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News has appeared on the Australian Maritime website that Starlight Cruises of South Africa have cancelled their charter of the Monterey !
No information is coming up on the MSC website about her trip to Durban, South Africa
It is said she has mechanical problems !
Neil ( Bob )
[ 09-21-2006: Message edited by: Neil Whitmore ( Bob ) ]
Brian
Pam
The latest news we have is that it is planned that the Monterey is to be drydocked to give her machinery an overhaul.
She will then sail on the Starlight Cruises from May 2007.
Both Rhapsody and Melody will now be cruising from South Africa, for Starlight Cruises, pending the arrival of Monterey.
You sure about the Rhapsody as there has been no info here re her replacing Monterey until she eventually arrives ?
I was speaking to a couple of people involved with our Americas Cup challenge (who by the way are doing unexpectedly well for a team with a second hand boat and a tiny budget but still seem to win races) which is sponsered and managed by MSC and they seem to think that Monterey will cruise here here through 2010 and then either be sold or worse because MSC will by that time have alot of new tonnage and of course Monterey is gettng a little old, they expect that one of the "old" Festival builds will eventually take over here.
I found her listed on the Starlight Cruises website on Wednesday 20 September 2006.
Regards,
It would appear that the Monterey is still cruising around the Med as she called at Gibralter on the 26th September.
BTW there is a "recent photograph of the Monterey" on the Aussie website, which if I am not mistaken is an MSC doctored postcard. Of course 2 identical wake patterns can easily be acheived.
It is also interesting to note that Mr. Clifford Foggit of Starlight Cruises has supposedly stated "it is highly possible MCS Monterey may have to be withdrawn completely and scrapped.”
Monterey is getting on, but it would not be the business of Starlight to make any such comments to the public. I can only assume that if indeed such an assertion was made, it was in private and not for publication. I wonder if they are aware.
Oh that pic's definitely a postcard.
I'd hate to see Monterey go she is a lovely little ship and well suited to the SA market, it would certainly be hard to find a replacement to base here year round.
Although the whole Madagascar fiasco was a disaster at least it was a home grown company and the market is already proven to be there - they just (stupidly) chose the wrong ship and didn't spend enough money doing a refurb. Perhaps someone else will try in time - in the meantime MSC have an almost monopoly. Perhaps we might one day get one of their newer ships - before it is clapped out and about to be retired. It would save me a fortune having to fly to Miami every few months for a decent cruise as I personally don't care where it goes as long as it goes and is a decent experience, MSC ships tend to be party cruises and the hardware we get is not exactly state of the art, that you can live with but there is no escaping the birdy song with mass dancers around the pool !! #@%$^& !
See Ships Nostalgia.
Willem
quote:Originally posted by Willem:MONTEREY has been photographed in Genoa on 8 October 2006. The MSC logo on the funnel has been painted black and the ship has been renamed into MONTE.I guess this will near the end of her life.See Ships Nostalgia.Willem
This isn't what was planned !
It is now being said that she sailed for Dubai with ballast... now perhaps [start a conspiracy theory here ] this is where her engine work may be carried out? *if* she is going permanently to SA next year, she may have new logos and so on..
..but I fear my theory is pie in the sky, cloud 11... along with Rod 'n Pat, now Monte is seems there is only a one way trip...
Oh how I am glad I was able to enjoy a fabulous cruise aboard this year. She is pristine and spotless... I want a section of those great fat railings for my stairs.. anyone listening?
quote:Originally posted by PamM:Oh how I am glad I was able to enjoy a fabulous cruise aboard this year. She is pristine and spotless... I want a section of those great fat railings for my stairs.. anyone listening?Pam
Yes, Pam, it is indeed fortunate that you were able to sail on her, and especially that you photo-documented her so well. Others can enjoy her vicariously through your photos. Thanks for that!
Rich
Looking at that picture blown up, the MSC Star has just been unscrewed and removed, not painted over, the 'Matson' boards that were underneath them still remain.
So the 'Swiss' charter.. Aponte & co saying goodbye?
[ 10-12-2006: Message edited by: PamM ]
She may be going there for the engine repair work, she may be going anywhere in the UAE as an accommodation vessel.. but it is also the home of various ship brokers who buy ships from owners and then sell them immediately on to the breakers at a profit.
The fact she has had a name change and the MSC logo removed is rather ominous and one tends to lean towards either use as an accommodation vessel or more likely the end
quote: When MONTEREY Becomes MONTE...October 12: With her name reduced to MONTE and the MSC compass logos removed from her funnel, the former MONTEREY (ex FREE STATE MARINER) has reportedly been sold. She was scheduled to depart Genoa in ballast for Dubai on October 11. After that, there is no further news, but her final destination is not likely to be a happy one. Special thanks to the Ships Nostalgia website and their contributor commis.
On a different point, Pacific Princess in in today and I took a few pics, thought I'd try and post them on here but can't work out how to do it ! I'm not really IT clever. Thought I had it but were ever it went it wasn't here, must be somewhere in the never ether.
Has anyone heard anymore news on the Monterey since the posting that she was at Genoa with her MSC logos removed and a name change.
She does not appear to have transited the Suez Canal as yet according to the website I have of canal transits.
IMO number: 5240904 Name of ship: MONTE Call Sign: T2PL2 Gross tonnage: 20046 Type of ship: Passenger (Cruise) Ship Year of build: 1952 Flag: Tuvalu Status of ship: In Service Registered owner: PANOCEAN NAVIERA Address: PANAMA Ship manager: MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING CO Address: X-restricted-X
Should the report from Starlight be correct, we have a great deal to celebrate and will see the ex Monterey back in action within months. Let’s hope so!"
/Jepp
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