Messages

16

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

« on: April 20, 2021, 08:12:14 AM »

Personally, I think that with those seemingly thoughtful renaming of the ships there is at least an intention of a future of further trading for them. If they had been acquired just in order to turn a fast buck at the breakers yard then why go to the bother of such renaming?

17

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

« on: April 19, 2021, 08:20:55 AM »

It is Queen of the Oceans and Majesty of the Oceans ...... not 'of the Seas.'

18

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

« on: April 18, 2021, 11:31:59 AM »

Yes, and painted on properly rather than in a hasty manner, as is usually the case for a ship about to head off to the scrap yard.

19

Shipping News and information / Re: Satoshi concept fails

« on: March 29, 2021, 10:06:13 PM »

Reports are coming in that Satoshi has in fact been sold to a new start-up cruise company. That's all the information that I have at the moment on this. It would be nice to think that she may yet escape the breakers and live on to cruise again.

20

Shipping News and information / Re: "MSC Lirica" on fire off Corfu

« on: March 12, 2021, 08:04:52 PM »

From what I've heard, this is the end of MSC Lirica. Scrapyard rather than repair yard.

21

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

« on: January 25, 2021, 12:32:47 PM »

Vasco Da Gama is in Libson, Portugal. See http://forum.shipspotting.com/index.php/topic,17096.0.html for more info. I don't know what Mystic Invest plans to do with her, but they should either bring her back to service or sell her to Seajets so she can rejoin her sister vessels.

Vasco Da Gama is presently in the Lisnave shipyards undergoing refitting work, amongst other things, her cabins are being modernised. A lot of upgrades to the technical aspects of the ship are also being undertaken. Apparently, Mystic Cruises are looking for another ship to operate along with Vasco Da Gama. One thing is for sure, there is plenty of choice out there.

22

Shipping News and information / Re: Carnival ship sales

« on: January 21, 2021, 06:19:35 PM »

I have just heard that Princess Cruises has sold Pacific Princess, just as we were speculating a day or so ago. However, that is all that I know. No idea who has bought her or any details yet.

23

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

« on: January 21, 2021, 09:44:41 AM »

Cordelia Cruises hasn't responded to anything about the Majesty of the Seas and she is still laid up in Greece. I suspect that they may be or are selling her for scrap.

It is my understanding that Cordelia Cruises were 'only' acquiring Empress of the Seas. The Indian cruise market is in its infancy so I cannot imagine there would even be the need for them to take on a second vessel, especially at this time - even it is available at a give away price.

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

« on: January 20, 2021, 02:35:06 PM »

Are you worried that the Pacific Princess could be sold for scrap? I don't think that's possible. She's not that old, but her being in the Azamara fleet does make sense as half of the R-Class would belong to Azamara if that were to happen. Besides, the other four R-Class vessels belong to Oceana Cruises, so that could be something.

No, I was not worried about her being sold for scrap, though I disagree with you regarding such a thing being not possible. In these uncertain times anything is possible. Remember, the R-class ships are now around 20 years old. For several years I have wondered why Princess has retained her in their fleet, she does not fit in their fleet of huge ships at all. Oceania would not want to acquire her, being focussed on new tonnage. Azamara would not have bought her whilst they were under Royal Caribbean ownership (they were much more focussed on the Silverseas brand). So now that Azamara has new owners this might be an ideal opportunity for Princess to dispose of the odd ship in the fleet and an opportunity for her to be acquired for maybe a not very high price.

25

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

« on: January 20, 2021, 10:44:10 AM »

Having bought the company and its ships for what is regarded as a bargain price we can just hope that they have some spare cash available to buy the lone R-class ship still out there, Pacific Princess, and bring her back to her sisters.

26

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

« on: January 12, 2021, 08:47:58 AM »

The New York-based Dream Hotel Group has purchased Empress of the Seas and she is to be operated by their Mumbai-based subsidiary Waterways Leisure Tourism. Waterways Leisure have taken over the former Jalesh Cruises and will relaunch under the name, Cordelia Cruises, Empress of the Seas will be given a new name and employed on the Indian cruise market.

27

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

« on: December 21, 2020, 09:00:40 AM »

Mystic have already indicated they plan to return her to cruise service for the UK and German markets.

28

Shipping News and information / Satoshi concept fails

« on: December 19, 2020, 10:51:17 PM »

It looks as if Satoshi could be scrapped alongside her sister..

The blog post on the owners website is below, with a word of warning that some people may be a bit shocked by the tone of the blog wording as it blames everyone but themselves.

https://vivavivas.com/2020/12/19/ms-satoshis-journey-coming-to-an-end/

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

« on: December 15, 2020, 11:39:23 PM »

MARCO POLO passed Hormuz Strait this morning - now c100m N of Dubai, still heading westward at 9kn.

So....not heading to Aliaga after all. Maybe onward to a breaker's yard further east? Alang, Chittagong maybe?

Likely Alang, Because it's the closest and because Marco Polo's sister ships Ivan Franko, Tara, and Assedo were also scrapped in Alang, India in 1997, 2005, and 2003 respectively. Combine that with the fact she was a former Soviet ocean liner and issues between the West and Russia, it seems it was inevitable.

I really don't understand what you are saying here. The fact that she was built for Soviet Russia in 1965 should have no bearing what so ever on where she might be scrapped. She has after all been owned and operated by western European owners for longer than she was under Soviet ownership.

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

« on: December 12, 2020, 02:00:57 PM »

Was there any indication before the first lockdown that Astoria's engines were 'knackered'? I'd not heard anything to that effect.