However, its ice-strengthened hull and ample public spaces would serve it well in cruise service. I think it was the worst cruise ship I have ever been on. She became MS Island Escape in 2002 being renamed once more as MV Ocean Gala in 2015. On September 20, 2022, Marella Celebration was confirmed beached for scrapping. At the time of her construction, she was the largest cruiseferry in the world. What Made It Specia: Columbus started life as an order for Sitmar Cruises that was converted into a newbuild for Princess Cruises after the latter swallowed up Sitmar in the late 1980's. 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. While these pioneers had been outclassed by . With the ship .css-hghiur{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-medium);border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;cursor:pointer;color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);border-color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);}.css-hghiur:focus-visible,.css-hghiur[data-focus-visible]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}.css-hghiur:hover,.css-hghiur[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;}being retired from the Fred. Most recently, the ship was based out of San Juan, and was due to replace Carnival Fantasy out of Mobile in 2022 prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. Norwegian Escape is ready to whisk you away to The Caribbean from Miami and Orlando, Canada & New England from New York, and the Mediterranean from Rome. 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. Spacious and indulgent, yet intimate . 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. Horizon managed to avoid the breakfers for two years, but was finally beached in late August 2022. 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 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. In June 2022, Island Escape Cruises extended the 10-night "Ultimate Fiordland" itinerary program (December-March 2023). Cafe Brasil (for a cappuccino or afternoon tea, with an interesting book from the library or just browse the Internet), The Mirage Bar (poolside; pampers with al fresco drinks), The Sailaway Bar (to watch the world go by), The Sundowner (the perfect place for live music and pre-dinner drinks), Ocean Theatre (entertainment hub for cabarets, UK comedy acts and West End-style shows), Bounty Lounge (all about game shows and live music), The Lookout Bar (with panoramic view; also offers a late-night disco), The Casino (roulette, Blackjack, poker; a range of slot machines). It is what got us into cruising and we had fond memories of our trip on her in spite of the Star being a tired ship. What Made It Special Easily the most venerable and iconic ship on this list, Cruise & Maritime Voyages' Marco Polo was the last of the "grand dame" ocean liners pressed into cruise service, and one of the few remaining passenger vessels from the 1960's still in active cruise passenger service. 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. 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). Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. After short stints with A'Rosa, AIDA, and Ocean Village, Crown Princess ended up with P&O Australia as its Pacific Jewel. We have built a yacht which goes above and beyond the future global standards for emission, but we want to go further. 7-day round-trip from Palma de Mallorca -Tue Oct 13 (Palma de Mallorca, departing), Thu Oct 15 08:00am to 04:00pm (Olbia), Fri Oct 16 08:00am to 06:00pm (Naples), Sat Oct 17 07:00am to 07:00pm (Civitavecchia (Rome)), Sun Oct 18 08:00am to 05:00pm (Calvi), Mon Oct 19 12:00pm to 07:00pm (Port Mahon), Tue Oct 20 (Palma de Mallorca, arrive). An outdoor observation deck (forward on deck 3/at the bow) is furnished with bench seats and small coffee tables. Cruise Ship Island Escape. All passenger staterooms (designed by Tillberg Design of Sweden) are stylishly decorated, with premium bedding sets (Egyptian cotton linens, 6 pillows), bedside cabinets, wall-mounted reading lamps, writing desk (direct-dial phone, magnifying mirror, power outlets, USB charger), two armchairs, coffee table, wall-mounted HDTV, modern entertainment systems, large wardrobes, spacious bathrooms (WC-toilet, shower, single-sink vanity), individually/thermostat-controlled air conditioning. That trend is changing, though. After several drydock conversions, the vessel was last rebuilt to passenger capacity 1760 (plus 540 crew). 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. Prior to the pandemic, the ship's value was in the $95 million range. MS Ocean Gala 1 - Wikiwand It was the second newbuild ever for Celebrity Cruises, and was designed for upscale cruising from North American destinations. In 1990, the ship was sold to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and renamed MS Viking Serenade. [2] Island Escape operated in the Canary Islands and the Western Mediterranean under Thomson Cruises. "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. Midship on deck 4 is the Wheelhouse/Navigation Bridge. The ship was beached for scrapping in July 2022, and the first cutting began in August. Thenwas immediately chartered and deployed inScandinavia (Kristiansand, Norway) to serve asa floating hotel for social workers involved in the Syrian refugee crisis. The ship was sold for . Like Black Watch, sister-ship Boudicca also began life with Royal Viking Line, setting sail in 1973 as Royal Viking Sky. Photos of unused cruise ships getting stripped for parts show how the cruise industry is struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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). ISLAND ESCAPE, Passenger (Cruise) Ship - VesselFinder She was finally renamed MV Ocean Gala 1 before being scrapped in 2018. Christened Star Princess, the ship was notable for its distinctive circular "dome" situated above the navigation bridge. To avoid increased costs for heating and since Ocean Gala did not comply with Finnish-Swedish Ice Class Rules, the vessel left the port 3 November 2016. 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. Greg (he/him) is the founder and editor of CruiseInd. 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. Before that could materialize, the ship was sold to Cunard Line, where it took on cruising duties as Cunard Princess. All Horizon Deck cabins are with floor-ceiling glass doors opening to private step-out balconies. Fares for the Ultimate Fiordland cruise started from NZD 13950 (~USD 8750 / GBP 7240) per person with double occupancy (2022 currency exchange rates), and are inclusive of overnight hotel and breakfast (in Queenstown), 9-night cruising (on the yacht Island Escape), as well as 2x helicopter transfers. [22][23], Island Escape was featured in a mini-series TV documentary which consisted of 10 episodes. In 1988, Home Lines merged with Holland America Line, and Homeric became Westerdam. Cruise & Maritime Voyages acquired the ship in 2010. (2022). By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Island Escape staterooms (768 total) ranged from Standard Inside and Outside triple and quad cabins (fitted with twin single beds and bunks) to Outside Premier (bigger than standard, with table, chair, sofabed), Outside Deluxe (larger than the Premiers), Balcony (with a mini-fridge). At the height of the pandemic, however, those values could be as low as $90 for EU-flagged ships. Its career with Princess was remarkably short -- just 12 years -- and in 2002 it was renamed A'Rosa Blu. The vessel joined Thomsons fleet in April 2009. In November 2021, the vessel was sold for scrap to Turkish interests. When Crown Princess debuted in 1990, it was a game-changer for Princess Cruises. In March 2018, after spending several months laid up in Khalifa, she set sail for Alang, where she was beached for scrapping on 4 April 2018 at Kaya plot 103. Island Escape docked at Ajaccio, Corsica. Having always had a passion for the water, after selling his interests in Japanese Shipping Companies, Peter embarked upon designing and building a boutique 24-passenger ship to explore the beautiful waters around New Zealand. Photo: Peace Boat, Sovereign departing Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, at sunset (Photo: Aaron Saunders/Cruise Critic), SuperStar Aquarius, the ex-Norwegian Wind (Photo: Star Cruises), SuperStar Gemini, the ex-Norwegian Dream (Photo: Star Cruises). The cruise ship was the last drydock refurbished at the Damen shipyard (Brest France) in December 2015. Cabin types include Owners Suite (1), Horizon Suites (6), Solo Suites (2), Ocean Suites (5) and Ocean Twin Suites (3). By the mid-80s DFDS sold her to Sundance Cruise Corp who renamed her Stardancer. The agency feared that the influx of asylum seekers would pick up again in the coming months due to warm weather. Boudicca seemed the more "modern" of the two, thanks to a series of upgrades to the vessel's interiors spaces and passenger cabins that occurred at the Blohm + Voss shipyards in Hamburg in 2018. Stripped of its lavish interiors and refitted with dorm-style accomodations (brightly colored, unsurprisingly, in only white and neon orange), EasyCruise One was billed as the cruise ship for people who hated cruises. Despite that, Ecstasy went on to have a long and profitable career for Carnival, sailing mostly shorter itineraries and weekend cruises. Some of these larger cruise ships (are) being laid up in locations like Greece, for example, until more spaces are available to digest in Turkey.. ship designer. The ship has . All Rights Reserved. On January 4, 2021, the ship was confirmed as sold for scrap and was bound for India. 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. Island Escape scrapped - Cruise Forum | Latest Cruise News | Cruise.co.uk On November 27, 2020 Ocean Dream was reported sold to scrapping interests, and was beached in Aliaga, Turkey in January 2021. Get ready to chase sunsets on The Waterfront. Island Escape Cruises. Global Dream II, which was designed to hold more than 9,000 . outfitting yard. Restaurants and food bars:Island Restaurant(British and international buffets),Beachcomber Restaurant(24 hours a dayself-service buffets, international theme nights). Retired from the Holland America fleet in 2002, Westerdam went on to serve a short stint with Costa Cruises as Costa Europa before landing in the Thomson/Marella family in 2010, first as Thomson Dream before being rebranded as Marella Dream in 2017. It operated short cruises for Star Cruises, and became one of the line's smallest -- and most iconic -- ships thanks to its banks of windows inset into its forward-facing superstructure. Celebration was preceded by Holiday and Jubilee. The ship was finally sent to the breakers in 2022. These Cruise Ships Were Scrapped in 2021 Carnival Cruise Lines announced July 23 that the 1995-built Carnival Imagination would be placed in long-term layup, with no immediate plans for it to re-enter the fleet. It sounds like its simple, but it isnt always. Island Escape's inaugural itineraries (planned for season 2021-2022) included Fiordland National Park, Bay of Islands, as well as helicopter golf cruises (leaving roundtrip from Auckland). It was, and still is, one of the more sumptuously-decorated FunShips. Length: 53.5 metres. Unusually for a film, the ship is actually referred to in the movie as the "M/S Westerdam", and many scenes were filmed aboard the actual vessel. After a stint at layup, Zenith arrived at Alang in September 2022 under the name "Singa", where it will be broken up. 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. Here's our running tally of the ship's we've lost in the past few years. If it looks similar to another ship regularly based in the UK, that's because the ship was built to almost mirror the Astor of 1981, which most recently sailed as Saga Pearl II for Saga Cruises. privacy policy, Registered Office: Grosvenor House, Prospect Hill, Redditch, B97 4DL, By using this site you agree to our cookies and privacy policy. So, what are you waiting for? In October 2021, Island Escape Cruises Ltd's owner (Peter Bissett) announced that the company will officially start operations in New Zealand in November 2022.