Five former CMV cruise ships put up for sale by auction
Five former CMV (Cruise & Maritime Voyages) cruise ships have been put up for sale by auction.
The sale comes just two months after the Essex-based cruise line entered administration, as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic.
CMV had a total of six ships in its fleet when it ceased trading in July 2020, and also had plans for two new ships to enter its service in 2021.
Now, five of CMV’s ships have been put up for sale by auction, with the sale being brokered by CW Kellock & Co.
The ships up for auction are Vasco Da Gama, Columbus, Astor, Magellan and Marco Polo. Each vessel reportedly being sold under a separate deal.
CMV’s 556-passenger ships Astoria is not currently for sale as the ship was always due to leave CMV’s fleet in October 2020.
Deadlines for the sale are between 8 October and 22 October 2022, but it is not known how much the ships will go for or the starting bid.
CMV’s newly purchased ships Amy Johnson and Ida Pfeiffer are also not up for auction. The two ships were purchased from P&O Cruises Australia last year and were due to enter service in 2021.
Four of the ships are currently docked in CMV’s former homeport of Tilbury, Essex, and one is in Bristol Avonmouth.
The sale comes despite the news last month that a former CMV boss was making moves to try and bring the cruise line back.
Christian Verhounig bought the now-defunct cruise line’s customer database and booking systems in a bid to get things back up and running.
It was reported that a “number of assets” belonging to CMV had been sold to a new vehicle established by the former boss.
The sale included customer databases, computer systems, booking systems, office furniture and equipment, IT infrastructure and intellectual property, but not CMV’s six ocean vessels.
