Premier Cruises

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Former cruise line

title: "Premier Cruises" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["defunct-cruise-lines"] description: "Former cruise line" topic_path: "general/defunct-cruise-lines" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premier_Cruises" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Former cruise line ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Big_red_boat_1998.jpg" caption="S.S Oceanic (The Big Red Boat: 2000) (pictured in 1998)"] ::

Premier Cruises was a cruise line holding company formed in the early 1990s, focusing on the family cruise market and expanding cruise operations into new geographic regions. The company’s business strategy centered on acquiring older cruise vessels, refurbishing them to offer a "traditional cruise experience," and operating them in regions such as Europe and South and Central America.

At the time, major cruise operators such as Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean International were not prioritizing these markets. Premier Cruises primarily targeted European and South American customers through strategic marketing partnerships with leading tour and travel companies, including Thomson Holidays in the United Kingdom, TUI in Germany, Fritidsresor in Scandinavia, Alpitour in Italy, and Pullmantur in Spain (which was later acquired by Royal Caribbean International for $800 million). The company also collaborated with more than a dozen operators in South and Central America, such as CVC in Brazil, which was acquired by The Carlyle Group (63.6%) in January 2010 for $250 million. Premier Cruises maintained its main offices in Cape Canaveral and Miami, Florida.

History

Premier Cruise Lines

Main article: Premier Cruise Lines

Premier Cruise Lines was founded in 1983 by cruise industry veterans Bjornar Hermansen and Bruce Nierenberg under a licensing agreement with the Walt Disney World Resort. It served as the direct predecessor to Disney Cruise Line.

In 1992, The Walt Disney Company decided to establish its own cruise line and terminated its licensing agreements with Premier. To maintain its family-friendly image, Premier subsequently entered into a similar licensing agreement with Warner Bros., featuring Looney Tunes characters. The cruise line continued to operate, offering land-and-sea vacation packages that included visits to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks in Florida.

Acquisition

The company was originally established as Cruise Holdings Ltd. in the early 1990s by shipping entrepreneur Kristian Stensby. Cruise Holdings later became known as Premier Cruises after acquiring Premier Cruise Line in 1996 and adopting its name.

Following the acquisition, Premier Cruises operated three distinct divisions. The company expanded its fleet by acquiring ships from Dolphin Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Thomson Cruises, SeaWind Cruises, and Direct Cruises.

From its inception, Stensby expanded Premier Cruises from a single ship to a fleet of six, operating itineraries in the United States, Bahamas, South America, the Caribbean, and Europe. By the time he resigned as chairman and chief executive officer in the fall of 1997, the company had annualized revenues exceeding $200 million, an operating profit of over 20%, and more than 3,000 employees. At its peak, with 5,500 lower berths, Premier Cruises was the largest privately held cruise line in the world.

After Stensby’s departure, Premier Cruises came under new ownership and management led by Bruce Nierenberg. The company shifted its business strategy, canceling marketing agreements with international partners such as Thomson Holidays and Pullmantur, and repositioning several ships back to the United States.

Several former marketing partners took this opportunity to establish their own cruise operations. Pullmantur in Spain launched Pullmantur Cruises following the end of its partnership with Premier. Royal Caribbean International later acquired Pullmantur Cruises in 2006. Similarly, Thomson Holidays expanded its own cruise operations, which later became part of TUI Group, the world's largest travel company.

In late 2000, Premier Cruises filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations.

Fleet

Several former Premier Cruises vessels remained in operation until recent years. The SS Oceanic ("Big Red Boat") was sold by Pullmantur (a Royal Caribbean subsidiary) in April 2009 to the Japan-based organization Peace Boat. The SS Rembrandt, formerly known as the SS Rotterdam, was purchased by an investor group in the Netherlands to be restored and preserved as a historic landmark in Rotterdam.

In 2012, the SS Oceanic was sold for scrap. The former Starship Majestic, later renamed Ocean Dream, continued operating in Asia. However, by 2016, the Ocean Dream—which had changed owners multiple times and was eventually abandoned—capsized and sank off the port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, leaking oil into the Gulf of Thailand.

Former fleet

Acquired

| height = | width = | File:Premier oceanic 1998.jpg | S.S Oceanic: 1996–2000, The Big Red Boat: 2000 | alt1 = | File:SeaWindCrown at Barcelona.jpg | S.S SeaWind Crown: 1996–1999 | alt2 = | File:"SeaBreeze I" - Limón, 1999.jpg | S.S SeaBreeee 1: 1997–2000 | alt3 = | File:Imperial Majesty Oceanbreeze.jpg | S.S OceanBreeze: 1997–1999 | alt4 = | File:Valdez - SS Rotterdam (3847789627).jpg | S.S Rembrandt: 1997–2000 | alt5 = | File:"The Big Red Boat III" & "Rembrandt" - Freeport, 2001.jpg | T.S.S IslandBreeze: 1998, The Big Red Boat III: 1998–2000 | alt6 = | File:Cammell Laird, Hebburn - geograph.org.uk - 604911.jpg | S.S The Big Red Boat II: 2000–2000 | alt7 =

Canceled

| height = | width = | File:SS Canberra.jpg | S.S Canberra "Rembrandt or The Big Red Boat IV": 1997 | alt1 = | File:Federico and doric (Doric).jpg | S.S Sun Venture? (As S.S Doric): 1997 | alt2 = | File:GOLDEN HORN ISTANBUL TURKEY JULY 2011 (6017563126).jpg | M.T.S Triton (As M.S Coral): 1998 | alt3 = | File:"Odysseus" - Keratsini, 2005.jpg | S.S Odysseus: 1998 | alt4 =

Notes

References

References

  1. "Why Choose Celebrity for Your Next Vacation | Celebrity Cruises".
  2. Hedgpeth, Dana. (January 8, 2010). "Carlyle Group acquires Brazilian tour operator CVC". [[The Washington Post]].
  3. "Premier Cruise Lines Sold to Cruise Holdings, Ltd.".
  4. "Premier Cruises Appoints New President and CEO".
  5. [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-54293858.html HighBeam] {{dead link. (February 2019)
  6. "SS IslandBreeze".
  7. (June 28, 2009). "Around the World Cruise Spring Leak, Docks In New York". New York Daily News.
  8. "''Rembrandt'' SOS".
  9. (February 29, 2016). "Abandoned Cruise Ship Ocean Dream Sinks Off Thailand". The Straits Times.
  10. Bond, Mary. (February 29, 2016). "Abandoned cruise ship capsizes in Thai waters".

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