Hamburg (1969)

Later names:
Hanseatic (1973)
Maxim Gorkiy (1974)
Maxim Gorkiy (registered in the Bahamas after 1991)

Builder:
Howaldtswerke
Hamburg, Germany
Ordered:
November 1966
Keel Laid:
N/A
Year Built:
1969
Launched:
February 21, 1968
Type:
Passenger
Completed:
March 20, 1969
Fate:
Reportedly sold for scrap in 2009, currently awaiting disposal.
Last known to be laid up in Eleusis, Greece as of Feb. 2009.


Owner
German Atlantic Line
Hamburg, Germany
Jan. 25, 1974:
Robin International
New York, New York

1974:
Black Sea Shipping Company
Odessa, Ukraine
1991:
Sovcomflot
St. Petersburg, Russia
(transferred following the collapse of the Soviet Union)
however was placed under long term lease to Phoenix Reisen of Germany who operated
the ship until finally removed from service.


Dimensions, machinery and performance (as built)

Length:
632' 2"

Engines:
2 AEG steam turbines
Beam:
87' 3
Boilers:
N/A
Draft:
27' 1"
Shafts:
2
Gross Tons:
25,022
Kw:
16,668
DWT:
N/A
Speed:
22 knots
Crew:
N/A
Funnels:
1
Passengers:
652


Timeline
Mar. 28, 1969:
Maiden voyage Cuxhaven, Germany to the South Atlantic.
Sept. 25, 1973:
Renamed Hanseatic.
Dec. 1, 1973:
German Atlantic Line went bankrupt and ship was laid up.
Jan. 25, 1974:
Sold to Robin International of New York, resold shortly afterwards to the Black Sea
Shipping Company and renamed Maxim Gorkiy.
1974:
Before being transferred the ship was used as the set for the movie Juggernaut.
Nov. 1975:
Damaged by explosive charges off New York in an attempt to sink the ship. Repaired
at Bethlehem Steel Corp.
June 19, 1989:
Hit an ice flow off Norway and nearly sank. Passengers put into lifeboats and picked up
by HNoMS Senja. Ship towed to Svalbard, Norway for temporary repairs, later sailed to
Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany for permanent repairs.
Dec. 2-3, 1989:
The Malta Summit between President George H. W. Bush and Soviet Premier Mikhail
Gorbachev took place on board.
1991:
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union the ship was reassigned to Sovcomflot and placed
under a long term lease agreement with Phoenix Reisen of Germany.
Nov. 30, 2008:
Lease expired and was not renewed.
Nov. 2008:

Reports that the ship would be the flagship of the Orient Line fell through when the Orient
Line decided to suspend further plans to reorganize the company. Plans to use the ship as a
floating hotel in Hamburg also never materialized. The ship was laid up at Eleusis, Greece.

Jan. 2009:
Reportedly sold to a scrapping company in Alang, India and is still awaiting transfer.


Builder's Data
Page published Feb. 8, 2009