Transocean Tours

Transocean Tours was a German cruise line that operated ocean-going cruise ships in the German and British markets and river cruise ships in Germany. The company was formed in 1954 and first began operating cruises in 1972, using ships chartered from the Soviet Union-based Baltic Shipping Company.[1][2]

Transocean Tours
IndustryTransportation
Founded1954
Defunct20 July 2020
ProductsCruises
ParentCruise & Maritime Voyages
Websitewww.transocean.de

The company, along with its parent United Kingdom parent company, Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV), went into administration on 20 July 2020.

History
Astoria in Kiel in 2007.

Early years

Transocean Tours Turistik was formed in West Germany in 1954. In 1967 the company became the West German agents of the Soviet Union-based Baltic Shipping Company, marketing cruises on the MS Alexandr Pushkin and MS Estonia. In 1972 Transocean Tours chartered the Estonia for full-time German market cruising. She was subsequently followed by several ships, including river cruise ships, chartered from both the Baltic Shipping Company and the Black Sea Shipping Company. Until the 1990s the chartered ships retained their Soviet funnel colours even when in Transocean service. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union the company begun chartering ships from other companies, starting with MS Calypso in 1994. At the same ships in Transocean service started to be painted in the company's white/blue livery.[1]

1997-present

Between 1997 and 2001, the company fleet consisted of just two ships, the ocean-going cruise ship MS Astor and the river cruise ship MS Moldavia. In 2001, the river cruise ship MS Ukraina re-joined the fleet, followed by the Astor's near-sister MS Astoria in 2002. Another river cruise ship joined the fleet in 2005, while MS Arielle was chartened in 2006 for British-market cruising. In 2008 the Arielle was replaced by MS Marco Polo.[1]

In 2008, Transocean Tours stated the charter of the Astoria would be terminated in 2009, and that the company are looking for another ship to replace her. She was sold to Saga Cruises operating as Saga Pearl II with a short period as Quest for Adventure in 2012/13.[3][4]

On 4 September 2010, Transocean Tours announced that the Germany-based line would be going through a restructuring, which was the equivalent to Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring in the United States.[5] After a period of uncertainty Transocean was sold to South Quay Travel & Leisure Ltd. in early 2014 and since then operated as the German branch of Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV).

In addition to their own Astor; Transocean Tours offered cruises on CMV's cruise ships Magellan and Columbus and on several river cruise ships (Bellejour, Belvedere, Sans Souci).

It was announced on 7 March 2018 that CMV purchased the Pacific Eden from P&O Cruises Australia. CMV planned to sail the ship under the Transocean brand, cruising to Northern and Western Europe during the summer and Australia during the winter, replacing Astor.[6][7] CMV received Pacific Eden in April 2019 and renamed her Vasco da Gama on 9 June 2019.[8]

Transocean was scheduled to receive Pacific Aria from P&O Cruises Australia in May 2021. The company intended to rename the ship Ida Pfeiffer, after the Austrian explorer, Ida Pfeiffer, in May 2021.[9][10]

Sky News reported on 15 July 2020 that CMV was facing insolvency and was in talks with VGO Capital Management, which Sky described as "a special situations investor with expertise in the shipping industry," for additional financing. CMV had previously sought a financing agreement with private equity firm Novalpina Capital; this attempt failed after Barclays declined to offer the company a state-backed loan.[11]

After its parent company's attempts to secure financing failed, Transocean Tours, as well as CMV, entered administration on 20 July 2020, with all trading ceased and all sales offices closed with immediate effect.[12][13]

Fleet
ShipBuiltIn serviceChartered fromTonnageFlagNotesImage
MS Alexandr Pushkin/MS Marco Polo19651979? – 1981/2008 – 2010Baltic Shipping Company/Far Eastern Shipping Company, Global Maritime22,080 GRTLeningrad,  Soviet Union/ BahamasSailing for Cruise & Maritime Voyages until 2020.
MS Calypso19671994–2000?11,162 GRT BahamasShe later became The Calypso and was owned by Louis Cruises scrapped late 2013.
MS Gripsholm19651996–1997Norwegian American Line24,528 GRT BahamasChartered for six months and later sold to Saga Cruises after being damaged by fire, she would become the Saga Rose and later was sold for scrap in 2009.
MS Astoria19812002–2009Club Cruise18,853 GRT BahamasEntered service in 2009 as MS Saga Pearl II with Saga Cruises.[14]
MS Arielle19702006–2008Louis Cruises23,149 GRT BahamasWas returned to Louis Cruises in 2008, 3 years earlier than scheduled; later sold and as of 2012, scrapped in Alang in 2015.
MS Astor19872001–2014Astor Shipping/Premicon20,606 GRT BahamasCurrently sailing for Cruise & Maritime Voyages.
Scrapped in 2020
Astor19872013–202020,704 GT BahamasJoined fleet in November 2013, the ship sails both northbound and southbound voyages, by way of South Africa, in addition to round-Australia. Scheduled to leave Transocean in May 2021 for CMV's new French brand as Jules Verne.[15]
scrapped in 2020.
Vasco da Gama19922019–202055,451 GT BahamasTransferred from P&O Cruises Australia as Pacific Eden to CMV for Transocean in April 2019. Sailing under Transocean Tours brand since 9 June 2019 in Europe and Australia[8]
Magellan[16]1985until 202046,052 GT BahamasSold to Seajets after CMV ceased operetions and sold for scrap in January 2021 as Mages in Alang, India
Columbus[16]1989until 202063,500 GT Bahamas

Ida Pfeiffer19942021 (planned; never entered service)55,451 GTN/ASold to CMV in November 2019; was scheduled to join Transocean in May 2021[9]

References
  1. Boyle, Ian. "Transocean Tours". Simplon Postcards. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
  2. Jones, Jana (2008-08-22). "Transocean Cruises Review". Cruise Critic. The Independent Traveler, Inc. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
  3. "Astoria is new Pearl (Ships Monthly, October 2009)". Retrieved 2009-09-22.
  4. "Our Ships: Saga Pearl II". Retrieved 2017-01-07.
  5. "Marco Polo's Line Goes Bankrupt". CruiseInd. 4 September 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  6. https://www.cruiseandmaritime.com/news/new-ship-announcement
  7. https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/18672-pacific-eden-sold-to-cruise-and-maritime-voyages.html
  8. Erdmann, Frederik (2018-10-22). "TransOcean sets Bremerhamen naming for Vasco de Gama". Seatrade Cruise News.
  9. Bond, Mary (2019-11-28). "CMV to add two more ships in 2021". Seatrade Cruise News.
  10. Gibson, Rebecca (2020-01-28). "CMV to name new ships after pioneering female adventurers". CruiseandFerry.net.
  11. Kleinman, Mark (15 July 2020). "Coronavirus: Cruise operator CMV in last-ditch bid to stay afloat". Sky News. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  12. Kalosh, Anne (20 July 2020). "Cruise & Maritime Voyages goes into administration". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  13. "South Quay Travel & Leisure Limited (in Insolvenz) Unter dem Markennamen Transocean Kreuzfahrten (Deutschland)". www.transocean.de. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  14. Archer, Jane (26 October 2008). "Saga switches adventure ship Quest to mainstream fleet". travelweekly.ok-uk. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  15. Bond, Mary (2019-11-14). "CMV enters the French cruise market with dedicated ship Jules Verne". Seatrade Cruise News.
  16. https://transocean.de/our-ships
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