January Update: Here Are the Latest Five Cruise Ship Moves

Posted on 25 January, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

Among recent cruise ship transactions, Resorts World Cruises is expanding in Asia, an AIDA ship is heading to a new home and there is much more.

Cruise Industry News looks at some of the more relevant ship moves in the last few months.

For a complete market overview of ships moving between owners and leaving the market, see the Secondhand Market Report by Cruise Industry News.

Explorer Dream
Capacity: 1,804 guests
Tonnage: 76,800
Year built: 1999
Former names: SuperStar Virgo
Move: Chartered to Resorts World Cruises; to be renamed Resorts World One
Date: January 2023

After spending several months anchored off Malaysia, the Explorer Dream found a new operator. In January, Resorts World Cruises announced plans to charter the 1999-built vessel, which will be renamed Resorts World One.

Rejoining its former fleet mate Genting Drem, the ex-SuperStar Virgo is set to debut in Singapore in February before kicking off a program of short cruises to nowhere departing from Hong Kong.

AIDAaura
Capacity: 1,270 guests
Tonnage: 42,200
Year built: 2003
Move: To be retired from AIDA Cruises’ fleet
Date: January 2023

Following its sister ship AIDAvita, the AIDAaura is set to be retired from the AIDA Cruises fleet. According to an announcement issued by the German cruise line in January, the 2003-built vessel is set to offer a farewell season before being withdrawn from service next September.

AIDA hasn’t revealed future plans for the ship, which is expected to be sold as part of Carnival Corporation’s fleet optimization initiative.

Pacific Venus
Capacity: 696 guests
Tonnage: 26,518
Year built: 1998
Move: Withdrawn from service as operator shuts down cruise business
Date: January 2023

The Pacific Venus concluded its last cruise for Venus Cruise in early 2023. After announcing plans to shut down its cruise operations, the Japanese cruise line went out of business on Jan. 4.

One of the market’s only three Japanese-flagged cruise ships, the Pacific Venus is now facing an uncertain future. Currently laid up in a shipyard in Japan, the 696-guest vessel was built at the Ishikawajima shipyard in Tokyo.

Costa Venezia
Capacity: 4,232 guests
Tonnage: 135,500
Year built: 2019
Move: Ended last cruise for Costa ahead of being transferred to Carnival
Date: December 2022

Set to be transferred to Carnival Cruise Line, the Costa Venezia concluded its last cruise for Costa Cruises in early December. Currently laid up in Italy, the 2019-built is scheduled for a drydock before launching service for its new operator in May.

Sailing from New York City on a year-round basis, the Venezia will be part of the new Carnival Fun Italian Style concept, which mixes Costa’s Italian heritage with Carnival’s experience and service.

Braemar
Capacity: 977 guests
Tonnage: 24,344
Year built: 1993
Former names: Crown Majesty, Crown Dynasty and Norwegian Dynasty
Move: To be sold by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Date: November 2022

In late November, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines announced plans to rationalize its fleet and concentrate on modern tonnage. As a result, the British brand decided to retire Braemar from service.

Currently the smallest vessel of the fleet, the 1993-built cruise ship has been laid up in Scotland since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of the announcement, Fred. Olsen is also said to be looking for a buyer for the vessel, which has a capacity for 977 guests in double occupancy.

AIDAnova Marks Successful Start to Canaries and Madeira Season

Posted on 5 December, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

AIDANova in the port of Oslo, Photo Credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

AIDA Cruises announced a successful start to its Canaries and Madeira season with the AIDAnova along with positive feedback after an official dialogue series with local partners.

AIDA just completed the first official dialogue series aboard the AIDAnova, the company said in a press release.

The dialogue series took place from November 23 to November 28, 2022, attended by numerous official representatives from politics, the port industry and tourism.

The goal of the dialogue was to inform local partners of AIDA’s current goals as well as to engage in a joint venture.

“We are happy and grateful to know such reliable partners at our side and look forward to making an important contribution to tourism on these beautiful islands again this season,” said Captain Marc-Dominique Tidow.

The AIDAnova made calls at Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Madeira, which were very well received by the partners in the region.

During the winter season, the AIDAnova will set sail on seven-day cruises to the Canaries including the exploration of the volcanic landscapes of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, as well as the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira.

In April 2023, the AIDAnova will set course for the Norwegian fjords while the summer itineraries will include visits to Bergen, Nordfjordeid, Alesund and Stavanger.

AIDAprima Completes Bio-Bunkering in Partnership with GoodFuel

Posted on 24 July, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

GoodFuels partnered with Carnival Corporation’s AIDA Cruises and completed the first bio-bunkering on AIDAprima, according to a press release.

The AIDAprima was refuelled with GoodFuels’ sustainable biofuels during a port visit to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands as part of a seven-day cruise, visiting Hamburg, Southampton, Le Havre, and Zeebrugge, according to the company. Without requiring any engine or tank modifications, AIDAprima was bunkered with biofuel and continued its itineraries.

“With the successful start of biofuel usage, we have proven that gradual decarbonization is possible even on ships already in service. An important prerequisite for us as a cruise line to be able to use it is that it becomes widely available on an industrial scale and at marketable prices,” commented Felix Eichhorn, president, of AIDA Cruises.

The recent bio-bunkering appears to be just the beginning, as AIDA expects additional deliveries and a possible expansion to other Carnival Corporation brands.

“This first bio-bunkering with AIDA Cruises marks an exciting step forward on the cruise industry’s decarbonisation pathway, demonstrating that our sustainable biofuels are a safe, technically viable and convenient option to drastically cut down emissions from passenger’s vessels. As the effects of climate change are felt acutely in several parts of the world, the time for action is now, and biofuels are one of the few options that can already make a difference today. We are delighted to have worked alongside the trail-blazers at AIDA Cruises in the past few months to make this milestone a reality, and we look forward to collaborating again in the future,” said Dirk Kronemeijer, chief executive officer, GoodFuels.