A cruise by the name of ‘Fortu’ was delivered to India’s Alang shiprecyclers on 2nd February.
She will be better known as the 1982-built ‘Song of America’, which at the time was one of the world’s largest cruise ships at 37,500 gt.
She joined the fleet of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in which she operated for about 17 years, before being sold to a UK interest who renamed her ‘Sun Bird’.
The cruise ship then became part of Louis Cruises’ fleet but was chartered to Thomson Holidays, now part of the TUI empire under the Marella Cruises banner, and was renamed ‘Thomson Destiny’.
In 2012, she joined Celestyal Cruises as the ‘Celestyal Olympia’ before being retired in late 2023. Early last year, she was sold to a flag of convenience company and was renamed ‘Bella Fortuna’ and was anchored off the UAE.
Her name was shortened to ’Fortu’ and she was reflagged to Comoros. She left UAE waters on 22nd January this year for recycling.
