MS Gemini in Stavanger |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | 1992 - 1993: Crown Jewel 1993 - 1995: Cunard Crown Jewel 1995 - 2009: Superstar Gemini 2009 - 2009: Vision Star 2009 onwards: MS Gemini |
| Operator: | 1992 - 1993: Crown Cruise Line 1993 - 1995: Cunard 1995 - 2009: Star Cruises 2009 - 2011: Quail Travel Group |
| Port of registry: | 1992 - 2009: Panama, Panama 2009 - 2009: Valetta, Malta 2010 onwards: Majuro, Marshall Islands |
| Builder: | Union Navale de Levante, Valencia |
| Completed: | 1992 |
| Identification: | IMO number: 9000687 |
| Status: | Currently for sale or for charter |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Motor Ship |
| Tonnage: | 19,093 GT (gross tonnage) |
| Length: | 163.81 m (537 ft 5 in) |
| Beam: | 22.5 m (73 ft 10 in) |
| Draught: | 5.40 m (17 ft 9 in) |
| Installed power: | 4 x Wärtsilä 8R32 Diesels |
| Propulsion: | 2 x Controllable pitch propellers 2 x bow thrusters |
| Speed: | 19 Knots |
| Capacity: | 916 passengers |
MS Gemini is a cruise ship operated by Quail Travel Group. She was built in 1992 by Union Navale de Levante, Valencia, Spain for Crown Cruise Line as Crown Jewel. She has also sailed under the name Cunard Crown Jewel. She also operated as SuperStar Gemini for Star Cruises from 1995 to 2008.
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The Crown Jewel was built in 1992 for Crown Cruise Line (a subsidiary of EffJohn[1]), and is the largest cruise ship ever built in Spain.[2] Crown Cruise Line used the ship for cruises from the United States to Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean. In 1993 the ship was chartered to Cunard Line and renamed Cunard Crown Jewel.[3] In 1995 the ship was sold to Star Cruises, and renamed SuperStar Gemini and placed on cruise traffic from Singapore.[3][4] In February 1997 the ship suffered an engine room fire.[4]
In September 2007 Star Cruises reported that SuperStar Gemini had been sold and left the company fleet in December 2008.[5] Reportedly the buyer was Clipper Group, a Bahama-based company who would charter the ship to a new operator in 2009.[6] In 2008, the Clipper Group announced that they would rename the ship the Vision Star and lease the ship to the Spanish cruise ship operator, Vision Cruises. In March 2009, Vision Cruises ceased operations. In early 2009, Mediterranean Classic Cruises (formerly Monarch Classic Cruises) was booking cruises in the Aegean Sea aboard the Vision Star. However, these cruises were cancelled due to the non-availability of the Vision Star from Vision Cruises. Instead, the SuperStar Gemini was renamed Gemini, and currently has a Spanish operator, Quail Travel Group.
MS Gemini has a Spanish operator, Quail Travel Group (operating under the trademark "Happy Cruises"), and since November 2010 is sailing the Caribbean, based in La Havana and including stops in Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Paradise Island. From May to October 2011 MS Gemini will sail the Mediterranean with stops in (amongst others) Venice, Athens and Istanbul. Due to Happy Cruises ceasing operations on September 24, 2011 she had to terminate her cruise at Valencia, Spain.[7]
International Shipping Partners the current owner of the MS Gemini and the MS Ocean Pearl have issued a statement saying that both ships will now be available for sale or charter.[8]
SuperStar Gemini was based in Singapore and she cruised to various destinations year round in the South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand, and Straits of Malacca. Superstar Gemini embarked on a three month voyage around the Pacific including a full circumnavigation of the Australian continent and visited various cities e.g. Melbourne, Sydney, Perth (Fremantle), Brisbane, Komodo and Bali between November 2007 and February 2008.
For her final 2008 season for Star Cruises after returning from her Australian deployment Superstar Gemini was sailing a combination of Straits of Malacca 7 day cruises and six - 21 day roundtrips from Singapore via Koh Samui, Laem Chebang, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hong Kong, Halong Bay, Nha Trang, Kota Kinabalu, and Kuching returning to Singapore.
The last cruise for Star Cruises departed Singapore for a 7 day cruise to the Straits of Malacca on 28 December, 2008. SuperStar Gemini arrived at the Singapore Cruise Centre for the last time on 4 January 2009 at 8.30am after her final cruise in the Straits of Malacca. She was seen leaving the Singapore Cruise Centre at 5.45pm for Port Klang. After that, she was be refitted and delivered to her new owners.