Atlantic Star

Atlantic Star was a 46,087-gross-ton cruise ship built in 1984 at La Seyne-sur-Mer, France, by Chantiers de Nord et de la Mediterranee. The vessel entered service as FairSky for Sitmar Cruises, an Italian cruise company whose fleet was known for using names beginning with “Fair.” Registered in Liberia, FairSky represented an earlier generation of large passenger ships powered by steam turbines rather than the diesel-electric systems that later became standard across the cruise industry. The ship changed identity after P&O Cruises acquired Sitmar in 1988. It was renamed Sky Princess and operated for Princess Cruises, with its registration transferred to London. In that role it served international cruise markets until completing its final Princess Cruises voyage in October 2000. On 23 October 2000, it arrived in Sydney for transfer to P&O Cruises Australia. Following a reported refurbishment at Cairncross Dockyard in Brisbane, the ship entered Australian service as Pacific Sky. Pacific Sky became an important early asset in P&O Cruises Australia’s modern expansion. Its seven-day and other regional itineraries were marketed to Australian passengers, and the ship was reportedly well received. Between 2000 and 2006, it carried approximately 275,000 passengers on 200 cruises. Its performance helped demonstrate demand for contemporary cruise holidays in the Australian market and supported subsequent fleet growth, including the introduction of Pacific Sun, Pacific Dawn, Pacific Jewel, and Pacific Pearl. In 2006, after a final series of cruises based from Singapore, the ship was transferred to Pullmantur Cruises in Spain and renamed Sky Wonder. It was registered in Valletta, Malta. The vessel continued to serve international and charter-oriented operations, including a charter associated with CVC Cruises in South America. Its career was also marked by mechanical and operational difficulties, including gearbox work, an engine breakdown in the Strait of Malacca, and a grounding in the Río de la Plata near Buenos Aires. The ship was laid up at Piraeus from March 2009. In April 2009, it was renamed Atlantic Star and was associated with service aimed at the Portuguese market, but it did not return to sustained commercial operation. A proposed purchase by Kyma Ship Management in 2010 did not proceed, reportedly because converting or replacing the ship’s steam-turbine machinery would have been too expensive. Atlantic Star subsequently remained laid up, including a period moored at Marseille. In January 2013, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. transferred the vessel to STX France as part of the commercial arrangements connected with construction of a new Oasis-class ship, later known as Harmony of the Seas. The ship left under tow in March 2013. It reached the shipbreaking yard at Aliağa, Turkey, on 14 April 2013 under the name Antic and was dismantled. Atlantic Star therefore represents both the longevity of classic steam-turbine cruise ships and the industry’s transition toward larger, newer, and more efficient vessels.

Atlantic Star began its career as FairSky, built in 1984 for Sitmar Cruises at La Seyne-sur-Mer in France. The ship was registered in Liberia and used steam-turbine propulsion, a system that was becoming less common as cruise operators increasingly adopted newer machinery. Its early design combined the capacity and range required for international cruising with the conventional propulsion and layout of a large passenger ship of the period. When P&O Cruises acquired Sitmar in September 1988, the vessel moved into the Princess Cruises organization and became Sky Princess. It was re-registered in London and continued operating for Princess Cruises for more than a decade. Its final Princess Cruises voyage ended in October 2000, when the ship arrived in Sydney for transfer to P&O Cruises Australia. P&O undertook a reported refurbishment at Cairncross Dockyard in Brisbane and renamed the vessel Pacific Sky. The ship became part of P&O Australia’s effort to build a stronger domestic and regional cruising business. From 2000 to 2006, Pacific Sky reportedly carried about 275,000 passengers across 200 cruises. Its reception helped validate the Australian market and was followed by the introduction of additional P&O Australia ships, including Pacific Sun, Pacific Dawn, Pacific Jewel, and Pacific Pearl. The vessel’s Australian period was commercially productive but operationally uneven. A jellyfish blockage of a cooling-water intake caused an automatic shutdown in 2004. In 2005, additional cruises were cancelled while the starboard gearbox underwent extended work. In March 2006, an engine problem in the Strait of Malacca left the ship unable to continue normally, and it reached Port Klang at reduced speed after unsuccessful repairs at sea. In May 2006, the ship moved to Pullmantur Cruises and was renamed Sky Wonder. It was registered in Valletta, Malta and operated outside the P&O Australia fleet. In January 2007, while chartered for CVC Cruises, Sky Wonder grounded on a sandbar in the Río de la Plata near Buenos Aires. The vessel was freed by tugs at high tide, with no reported major injuries. From March 2009, Sky Wonder was laid up in Piraeus. It was renamed Atlantic Star in April 2009 for an intended Portuguese-market role, but the ship did not return to a sustained operating career. A potential acquisition by Kyma Ship Management in January 2010 failed, reportedly because the cost of replacing the steam turbines with diesel engines made the proposal uneconomic. The ship remained idle, including at Marseille, until a 2013 arrangement changed its ownership status. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. transferred it to STX France as partial consideration related to construction of a new Oasis-class ship. Atlantic Star was towed away in March 2013 and arrived at Aliağa, Turkey, on 14 April under the name Antic. It was subsequently scrapped, ending a career that had passed through four principal commercial identities and several cruise markets.

• 2013

  Transferred for shipbuilding consideration

  [1]Atlantic Star (cruise ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. transferred the laid-up vessel to STX France in connection with an Oasis-class newbuild arrangement.

• 2013

  Scrapped at Aliağa

  [1]Atlantic Star (cruise ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Renamed Antic, the ship reached the Turkish shipbreaking yard at Aliağa on 14 April and was dismantled.

• 2009

  Laid up and renamed Atlantic Star

  [1]Atlantic Star (cruise ship)en.wikipedia.org

  After being laid up at Piraeus, the ship was renamed Atlantic Star and associated with a proposed Portuguese-market operation.

• 2006

  Transferred to Pullmantur as Sky Wonder

  [1]Atlantic Star (cruise ship)en.wikipedia.org

  The vessel left P&O Cruises Australia and began a new phase under Pullmantur Cruises with the name Sky Wonder.

• 2000

  Entered P&O Cruises Australia service as Pacific Sky

  [1]Atlantic Star (cruise ship)en.wikipedia.org

  After completing its Princess Cruises career, the ship arrived in Sydney and entered the Australian market following refurbishment.

• 1988

  Renamed Sky Princess after Sitmar acquisition

  [1]Atlantic Star (cruise ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Following P&O Cruises’ purchase of Sitmar, the vessel moved to the Princess Cruises fleet and received the name Sky Princess.

• 1984

  Built as FairSky

  [1]Atlantic Star (cruise ship)en.wikipedia.org

  The ship was completed in France for Sitmar Cruises and entered service under the name FairSky.

A multi-market cruise vessel whose commercial identity changed with successive operators, serving Australian, European, Southeast Asian, Portuguese, and South American cruise programs.

• Cruise ship · 1984

  Atlantic Star cruise ship

  Atlantic Star was a 240.4-metre cruise ship measuring 46,087 gross tons. It used steam turbines supplied by multiple boilers and had two fixed-pitch propellers, a single rudder, bow and stern thrusters, and retractable stabilizer fins. Depending on boiler use, its reported maximum speed ranged from approximately 19.8 to 21.8 knots. The vessel was one of the later cruise ships to retain steam-turbine propulsion.

• 2013

  Transfer to STX FranceM&A

  Background

  The aging ship had been laid up and was no longer operating a sustained commercial schedule.

  Action taken

  Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. transferred the vessel to STX France as partial consideration connected with an Oasis-class cruise-ship order.

  Aftermath

  The ship was towed to Turkey, renamed Antic, and scrapped in April 2013.

  Source

• 2006

  Transfer from P&O Cruises Australia to PullmanturStrategy

  Background

  After operating in Australia, the ship was reassigned to another part of the cruise group’s portfolio.

  Action taken

  The vessel was transferred to Pullmantur Cruises, renamed Sky Wonder, and registered in Valletta.

  Aftermath

  It continued in international and charter-related service before entering lay-up in 2009.

  Source

• 2000

  Transfer into the Australian cruise marketStrategy

  Background

  P&O Cruises moved the former Sky Princess to its Australian operation as the company sought to serve regional and domestic cruise demand.

  Action taken

  The ship was refurbished in Brisbane and relaunched under the name Pacific Sky.

  Aftermath

  The vessel carried approximately 275,000 passengers on 200 cruises between 2000 and 2006, and its reception supported later P&O Cruises Australia fleet expansion.

  Source

1. 1Atlantic Star (cruise ship)en.wikipedia.org