Tuxedo Royale left to rust in storage

May 10 2009 by Laura Caroe, Sunday Sun

Built at the Swan Hunter yard in Wallsend, the Princess was originally operated by the seagoing division of British Rail and plied back and forth across the Irish Sea, linking mainland Britain to Northern Ireland.

It was called Caledonian Princess, and Sealink used it on the Larne-Stranraer route. The ferry was gutted to become a club and after 18 months ended up with 12 bars and two discos, with a capacity for 3000 patrons.

Scores have met, fallen in love, married, worked and partied on board during its two stints moored on the Tyne.

In its heyday, the Princess, known as “The Boat”, was a celebrity haunt helping build Newcastle’s reputation as a party city. She set sail in July last year and docked in Piraeus harbour near the Greek capital Athens.

But an investigation by trade magazine Ships Monthly discovered the former car ferry is set to be scrapped, probably at a ship-breaker’s yard in Turkey. Initial plans to convert the Princess into a casino and restaurant for tourists had been shelved.

Tees Valley Regeneration chiefs are now hoping the Royale will depart and this will encourage developers to back plans for stunning homes, designer offices and state-of-the-art leisure and educational facilities.

The first offices on the site, the Terrace Hill building at Hudson Quay, have been completed and a new £70m home for Middlesbrough College is planned for the Middlehaven site.