With so much of the global travel and tourism industry having been so badly affected by COVID-19, it is hard to highlight one over another as the industry picture overall is pretty dire and coming from me, the eternal optimist, that is saying something.
Having said that, cruising has taken a very severe hammering, with all that further compounded by the very sad news this week that Cruise & Maritime Voyages Ltd, also known as CMV and its sister companies South Quay Travel & Leisure Ltd, Independent Coach Travel (Wholesaling) Ltd and Viceroy Ltd, have all gone into administration, ceasing trading immediately with the knock on effect that its sales office in Australia, has also ceased trading, with pretty certainly all the staff being laid off and 50,000 disappointed cruisers
While that is itself is extremely sad, the administration of CMV does have an additional impact on Australia.
Why?
Because recently, Pacific Aria built in 1994 for Holland America Line as Ryndam, but now owned and operated by P&O Cruises Australia, and Pacific Dawn, built in 1991 for Sitmar Cruises and delivered to Princess Cruises and operated as Regal Princess, also now owned and operated by P&O Cruises Australia, had both been sold to CMV and reportedly were due to be handed over in 2021.
I did try and contact both CMV and P&O Australia today, but could not and to be fair to them and not surprisingly and understandably, both companies must be very busy. I also doubt that either would be able to give me any information about the destiny of these two vessels, which I am sure will emerge in the coming weeks, nevertheless an interesting dilemma for both companies, I imagine.
The other question I suppose is what happens to CMV’s owned and chartered fleet including the following:
- Marco Polo – built in 1965 – a classic liner but maybe her days are over.
- Astor – built in 1987 – in CMV’s Transocean Fleet and due to leave in May 2021, renamed as Jules Verne to sail for CMVs new French brand.
- Astoria – built in 1948 – scheduled to leave the fleet in October 2020.
- Magellan- built in 1985 – Holiday-class formerly owned by Carnival Cruise Line as Holiday and Ibero Cruises as the Grand Holiday.
- Columbus – built in 1989 – formerly P&O Australia Pacific Pearl – bought from P&O Australia in 2018.
- Vasco de Gama – built in 1993 – formerly Holland America’s Statendam and then P&O Australia’s Pacific Eden – bought from P&O Australia in 2018.
- Amy Johnson – built in 1991 – formerly Regal Princess and then P&O Australia’s Pacific Dawn – was to transfer to CMV in 2021 and was to be the new fleet flagship – future unknown.
- Ida Pfeiffer – built in 1994 – formerly Holland America’s Ryndam and then P&O Australia’s Pacific Aria was to transfer to CMV in 2021 – future unknown.
I am sure we all hope that CMV can rise like a phoenix from the ashes or maybe more appropriately like a dolphin from the waves and sail again.
In the meantime, the toll of ships being sold or scrapped continues to mount, with the latest list looking something like the following – please feel free to add if you know of others:-
Pre COVID-19
Costa
Costa Atlantica – sold to China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC)
Costa Mediterranea – sold to China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC)
P&O Australia
Pacific Jewel – sold to Zen Cruises
Pacific Aria – sold to CMV, but now destiny unknown
Pacific Dawn – sold to CMV, but now destiny unknown
Holland America
Prinsendam – sold to Phoenix Reisen
P&O UK
Oriana – sold to CTS China
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As a result of COVID-19
P&O UK
P&O Oceana – sold to unknown operator – refit Greece
Costa
Costa neoRomanitca – sold to Celestyal Cruises Greece
Costa Victoria – scrap
Holland America
Maasdam – sold to unknown
Veendam – sold to unknown
Amsterdam – sold to Fred. Olsen
Rotterdam – sold to Fred. Olsen
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Fantasy – scrap
Carnival Inspiration – scrap
Carnival Fantasy – scrap
Carnival Ecstasy – possible sale or scrap
Carnival Elation – possible sale or scrap
Carnival Sunrise – possible sale or scrap
Pullmantur
Monarch – scrap
Sovereign – scrap
Horizon – scrap
A report by John Alwyn-Jones
Tags: global travel and tourism industry, cruising