01/07 UPDATE: Since reporting yesterday on the story below, conflicting sources now suggest, Pullmantur’s ships have been sold for scrap. Monarch and Sovereign are both currently at sea ‘for orders’. These sources claim the ships are heading to Turkey where they will be scrapped. Horizon is currently in the Suez canal, and will reportedly head to Piraeus where the ship will be stripped of valuables, and join the other ships at the scrapyard in Aliaga.
With the demise of Spanish cruise brand Pullmantur last week, it has been revealed the ships, which were rented to Pullmantur, will be transferred back to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL).
According to two Spanish news sources, Tourinews and El Confidencial, Royal Caribbean will incorporate the three ships and crew back into their fleet.
Sovereign and Monarch will both likely rejoin Royal Caribbean International on short duration sailings, while Horizon may rejoin Celebrity Cruises, giving guests a small ship option to choose from.
Monarch and Sovereign had recently been laid up in Naples for cold storage, however Monarch has since left Naples and is currently sailing in the Tyrrhenian Sea to an unknown destination. Horizon is currently in the Red Sea returning to Europe via the Suez canal. Sovereign remains in Naples.
Pullmantur had recorded its strongest results in 2019, in the last 15 years, generating a 5% increase in revenue. The impact of Covid-19 also scuttled their expansion plan, which would have seen seven more ships join the fleet over the next five years.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd is allowing all Pullmantur guests affected to transfer their booking over to one of their other brands, which include Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea.