Seabourn has sold its oldest cruise ship to Mitsui OSK Lines as part of an ongoing fleet-renewal programme.
The Carnival Corp-owned operator of seven expedition vessels plans to charter-in the 450-berth Seabourn Odyssey (built 2009) from the Japanese diversified shipowner until late August 2024 and then deliver it to MOL in September 2024.
Seabourn did not disclose the vessel’s sale price. The Odyssey, which is flagged in the Bahamas, has an estimated market value of $115m, according to valuation platform VesselsValue.
The sale comes as Seabourn plans to take delivery of the 264-berth newbuilding Seabourn Pursuit this summer from Italian shipbuilder T Mariotti.
“As we prepare to say farewell to Odyssey in September 2024, I am excited to further optimise our fleet as we grow our expedition business,” Seabourn president Natalya Leahy said in a statement.
“With the addition of Seabourn Pursuit this summer, Seabourn will have one of the most modern fleets in the ultra-luxury segment with an average age of just seven years.”
The Odyssey marks the 26th ship that Carnival has sold since the pandemic began to disrupt the sector in early 2020.
MOL owns one other cruise ship, the 607-berth Nippon Maru (built 1990), under Mitsui OSK Passenger Line.
The diversified shipowner is primarily focused on shipping, as it has 37 bulkers, 21 container ships, 35 tankers and 38 LNG carriers.
