The voyage features an overnight in Queenstown, bus transfer to Fiordland NP's Milford Sound (Te Anau Lake, for a 20-minute helicopter tour and joining the yacht in Doubtful Sound), stopping in Pickersgill Harbour (Dusky Bay), cruising Dusky Sound and Breaksea Sound (Disappointment Cove, Sunday Cove, Third Cove), cruising Moana Uta (Wet Jacket Arm's marine reserve, up to Herrick Creek), overnight anchorage off Oke Island, navigating Vancouver Arm (bay) and Broughton Arm (Southland, Murihiku), then continuing north to the Fiordland sounds Nancy and Charles (Day 8), Caswell and George (Day 9), Bligh and Milford (Day 10). These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. After a short reprieve, the ship was beached at Alang in late November 2022. It was when she was at this point in her service life, 1991, that she went under her final transformation to a single purpose cruise ship and no longer a cruiseferry. At the height of the pandemic, however, those values could be as low as $90 for EU-flagged ships. In 2009, Rhapsody was sold to Israel-based Mano Maritime, and operated cruises from Haifa under the name Golden Iris. The documentary was initially broadcast in the UK during 2002. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Island Escape | Flight Centre Spacious and indulgent, yet intimate . Originally based out of New York, the ship has had a number of homeports over the intervening 26 years. She was ordered in 1980 by Dannish ferry operator DFDS as the ms Scandinavia. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Coronavirus: Updated Cruise Ship Policies and Cancellations, Celestyal Cruises Buys Costa Cruises Ship, Rolling Out the Deals: Why Now Might Be a Great Time to Book a Cruise, Popular Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship To Homeport From Barbados For First Time, Ships Ahoy! It was never a trendsetting ship, however; as years went on it lacked the bells-and-whistles of the newer Norwegian vessels but found a home in Asia operating voyages for Star Cruises. [11] At the height of the pandemic, however, those values could be as low as $90 for EU-flagged ships. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In 1994, it became Royal Cruise Line's Royal Odyssey before being acquired by Fred. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. [11], In February 2016, Ocean Gala was offered as a floating accommodation facility through the website Floating Accommodations, managed by US Shipmanagers, a Florida company[12] and it was announced that the Swedish Migration Agency have signed a contract to use the Ocean Gala as an asylum hotel for 1790 asylum seekers. This is quite young for the normal industry in cruising in our understanding, said Chatziginnis. UK cruise ships scrapped in India's 'ship graveyard' - BBC News MS Ocean Gala 1 was a Cruise ship originally built as the cruiseferry MS Scandinavia in 1981. MS Ocean Gala 1 - Wikipedia Though somewhat angular in appearance, the ship was noted for its superb interiors and unique reception area concept, which featured over-height ceilings and ran along the centerline of the ship. Watersports equipment (water toys/kayaks and paddle boards), snorkeling and fishing gear are also provided complimentary. She is headed to India and will arrive at the scrap yard in Alang at the end of the month. The itinerary leaves roundtrip from Cairns QLD and visits the Great Barrier Reef's Escape Reef and Ribbon Reef (Day 2), Lizard Island/Dyiigurra (Day 3), Stanley Island and Cape Melville's Bathurst Bay (Day 4), Forbes Island/Wuthara (Day 5), Thursday Island/Waiben (Day 6), Restoration Island/Maalpiku (Day 7), Davie Cay and Howick Island (Day 8), anchoring at Ribbon Reef 9's lagoon (Day 9), Cooktown/Gangaar and Undine Cay (Day 10), arrival/debarkation in Cairns (Day 11). The boat has 4 decks, of which 3 are passenger-accessible and 2 with cabins. She's had a rather interesting career. On Main Deck/Ocean Deck are the Salon (starboard Lounge fitted with large sofas) and the Dining Room/Restaurant (portside), both with floor-ceiling windows, comfortable seating and served by the Bar (central-located in-between). Island Escape - ship | The Small Cruise Ship Collection 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. While these pioneers had been outclassed by . The 1,022-guest ship arrived in India in January when it was beached in Alang. The vessel was in Denmark and completed its five-year survey with class society DNVGL. After short stints with A'Rosa, AIDA, and Ocean Village, Crown Princess ended up with P&O Australia as its Pacific Jewel. 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. In June 2022, Island Escape Cruises extended the 10-night "Ultimate Fiordland" itinerary program (December-March 2023). 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. 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. At Island Escape Cruises we are passionate about preserving the beautiful water in which we are travelling. It marks the end to one of the most initially optimistic, and then saddest, developments for any vessel over the course of the pandemic. I doubt that in the last decade, at least, or maybe even more than this, we have seen so many cruise ships being recycled in a year, he added. And in that time, we've seen relatively young ships head to the breakers with no chance for a farewell cruise or proper send-off. My supervisor did her first cruise on the Escape a few years ago and likewise, she now enjoys cruising. Serving with luxury brand Renaissance until 1998, Renaissance II then served as a casino charter vessel before being aquired by EasyCruise in 2005. While it is not uncommon to see cruise ships built in the 1970s and 1980s go to the breakers due to breakdowns or changing SOLAS (Safety Of Live At Sea regulations), older vessels are usually transferred first to another, smaller cruise operator -- a market that is often referred to as "secondhand tonnage." 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. Palmys kids club is entertaining and imaginative, offering the best childcare and daily activities. Cruise lineIsland Escape Cruises NZ (Small Cruise Lines). Karen was either thrown or pushed from the balcony oif their cabin and fell straight down into the water below. Built in 1996 at the Bremer Vulkan yards in Germany, it was easily distinguished by its banks of windows at the front of the ship that gave way to a multi-story observation lounge. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. You would probably be looking at something like $80 per ton, for example, he added. When MS Scandinavia was launched in 1982, she was one of the world's largest passenger ships, and cruising out of homeport NYC New York to The Bahamas. Happy Father's Day to all you Island Dads! Chatziginnis said the average scrap value in India is $400 per ton. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Ocean Gala Ship Review | CruiseMapper 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. The cruise ship was the last drydock refurbished at the Damen shipyard (Brest France) in December 2015. 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 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. Position & Voyage Data Track on Map Add Photo Add to fleet When CMV collapsed in the summer of 2020, Marco Polo was sold at auction. The new superyacht Island Escape (VARD Vung Tau yard/hull number 915) was designed by Vard Design (Vard Marine Inc's naval architecture and marine engineering division) and originally planned for delivery in April (postponed for October) 2021. Like the rest of the Fantasy Class, its iconic interiors were designed by longtime Carnival architect Joe Farcus, who gave Imagination's public spaces their over-the-top look. On November 27, 2020 Ocean Dream was reported sold to scrapping interests, and was beached in Aliaga, Turkey in January 2021. This is why her stern is so angular and steep. The ship was the first foray into cruising for low-cost European air carrier EasyJet. Following the collapse of Pullmantur in June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ship was laid up in the Mediterranean. After being rebuilt in the early 1990's, Marco Polo entered service with Orient Line until 2008, before becoming part of the Transocean Tours fleet. What Made It Special: Few people likely sailed Ocean Dream during the eight years it spent sailing for Japan-based Peace Boat, but more likely know it from its past life as Carnival Cruise Line's trendsetting Tropicale. As to marine technologies, the vessel is SOLAS-certified and fitted with the latest-model stabilizers, dynamic positioning system (allows the ship to be stationary without dropping the anchors thus preventing the seabed from damage), fuel-efficient diesel engines, diesel-electric propulsion system, modern HRV/waste-heat recovery system (using the engines' heat for heating the water used in cabin showers and in the galley/kitchen), catalytic converters (reducing NOx emissions to ~90%). Nothing about the last few years has been normal as the world continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Star Princess went on to serve a stint with P&O UK, sailing as Arcadia between 1997 and 2003. what it is like working on a cruise ship. [9] Thomson Cruises has operated the Island Escape under their all-inclusive Island Cruises since starting March 2013. 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. What Made It Special: Based out of Long Beach in recent years, Carnival Imagination was one of the few Fantasy Class vessels to not have been refitted with additional exterior balcony cabins. If it hadn't been for I.E. It was the lead ship in Carnival's eight-vessel strong Fantasy Class that would be introduced from 1990 to 1998, becoming the largest group of passenger ships built to the same specifications at the time. Last year she changed her name to Ocean Gala I and was reflagged in St Kitts. Due to the Coronavirus crisis, the construction process was hampered (lockdowns, restrictions, supply chain disruptions) and the yacht's delivery was delayed ~7 months. In Turkey, the value is considerably less at $280-300 per ton. In 1985 she was renamed MS Stardancer and in 1990 MS Viking Serenade before being converted to a cruise ship in 1991. Things when silent and she reappeared in the Middle East late last year and now its been confirmed that she is currently enroute to India. She was finally renamed MS Ocean Gala 1 before being scrapped in 2018. The ship is widely expected to head to India for scrapping after being observed underway from its anchorage and waiting for a transit position at the Suez Canal. The onboard Gym is excellent for resistance and cardio training. In 1988, Home Lines merged with Holland America Line, and Homeric became Westerdam. Cruise & Maritime Voyages acquired the ship in 2010. well you can imagine a week with 2 young boys and no chips.never again. Other onboard amenities include gift shops, video arcade, internet caf, swimming pool, sports deck, Infirmary/medical center. The Cruise.co.uk forum is the perfect place to meet and interact with likeminded cruisers to have invaluable conversations. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. We went on her for the Itinerary as we were supposed to be staying in Venice overnight and I think that's why a lot of people had booked it as many had booked concerts in Venice. [2] Island Escape operated in the Canary Islands and the Western Mediterranean under Thomson Cruises. Much like a flight on EasyJet, EasyCruise promised "unbundled" pricing, with surcharges for everything from onboard meals to cabin service. That trend is changing, though. After a four-year stint with Iberocruceros, it was purchased by UK-based Cruise & Maritime Voyages in 2015 and renamed Magellan. Dismantling will commence shortly. When we boarded we had a letter in our cabin to say that 'due to operational reasons' we wouldn't be doing this. 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. Two UK cruise ships have been scrapped on an Indian beach despite assurances they would continue to be operated. At this point the end was near. The World's Oldest Cruise Ship Will Be Scrapped Where Cruise Ships Are Sent to Die - The New York Times 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. The 10-night "Tropical North Queensland" voyage (priced from NZD 11950 pp) was scheduled for October 2022. Olsen and setting sail as Boudicca in 2005. She became MS Island Escape in 2002 being renamed once more as MV Ocean Gala in 2015. US Shipbrokers managed the vessel's sale in 2015 and became its commercial management firm. In 2016 a deal was struck with the Swedish Government to use her as housing for the European refuge crisis. She has been sold for an undisclosed amount of money and will be broken up in Alang. Greg (he/him) is the founder and editor of CruiseInd. What Made It Special: The third Fantasy Class cruise ship ordered by Carnival, Sensation debuted in 1993 and served the line for nearly three decades. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics, Which Cruise Ships Will Be Scrapped Or Taken Out of Service? Zenith was transferred to Spanish-line Pullmantur in 2007, and was set to debut for Peace Boat in 2020. Marina Deck is accessed from Ocean Deck (deck 2). Our first two cruises were on it and we thoroughly enjoyed them. 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. She was purchased by Cruise Holdings Inc, a Cypriot shell company with an apparent office in Miami. Peter Bissett, who launched Island Escape Cruises in New Zealand in 2006, sold the original 24-passenger catamaran, Island Passage, in 2018. Celebration found a new lease on life as Grand Celebration, the lead vessels for Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line. But Crown Princess was rendered outdated by the introduction in 1995 of Sun Princess and in 1998 by the huge Grand Princess. 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). 66 Ships | 141,881 Berths | $42 Billion | View. Why not join the UKs largest cruising forum? It was the second newbuild ever for Celebrity Cruises, and was designed for upscale cruising from North American destinations. 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. Columbia Cruise Services (CCS) was awarded the vessel's Full Management. Designed by Joe Farcus, the ship's interiors recall the grand days of Hollywood, with public rooms like the Beverly Hills Bar named accordingly. In 2002, she just became too dated for Royals fleet which was being dominated by the Voyager-class at this point. Prices ranged from NZD 14950 pp (Ocean Suite based on twin share) up to NZD 20950 (Owners Suite). She was built in 1982 by Dubigeon-Normandie S.A., Nantes, France for Scandinavian World Cruises (a subsidiary of DFDS) as the cruiseferry MS Scandinavia. The car deck was turned into a passenger deck. Get ready to chase sunsets on The Waterfront. Our trip we discovered there was an included waiter service area in the MDR that had a special menu, food and service was excellent. In late November 2022, the ship was photographed beached at Alang. 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. Carnival Fantasy Carnival Fantasy Debut Date: March 1990 Sailed For:. 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). By June 2022, workers had already cut most of the forward section of the ship. The summer homeporting in Palma de Mallorca (Balearic Spain) offering fly-cruises from the UK made the ship also attractive for families. .css-13x0bir{position:relative;max-width:800px;}.css-13x0bir>*:not(style){overflow:hidden;position:absolute;top:0px;right:0px;bottom:0px;left:0px;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;width:100%;height:100%;}.css-13x0bir>img,.css-13x0bir>video{object-fit:cover;}.css-13x0bir::before{height:0px;content:"";display:block;padding-bottom:56.25%;}. Following the line's collapse, the ship was auctioned off for just $5.3 million to Greek-owned Seajets. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. [10] On 3 December 2015, it was reported that the vessel had been sold and was on her way to Brest, France for dry-docking, to be renamed Ocean Gala. After several drydock conversions, the vessel was last rebuilt to passenger capacity 1760 (plus 540 crew). Scrapping began in August 2020, and the ship was totally demolished by February 2021. 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. She was ordered in 1980 by Dannish ferry operator DFDS as the ms Scandinavia. 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. Lets say youre taking delivery of a cruise vessel and, lets say, from Piraeus. What Made It Special: One of two identical ships ordered in the 1970's, Golden Iris had careers with Cunard, MSC and finally Mano Maritime before being scrapped due to the global health pandemic. The sale of the Astoria to a European Union-approved shipbreaking yard, most likely the. Norwegian Dream also had the unfortunate notoriety of being involved in a dramatic collision in 1999 with the cargo ship Ever Decent in the English Channel. [19] The next port turned out to be Khalifa, Abu Dhabi, for continued service. Get expert advice, insider tips and more. We have seen a couple of units being sold for recycling in India already, but a couple of units is nothing compared to the numbers weve seen in Turkey so far, Chatziginnis told Cruise Industry News. Island Escape yacht current location is at West Australia (coordinates -32.14697 S / 115.76578 E) cruising en route to HENDERSON. 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. Island Escape - VARD The ship was also attractive for families who look for out of Palma de Mallorca fly-cruises from the UK. Carnival Sensation becomes the fifth Fantasy Class ship to be removed from service -- and scrapped. 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. Launched in 1993 as Windward, the midsize vessel underwent a complex stretching operation -- then the largest of its kind -- at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven in 1998. So, from Piraeus in Greece, we put our crew onboard, and we arrange for the unit to go to Turkey. MS Island Escape ship was operated and owned by Thomson UK under the Island Cruises brand until December 2015. After being retired from the Fred. The largest accommodations were the Club and Island Suites, having a separate bar and lounge area. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. What Made It Special: Cruise fans will remember SuperStar Aquarius better as Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Wind. GMS also vets the requirements of the original owner for regulations that need to be complied with and then guides them with how to proceed with the scraping in the best interests of the cruise industry. ISLAND ESCAPE The current position of ISLAND ESCAPE is at West Australia reported 3 mins ago by AIS. The value can depend on various factors, such as the country where the facilities are located or whether the cruise vessel was registered in a EU country. Saw it in BCN before we had booked our first cruise, had been looking at it in the Thomsons brochure - then when we saw it decided definitely not, but again wouldn't do if we all wanted the same. 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. The vessel ISLAND ESCAPE (IMO: 9903994, MMSI 538009093) is a Passenger (Cruise) Ship built in 2021 (2 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands . What Made It Special: The sixth vessel in Carnival's Fantasy Class, Carnival Inspiration brought more of the same whimsical Carnival fun to the line, wrapped up in longtime interior designer Joe Farcus' sometimes wacky interior decor. Which Cruise Ships Will Be Scrapped Or Taken Out of Service? (2022) Thomson's Island Cruises brand (presented by the cruise liner Island Escape) was providing an affordable resort-style vacation package with numerous onboard attractions for UK travelers as well as friendly ambience and informal dress code. Renamed Norwegian Sea in 1997, the ship operated the line's famous "Texaribbean" voyages from Houston for many years in the mid-1990's before being transferred out of the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet in 2005. In 2016, Thomson cruises replaced Island Escape with Splendour of the Seas. The former Royal Caribbean ship formerly known as the Viking Serenade, will officially be scrapped. All Cruise Ships Sold or Scrapped Due to the Pandemic [22][23], Island Escape was featured in a mini-series TV documentary which consisted of 10 episodes. In late July, the ship arrived at the breakers in Aliaga and will be scraped alongside Sovereign.