Pullmantur’s Ocean Dream (1982/36,674gt) has been reportedly sold to the Peace Boat Organisation and will be handed over to her new owners in Panama in April, when she completes her present season sailing out of Fortaleza, Brazil, to ports along the South American coast.
Peace Boat is currently using the 47-year-old steam turbine-driven Oceanic (1965/38,772gt), which is likely to be disposed of given her age and maintenance costs. She is to return to Yokohama at the end of Peace Boat’s 72nd Global Peace Voyage on 18 April, while the next world cruise is scheduled to begin on 24 April.
Ocean Dream was built by Aalborg Vaerft, Denmark, as Tropicale, Carnival Cruise Line’s first newbuild and fleetmate for the older Mardi Gras, Carnivale and Festivale. She was later transferred to Carnival subsidiary Costa as Costa Tropicale and then onto another subsidiary, P&O Australia as Pacific Star. Carnival Corporation made an exception to its rule not to sell ships to their major competitors, when she was acquired by Pullmantur, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean.