.html |archivedate=2012-12-27 |title=Island Escape Deck Plans |date=2012-04-23 |publisher=Thomson Holidays |url-status=dead }}</ref> | deck_clearance = | ramps = | ice_class = | power = | propulsion = | speed = | capacity = *1,544 passengers (lower berths)<ref name="thomson-deck-plans" /> *1,740 passengers (all berths)<ref name="virgin-main" /> *768 cabins<ref name="thomson-deck-plans" /> | crew = 540<ref name="thomson-deck-plans" /> | notes = Car and trailer space converted into cabin space<ref name="Asklander" /> }} }} '''MS ''Island Escape''''' was a cruise ship originally built as the cruiseferry '''MS ''Scandinavia''''' in 1981.

The ship was renamed '''MS ''Stardancer''''' in 1985 and '''''Viking Serenade''''' in 1990 before being converted to a cruise ship in 1991. She was renamed again as '''MS ''Island Escape''''' in 2002, again as '''MS ''Ocean Gala''''' in 2015, and lastly as '''MS ''Ocean Gala 1''''', before being scrapped in 2018.

==History== She was built in 1982 by Dubigeon-Normandie S.A., Nantes, France for Scandinavian World Cruises, a subsidiary of DFDS, as the cruiseferry ''Scandinavia''. At the time of her construction, she was the largest cruiseferry in the world.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} After being withdrawn from Scandinavian World Cruises, she briefly sailed for DFDS Seaways. Between 1985 and 1990, she sailed for Sundance Cruises and Admiral Cruises as ''Stardancer''.

In 1990, the ship was sold to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and renamed ''Viking Serenade''. Between January and June 1991, she was converted into a full-time cruise ship at the former<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wikimapia.org/8489707/Former-Southwest-Marine-shipyard |title=Former Southwest Marine shipyard (Los Angeles, California)}}</ref> Southwest Marine Shipyard in San Diego, California. The car deck was turned into a passenger deck.<ref name=Asklander /> In 2002, she was transferred to the fleet of Royal Caribbean's new subsidiary Island Cruises as ''Island Escape''.

She joined the fleet of Thomson Cruises in April 2009, but retained her name.<ref name=Thomson /> ''Island Escape'' operated in the Canary Islands and the Western Mediterranean under Thomson Cruises.<ref name="virgin-booking">{{cite web |title=Cruise booking on the Island Escape |url=http://www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk/results.php?operator=IS&ship_code=IS:ES&formtype=simple&results_offset=1 |publisher=Virgin Holidays |accessdate=2012-04-23 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230030104/https://www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk/results.php?operator=IS&ship_code=IS:ES&formtype=simple&results_offset=1 |archivedate=2018-12-30 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In November 2010, Thomson was scheduled to spend a further £4 million in refurbishing ''Island Escape''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12390 |title=ISLAND ESCAPE cruise vessel 09 July 2012}}</ref> Thomson Cruises has operated the ''Island Escape'' under their all-inclusive ''Island Cruises'' since starting March 2013. In 2016, Thomson cruises replaced ''Island Escape'' with {{MS|Splendour of the Seas|3=2}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/12277-splendour-of-the-seas-sold-to-tui-for-thomson-cruises.html|title=Splendour of the Seas Sold to TUI for Thomson Cruises|work=cruiseindustrynews.com|date=2 March 2015}}</ref>

On 3 December 2015, it was reported that the vessel had been sold and was on her way to Brest, France for dry-docking, to be renamed ''Ocean Gala''.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Thomson Cruises sells Island Escape to Cruise Holdings|url = http://www.cruiseandferry.net/articles/thomson-cruises-sells-island-escape-to-cruise-holdings#.VmQgZ3arTcs|website = CruiseandFerry.net|accessdate = 2015-12-06}}</ref>

In February 2016, ''Ocean Gala'' was offered as a floating accommodation facility through the website Floating Accommodations, managed by US Shipmanagers, a Florida company<ref>{{cite web|url=http://floatingaccommodations.com/Our-Services/Passenger-Vessel/Ocean-Gala|title=Floating Accommodations > Our Services > Passenger Vessel > Ocean Gala|work=floatingaccommodations.com|accessdate=4 February 2016}}</ref> and it was announced that the Swedish Migration Agency have signed a contract to use the ''Ocean Gala'' as an asylum hotel for 1790 asylum seekers. Initially, permission was sought for a 4-year stint 2016–2020 in the Harbour of Härnösand.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Planerna på asylfartyg går vidare – så vill Härnösandspolitikerna stoppa etableringen|url = http://www.allehanda.se/angermanland/harnosand/planerna-pa-asylfartyg-gar-vidare-sa-vill-harnosandspolitikerna-stoppa-etableringen|website = allehanda.se|date = 16 February 2016|access-date = 2016-02-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Kryssningsfartyg blir nytt asylboende|url = http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article22279193.ab|website = Aftonbladet|access-date = 2016-02-17}}</ref>

''Ocean Gala'' arrived at Utansjöverkets hamn at on 14 June 2016. A police report was filed against the owner of Utansjöverkets hamn by Härnösand Municipality, claiming the facility was missing ISPS classification.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allehanda.se/vasternorrland/harnosand/foretaget-bakom-ocean-gala-finns-inget-som-kan-stoppa-det|title=Företaget bakom Ocean Gala: "Finns inget som kan stoppa det"|date=14 June 2016|publisher=|accessdate=5 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/kryssningsfartyget-pa-plats--och-polisanmalt/|title=Kryssningsfartyget på plats – och polisanmält|publisher=|accessdate=5 August 2016}}</ref>

According to media, the compensation from the Swedish Migration Agency at SEK450/asylum seeker would generate SEK805,500/day if the asylum hotel was operated at full capacity.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/vasternorrland/asylbaten-har-lagt-an-och-hamnen-ar-polisanmald|title=Asylbåten är framme – hamnen polisanmäld|newspaper=SVT Nyheter|date=14 June 2016|publisher=|accessdate=5 August 2016|last1=Mårtensson|first1=Sebastian}}</ref>

The asylum hotel plans did not come to fruition and the ship was put back on the market for either sale or charter in August 2016.

Since ''Ocean Gala'' did not comply with Finnish-Swedish Ice Class Rules, as well as to avoid increased costs for heating, the vessel left the port 3 November 2016. On its way to Esbjerg, a short stop was made in Tallinn to refuel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.st.nu/vasternorrland/harnosand/det-blir-ocean-galas-nasta-hamnstopp-sydligare-breddgrader-vantar|title=Det blir Ocean Galas nästa hamnstopp Asylbåten är framme – sydligare breddgrader väntar|date=3 November 2016|publisher=|accessdate=3 November 2016}}</ref> The vessel was in Denmark and completed its five-year survey with class society DNVGL.

After months off Suez as channel workers floating accommodation and calls at Limassol, she finally passed through the canal on 2 May 2017, heading down the Red Sea. It was speculated she was heading to Alang for Scrapping.<ref>[http://www.robindesbois.org/wp-content/uploads/a_la_casse_47.pdf A la Casse - Bulletin d'information et d'analyses sur la démolition des navires n° 47, du 1er janvier au 31 mars 2017]. Robin des Bois, 5 May 2017. {{retrieved|accessdate=2017-05-09}}</ref> The next port turned out to be Khalifa, Abu Dhabi, for continued service.

In March 2018, after spending several months laid up in Khalifa, she set sail for Alang, where she was beached for scrapping on 4 April 2018 at Kaya plot 103.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cruiseind.com/2018/03/24/ocean-gala-i-ex-viking-serenade-island-escape-to-be-scrapped/ |title=Ocean Gala I (ex-Viking Serenade, Island Escape) To Be Scrapped {{!}} CruiseInd |website=www.cruiseind.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330013455/https://www.cruiseind.com/2018/03/24/ocean-gala-i-ex-viking-serenade-island-escape-to-be-scrapped/ |archive-date=2018-03-30}}</ref>

==Accidents and incidents== In February 1988, chiropractor Scott Rolston murdered his wife, Karen Waltz, by strangling her and dumping the body overboard to make it look like a drowning. Karen was either thrown or pushed from the balcony of their cabin and fell straight down into the water below. Rolston was later convicted of her murder.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-02-22-me-30065-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717023220/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-02-22-me-30065-story.html|url-status=dead|title=Death of a Bride of Nine Days a Strange End to an Unusual Courtship|website=Los Angeles Times|archivedate=2019-07-17}}</ref>

On May 25, 2006, Micki Kanesaki was murdered by her ex-husband, Lonnie Kocontes, while aboard the ''Island Escape''. Kanesaki was murdered in the same manner as Karen Waltz 18 years earlier.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jimfishertruecrime.blogspot.com/2013/02/lonnie-kocentes-and-cruise-ship-murder.html|title=The Lonnie Kocontes Cruise Ship Murder|date=11 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=5399|title=Man Charged with Strangling Wife Seven Years After Cruise Ship Murder}}</ref>

==In popular culture== ''Island Escape'' was featured in a mini-series TV documentary which consisted of 10 episodes. The documentary was initially broadcast in the UK during 2002. Repeats of the documentary were later shown on Bravo. The documentary followed the working lives of crew members and gave insight into what it was like to work on a cruise ship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.locatetv.com/tv/cruise-ship/127368|title=The Cruise Ship|work=LocateTV.com|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011164837/http://www.locatetv.com/tv/cruise-ship/127368|archivedate=2011-10-11}}</ref>

==Gallery== <gallery> File:Island Escape in Spain.jpg|As ''Island Escape'' in Spain in 2006 File:Island Escape.JPG|''Island Escape'' in Sardinia in 2008 File:Ocean Gala entering Kiel (cropped).jpg|''Ocean Gala'' in Kiel </gallery>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category}} *[http://www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk/island-cruises/island-escape/ Deck plans] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430174115/http://www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk/island-cruises/island-escape/ |date=2012-04-30 }} *{{in lang|sv}} [http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/scandinavia_1982.htm Fakta om Fartyg: M/S ''Scandinavia'' (1982)] *[http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/search.php?search_imo=8002597&page_limit=300 Professional photographs] from shipspotting.com *{{csr|register=E|id=8002597|shipname=Island Escape|accessdate=2013-05-20}}

{{s-start}} {{succession box|before=MS ''Silvia Regina''|title=World's Largest Cruiseferry |years=1982&ndash;1985 |after=MS ''Svea''}} {{s-end}} {{Royal Caribbean Cruise International Ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Island Escape}} Category:1981 ships Category:Ships built in Nantes Category:Ships of Royal Caribbean International