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An unusually high number of well-known ships have been withdrawn from service in the past year. In many cases it’s because they didn’t comply with new safety regulations

You have fond memories of a cruise a few years ago and you are about to book a cabin aboard the same ship for your next vacation. Then you suddently find that, although the name is the same, the ship is entirely different. Alternatively, you might find yourself aboard a ship, supposedly for the first time – but then it begins to look strangely familiar and you find you have sailed aboard this ship before when it had a different name, and probably a different owner.

Welcome to the volatile world of the cruise industry, in which ships keep changing hands, are shuffled from one company to another, or are sold for scrap – often just as the next edition of this book is going to press. That’s one reason why I provide readers with updates by email (see page 692) and why I encourage them to invest in a new edition of the book each year. Below is a summary of just a few of the recent changes.

A year of change
The year 2010 will be regarded is a milestone in the modern cruise industry, and a turning point for ship owners, shipbuilders and outfitters alike. The reason is that new regulations, brought in under what is best known as SOLAS 2010, prohibit the use of all but a tiny percentage of real wood in new cruise ship interiors. The adoption of SOLAS 2010 (Safety of Life at Sea) regulations by all 136 countries of the United Nations means that ships that no longer comply with these regulations must be withdrawn from service and retired – no longer able to sail. Alternatively, they will be sold for other purposes, perhaps adapted for use as floating hotels, or training centers. Some ships will also be retired by their owners simply because they are uneconomical to operate in today’s ­economically challenging climate.

In order to comply with the latest SOLAS regulations, older ships would need to undergo major restructuring of fire zones and other complicated changes to the ship’s structure – an expensive procedure that would usually be economically unviable.

Withdrawals started in late 2008 with the retirement of such illustrious ships as Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2). This was followed by the withdrawal from the international market of Black Prince, Blue Monarch, Ivory, New Flamenco, Ocean Majesty, Oceanic, Princesa Marissa, Regal Empress and Saga Rose.

Some ships, however, will have been withdrawn or retired simply because they have been sold to other owners, or will begin a new life under a new name or brand. Examples include Celebrity Galaxy, now Mein Schiff for TUI Cruises; MSC Rhapsody, now Golden Iris for Mano Cruise; and World Discoverer, now Prince Albert II for Silversea Expedition Cruises.

Another example is the former 80-passenger boutique ship Hebridean Spirit, which was sold in late 2008 to a private buyer in the Middle East for use as a private yacht, as was easyCruise One, while Fred Olsen Cruise Line’s Black Prince was sold in May 2009 to a Venezuelan buyer.

Still others will simply change names as they are acquired by tour operators for language-specific markets, or for new entrants into the international cruise marketplace. It’s the constantly changing world of cruising.

The name of the game
Princess Cruises’ Tahitian Princess has changed its name to Ocean Princess, to reflect its wider range of itineraries.

The new behemoth
Royal Caribbean International’s 220,000-ton Oasis of the Seas has become the world’s largest cruise ship. It carries 5,400 passengers (two per cabin), and a maximum of 6,295 (with all beds/berths filled). One of its most notable aspects is its Royal Promenade, a central area is open to the skies and containing trees, benches, dining venues, and the inevitable shops. 

 Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2010