Bolero aka NCL Starward

[GummyBear]

Anyone know if this ship is still sailing? I know she was sold to Festival cruise lines and they chartered her to Spanish Cruise Lines (Transmediteranea). Festival subsequently went out of business. I can trace her actvity up to 2002 when she was sailing out of Cuba but then she vanishes.

:confused:

[dougnewmanatsea]

I don't know anything about Cuba?

 

Anyhow, she is not sailing at present but she is still around. After the Festival bankruptcy, she, FLAMENCO, and THE AZUR were sold to a Miami-based company, Ravenscroft Shipping, who apparently are looking to charter them out. So far as I know, NEW FLAMENCO (ex FLAMENCO) has been chartered for some nudist cruises this summer but otherwise there have not been any charters announced for any of the ships.

 

As of now, FLAMENCO is registered to a Ravenscroft subsidiary called Cruise Elysia and has been named NEW FLAMENCO since 29 March, having been renamed ELYSIAN FLAMENCO on 1 March. THE AZUR is registered to a subsidiary called Cruise Eloise and was reportedly renamed ELOISE effective 24 June though this has not yet shown up in Bureau Veritas' database. Finally, the ship in question here, BOLERO, is registered to a subsidiary called Cruise Elenora and retains her Festival name. ELOISE and BOLERO are both currently having work done at Cammell Laird Gibraltar. I am not sure of the present status of NEW FLAMENCO though she was reported to have been seen at Naples earlier in June.

 

Hope that helps.

[GummyBear]

Thanks for the quick and informative respose.....:)

I hope she gets to sail again...........

[dougnewmanatsea]

Thanks for the quick and informative respose...

No problem. If I didn't like doing this I wouldn't be here :) .

 

I hope she gets to sail again...

So do I. As the first modern purpose-built Caribbean cruise ship (OK, originally she had a car deck, but still...) she is a very historically significant ship. The first NCL ship, the former SUNWARD (I), was scrapped recently but the former STARWARD should have better luck as while only two years newer she is much larger and more up-to-date.

 

Anyhow what's this Cuba business? I must have missed that. I thought her last active service was with Spanish Cruise Line/Trasmed in the Med in 2003.