GLORY of the SEAS

GLORY of the SEAS

Since march 2016 Glory Sea

IMO 9183518

Registered Owner: Diamond Cruise International Co.Ltd. - China - Operator: Shanghai Xinhong Shipping Management Co., Ltd - China

Entered operational service 2002/2005/2015 - Gross Tonnage 24.782- Passengers lower beds: 832 - All berths: 920 - Passenger decks: 8 - Length: 180,45 m. - Beam: 25,50 m.- Propulsion: 4 x Wärtsilä 4 stroke single acting diesel engines type 9 LW 46 C power each 9.450 kW - Total power: 37.800 kW - 2 Controllable pitch propellers - Service Speed: 20 knots - Max. speed: 28 knots - Built: Blohm und Voss Shipyards GmbH - Germany - Yard no. 962 - Flag: Malta - Classification: RINA

March 11-2019 According to Chinese sources, the Glory Sea from Diamond Cruises has been arrested in port following a wage dispute. Crew members from the Diamond Cruises operated vessel reportedly sounded alarm to the Shanghai Maritime Court due to missed payroll and other related services earlier this month.

May 30-2020. The ship was released from arrest yesterday and is now heading for Zhoushan. She was been renamed “Blue Dream Star”.New owner unknown as well as the future.

Passenger space ratio all berths: 26.43

HISTORY
Former owner: ROYAL OLYMPIA CRUISES -GREECE.
Olympia Explorer and sistership Olympia Voyager are very fast cruiseships. Speed approx. 28 knots. Boths ships are built in Germany at Blohm und Voss. This 2 ships are the first newbuildings ordered by ROC ever.
The Olympia Explorer ready for hand-over by the yard in late 2000. However entered service in 2002 due to a financial dispute with the yard and the weak financial position of ROC at that time.

DUE TO FINANCIAL PROBLEMS OF ROYAL OLYMPIA. PURCHASED ON LEGAL AUCTION BY GERMAN MORTGAGE BANK KfW ON MARCH 24-2004 FOR $ 97.2 mil. Resold to Stella Maritime.
PURCHASED BY STELLA MARITIME ( V-SHIPS ) MAY 2004. CHARTER WITH PURCHASE OPTION TO SEAWISE FOUNDATION - USA FOR A PERIOD OF 15 YEARS. RENAMED INTO EXPLORER. Bought by Institute For Shipboard Education in 2007. Sold back to German KfW Mortage Bank in 2015.

Nov.20-2014 The new Celestyal Cruises‎ brand, formerly Louis Cruises, was launched officially today with a press event in Greece. The big news was the announcement of the Olympic Explorer returning to service for a Greek comp.and will join the Celestyal Crystal and Celestyal Olympia in cruise service for 2015. The temporarly renamed Explorer in Celestyal Odyssey on a three years charter agreement.
Ship owned by Semester at Sea. As the Institute for Shipboard Education has shared since last year, ISE and its European banks arranged a standstill agreement to facilitate the sale of the MV Explorer to relieve the organization of the many financial burdens of ship ownership. The agreement states that ISE remains owner of the MV Explorer through the Semester at Sea Spring 2015 voyage. This deal is not carried out the Celestyal Odyssey replaced by the Gemini (Celestyal Nefeli).
2016 Explorer is sold to Diamond Cruise sailing as the Glory of the Seas. Diamond was established in the Bahamas last summer, with headquarters in Shanghai, and is a subsidiary of the Tai Hu Cruise Management Company (THCM), which is expected to be listed on China’s new OTC stock exchange later this year. The ship, which was undergoing an extensive refit in Shanghai’s Huarun Dadong Shipyard will launch service from Shanghai in April. 2016
Re-named Glory of the Seas will sail short cruises to Japan and South Korea.

Former names: Olympia Explorer- Olympic Explorer - Explorer - Celestyal Odyssey under this name has not been operational -Glory of the Seas- ( Glory Sea since 2016 until 2020) - Bleu Dream Star(may 2020-until present

Sistership: Grand Voyager until 2012 Costa Voyager until 2014 - now Chinese Taishan - until present

Olympia Explorer

Jan.27 -2005 Voyager’s sistership Explorer, owned by Stella Maritime ( V- Ships) , had almost identical problems in the Pacific about 1600 miles of Hawaii. After a powerful wave hit the vessel, knocking out the same bridge window and disabling the bridge console’s electronic engine control system. The former Olympia Explorer is on long-term charter to the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Shipboard Education,
See also page Grand Voyager.
June 8 -2005: Five months after a rogue wave struck the MV EXPLORER in northern Pacific waters, rattling 700 students and disabling the ship, the University of Pittsburgh has decided to end its over twenty year sponsorship of the Semester at Sea program. In addition to concern over the use of the EXPLORER (ex OLYMPIC EXPLORER, OLYMPIA EXPLORER) which has not proven to be a comfortable sea boat in severe weather conditions.
June 11-2005: The Institute for Shipboard Education and the University of Pittsburgh reached an agreement under which the University will continue to certify academic credit for participation in Semester at Sea until the spring 2006 semester. This agreement will mean that all upcoming voyages will continue as scheduled. A statement on their website reagarding recent news reports, it stated. Det Norske Veritas, a renowned Norwegian company with an impeccable reputation in the shipping industry, to inspect the ship and conduct a full evaluation of the circumstances around the incident. In their final assessment, DNV reported that the MV EXPLORER, "in light of the severity of the weather it encountered, performed better than any ship of her class." Based on their recommendations, modifications have been made to the ship that include, among others, reinforcement of the metal framing and windows on the navigational bridge. The improvements further enhance the MV Explorer's seaworthiness and suitability as our shipboard campus for many years to come".

EXPLORER

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