By
Rebecca Gibson |
British based cruise operator Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) it to add another vessel to its ex-UK fleet in spring 2015.
Former Costa Cruises’ 46,052gt ship Grand Holiday will join CMV as Magellan and sail as the line’s flagship. Able to accommodate 1,250 passengers, the ship will operate adults-only (guests aged 16 and above) cruises alongside the line’s other vessels – Marco Polo, Astor and Azores.
“We are delighted to have secured this excellent addition to our fleet which we believe will be very well suited to our core British market,” said Chris Coates, CMV’s commercial director. “The introduction of Magellan will grow UK capacity by 40%, which will increase passenger numbers to 74,000. Having already sold 65% of capacity for next year we remain confident that Magellan will help satisfy the growing demand for our product.”
On 15 March, Magellan will sail a 12-night maiden voyage from Tilbury, London, to Iceland and the Faroes. The ship will also homeport at the Port of Tyne in Newcastle, and in winter 2016, will offer a cruise to the Amazon in Brazil.
“The introduction of Magellan to our growing ocean fleet is another important
milestone in the expansion and strategic development of the group’s presence in the UK and wider international markets, which will increase overall capacity to 115,000 passengers,” said Christian Verhounig, CEO and chairman of CMV. “The CMV brand is now creating much wider recognition and we remain confident that our medium to longer term growth objectives will be achieved.”