
The Final Voyage: Former Royal Caribbean Ship ‘Song of America’ Heads to Alang for Scrapping
The former Royal Caribbean ship, Song of America, which significantly contributed to the growth and establishment of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line as a major entity in the cruise sector, is scheduled to be dismantled after a long and varied service life.
Launched in 1982, the Song of America marked a pivotal moment for Royal Caribbean, which at that time operated with a fleet of just three ships. With a gross tonnage of 37,800 GT and a maximum passenger capacity of 1,575, it was among the largest ships of its time and ranked among the world’s top 10 cruise vessels. Its introduction was a bold move for the company and proved beneficial, leading to substantial passenger interest and strong financial results.
The ship’s success facilitated Royal Caribbean’s transition from a minor cruise line to the industry’s second-largest operator, just behind Carnival Corporation. This growth trend encouraged the acquisition of increasingly larger ships, eventually leading to the introduction of the current Icon-class vessels, which have a gross tonnage of 250,000 GT.
However, by the late 1990s, the Song of America began to lose its standing as newer ships emerged. In 1998, it was sold to the UK-based Airtours for its Sun Cruises division, and later transferred to Louis Cruises in 2004, where it was chartered to the UK’s Thompson Cruises.
By 2014, the ship was known as the Celestyal Olympia within the fleet of Louis’s Greek subsidiary, Celestyal Cruises. In late 2023, amid a fleet upgrade, Celestyal sold the vessel to Voyage Shipping, a Marshall Islands-based company linked to Royal Marine Shipmanagement of Singapore.
Renamed Bella Fortuna, the vessel was based in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, for almost a year during which brokers attempted to find a buyer for its use as either a cruise ship or for accommodations. However, by January 2024, it was officially slated for scrapping and renamed Fortu.
On January 22, 2024, Fortu departed Ras Al Khaimah and is currently on its way to the Gulf of Khambhat, where it will be dismantled at the Alang ship breaking yard in India.
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