Mystic Cruises has purchased the 1993-built 55,400 gt cruise ship ’Vasco de Gama’ at auction.
She was involved in the ongoing auction of the cruise ships owned by the Global Maritime Group of Greece, previously operated Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV).
Last month, the UK Admiralty Court instructed the auctions of five of the cruise ships.
The first two auctions have been completed and three more are due to close soon.
Mário Ferreira, Mystic Invest Holding President, parent company of Mystic Cruises, said that the company had taken the opportunity to grow its current fleet and to better position it for the expected rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our focus is on smaller cruise ships, under 1,000 passengers, to create a more personalised, safe and intimate cruise experience for our guests,” he said. “We believe that this segment of the market is better placed to answer to what cruisers will expect in the near future.”
Currently laid up at Tilbury, UK together with other former CMV operated cruise ships, Mystic said that it plans to use the vessel for the British and German markets under Mystic Cruises ownership.
“Our company believes in offering an intimate, safe and great value for money experience to our guests, we believe that the ’Vasco da Gama’ will be a great addition to our fleet of ocean cruise ships,” Ferreira added.
The other ship to be auctioned, ‘Columbus’ (pictured) was sold to undisclosed interests, thought to be Turkish, for about $7 mill.
It was believed that the new owner will not operate her.
The auctions of the other three ships – ‘Astor’, ’Magellan’ and ’Marco Polo’ – were due to be completed as ICSI went to press.
Another vessel due to be operated by CMV’s German operation, Transocean, the ‘Pacific Adria’ was sold to Greek owner Seajets in a separate transaction.
Meanwhile, the returning crew of Fred.Olsen’s former cruise ship ‘Boudicca’, having completed their obligatory quarantine, took her sister ‘Black Watch’ out from layup in Rosyth, Scotland on 21st October.
Like the ‘Boudicca’, she sailed to Tuzla to become an accommodation ship.
The crew had to go into quarantine upon their return from Turkey, having delivered the ‘Boudicca’ to her Turkish buyers from Rosyth.
