Built as a cruise vessel under yard No H31 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, Saint Nazaire, France for Renaissance cruises (Liberia) Inc., Monrovia.
26 June 1997 keel laid down.
24 January 1998 launched as the R ONE, one of the R Class, seven sisters.
Tonnage 30,277 gt, 11,481 nt, 2,700 dwt, dim. 180.45 x 25.73 x 18.1m, draught 5.95m. Length bpp. 157.85m.
Powered; diesel electric, four 12-cyl. Wärtsilä 12V32 diesels, 18,342 hp. Connected to two 6,750 kW Alsthom moteurs, twin shafts, speed 18 knots.
Accommodation for 698 passengers, 400 crew.
24 June 1998 delivered to owners, with homeport Monrovia. Liberia. Building cost £150 million.
17 July 1998 first voyage from St Nazaire to Dover and Amsterdam.
1 August 1998 maiden voyage when she left Piraeus for a cruise in the Mediterranean.
2000 Transferred to Brehat Cruises in Monrovia, not renamed.
07 October 2001 arrested in Gibraltar.
December 2001 sold to Cruiseinvest One Inc. Majuro, Marshall Islands and laid up in Marseille, France.
15 June 2003 renamed in INSIGNIA.
December 2006 Registered for Insignia Vessel Acquisition LLC, USA, still under the Marshall Island flag and homeport Majuro.
2012 Chartered for two years by Hapag Lloyd, Hamburg and renamed in COLUMBUS 2.
From March 2012 till April 2012 underwent a conversion at Barcelona, Spain.
17 April 2012 christened off Majorca by the Mrs Carmen Riu before her first cruise from Palma to Valetta.
23 January 2013 she visited for the first time the Tonga Islands.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Columbus_2 gives on the COLUMBUS 2
COLUMBUS 2 is an R class cruise ship built for Renaissance cruises. She is owned by Oceania Cruises where she was part of their Regatta Class; but as of 2012 is sailing for Hapag-Lloyd. She was built in 1998 by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France for Renaissance Cruises as MS R ONE.
Concept and construction
Renaissance Cruises had begun operations in 1989, with a series of eight small luxury cruise ships constructed during the course of the next three years. In the mid-90s the company placed an order for eight identical 30,277 GT vessels with Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in France. The first ship in the series, MS R ONE, was delivered in June 1998, followed by R TWO in November of the same year.
Lease to Hapag-Lloyd
Beginning in April 2012, MS INSIGNIA began what was initially announced as a two-year lease to Hapag-Lloyd, which renamed the ship COLUMBUS Reports announced that Hapag-Lloyd had decided that after 2014, they would not renew the charter of the COLUMBUS 2, in favour of focusing their luxury product.
It was announced by Oceania, that the COLUMBUS 2 renamed again in INSIGNIA will re-join the fleet in May 2014.
April 2014 In service same name and owners and managed by Hapag-Lloyd AG, IMO No 9156462.
Tonga 2014 $2.40 sg?, scott?
Source Various internet sites, http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/r_one_1998.htm