The MV Princess of the Orient was a prominent passenger ferry owned by Sulpicio Lines, notable for its size and design before its tragic sinking in 1998. Originally constructed in Japan in 1974 by Shin Kurushima Dockyard, she was part of the Sun Flower series and named Sun Flower 11. The vessel served as a cruise ferry on the Osaka-Kagoshima route, measuring approximately 13,935 gross tons and stretching nearly 196 meters in length. Her distinctive appearance included two funnels and a rounded superstructure, giving her a cruise ship-like profile. She had a passenger capacity of nearly 4,000, serving as one of the largest ferries in the Philippines upon her transfer. In 1990, she was acquired by Blue Highway Line and renamed Sun Flower Satsuma, maintaining her Japanese origin. After 19 years of service in Japan, she was sold to Sulpicio Lines in 1993, where modifications included the addition of a cargo ramp on the starboard bow and an extension of passenger decks. Her size and aesthetic qualities made her the flagship of the Philippine fleet, and she was the largest passenger ferry in the country until 2004. She was also the only Philippine ferry equipped with automatic stabilizers at the time. Her service was marred by an incident in 1997 when a fire in the engine room while docked at Manila North Harbor led to repairs in Singapore. This caused her stabilizers to remain unoperational, resulting in a slight but persistent list to port, which became a concern in her final voyage. On September 18, 1998, amidst Typhoon Vicki, the Princess of the Orient departed Manila for Cebu. Severe weather and high waves caused her to list heavily to port, compounded by shifting cargo and the ship’s reduced stability. Despite attempts to stabilize her, the vessel tilted between 15 and 45 degrees until she ultimately sank near Fortune Island at 12:55 a.m., resulting in 150 fatalities out of 388 passengers. The wreck rests on her port side at a depth of 122 meters, remaining largely intact and serving as a somber maritime memorial. The sinking was attributed to improper cargo lashing and the influence of rough seas during the typhoon.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.