By
Rebecca Gibson |
UK-based cruise operator Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) is to acquire two P&O Cruises Australia ships to bring its ocean fleet up to eight vessels by 2021.
Pacific Dawn and Pacific Aria will be transferred to CMV in Singapore on 2 March and 2 May 2021 respectively. Both vessels will undergo “minor upgrades” and re-livery work during dry docks in Singapore, before being renamed and beginning their maiden positioning voyages to Northern Europe.
The new names will be revealed in December 2019, but they will fit with CMV’s explorer theme.
“As the CMV brand continues to evolve, the growing popularity of our traditional product, classic ships and destination-focused cruise programmes has encouraged us to accelerate plans to add capacity to the two top European cruise markets in the UK and Germany, which represent 85% of our business,” said Chris Coates, group commercial director of CMV. “These two fine cruise ships perfectly complement our existing fleet, providing trade partners and consumers alike with much needed extra capacity.”
The 1,400-passenger Pacific Dawn will be based in the UK from late May 2021, sailing year-round cruises from London Tilbury alongside Columbus. Pacific Aria, which accommodates 1,100 guests, will sail under CMV’s German brand TransOcean Kreuzfahrten and sail in Germany alongside Vasco da Gama. She will replace the 580 passenger Astor, which will be rechristened as Jules Verne and reposition to France.
Together, the two new P&O Cruises ships will increase CMV’s lower bed fleet capacity to 9,000 berths and passenger capacity by 30%.
“The introduction of two more ships to the global ocean fleet is the next exciting chapter of our strategic growth objectives,” said Christian Verhounig, CEO of CMV. “This will enable us to service increasing market demand for our traditional brand of cruising generated by our expanding international network of in-house sales offices and developing source markets. We have now acquired five cruise ships in just five years and are firmly on course in carrying 200,000 passengers in 2021.”