Cruise & Maritime Voyages took delivery of its new flagship, the Columbus, in Singapore on April 12. The ship arrived at the Singapore Cruise Centre as the Pacific Pearl, formerly owned by P&O Cruises, following its farewell voyage to Australia before moving to the Sembcorp Marine shipyard to complete the transfer formalities.
Chris Coates, Commercial Director of Cruise & Maritime Voyages, commented, “We are delighted to have received this vessel and look forward to commencing its operations under the CMV flag as soon as possible. This will require some refurbishment and modifications before its christening ceremony in London Tilbury on June 8, 2017.”.
The Columbus will be based in London Tilbury year-round and its inclusion in the CMV fleet has attracted unprecedented interest, with a large number of bookings being made both during its debut season and for the 2018 season.”.
More than 300 crew members and a hundred specialized workers have already joined the crew of the Columbus, which will sail under the Bahamian flag and remain in Singapore until April 19. Once the necessary formalities are completed and it has been provisioned, it will embark on a voyage to Rotterdam via the Suez Canal, during which its refurbishment will continue and be completed.
The Columbus is scheduled to arrive in London Tilbury on Monday, June 5th, and its christening ceremony will take place on that date, along with several days of celebrations and presentations of the refurbished ship before the Columbus begins its CMV cruise season. This season will commence on Sunday, June 11th, with a 3-night cruise to Amsterdam and Antwerp.
