By David Rosen

Docked for the day and evening for a stop in Seattle, West Seattle residents looking across Elliott Bay saw German cruise liner MS Amadea, Sunday Feb 24.

The MS Amadea is owned by Amadea Shipping Company and operated under charter by the Germany-based Phoenix Reisen. She was originally built in 1991 by the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki, Japan and sailed initially as the MS Asuka for Nippon Yusen Kaisha. In 2006 she was sold to her current owners and entered service with Phoenix Reisen and was renamed Amadea.

Right now the vessel is on a 15-day West Coast tour that began in Puerto Vallarta Mexico and will end in Vancouver Canada. Her voyage began in Lima, Peru and included stops in Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Phoenix Reisen is a Germany-based travel agency. They first began cruises in 1988 by chartering the Soviet Union owned cruise ship SS Maxim Gorkiy.

Some Facts about the MS Amadea:

Crew of 250-280 mostly European and Filipino staff and the language on board is German
Two large restaurants
The ship carries 624 people
A small 'adventure' golf course
8 Decks

Accommodation options include:

2 royal suites,
40 suites,
254 cabins. 106 cabins have a private balcony.

There is a choice of single, two bedroom and three bedroom cabins. All cabins are outside (no inside cabins), with 106 cabins having a private balcony. There are two cabins catering to passengers with a disability.

The Port of Seattle notes that the ship will make one more visit to Seattle on Feb. 28 before sailing to Osaka Japan.