Fred Olsen adds NCL ship
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines is to acquire a ship from Norwegian Cruise Line.
Norwegian Crown, at 32,242 tons the smallest vessel in the NCL fleet, is due to join Fred Olsen in November 2007. It will undergo an extensive refit before entering service with a new name early in 2008, Fred Olsen confirmed.
The move is part of a fleet overhaul plan by NCL owner Star Cruises by 2010 which will see another ship, 50,000 ton Norwegian Wind, join the Asian sister sister line and new vessels arrive.
Fred Olsen currently operates four ships with a range of mainly ex-UK cruises and Norwegian Crown will be an addition to the fleet.
Fred Olsen chairman Fred Olsen Jnr said: “This latest ship will fit perfectly into our existing fleet of small to medium-sized vessels, and will extend our range of itineraries considerably. The British cruise market continues to exapnd and this acquisition demonstrates our commitment to this exciting industry.”
NCL Corporation president and CEO Colin Veitch was quoted as saying: “Although a beautiful and well-maintained vessel, Norwegian Crown’s smaller size is less suitable for Star Cruises’ ambitions in Asia. Fred Olsen Cruise Lines specialises in operating smaller and mid-sized upscale vessels and this ship should fit perfectly in their fleet.”
Norwegian Crown was launched in 1988 as Crown Odyssey and carries 1,100 passengers in 552 cabins.
The ship will complete Bermuda cruises for NCL next summer before transferring to Fred Olsen.
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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