MS Oranje was a Dutch passenger liner constructed by the Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij shipyard and launched on September 8, 1938. She was delivered to the Netherland Line on July 15, 1939, and embarked on her maiden voyage from Amsterdam to Batavia (Jakarta) on September 4, 1939. However, her maiden voyage was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II, leading to her being laid up in Surabaya. In February 1941, she was requisitioned by the Australian government and converted into a hospital ship under Australian command but retained her Dutch crew and flag throughout the war. The ship's specifications are not detailed in the provided content, but she served in various capacities over her extensive career. From October 1946 to 1957, she resumed passenger service under her original owners, the Netherland Line. During this period, she undertook notable voyages, including her first around-the-world cruise in 1951, which took her from Amsterdam via the Panama Canal to Australia and New Zealand, returning via Singapore and the Suez Canal. She also carried passengers to Lisbon and Madeira in June 1951. In 1953, MS Oranje was involved in a collision in the Red Sea with the Willem Ruys, caused by miscommunication and close-range passing, resulting in significant damage to her bow but no loss of life. The vessel's final years with the Dutch lineage ended in 1964 when she was sold to the Italian company Flotta Lauro Lines. After an extensive refit at Genoa, she was renamed Angelina Lauro and began a new career as a cruise ship, departing on her maiden voyage from Bremerhaven to destinations including Fremantle, Melbourne, Sydney, and Wellington in 1966. Her service included a charter by Costa Lines in 1977. However, her career ended tragically in 1979 when she caught fire while docked at Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The fire caused extensive damage, and she was declared a total loss. The ship's weakened hull eventually filled with water, leading to her sinking in the mid-Pacific on September 24, 1979, while en route to be scrapped at Kaohsiung. MS Oranje, later Angelina Lauro, remains a vessel with a notable history spanning wartime service, passenger cruising, and maritime incidents.

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