Swan Hellenic has been forced to cancel its first cruise with its once and future ship, Minerva, due to unexpected generator difficulties. The eight-night Norwegian Fjords cruise was scheduled to depart from Dover on Friday 23 May, returning on Saturday, 31 May and was scheduled to call at Bergen, Flam, Ulvik, Stavanger and Kristiansand. The [...]
All Leisure Group plc, parent of Swan Hellenic and Voyages of Discovery, continues to seek new tonnage. According to a statement by chairman Roger Allard in the company’s 2008 preliminary results, “…it is our intention to acquire by charter, lease or purchase more quality vessels to satisfy demand from the growing mature passenger cruise market.”
This [...]
Swan Hellenic has announced a return to river cruising with a new program for 2009 in partnership with the German river cruise line A-ROSA. It will offer six 10-night cruises on the Danube aboard the 200-berth, 2004-built A-ROSA Riva in May, September and October 2009 and four 7-night cruises on the Rhone and Saone in [...]
In the process of writing an article on Swan Hellenic for Cruise Critic, I was able to clarify some of the questions raised about the company’s return to the market next year. Notably:
Explorer II will be renamed Minerva before recommencing service with Swan
The winter Antarctica charters to Abercrombie & Kent and Regent Seven Seas will [...]
Today came the not-totally-unexpected announcement that former P&O Chairman Lord Sterling has sold Swan Hellenic to All Leisure Group plc, parent company of Voyages of Discovery.
Swan will return in May 2008 with the Explorer II, the former Minerva (the only ship ever built specifically for Swan Hellenic). Voyages of Discovery had already secured a long-term [...]
