Phoenix Reisen Reportedly Chartering Celestyal Cruises’ Ship

Celestyal Journey

Phoenix Reisen is reportedly chartering the Celestyal Journey following a delay on Amera’s drydock revitalization.

According to Schiff und Kreuzfahrten, the Celestyal Cruises vessel is set to take over part of Amera’s upcoming world cruise, which was scheduled to sail from Germany on Dec. 21, 2023.

Undergoing a major modernization project in Poland since September, the Phoenix Reisen ship won’t be ready in time for the trip, the German website added.

Chartered to replace the Amera, the Celestyal Journey is now set to offer the first leg of the 143-night itinerary.

With part of its winter scheduled cancelled to the geopolitical situation in Israel, the 1993-built vessel is currently out of service in Greece.

As a result, Phoenix Reisen also changed the embarkation port of the global voyage, Schiff und Kreuzfahrten added. Instead of starting in Hamburg, the cruise will now depart from Genoa, in Italy.

The complete itinerary, which includes visits to destinations in Africa, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, Australia & New Zealand, the South Pacific, South America, the Caribbean and North America, is not expected to suffer any major alterations.

A ship change, however, is planned to occur once the work onboard the Amera is concluded, with details still to be determined.

The delay in the ship’s refit was caused by supply chain bottlenecks, Schiff und Kreuzfahrten said, which resulted in late deliveries of required materials.

Work onboard the Amera includes the replacement of engines, propellers, bow thrusters and a large part of the ship’s engine room equipment.

Acquired by Phoenix Reisen in 2018, the 834-guest ship originally entered service for Royal Viking Cruise Line in the late 1980s.

Before joining the fleet of the Germany-based cruise line, the vessel also sailed for Seabourn Cruise Line and Holland America Line.

Additionally, Amera’s Dec. 14, 2023, cruise had to be cancelled due to the delay, Schiff und Kreuzfahrten said.

Cruise Industry News Email Alerts

Cruise Industry News Email Alerts

 

EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Get the latest breaking cruise newsSign up.

CRUISE SHIP ORDERBOOK

54 Ships | 122,002 Berths | $36 Billion | View

New 2024 Drydock REPORT

Highlights:

  • Mkt. Overview
  • Record Year
  • Refit Schedule
  • 120 Pages
  • PDF Download
  • Order Today
New 2024 Annual Report

Highlights:

  • 2033 Industry Outlook 
  • All Operators
  • Easy to Use
  • Pre-Order Offer
  • Order Today