Orient Queen (1989)

Orient Queen was a former cruise ship built in 1989 for the company Mar Lines by the Unión Naval de Levante shipyard in Valencia, Spain. On 4 August 2020, the ship was badly damaged by an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, near where she was berthed, and subsequently capsized.

History
Originally named Vistamar, the ship was operated under charter by German-based cruise companies, first Jahn Reisen then Plantours & Partner. The ship was operated in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, but also undertook voyages to the Arctic and the Antarctic, to Greenland and up the Amazon River. In 2003 it sailed through the Amazon River to Iquitos, Peru, around 4400 km from the coast of Atlantic Ocean, becoming the first large cruise ship to do so.

In 2001, Vistamar struck a submerged object in the South Atlantic; in 2003, it struck submerged rocks near Ibiza (the ship's then home port) soon after departing on a 12-day cruise, and required repair in drydock. The ship was towed back by tugs and the passengers disembarked.

In the 21st century, its ownership changed many times but it continued to be mainly operated by Plantours. In 2012, it was renamed and acquired by the Lebanon-based Abou Merhi Group.

The vessel's home port was Beirut and it typically operated in the eastern Mediterranean, calling at ports in Greece and Turkey. There was accommodation for 370 guests.

2020 Beirut explosion
Orient Queen arrived in Beirut on 27 June 2020 following a 22-day voyage from King Abdullah Port in Saudi Arabia. On 4 August, the vessel was severely damaged by an ammonium nitrate explosion while moored at its berth.

The ship was left listing to starboard. Two crew, both Filipino nationals, were killed and several people injured. A crewmember, interviewed after the explosion, stated "The ship is totally destroyed – the cabins, the saloon, everything". The ship capsized that night after its list worsened, then partially sank. Several other ships were damaged in the same incident.

On 7 August, the first lawsuit related to the explosions was filed by Abou Merhi, whose offices were also destroyed.