Built as cruise vessel under yard No 131 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique , Saint Nazaire, France for Renaissance Cruises (Liberia) Inc., Monrovia.
07 January 1998 keel laid down.
22 May 1998 launched as the R TWO one of the R Class ships, seven sisters.
Tonnage 30,277 grt, 2,700 dwt, dim. 181.0 x 25.46 x 5.80m. (draught), length bpp.154.9m.
Powered by four Wärtsilä 12V32 diesel engines, 13,500 kW, twin shafts, speed 18 knots.
Accommodation for 702 passengers, crew 386.
24 November 1998 completed. Liberian flag and registry.
After delivery used in the cruise service in the Mediterranean.
07 October 2001 arrested in Gibraltar after the owners get bankrupt.
December 2001 sold to Cruiseinvest Two Inc, Majuro, Marshall Islands and laid up at Marseille.
04 October 2002 renamed in INSIGNIA.
From 19 April 2003 until 14 June 2003 chartered by the French travel agency TMR who marketed her under the name Vaisseau Renaissance but she kept her registered name INSIGNIA.
16 June 2003 renamed in REGATTA at Marseille.
December 2006 sold to Regatta Acquisition LLC, Doral, Florida stayed under Marshall Island flag and registry, managed by Prestige Cruise Services LLC, Doral, USA.
2014 In service, same name and managers. IMO No 9156474
Source: http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/r_two_1998.htm http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz
Equasis.
As given by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regatta
MS REGATTA was built by Renaissance cruises as an R class cruise ship, she is owned and operated by Oceania Cruises where she is part of their Regatta Class. She was built in 1998 by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France for Renaissance Cruises as R TWO. Between 2002 and 2003 she sailed as INSIGNIA before receiving her current name.
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 gross ton 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.
Service history
Following her delivery to Renaissance Cruises in November 1998, R TWO was placed on cruise traffic in the Mediterranean. Renaissance Cruises went bankrupt on 25 September 2001, following the 11 September 2001terrorist attacks, and, on 7 October 2001, the R TWO was arrested in Gibraltar and subsequently laid up. Six of her sisters were also laid up in Gibraltar, with only MS R THREE AND MS R FOUR absent as they were in the Pacific Ocean at the time of the collapse of Renaissance. In December 2001, R TWO and the other former Renaissance ships laid up in Gibraltar were sold to Cruiseinvest, and subsequently moved to Marseille, France for further layup.
In October 2002, R TWO was renamed INSIGNIA, given a $10 million refit and chartered to Oceania Cruises, a new company founded by Frank Del Rio (the former vice president of Renaissance Cruises) and Joe Watters (the former CEO of Crystal Cruises). Between 19 April and 14 June 2003, INSIGNIA was chartered to the French travel agency TMR, who marketed the ship under the name Vaisseau Renaissance (her registered name remained unchanged). On 15 June 2003, the ship returned to Oceania Cruises service, but was renamed REGATTA, as the name INSIGNIA had been passed to her sister R ONE that had also been chartered by Oceania.
Exterior design
R TWP was built to a somewhat boxy, functional exterior appearance with a large square funnel. In Renaissance Cruises service her hull was painted dark blue, but in Oceania service this was changed to white with a thin blue stripe separating the hull from the superstructure.
Interior design
The interiors of REGATTA are decorated in art deco style similar to the ocean liners of the 1920s and 30s with polished dark wood and warm colours, described by Douglas Ward, author of the Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships, as being "stunning and elegant".The ship retains most of her interior decorations from her days with Renaissance Cruises, although the lido area on deck 9 was entirely refurbished before she entered service for Oceania Cruises, while smaller changes were carried out in the cabins and restaurants.
Tonga 2014 $3.40 sg?, scott?
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