The Ocean Dream, originally known as Spirit of London, is an Italian-built cruise ship with a notable and varied service history spanning several decades. Launched in 1972, the vessel was initially ordered in 1970 by Norwegian Caribbean Line under the name Seaward. However, due to financial difficulties faced by the Cantieri Navali del Tirreno & Riuniti shipyard, the construction was partially completed after the IRI Group took over the yard and canceled the original contract. Norwegian Caribbean Line sold the hull to P&O, which finished the vessel as Spirit of London. The ship measures 537 feet in length and shares a superstructure design with its sister ship Southward, although they differ in tonnage and funnels. In 1974, P&O transferred the vessel to Princess Cruises, where it was operated as Sun Princess, alongside other ships in the fleet. The ship’s service record includes a notable fire in 1979 while cruising from Portland to San Francisco, which was contained without further incident. In 1988, after sale by P&O to Premier Cruises, it was renamed Majestic and later Starship Majestic following refurbishments and interior updates. The ship was prominently featured in the 1975 episode of Columbo, "Troubled Waters," providing a visual record of her interior before her refurbishment. Throughout the 1990s, the vessel underwent several ownership changes, being renamed Southern Cross in 1994 and Flamenco in 1998 under Festival Cruises. After Festival Cruises collapsed in 2004, she was sold and renamed New Flamenco, serving as a hotel ship in New Caledonia under Club Cruise until her sale for scrap in late 2008. The vessel was saved from demolition in 2012 and renamed Ocean Dream under Runfeng Ocean Deluxe Cruises, operating cruises from Haikou, China. The ship’s later years were marked by legal disputes over charters and her ultimate sinking in 2016 off Laem Chabang, Thailand, after being abandoned for about a year. She was subsequently scrapped, with much of her remains removed by 2019. The Ocean Dream also appeared in various television episodes and films, making her a recognizable vessel in maritime pop culture.

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