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Cruise & Maritime Voyages

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Cruise & Maritime Voyages
IndustryTravel and tourism
Founded2010
Defunct20 July 2020
FateAdministration and subsequent cessation of services
Area served
British Market, Australian Market, US Market
ProductsCruises
Number of employees
200–500
SubsidiariesTransocean Tours
Websitewww.cruiseandmaritime.com

Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) was a British passenger shipping company headquartered in Purfleet, Essex, United Kingdom.[1][2][3] The company ceased operations in 2020 and entered administration.

History

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Cruise & Maritime Voyages was formed in 2009, by parent organisation Cruise & Maritime Services International, after their German based Transocean Tours (for whom they were the UK representative) filed for bankruptcy.[4]

Cruise & Maritime Voyages positioned itself as "Providing ex-UK 'no fly' cruising holidays aboard smaller and medium-sized classic and more traditional style ships."[5] The company served an adult market, with an onboard style of traditional entertainment, dining and rooms using a fleet of older vessels.[6]

In December 2019, it was announced that the company acquired two new ships, P&O Australia's Pacific Dawn and Pacific Aria.[7]

In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cruise & Maritime Voyages temporarily halted operations, with the majority of ships laid up in Tilbury. On the 23 June 2020, five ships within the CMV fleet were detained by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, including the MV Columbus, MV Vasco da Gama, MV Astoria, MS Astor, and MS Marco Polo over crew welfare concerns after inspections revealed "expired and invalid seafarers employment agreements, late payment of wages and crews who had been on board for over 12 months." The MS Magellan was also inspected by the Agency but was not detained.[8]

Sky News reported on 15 July 2020 that the company was facing insolvency and was in talks with VGO Capital Management, which Sky described as "a special situations investor with expertise in the shipping industry", for additional financing. The company had previously sought a financing agreement with private equity firm Novalpina Capital; this attempt failed after Barclays declined to offer the company a state-backed loan.[9] Attempts to secure financing failed, and the company, including its German subsidiary, entered administration with Duff & Phelps Ltd. on 20 July 2020, with all trading ceased and all sales offices closed with immediate effect.[10]

It was reported on 19 August 2020 that the company's ships were actively for sale on the secondhand market, and that the Administrators were "said to be struggling with crew repatriation."[11] In November, at an auction sale, the company's fleet (excepting Astoria, which the company operated under charter from Bank Montepio of Lisbon) was sold for US$ 23,419,000.[12]


Just a few weeks before the outbreak of the pandemic, in November and December 2019, three ships of the fleet, the Marco Polo, the Magellan and the Astor underwent a maintenance and repair programme at Damen Shipyard in Amsterdam.[13]

Fleet

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The following ships were operated or were scheduled to be operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages.

Ship Class Built In service for CMV Tonnage Flag Notes Image
Marco Polo Ivan Franko class 1965 2010–2020 22,080 GT and 19,860 GRT  Bahamas In 2009, the ship was chartered for cruising as the line's first ship and was operated as an adults-only (16 and above) vessel, marketed at cash short consumers, with multiple departure points in the UK along with exotic itineraries.[14] After CMV entered administration, she was sold for US$ 2,770,000. First Marco Polo became a floating hotel in Dumbai. After a mooring at Persian Gulf with her fate unknown the ship sold for scrap at Alang, India in January 2021.
Ocean Countess 1975 2010–2012 17,593 GT  Portugal In 2010, the ship was chartered as the second ship of the fleet.[15] Replaced in 2012 by the Discovery[16] and subsequently sold for scrap in 2013 after a fire destroyed the ship.[17]
Discovery 1971 2013–2014 20,216 GT  Bermuda Ship entered the fleet in February 2013, replacing the Ocean Countess.[18][16] She was sold for scrap as Amen at Alang, India in October 2014.[19]
Astor 1987 2013–2020 20,704 GT  Bahamas The ship was due to leave the Transocean Tours fleet in May 2021 and was to have been refurbished and renamed as Jules Verne, after which she would have sailed out of Le Havre and Marseille for Cruise & Maritime Voyages's new French brand.[20][21] After CMV entered administration, she was sold at auction for US$ 1,710,000. Scrapped in Aliağa, Turkey in 2020.
Astoria 1948 2015–2020 15,614 GRT  Portugal Chartered from Portuscale Cruises to replace the slightly bigger MV Discovery.[22] Prior to Cruise & Maritime Voyages entering administration, Astoria was scheduled to leave the CMV fleet in October 2020.[23] After CMV entered administration, she was returned to Montepio, her Lisbon-based owner.
Magellan Holiday class 1985 2015–2020 46,052 GT  Bahamas Ship was transferred from Ibero Cruises in 2015[24] and served as the flagship of the fleet until 2017.[citation needed] After CMV entered administration, she was sold at auction to Seajets for US$ 3,431,000. In January 2021 the ship was sold for scrap as Mages at Alang, India
Columbus 1989 2017–2020 63,500 GT  Bahamas Formerly sailed as the Pacific Pearl for P&O Australia. Became cruise line's flagship upon entering the fleet on 11 June 2017.[25] After CMV entered administration, she was sold at auction to Seajets for US$ 5,321,000 and later resold for scrap.
Vasco da Gama Statendam class 1993 2019–2020 55,451 GT  Bahamas Sold to Cruise & Maritime Voyages in 2018; formerly Pacific Eden and Statendam. Sailed for part of the year under the Transocean Tours brand in Europe, and under the Cruise & Maritime Voyages brand in Australia in the summer replacing Astor.[26][27] After CMV entered administration, she was sold at auction to Mystic Invest for US$ 10,187,000.[28]
Amy Johnson 1991 2021 (planned but never entered service)[29] 70,285 GT N/A Sold to CMV in 2019 by P&O Cruises Australia with planned delivery in 2021, where she is sailing as Pacific Dawn. After CMV entered administration, P&O sold her to Ocean Builders, which planned to rename her Satoshi and convert her into a floating hotel in Panama.[30]
Ida Pfeiffer Statendam class 1994 2021 (planned but never entered service)[29] 55,819 GT N/A Sold to CMV in 2019 by P&O Cruises Australia with planned delivery in 2021. where she is sailing as Pacific Aria. After CMV entered administration, P&O sold her to Seajets.[31]

References

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  1. ^ Reinikainen, Kari (14 August 2009). "New cruise brand with two ships to launch in the UK in 2010". Cruise Business Online. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  2. ^ "Cruise & Maritime Voyages launches 2010/2011 winter preview". Travel Weekly. 31 December 2009. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  3. ^ "Cruise & Maritime Voyages – Contact Us". Cruiseandmaritime.com. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  4. ^ "Trans Ocean Files for Bankruptcy". Cruisecritic.co.uk. 4 September 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  5. ^ "About Us (Company Website)". Cruiseandmaritime.com. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  6. ^ "New UK Cruise Liner Launched | Travel News". Comparecarhire.co.uk. 15 August 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  7. ^ "Cruise and Maritime Voyages Acquires Two Ships". Travel Agent Central. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  8. ^ Holland, Kaye (23 June 2020). "Five cruise ships seized in UK ports over 'serious concerns' for crew". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  9. ^ Kleinman, Mark (15 July 2020). "Coronavirus: Cruise operator CMV in last-ditch bid to stay afloat". Sky News. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  10. ^ Kalosh, Anne (20 July 2020). "Cruise & Maritime Voyages goes into administration". Seatrade Cruise News. Archived from the original on 21 July 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  11. ^ "CMV Cruise Ship Fleet Sits in Limbo Status". Cruise Industry News. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  12. ^ "Here's What an Entire Cruise Fleet Sold for at Auction". Cruise Industry News. 8 November 2020. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  13. ^ https://www.maritimejournal.com/mj-directory/damen/damen-shiprepair-amsterdam-completes-triple-cruise-ship-maintenance-and-repair-programme/1224092.supplierarticle [bare URL]
  14. ^ "New UK Liner". Comparecarhire.co.uk. 15 August 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  15. ^ "Ocean Countess". Archived from the original on 22 February 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  16. ^ a b Mathisen, Oivind (7 September 2012). "Discovery to Join Cruise and Maritime After Drydock".
  17. ^ "Cunard Countess (7358561)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  18. ^ Staff, CIN (30 August 2012). "All Leisure Group Enters Agreement to Jointly Market Discovery with CMV".
  19. ^ "All Leisure Sells MV Discovery Cruise Ship – Cruise & Maritime Voyages". cruisecritic.com.
  20. ^ Knego, Peter (8 February 2013). "ASTOR Heading "Down Under" For CMV". Maritime Matters. Archived from the original on 31 March 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  21. ^ Write a Review (7 February 2013). "Cruise Line Charters Ship for U.K.-Australia Cruises – Cruise & Maritime Voyages". Cruisecritic.co.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  22. ^ Staff, CIN (27 June 2014). "CMV to Charter Azores from Portuscale".
  23. ^ Rizzo, Cailey (28 January 2020). "The World's Oldest Operating Cruise Ship Has Survived Crashes and Somali Pirates — but It's Almost Ready to Retire". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  24. ^ Staff, CIN (3 November 2014). "Grand Holiday to CMV".
  25. ^ Stone, Deborah (9 March 2016). "Cruise & Maritime Voyages to add AMAZING new ship to fleet".
  26. ^ "Cruise Holidays and Deals | Cruise & Maritime Voyages US". Cruiseandmaritime.com. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  27. ^ Mathisen, Monty (7 March 2018). "Pacific Eden Sold to Cruise and Maritime Voyages".
  28. ^ "Mystic Cruises buys Vasco da Gama, first CMV ship to be auctioned". seatrade-cruise.com. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  29. ^ a b "Two more ships for 2021!". 28 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  30. ^ "Former P&O Cruise Ship Slated to Become Floating Community off Panama". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  31. ^ "Iliopoulos strikes again with another Carnival cruiseship buy | TradeWinds". TradeWinds | Latest shipping and maritime news. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
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