The passenger ship Prins Olav was built from 1907 by the A. & J. Inglis shipyard in Glasgow , Scotland , as the royal British yacht Alexandra and was launched in 1908. The yacht, powered by three steam turbines via three screws , was christened by the sister of King Edward VII , Princess Louise , Duchess of Argyll. The ship was mainly used for trips by the king to his favorite vacation spot Biarritz and Mediterranean health resorts and Germany. She was manned by the Royal Navy and served as a hospital ship during the First World War .
Prins Olav in 1925
In 1925 she was sold to the Norwegian shipping company Det Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab (NFDS) in Nidaros and renamed Prins Olav . She served there as a Norwegian luxury cruise ship. In 1936 she was completely rebuilt and was the flagship of the Norwegian Hurtigruten fleet from 1937 . On June 9, 1940, the Prins Olav was sunk by German aircraft near Røst in Lofoten while trying to escape from Germany-occupied Norway . One person died, the others were rescued by the British destroyer Arrow .
