MS Pride of Rotterdam

MS Pride of Rotterdam is a Dutch registered passenger and cargo roll-on/roll-off ship/cruiseferry, in service with P&O North Sea Ferries on the Hull - Rotterdam route. The cruiseferry was also featured in the video game Ship Simulator Extremes.

Description
Pride of Rotterdam is 215.05 m long with a beam of 31.85 m and a draught of 6.04 m. She is powered by four Wärtsilä 9L46C diesel engines which have a total power output of 37800 kW. These can propel her at 22 kn.

Pride of Rotterdam can carry 1,370 passengers. She has 3300 m of lane capacity, and can carry 250 cars and 400 trailers. Cars are driven in through an entrance in the ship's side and stored separately from trailers, which are loaded from the rear. Pride of Rotterdam can store 400 m3 of drinking water.

History


The ship's keel was laid on 1 March 1999. The ship was built as yard number 6065. She was originally to have been named MS Pride of Hull, but this was changed to Pride of Rotterdam before her launch on 29 September 2000. Pride of Rotterdam was officially handed over to P&O North Sea Ferries on 12 April 2001 in Venice, Italy. She was christened on 27 April 2001 by Queen Beatrix and entered service on 30 April 2001 on the Hull - Rotterdam route.

Pride of Rotterdam is owned by Hampton Shipping BV, managed by P&O North Sea Ferries and classed by Lloyd's Register. The ship has a capacity of and. She is allocated the IMO Number 9208617, MMSI Number 244980000 and uses the callsign PBAJ. Her port of registry is Rotterdam.

Both Pride of Rotterdam and Pride of Hull are too wide to pass through the lock at Hull. Associated British Ports built a new terminal at Hull to accommodate the passengers using these two ferries. The Rotterdam Terminal was built at a cost of £14,300,000.

On 21 November 2005, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the Hull - Rotterdam route, Pride of Rotterdam sailed from Rotterdam to Hull with the Dutch band BZN performing on board. The return sailing on 22 November also saw BZN performing. On 3 December 2008, a crew member was lost overboard in the North Sea off the east coast of the United Kingdom. A search was initiated involving eight lifeboats and helicopters from RAF Leconfield and Wattisham. The search was called off but the missing crew member was not found.

Layout
Pride of Rotterdam has 12 decks.

In popular culture
The ship is featured in the VSTEP game Ship Simulator 2008 and Ship Simulator Extremes enabling gamers to sail the ship in a number of different environments around the world including the Solent and the Port of Rotterdam.

Sister ships
Pride of Rotterdam has one sister ship:
 * MS Pride of Hull