Cruise Talk: LOUIS CRUISES NEW SHIP 'CRISTAL '

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»	Cruise Talk » Cruise Ships » LOUIS CRUISES NEW SHIP 'CRISTAL ' (Page 1)

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Author

Topic: LOUIS CRUISES NEW SHIP 'CRISTAL '

Neil - Ex P & O & PRINCESS CRUISES
First Class Passenger
Member # 5641

posted 07-06-2007 07:36 AM

Email Neil - Ex P & O & PRINCESS CRUISES

Hi all

The name of the ship at the shipyard where the new Louis Cruise ship was for repairs and alterations has changed from ' Opera ' to ' Cristal '.

Could this be the name for their new ship ?

Neil ( Bob )

Posts: 2355 | From: Dunstable, Bedfordshire. 30 miles north of London | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 07-06-2007 07:40 AM

Tow weeks ago aboard Serenade I have been told by a representative of Louis that the new name will be 'Cristal'. (whether this is still up-to-date is another story)

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 07-06-2007 07:50 AM

See previous thread. Has the name problem been solved? Is there a photo? I do like the name Cristal and hope it is permitted.

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Neil - Ex P & O & PRINCESS CRUISES
First Class Passenger
Member # 5641

posted 07-06-2007 07:54 AM

This name has replaced the name Opera on the AIS reports today for the shipyard in Greece where she is berthed.

Other details about the ship including her time of arrival, at the shipyard, remain the same.

Neil ( Bob )

[ 07-06-2007: Message edited by: Neil Whitmore ( Bob ) ]

Posts: 2355 | From: Dunstable, Bedfordshire. 30 miles north of London | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged

ahrpd
First Class Passenger
Member # 6229

posted 07-11-2007 09:37 AM

Louis Cruise Lines website has now replaced OPERA TBR with CRISTAL. So despite the reported objections from Louis Roederer Champagne, CRISTAL it is and a jolly good name it is too!!

Posts: 948 | From: gibraltar | Registered: Feb 2006 | IP: Logged

Carlos Fernandez
First Class Passenger
Member # 6432

posted 07-11-2007 11:18 AM

Any pictures of Cristal as she is now?

Posts: 1325 | From: Miami, Florida (Cruise Capital of the World) | Registered: Apr 2006 | IP: Logged

Neil - Ex P & O & PRINCESS CRUISES
First Class Passenger
Member # 5641

posted 07-11-2007 12:34 PM

The only pictures of the Cristal on the Louis Cruises website are of the cabins.

A new brochure is due out, but they say it is not yet ready.

According to the Greek AIS report the ship is still at the shipyard.

Neil ( Bob )

Posts: 2355 | From: Dunstable, Bedfordshire. 30 miles north of London | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 07-11-2007 04:42 PM

There is a photo of her in drydock taken 28 June on FOF. I haven't seen any others anywhere [apart from her arrival on 21 June] and work must have progressed a fair bit since then. She did disappear from AIS on Mon pm, but must have just switched it off for a while. There was me wondering if she had set sail.

PAm

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Neil - Ex P & O & PRINCESS CRUISES
First Class Passenger
Member # 5641

posted 07-11-2007 05:49 PM

Hi Pam

Thanks for the photo of the Cristal.

The floating drydock she is in looks rather old.

Lets hope it gives no problems.

Neil ( Bob )

Posts: 2355 | From: Dunstable, Bedfordshire. 30 miles north of London | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged

ahrpd
First Class Passenger
Member # 6229

posted 07-17-2007 03:40 PM

According to the Louis Cruises website, CRISTAL's inaugural sailing, scheduled for this Friday, has been put back to Monday 23rd July. She is still docked at the Elefsina Shipyard.

Tony

Posts: 948 | From: gibraltar | Registered: Feb 2006 | IP: Logged

cruceromania
First Class Passenger
Member # 5195

posted 07-19-2007 01:41 PM

web page

Posts: 91 | From: Spain | Registered: Nov 2004 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 07-20-2007 02:17 AM

There are 3 tugs surrounding her at present; I wonder if she's on the move today. If she is sailing on Monday she will need some time to provision out of drydock.

In the main port of Pireaus today are Silver Whisper, Orient Queen, Ocean Monarch, Grand Voyager, Blue Monarch, Ruby? says AIS but seems it's Perla on the webcam, Galaxy and Athena.. what a line-up! So she will be in good company.

Pam

[ 07-20-2007: Message edited by: PamM ]

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

ahrpd
First Class Passenger
Member # 6229

posted 07-20-2007 06:54 AM

Hi Pam

The tugs were shifting another vessel in the shipyard. CRISTAL is still there but I can't tell whether she's alongside a berth or still in drydock.

As an aside, the ATHENA you mentioned is not the ex-Stockholm, but a new 52-pax ship built this year at Split, Croatia, for Grand Circle, the first of a series of six 1,200gt cruise ships, an investment of $US36m.

I saw her at the end of June in Piraeus and at first thought she was a day cruiser converted from a cargo ship! Not the most streamlined of ships!

Tony

Posts: 948 | From: gibraltar | Registered: Feb 2006 | IP: Logged

medcruise
First Class Passenger
Member # 9465

posted 07-20-2007 07:41 AM

Cristal should do a sea trial later today and then will berth at Piraeus till Monday.
The ship is no longer in drydock. I think she left drydock on Monday.
Ruby is bound to Limassol, starting some new cruises from Cyprus to Greece and Italy-Adriatic.

Posts: 25 | From: Greece | Registered: Jun 2007 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 07-20-2007 10:17 AM

Thank you for all the info. I should have noted the size of Athena did not match up; seems it is not a good time to have such a name this month [if ever?] with Bourbon's Athena on her side in The Congo and a factory trawler named Athena having caught fire, apparently a TCL, off Chile. I did not know about the Grand Circle Athena, which they don't seem to show on their website, but there are some photos here. Rather a strange shape indeed.

[Ruby soon became Perla on the AIS, which seemed a bit odd this morning as it was also showing Aegean Two off Perama 'engaging in fishing activities' I dismissed that even though the dimensions for her were correct].

Fingers crossed for her sea trials.

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

medcruise
First Class Passenger
Member # 9465

posted 07-20-2007 10:41 AM

Μaybe they were berthed close, when that happens the site gets confused.
The thing that you mention with Aegean Two, happens every time she is in Piraeus the last couple of weeks.
I don't know why! But I can asure you that she is in the cruise terminal every time and not in Perama!

Posts: 25 | From: Greece | Registered: Jun 2007 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 07-20-2007 10:52 AM

Ah, so it wasn't just me then - I was beginning to wonder

It was the fishing which made me laugh as I am still completely bemused by her artwork. Is it an open flower with stamen and butterfly, an octopus with arms everywhere, an eel chasing a squid, some ficticious sea creatures or what?

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

medcruise
First Class Passenger
Member # 9465

posted 07-20-2007 11:25 AM

I really don't know.
I believe that they wanted to give the ship a modern image.
The funnel looks better in blue but the hull artwork could be better.
Anyway, it is good that she still sails, even with the weird eye artwork!

Posts: 25 | From: Greece | Registered: Jun 2007 | IP: Logged

ahrpd
First Class Passenger
Member # 6229

posted 07-20-2007 01:13 PM

CRISTAL sailed at 2000 local from the shipyard escorted by tugs ATLAS and KARAPIPERIS 18 and is currently sailing across Eleusis Bay towards the Salamis channel which leads to Piraeus Roads.

Keeping fingers crossed that sea trials are successful!

Tony

Posts: 948 | From: gibraltar | Registered: Feb 2006 | IP: Logged

ahrpd
First Class Passenger
Member # 6229

posted 07-20-2007 03:05 PM

At 2200 local, CRISTAL docked at Piraeus Main Port.

Tony

Posts: 948 | From: gibraltar | Registered: Feb 2006 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 07-20-2007 04:16 PM

Thanks for the updates. Did she actually go anywhere for trials or just A-B?

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

medcruise
First Class Passenger
Member # 9465

posted 07-20-2007 04:40 PM

Just A-B, escorted by the tugs.

Posts: 25 | From: Greece | Registered: Jun 2007 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 07-21-2007 08:37 AM

I have scoured the web and there still does not appear to be a photo of her anywhere since her name change. All the usual Greek & other photo site suspects have nothing - or maybe I mised them?

Only her bow tip can be seen on the Piraeus Webcam. In the good company of Calypso and Wind Spirit.

Pam

[ 07-21-2007: Message edited by: PamM ]

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Neil - Ex P & O & PRINCESS CRUISES
First Class Passenger
Member # 5641

posted 07-21-2007 01:09 PM

It appears Louis Cruises are either very busy or playing safe as the Orient Queen is doing the same three and four day cruises as the Cristal !

On their website there are now some pictures of the cabins on Cristal but none of the public rooms.

Neil ( Bob )

Posts: 2355 | From: Dunstable, Bedfordshire. 30 miles north of London | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged

ahrpd
First Class Passenger
Member # 6229

posted 07-21-2007 03:31 PM

Unfortunately, I understand that CRISTAL will not now be sailing on Monday on her inaugural 4 day cruise, having already cancelled her first 3 day cruise yesterday (for travel agents).

She is apparently not yet ready and it is not certain whether she will even be ready for next Friday's sailing, even though she berthed last night in Piraeus Main Port.

Tony

Posts: 948 | From: gibraltar | Registered: Feb 2006 | IP: Logged

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