Renaissance Cruises

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Renaissance Cruises, originally founded in 1989, was a cruise line operator that operated year-round cruise itineraries to the Mediterranean, the Greek Isles, Tahiti and the South Pacific, Northern Europe and Scandinavia. The company ceased operations on 25 September 2001 and accommodated up to 220,000 guests in 2000. While the company had been in poor financial health for quite some time, the economic decline resulting from the September 11th terrorist attacks are credited with the demise of this cruise line.

[edit] The Fleet

R-Class

The pride of the fleet were the line's eight brand new 684-passenger R-Class ships named R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8. Many of the R-Class ships have been bought by other cruise lines such as Princess and Oceania and continue to operate to this day.

[edit] Current Operations of the former Renaissance Cruises Fleet

R One	R Two	R Three	R Four
Currently operating as Insignia for Oceania Cruises	Currently operating as Regatta for Oceania Cruises	Currently operating as Pacific Princess for Princess Cruises	Currently operating as Tahitian Princess for Princess Cruises
R Five	R Six	R Seven	R Eight
Currently operating as Nautica for Oceania Cruises	Currently operating as Blue Star for Pullmantur Cruises	Currently operating as Blue Moon for Pullmantur Cruises	Currently operating as Minerva II for Swan Hellenic

Renaissance

The company also owned and operated eight "Renaissance" class ships, No longer than 300 feet in length and weighing no more than 4,000 gross registered tons, these yacht-like vessels accommodated 114 passengers. The small, intimately sized vessels used Roman numeral designations as part of their names; Renaissance I through Renaissance VIII. Renaiassance ships I through VI were chartered and sold off so the line could concentrate on the larger, newer "R-Class". After the line folded, Renaissance VII and VIII were sold to other interests. Current operators of these vessels include Cruise West, Travel Dynamics International and Hebridean Island Cruises.