The ex-Tropicale is another former Carnival Cruise Line ship scrapped in 2021. MS Island Escape ship was operated and owned by Thomson UK under the Island Cruises brand until December 2015. By the mid-80s DFDS sold her to Sundance Cruise Corp who renamed her Stardancer. Spacious and indulgent, yet intimate . By June 2022, workers had already cut most of the forward section of the ship. The largest new purpose-built cruise ship at the time, Sovereign ushered in the concept of the multi-story atrium flanked with glass elevators that would become a staple of the Royal Caribbean fleet for decades. My supervisor did her first cruise on the Escape a few years ago and likewise, she now enjoys cruising. Pullmantur filed for bankruptcy protection in June as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was purchased by Cruise Holdings Inc, a Cypriot shell company with an apparent office in Miami. Following the line's collapse, the ship was auctioned off for just $5.3 million to Greek-owned Seajets. After being retired from the Fred. What Made It Special: Originally built as Holland America Line's Noordam before being transferred to Thomson/Marella Cruises in 2005, one thing that remained constant about Marella Celebration was how beloved it was. Get ready to chase sunsets on The Waterfront. Sadly, Astor was sold for just $1.7 million at auction, and was beached in Turkey on November 24, 2020 for scrapping. After a four-year stint with Iberocruceros, it was purchased by UK-based Cruise & Maritime Voyages in 2015 and renamed Magellan. What Made It Special: Based out of Long Beach in recent years, Carnival Imagination was one of the few Fantasy Class vessels to not have been refitted with additional exterior balcony cabins. 66 Ships | 141,881 Berths | $42 Billion | View. We went on her for the Itinerary as we were supposed to be staying in Venice overnight and I think that's why a lot of people had booked it as many had booked concerts in Venice. The itinerary leaves roundtrip from Cairns QLD and visits the Great Barrier Reef's Escape Reef and Ribbon Reef (Day 2), Lizard Island/Dyiigurra (Day 3), Stanley Island and Cape Melville's Bathurst Bay (Day 4), Forbes Island/Wuthara (Day 5), Thursday Island/Waiben (Day 6), Restoration Island/Maalpiku (Day 7), Davie Cay and Howick Island (Day 8), anchoring at Ribbon Reef 9's lagoon (Day 9), Cooktown/Gangaar and Undine Cay (Day 10), arrival/debarkation in Cairns (Day 11). Bahamas Paradise confirmed to Cruise Critic that Grand Celebration had been sold. Breaking Yard: Alang, India. The vessel (IMO number 8002597) was last Bahamas-flagged(MMSI 311368000) and registered in Nassau. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The largest accommodations were the Club and Island Suites, having a separate bar and lounge area. Prior to the pandemic, the ship's value was in the $95 million range. Passenger Capacity: 32. The luxury boat was constructed by VARD Vietnam (at Vung Tau Shipyard) and is also available for private charters. Carnival Sensation becomes the fifth Fantasy Class ship to be removed from service -- and scrapped. Tropicale had no direct sister-ships; subsequent newbuilds for Carnival revolved around the similarly-patterned Holiday Class and the Fantasy Class, which all shared some design characteristics but without total commonality. However, Chatziginnis said that steel prices globally have increased dramatically over the past few months and residual value has increased by nearly $100 per ton in each of the major ship recycling counties. In May 2022, the ship was confirmed sold for scrap following the bankruptcy of Genting Hong Kong's cruise holdings, which included Star Cruises and luxury brand Crystal Cruises. Following the collapse of Pullmantur in June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ship was laid up in the Mediterranean. Star Princess went on to serve a stint with P&O UK, sailing as Arcadia between 1997 and 2003. She then sailed towards northern Europe, however the plan never materialized and she spent the summer of 2016 and into 2017 hopping around Europe going from one layberth to another. On September 20, 2022, Marella Celebration was confirmed beached for scrapping. A record-breaking 46 cruise vessels could enter service in 2021: 30 ships that are set to debut and 16 more ships that were delivered in 2020 but have yet to enter revenue service. Marella Celebration's sister-ship, Marella Spirit (the former Nieuw Amsterdam) was scrapped in 2018. Midship on deck 3 are positioned both tenders (starboard and portside) each feated with a davit crane. When MS Scandinavia was launched in 1982, she was one of the world's largest passenger ships, and cruising out of homeport NYC New York to The Bahamas. Holland America extensively refitted and stretched Westerdam between 1989 and 1990, and the ship carried on with the line until 2002, frequently spending its summers in Alaska on sailings out of Vancouver and winters in the Caribbean. The vessel was last operated by the Japan-based Peace Boat Organization as the Ocean Dream. In 2002, she just became too dated for Royals fleet which was being dominated by the Voyager-class at this point. New company Bissett said Island Escape Cruises (NZ) Limited is a new company that will commence cruising in New Zealand from November until April 2022. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". In June 2022, Island Escape Cruises extended the 10-night "Ultimate Fiordland" itinerary program (December-March 2023). It was beached for scrapping in early June, 2022. The youngest to be scrapped as of this writing is the 1996-built Costa Victoria, while the oldest vessel to head to the breakers was the beautiful 1965-built Marco Polo (the famed ex-ocean liner previously known as Aleksandr Pushkin). Ecstasy made headlines in 1998 when a fire broke out in the ship's laundry facilities and the vessel lost power while setting sail from Miami. The third in a trio of newbuilds for Carnival, Celebration was part of the Holiday Class that would later pave the way for the highly successful (and somewhat similarly-designed) Fantasy Class. Note: Island Escape Cruises Ltd has a 20-year permit (through 2042) from the NZ's government to operate in the entire Fiordland (Te Wahipounamu) - listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. In 1990, the ship was sold to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and renamed MS Viking Serenade. At this point the end was near. Get the latest breakingcruise news. Between 1985 and 1990, she sailed for Sundance Cruises and Admiral Cruises as MS Stardancer. we would never have taken up cruising. On July 23, 2020 Carnival announced that Carnival Fascination would be withdrawn from service and placed in long-term layup. On June 23, Costa Victoria arrived in Piombino, Italy for scrapping after being purchased by Genova Trasporti Marittimi. Royal transferred her to their UK startup, Island Cruises and she enjoyed a successful career there until she was removed from service and put up for sale in 2015. Note: In 2021 was launched the 30-passenger superyacht Island Escape, owned by the New Zealand-based company and travel brand Island Escape Cruises Ltd. Sip on some of Napa's best blends at The . What Made It Special: One of two identical ships ordered in the 1970's, Golden Iris had careers with Cunard, MSC and finally Mano Maritime before being scrapped due to the global health pandemic. What was meant to be one of the world's largest cruise ships is being prepared for its maiden voyage - to a scrapyard. Restaurants and food bars:Island Restaurant(British and international buffets),Beachcomber Restaurant(24 hours a dayself-service buffets, international theme nights). Launched in 1993 as Windward, the midsize vessel underwent a complex stretching operation -- then the largest of its kind -- at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven in 1998. Join the forum today by. The ship was a throwback to another era, offering taps for hot, cold and sea water in cabins; a feature which had been abandoned for some time on contemporary Western liners. [13][14], Ocean Gala arrived at Utansjverkets hamn at on 14 June 2016. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. When Crown Princess debuted in 1990, it was a game-changer for Princess Cruises. So, the vessel could be recycled there, but its a totally different market. Midship on deck 4 is the Wheelhouse/Navigation Bridge. Thomson sold Island Cruises to TUI Travel in 2009. The ship's main dining options included The Oasis Restaurant (waiter service, a-la-carte priced menu, cover charge applied, reservations required) and The Island Restaurant (serving British and International buffets, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner). Both vessels were also notably designed by famed Italian architect Renzo Piano. Much like a flight on EasyJet, EasyCruise promised "unbundled" pricing, with surcharges for everything from onboard meals to cabin service. Adventure. On August 26, the ship officially embarked on its last journey, sailing from Willemstad, Curacao, to Aliaga, Turkey, where it will be broken up. Details for the ship Island Escape , IMO 8002597, Passenger ship, Position Mediterranean Sea with current real time AIS position and ship photos by vesseltracker.com. The food was awful, but the entertainment was good, and the captain was very funny, but in the whole it was just like a glorified ferry. In April 2020, Marella announced that it would immediately remove Marella Celebration from service. According to Vagelis Chatziginnis, a senior trader at GMS Leadership (one such company that organizes ship scrapping), most of the vessel scrapping in 2020 took place in Turkey. What Made It Special: Sovereign was built in 1988 as Royal Caribbean's Sovereign of the Seas. [21], On May 25, 2006, Micki Kanesaki was murdered by her ex-husband, Lonnie Kocontes, while aboard the Island Escape. TUI Group, which owns Marella, would not comment at the time on whether the ship would be sold to another line or sent to the breakers. Like Black Watch, sister-ship Boudicca also began life with Royal Viking Line, setting sail in 1973 as Royal Viking Sky. outfitting yard. Rolston was later convicted of her murder. The ship helped to spark a newbuild competition with competitor Royal Caribbean that continued until recently. What Made It Special: Grand Celebration was launched in 1987 as Carnival Cruise Line's Celebration. But Crown Princess was rendered outdated by the introduction in 1995 of Sun Princess and in 1998 by the huge Grand Princess. She has been sold for an undisclosed amount of money and will be broken up in Alang. She was finally renamed MV Ocean Gala 1 before being scrapped in 2018. On Day 11, from Milford Sound is complimentary provided a helicopter transfer to Queenstown. The former Royal Caribbean ship formerly known as the Viking Serenade, will officially be scrapped. The ship was to cater to the Indian cruise market with cruises from Mumbai, India and Dubai, UAE, but Jalesh Cruises suspended all operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The boat has 4 decks, of which 3 are passenger-accessible and 2 with cabins. Scrap Values. MS Sovereign (Pullmantur Cruises) The MS Sovereign, which was also part of the Pullmantur Cruises fleet, is being scrapped due to the cruise line filing for bankruptcy in June 2020. We are (then) sending the unit to the recycling facility, and the recycling facility has to pay for purchasing the vessel to recycle in accordance with the standards that were going to agree on, he added. Before that could materialize, the ship was sold to Cunard Line, where it took on cruising duties as Cunard Princess. As Westerdam, the ship played a leading role in the 1997 comedy film Out to Sea, starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon as reluctant dance hosts. An outdoor observation deck (forward on deck 3/at the bow) is furnished with bench seats and small coffee tables. Ocean and Solo cabins are on Lower Deck (Ocean Deck/deck 2), while the Owner's and Horizon cabins are on Upper Deck (Horizon Deck/deck 3). I doubt that in the last decade, at least, or maybe even more than this, we have seen so many cruise ships being recycled in a year, he added. Since then, shes been trying to find work. [22][23], Island Escape was featured in a mini-series TV documentary which consisted of 10 episodes. As many as 13 cruise ships were reduced to scrap in 2020 more than in the five preceding years combined. The 1,022-guest ship arrived in India in January when it was beached in Alang. Thomson Cruises has operated the Island Escape under their all-inclusive Island Cruises since starting March 2013. Columbia Cruise Services (CCS) was awarded the vessel's Full Management. Island Escape Cruises deals are inclusive of all the onboard food and beverages (spirits, wines, beers and champagne by the glass, soda, bottled water, brand teas/coffees), unlimited Wi-Fi, all daily activities (entertainment, boat tours, etc), helicopter transfers (shore-ship-shore). That trend is changing, though. In 1985 she was renamed MS Stardancer and in 1990 MS Viking Serenade before being converted to a cruise ship in 1991. A role of a company like GMS is to organize the entire recycling process. Scrapping began in August 2020, and the ship was totally demolished by February 2021. For 2023 were scheduled voyages along Western Australia's Kimberley Coast (leaving roundtrip from homeport Broome) in the period May-September (2023) as well as itineraries visiting South Pacific Islands and Tahiti. Cruise & Maritime Voyages acquired the ship in 2010. So, from Piraeus in Greece, we put our crew onboard, and we arrange for the unit to go to Turkey. The ship operated on round-trips leaving fromPalma de Mallorca (Spain). MV Ocean Gala cruise ship was built for Scandinavian World Cruises (DFDS) as "ms Scandinavia". A police report was filed against the owner of Utansjverkets hamn by Hrnsand Municipality, claiming the facility was missing ISPS classification. Its funny Wilba, we sailed on her whilst the TV series was being made! Get expert advice, insider tips and more. When we boarded we had a letter in our cabin to say that 'due to operational reasons' we wouldn't be doing this. The world's longest-serving cruise ship, Astoria, will be scrapped in the coming weeks or months. It does not store any personal data. Dining Rooms: Oasis (waiter service, a la carte, a cover charge applied, reservations required). Global Dream II, which was designed to hold more than 9,000 . Island Cruises was a cruise line that was founded as a joint venture between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and First Choice Travel PLC, each of whom owned 50% of the company. Like its sister, Zenith had a unique layout that included a large oversized reception area and numerous cozy dining and lounge venues that would form the basis for newer, larger Celebrity vessels designed in the late 1990's and early 2000's. (Updated 1:37 p.m. EST) -- Most modern cruise ships spend 40 years or more sailing the world's seas. Build a pink sandcastle in Bermuda. Like all aspects of life, the global health crisis has had a significant impact on the cruising industry. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. In 2022, it was scheduled to take over runs from Mobile, Alabama before Carnival announced in February 2022 that the ship would no longer return to service for the line. In 10 episodes, it showed the working lives of some of the crew, giving an insight into what it is like working on a cruise ship. To honor the ships that have met their ultimate fate, here is some history on nine vessels that got scrapped in 2020. US Shipbrokers managed the vessel's sale in 2015 and became its commercial management firm. At the time of her construction, she was the largest cruiseferry in the world. Celebration found a new lease on life as Grand Celebration, the lead vessels for Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line. It sounds like its simple, but it isnt always. Shame Ocean village left us as we enjoyed that one. Other onboard amenities include gift shops, video arcade, internet caf, swimming pool, sports deck, Infirmary/medical center. Why not join the UKs largest cruising forum? In February 2022, Carnival announced that Ecstasy would take over itineraries from Mobile for Carnival Sensation before being removed from the fleet in October 2022. "Costa Crociere confirms that the ownership of Costa Victoria has been transferred to a subsidiary of Genoese company San Giorgio del Porto," reads a statement from Costa Cruises sent to Cruise Critic, while not directly confirming the ship's fate. Island Escape Cruise Ship Thomsons Holidays PRODUCT WORLD 31K views 8 years ago Memory of island escape ship _ pasanger n crew ketut ivanovic 37 views 1 year ago Tui Skyla: The Full. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. In 1991, the ship was renamed Marco Polo; an iconic moniker it would keep with it for the next three decades despite changing operators several times. Ships at the end of their lives are considered hazardous waste and it is. All Horizon Deck cabins are with floor-ceiling glass doors opening to private step-out balconies. Due to the Coronavirus crisis, the construction process was hampered (lockdowns, restrictions, supply chain disruptions) and the yacht's delivery was delayed ~7 months. Its interiors were designed by long-time Carnival architect Joe Farcus, who gave Ecstasy an overload of neon, glitz and 1990's colors that have been subtly -- but not overly -- toned-down in the intervening decades. Look for a link at the bottom of this page or in our privacy policy where you can withdraw consent. Olsen and setting sail as Boudicca in 2005. The car deck was turned into a passenger deck. [citation needed] After being withdrawn from Scandinavian World Cruises, she briefly sailed for DFDS Seaways. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Coronavirus: Updated Cruise Ship Policies and Cancellations, Celestyal Cruises Buys Costa Cruises Ship, Rolling Out the Deals: Why Now Might Be a Great Time to Book a Cruise, Popular Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship To Homeport From Barbados For First Time, Ships Ahoy! Photos of unused cruise ships getting stripped for parts show how the cruise industry is struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Cruise Ship Island Escape. The ship is widely expected to head to India for scrapping after being observed underway from its anchorage and waiting for a transit position at the Suez Canal. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It was when she was at this point in her service life, 1991, that she went under her final transformation to a single purpose cruise ship and no longer a cruiseferry. The vessel was in Denmark and completed its five-year survey with class society DNVGL. In the U.S., you have one facility that is approved in the European Union. Carnival Inspiration, at the time the latest in the line's class of "SuperLiners", brought Art Nouveau touches to public rooms like the Paris Lounge, while the Rhapsody in Blue piano bar offered ebony and stone panelling offset by aqua accents. The second of Royal Caribbean's three-ship Sovereign class, Monarch was, for a time, one of the most trendsetting ships on the seas. Designed by Joe Farcus, the ship's interiors recall the grand days of Hollywood, with public rooms like the Beverly Hills Bar named accordingly. Island Escape Cruises. Our first cruise was on her sister ship the Island Star which was bigger and a former Celebrity ship. Vard Vung Tau. Aft on Marina Deck (deck 1) is the Marina platform used for launching the two Zodiacs (stored forward on decks 2-3) and the water toys (kayaks and paddle boards). Although destined to be Celestyal's new flagship, the line disposed of the vessel in September 2021, citing "current market conditions resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic". Prices ranged from NZD 14950 pp (Ocean Suite based on twin share) up to NZD 20950 (Owners Suite). Ship Data. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The ship -- a one-off with no other direct sister-ships -- was noted for its abundant open deck spaces and windowed public rooms. [10] On 3 December 2015, it was reported that the vessel had been sold and was on her way to Brest, France for dry-docking, to be renamed Ocean Gala. Olsen Cruise Lines in 1996 and renamed Black Watch. Island Escape Cruises NZ (Small Cruise Lines), Island Escape cruise ship arrested in Broome WA, unable to restart sailings. Cabin grades number: 13. The plans were to berth Ocean gala in Port Harnosand, approx 430 km / 270 mi north of Stockholm. The ship was then renamed Feodor Dostoevskiy for Transocean Tours between 1988 and 1995 before regaining its original name from 1995 onward. The ship arrived in early August at Aliaga, Turkey and was beached alongside sister Carnival Fantasy and former competitor Sovereign. Olsen fleet, Boudicca arrived at the shipbreaking yards in Aliaga, Turkey in May 2021 to be broken up. Though lacking in balcony cabins and reflective of an entirely different design of cruise vessel, the ship's old-world charm, open public areas and broad teak decks were enough to make even the most jaded cruiser overlook its shortcomings that included some pretty wicked vibration in cabins near the stern. She joined the fleet of Thomson Cruises in April 2009, but retained her name. Based out of Long Beach, Carnival Inspiration was docked alongside Carnival Fantasy in Curacao in July, where fittings were removed. MS Ocean Gala 1 was a Cruise ship originally built as the cruiseferry MS Scandinavia in 1981. In 2016, Thomson cruises replaced Island Escape with Splendour of the Seas. Enjoy all the activities - from sports and spa treatments to fruit carving and salsa classes. Did the new carnival Vista but shocking "no chips" on the buffet menu, all rice and jacket potatoes. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Splendour will replace Island Escape, an all-inclusive ship, and its sale comes because of a joint venture between TUI Group and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. . The vessel joined Thomsons fleet in April 2009. Following the 2015-2016 refit at Damen Brest, Ocean Gala headed to Scandinavia to serve as a floating hotel for workers involved in the refugee crisis. Celebration was preceded by Holiday and Jubilee. In February 2016, Migrationsverket (the Swedish Migration Agency) announced it was close to signing a deal with US Shipmanagers charter company to bring Ocean Gala to Sweden. The cruise ship was the last drydock refurbished at the Damen shipyard (Brest France) in December 2015. Like Windward, Dreamward went through a complex lengthening procedure in Germany in 1998, but emerged with two unique features: a retractable mast and a funnel that could open hydraulically in order to allow the ship to transit Germany's Kiel Canal -- something the ship, as Norwegian Dream, did on a regular basis, earning legions of fans who would line the canal to watch "their ship" sail the legendary waterway. The roundtrip from Broome WA visits the Buccaneer Archipelago's Horizontal Waterfalls (Day 2), Doubtful Bay and Sale River cruising towards Red Cone Creek (Day 3), Careening Bay (Day 4), Naturaliste Island's Mitchell Falls (Day 5), Jar Island's Vansittart Bay (Day 6), King George Falls and encourage in Faraway Bay (Day 7), cruising along Sand and Cassini Islands and anchoring in Swift Bay (Day 8), wildlife watching in Swift Bay (Day 9), cruising through Prince Regent National Park and King Cascade/terraced waterfall (Day 10), Montgomery Reef (Day 11), Hidden Island's Silica Beach and anchorage at Mission Bay/tour of Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm (Day 12), arrival/debarkation in Broome (Day 13). It also sailed with Norwegian Cruise Line for a brief period of time between 1991 and 1993 as its Sunward.