Hapag-Lloyd Cruises said it would take its premium ship Columbus out of the fleet one year earlier than planned, in May 2012, by mutual agreement with Conti, the Munich-based group of companies and owner of the ship.
All cruises offered up to May 2012 will take place on the Columbus as scheduled. The ship is to be replaced in spring 2012 by the 698-passenger Columbus 2.
"Columbus 2 provides more diversity and comfort at a very good price/performance ratio, [and] represents for us an economically attractive expansion of our capacity in the premium segment," said Sebastian Ahrens, managing director of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.
The Columbus will operate its 2011-12 world tour as planned. At the end of that voyage on May 7, 2012, in Nice, France, the ship will depart the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet.
Two published cruises that were to follow the world tour will be canceled, said Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, and the company will offer affected customers special deals for rebooking onto the Columbus.