Astoria to Become Spirit of Adventure II?

Rumors are strengthening that Club Cruise’s Astoria, whose charter to Transocean Tours ends in April 2009, has been sold to Saga to become the second ship for its Spirit of Adventure brand. Club Cruise has come on hard times lately recently, having sold the recently-acquired ferry Da Vinci (ex Finnjet) for scrap and been forced to shut down its stillborn British subsidiary Van Gogh Cruise Line, so it’s not surprising that it would consider selling the 18,591 GT, 500-berth Astoria in the apparent absence of a new charterer.

From Norwegian Sky to Pride of Aloha and Back Again

It’s official: after weeks of rumors, Norwegian Cruise Line has announced that its subsidiary NCL America’s Pride of Aloha will return to the main NCL fleet as Norwegian Sky. If this gives you a sense of déja vu, it’s because the 77,104 GT, 2,002-berth ship was first entered service in 1999 as — you guessed it — Norwegian Sky! She was transferred to the US-flag NCL America fleet in 2004 and renamed Pride of Aloha for cruises in the Hawaiian islands, but in February 2008 NCL announced that she’d leave the fleet on 11 May 2008 and move to the Asian-based fleet of NCL’s part owner and former parent Star Cruises. Then — after no further information was forthcoming from Star — came rumors that the ship was for sale, including reports that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. subsidiary Pullmantur Cruises made and then retracted a $310 million bid for the ship. Finally, NCL has put an end to the speculation by announcing that the ship won’t be leaving the fleet but will instead return to the NCL international fleet on 14 July 2008 with a program of three- and four-night cruises from Miami to the Bahamas.

Louis Sells Princesa Marissa and Serenade; Buys Thomson Destiny and Thomson Spirit

Louis Cruise Lines‘ parent, Louis plc, has announced that it has sold two of its oldest ships, the 10,487 GT, 628-berth Princesa Marissa and the 14,173 GT, 507-berth Serenade (pictured above), for a combined price of $8.4 million. Both ships are expected to go for scrap. The company also completed the purchase of the 37,773 GT, 1,450-berth Thomson Destiny and 33,930 GT, 1,254-berth Thomson Spirit, which it previously held under charter-purchase agreements from a Norwegian investment firm and Holland America Line respectively, for the combined sum of $123.5 million. Both ships are chartered to Thomson Cruises until 2011. All this is part of Louis’ aggressive fleet renewal program, which kicked into high gear last month with its acquisition of  the 50,764 GT, 1,742-berth Norwegian Dream and 40,876 GT, 1,462-berth Norwegian Majesty from Star Cruises.

Trouble at Club Cruise? Van Gogh UK Plans Axed; Da Vinci Scrap Rumors; Astoria Sale Imminent?

The past week has looked rather grim for Dutch-based operator Club Cruise. First came the news that Van Gogh Cruise Line, the British subsidiary set up to market its 15,240 GT, 727-berth Van Gogh following the bankruptcy of charterer Travelscope, would cease operations. (It had previously cancelled its summer 2008 cruises in favor of a charter to Russian operator Metropolis Tur, but promised to return in the winter of 2009.) Now the web site of US Shipbrokers reports that the company has sold 32,940 GT ferry Da Vinci, built in 1977 as Finnjet, for scrap. And rumors indicate that the company may soon sell the 18,591 GT, 500-berth Astoria, whose charter to Transocean Tours ends in April 2009.

Celebrity Galaxy to Be TUI Cruises’ First Ship

TUI Cruises, the new German-market joint venture between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and TUI AG, has announced that Celebrity Cruises’ 77,713 GT, 1,896-berth Celebrity Galaxy will enter service as its first ship in May 2009. The ship, built in 1996, will undergo a 50 million Euro, two-month-long refit before beginning her new career. Her new name has not yet been announced.

TUI Cruises also announced the first details of its product philosophy. Describing itself as offering “premium cruises at affordable prices”, it aims to become the first German cruise brand in what it calls the “contemporary premium” segment, contemporary describing the style of on-board product and premium the price range.