Sunday, March 31, 2024

Cruise ship guide: 20 popular lines explained

premier cruise line

Disney had already started its own cruise line business, leaving Premier Cruise Lines out in the cold. Premier quickly affiliated itself with the Looney Tunes characters to keep up the family image. But, cruise Lines such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise lines, and Princess Cruises began building 100,000 gross ton ships and with lots of attractive extras such as mini-golf courses, 24-hour pizzerias, and even ice skating rinks!

Seabourn

Therefore, it’s crucial to carefully assess and mitigate the environmental impact of lost cruise ships to minimize their damage and prevent long-term ecological repercussions. Efforts should focus on preventing accidents, improving safety measures, and establishing effective emergency response plans to protect both human life and the environment. In a surprising turn of events, it’s been revealed that Greek ferry operator Seajets is the new owner of the 77,499-gt cruiseship Oceana.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Their ships initially sailed out of Port Canaveral in Florida and would run three- and four-day trips to Nassau and Salt Cay in the Bahamas. Premier decided to look for ways to improve the leisure cruise industry by attracting an older generation of cruisers who would bring their children and grandchildren for a short getaway. One of the ways Premier Cruise Lines set themselves apart from the competition, was by introducing kids clubs and activities on their ships. Each group consisted of a specific age range of kids which allowed them to safely interact with each other.

Silversea Cruises

The river fleet continued to be built up in the later 1990s, both with brand-new boats and a number of "nearly new" ones bought from competitors. It was ranked in the top 10 of small-ship cruises for seven years in a row by readers of Conde Nast Traveler from 2000 to 2006. The 1990s also brought expansion to the oceangoing fleet with sailing vessel Lili Marleen in 1994 and then, in 1998, 513-passenger Deutschland.

Holland America

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The Big Red Boat III sailed until the demise of the company in 2000 when she was eventually sold for scrap and was laid up in Alang, India. That same year the SS Rotterdam was put up for sale by Carnival Corporation from their Holland America Line fleet due to the exorbitant cost to bring the ship up to ADA compliance. Premier stepped in to purchase her, performed the necessary upgrades at half the projected cost and reintroduced her as SS Rembrandt. Eventually she was purchased by her namesake city and was docked in Rotterdam where she lives on to this day as a museum and hotel.

How Many Cruise Ships Are Lost at Sea?

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In that year, the former R-8 of Renaissance Cruises replaced Minerva I and became 30,277-ton Minerva II, with a passenger capacity nearly twice that of the original Minerva. In April 2007, Carnival Corporation pulled the plug on the one-ship Swan Hellenic operation, and the line vanished, with Minerva II going to Princess Cruises as Royal Princess. Shortly after, Lord Jeffrey Sterling, who had been chairman of P&O, bought the Swan Hellenic name, sold it to All Leisure and resumed Swan Hellenic's operations in May 2008 with himself as Chairman. A series of geopolitical events and terrorist incidents in Europe, North Africa and Turkey hit All Leisure (and, therefore, Swan Hellenic) hard, and the company went out of business in 2017. It all began with Premier, the company that operated the Big Red Boat until 199After years of entertaining families and creating lasting memories, the decision was made to part ways with these beloved ships.

The Environmental Impact of Scrapping the Big Red Boat and Other Decommissioned Ships.

premier cruise line

Both ships were passed to Norwegian Caribbean Line (later called Norwegian Cruise Line) that same year, and the company ceased operations. The direct predecessor to Celebration Cruise Line, Imperial Majesty Cruise Line operated two- and three-night party cruises between Port Everglades and Nassau from 1999 to 2009. Its first cruise ship, OceanBreeze, was replaced in 2003 by Regal Empress. A week after Imperial Majesty ceased operations in 2009, the route was taken over by Celebration Cruise Line, which was owned by the same parent company. All crew and provisions were moved from Regal Empress to Bahamas Celebration.

premier cruise line

This also allowed for the grown-ups to have a stress-free vacation while still being together as a family. Premier Cruise Line was formed in 1983 by two cruise veterans, Bjornar Hermansen and Bruce Nierenberg, under a licensing agreement with the Walt Disney World Resort, and was the direct predecessor to the Disney Cruise Line. In 1992, The Walt Disney Company decided to establish their own cruise line and terminated their licensing agreements with the company. Premier then entered into a similar licensing agreement with Warner Bros. featuring the Looney Tunes characters, in order to maintain its family friendly image.

Carnival Cruise Lines operated a ship named the SS Festivale which was chartered to Dolphin Cruise Line in 1996. When Premier Cruise Line took over in 1997, they performed maintenance on the ship and reintroduced her a year later as The Big Red Boat III. This was due, in part, to the declining attendance and lack of interest to sail on the currently aging fleet.

Both versions of the Big Red Boat, known as I and II, ultimately met their demise when they were sold for scrap. Yes, you read that correctly – these majestic vessels no longer grace the open seas. The disappearance of the Big Red Boat was a bittersweet moment for Disney enthusiasts. While the introduction of Disney Cruise Line brought a more comprehensive Disney experience to the seas, it also meant saying goodbye to the beloved floating wonderland that once was. The Big Red Boat may no longer sail the ocean waves, but it’s legacy lives on in the hearts and memories of those fortunate enough to have experienced it’s magic.

The line's ship, Orpheus, proved extremely popular, and the it developed a large and loyal following, affectionately known as "Swans." In 1983, the firm was sold to P&O Cruises but was kept separate and maintained its singular identity. Then, in 1996, Swan Hellenic chartered an unfinished Ukrainian spy ship and turned it into the 12,500-ton, full-time cruise ship Minerva. By 2003, Carnival Corporation owned P&O Cruises and, therefore, Swan Hellenic.

Ports of call included Freeport, Nassau and Salt Cay, a small island just a few miles from Nassau. With just four ships, each holding fewer than 700 passengers, Azamara is one of the smallest players in the cruise business. But it has a loyal following of travelers who appreciate the upscale ambience of its vessels, the inclusive amenities it offers (including gratuities and alcoholic drinks) and its destination focus.

After the sale event, Premier Cruises Lines merged with Dolphin Cruise Line, Premier Cruises and Seawind Cruises (to be headed up by the original person who started the line, Bruce Nierenberg). This changed their business strategies, cancelling all of their international marketing agreements to work alongside Thomson Holidays, Pullmantur and other cruise lines. In doing this, several of those marketing partners built up their own independent cruise lines including Thomson Holidays who became part of one of the largest travel groups in the world, TUI. The second and third ships that were added to the fleet were the StarShip Majestic and StarShip Atlantic. They joined in 1988 with a guest capacity of 1,027 and 1,600 passengers, respectively. Starship Majestic was purchased form Princess, a P&O Cruises subsidiary at the time, where she underwent a transformation to house the family-friendly atmosphere.

"We did some incredible things. We brought families into the cruise business. We took our ships and made them child- and family-friendly." Hermansen brought the multi-day cruise industry to Port Canaveral in 1984 when he and business partner, Bruce Nierenberg, began Premier Cruise Lines and partnered with The Walt Disney Co. Launched in 2010, one-ship line Voyages to Antiquity was the latest effort from cruise entrepreneur Gerry Herrod, who headed up Ocean Cruise Line, Orient Lines and Discovery Cruises.

Defunct Cruise Lines History

premier cruise line

During Premier's reorganization in the mid 1990s all but the Oceanic (Big Red Boat I) were sold off. Later, the Rembrandt, formerly the Rotterdam of Holland America Lines, was added to the line. These trips provide unforgettable worship opportunities and Biblical insight from acclaimed experts and speakers.

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premier cruise line

The parent company of several cruise brands, American Classic Voyages operated between 1993 and 2001. It's best known brands were Delta Queen Steamboat Company and American Hawaii Cruises, though it also operated Delta Queen Coastal Voyages and United States Lines. The company declared bankruptcy in 2001, and all sailings were canceled except for those on Delta Queen, which continued running through early January 2002. It’s a sad ending for Premier Cruise Lines, a company that helped incubate the Disney Cruise Line.

Virgin Voyages

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The modern iteration of Disney Cruise Line (DCL) began with Disney Magic in 1998 and Disney Wonder in 1999. These two sister ships carry 1,754 passengers in 875 staterooms, Magic with art deco and Wonder with art nouveau themes. Sadly, Premier Cruise Lines is no longer with us, but this popular cruise line had a good run that lasted nearly twenty years. Conflicting reports state that the company was formed by two cruise veterans and later bought by Dial Corporation — who also owned the Greyhound Bus Company.

premier cruise line

Travel Dynamics Cruise Line History

Silversea Cruises is also known for its industry-leading array of off-the-beaten-path itineraries. As with other luxury lines, Seabourn offers a wide range of itineraries around the globe. It also recently jumped into more adventurous, expedition-style cruising with two new 264-passenger vessels designed to operate in polar regions such as Antarctica and the Arctic.

This Miami-based luxury line operates some of the most opulent vessels at sea, including three recently unveiled Explorer-class ships billed as the most expensive luxury vessels ever built on a cost-per-berth basis. This much-beloved luxury line recently restarted operations under new owners after shutting down for 18 months. For years, it was considered the ultimate luxury cruise operator, and our take after sailing on Crystal Serenity after its relaunch is that the line is even better than before. But it recently announced plans to expand rapidly with four more ships over the next six years. The line prides itself on offering longer stays in ports, including multi-day visits. Pricing is higher than at the big, mass-market lines but not quite as high as you'll find at luxury lines.

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Tradition long has been a touchstone for this storied line, which dates to 1873 and is known for carefully crafted, globe-circling itineraries on midsize ships. The choice of roughly one in five cruisers, Carnival Cruise Line's ships are notoriously lively, flashy and packed with fun features such as water parks with multiple waterslides. There are more than two dozen lines marketing to North Americans — no two alike. Some speculate that it encountered an unexpected and severe storm, which, combined with unforeseen technical or structural issues, resulted in it’s sinking. Others suggest a potential collision with an unidentified object or even foul play as possible causes. "As adults, we grew up together," said Nierenberg, who now lives in Orlando.

Defunct Cruise Lines History

Premier Cruise Lines, which operated the Big Red Boat, was formed in 1983 by two veterans in the cruise industry. These two men were mavericks who had a vision; they wanted to create a new niche market — Family Cruising. Until that time cruise ships had been opulent floating palaces catering to well-heeled older patrons who wanted a luxurious vacation experience. The two entrepreneurs behind Premier Cruise Lines thought that some of these patrons might like to bring children or grandchildren along with them and that was the niche market they were hoping to capture. During this time the cruise industry began to see changes and the competition for customers was pretty fierce among the cruise lines, especially those designed with families in mind.

When those offers fell through, Disney started working on their own leisure cruise company to set sail in 1998. Premier immediately sought an affiliation with Looney Tunes characters to continue to maintain its family-friendly image. Under the current operation model, profitability had soared into 1997 which lead Dial Corporation to sell the cruise line.

Disney Cruise Line first set sail on July 30, 1998 with the Disney Magic. In 1983, Premier Cruise Line was founded with the singular goal of offering 3-4 night sailings out of Port Canaveral to the Bahamas. The Port was underutilized and its proximity to Orlando area attractions made it an ideal location for Premier to boost its business by partnering with Disney to offer land & sea vacation packages.

The line notably struggled to get off the ground after years of construction delays for its first and only ship. Multistory waterslides, ropes courses and even go-kart race tracks are among the gee-whiz attractions atop Norwegian Cruise Line's giant, resort-like ships. Meet-and-greets with Disney characters, Disney-themed shows and the most extensive kiddie fun zones on the high seas are just a few of the family-friendly allures of a Disney cruise. Celebrity's four newest ships, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond and Celebrity Ascent, feature "infinite veranda" cabins that are open to the sea in a way we haven't seen with other ocean ships. They boast a glass wall that opens from the top to create a balcony-like effect.

While the Disney cruise line fleet isn’t as large as its competitors, they make up for it with its special Disney magic and features unique to Disney cruises. Founded in 2005, Cruise North Expeditions was Inuit owned and offered no-frills expedition cruises to rarely visited regions of the Canadian Arctic. The start of Disney Cruise Lines was the beginning of the end for Premier as their vacation packages weren’t as desirable since the Disney characters weren’t found on the Premier ships any longer.

With it’s 77,499 GT, it offers ample space and a range of amenities that cater to the needs and preferences of it’s passengers. This acquisition represents an opportunity for Seajets to tap into the thriving cruise market and grow it’s presence in the industry. Premier Cruise Lines attempted to reinvent itself by forming a new cruise company and taking a more dignified approach to cruising. The company, now named Cruise Holdings, bought the more “traditional” vessels of Premier Cruise Line, Dolphin Cruise Line, and Seawind Cruises. This ship was notable in passenger cruise ships as it introduced the first time the engine room and funnel were moved the aft of the ship from midship, giving way to more usable public space on many of the decks. Near the end of 1999, the ship was chartered to Imperial Majesty Cruises, who later purchased her.

They raised more than a few eyebrows in the rather stodgy cruise industry when they bought the Oceanic and refurbished it in a “not-so-luxurious” fashion to accommodate the needs of cruising families. Premier was off to a strong start with their first ship, and in an unexpected turn of events, Greyhound Bus Lines purchased Premier in 1984. They operated the cruise line starting in 1985 until Greyhound was sold to Dial Corporation (nee Henkel Corporation). The older ships were designed before the current disability acts coming into effect, requiring reasonable access for persons with physical disabilities, were even envisioned, let alone enacted into law. Much later, after 1997, Premier was sued under the Americans with Disabilities Act (passed in 1990) for not making accommodations for people with disabilities.

"He's just such a smart, amazing business man." She said he brought that same business sense to Junior Achievement. In three decades of doing business with Hermansen, Kirschenbaum said he came to appreciate his friend's generosity and his competitive nature. Whether in business, on the tennis court or at the poker table, Hermansen played to win. Disney Treasure is the newest Disney cruise ship and will make its grand debut in 2024. This newest Disney cruise ship is designed around adventure, and it draws its inspiration from Asia and Africa for most of its designs.

The ship lives up to its billing as a true ocean liner with semiregular, transatlantic service between Southampton, England, and New York. Some of the brands — Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line, in particular — operate massive vessels that are like giant floating resorts with deck-top water parks and other over-the-top amusements. The mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Big Red Boat Cruise has captivated many curious minds over the years. Once a beloved icon of maritime adventure, it’s vanishing act remains shrouded in intrigue. The history of the iconic ‘Big Red Boat’ or ‘Disney’s Big Red Boat’ comes to an end with a bittersweet truth. Once operated by Premier, these magnificent vessels, known as Big Red Boat I and II, have sadly been dismantled and sold as scrap, leaving behind only memories of their former glory.

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