- French Paquet cruises purchases Ocean Cruise Lines. Paquet now owns three ships, Ocean Princess and Ocean Islander apart from their original vessel, the classic Mermoz.                                           

                                                              Ocean Islander

 - Japan Cruise Line, the second Japanese company in the Japanese domestic market starts operations with their Orient Venus.

 - Fantasy enters service for Carnival Cruise Lines. She is the first of a series of eight (!) vessels measuring 70.367GRT, the largest cruise-shipbuilding project to date.

 - Celebrity Cruise starts operations. Owned by Chandris Cruises the company aims at the de luxe market.

1991    

 - Seawind Cruise Line starts operations. It owns  a single vessel, that is known  by and marketed under two names, Seawind Crown, but also under it' s original name of Vasco da Gama.

 - NYK introduces Asuka, a ship specifically designed for the Japanese cruising public.

1992

 - Admiral Cruises ceases operations, it' s ships are sold off.

 - Chandris Celebrity Cruises forms a partnership with with OSG (Overseas Shipholding Group) in order to obtain the necessary funds for expansion.

 - Society Expeditions ceases operations, it's ships are sold off.

1993

 - American Hawaii Cruises goes bankrupt, and is subsequently purchased by Delta Queen Steamboats, a company that owns two classic river boats, two stern wheelers to be exact and operates these on the Mississippi river. 

- American Family Cruises starts operations. The company aims at families with children. Costa Cruises' Costa Riviera is refitted (one entire deck is converted for the use of children) and starts service as American Adventure. Eugenio C is planned to follow as a second ship.

 - Festival Cruises founded, today known in the USA as First European Cruises. Operations start with one ship, The Azur.

 - Sea Quest Cruises, which operates soft expedition cruises with the Frontier Spirit ceases operations. 

1994

 - Delta Queen Steamboat Cy. changes it' s name to American Classic Voyages.

 - Cunard Line buys the name Royal Viking Line, together with their largest vessel Royal Viking Sun.  Royal Viking Queen is not included in the deal.

 - American Family Cruises (just started a year before) closes down, because the level of bookings remained low.

- Fiesta Marina (a Carnival subsidiary operating Fiesta Marina ex Carnivale for the South American market) and Cycladic Cruises (operating in the Greek isles region) both cease operations.

1995

 - UK Tour operator Airtours starts operating a new division called Sun Cruises. Two ships are acquired: Nordic Prince from Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Southward from Norwegian Cruise Lines.

 - Regency Cruises collapse. It's ships are arrested in port and later laid up and auctioned off.

 - British P&O Cruises take delivery of the Oriana, the first mega-cruise ship for the British market.

 - Royal Cruise Line , part of the Kloster Group, closes down. It's ships are shifted to parent   company Norwegian Cruise Line (Crown Odyssey and Royal Odyssey), or sold off: Star Odyssey becomes Black Watch for Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and Queen Odyssey joins Seabourn Cruise Line.

- Baltic Line ceases operations. One of it's vessels, Baltica is sold to Arcalia Shipping (Lisbon)    and renamed Princess Danae.

Baltica when still sailing as Danae for Carras Delian cruises

 - Carnival buys 30% intrest in British tour operator Airtours which owns a cruise division called Sun Cruises catering for the UK-cruise market.

 -  Carnival Destiny enters service, measuring 101.353 GRT she is the first passenger ship to surpass the 100.000 GRT mark and becomes the world's largest cruise ship.

 - Kvaerner buys Trafalgar House and becomes the new owner of Cunard Line (owners of the illustrious Queen Elizabeth 2) in the process.

 - Carnival & Airtours both purchase all shares of Costa Cruises.

 - Cruise Holdings purchases Delphin, Premier and Seawind Cruise Lines and continues operations under the name of Premier Cruises.

 - Windstar purchases Club Med I and adds the vessel to its fleet as Windsurf.

 - Norwegian Cruise Line buys Crown Majesty which was originally owned by bankrupt Majesty Cruise Line.

 - Royal Caribbean Int. purchases Celebrity Cruises, both brands keep their own identity.

 - Holland America Line sells Rotterdam to Premier Cruises, who rename her Rembrandt.

 - HAPAG sells their famous Europa to Star Cruises, Star also acquires Sun Viking. New names for both ships: Superstar Asia and Superstar Sagittarius respectively.

 - P&O sells Canberra after  37 years of service for srap.

 - CTC cruises goes bankrupt. CTC was a British firm which chartered Russian cruise ships and offered cruises at moderate prices. However, cheap as they are, these ships cannot compete with the modern tonnage introduced by competitor P&O Cruises for example.

 - Cunard Line is sold again, this time to Carnival Cruise Lines, but remains a seperate brand in the Carnival family of cruise lines (Costa, HAL, Windstar, Seabourn, Airtours).

 - Work on the Norwegian Sky starts, she is the unfinished hull of the former Costa Olympia ordered by Costa Cruises from Bremer Vulkan shipyard. Alas, during construction the yard went bankrupt.

 - Norwegian Capricorn Line a daughter company of NCL is founded. It will operate the Norwegian Star ex Royal Viking Sea from Sydney, Australia

 - NCL acquires Orient Cruise Line. This company operates the classic Marco Polo on destination oriented (soft expedition) cruises.

 - German Meyer Werft delivers Superstar Leo, Star Cruises first newbuilding, and the first super liner for the Asian market.

 - Grand Princess owned by Princess Cruises enters service and becomes the largest cruise ship in the world, measuring 109.000 GRT.

 - Airtours takes over rival British tour/ cruise operator Direct Cruises. Direct remains a seperate brand however.

 - Paradise (Carnival Cruise Line) is introduced as the world' s first non-smoking cruise ship. Passengers caught smoking are fined and asked to leave the ship at the next port of call.

 - Voyager of the Seas (Royal Caribbean Cruises Int) is taken into service. She is the largest cruise ship ever built: 137.000  GRT.

 - Residensea is not selling as much appartments as was hoped for on their newbuilding The World. It will be the first ship with residents who permanently live on board. As a result the planned vessel is scaled down from 85.000 GRT to 36.000 GRT.

 - American Classic Voyages orders two 1900 pax. newbuildings at Ingalls shipyards, the first large passenger ships ordered in the US since many years.

 - Sun Vista of Far Eastern Sun Cruises burns and sinks in the Straits of Malacca.

                                   Sun Vista sailing as Meridian for former owners Celebrity Cruises

 - Norwegian Dream (NCL) collides with container carrier Ever Decent in the English Channel and severely damages her bow.

 - Plans are being developed for the largest cruise ship ever, the Queen Mary 2 by Cunard and Carnival.

 - Cunard Line signs letter of intent for building the world' s largest cruise ship ever, the Queen Mary 2 at Chantiers de L' Atlantique.

 - Stefan, ex Stefan Batory, ex Maasdam, is scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey. Together with sister Rijndam, she was one of the first passenger liners in the '50s to have a substantial number of tourist class cabins.

 - Society Explorer's small cruise vessel World Discoverer runs aground at the Solomon Islands. She has to be abandoned and shortly thereafter she is ravaged by local inhabitants.

 - One of the oldest cruise ships afloat, the Britanis of 1932 begins her last journey to Indian breakers under the name of Belofin-1. She doesn' t make it however, and sinks near Cape Town while under tow.

 - British tour operator Airtours sells 50% ownership in Costa Cruises to Carnival for a reported $525 mio.

 - Cape Canaveral Cruise Line takes Dolphin IV out of service because of corroded tanks, she is one of the last former Israeli passenger liners.

 - Premier Cruises' ships are all arrested for debt in various ports. Premier ceases trading.

 - En route from New York to Southampton, Oriana (P&O Cruises) is hit by a gigantic 40 ft wave smashing several windows.

 - Plans arise to let Norway of NCL and Superstar Leo of NCL' s parent company Star Cruises switch places. Norway will depart to the Far East while Superstar Leo will sail in Hawaiian waters. Nothing happens however.

 - Costa Classica, en route to British ship yard Cammel Laird for stretching is ordered to turn around while being of the coast of La Coruna, Spain. Costa states that the British yard does not have all preparations in order to finish the job on time (in 17 weeks).

 - Seabreeze, one of the former Premier ships is sold to New York Merchant Bank DLJ, however en route from Boston to Charleston she suddenly develops a list and sinks 200 miles of the coast of Verginia.

 - Commodore Cruise Line closes it's doors. Expectations are that the company will be back in operation early in 2001, but this never comes to pass.....

                                    Commodore Cruises' classic Enchanted Isle

 - On January 8th, Queen Elizabeth II christens the world's largest passenger liner, the Queen Mary 2 in Southampton during a formal naming ceremony.

                                                             Queen Mary 2, Cunard Line

 - At Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, NCL's newbuilding Pride of America which is almost finished at the time, sinks at her fitting out pier during a storm. The ship's lowest four decks, including her machinery spaces are flooded, and her delivery date has to be postponed by a year. 

 - Greek - Italian owned Festival Cruises gets into serious financial difficulties and all of it's ships are seized and laid-up. Although at first the company is certain normal operations will be resumed, later this year Festival closes it's doors forgood....

 - EasyCruise is founded. Immediately, the Neptune 2 (former Renaissance 2) is acquired and rebuilding of the vessel starts in Singapore. To start operations in 2005, EasyCruise will operate budget cruises. On a fixed week-long itinerary, passengers stay for at least 2 and maximum 14 nights. Food and cabin service will not be included in the cruise price.

 - Princess Cruises takes delivery of three vessels which are her largest ever; Diamond Princess, Caribbean Princess and Sapphire Princess, measuring 112.000 and 116.000GRT)

                                                        Diamond Princess, Princess Cruises

 - Louis Cruises (Cyprus) purchases three ships from the financially troubled My Travel Group, Sun Cruises.

 - Kvaerner Masa Yards reaches an agreement regarding the construction of a 200m/ 42500GRT vessel for Ocean Club Cruises. Construction of the Four Seasons, a residential ship just like The World is expected to start in the first half of 2005.

 - MSC Cruises purchases two vessels of now defunct Festival Cruises: European Vision and European Stars. These ships are sister ships to ms Lirica and Opera, two newbuildings delivered as recently as 2003 and 2004 by French ship yard Chantiers l'Atlantique.

 - NCL will pass several of their older ships on to parent company Star Cruises which will operate these vessels in Asian waters. NCL has several ships on order for delievery  in the next two/ three years.

n           

                             Norwegian Sea, to be shifted to Star cruises in the near future

 - RCCL orders a second Ultra-Voyager ship from Kvaerner Masa Yards. Carrying 3600 passengers and measuring 160.000GRT, these ships will surpass Queen Mary 2, currently the world's largest passenger ship in size.

- Cruise ship schedules are affected by the Tsunami in the Far East: Star Cruises amends the itineraries of two of its vessels, Superstar Virgo and Superstar Gemini as calls at Phuket, Thailand are cancelled. Star Clippers' Star Flyer, based for several cruises in Thailand is relocated to Singapore. Ocean Princess and Andaman Princess have assisted in rescue operations immediately after the disaster took place,and are both laid up.

                                      Andaman Princess

- New cruise company easyCruise also cancels ist inaugural cruises out of Singapore because of the Tsunami, the tidal wave that caused havoc in December 2004. After her refit is be completed, easyCruise I starts sailing in the Mediterranean spring 2005.

- A Greek court declares Royal Olympia Cruises bankrupt. The company's three vessels are auctioned off. The company had been struggling to survive for about a year after her two most important ships, two recent newbuildings and one of her older ships had already been sold off.

- Sad news reached us: NCL's ss Norway (ex France, 1962) has reportedly been sold to the breakers, problably in India. After an explosion of one of her boilers, she has been in lay up in Bremerhaven at Lloyd Werft for the last two years. Repairs to let her return to active service proved uneconomical. Plans to use her as a hotel ship in France or the Netherlands fall through. However, there are persistent rumours that she might be used as a hotel ship in the port of Singapore....

- The former Holland America Line flag ship Rotterdam of 1959 passes to new owners after her former Dutch owners run into financial difficulties. An investment firm has teamed up with a housing company and a Dutch university.There are plans to have her fulfill a new role as museum, hotel and college.

                                     Rotterdam V

- For the tenth time in a row, readers of the prestigious travel magazine Travel + Leisure  vote Crystal Cruises to offer the best cruise product in the segment of luxury cruising onboard large vessels.

- A new company starts operations: Indian Ocean Cruises. Their first vessel is the small, classic Madagascar (built 1960 as the day cruiser Bremerhaven, she also sailed as Stella Maris II and Viking Bordeaux). Madagascar will sail on short cruises in south east African waters.

                                Ocean Odyssey

- The hull of the world's largest cruise ship, RCCL's Freedom of the Seas is floated out at Aker Finyards(Finland). Her maiden voyage is planned for April 2006.

- Alstom, owner of shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique has sells a 75% stake in this yard to the Norwegian company Aker Yards. 

- Royal Caribbean orders the largest cruise ship ever at AkerYards, Finland. She will measure an incredible 220.000 GRT and will accommodate 5.400 passengers! This ship will be almost 70.000 GRT larger than the Freedom of the Seas, which is currently being built at the same yard with delivery this summer. When Freedom enters service she will be the world's largest cruise ship, surpassing the Queen Mary 2 in tonnage.

- A fire breakes out on board Star Princess (Princess Cruises) which quickly engulfes 100 staterooms. One death is reported. The Star Princess proceeds to Grand Cayman on her own power and offloads passengers there. An investigation is initiated.

- Freedom of the Seas, the worlds largest cruise ship is delivered by Aker ship yard to owners Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines today. 

- Queen Mary 2 starts on her first world cruise on January 10th, 2007. She departs together with fleetmate Queen Elizabeth 2 from Fort Lauderdale. It is Queen Elizabeth's 25th world cruise.

- Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 80th birthday aboard the small Scottish cruise ship Hebridean Princess. The Queen has chartered the ship for a cruise around the Western Scottish Isles. The Queen's original yacht, the Britannia was donated to the port of Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland for use as a museum because the ship had become too old (44 years old) and thus costly to keep her in service as the Royal Yacht.

                           Hebridean Princess

- The starboard engine of Louis Cruise Lines’ Calypso catches fire whilst on a trip from Tilbury to Guernsey. The ship rapidly fills with smoke and passengers are ordered to get their life jackets and report to their muster stations. However, the crew gets the fire under control quickly. The vessel proceeds under tow to Southampton for repairs. Calypso had been chartered by Dutch cruise agency Cruise Travel to celebrate their 20^th year in the cruise industry. 

- Aker Yards from Finland merges with French Alstom Marine owner of Chantiers de l’Atlantique. Both yards are renowned builders of cruise ships.

- NCL announces it will be the first cruise line to enable passengers to use their cell phone on board all of their ships while at sea. In 2002, NCL was the first cruise line to offer passengers wireless internet access.

- Sad news, Blue Lady, ex Norway, ex France, beaches at Alang for scrapping. Until the final end, rumours surrounded the ship, for example that she might be used as a floating hotel in Dubai. Soon, one of the most famous passenger ships of all times will silently disappear into history. Beaching the ship has been postponed several times, as she has asbestos on board. Finally, the Indian Government granted permission to have her scrapped at Alang after she had been at anchor in heavy seas off the Indian coast for several weeks.

                      Norway      

- Carnival Cruise Lines introduces a new feature. Passengers can view a video in their cabins on which Carnival's famous architect Joe Farcus tours the vessel they are sailing on and explains the central interior-theme of the vessel and the idea behind the decoration of the main public spaces on board.

- RCCL buys Spanish tour operator Pullmantur. Pullmantur currently operates five vessels. Probably vessels will be shifted between both companies. This is the first European brand RCCL now owns.

- The famous former Bergen Line cruise ship Scandinavia ex Stella Polaris is lost south east of Japan while under tow to China. Plans were to refit here there and subsequently operate her as a hotel/ restaurant in the Swedish capital of Stockholm. Stella Polaris had been operated as such for the last three decades in Japan. Recently she had been acquired by Petro Fast from Sweden.

- German operator Holiday Kreuzfahrten surprisingly goes bankrupt. Both vessels chartered by the company, the Mona Lisa and Lili Marleen will finish their Baltic cruises and will be returned to their respective owners.

                         Mona Lisa   

- The prestigious magazine Conde Nast Traveller awards the three Seabourn vessels the highest ranking of all cruise ships in the categories food and service. Since this survey amongst its readers was initiated in 1994, the Seabourn vessels received award after award.

- Carnival joins forces with the Spanish travel company Orizonia Corp. owner of Iberojet which operates two cruise ships, Grand Voyager and Grand Mistral. This deal will give Carnival a stronger foothold in Europe, and Iberojet a chance for fast growth.

- Carnival sells one of its subsidiaries, Windstar Cruises to Ambassador Int. for 100 million dollar. Ambassador is the owner of Majestic Cruise Lines which operates several classic paddle-wheelers like American Queen, Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen etc. 

                                     Wind Surf

- Swan Hellenic Cruises, owned by P&O stops operations after their only ship Minerva II is withdrawn, but will probably continue as a brand after all. The company name and rights are been acquired by former P&O chairman Lord Sterling.

- One of the vessels of Cypriot-bases Louis Cruise Lines, the Sea Diamond (former Birka Princess) strikes rocks near the Greek island of Santorini. Passengers are evacuated and in the early morning hours the Sea Diamond sinks and now lies a 100 metres below the surface. It seems that two passengers are not accounted for after the vessel had been abandoned, a father and his daughter from France.

- German shipyard Blohm and Voss lengthens Fred Olsen Cruise Lines newest vessel Balmoral (former Norwegian Crown of NCL and due to enter service for Fred Olsen in January 2008) with a 30 meter midsection. This increases the ships capacity by one third.

- Problems for NCL. Due to heavy competition in Hawaiian waters leading to downward pricing, NCL announces it will withdraw the Pride of Hawaii and shift her to European waters in early 2008. The company has experienced massive losses in 2006 and 2007.  The ship will be renamed Norwegian Jade.

- First Choice Cruises acquires Quark Expeditions and its fleet of 6 vessels which make expedition cruises. First Choice wants to expand in the expedition cruises market.

- Carnival reveals plans to upgrade cabins and public spaces on board all eight Fantasy vessels between now and 2009. They will also be renamed, as their current names will be preceded by "Carnival".

                                        Fantasy

- Interesting news. Cunard Line announces the sudden and unexpected sale of the famous Queen Elizabeth 2 to Dubai interests for a reported 100 million dollars. She will be used as a luxury floating hotel and entertainment centre, berthed at the Palm Jumeirah, a man-made island in the form of a palm tree. She will be delivered late 2008.

- Royal Caribbean Cruises forms a new cruise line which will aim at the deluxe market: Azamara Cruises. The line will use two former Renaissance R-class ships as Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey 

- For the first time, Carnival Cruise Lines will operate voyages to South America with 14- to 18-day departures featuring extended visits to several destinations in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Chile and Peru aboard the new 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor beginning in January 2009.

- Holland America Line launches As You Wish dining, an innovative program that allows guests to choose from the best of both worlds -- either traditional pre-set seating and dining times, or a completely flexible dining schedule. One level of the two-tiered restaurant will offer flexible open dining service from 5:15 to 9 p.m. daily, and the other will host two seatings, an early and main seating.

- Ocean Majesty and Thomson Spirit collide in the Geiranger Fjord in Norway. One of Ocean Majesty’s lifeboats is damaged as well as Thomson Spirits bow.

- After NCL reported massive losses mostly from its US division (Hawaii) the company will receive a financial injection of $1 billion from Apollo Management, a firm which recently also invested in Oceania Cruises.

- P&O Cruises newbuilding Ventura is to be UK's largest floating art galley. 40 British artists will produce almost 7,000 pieces of modern art worth over 1 million pounds. The collection on board will showcase work from all disciplines including sculpture, photography, digital print, mural, painting, glasswork, lenticular and mosaic.The art will be displayed all around the public areas of the new ship but the three stairwells will be a highlight of the collection, each led by a single artist. 

                                     Ventura

- A new European cruise line is launched by Royal Caribbean Cruises. The new line, to be called CDF Croisieres de France will cater to the French market. Sailings will start in May 2008 using the former Europa, Superstar Aries, Holiday Dream under her new name Blue de France. 

- Finally the Norway can be scrapped. This has been ruled by the high court of India although environmentalists still claimed asbestos and other dangerous substances are present on the vessel. 

- The Explorer, operated by GAP Adventure Cruises sinks of the Argentinean Coast in Antarctican waters after striking a submerged iceberg. The vessel suffers a hole of about 10 cm in the hull and pumps can’t cope. Passengers are transferred to Nordnorge (Hurtigruten cruise ship) and Lindblad Expedition’s Geographic Endeavour. The Explorer, built in 1969 and former Lindblad Explorer, Society Explorer is known for being the first cruise ship to navigate the North West passage in 1984.   

                                       Explorer

- As the transaction between Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and Apollo Management, nears completion and the infusion of $1 billion comes into the company, NCL announces its Freestyle 2.0 fleet wide initiative featuring significant enhancements in its onboard product. The enhancements include a major investment in the total dining experience; upgrading the stateroom experience across the ship; new wide ranging onboard activities for guests of all ages; additional service and amenities for balcony, suite and villa guests; and a re-launch of a tiered Latitudes past guest recognition program.