Cruise major Genting Hong Kong is pulling one of the oldest ships in its fleet from service amid suggestions that the ship will be used as floating accommodation in Germany.
Genting HK subsidiary Star Cruises announced last Friday that it would withdraw its 42,300-gt cruiseship SuperStar Libra (built 1988) from cruising on 28 June. All cruises scheduled after that date have been cancelled.
Genting HK gave a cryptic indication about the SuperStar Libra’s future, saying in a written statement that the ship was being redeployed “to facilitate other arrangements of Genting Hong Kong”.
Widespread suggestions in Asian cruise circles indicate that the ship will be heading to Wismar in northern Germany, where it will be used as an accommodation vessel for workers building new cruiseships at Genting HK-owned MV Werften.
MV Werften is constructing a series of cruiseships for Genting HK's Star Cruises and Crystal Cruises brands. Its yard in Stralsund has begun work on the first of a series of 19,500-gt expedition cruiseships for Crystal Cruises, while its Wismar complex is poised to begin building 204,000-gt cruiseships for Star Cruises.
The SuperStar Libra was built for Norwegian Cruise Line under the name of Seaward, later changing to the Norwegian Sea. The ship was transferred to Star Cruises in 2008, eight years after Star Cruises' takeover of Norwegian Cruise Line.
The ship is the most widely travelled of the Star Cruises fleet. It has operated in Europe, India and throughout Asia. Most recently, it was on short cruises in Malaysian waters.
