In 1954, Norwegian America Line placed an order with Swan Hunter shipyard in Wallsend-on-Tyne, England for a new liner that would be an updated and improved version of MS Oslofjord.

The ship measured 18,739 gross tons, was 176.26 m (578.3 ft) long, and has two 2SCDA 8cyl Oil engines which drove her at a top speed of 23.5 kn (43.5 km/h; 27.0 mph).

After she was put up for sale, she was sold to the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique and was renamed to the De Grasse as a replacement for their ship Antilles servicing the Caribbean route.

It spread very rapidly, quickly consuming the ageing liner, and overnight she rolled over to starboard, coming to rest on the bottom of the shallow harbour.

In the early 2000s, the funnel, superstructure, and masts were cut up for scrap, but the partially submerged hull remains in place, now used as a protective breakwater and mooring wharf by a dredging company.