Cruising 2002: year-end review: passengers enjoy smooth sailing from homeland ports, while eyeing overseas travel for next year - Industry Overview

Cruise Travel, Jan-Feb, 2003 by Theodore W. Scull

The World, the floating condominium resort from ResidenSea, entered service on a delayed schedule in Europe after a May christening in Venice. The 43,000-grt ship offers 110 private units for sale and 88 guest units for rent. In addition, she offers a full-size tennis court, golf range simulator, marina, indoor and outdoor pool, a half-dozen restaurants, gourmet food delicatessen, lounges, bars, and a cinema. Following a season in Europe, she crossed the Atlantic to New York and other East Coast ports to show the flag, then sailed south to the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal to the West Coast at year's end. Sales beyond the original 80 apartments sold have been very slow, and the firm is reportedly losing money.

Across the pond in April, Festival Cruises (known as First European Cruises stateside) introduced the European Stars, the 1,500-passenger sister to the European Vision, on a seven-day Western Mediterranean program from Barcelona. And Royal Olympic Cruises finally took delivery of the 25,000-grt, speedy 28-knot Olympia Explorer, and she had a very good first season, embarking passengers in Venice and Piraeus for a one-week Eastern Mediterranean itinerary. At short notice, sister Olympia Voyager moved from her Houston base to Greece to begin an alternative one-week Eastern Mediterranean itinerary. Fleetmates Stella Solaris did not operate in 2002, while the Stella Oceanis is currently laid up near Athens and is unlikely to operate again.

Delta Queen Steamboat Company, after shutting down following the bankruptcy of American Classic Voyages, began sailing again under the new ownership of Delaware North, a hospitality company. The Mississippi Queen made her first cruise in May, and the Delta Queen restarted in late August. The American Queen is due to begin operating again on January 18, 2003.

DQ's former Columbia Queen was bought by American West Steamboat Company to run alongside the Queen of the West, while the 226-passenger Cape May Light and Cape Cod Light are still out of service. ACV's American Hawaii Cruises' Independence moved into the mothball fleet upriver from San Francisco, as the Patriot was handed back to Carnival Corporation for the price of the mortgage. She will operate under charter to Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines, who will subcharter her to the British firm Thomson Holidays as the Thomson Spirit.

The two Norwegian companies operating for Norwegian Coastal Voyages took delivery of the Finnmarken and Trollfjord, both ships with more cruise amenities than the rest of the 11-ship fleet. Both the veteran cargo-passenger ships Harald Jarl and Lofoten left the rotation, with the 1956-built Nordstjernen filling in for the Nordnorge when she goes off to South America and Antarctica for the winter 2002-2003. An even larger replacement for the first of the line's three "mid-generation" ships--originally built in the early 1980s, then enlarged--is due next year. She will be named Midnatsol, replacing the current ship of that same name.