Louis Lines - Serenade & Princess Marissa both sold for scrap

**Ally** · 04-29-2008, 02:11 PM

Reports from Maritime Matters has confirmed that Serenade and Princess Marissa have both been sold for scrap after being laid up for several months in Piraeus.

Serenade was built in 1958 as the Jean Mermoz of Cie. Fraissinet of Marseille. She was sold to the Nouvelle Cie. de Paquebots in 1965, initially retaining her name. She was later converted to be more suitable for cruising and renamed Mermoz. Mermoz was sold in 1998 but soon passed to Louis Cruise Lines as the Serenade.

Princess Marissa was built as Finnhansa was completed in 1966 by Oy Wärtsilä Ab, Helsinki, for the route Helsinki-Slite/Nynäshamn-Karlskrona-Lübeck. Her sistership Finnpartner was delivered later the same year. In 1972 Finnhansa was rebuilt with increased cabin capacity. In 1978 Finnhansa was sold to Birka Line and renamed Prinsessan. She was again given increased cabin accommodation. Prinsessan was sold in 1987 to Louis Cruise Lines of Cyprus, and renamed Princesa Marissa.

**middy** · 04-29-2008, 02:17 PM

Two in two out.

**Ally** · 04-29-2008, 02:20 PM

Serenade is another classic liner, shame to see her go, but if she isn't fit for SOLAS 2010, not much use in keeping her.

**Ally** · 05-06-2008, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Louis Cruise Lines has sold two of its older cruise ships 1966-built Princesa Marissa and 1957-built Serenade for a combined price of $8.4m. The two vessels, which are both currently out of service, will go to the breakers.

The former was the group’s first fully-owned cruise ship and played a significant role in developing the brands’ 2 and 3-day cruises from Cyprus to Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Rhodes, as well as longer cruises to Piraeus and the Greek islands. During her 22 year long service out of Limassol, Princesa Marissa carried more than 1.3m passengers to destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Louis refers to the sale of Serenade and Princesa Marissa as the closing of the first chapter, and the recent purchase of Norwegian Dream and Norwegian Majesty as the beginning of the second chapter, of its history.

www.cruise-community.comsecurityunauthorized.asp

**neil** · 09-21-2008, 05:08 PM

Although the cutting up of Princesa Marissa is well advanced at Alang no pictures have appeared of work starting on the Serenade.

Pictures below of the two ships at Port Said, and said to be enroute to Alang, and the cutting up of Princessa Marissa.

They were renamed Prince and Serena before leaving Greece.