MV Colus
ex Columbus, Pacific Pearl, Ocean Village, Arcadia, Star Princess, Sitmar Fair Majesty
Columbus © Willem Oldenburg
Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1989 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, St Nazaire, (Yard No B29) as Passenger (Cruise) Ship for Sitmar Cruises
Technical Data
- Length: 245.60 m (overall) 201.40 m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 32.20 m
- Depth: 20.48 m
- Draught: 8.15 m
- Tonnage: 63,524-63,786 gross/32,185 net/5,450-7,505 deadweight
- Engines: 4 x 8-cyl, MAN-B&W 8L58/64 diesels
- Power: 9720 kW/13215 HP
- Speed: 19.0 knots (service), 21.5 knots (max)
- Passenger Decks: 11
- Capacity: 1621/1578/1856 passengers
- Crew: 700
- Call Sign: ELIR8, GRFP, C6CP4, D6a2893
- IMO Number: 8611398
- Official Number: 8399/900683
- MMSI Number: 311000535/ 620817000
- Port of Registry: Monrovia/Liberia, London/UK, Nassau/Bahamas, Comoros
Current AIS Location
Please note that this specific vessels AIS position data may be over an hour old and that the vessels position will only be displayed when it is within range of the VesselFinder AIS system. The AIS transponder/ship position data featured on this page is intended for information purposes only and it is in no way related to the 'Safety of Navigation at Sea'. All the AIS ship position data featured within this article is provided by VesselFinder and we are therefore not responsible for its content or its accuracy.
History
May 28th 1988: Launched for Sitmar Cruises under the name of SITMAR FAIR MAJESTY.
September 1st 1988: Sold to P&O Cruises.
March 15th 1989: Delivered to Princess Cruises, Monrovia, Liberia.
March 23rd 1989: Christened STAR PRINCESS in Florida.
Star Princess © Brian Fisher
June 23rd 1995: “En route from Skagway to Juneau, Alaska, via the Lynn Canal under the direction of a southeast Alaska pilot. At 0142 on June 23, the STAR PRINCESS grounded on the submerged Poundstone Rock in Lynn Canal, about 21 miles northwest of Juneau. The vessel’s bottom sustained significant damage on the starboard side, including the rupture of oil tanks, which resulted in the loss of at least 5 gallons of oil. The vessel was piloted to safe anchorage at Auke Bay, Alaska, (about 10 miles north of Juneau) to assess damage and debark passengers. No injuries or deaths resulted from this accident. The total cost resulting from required repairs and the delay before the vessel could return to service was estimated at $27.16 million.”.
August 7th 1995: Returned to service.
November 1995: Arrived at Harland & Wolff, Belfast for refitting for the English cruise market.
1997: Transferred to P&O Cruises, London, England and renamed ARCADIA.
Arcadia © Mikkel
August 2001: Registered to Carnival Plc, London, England.
2003: Arrived at Lloyds Werft, Bremerhaven for rebuilding.
Arcadia/Ocean Village © Frank Heine (Bremerhaven, 10/04/2993)
April 2003: Management; Ocean Village Cruises Ltd and renamed OCEAN VILLAGE.
Ocean Village © Dennis Mortimer
May 2003: Commenced cruising in the Mediterranean and Caribbean.
Ocean Village © Frank Heine (Genoa, 18/07/2009)
December 2010: Management; Carnival Australia and renamed PACIFIC PEARL.
Pacific Pearl © Tony Martin
Pacific Pearl © Chris Howell
December 22nd 2010: Commenced cruising around Australia/New Zealand for P&O Cruises Australia.
April 12th 2017: Arrived in Singapore where she completed her sailings for P&O Cruises Australia.
May 2017: Registered to Lyric Cruise Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas and renamed COLUMBUS.
Columbus © Erwin Willemse
2017: Commenced cruising for Cruise & Maritime Voyages.
Columbus © Willem Oldenburg
December 20th 2018: Arrived in Dover.
Columbus at Dover Cruise Terminal One © Nigel Scutt (Dover Strait Shipping)
April 14th 2020: Arrived at Tilbury and laid up due to the suspension of sailings owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 20th 2020: It was announced that Duff & Phelps Ltd. had been appointed Joint Administrators of CMV Holdings London Limited, Cruise & Maritime Voyages Limited, South Quay Travel & Leisure Limited, South Quay Transport Services Limited, Independent Coach Travel (Wholesaling) Limited and Viceroy Limited and that all companies had ceased trading with immediate effect.
September 9th 2020: It was announced that the ships of the now defunct Cruise & Maritime Voyages would be sold at auction.
Five former Cruise & Maritime Voyages ships have been put up for sale at auction following the demise of Britain’s largest independent cruise line in July.
The ships put up for auction are VASCO DA GAMA, COLUMBUS, ASTOR, MAGELLAN and MARCO POLO. The ships are currently laid up in London Tilbury and Bristol Avonmouth. ASTORIA is not part of the auction as plans were already in place for when she was due to leave the fleet in October 2020.
Deadlines of between October 8 and 22 have been set for bids to be lodged with the broker CW Kellock & Co. Each vessel will be sold separate, although no indication of values have been disclosed.
VASCO DA GAMA – Bid deadline: Midday Thursday 8th October 2020
COLUMBUS – Bid deadline: Midday Monday 12th October 2020
MAGELLAN – Bid deadline: Midday Monday 19th October 2020
ASTOR – Bid deadline: Midday Thursday 15th October 2020
MARCO POLO – Bid deadline: Midday Thursday 22nd October 2020
Source: Cruise Capital
October 22nd 2020: Announcement made that the vessel had been acquired, at auction, by Seajets for $5,321,000. Meanwhile, it is still unclear what specific plans Seajets are pursuing. Seajets do not currently operate as a cruise line.
November 18th 2020: Left Tilbury showing destination as Gibraltar.
December 23rd 2020: Arrived at Elefsina (Greece) and remained at anchor owing to COVD-19 pandemic.
February 22nd 2021: Left Elefsina showing destination as Port Said. Management; GMZ Ship Management Co, Hellas, Greece.
March 1st 2021: Renamed COLUS.
March 15th 2021: Arrived Al Duqm, Oman
March 17th 2021: Left Al Duqm destination Alang.
March 31st 2021: Arrived Alang Anchorage.
🆕 Colus – © Eren Topcu (Shipbreaking FB)
All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Nigel Scutt (Dover Strait Shipping), Brian Fisher, Frank Heine, Chris Howell, Tony Martin, Mikkel, Dennis Mortimer, Willem Oldenburg and Erwin Willemse for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
After refuelling at Gibraltar and being anchored near Magellan to the east of Gibraltar, hey both sailed to Malta and anchored for a few days. She has now set sail for Pireas.
Now anchored off Oman, as was Magellan before she was beached at Alang.
The usual pattern, a ship is sold for ‘further service’ to an unknown operator. The ship then sails out of the area where it is then re-sold for scrap, often for double the purchase price. Ships sold in Europe cannot be scrapped at Alang/Gadani for environmental or Health and Safety reasons, this ruse is the way around that.
Vasco da Gama, currently in Setubal, will be the only CMV survivor as Astor is in Rotterdam after its failed tow via Falmouth (presumably for scrap in view of her age)
Sorry, Astor was scrapped at Aliaga, Astoria is in Rotterdam.
Now heading for Alang
and now anchored off the beach
Beached 7 hours ago