Crew ‘Marooned’ On OCEAN STAR PACIFIC
Update August 6 : Cruise Industry News reports that the OCEAN STAR PACIFIC may soon be sold, although Ocean Star Cruises is still interested in basing another ship on West Coast of Mexico at some point in the next two years. Meanwhile, Peter Villiotis through his ship management company, ALAS/PV Enterprises International, has allegedly made a $5 million down payment on the ship while also working towards getting the crew paid and spending some $285,000 on food and provisions for the ship’s 150 member crew for 65 days. OCEAN STAR PACIFIC is reportedly ready to sail with class notation by Det Norske Veritas.
Update August 3: Despite attempts to reach Ocean Pacific Cruises for comment on this story, MaritimeMatters has been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the crew report new talks have taken place regarding back pay and continued trading of the OCEAN STAR PACIFIC. MaritimeMatters wishes the crew and their ship all future success.
Second officer Spyridon I. Diakoumakos of Ocean Star Cruises’ MV OCEAN STAR PACIFIC has alerted MaritimeMatters about desperate conditions on board the ship, which is currently moored at Mazatlan, Mexico.
Diakoumakos and his crew have reportedly been unpaid and provisions are running out. Mr. Diakoumakos describes how Greek, Bulgarian, Romanian and Indonesian deck and engine crew and officers are living “like prisoners” in unsanitary conditions and subsisting on expired food with no help in sight.
MaritimeMatters last reported on this ship after a generator fire ended her second cruise off the coast of Huatulco forcing the evacuation of 522 passengers and 226 crew in April 2011. She was eventually towed towed to Salinas Cruz for repairs. A report this past spring about a possible charter for use as an hotel ship in Korea has apparently fallen through.
A pioneering cruise ship, OCEAN STAR PACIFIC was built in 1971 as the 724 passenger NORDIC PRINCE for Royal Caribbean Cruises and lengthened in 1980 with a new midsection. In 1995, she was sold to British operator Airtours and renamed CAROUSEL and in 2004, she was sold to Louis Cruises, who renamed her AQUAMARINE the following year. Between 2006 and 2008, the ship was chartered to German-based Transocean under the name ARIELLE before reverting to Louis again as AQUAMARINE. In late 2010, AQUAMARINE was sold to Ocean Star for USD $23 million.
Between early January and late March of 2011, OCEAN STAR PACIFIC underwent an extensive refurbishment in Curacao with newly redesigned Lido buffet, pool area and reception by Athens-based AMK (Katzourakis). New lounges, children’s areas, shops and a casino were added along with a new spa and nightclub. The refit work was executed by Piraeus based JGP Hellas and Finland based Riverco Oy.
In July of 2012, the ship was issued several interim and temporary safety certificates, presumably to allow further refitting.
The remaining crew aboard are asking to be paid and wish to return home.
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Maybe the SS Oceanic could be used as a possible charter for use as an hotel ship in South Korea.
But going back on topic, it horrible on how the Ocean Star’s crew are treated. A terrible shame. I hope to see a positive resolution soon to this unfortunate outcome.
We as prospective passengers can look into the facts and reputation of any given cruise line or any ship and hopefully can use judgement to our advantage. The crew of many a ship often lacks the resources or the knowledge of doing the same.
These men are doing what they can for their families, back in remote villages often – more commonly – impoverished. For decades the lure of the sea and a job has often been their only salvation, and to care for their families while they toil at sea. Here is yet another classic example of what can and did go wrong, while these men performed the simplest of lifes taask, providing for family, putting food on their table.
Why oh why does this have to happen?
We can avoid fly by night cruise lines, but a man – or woman – providing food and a roof for family, can not, and that is the damndest of shames.
I found this article on the Hospitality News website. It has a few interesting quotes and comments pertaining to Ocean Star Pacific. Some may perhaps be grossly inaccurate.
http://hospitalitynews.mobi/?p=64726
The ship appears to be either owned, or under the control of ALAS International Holdings, aka PV International Holdings.
Just scrap it already. It’s old – it needs to be scrapped. To keep it alive just because a few ship lovers take offense at its demise it unrealistic and financially un-feasible.
Dear POSH:
I believe you may have misunderstood the article, there is no talk of preservation, the owners still have crew on board (allegedly unpaid) and have expressed intention for further trading with this vessel, but in the meantime it appears the crew is stuck in limbo, this is not a story about saving a ship for nostalgia.
-Martin MaritimeMatters
today,2nd of augusat,the Ocean Star Cruise CEO FREDY DELLIS made an oficial commitment in front of the crew that the crew who wants to leave will have their sallaries and flight tickets starting from next days and no later than 10th of august.these expenses will be covered by Ocean Star Cruises, in case the charterer PV ENTERPRISES wich is responsible for the crew they hired,will fail again to pay the crew.in this case the owner company,Ocean Star Cruises will brake the contract with PV Enterprises and will take back the ship.
it finally seems that the making public that situation has some effect and the mexican owner care about his image on the market and trying to protect the crew hired by PV Enterprises.
you will hear from us soon!
crew member
If what Crew Member says is true, that is a wonderful piece of news, and dear crew member, please keep us posted here of the outcome, you all deserve a better day ahead.
While taking a recount of a ship out of context may be true, what could possibly happen, and maybe that is what needed.
There are some oldies out there, sailing, that have been retroed and glamorized and rebuilt beyond recognition, and here is one very grand example of that.
The ATHENA, former STOCKHOLM, built in 1948! Storied past, dual purpose built, still at sea, and quite pretty inside. I saw her last summer docked in Argostoli. The “pretty” fom her web site photos.
Not every cruise line is looking for the old ships as they were looking back in the early 1980’s, yet, they are available, don’t know if the old NORDIC PRINCE is available, and know littler about the companies that run her. I for one will stay away.
A shiping demand is only as good as her hull and keel, the superstructure and public rooms are expendable.
What is more important – the hull with some new design of unrecognizable proportions, perhaps, or the ship as built and perhaps doomed due to being passe?
What is feasable and cost effective depends solely with any owner of a ship, as with all things old.
It would be much more credible if there was a statement made directly by Ocean Star Cruises to a credible media outlet regarding this, if any resolution of the status of the crew onboard. Sorry, but an anonymous post by a “crew member” just won’t cut it.
Hi Corey, The crew member is not anonymous and the crew’s prospects may well be improved by the media coverage of this story.
-Martin
Martin,
I don’t ever intend to sound like a web troll, as I may have come across in my previous post. But from many past experiences, I have learned to be skeptical when it comes to significant issues in the maritime/shipping world. I know from my own experience as a former cruise ship worker how difficult life on the sea can get, and my heart goes out to the crew onboard Ocean Star Pacific.
Corey
No “trolling” taken, skepticism always necessary. I certainly hope the crew get paid and the ship gets back to sea after these problems. thanks Corey, Martin
It is so sad to learn about what the afterlives of these once fine ships once they end up as old bangers at the dog end of the cruise industry.
Ship lovers are the one percent . We love the old ships and the history and style. I’d love to go on a well kept old ship like the oceanic if she was in service. Most people don’t care what the ship looks like.i like the classic bow of the Nordic prince. Iv always appreciated crew members . They work very hard. I hope the ex Nordic prince lives on
Corey Palm Desert
I think you are right, we ship lovers are the 1 percent and we love the history and the style these often glamorous ships have provided to us. We see them in life, and in film, and in novels, they are as some may think fairy tales, sprites to our fancies, yet, they are tangible, and are real, and many of us havehad the pleaasure of sailing in them, and there are new ones to delight our selfish whims.
Kenneth I appreciate your words. I love maritime matters because it is a place where I can read about ships and read posts by ship lovers like us. Most people don’t get it.
There are many sights for ship and cruise reviews, to make it short and simple, things are reviewed from food, accommodations, service and technicalities such as boarding et cetera……
I take them with all the salt that Solomon could muster up, as they can often be ever so trite.
Imagine hating or loathing a cruise because it took awhile to board at port of embarkation? Or, more rediculously, never taking that “line” again because the so and so and thus and such were —whatever that passengers gripe was? WOne of many things I abhor is the old fart yelling, cursing and abasing a crew member in the Lido Buffet line. That is unexcusable.
Currently there are reviews and comments that reflect the actual physical exterior look of the ship, the new ones. Granted, they are certainly diifernt than those old loves we enjoyed from our past, a part of many’s youth. Will I ever see a new SAGAFJORD? My beloved MERMOZ, the homey ORIANA…….as well as countles others that I madly fell in love with? No.
However, the bright side is that ther are many, [ardon the caps here], MANY NEW AND INVENTIVE SHIPS, all delivering the one thing they all have in common: they sail. Period. It does not matter what they offer for food and ameities, as similar or distictive as their owners valiantly provide for, produts that are as diffrent from one another as lets say, the glorious Solstice Class is as different as
the SS UNITED STATES or SS FRANCE. What the new builds offer is what the traffic will bear, and the new passenger demands. Do I like some of the new things? Not. Some, yes. Life is full of options, ships no exception, its a pick and choose vacation for some, for others a passion
Yeah, Corey, we are in a special segment, we are travellers, and without us, there would be little hope of seeing new an exciting ships to please, or not.
Well done to MM for publicising this issue. Shipping is the wild west industry to end them all, with sailors often stranded thousands of miles from home.
Another golden oldie has been arrested.
This time is the ex Southward/Seawing/Perla/Rio known now as Venus, she is arrested in Ashdod, apparently due to crew wages not being paid…
http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/cruise-ship-with-70-ukrainian-crew-members-on-board-arrested-in-israel-311850.html