Stelios seeks another ship as easyCruise Life starts operations

**Ally** · 04-25-2008, 07:16 AM

Quote:

easyCruise has abandoned all plans to build up to four cruise ships in Greece ... or anywhere. Instead the Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou-founded company has switched focus to buying larger second-hand tonnage. The decision cements views expressed by the easyCruise boss to Seatrade last October when he said 'newbuildings are out for the present' but 'finding the right ship for us in the second-hand market may not be easy.'

Meanwhile, easyCruise One is for sale and the company is looking to purchase a replacement in order to add capacity in the short term and a unit similar to the 600-passenger easyCruise Life, which Haji-Iannou introduced last week in Piraeus with an on-board reception.

easyCruise Life, (ex Farah, ex-The Jasmine), was built in Poland in 1981 and has been undergoing a €20m-plus upgrade. Though the 'no-frills' approach is still evident, the easyCruise Life has some added features like a spa and wellness area and a 'chill-out zone' and features Greek 'international cuisine.'

She has begun a seven-day programme out of Piraeus, having to switch to Greece's bigger port from the much smaller easyCruise One's Zea Marina berth, to the Greek islands and Turkey. Under the theme 'Colours of the Aegean,' she sails to the islands Kalymnos, Kos, Paros, Myconos, Syros and to Bodrum in Turkey, where she spends a day and a night.

Last year the company let its letter of intent for two 7,500gt ships plus two options newbuildings at the Neorion Shipyard Syros lapse. Haji-Ioannou then said the 'delivery time is too far off' and no headway has been made on the financial side. 'The economic aspects have stopped this project.' easyCruise had hoped to tap into European regional development funding for the accommodation part of the newbuilding contract, citing the ability of hotels being able to do this.

easyCruise and Cypriot hotels and cruise shipping group, Louis, signed a franchise agreement in August 2006 that covered the Eastern Mediterranean region and planned to increase the letter of intent held by easyCruise to three firm, three options for a concept design by Deltamarin in Finland. The 4,200gt easyCruise One was built in 1990 and has 354 berths which easyCruise now considers too restrictive and believes easyCruise Life represents the ideal size of ship for it, being small enough to visit off the beaten track Greek islands yet big enough to offer more accommodation options (including suites), and the better restaurant, lounge, pool and other facilities.

While the easyCruise concept has been upgraded, the cruises are still primarily aimed at attracting a clientle in the 38 to 40 years age bracket, 'people who want to get more out of a cruise than spending time on board a ship or being ordered around,' Haji-Ioannou said.

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