A new Korean cruise line, All That Cruise, plans to begin operations from January 2012 to ports in China, Japan and south-east Asia, with a 74,000gt cruise ship to be named Hallyu Star, ‘Hallyu’ translating to ‘Korean Wave’, referring to the popularity of Korean pop culture in other countries.
A library photograph of Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas was used in the promotional literature, which immediately fuelled rumours, denied by RCI, that the vessel had been sold, with delivery in October, and that it would undergo a major refurbishment at Samsung Heavy Industries, before entering service. All That Cruise says it plans to finance the vessel over seven years and plans to sell ‘condominium-like’ memberships.
Last year Royal Caribbean sold one of its smallest and oldest ships, CDF’s Bleu de France, to Saga Shipping, while Pullmantur’s Atlantic Star (1984/46,087gt) has been laid up at Marseille since August 2009.
