Hospital ships are normally out of scope of this website, but the Mercy Ships organization and its ships crewed by volunteers deserve to  be in the spotlights as they bring humanitarian aid around the world to those who badly need it.

From February 26 to March 15, their newest ship, the Global Mercy, just delivered and fresh from the yard, made her maiden call at the Dutch port of Rotterdam, where she received a warm welcome and was open tot the public.

27 years ago, I visited Mercy Ships’ first ship, the Anastasis in Vlissingen. And now, I was able to visit Global Mercy and was very impressed. Since Anastasis, the former Italian ocean liner/ cruise ship Victoria dating from 1953.  Mercy Ships has certainly come a long way: Anastasis had three operating theatres compared to Global Mercy having six of them with ultra-modern equipment.

The mission of Mercy ships is to bring medical aid, train locals and support diverse projects to help the poor, based on Christian Faith, using hospital ships.

Since 1978, over 2.7 million people received help provided by the Mercy Ships Organisation , over a 100,000 medical treatments have been carried out and over 40,000 local professionals have been trained.

In 1964 Mercy Ships founder Don Stephens, at the time 19 years old, was part of a Youth with a Mission team working at the Bahama’s when the islands were tortured by tropical storm Cleo. He saw the urgent need for (medical) help and decided to  take action. With his team he started  the search for a ship that could be converted to a hospital ship. In 1978, he succeeded in securing his first ship, the former Italian cruise ship/ ocean liner Victoria. After conversion  to a hospital ship, she was taken into service as Anastasis, Greek for resurrection. Later two former ferries Island Mercy and Caribbean Mercy were added. Africa, Central America and Asia were visited by these ships to support the local population.

In 1999, Africa Mercy, a former Danish train ferry was acquired. After an 8 year (!)  conversion she started work in Africa in 2007. With the arrival of Global Mercy, Mercy Ships first ever newbuilding, their capacity has doubled. After her visit to Rotterdam, she will make a technical call at the Canary Islands where some final work will be done on her medical and technical equipment as well as final provisioning before heading for Dakar, Senegal to start work as the world’s largest and most modern hospital  ship.

Constructed by the Tianjin Xingang yard, China and outfitted in 2021/ 2022 in Antwerp, Belgium,  Global Mercy measures 37,000GT, has a length of 174 meters and a width of 29 meters. There is accommodation for 641 crew. Often complete families come onboard as volunteers, their children receiving education during their stay by qualified teachers.

Decks 3 and 4 of her 12 decks are reserved for 6 operating theaters, 102 acute care beds, 7 ICU beds, and 90 self-care beds. Those who accompany patients can stay overnight, being able to sleep under the patient’s bed, a very clever solution.

For education of locals, classrooms, conference rooms and simulation rooms are available.

During a 10-month field trip, different surgeries, including reconstructive surgeries, tumor removals, cleft lip and palate repair, orthopedic surgery, cataract removal, obstetric fistula repair etc. are performed. Mercy Ships estimate up to 950 patients can be treated onboard Global Mercy daily.

Mercy ships (former) fleet

Anastasis (1978 – 2007)

Measuring 11.700 GRT, and with  a length of 159m and with 220 crew,  she was built in Trieste Italy in 1953 as a cargo passenger liner Victoria for Lloyd Triestino and with her twin sister, Asia sailed to Pakistan, India and Far East destinations. When air lines took over her trade she was sold to Adriatica who tried to operate her on liner voyages also but more often as a cruise ship. This wasn’t a success and she was laid up and offered for sale in 1974. She was purchased in 1978 by mission organisation Mercy Ships for £620,000 and renamed Anastasis. After a four year re-fit Anastasis entered service as a hospital vessel: she contained three fully-equipped operating rooms, a hospital ward, a dental clinic, a laboratory and an X-ray unit, During her career as a mission ship Anastasis visited 275 ports and conducted 66 field assignments in 23 nations during which almost 19,000 operations were performed as well as 137,000 dental treatments. Almost 90,000 patients were treated in clinics ashore. Anastasis’ 52-year life ended at the scrapyard at Alang, India on August 13, 2007.

Caribbean Mercy (1994 – 2006)

Built in 1952, she sailed for over 40 years as Polarlys in Norwegian coastal service for the Hurtigruten company before being acquired by Mercy Ships in 1994. After conversion to hospital ship she served Mercy Ships until 2006. In the Caribbean and South America she called at 137 ports. 7,000 eye and orthopedic operations were performed, over 50,000 patients were treated in clinics ashore, 18,000 dental treatments were carried out, 1600 local health workers were trained and 140 building projects were supported.

Island Mercy (1983 – 2002)

This former ferry, formerly known as Good Samaritan, was donated to Mercy Ships in 1983. She was renovated and operating theatres were added espeicailly for eye surgery and dental treatment. As Island Mercy she visited 109 ports in almost twenty years of service, over 1,100 operations and almost 30,000 dental treatments were performed mostly in the Caribbean and South- and Central America.

Africa Mercy (2007 – present)

Formerly the Danish railway ferry Dronning Ingrid, she was acquired by Mercy Ships in 1999. It took 8 years to convert her to a hospital ship. Finally in 2007 she started her first field trip to Africa. The Africa Mercy measures 16,500GT, is 152 m long and has a crew of 400 volunteers from 40 different nations.  She is equipped with a CT-scan, X-ray equipment, a laboratory, and has 5 operating theatres and 82 beds for patients.