Royal Caribbean’s fourth ever cruise ship – who paved the best way for the trendy vessels of in the present day like Icon of the Seas and the upcoming Star of the Seas – is formally on her method to be scrapped.
First launched as Track of America, the now ex-Royal Caribbean cruise ship has a formidable 40+ years of cruising below her belt with quite a lot of totally different cruise strains.
On the finish of 2023, when the 1,664-guest ship was crusing below Celestyal Cruises as Celestyal Olympia, it was introduced that she can be decommissioned and retired – confirming that she’d finally be scrapped on the time.
Her exit coincided with Celestyal Cruises’ acquisition of AIDAaura – which was the oldest ship within the Carnival-owned AIDA Cruises fleet, however nonetheless youthful than the previous Track of America as a 2003-launched vessel.
Celestyal Cruises bought the ex-RCCL ship to a flag of comfort firm in January 2024, who named her Bella Fortuna – which finally was shortened to only Fortu.
However now, her date with the scrapyard is formally right here. On January 22, 2025, the present Fortu launched into her closing voyage from the United Arab Emirates within the Center East – crusing towards the world’s largest shipbreaking yard in Alang, India. Her standing is listed as “to be damaged up.”
She’s additionally not the primary former Royal Caribbean vessel to fulfill the identical destiny. Solar Viking, which was the third ship to affix the fleet in 1972, was beached for scrapping in India in 2022 – concluding greater than 50 years of service.
Her older sisters, Track of Norway and Norway Princess, had been scrapped in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
A Cruise Business Trailblazer
As she was referred to as on the time, Track of America sailed below Royal Caribbean from 1982 till 1999 – and is remembered as a monetary success and a pioneer for the cruise line.
At 37,700 gross-tons, she was as soon as thought of one of many largest cruise ships on this planet. She was a part of the second technology of cruise ships that constructed upon the vessels of the Nineteen Sixties – all of which had been round 40,000-gross tons and will accommodate not less than 1,000 friends.
For Royal Caribbean, the addition of Track of America led the corporate to proceed to order larger, higher, and extra revolutionary cruise ships – with the fleet welcoming its twenty ninth ship with the debut of Star of the Seas this summer season.
Her recognition is basically what helped the Miami-based cruise line develop to turn into the business’s second-largest cruise firm – solely rating behind Carnival.
Track of America was additionally the primary ship to introduce the famed Viking Crown Lounge – which is a well-liked bar and dance ground that may nonetheless be discovered onboard almost each RCCL ship.
Learn Additionally: Cruise Hive Dialogue Boards: Previous RCCL Ships
However by the late 1900s, fashionable innovation had surpassed what the cruising pioneer may supply. In late 1998, the ship was bought to Solar Cruises – although she can be chartered again to Royal Caribbean for a number of months – and renamed Sunbird.
In 2005, she was bought to Thomson Cruises as Thomson Future when Solar Cruises was dissolved.
She sailed below the Thomson Cruises model till 2012 – at which period she transitioned to Louis Cruises for a two year-stint as Louis Olympia. Notably, throughout this time she served as a floating lodge throughout the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Her closing decade as a cruise ship was spent as Celestyal Olympia from 2014 to 2024.
Whereas the historic ship’s impending destiny on the scrapyard might sound dismal, she should still go on to a brand new life at sea – however in a special type.
Throughout the scrapping course of, a lot of the supplies that make up the cruise ship shall be recycled to be used on future vessels – similar to melting down metals to be remade into new hull plates.
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