New Ship For Fred. Olsen?

[dougnewmanatsea]

According to Paul Mason's Weekly Market Report, Fred. Olsen Cruises have reportedly bought NCL's NORWEGIAN CROWN:

 

NORWEGIAN CROWN BHS 1988 5186 REPORTED SOLD FOR $105 MILLION FRED OLSEN CRUISES

 

I have been hearing rumors of this ship's sale for some time, but a buyer has never been named until now. Personally, I am inclined to beleive this is true... And if so, I think she will make an excellent ship for FOCL.

[rotterdam17601]

It will now be very interesting to see what will replace (if anything) the Marco Polo when the time comes for the next SOLAS upgrades.

[Goldryder]

Polo is up to date on SOLAS, so she won't be going anywhere yet. NCL confirmed in a press release last week, released by SeaTrade, that Crown, Dream and Majesty were staying in the fleet til 2008/9 and that Wind was going to Star Cruises in 2007.

 

I can't get the archive for the article, however this is the paragraph regarding the Wind being deployed to Star and being replaced by Sun...

 

Referring to the company in general Riley said 'we have now completed our Hawaii plans with three US flagged ships plus one foreign flag vessel in service (Norwegian Dawn) together capable of carrying around half a million passengers annually. Two newbuilds are still to follow: Pearl later this year and Gem in October 2007.'

 

Wind is the next ship due to go into the Star Cruises fleet, according to Riley, which will likely be replaced in Hawaii after next summer by the slightly larger 2,200 passenger Norwegian Sun. (SeaTrade - 12th April 2006)

 

There is a ship with Olsen already that is an ex NCL. Norwegian Dynasty is now Braemar, and she is the twin sister of SuperStar Gemini.

[dougnewmanatsea]

There is a ship with Olsen already that is an ex NCL. Norwegian Dynasty is now Braemar, and she is the twin sister of SuperStar Gemini.

And BLACK WATCH and BOUDICCA also both had brief spells with NCL, as WESTWARD and SUNWARD respectively. This was in the early '90s.

[Goldryder]

Just as a sidenote.

 

Louis Lines are chartering out Calypso for adult only cruises in 2007 to Thomson Cruises on Greek Island, Black Sea and Corinth Canal cruises.

[Goldryder]

From SeaTrade..

 

http://www.cruise-community.com/ShowStory.asp?ID=9486

 

The UK tour operator's recent decision to charter a four Louis vessel, Calypso, for summer seasons beginning 2007 means that LCL will have to find a replacement vessel if it is to repeat this summer's programme of ex-UK cruises that Calypso will operate out of Port of Tilbury, London. Itineraries to Norway/Iceland and the Iberian peninsular are 'extremely well booked', says Michaelides, 'and at present we've no plans as to what will happen next year. First of all we have to make sure that this summer's operations out of Tilbury are a success'.

[dougnewmanatsea]

Louis Lines are chartering out Calypso for adult only cruises in 2007 to Thomson Cruises on Greek Island, Black Sea and Corinth Canal cruises.

Frankly, I can't see what Thomson want with this ship - maybe I've always underestimated her because of her ungainly exterior, but she always struck me as nothing more than a cheap ferry conversion. Certainly she seems inferior to the rest of Thomson's ships, especially the rather nice SPIRIT and CELEBRATION.

 

I have to wonder if as part of this charter, Thomson came to some sort of an agreement with Louis to leave the ex-UK market to Thomson? I can't imagine that Thomson were too happy to see that Louis had decided to enter the UK market on their own...

[Goldryder]

Frankly, I can't see what Thomson want with this ship - maybe I've always underestimated her because of her ungainly exterior, but she always struck me as nothing more than a cheap ferry conversion. Certainly she seems inferior to the rest of Thomson's ships, especially the rather nice SPIRIT and CELEBRATION.

 

I have to wonder if as part of this charter, Thomson came to some sort of an agreement with Louis to leave the ex-UK market to Thomson? I can't imagine that Thomson were too happy to see that Louis had decided to enter the UK market on their own...

 

Thomson also have Destiny and she is getting on in years too, but she is popular.

[tony@stanton19.freeserve.]

Frankly, I can't see what Thomson want with this ship - maybe I've always underestimated her because of her ungainly exterior, but she always struck me as nothing more than a cheap ferry conversion. Certainly she seems inferior to the rest of Thomson's ships, especially the rather nice SPIRIT and CELEBRATION.

 

I have to wonder if as part of this charter, Thomson came to some sort of an agreement with Louis to leave the ex-UK market to Thomson? I can't imagine that Thomson were too happy to see that Louis had decided to enter the UK market on their own...

 

I quite agree, I have been on all the Thomson ships and although old, they all have a good pedigree of either built for cruising or in the case of the Emerald (not my favourite ship), a traditional transatlantic liner.

I have not been aboard the Calypso, but have seen it docked in Cyprus and Rhodes. It looks perfect for the 3day Cyprus to Egypt/ Israel/Jordan type trips.

I wouldn't like the idea of having a proper holiday on it! It looks like an old ferry. The rest of the Thomson/ Louis ships are cruise ships through and through.

The other thing about the Thomson experience is the whole package that Louis learnt through their experience with Airtours. Brits buy a charter package with all air and transfers included. The ship is then expected to be a top quality with fantastic value for money, like going into a familiar package hotel. It was this concept that opened up the British Cruise market to a group that would never have dreamt of going on a cruise. Now those customers have stepped into what was the mainstream cruise market.

It is however a "Thomson" or "Airtours" cruise that people book. Not many people even see the Louis brand and they would not seek a Louis Cruise.

It is the familiar "Package" brand which raises the bar for them.

[Post Captain]

On the subject of new Fred. Olsen ships: I had the great pleasure of seeing the Boudicca up close in Dover this past Saturday morning. I was aboard the Constellation, getting ready to disembark, when I noticed an elegant-looking white ship coming in through the entrance to the harbor. I recognized her immediately as one of Olsen's former Royal Viking ships; to my excitement, she turned out to be the Boudicca. She came up nearly alongside the Constellation and was maneuvered in a 180-degree turn before backing alongside us, eventually to dock behind us. I was able to get close views of her from a variety of angles; needless to say, my camera was working at top speed. She looked quite wonderful in her new livery. And what a rakish bow! With her and Black Watch, Olsen has two of the finest-looking small ships sailing today, IMHO. (Those two and the two Saga sisters--they don't they build them like that anymore.)

 

As for a rather less graceful ship: I wonder if we'll learn that the Calypso fire was not an accident?

[Brian Raine]

During our recent cruise, we returned on 12 May, the captain of the Braemer hinted of a new vessel in the fleet effective later this year.My investigation found an article which said she would be called the Capricorn and was Royal Viking Sky.

Further to the comments about the Calypso being ungainly what about the Black Prince?, an old converted East German RORO ferry boatI travelled on her once , never again. She rode the water like flotsom, even with stabilisers she rolled and weaved very badly.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the future when the likes of Carnival/PO/Princess start to get rid of their current fleets.Who will take over the Sapphire/Diamond Princess Fred Olsen/Thomson-TUI perhaps, I doubt it.