Despite the cruise news space being dominated by resumption headlines, a lot is happening in the cruise ship secondhand market too.
From opportunistic transfers and sales, Cruise Industry News has looked into five large announcements that took place during the last months of 2021.
Mein Schiff Herz
Capacity: 1,850
Tonnage: 77,713
Year built: 1997
Fate: To be transferred to Marella Cruises
Date: Spring 2023
The Mein Schiff Herz is joining the Marella fleet from TUI Cruises in 2023. The vessel will be renamed the Marella Voyager and debut in June 2023 with a Western Mediterranean program.
The move of the 1,850-passenger vessel was announced in an October press release. The Herz was originally ordered by Celebrity Cruises as the Celebrity Mercury and built in 1997.
Grand Classica
Capacity: 1,300
Tonnage: 53,000
Year built: 1991
Fate: To be operated by a new cruise brand, Margaritaville at Sea
Date: April 2022
The Grand Classica will be the first vessel to join the Margaritaville at Sea fleet after its five years of sailing for Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line.
The new cruise operator is set to enter the market in April 2022, offering short cruises from West Palm Beach to the Bahamas.
The former Costa Classica will undergo an extensive refit at Grand Bahama and become the Margaritaville Paradise in time for its new duties. The 1991-built vessel originally sailed for Costa Cruises.
Santa Cruz II
Capacity: 90
Tonnage: 2,664
Year built: 2002
Fate: Entering service for Hurtigruten, its new operator
Date: January 2022
The Santa Cruz II will soon be welcoming its first guests as a Hurtigruten vessel. After a major months-long refurbishment, it is finally ready to offer Galapagos expeditions for the Norwegian brand starting on Jan. 5.
In addition to upgraded cabins and public areas, the vessel received one of Hurtigruten Expeditions hallmarks – the Science Area. In the area, guests and the onboard expedition team can create an “even deeper understanding of the regions they explore.”
The Santa Cruz II was built in 2002 in Chile and was previously operated by Metropolitan Touring. It was designed for expedition cruising and initially sailed for Australis as the Mare Australis.
Victory I and Victory II
Capacity: 202 each
Tonnage: 4,954 each
Year built: 2001
Fate: Changing operator and name after American Queen and Victory brand merger
Date: January 2022
The former Victory Cruise Line fleet is resuming service in 2022 under new colors and names.
The Victory I and Victory II are being transferred to American Queen Voyages – the brand created after the merger of Victory and American Queen Steamboat Company. They are set to become the Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator.
Specializing in lake and ocean cruising, the vessels will welcome guests again in January and April, respectively, offering itineraries in Mexico and the Great Lakes.
Antares Experience (ex-Costa Romantica)
Capacity: 1,356
Tonnage: 54,000
Year built: 1993
Fate: Scrapped
Date: December 2021
The former Costa Romantica was beached for scrapping earlier this month in Pakistan’s Gadani Ship Breaking Yard. The 1993-built vessel was lastly owned by Celestyal Cruises, who sold it to undisclosed buyers in September.
The vessel was bought by the company in July 2020, receiving Celestyal’s colors and being renamed the Celestyal Experience. However, it never operated with passengers onboard for the brand.
After a recent sale, the ship was renamed the Antares Experience and sailed from Greece in October, initially bound for Dubai, UAE.
