Cruise Talk: Premicon announces "Astor" winter charter by CMV

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»	Cruise Talk » Cruise Ships » Premicon announces "Astor" winter charter by CMV

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Topic: Premicon announces "Astor" winter charter by CMV

r.fiebig
First Class Passenger
Member # 5240

posted 02-06-2013 05:36 AM

Hello everybody,

Premicon AG, owner of the "Astor", has just announced that the ship will be chartered by Cruise & Maritime Voyages for the three upcoming winter seasons. The vessel will continue to be operated by TransOcean Kreuzfahrten during the rest of the year. According to the press release, CMV plans to operate the ship in Australia.

Best,

Raoul

Posts: 775 | From: Paderborn, Germany | Registered: Dec 2004 | IP: Logged

Aussie1
First Class Passenger
Member # 25

posted 02-07-2013 08:18 PM

Certainly looks like CMV are planning to fill the void CIC left when they foldes and there is certainly a market for a smaller vessel or two in Australia. Will be inteersting to see if CIC will return to Australia as well now it looks like there ships have been sold to a new owner? Astor and Athena sailing out of Freemantle and Adelaide?

Posts: 493 | From: Sydney,NSW, Australia | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

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

posted 02-08-2013 06:01 AM

Email Neil - Ex P & O & PRINCESS CRUISES

Hi Aussie 1

Who have you heard has bought the CIC ships ?

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

SSTRAVELER
First Class Passenger
Member # 15170

posted 02-08-2013 11:22 AM

A Portuguese entrepreneur bought everything but the Princess Daphne which stays with the current owners. In the deal with the bank they get the Daphne back along with some of the cash on hand in the business at the time they suspended operations.

Posts: 757 | From: New York | Registered: May 2008 | IP: Logged

JonC
First Class Passenger
Member # 28831

posted 02-13-2013 04:36 AM

If anyone's interested in ASTOR's Australian itineraries, various Australian travel agent websites (www.cruising.com.au etc) have loaded them.

Posts: 36 | From: Seoul, South Korea | Registered: Nov 2009 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 10-22-2013 03:43 PM

ASTOR completed her Transocean charter at Piraeus 2 days ago. She is now in dry dock at Eleusis Shipyards preparing for her Australian season commencing 5 Nov from Civitavecchia.

A good video showing her on her way out of Piraeus Main Port is here.

Pam

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

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

posted 10-25-2013 01:42 PM

The line voyage to Australia does not appear to have been selling too well.

Tonight the CMV website is still showing 54 of the Astor's 289 cabins unsold for her voyage to Australia sailing on the 5th November 2013 from Civitavecchi.

Discounts of up to 55% are now being offered !

An inboard cabin for the 36 night voyage is now priced from £ 1,599.00p and an outboard cabin from £ 1,999.00p .

[ 10-25-2013: Message edited by: Neil - Ex P. & O. S. N. Company. ]

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

Tim in Fort Lauderdale
First Class Passenger
Member # 953

posted 10-25-2013 11:02 PM

Neil,

82% occupancy is pretty good for a voyage of this length.

Tim

Posts: 1468 | From: Fort Lauderdale, FL | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 10-26-2013 02:30 AM

In the past ISTR CIC always sold off very cheap cabins too, approaching sailing date on these repositioning voyages. CMV seem to have filled her quite well. I wonder if they marketed the trip in Italy as well? Passengers are boarding at Colombo, Penang & Singapore.

£44pn is not the cheapest going at present. Everyone seems to be struggling to fill their ships. Under £40ppn with P&O for a 20 night cruise, Cunard not much more, FOCL £42. So seems more or less the going rate for a lead in cabin on longer trips this time of year.

Pam

[ 10-26-2013: 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 10-26-2013 07:32 AM

Tim

With 18% of her cabins not sold that could make the difference in a line voyage to Australia showing a profit as at present there is 108 empty berths on a small cruise ship which are not all at the minimum price of £ 1,599.00p.

The ship has been chartered for three years during the european winter season !
.

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

SSTRAVELER
First Class Passenger
Member # 15170

posted 10-27-2013 12:18 PM

82% occupancy for a trip like that is really good for CMV. I am sure the final promotions will bump it up to maybe 85% and they will be happy.

A long distance voyage at this time of year from a small firm with a ship that is new for them is never going to be the best seller.

On a repo like this CMV will be happy to breakeven. They are more concerned with the operation out of Australia and want to make sure that goes well because that it where they will make their monies.

Posts: 757 | From: New York | Registered: May 2008 | IP: Logged

Kevin Griffin, London
First Class Passenger
Member # 6010

posted 10-29-2013 09:58 AM

We could have filled half a dozen of those cabins with single passengers but CMV wouldn't even accept 200% for such bookings, they only wanted doubles. Pity, we used to book both doubles and singles on Funchal and Athena before Astor, and this is a markedly better ship. Still, as Allan says, 82% is pretty respectable for a positioning voyage.

Posts: 148 | From: London, England | Registered: Oct 2005 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 11-13-2013 06:59 PM

She seems to be doing well; sitting outside Port Said waiting for her Suez transit this afternoon. There is a clip of her departure from Civitavecchia on CMV's website. 25% of passengers on the voyage are from the UK.

Reports from Australia state more than 88% of the 2013/2014 season cabins have been sold [mainly to Australians] with limited availability on the Dec and Jan cruises. The 2014/15 itineraries should be released soon.

Pam

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

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 11-14-2013 04:08 AM

Not very far in to the video clip above, as she is departing Eleusis, you can spot the Latsis yacht ALEXANDER [ex Regina Maris] in the background.

Pam

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

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 12-11-2013 07:16 AM

ASTOR arrived in Fremantle last night [UK time] today in Fremantle

Although a gaggle of photographers were viewable on the port webcams I can't yet see any photos on MT or Shipspotting to link to, so here's a webcam view, courtesy of Fremantle Ports:-

She was almost full with over 140 joining her at Ports in Asia; Colombo, Penang & Singapore. The general consensus is that she was enjoyed very much & will be a huge success on her Australian charter. Seems there are just a limited number of vacancies on a few cruises. CMV must be pleased with how the first season is going.

A few niggles such as only German wine, beer, no Vegemite and decent tea will hopefully be sorted today ) How can you sail to Australia with NO Vegemite!!

Wish her well

Pam

[ 12-11-2013: 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 12-11-2013 01:49 PM

With the refitting of the ex CIC ' mv Athena ' now nearly completed it would be interesting to see which would be the most popular ship on Australian cruises if her new owners, Portuscale Cruises , decided to send the now named ' Azores ' to Australia.

She was very popular when there before and provided the service liked by australians.

The present charters for the ' mv Azores ' appear to finish in November 2014 which would allow time for a drydock visit before heading down under for some summer australian crusies.!

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

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 12-13-2013 11:02 AM

It would be good to see both ships there if the market is large enough. Some may prefer one and others the other. Portuscale are looking in to it I believe, but they will have to hurry as Astor's itineraries have already been published for 2014/15.

There are a couple of super photos from John Kent on Shipspotting.

Pam

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

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

posted 12-15-2013 01:58 PM

With both the ' Funchal ' and the ' Azores ' ( which was named Athena ) both already well known and very popular on Australian cruises I doubt if a late sailing schedule would affect the bookings for either of these ships.

The Australian cruising market seems to be increasing all the time with even Carnival Cruises now sending their own ships to Australia.
.

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

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 01-26-2014 09:59 AM

The Aus beer/wine and vegemite were loaded on reaching Australia and further comments from those sailing have stated how excellent the cruises have been. One comment from a friend currently sailing is that the "Pursers staff were delightful" and has no other complaints.

Pam

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

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