The former Maasdam from Holland America Line has been sold, according to Masters Shipping, who confirmed it acted as the broker on the sale of the ship to a company known as CFC in an email sent to Cruise Industry News.
The ship has most recently been known as the Aegean Myth and has reportedly been sold to a French start-up cruise line for $30 million, according to a report from Crew Center.
Now heading to Piraeus, the vessel has been renamed the Renaissance.
Originally launching as the Maasdam, the Fincantieri-built ship debuted in 1993 and sailed until the pandemic.
Carnival Corporation then sold the ship to Seajets, which is under the control of Greek businessman Marios Iliopoulos, who has assembled a fleet of laid-up cruise ships.
CFC, according to Crew Center, is new French start up Compagnie Francaise De Croisieres. No further details were available at press time.
Another cruise ship is resuming service in Australia today as the Pacific Encounter welcomes guests onboard for its maiden voyage for P&O Cruises Australia, a Carnival Corporation brand.
Formerly operated by Princess Cruises, the 2,600-guest vessel is kicking off its first sailing for P&O Cruises Australia in Brisbane.
A seven-day voyage, the “Barrier Reef Discovery” cruise features a visit to two different destinations in Northern Australia, including Cairns – where the Encounter is set for a long, 48-hour stop.
Before returning to Brisbane, the 109,000-ton ship will also sail by the remote Willis Island.
According to P&O, the scenic cruising around the uninhabited small islands and islets of the region allows guests to contemplate and marvel the nature and its sights.
Continuing its inaugural season, the Pacific Encounter will offer additional departures from Brisbane through December.
While several domestic ports are included in the itineraries over the next few months, the vessel will also offer international cruising starting in October, with cruises visiting Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and more.
Originally named Star Princess, the Pacific Encounter was built in 2002. Transferred to P&O Australia during the pandemic, the vessel was subjected to a major refurbishment before arriving in Australia.
According to its new operator, the work included important technical upgrades as well as other enhancements such as upgraded hotel facilities and interior furnishings.
During the refit, most of the public areas have also been redesigned, receiving what P&O calls a “stylish modern Australian décor with quirky features.”
Popular dining outlets have been added as well, including the Waterfront Restaurant, the Dragon Lady and Angelo’s – an Italian venue that sports iconic Sophia Loren artworks and beautiful drapery.
On the external side, the vessel received P&O’s iconic red, white and blue bow livery depicting the Southern Cross.
Following the Pacific Explorer, which welcomed guests in May, the Pacific Encounter became the second ship to resume service for P&O Australia since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Launching service on October 22, the Pacific Adventure will mark the restart of the company’s entire three-ship fleet.
The “service power packages” upgrades will include ongoing installations throughout 2023 on ships belonging to the company’s nine brands – Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Australia, Costa Cruises, Aida Cruises, P&O Cruises and Cunard.
Developed over the last six years and tailored to each vessel, upgrades to save energy include investments in variable speed drives and on-demand automation and controls, cooling enhancements, energy-saving LED lighting and more efficient heating and ventilation systems.
Carnival estimates the programme will deliver an average of 5-10% fuel savings per ship and is expected to reduce fleet-wide greenhouse gas emissions by more than 500,000 metric tons each year.
The upgrades will also result in around $150 million in fuel cost savings per year.
Carnival’s chief maritime officer Bill Burke said: “Based on our improved fleet composition, including adding six industry-leading LNG-powered ships, and our previous investments to increase efficiency and reduce emissions, our absolute carbon emissions peaked in 2011 despite significant capacity growth over the past decade.”
“These tailored service power packages further build on those efforts as part of our comprehensive approach to sustainability.”
The fleet-wide enhancements are part of Carnival’s energy efficiency investment programme. The company has committed to reducing carbon emission intensity by 20% from its 2019 baseline by 2030, supporting its efforts to achieve net carbon-neutral ship operations by 2050.
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