LEISURE WORLD (ex SKYWARD, etc.) Decked!, Part Three
MV LEISURE WORLD
(ex SKYWARD, SHANGRI-LA WORLD, ASEAN WORLD, FANTASY WORLD, CONTINENTAL WORLD) Decked!, Part Three: Rainbow Deck to Caribbean Deck
528 feet long
74 feet wide
15,853 gross tons
Built by AG Weser (hull number 942)
942 passengers
250 crew
Powered by MAN Diesels that produce 17,380 bhp
twin screw
16 knot service speed
All Photos by and copyright Peter Knego 2012 unless otherwise noted.
Rainbow Deck (6th Floor)
Retaining its original NCL name, Rainbow Deck begins with the Paradise Lounge, the ship’s showroom. Slightly terraced, thanks to pronounced sheer in this part of the ship, the room has full-length windows that are usually obscured by thick curtains.
Furnishing in the Paradise Lounge may be left over from the NCL era but some of the soft fittings appear to have been added in recent years.
During our visit, the Paradise Lounge afternoon show consisted of a life jacket demonstration and a band that backed three young singers who performed Chinese pop songs.
Quite possibly the most elegant work of art on the ship is the etched glass panel of a caravelle dating from the SKYWARD era, located at the starboard entrance to the Paradise Lounge. It is signed by Knut Yran, E. Andersen and T. Gustavsen.
An information desk for New Century Cruise Line’s high rollers is located in the forward Rainbow Deck foyer. A large slot room follows in what was originally the SKYWARD’s Pot O’Gold Casino.
LEISURE WORLD’s Restaurant, an original SKYWARD venue, is located adjacent to the galley at the aft end of Rainbow Deck. Chinese buffets are available for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a nominal charge with stations located in the forward and center parts of the room.
The LEISURE WORLD’s simple but pleasant restaurant features picture windows on either side.
The chef prepared a wonderful lunch for us, beginning with fresh-squeezed orange juice…
…and a massive plate of crispy garlic bread.
The chicken and fresh vegetable soup was piping hot and delicious.
Our main course was a lavishly presented combination of fish, potatoes, lobster, shrimp, almonds, scallops and baby squid.
In addition to a plate of fresh fruits, we were able to select some baked goods from the buffet for our dessert.
Atlantic Deck (5th Floor)
Atlantic Deck is devoted to standard outside and inside cabins for overnight guests who can purchase a room for a nominal fee. The Reception area is adjacent to the forward stairtower.
The Gift Shop follows Reception, featuring clothing and sundries on the starboard side and snacks, coffee and soft drinks on the port side. Atlantic Deck continues aft with a video arcade and standard cabin accommodation.
Biscayne Deck (4th Floor)
Biscayne Deck is largely devoted to passenger accommodation. SKYWARD’s cabins were relatively compact by today’s standards but perfectly adequate for the ship’s current role.
Tiled cabin bathrooms feature sink, toilet and a small shower.
And here is a very basic inside cabin.
On the aft/port side of Biscayne Deck, there is a small gymnasium that is predominantly used by the ship’s crew.
Caribbean Deck (3rd Floor)
Caribbean Deck features more standard cabins, the embarkation lobby and a slot machine room.
After lunch, we had a couple hours to meander the non-casino areas, before taking a brief siesta in the comfort of Tropicana Deck.
At 5:00, we gathered our passports from the Caribbean Deck foyer and bid good-bye to the former SKYWARD.
Astonishingly, a local vendor selling soft drinks on the ferry collected passengers’ empties only to hurtle them over the side of the vessel. This would appear to be in direct conflict with New Century’s environmental policies.
After a short wait, the ferry sped off at a brisk pace for Batam, providing the perfect parting shot of the LEISURE WORLD.
When we arrived in the small harbor, the tide had receded, exposing Batam’s intertidal zone.
Just over an hour after departing LEISURE WORLD, the next ferry had returned us to Singapore.
End of LEISURE WORLD Decked!
Special thanks: Marek Amielanczyk, Jonathan Boonzaier, Martin Cox, Captain Igor, Michael Masino
So interesting to see this ship again, Peter! I was on her sister ship Orient Queen ex Starward a few months ago. She is largely unchanged from her NCL days, but this one has had a huge amount of cosmetic surgery and is almost alien to look at. Thanks again for another intriguing little reveal.
Peter
She looks quite nice as LEISURE WORLD. The food looked great, certainly authentic.
Those chairs in Rainbow Lounge – how many “naugha’s hides” were used to cover them – surely it is not leather. The cocktail tables look original, or from that early era, you don’t see them much on ships today.
Those basic cabins, look very institutionalized, very Spartan. Tiny cabins were indeed the norm back in the late ’60’s and into the ’80’s. I see a real flush toilet, glad they were not replaced.
I would have second thoughts about sailing her, who inspects them for safety, is my concern, Surely not the US coast guard.
Glad you shared this with us, an insight to another saved ship.
The ex-CARINTHIA was turned into the casino ship CHINA SEA DISCOVERY but was sold for scrap a short time later. It didn’t have nearly as happy an ending as this ship, which has been under the same owners since 1993. I feel sorry for the people who are addicted to gambling however. It is such an easy way to lose money.
Come on Kenneth, the US Coast Guard is not the be all and end all of vessel safety. There are plenty of ships that have sailed safely for many years without US Coast Guard interference. The Leisure World is managed by a professional ship management company, is classed and regularly surveyed by a well-recognized classification society (Det Norske Veritas) and has a competent deck and engine crew. She might be old and with decor of questionable taste, but just because there is no US Coast Guard involvement – and why should there be considering she is owned by a Singaporean company that trades her in asian waters – does not mean that she is in any way unsafe.
Why would the USCG have a station over there – it was not a question, but a mere curiosity
Kenneth/Jonathan: all countries Port State Control have the authority to inspect a ship for safety and security. The Port Captain has the authority to inspect classification records, ISM records, ISPS certification, STCW certification, even to insist on an emergency dill and/or make sure the lifeboats and davits work and lifeboat drill is performed correctly. Any breach, and the Port Captain can prevent the ship sailing fom port. Doesn’t often happen,
but has happened.
Hi Peter,
Any plans to visit Zhoushan, China regarding the fate of the SS Oceanic?
I’m pretty sure Singapore is a base for the US navy.
This ship was withdrawn from service January 2016 and has been replaced by the Aegean Paradise, I do not know her future but presume due to her age she will be scrapped
Seemingly she has gone to Penang to do day and overnight gambling cruises, I will be in Penang in 3 weeks so will look for her and if so try to get a day trip if possible
Martin Ashley wrote: “My wife and I cruised on the Skyward 9 times during the late 70s and early 80s. On our second cruise there was a fire that began from a loose diesel hose on one of the electrical generators. Dead in the water for 12 hours, we were ‘rescued’ by the M/S SOUTHWARD. On some of the cruises we were chased by hurricanes as well as last minute itinerary changes, yet we loved each and every port-of-call. In all, we visited 5 countries and 9 different ports throughout the Caribbean on the SKYWARD. By the way, NCL (Norwegian CARIBBEAN Lines at the time) rewarded us after the fire with, not a refund or future discount, but rather a 8X10 photograph of the ship!”
Leisure World is still sailing on gambling cruises out of Penang, Malaysia. This year she is 50 years old! I’m going on a 2 night cruise on her to Ko Lipe, Thailand Sunday, Jan 27, 2019. I’ve been on th gambling cruises 3 times. No gambling for me though. As a child in Florida when she was new, I used to dream of sailing on her. Didn’t imagine I would be doing it in Penang in my 60s!