Is another cruise ship heading to the scrap yard in Turkey or India?
It would appear so, as the former Columbus from Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) is expected to be scrapped in the near future, according to sources.
The 1988-built ship last sailed for Cruise & Maritime Voyages, and was ultimately bought by Seajets for $5.3 million at auction in October 2020.
Seajets has not commented on its plans for numerous ships acquired at auction and from other cruise operators, but industry sources expected the ships to be sold off again, chartered or scrapped depending on market conditions.
The Columbus was originally ordered by Sitmar Cruises as the Fair Majesty. While still under construction, the company was sold to Princess Cruises, who took over its operation, and the ship then became the Star Princess.
After nearly a decade sailing for Princess, the vessel was transferred to P&O Cruises UK as the Arcadia in 1997. She then spent time with both Ocean Village and P&O Australia before joining CMV in 2017