Messages

1

Shipping News and information / Re: Royal Caribbean and Pullmantur disposals

« on: September 19, 2020, 04:49:47 PM »

The OCEAN DREAM is not owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

The OCEAN DREAM was sold to Pullmantur Cruises in April 2008. She was previously operated by P&O Cruises Australia as their PACIFIC STAR.
 
The OCEAN DREAM was sold by P&O Australia to the Japanese Peace Boat on the 21 January 2012 with a delivery in the April 2012.

The OCEAN DREAM transferred to the Panamanian flag and is registered to Management Holdings Group, Panama.

Peace Boat is understood to be chartering the SUN PRINCESS from Princess Cruises, not the SEA PRINCESS as you have previously stated.

The charter of the SUN PRINCESS will allow for the disposal of the OCEAN DREAM which was Carnival Cruises first purpose built cruise ship when she was completed in 1981.

The SUN PRINCESS will be renamed the PACIFIC WORLD and is due to enter service with Peace Boat in Spring 2021.

The PACIFIC WORLD will replace the both the OCEAN DREAM and ZENITH.


The ZENITH was sold by Pullmantur Cruises in July 2019 with a delivery set for early 2020. Due to the timing of her delivery and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic I can't confirm whether the ZENITH actually entered service with Peace Boat. The ZENITH was sold by Pullmantur Cruises to Peace Boat under Management Holdings Group, Panama.
 

2

Shipping News and information / Re: OCEANA sold

« on: July 23, 2020, 12:49:51 AM »

Oceana left Southampton this evening for Piraeus

Allan

Yes, she is heading to Piraeus, but it may not mean she could have been sold to greek interests. Some vessels that docked there had some interior furnishings removed before heading to the breakers yard including the Horizon and the Marella Celebration. It's possible she's heading there to drop off any remaining P&O furnishings.

One Greek ferryspotter who knows the business quite well says she's been bought by the guy who owns the Seajets operation. In my view, that could be a speculative purchase, waiting for ship values to rise again.

Seatrade has confirmed that the OCEANA has indeed been purchased by Seajets who intend on using her on overnight sailings to the several Greek islands from either Piraeus or Herakleion.

According to the broker's involved in the purchase the value of the sale has not been made public although they have stated that Seajets paid a fair price.

One has to wonder how long Carnival had advertised the OCEANA for sale as the announcement of her withdrawal and the purchase by Seajets was a rather quick affair.

3

Shipping News and information / Re: Could P&O Cruises Australia be dissolved?

« on: July 22, 2020, 06:08:59 PM »

P&O Cruises Australia is not going to be dissolved, so this topic is totally pointless!

Already confirmed the GOLDEN PRINCESS and STAR PRINCESS will transfer to P&O Cruises Australia and Carnival have recently announced that the SEA PRINCESS will also transfer.

The PACIFIC ARIA has supposedly been sold to a new start up operator Blue World Cruises but this has yet to be confirmed as it appears that her sale to CMV was cancelled. The attached image shows the PACIFIC ARIA what she would appear like after a major refit to convert her in a "residence at sea".

P&O Cruises Australia is the market leader in Australian/New Zealand and the brand is extremely popular and well established.

I do admire your enthusiasm but really I don't think that you fully understand the costs involved especially when you wrote...We have to save the GOLDEN PRINCESS and STAR PRINCESS.

Please be a bit more realistic and don't let your enthusiasm get in the way of reality.

The fact that know one else has taken part in this discussion says a lot!

4

Shipping News and information / Re: Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) and TransOcean Tours closure

« on: July 22, 2020, 05:51:21 PM »

We must start a petition on https://www.change.org/ & gather as much support as needed to save these wonderful ships from [not typed].  Who knows, maybe in case of success we can have them in our cities as trophies!  I, for one, would take the COLUMBUS (IMO 8611398) & give it to our World Ocean Museum - they love collecting vessels here (already 5 ships + a flying boat & some submersibles).

Good idea.

Good Idea but totally unrealistic Idea, I'm been a shipping enthusiast all my life, I joined the British Merchant Navy at 18 but I for one will not be signing the petition as it's absolutely pointless and again absolutely unrealistic!

5

Shipping News and information / Re: Royal Caribbean and Pullmantur disposals

« on: July 22, 2020, 05:47:48 PM »

Monarch has beached in Aliaga, waiting for Sovereign to meet the same fate.

Robbie Cox had already commented on the news of the beaching of the MONARCH at 10.29 two posts above yours, nearly five hours difference!

Very very sad news though, out of all the vessel's so far heading to the scrap merchants the Pullmantur Cruises fleet is without the worst outcome from the Coronavirus pandemic we've yet seen.

Although she is 28 year's old it seems like yesterday when I first visited her shortly after her delivery from Chantiers De l'Atlantique in 1992. The Pullmantur Cruises fleet were always kept immaculate both externally and internally. With Pullmantur Cruises catering to the Brazilian and Spanish markets the Coronavirus pandemic had a major affect on the company and it's a huge blow to the South American and Spanish cruise industry.

With the demise of Pullmantur Spain no longer has it's own cruise company.

The Sovereign class were revolutionary ship's at the time and we're also the biggest cruise ships at the time of their deliveries, they were indeed the first mega cruise ships and have always been extremely popular. If it wasn't for the recent circumstances surrounding the collapse of the cruise industry one would have expected that they would have least seen another five or six years service life remaining.

When I first found out about the news of the MONARCH being beached early this morning I had a cry, it hit me hard, the real reality of what's happening with the cruise industry really sunk in. More so than I realised that my own personal career in the cruise industry after 38 year's may well have also ended. But I'm not looking for a new job, I'm hoping that the cruise industry will return to some form of normality in 2021.

6

Shipping News and information / Re: Carnival ship sales

« on: July 22, 2020, 02:59:50 PM »

Carnival Corporation Plc. also sold or is selling the Holland America Line vessels Amsterdam and Rotterdam: (to Fred Olsen as Bolette and Borealis):   https://cruiseharbournews.com/borealisbolette.html?fbclid=IwAR2FCnCv_eeGTZzPZQoVBd18acfOnC9Fp9pP_z52NkOC70Osi6yBtTkFkzg

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23246-four-holland-america-line-ships-sold.html https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23248-fred-olsen-buys-amsterdam-and-rotterdam.html

Confirmed that Amsterdam and Rotterdam (the cruise ships, not the cities) were sold to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. Also it confirms that Maasdam and Veendam were sold to a new cruise line. The sales confirms my ship list. It's weird that Fred Olsen will rename the sixth Rotterdam to Borealis and here are my two reasons:
1. Borealis reminds me of Half Life 2 and Portal 2
2. It reminds us of when the fifth Rotterdam was renamed Remembrant when she was sold to Premier Cruise Line in 1997 (thankfully they didn't turn her into the Big Red Boat IV like they originally planned to).

Also, Fred Olsen said it plans to retire two of it's oldest vessels to accommodate the future vessels. This means the 1972-built Black Watch and the 1973-built Boudicca (which are twin vessels) will be retired and likely scrapped like poor old Pullmantur's Sovereign and Monarch.

Premier Cruises renamed the ROTTERDAM the REMBRANDT NOT the REMEMBRANT. Named of course after the famous Dutch painter and printmaker who was born in Leiden in the Netherlands on the 15 July 1606. But I'm sure that you knew that you had spelt it incorrectly!

7

Shipping News and information / Re: Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) and TransOcean Tours closure

« on: July 22, 2020, 02:46:23 PM »

We must start a petition on https://www.change.org/ & gather as much support as needed to save these wonderful ships from [not typed].  Who knows, maybe in case of success we can have them in our cities as trophies!  I, for one, would take the COLUMBUS (IMO 8611398) & give it to our World Ocean Museum - they love collecting vessels here (already 5 ships + a flying boat & some submersibles).

I totally admire your enthusiasm but I think that you might need a reality check 😉

8

Shipping News and information / Re: Royal Caribbean and Pullmantur disposals

« on: July 22, 2020, 02:43:03 PM »

Given the things being suggested in this thread I'm not quite sure how many on this site are actually sane, or maybe they are just trolling??

Considering that your new here with only 6 post's and fairly negative post's at that perhaps it's you who is "just" trolling!

Your not going to make many friends on this site by suggesting that people "maybe are just trolling"!

FYI sane dedicated shipping enthusiasts on this site are not "just trolling". Your a newbie here and it's YOU that seems to be the one that's "just" trolling.

Your credibility factor has not got very far in such a short space of time and if you continue to accuse others of "trolling" it's not going to do anything for your credibility at all on this site!

Perhaps it's best that you don't comment at all 😉

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Site related news, functions and modules / Re: Ships' names in 'CAPITALS' or 'Title Case'?

« on: March 01, 2020, 08:17:23 AM »

I also use all capital letters when I'm using the ship's name, it's more uniformed and more appropriate. Judging by the the other posts I'm certainly not alone.

10

Shipping News and information / Re: COSTA SMERALDA - Coronavirus virus

« on: January 31, 2020, 05:00:01 AM »

Although I don't have a link at hand it has since been confirmed that the passenger in question was just suffering from flu like symptoms and was eventually taken off the vessel to a local hospital for a full check up.

The Costa Smeralda has since continued her cruise ommiting her scheduled call at La Spezia due her late departure.

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Shipping News and information / Re: Funchal

« on: January 14, 2020, 12:13:05 AM »

On the 05 December 2018 the FUNCHAL was sold at auction for

12

Shipping News and information / Re: Have ever you seen berthing & unberthing in this situation ?

« on: April 02, 2017, 03:14:49 AM »

That video is a few years old and has been on YouTube for a few years.

13

Shipping News and information / Re: The $1billion boat arrives in Britain: World

« on: May 19, 2016, 01:48:21 AM »

Boat seems rather a strange term for a vessel the size of the Harmony of the Seas!

14

Shipping News and information / Re: Viking Sea Cruise Ship, United Kingdom

« on: November 21, 2015, 08:20:44 AM »

What is the reference to United Kingdom to this story?

Viking Ocean Cruises are Norwegian owned, Norwegian flagged and all five vessels of the fleet will have been built by Fincantieri in Italy.

No UK connection.

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Shipping News and information / Re: Which ferry had the most modern interior for its time?

« on: July 28, 2015, 03:38:08 PM »

Derek

You state that you have never been out of Europe!

I find that very strange for someone of your age, I am 11 years younger than you and I have been to 92 countries worldwide and my first visit 'outside of Europe' to New York, USA was at 18yo.

There is World out there Derek why stick to 'just' Europe, no one in my family including cousins n nephews, etc who are over 20 years younger than myself have 'just been to Europe'!

Sorry I just had to comment as I found it strange.

SEAN