2000
– 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…..
2001
– Italian Mediterranean Shipping Cruises orders two new ships from Chantiers de ‘Atlantique for delivery in 2003-2004. These ships will be MSC’ s first newbuildings.
– A near sister to Sea Cloud of 1931, the sail cruiser Sea Cloud II is delivered a year late because of problems during fitting out of her interiors.
– Royal Olympia announces plans to reactivate two classics, The Stella Solaris and the Apollon. However, neither of them actually returns to active service.
– Star Cruises plans to shift one of it’s vessels, the Superstar Aries (ex Europa) to subsidiary Orient Lines. She will be renamed Ocean Voyager and will make destination oriented, soft expedition cruises. Nothing happens however.
– Fred Olsen acquires the 1993 built Crown Dynasty of bankrupt Commodore Cruises (parent company of Crown Cruise Line which operated her). She is renamed Breamar.
-Princess Cruises announces that her best known vessel, Pacific Princess, star of the TV-series The love Boat will leave the fleet in 2002.
– Seven Seas Mariner, the world’s first all-suite all balcony cruise ship is christened in the port of Los Angeles. She is owned by Radisson Seven Seas Cruises.
– After finding 35 deficiencies, the UK Coast Guard detain the Ocean Glory, ex Provence, ex Enrico Costa in the port of Dover. She will never sail again, and ends up at the breakers some months later….
– P&O Cruises announces a new brand, A Rosa Cruises, which will aim at younger passengers
– In the autumn of 2001, both Renaissance Cruises (which owns eight brand new vessels) and American Classic Voyages cease operations. Both are victims of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on Sept. 11 which causes a downturn in bookings.
2002
– Several new ships are expected to be taken into service this year: Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend, Carnival Conquest, European Stars, Finnmarken, Trollfjord, Star Princess, Brilliance of the Seas.
– Carnival Cruises reports over 28.000 bookings on one day, January 14th, a record.
– Construction on the largest cruise ship ever, the Queen Mary 2 starts at Chantiers de L’Atlantique.
– Canyon Ranch signs letter of intent: Kvaerner Masa will build two vessels for delivery in 2004-2005.
– A new cruise line called Imperium Cruises is formed. The company plans to lease two former Renaissance vessels, R six and R seven for service in the Indian Ocean, sailing from Dubai to east Africa and Egypt.
– The World, the first cruise ship offering 110 appartments for permanent living on board, is christened in Trondheim, Norway.
– Empress Cruise Line ceases operations. It’ s only vessel, the The Empress will be auctioned off.
– Sun Bay II is returned to her builder, Cassens Werft in Emden, Germany, because booking are very low for her inaugural season. Operator Columbus Seereisen tries to find other employment for this brand new vessel.
– NCL buys the hull of the unfinished American Classic Voyages newbuilding from Northrop’s Ingalls ship yard and the fittings of the second newbuilding.
– A ship yard fire damages the Diamond Princess, a newbuilding for Princess Cruises. The yard, Japanese Mitsubishi Heavy Industries states that 70 % of the vessel is damaged.
– P&O Princess announces a new brand, Ocean Village. The new company aims at a young, active clientele and will operate the former Arcadia as Ocean Village.
– Oceania Cruises is formed, a new cruise line in the de luxe segment. Two former Renaissance vessels will sail for the new company.
2003
– On January 8th., Princess Cruises announces it will be taken over by Carnival Cruises, instead of merging with Royal Caribbean Int as planned in 2002. It’s shareholders agree with Carnivals last bid. The new company will be the largest of it’ s kind in the cruise industry, owning more than 60 ships with almost a 100.000 berths and another 18 ships on order. Carnival now owns the following companies: HAL, Windstar, Seabourn, Cunard, Costa, Princess, P&O UK, P&O Australia, Ocean Village, Swan Hellenic, Aida, A Rosa.
– HRH The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles expresses his support in relation to plans to acquire the classic Windsor Castle which has been in lay up for years in the Greek bay of Elevsis and use her as a floating restaurant, hotel or museum in an English port. She is in a remarkable good condition and virtually unaltered from her Union Castle days.
– P&O Australia’s Pacific Sky is hastily taken out of service as cracks caused by corrosion are found in her hull. After necessary repairs are made, she resumes service.
– The outbreak of SARS (lung illness Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in Asia affects cruise ships schedules as many vessels are redirected at once. Star Cruises, the largest cruise line in the Far East switches two of it’ s vessels to Australian waters.
– In a surprise move, NCL buys two laid up veterans, the famous United States (in lay up since 1969!) and the Independence.
– On April 28th., Regal Cruises goes bankrupt, after an unsuccessful attempt to sell the company. Regal Empress is laid up.
– Dutch shipyard Rotterdamse Droogdok Mij., builders of the Rembrandt, ex Rotterdam in 1959, purchases the vessel which had been in lay up since the collapse of her former owners Premier Cruises in 2000. She will be restored and probably find use as a hotel ship in the port of Rotterdam.
– NCL announces a new brand, NCL America. It’ s ships will be US flagged and crewed. It will start operations in 2004 with the brand new Pride of America and the Pride of Aloha (currently Norwegian Sky) in Hawaiian waters.
– Imperial Majesty Cruise Line acquires the Regal Empress. She will replace the Oceanbreeze, which is shortly thereafter sold for scrap.
– NCL’s Norway suffers a serious boiler explosion. After it becomes clear that the boiler has to be replaced she is towed to Europe, to German Lloyd Werft. Repairs have not been carried out yet, so it remains uncertain if she will ever return to service……
– Both RCI and Carnival announce plans for building the largest passenger ship ever. RCL plans (and later orders) an ‘ ultra Voyager ‘ vessel measuring 160.000 GRT, derived from the Voyager class. Carnival plans an even bigger ship of 180.000 GRT for it’ s subsidiary Princess Cruises for delivery in 2006-2007.
– Carnival announces that the A Rosa brand will merge with the Aida brand; the latter will continue to exist, A Rosa will be phased out.
– Star Cruises order two large vessels (93000GRT) from German Meyer Werft, enlarged versions of NCL’s Norwegian Dawn and Star.
2004
– On January 8th, Queen Elizabeth II christens the world’s largest passenger liner, the Queen Mary 2 in Southampton during a formal naming ceremony.
– 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)
– 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.
– 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.
2005
– 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.
– 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.
– 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.
– 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.
– The cruise industry contributes 32.4 billion dollars to the North American economy in 2005, an increase of 8% compared to 2004. This is the result of passenger on shore spending, maintenance on ships, payments for port services, shoreside staffing and the purchase of goods necessary for ship operations.
