Undisclosed shipbreakers have acquired the 30,400-gt cruise-ferry Ocean Grand (built 1991) after its Japanese owner, theme-park operator Huis Ten Bosch (HTB), failed to find a trading buyer.
The Ocean Grand had been languishing at a shipyard on the Indonesian island of Batam for more than two years after the collapse of Singaporean casino cruise company Grand Cruises Holdings (GCH), which had taken it on charter in 2013 in an attempt to compete with land-based casinos in Singapore.
The former ropax ferry was converted for its new role in China, but the large volume of Singaporean punters that were expected never came. Within a year, GCH had shut down and the ship was left anchored off Batam. Sources claim that GCH abandoned the crew, who were left onboard without food or power. When HTB retook possession of its ship, it had to pay off the crew and cover other debts.
The sale ends what appears to have been a disastrous foray into the cruise business for HTB, which acquired the Ocean Grand from Greek ferry operator Agoudimos Lines in 2011. The aim was to launch a cruise-ferry service taking Chinese passengers to its Dutch-themed amusement park in Japan.
HTB was forced to abandon the service several months later when the Chinese government discouraged tourism to Japan after a diplomatic spat. The ship sat in lay-up until GCH appeared on the scene.
