The ship helped to spark a newbuild competition with competitor Royal Caribbean that continued until recently. Just updated! History [ edit ] The company had initially entered the cruise market in 1973, but due to rising fuel costs the venture was terminated in 1976. [13][14], Ocean Gala arrived at Utansjverkets hamn at on 14 June 2016. Between January and June 1991, she was converted into a full-time cruise ship at the former[7] Southwest Marine Shipyard in San Diego, California. And then it went bankrupt. The largest accommodations were the Club and Island Suites, having a separate bar and lounge area. Norwegian Escape Cruise Ship | Norwegian Escape Deck Plans | Norwegian It was beached for scrapping in early June, 2022. sector She was our first initiation into the world of cruising, and now we have the bug, been on 7 cruises now, with many different companies, all Med cruises as we live in Mallorca. By the mid-80s DFDS sold her to Sundance Cruise Corp who renamed her Stardancer. Copyright 2023 www.Cruise.co.uk Ltd. All rights reserved. A police report was filed against the owner of Utansjverkets hamn by Hrnsand Municipality, claiming the facility was missing ISPS classification. Your personal data will be processed and information from your device (cookies, unique identifiers, and other device data) may be stored by, accessed by and shared with third party vendors, or used specifically by this site or app. She was finally renamed MS Ocean Gala 1 before being scrapped in 2018. [21], On May 25, 2006, Micki Kanesaki was murdered by her ex-husband, Lonnie Kocontes, while aboard the Island Escape. Olsen fleet, Boudicca arrived at the shipbreaking yards in Aliaga, Turkey in May 2021 to be broken up. The vessel joined Thomsons fleet in April 2009. Vard Design. "When the pandemic was at its peak - let's say around summer 2020 - and the first cruise ships . My supervisor did her first cruise on the Escape a few years ago and likewise, she now enjoys cruising. The vessel (IMO number 9903994) is currently France-flagged (MMSI 538009093) and registered in Majuro/Marshall Islands. 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. privacy policy, Registered Office: Grosvenor House, Prospect Hill, Redditch, B97 4DL, By using this site you agree to our cookies and privacy policy. Like all aspects of life, the global health crisis has had a significant impact on the cruising industry. Cruise Industry News 1996-2022. After a stint at layup, Zenith arrived at Alang in September 2022 under the name "Singa", where it will be broken up. Fun fact is, that in 2002, Island Escape was featured in a UK TV mini-series documentary. Shes had a rather interesting career. 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. After short stints with A'Rosa, AIDA, and Ocean Village, Crown Princess ended up with P&O Australia as its Pacific Jewel. Ships at the end of their lives are considered hazardous waste and it is. Maritime news site Tradewinds reported on February 15 that Carnival Sensation has been sold for scrap to interests in Aliaga, Turkey. 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. Before that could materialize, the ship was sold to Cunard Line, where it took on cruising duties as Cunard Princess. 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. Island Escape SHIP HORN | Cruise ship scrapped Cruises & Travels Crew 16.2K subscribers Subscribe Share 2K views 1 year ago VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-MER The cruise ship Island. Island Escape's staterooms (17 total) are all outside and in suite categories (5 total) accommodating maximum 32 passengers. He has been writing about the cruise industry since 2009 and studying it since 1998. In 2018, the ship was leased as an accommodation vessel to MV Werften to house shipyard workers constructing new cruise ships for Dream Cruises and Crystal. It also features separate female and male saunas. She was ordered in 1980 by Dannish ferry operator DFDS as the ms Scandinavia. After several drydock conversions, the vessel was last rebuilt to passenger capacity 1760 (plus 540 crew). She was purchased by Cruise Holdings Inc, a Cypriot shell company with an apparent office in Miami. Ship Data. On Day 11, from Milford Sound is complimentary provided a helicopter transfer to Queenstown. Due to the Coronavirus crisis, the construction process was hampered (lockdowns, restrictions, supply chain disruptions) and the yacht's delivery was delayed ~7 months. Other onboard amenities include gift shops, video arcade, internet caf, swimming pool, sports deck, Infirmary/medical center. 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. Up to 10% Extra Bonus Discount - Book By 9pm 31st March, Ahoy there! Island Escape docked at Ajaccio, Corsica. The vessel was ordered to Vard Vung Tau Ltd in December 2019 (when the shipbuilding contract was signed) and its construction officially started in June 2020, with the keel-laying ceremony. Cruise line: Double occupancy/max occupancy: 1512 / 1863 Crew: 610 Year built: 1982 Tonnage: 40130 Length overall: 607ft (185m) Beam: 89ft (27m) Draught: 24ft (7.3m) Cruising speed: 18 knots Cruise & Maritime Voyages acquired the ship in 2010. After a four-year stint with Iberocruceros, it was purchased by UK-based Cruise & Maritime Voyages in 2015 and renamed Magellan. On November 27, 2020 Ocean Dream was reported sold to scrapping interests, and was beached in Aliaga, Turkey in January 2021. At the end of December 2015, Sweden's migration agency signed a hotel ship deal to house 1260 refugees on the chartered cruise ship Ocean Gala. The former Royal Caribbean ship formerly known as the Viking Serenade, will officially be scrapped. The 1,022-guest ship arrived in India in January when it was beached in Alang. Some vendors may process your personal data on the basis of legitimate interest, which you can object to by managing your options below. An outdoor observation deck (forward on deck 3/at the bow) is furnished with bench seats and small coffee tables. The number of cruise vessels removed from the worldwide fleet in 2020 was so high that scrap yards have been struggling to keep up with the demand especially when the vessels are registered in the European Union and, therefore, have to comply with stricter regulations. In November 2021, the vessel was sold for scrap to Turkish interests. 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. Chatziginnis said the average scrap value in India is $400 per ton. 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. You would probably be looking at something like $80 per ton, for example, he added. Island Escape yacht Itinerary, Current Position, Ship Review - CruiseMapper Olsen and setting sail as Boudicca in 2005. 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. What Made It Special: Monarch began life as Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas in 1991 before being transferred to Spanish subsidiary Pullmantur in 2013. Marella Cruises officially withdrew Marella Dream from service on October 1, 2020. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Originally based out of New York, the ship has had a number of homeports over the intervening 26 years. Its whimsical Joe Farcus-designed interiors were wild, bright, and vibrant, and wholly unique from Carnival Fantasy's later sisters. 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. Island Escape Cruise Ship People and Memories - YouTube It does not store any personal data. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. What Made It Special: You may not know the name Karnika very well, but this historic vessel's past names - as Princess Cruises' Crown Princess (1990) and P&O Australia's Pacific Jewel probably ring a few bells. At the height of the pandemic, however, those values could be as low as $90 for EU-flagged ships. Beaching Date: January 2021. For other ships with the same name, see, Last edited on 16 February 2023, at 18:52, "Former Southwest Marine shipyard (Los Angeles, California)", "ISLAND ESCAPE cruise vessel 09 July 2012", "Splendour of the Seas Sold to TUI for Thomson Cruises", "Thomson Cruises sells Island Escape to Cruise Holdings", "Floating Accommodations > Our Services > Passenger Vessel > Ocean Gala", "Planerna p asylfartyg gr vidare s vill Hrnsandspolitikerna stoppa etableringen", "Fretaget bakom Ocean Gala: "Finns inget som kan stoppa det", "Kryssningsfartyget p plats och polisanmlt", "Asylbten r framme hamnen polisanmld", "Det blir Ocean Galas nsta hamnstopp Asylbten r framme sydligare breddgrader vntar", A la Casse - Bulletin d'information et d'analyses sur la dmolition des navires n 47, du 1er janvier au 31 mars 2017, "Ocean Gala I (ex-Viking Serenade, Island Escape) To Be Scrapped | CruiseInd", "Death of a Bride of Nine Days a Strange End to an Unusual Courtship", "Man Charged with Strangling Wife Seven Years After Cruise Ship Murder", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MS_Ocean_Gala_1&oldid=1139752900, Car and trailer space converted into cabin space, This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 18:52. With COVID-19 halting sailings back in March 2020, most major cruise lines have yet to resume sailing. Island Escape Cruises. Between 1985 and 1990, she sailed for Sundance Cruises and Admiral Cruises as MS Stardancer. 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). The third ship of the pioneering Royal Viking Line spent many years as a German cruise ship named Albatros and just recently was also sold for scrap. The Beachcomber Restaurant provided 24-hour self-service buffets. Breaking Yard: Alang, India. The car deck was turned into a passenger deck. However, its ice-strengthened hull and ample public spaces would serve it well in cruise service. So, the vessel could be recycled there, but its a totally different market. On August 26, the ship officially embarked on its last journey, sailing from Willemstad, Curacao, to Aliaga, Turkey, where it will be broken up. 7-day round-trip from Palma de Mallorca -Tue Oct 20 (Palma de Mallorca, departing), Thu Oct 22 09:00am to 06:00pm (Bastia), Fri Oct 23 07:00am to 07:00pm (La Spezia), Sat Oct 24 07:00am to 05:00pm (Villefranche (Nice)), Sun Oct 25 08:00am to 05:00pm (Toulon), Mon Oct 26 09:00am to 06:00pm (Barcelona), Tue Oct 27 (Palma de Mallorca, arrive). The ship was beached for scrapping in July 2022, and the first cutting began in August. Thomson sold Island Cruises to TUI Travel in 2009. Designed by Joe Farcus, the ship's interiors recall the grand days of Hollywood, with public rooms like the Beverly Hills Bar named accordingly. A role of a company like GMS is to organize the entire recycling process. Floating Accommodations claimed that a sale might be necessary to cover losses they would incur if Migrationsverket failed to pay a SEK 54M kronor (USD 6,44M) bill the company had sent to the agency for the costs of running the vessel. 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. In 1988, Home Lines merged with Holland America Line, and Homeric became Westerdam. The plans were to berth Ocean gala in Port Harnosand, approx 430 km / 270 mi north of Stockholm. She became MS Island Escape in 2002 being renamed once more as MS Ocean Gala in 2015. Whether you're a veteran cruiser or looking to set sail on the sea for the first time, everyone is welcome on our forum to participate in the hottest conversations in the cruising world. Indulging in every whim is what unforgettable vacations are made of. When CMV collapsed in the summer of 2020, Marco Polo was sold at auction. The 1982-built MS Ocean Gala cruise ship (best known as "MS Island Escape") was constructed by Dubigeon Normandie SA (Nantes France) as the world's biggest cruiseferry at the time. In April 2020, Marella announced that it would immediately remove Marella Celebration from service. In November 2020, Island Escape Cruises opened bookings and announced details of the new ship, including an aft helipad (helicopter landing platform), 2x tender boats (used as lifeboats and for disembarkation in ports without docking facilities), 2x Zodiacs (motorized RIBs/rigid inflatable boats used for close-to-shore and inland cruising). 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. You can imagine the uproar on the ship! In Turkey, the value is considerably less at $280-300 per ton. Chatziginnis said the average scrap value in India is $400 per ton. 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 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. Prices ranged from NZD 14950 pp (Ocean Suite based on twin share) up to NZD 20950 (Owners Suite). Norwegian Dream sailed for Norwegian Cruise Line until 2008, when it was laid up until its 2012 transfer to Star Cruises. Take a trip down memory lane to see all of the cruise ships sold or scrapped due to the pandemic in 2020 and so far in 2021. UK cruise ships scrapped in India's 'ship graveyard' - BBC News Following the line's collapse, the ship was auctioned off for just $5.3 million to Greek-owned Seajets. But with little in common with the more grand transatlantic queen, Queen Elizabeth 2, the ship and sister Cunard Countess never really found the right fit in the Cunard fleet. 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. She's had a rather interesting career. 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. A piece of Carnival Ecstasy -- a vintage roadster -- will live on. A quick and confident return of demand is paramount for the industry to rebound; otherwise, we should expect to see further delays and removals in an attempt to balance things out, VesselsValues cargo analyst, Guy Cooper, told Cruise Industry News. In 1994, it became Royal Cruise Line's Royal Odyssey before being acquired by Fred. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Island Escape Cruises NZ cancels 12-day Wild West Coast voyage from Broome (Kimberley, Western VARD Vietnam Shipyard (Vung Tau, Vietnam). 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. 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. . [11] She then relocated to Scandinavia and sailed on their flagship route Oslo-Copenhagen. In late July, the ship arrived at the breakers in Aliaga and will be scraped alongside Sovereign. MS Ocean Gala 1 was a Cruise ship originally built as the cruiseferry MS Scandinavia in 1981. Together with Zenith, Horizon was the first-ever newbuild for Celebrity Cruises, and laid the basis for the line's pattern of ship for the next two decades. In August 2016, Ocean Gala was put up for sale for EUR 17,8 million (~USD 20M). Like Monarch, it was stripped of all valuable fittings in Genoa in June 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The elimination of single use plastic is our goal. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The ship was sold for just under $12 million dollars, and was beached at Alang, India for scrapping on November 30, 2020. The 24-hour room service was at extra charge. Cabin grades number: 13. Thomson Cruises has operated the Island Escape under their all-inclusive Island Cruises since starting March 2013. The certified Helideck (deck 4's/topdeck's aft-positioned helipad) is used for landings of helicopters serving the company's heli-transfers between the yacht and homeport. The 2021-built cruise yacht Island Escape is a 30-passenger ship owned by Seasons Shipping Co Ltd ( (Jongno-gu/Seoul, South Korea-based, 2020-founded company registered in Hong Kong China) and operated under demise/bareboat charter by the New Zealand-based company and travel brand Island Escape Cruises Ltd. Bareboat charter is an arrangement for The government agency was in a race to find new beds before spring when winter contracts signed with hundreds of hotels and campsites to house asylum seekers expire. She is headed to India and will arrive at the scrap yard in Alang at the end of the month. Much like a flight on EasyJet, EasyCruise promised "unbundled" pricing, with surcharges for everything from onboard meals to cabin service. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Look for a link at the bottom of this page or in our privacy policy where you can withdraw consent. The Asylum hotel plans did not come to fruition and the ship was put back on the market for either sale or charter in August 2016.