The Swan Hellenic brand will sail again,
as part of U.K.-based All Leisure Group, and with Swan's former
ship, the Minerva.
All Leisure
Group, owner of Voyages of Discovery, said that Swan will set sail
next year with the 12,500-ton, 394-passenger ship, which was
recently acquired by Voyages of Discovery and was expected to enter
service for the line in 2008. It will be renamed the Minerva when
it enters service for Swan next May.
Lord Sterling,
the former chairman of P&O and "life president" of P&O
Cruises, bought the assets of Swan Hellenic in March, after its
former owner, Carnival Corp., transferred the line's sole ship, the
Minerva II, to Princess Cruises.
Sterling, who had
been actively seeking a replacement ship, will head the cruise line
in the U.K.
"Lord Sterling
has the brand name, the expertise, and the loyal past passenger
base," said Mark Flager, vice president of sales and marketing for
Voyages of Discovery. "He needed a ship and we were able to provide
a ship."
The ship is
currently being operated as the Alexander von Humboldt for German
operator Phoenix Reisen, and in the austral summer in Antarctica as
the Explorer II, operated by Abercrombie & Kent.
To contact reporter Johanna Jainchill, send e-mail to [email protected].