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Pullmantur
 
 
This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of Spanish cruise operator Pullmantur. An alphabetical list of ships shown on this page is shown below. The Table beneath gives links to complete postcard history pages on selected individual ships. Below the table are official postcards of the fleet in chronological order.
 
Pullmantur entered the cruise market by chartering the SeaWind Crown from Premier Cruises. Following the failure of Premier, they investigated buying the SeaWind Crown, but settled on fellow Premier fleet member Oceanic, which was in better condition. Other classic cruise ships followed, plus two of the Renaissance ships R Five, R Six and R Seven. In 2006, Pullmantur was acquired by Royal Caribbean. They transferred their Zenith for 2007, and acquired the Pacific Star from Carnival-owned P&O Australia, renamed Ocean Dream. The two remaining Renaissance ships in the fleet, Blue Moon and Blue Star, were transferred out to an new upmarket Celebrity brand (although Blue Moon remains in the fleet until September 2007). The Oceanic II was also chartered for 2007. Two of the last steam cruise liners were in the fleet at this time, Oceanic and Sky Wonder, although the Royal Caribbean takeover means that these fuel-thirsty vessels are not likely to survive long.
 
 
Ships on This Page:-
Blue Dream (1) (R Five) - 2002-2005
Blue Dream (2) (R Six) - 2005-2007
Blue Moon - 2006-2007
Blue Star - 2004-2005
Empress - 2008-
Holiday Dream - 2004-2008
Ocean Dream - 2008-
Oceanic - 2001-
Oceanic II - 2007
Pacific - 2003-2007
SeaWind Crown - 19??-2000
Sky Wonder - 2006-
Sovereign - 2008-
Zenith - 2007-
 
Associated Pages:-
Home Lines
Premier Cruises
Renaissance Cruises
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
 
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Table of Ship Histories

Name

Other names

 Built
 Holiday Dream  Europa, SuperStar Europe, Superstar Aries

 1981
 Oceanic  StarShip Oceanic, Big Red Boat I

 1965
 Oceanic II  Kungsholm, Sea Princess, Victoria, Mona Lisa

 1966
 Pacific  Pacific Venture, Pacific Princess

 1971
 SeaWind Crown  Vasco da Gama

 1961
 Sky Wonder  Fairsky, Sky Princess, Pacific Sky

 1984
 
 
 
 
 
Pullmantur Fleet List
 
 
 
SeaWind Crown
(Pullmantur charter: 19??-2000 )
 
Pullmantur entered the cruise market by chartering the SeaWind Crown from Premier Cruises. Following the failure of Premier, they investigated buying the SeaWind Crown, but settled on fellow Premier fleet member Oceanic, which was in better condition.
 
Infante Dom Henrique, was built in 1961 by Cockerill-Ougree, Belgium, for Cia Colonial de Navegacao. She was 23306 grt, and carried 1018 passengers. Her lines and funnel design show similarities with the contemporary, but much smaller, Belgian Railways ferries on Ostend-Dover services, which were also supplied by Cockerill. She operated on services to Portugal's colonies (Beira in Mozambique) until 1975, by which time the colonies had gained independence, and liner services were no longer necessary. She then operated as a floating hotel until 1988, when she was brought back into service as a cruise ship under the name Vasco da Gama.
 
The owners of Vasco da Gama were described as Trans World Cruises, and she was initially chartered to German company Neckermann. By 1991, the owners were listed as Arcalia Shipping (owners of Funchal and Princess Danae, which I believe is the same company as Trans World Cruises) with operator Paradise Cruises. She became the SeaWind Crown in this year, supposedly reverting to Vasco da Gama soon afterwards, now operated by SeaWind Cruise Line. In practice, she carried both names in many photographs. Eventually, the official name became SeaWind Crown again. SeaWind Cruises joined with Dolphin Cruise Line to form an enlarged Premier Cruise Line, and their new dark blue livery was applied. She has survived as one of the least-changed ocean liners still sailing (externally at least), but her future is currently in doubt following the collapse of Premier Cruises. In September 2002 she remained laid up in Barcelona.
 
A complete postcard history of SeaWind Crown is available on this link.
 
 
This is Simplon Photographs release isc2008 of SeaWind Crown, issued September 2002.
It shows SeaWind Crown laid up in Barcelona on 2/9/2002.
 
 
Official Premier Cruise Line postcard of SeaWind Crown.
 
 
Official Premier Cruise Line postcard of SeaWind Crown.
 
 
Official Premier Cruise Line postcard of SeaWind Crown.
 
 
 
 
 
Oceanic
(Pullmantur: 2001- )
 
Following the collapse of Premier, the Oceanic was acquired by Spanish operator Pullmantur. The Oceanic was completed in 1963 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone. She was Home Line first purpose-built ship, designed as a two-class liner to operate in summer on their Canadian route from Cuxhaven, le Havre and Southampton. By the time of her delivery, Home Lines had dropped the Atlantic liner voyages, and Oceanic ran 7-day cruises to Nassau from New York through the summer. In winter she ran longer trips to the Caribbean. She was sold to Premier in 1985, when replaced by the new Homeric. She was later renamed StarShip Oceanic, but was frequently marketed as the Big Red Boat. This later became her official name. Premier collapsed in September 2000. Oceanic was acquired by Spanish operator Pullmantur, who had previously chartered the Seawind Crown.
 
A complete postcard history of Oceanic is available on this link.
 
 
This is an official Pullmantur postcard of Oceanic.
 
 
This is an official Pullmantur postcard of Oceanic.
 
 
This is an official Pullmantur photograph of Oceanic.
 
 
This is Simplon Photographs release isc2007 of Oceanic, issued September 2002.
It shows Oceanic in Barcelona on 2/9/2002.
 
 
Photograph of Oceanic, Villefranche, Movember 2003.
Photo: © Mike Tedstone.
 
 
Photograph of Oceanic, Barcelona, October 2003.
Photo: © Mike Tedstone.
 
 
 
 
 
 
R Five - Blue Dream (1)
(Pullmantur: 2002-2004)
 
 
Pullmantur chartered the R Five from 2002-2004, giving her the marketing name Blue Dream (1). From 2004 she was chartered to Oceania Cruises as the Nautica. From 2005, Pullmantur took the R Six on charter as the Blue Sky. Blue Sky later became the Blue Dream (2).
 
 
Official Pullmantur postcard of R 5 Blue Dream (1)/R Five.
 
 
www.cruising.com.br postcard of R 5 Blue Dream (1)/R Five.
Photo: © Daniel R.Carneiro
 
 
Simplon Photographs issue isc2009 of Blue Dream (1)/R Five in Barcelona.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, August 2002.
 
 
Blue Dream (1)/R Five at Dubrovnik.
Photo: © Neven Jerkovic
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
 
 
 
Pacific
(Pullmantur: 2003-2007)
 
Pacific was originally one of two sisters completed in 1971 for Flagship Cruises as Sea Venture and Island Venture. Flagship Cruises was a Norwegian company set up by established lines Lorentzen, Fearnley & Eger etc. They were sold to P&O, for their recently acquired Princess subsidiary, in 1974. Flagship Cruises then bought the Kungsholm, which was also, in turn, sold to P&O. Sea Venture was renamed Pacific Princess in the Princess fleet, and served with them from 1974-2003. She then entered service Spanish operator Pullmantur and renamed Pacific. Initial Pullmantur operations were on Brasilian coastal cruises in co-operation with Brasilian company CVC, who now own the ship. In summer 2008 she is opearating in Europe for new Spanish company Quail Cruises.
 
There is a complete history of Pacific on this link.
 
 
Official Pullmantur postcard of Pacific.
 
 
 
 
 
R Six - Blue Star - Blue Dream (2)
(Pullmantur: 2004-2007)
 
Following the Royal caribbean takeoevr, the two Renaissance ships in the fleet, Blue Moon and Blue Star, were transferred out to an new upmarket Celebrity brand (although Blue Moon remains in the fleet until September 2007).
 
 
R Six - Blue Star at Rhodes in 2005.
Photo: © A.Klem
.
 
 
Blue Star/R Six at Dubrovnik.
Photo: © Neven Jerkovic
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Blue Star/R Six at Dubrovnik with Regatta.
Photo:© Miho Radulic, May 2005
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Blue Dream (2) at Rhodes, 13th May 2006.
She dropped the R Six dual name when becoming Blue Dream (2).
Photo: © A.Klem
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Blue Dream (2) at Dubrovnik, with Golden Princess.
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic, 17th June 2006.
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Blue Dream (2) at Santos, Brazil.
Photos: © Marco Antonio Pedro
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Blue Dream (2) at Santos, Brazil.
Photos: © Marco Antonio Pedro
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Blue Dream (2) at Santos, Brazil on 10th December 2006.
Photos: © Marco Antonio Pedro
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Holiday Dream
(Pullmantur: 2004- )
 
Holiday Dream was previously the Europa (3) of Hapag-Lloyd. Europa (3) was built for Hapag-Lloyd in 1981 by Bremer Vulkan. She weighs 37012grt, is 656ft long and has engines of 28900hp. Europa (3) carried 770 passengers, and cruised worldwide for Hapag-Lloyd until 1999, when she passed to Star Cruises on delivery of Europa (4). In 2000, she is the SuperStar Aries (after being originally renamed SuperStar Europe). In March 2001 it was announced that SuperStar Aries would transfer to the Orient Lines fleet (also owned by Star Cruises) from 2002 as their Ocean Voyager. This transfer did not take place and Orient Lines reverted to a single ship operation with Marco Polo. SuperStar Aries was sold to Pullmantur in 2004 and renamed Holiday Dream. Pullmantur was acquired by Royal Caribbean in 2006, and from May 2008 Holiday Dream will operate for new new French subsidiary CDF Croisières of France as Bleu de France.
 
Complete history of Holiday Dream
 
 
Photograph of Holiday Dream at Cozumel.
Photo: © Juan Carlos Lopez, December 2004.
 
 
Photograph of Holiday Dream at Cozumel.
Photo: © Juan Carlos Lopez, December 2004.
 
 
Photograph of Holiday Dream at Cuba, December 2004.
Photo: © José Luis Cerdá - cruceromania.net
 
 
 
 
 
Sky Wonder
(Pullmantur: 2006- )
 
Sky Wonder was built as Fairsky for Sitmar by Chantiers Navales et Industrielies de la Mediterranee, La Seyne Sur Mer (near Toulon), in 1984. She was yard number 1436. Unusually for a ship this new, she has steam turbine machinery, the last large turbine passenger ship built. She became the Sky Princess in the Princess Cruises fleet. She replaced Fair Princess in the Australian market in 2001, renamed the Pacific Sky. In 2006 Pacific Sky was sold to Pullmantur and renamed Sky Wonder.
 
Complete history of Fairsky/Sky Wonder
 
 
Official Pullmantur postcard of Sky Wonder.
Scan: Ivo Batricevic
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
Simplon Postcards release sc2165 of Sky Wonder
Photo: © Copyright Ian Boyle
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Photograph of Sky Wonder at Dubrovnik.
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic, 21st June 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
Pullmantur cruise ship Sky Wonder at Dubrovnik
Photo: ©2006 Copyright Ian Boyle
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Sky Wonder at Santos, Brazil on 10th December 2006, with revised hull logos
Photos: © Marco Antonio Pedro
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Sky Wonder at Santos, Brazil on 10th December 2006.
Photos: © Marco Antonio Pedro
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
 
 
 
Blue Moon
(Pullmantur: 2006-2007)
 
Completed at Saint Nazaire for Renaissance Cruises as the R Seven in 2000. She later became the Delphin Renaissance in 2003 before being sold to Pullmantur under the Maltese flag as the Blue Moon in 2006.
Following the Royal caribbean takeoevr, the two Renaissance ships in the fleet, Blue Moon and Blue Star, were transferred out to an new upmarket Celebrity brand (although Blue Moon remains in the fleet until September 2007).
 
 
Blue Moon on the River Seine, 17th September 2006.
Photo: © Philippe Brebant
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Blue Moon on the River Seine, 17th September 2006.
Photo: © Philippe Brebant
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Oceanic II
(Pullmantur: 2007)
 
Oceanic II was built as Kungsholm (4) by John Brown, Clydebank in 1966, and entered service with Swedish America. She was sold to Flagship Cruises in 1975, retaining her name. The Kungsholm (4) was then bought by P&O in 1979 to replace the aging Arcadia. She was given a major overhaul in Bremen, which ruined her classic liner appearance, and renamed Sea Princess. Initially operated by P&O Cruises in the Australian, then British markets, she was later transferred to the US market and appeared in Princess Cruises colours. She eventually returned to P&O Cruises, and has subsequently been renamed Victoria. In Winter 1999/2000 Victoria operated a cruise on charter to the Union-Castle Line, and received a red/black funnel. It was announced in February 2001 that Victoria would be withdrawn and replaced in the P&O Cruises fleet from November 2002 with the Princess Cruises ship Ocean Princess, which would be renamed Oceana from November 2002. Victoria was sold to Leonardo Shipping, who chartered her to Holiday Kreuzfahrten as Mona Lisa. Holiday Kreuzfahrten failed in 2006, and the owners secured a charter with Pullmantur for 2007. Mona Lisa was renamed Oceanic II. She also had a brief charter with Louis Cruise Lines to replace the lost Sea Diamond.
 
Complete history of Oceanic II
 
 
Oceanic II at Mykonos 25/05/2007 in Louis service
Photo: © Georges Koutsoukis - Scan: www.faktaomfartyg.se
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Oceanic II at Rodos in Pullmantur service
Photo: © Ko Rusman
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Pullmantur publicity image of Oceanic II
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The Scholar Ship official postcard of Oceanic II
Scan: Micheal Kenyon
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Zenith
(Pullmantur: 2007- )
 
Zenith was transferred from Celebrity by Royal Caribbean after their takeover of Pullmantur in 2006.
 
 
Pullmantur official postcard of Zenith
Scan: © Ivo Batricevic
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Pullmantur publicity image of Zenith
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Zenith at Dubrovnik, 16th June 2007
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic
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Zenith at Dubrovnik, 30th June 2007
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic
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Zenith at Dubrovnik, 3rd November 2007 with revised hull logo
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic
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Pullmantur official postcard of Zenith in new 2008 colours
She eventually received a much smaller hull logo - Scan: © Ivo Batricevic
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Zenith at Dubrovnik, 15th March 2008 in hybrid livery (red funnel but old logo)
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic
 
 
 
Zenith at Dubrovnik, 19th March 2008 in hybrid livery (red funnel and unpainted logo)
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic
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Zenith at Dubrovnik, 19th March 2008 in hybrid livery (red funnel and unpainted logo)
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic
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Zenith at Dubrovnik, 29th March 2008 in new livery
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic
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Zenith at Dubrovnik, 2nd April 2008 in new livery
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic
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Zenith at Dubrovnik, May 2008, with final new livery - small hull logo
Photo: © Ivo Batricevic
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Ocean Dream
(Pullmantur: 2008- )
 
Ocean Dream was built as the Tropicale, the first purpose-built Carnival cruise ship, delivered in 1981. She was transferred to subsidiary Costa Lines as Costa Tropicale in 2001, the first of the purpose-built Carnival ships to be transferred. In 2005 Costa Tropicale moved to P&O Australia and was renamed Pacific Star. In 2008 she was due to be based in Singapore. However, in a surprising move, she was sold to Royal Caribbean-owned Pullmantur, for 2008 delivery. The big cruise groups do not usually sell ships to their rivals. She will be renamed Ocean Dream.
 
 
Official Carnival postcard of Tropicale.
 
 
Costa Tropicale was the ex-Carnival ship Tropicale which had been transferred.
A scan of an official slightly oversized Costa postcard is shown below.
 
 
Pacific Star on first visit to Sydney with P&O Australia
Scan: Michael Kenyon, November 2007
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
 
 
 
Empress
(Pullmantur: 2008- )
 
The Empress was originally ordered by Admiral Cruises to replace Emerald Seas. She was due to be named Future Seas, but never appeared with this name since Admiral merged with Royal Caribbean before her delivery. She became the Nordic Empress in the Royal Caribbean fleet. Nordic Empress was renamed Empress of the Seas in 2004. She was transferred to Pullmantur as the Empress in 2008.
 
 
Official RCCL postcard of Nordic Empress.
 
 
Official RCCL postcard of Empress of the Seas
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
 
 
 
Sovereign
(Pullmantur: 2008- )
 
Sovereign was built as the Sovereign of the Seas in 1987. She is 74000 gross tons, carries 2282 passengers and has a service speed of 16 knots. She was at Alsthom-Atlantique, St Nazaire, between June 1986 - December 1987. Sovereign of the Seas was the largest cruise ship in the world when delivered, and has two sisters, Monarch of the Seas (1991) and Majesty of the Seas (1992). In 2008 she was transferred to Pullmantur as the Sovereign.
 
 
Royal Caribbean official postcard, published by Astral Graphics, serial SV673/P36989.
 
 
Editions d'Art "Jack" postcard, of Sovereign of the Seas at St Nazaire, posted 1989.
 
 
 
 
 
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