Low-profile Aqua Explorer Holdings has acquired the oldest ship operating in the Saga Cruises fleet.
The IHS Ships Register indicates that ownership of the 18,600-gt cruiseship Saga Pearl II (built 1981) was switched to the newly formed British Virgin Islands-registered company shortly after the ship completed its final cruise with Saga last week.
The ship, with its name shortened to Pearl II, departed Portland in the UK last Friday, and is currently heading for Gibraltar.
Its future is the subject of many rumours within the cruise industry at present.
Some cruise industry sources suggested that the ship has been sold to Greek-backed interests and will be extensively refitted for further cruising in the Aegean.
Other industry sources believe the ship may have been sold for scrap.
Saga Cruises has given no indication about the ship’s future purpose, and Aqua Explorer Holdings could not be reached for comment as it has no listed contact details.
Saga Cruises is replacing the Saga Pearl II with a 58,200-gt newbuilding that is under construction at Meyer Werft. The new ship is scheduled to enter service as the Spirit of Discovery in July.
The German cruiseship builder will deliver an identical sistership, the Spirit of Adventure, to Saga Cruises in August next year. The company has previously stated that it would sell the 37,000-gt cruiseship Saga Sapphire (built 1981) once its second newbuilding is delivered.
Saga Cruises has operated the Saga Pearl II since 2010. Hamburg-based harbour cruise and ferry operator Hadag ordered the ship, originally called the Astor, at Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft. It was quickly sold to Safmarine, which attempted briefly to run a UK to South Africa passenger liner service.
When that service failed, the ship was sold to Deutsche Seerederei of then-East Germany and spent much of its career operating under charter to German tour companies Seetours and Transocean, until Saga Cruises entered the picture.
The sale by Saga Cruises comes at a time when an increasing number of cruiseships built in the early to mid-1980s are being sold for scrap rather than for further trading.
Last November, the Louis Group of Cyprus sold the 33,900-gt cruiseship Marella Spirit (built 1983) to shipbreakers at Alang, while earlier deals also saw the 47,700-gt cruiseship Henna (built 1986), the 40,200-gt cruiseship Ocean Gala-1 (built 1982) and the 7,700-gt cruiseship Jia Ri (built 1986) end their careers on Alang’s beaches.
