The MV Lavoisier was one of eight almost identical motorships approved by the French Merchant Marine Ministry, all were to be named after noted French scientists. The Lavoisier was the 2nd of the batch to be built for Chargeurs Réunis, Le Havre. The vessel was was commissioned in June 1950 with the maiden voyage commencing on September 19th 1950 for the company's eighteen day transatlantic service to the east coast of South America linking Le Havre, Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Montevideo and Buenos Aires. After the initial voyage future sailings started from Hamburg.

The Lavoisier had been preceded into service by about six months by the first of the order, the passenger and cargo liner Claude Bernard, which was the first transatlantic vessel to be built in France since the end of World War II. For the first class passengers thee main saloons, furnished in light oak and decorated with Aubusson tapestries, connected through library galleries to a smoking room which opened onto a spacious sports deck complete with swimming pool and outdoor dance floor. There were also comfortable third class accommodations for 230 passengers.

After about eleven years on the Europe - South America service the Lavoisier was sold in 1961 to Compagnia Marittima Petroli SpA, Palermo, and taken to Genoa to be refurbished for the cruise market. The ship was renamed Riviera Prima and chartered to Caribbean Cruise Lines, sailing from US East Coast ports with accommodation for 600 passengers.

During May 1963 the ship was undergoing repairs at Bethlehem Steel's Key Highway shipyard at Baltimore.

During September 1963 the Riviera Prima sailed from Genoa via Tangier - St. Croix - St. Thomas - San Juan - Nassau - Port Everglades.

The ship then operated a number of Caribbean cruises, varying between 3 & 13 days.

Ports visited include Curacao, Jacksonville, Kingston, Montego Bay, Nassau, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Port Evergades, San Juan, St Croix, St Thomas.

During December 1963 and January 1964 13 day Caribbean cruises included Montego Bay, Panama Canal, San Blas, Cartagena, Aruba, Curacao, Nassau and Port Everglades.

At some point in 1963 the New York based Caribbean Cruise Lines declared bankruptcy.

During February 1964 three 10 day Caribbean cruises included San Juan, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Curacao, Nassau and Port Everglades.

In October 1964 the ship was sold to the to Norwegian company Berge Sigval Bergesen, Oslo but sailed under the Viking Cruise Lines house flag, and renamed Viking Princess. Cruises to the Carribean commencd from US East Coast ports including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Port Everglades and Miami.

On April 8th 1966 the cruise ship Viking Princess caught fire and burned out off Cuba whilst working a Caribbean cruise. Two lives would be lost.

The fire started in the ship’s engine room and spread quickly. An order to abandon ship was quickly issued and along with the Hamburg-South America Line vessel Cap Norte (captained by Klaus Schacht), two other freighters, the Chunking Victory and the Navigator provided aid. The Navigator later towed the seriously damaged Viking Princess to Port Royal, Jamaica. The ship was later declared a total loss and towed to Bilbao in Spain for scrapping.

Basic Details:

Built: Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Saint-Nazaire, France 1950
Displacement: 11,969 tons
Length: 537 feet
Beam: 64 feet.
Draught: 28 feet
Propulsion: two eight cylinder 6,000bhp Sulzer diesel engines
Screws: 2
Speed: 17 knots
Passengers (as built) 94 first class, 230 second class.

Page added August 18th 2025.

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