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All text and photographs (unless stated otherwise) © Paul Timmerman On April 17th, 1982 Home Lines brand new Atlantic left New York for her maiden cruise to Bermuda Island.
6 years later, Home Lines is taken over by Princess Cruises, and Princess immediately sells Atlantic to Premier cruises. She is renamed Starship Atlantic. Premier sends her to Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven to be rebuilt.
Casino, Lounge deck She emerges with a bright red hull, trademark of the Premier ships. At the time, Premier has a contract with Disney concerning the use of Disney themes on board, and Starship Atlantic cruises with Disney characters on cruises with a family character. However, Disney develops plans to operate it´s own cruise line, and the contract is ended. Premier decides to sell the Starship Atlantic. Italian Mediterranean Shipping Cruises, expanding and already searching the second hand market for some time, sees great potential in the Starship Atlantic and buys her at once for a reported $70mio. MSC renames her Melody. She has been the flagship of the MSC-fleet ever since, until the advent of the brand new Lirica (58600GRT) which was taken into service very recently, in April 2003. Her other fleetmates are the Rhapsody (16852 GRT, 1976) and the classic Monterey (20046 GRT, 1952).
Starlight disco, Lounge deck
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