Henna for Scrap: June brought the news that the redundant cruise ship Henna (above), last operated by HNA Cruises of China (until 2015) had been sold for scrap. The Henna was purchased from P&O Cruises.

(Australia) in 2012 having been their Pacific Sun and was the first ship for HNA Cruises. The ship operated several itineraries and was deployed in Sanya and Tianjin, China.

Due to HNA Cruises ceasing to trade the ship was sales listed for $35 million but no interested parties materialised. The 47,678gt/1986 built Holiday Class ship began life in Sweden as Carnival Cruise Line’s Jubilee. She was based in Miami until sold to P&O in 2004. Her 1,450 passenger capacity sisterships were the Holiday and Celebration.

Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ 22,080gt/1965 built Marco Polo (above) made her last scheduled departure from Tilbury’s London International Cruise Terminal on 14th May and was given a suitable send off. She repositioned to Hull (and will also serve Avonmouth, Liverpool etc) and then on leaving the Humberside port on 23rd May she came into contact with the lock gate at the start of a 12- night Baltic Cities and St Petersburg itinerary. During that cruise the ship hit a sandbank whilst outbound through the notoriously narrow navigation channel from St. Petersburg. She brushed off her experience and continued to Helsinki.

Swan Hellenic’s Minerva sailed under Tower Bridge on 24th May (above) and berthed alongside HMS Belfast, 20 years after her naming ceremony there. The call was in conjunction with the Chelsea Flower Show and she stayed for two nights prior to continuing to Portsmouth.

Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, a Japanese shipbuilder, is planning to enter the luxury cruise construction market and will use its shipyard in Zhoushan in China to build the cruise ships. Tsuneishi Zhoushan will become the third shipyard in China to build such ships following Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding and Xiamen Shipbuilding. According to Japanese local media, Tsuneishi is planning to deliver a 30,000gt cruise ship in 2020. The ship builder established its Zhoushan yard in 2007 and it has delivered about 150 vessels so far.

Birthday Saga: In 2017 Saga Cruises will celebrate its 20th birthday with an Anniversary Cruise revisiting ports that featured during the 1997 inaugural cruise on the Saga Rose. The trip will showcase the Saga Sapphire as she sets set sail from Dover on 20th May amid a huge send-off with fireworks and festivities. Special guests will also be on board, including past and present Saga VIPs who have shaped the business over the last two decades. Ports of call during this special 20th Anniversary Cruise include Lisbon, Malaga, Livorno and Civitavecchia, which were visited during the inaugural cruise, as well as Marseilles, Corsica and Gibraltar.