The ship was originally built in Japan as Sun Flower 11 (Japanese: さんふらわあ11, romanized: Sanfurawā 11) in 1974 where she served as a cruise ferry before being sold to Sulpicio Lines in 1993.

[1] In 1997 the ship was damaged after its engine room caught fire while docked at Manila North Harbor and was sent to Singapore for repairs.

As a result, the stabilizers remained un-operational, and she developed a slight but noticeable list on her port side, a sign which was inconsequential until mid-1998.

[1] On September 18, 1998 around almost 10 PM, the Princess of the Orient sailed from Manila to Cebu City during the onslaught of typhoon Vicki.

Due to large swells and excessive movement, the solid and liquid cargo below decks shifted its weight to port, contributing to the tilted position of the ship.

Two hours after leaving Manila harbor, the ferry tilted 30 to 45 degrees to its port side, making it impossible to recover.

[5] In the early 2000s, John Bennett and Ron Loos made the first scuba dives to the wreck site.