Tag Archives: Scrapped

Royal Caribbean Group Pandemic Exits: 10 Ships Have Now Left the Fleet

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The Royal Caribbean Group has sold a total of ten cruise ships since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the new Secondhand Market Report by Cruise Industry News.

While most of the exits are related to Pullmantur’s liquidation and Azamara’s sale, four ships have also left the fleet of Royal Caribbean International and Silversea Cruises.   

Cruise Industry News looks into the vessels that left the fleet and their fates:

Ship: Monarch
Brand: Pullmantur Cruceros
Year Built: 1991
Original Cost: $300 million
Capacity: 2,390 guests
Tonnage: 73,941
Date: July 2020
Fate: Scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey

Ship: Sovereign
Brand: Pullmantur Cruceros
Year Built: 1988
Original Cost: $185 million
Capacity: 2,322 guests
Tonnage: 73,192
Date: July 2020
Fate: Scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey

Ship: Horizon
Brand: Pullmantur Cruceros
Year Built: 1990
Original Cost: $185 million
Capacity: 1,442 guests
Tonnage: 47,000
Date: July 2020
Fate: Laid up in Elefsis, Greece

Ship: Empress of the Seas
Brand: Royal Caribbean International
Year Built: 1990
Original Cost: $170 million
Capacity: 1,607 guests
Tonnage: 48,563
Date: December 2020
Fate: Sold to Cordelia Cruises; now sailing in India as the Empress

Ship: Majesty of the Seas
Brand: Royal Caribbean International
Year Built: 1992
Original Cost: $300 million
Capacity: 2,354 guests
Tonnage: 73,941
Date: December 2020
Fate: Laid up in Greece after being bought by Seajets, a Greek ferry operator 

Ship: Azamara Journey
Brand: Azamara
Year Built: 2000
Original Cost: $190 million
Capacity: 718 guests
Tonnage: 30,200
Date: January 2021
Fate: Sold to Sycamore Partners along with the Azamara brand

Ship: Azamara Quest
Brand: Azamara
Year Built: 2000
Original Cost: $150 million
Capacity: 710 guests
Tonnage: 30,200
Date: January 2021
Fate: Sold to Sycamore Partners along with the Azamara brand

Ship: Azamara Pursuit
Brand: Azamara
Year Built: 2001
Original Cost: $190 million
Capacity: 710 guests
Tonnage: 30,200
Date: January 2021
Fate: Sold to Sycamore Partners along with the Azamara brand

Ship: Silver Galapagos
Brand: Silversea Cruises
Year Built: 1990
Original Cost: $20 million
Capacity: 100 guests
Tonnage: 4,077
Date: June 2021
Fate: Replaced by a new build; laid up in Panama after being renamed Mantra

Ship: Silver Explorer
Brand: Silversea Cruises
Year Built: 1989
Capacity: 132 guests
Tonnage: 6,130
Date: January 2022
Fate: Sold to a startup named Exploris; leaving the fleet in September 2023

Former Cunard and MSC Ship to be Scrapped in Turkey

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The former Golden Iris became the most recent cruise ship to arrive at the Turkish ship breakers. Last operated by Mano Cruises, the veteran vessel was in layup since 2018.

After being renamed Gold Club in 2021, the classic ship arrived at the Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard earlier this month. 

Wrapping up a five-decade career, the vessel will now be being dismantled, with its building materials, fixtures, systems and engines set to be repurposed or sold off.

Built in Denmark, the ship had an unusual run, being originally ordered for Overseas National Airways and designed in association with Hugh Hefner as a “floating Playboy resort.”

While still under construction, however, the 959-guest vessel was sold to Cunard Line along with a sister ship – who would later become the Cunard Countess.

Unlike the remainder of the British operator fleet, both ships had an informal concept, which was kept when they were fitted out at another shipyard in Italy.

After being christened in New York City by the Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, it entered service for Cunard in 1977 as the Cunard Princess.

In another unusual move, the vessel was chartered to the United States Armed Forces in 1990.

During the Gulf War, the Cunard Princess was used as a recreational facility for troops while stationed in Bahrain.

After nearly 20 years of sailing for Cunard, the ship was finally sold to StarLauro Cruises in 1995.

The Italian company – who would later become MSC Cruises – named the ship Rhapsody for a series of cruises in the Mediterranean.

Kept in the fleet after the rebrand, the vessel sailed for MSC until 2009. In February of that year, it was sold to Mano Cruises.

Aiming at the local public, the Israel-based cruise line used the veteran ship in cruises departing from Haifa and Ashdod until 2018 – when it was replaced by the larger and more modern Crown Iris.

Former Costa neoRomantica To Be Scrapped

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The Antares Experience – formerly known as the Costa neoRomantica and Celestyal Experience – is getting scrapped, according to Gadani Ship Breaking Yard.

The Pakistani shipyard posted several photos and videos of the former Costa Cruises ship on its Facebook page.

The ship was originally launched as the Romantica in the 1990s and renamed as the neoRomantica after Costa gave it a 90-million-euro upgrade in 2011-2012 adding two half decks, new staterooms and additional balcony-equipped accommodations.

Celestyal Cruises took delivery of the ship in summer 2020 and renamed it as the Celestyal Experience, according to the Secondhand Market Report by Cruise Industry News. The 1,800-guest ship immediately became the largest ship in the company’s fleet but, sadly, never sailed for the cruise line.

Celestyal CEO, Chris Theophilides, previously said that the purchase of the Experience allowed the cruise line to see “many more destinations.” It was expected to sail on March 5, 2022, with the seven-night Three Continents itinerary, calling in Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt and Cyprus. The ship’s sales price was not disclosed.

However, those operational plans were quickly scrapped as the pandemic showed no signs of stopping, and Celestyal published a statement on selling the ship – at the time to an undisclosed buyer. The vessel shortly reemerged as the Antares Experience.