The cruise ship, the Costa Magica, has been sold to ferry operator and Greece’s largest cruise ship owner, Seajets. According to Greek media, the cruise ship was renamed Mykonos Magic and now flies the flag of Bermuda.
The ship was scheduled to transfer to the Carnival Cruise Line fleet.
This plan was rejected in mid-2022 when it was announced that Costa Luminosa would instead become Carnival Luminosa while Costa Magica was to stay with Costa Cruises for the time being. The ship had not sailed since early March 2020. It remained one of the few ships not taking on new passengers.
The Costa Magica almost…
In the meantime, Costa Magica was offered to host Ukrainian refugees in March 2022, with Costa Cruises reaching out to the Italian government with this proposal. Although generous and appreciated, the offer was ultimately useless.
Seajet consolidates an important place in the cruise market
Seajets is by far the leader in Greek coastal cabotage, with the largest fleet of cruise ships in Greece, consolidating its position as a major player in the Mediterranean and in the global cruise market. With the acquisition of Costa Magica, Seajets bought 7 cruise ships in less than three years, including CMV Columbus and Magellan (later sold for scrap); Holland America Line’s Maasdam was sold to Compagnie Française de Croisières (CFC) and renamed the Renaissance ; as well as the former Veendam, P&O Oceania, Pacific Area and Majesty of the Seas (currently laid up in Greece)
Carnival Corp, the owner of Costa Cruises, has reduced its fleet of ships
At the start of the pandemic, Carnival Corporation owned 104 cruise ships. Management decided to accelerate a fleet renewal program by selling the smallest and oldest vessels of the company’s eight brands. The sales included six vintage 1990s Carnival Cruise Line Fantasy cruise ships, all sold for scrap, while the others were also sold for potential future operations.
Carnival still has 90 ships and a few orders on the way
After fleet rationalization efforts, Carnival Corporation now has 90 cruise ships. They currently only have five cruise ships on order and they are a joint venture partner with CSSC for the launch of a new brand in China which has acquired two ships from Costa and is building two ships in China.
Ship orders and transfers
Carnival Corporation continued to take delivery of its cruise ship orders while saying it plans to slow future new construction for the foreseeable future. Additionally, several ships have moved between brands, including transferring from Princess Cruises to rebuild operations in Australia, and three ships moving from Costa to Carnival Cruise Line.
