MARKETWATCH Expedition cruise ship Minerva is once again part of the Swan Hellenic fleet, following a period of inactivity and a lengthy legal dispute. Minerva was delivered by Helsinki Shipyard in late 2021 and chartered to Swan Hellenic by Irish owner STLC Europe Nine Leasing, a subsidiary of GTLK Europe DAC, which was owned by Russian firm PAO GTLK. It sailed a successful maiden season in Antarctica, but was forced to halt operations in April 2022 following sanctions against PAO GTLK due to the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war. The ship has been laid up in Uruguay ever since but GTLK Europe DAC went into administration in May 2023 and liquidators have since sold the ship to Swan Hellenic. Minerva will undergo reactivation works, including maintenance and refurbishment, before sailing itineraries in the Antarctic from November 2025 and Asia-Pacific – the first time the cruise line has visited the region – from March 2026. Swan Hellenic welcomes Minerva back to fleet following lengthy lay-up Florida’s Port Canaveral has commemorated 35 years of working with Carnival Cruise Line with a celebration held onboard Mardi Gras at Cruise Terminal 3, which was specifically built to accommodate the cruise brand’s Excel-class vessels. The US cruise line began sailing from the Florida port in 1990 and now hosts 2.4 million passenger movements on 300 voyages for the cruise line annually. Carnival Cruise Line will expand its presence at Port Canaveral by adding its fourth Excel-class ship, Festivale, in 2027. “From the inaugural sailing of the Carnivale to having five yearround and seasonal vessels in its homeported fleet today, Carnival Cruise Line is our longest continuous cruise business relationship, contributing economic value over the decades to our port community, the Central Florida region and our state,” said Captain John Murray, CEO of Port Canaveral. Port Canaveral marks 35-year partnership with Carnival Cruise Line Fred. Olsen calls at Dart Harbour and donates to local sailing trust When Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ ship Balmoral sailed into the UK’s Dart Harbour as part of a 10-night itinerary in June 2025, the cruise line and its passengers contributed £2,466.20 ($3,336.03) towards the Dartmouth Community Fund. The funds were allocated to the Royal Dart Youth Sailing Trust’s Schools Weeks programme, which gives over 150 children aged 10-11 years old from seven local primary schools the chance to experience water-based activities, many for the first time. 24 Photo: Royal Dart Youth Sailing Trust
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