History
Pullmantur began cruise operations in the 1990s by initially selling cruises onboard SS SeaWind Crown, originally founded by Anastasios Kyriakides (subsequently merged with Premier Cruises), in the Southern Caribbean from Premier Cruises and later also onboard Premier Cruises flagship the SS Rembrandt in the Mediterranean. After Premier Cruises changed their business plan in 1997 and decided to cancel their contracts with operators such as Pullmantur and their following collapse in 2000, Pullmantur acquired their SS Big Red Boat 1 and started their own cruise line, Pullmantur Cruises. The Big Red Boat 1 was reverted to her original name SS Oceanic, and begun cruising around the Mediterranean from Barcelona in May 2005. The Oceanic became hugely successful, and already in 2002 Pullmantur acquired a second ship, MS Pacific (formerly Princess Cruises' famous MS Pacific Princess that starred in The Love Boat TV series), and chartered the former Renaissance Cruises ship MS R Five from Cruiseinvest. The R Five was marketed under the name Blue Dream. Two more ships followed in 2003. Pullmantur acquired MS Superstar Aries from Star Cruises and renamed her MS Holiday Dream, while the R Five's sister ship MS R Six was chartered under the marketing name Blue Star.
In 2004 the R Five was chartered by her owners to Oceania Cruises. In 2005 Pullmantur purchased the R Six, confusingly renaming her MS Blue Dream. A third R-class ship followed in 2006 when Pullmantur bought the Delphin Renaissance and renamed her MS Blue Moon. Later the same year the Pullmantur fleet grew to six ships when the Pacific Sky was purchased from P&O Cruises Australia and renamed SS Sky Wonder. A few months after the purchase of the Sky Wonder the entire Pullmantur company was sold to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Following the acquisition by Royal Caribbean several transfers were carried out between the Pullmantur fleet and those of other Royal Caribbean brands. In 2007 the Blue Dream and Blue Moon were transferred to Azamara Cruises, while MS Oceanic II and Celebrity Cruises's MS Zenith joined the Pullmantur fleet in their place (the Oceanic II only spent the 2007 summer season sailing for Pullmantur). In 2008 Pullmantur received Empress of the Seas from the fleet of Royal Caribbean International, and renamed her MS Empress.
More changes are due to follow in 2008. The Pacific and Holiday Dream leave the Pullmantur fleet in April/May for Quail Cruises and CDF Croisières de France, respectively. The former P&O Cruises Australia ship Pacific Star is due to enter service as MS Ocean Dream in May. A further new ship is set to join the Pullmantur fleet in late 2008, when RCI's MS Sovereign of the Seas will be transferred to Pullmantur as the Sovereign. In April 2008 Lloyd's List reported that Pullmantur were also in the process of purchasing MS Pride of Aloha from Norwegian Cruise Line's subsidiary NCL America. The deal fell through however, and the Pride of Aloha returned to the "normal" Norwegian Cruise Line fleet instead. In March 2009 the Oceanic was sold to Peace Boat and the Sky Wonder was renamed Atlantic Star in April 2009.. In mid April 2009 the Island Star was transferred from Island Cruises to Pullmantur Cruises.
It was announced on March 20, 2012 that Royal Caribbean International's Monarch of the Seas will be transferred to the fleet on April 1, 2013. The Ocean Dream was chartered to Peace Boat to replace the Oceanic, the Pacific Dream/Horizon was transferred to CDF Croisières de France. In 2014, the Zenith will join her sister ship L'Horizon sailing under the CDF Croisières de France brand.
As of December 2012, the L'Horizon has returned to the Pullmantur Cruises fleet, it resumed the name Horizon once again
Read more about this topic: Pullmantur Cruises
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