Ally

Transocean Tours is positioning the 1,050-passenger Arielle in the UK next summer for a series of six cruises from Tilbury. This will be the first time the German operator has based a ship in the UK, reports Richard Bastow, partner of Cruise & Maritime Services, which has been Transocean's UK gsa since 1997.

Arielle, ex-Aquamarine, is owned by Louis Cruise Lines. Transocean agreed a five-year charter (for 240 days duration per annum) starting in June. This year's summer programme, sold exclusively in the German market, includes Med, Canaries, North Cape and Norwegian fjords cruises sailing out of Bremerhaven, Travemunde and the Med.

'The UK peak demand period is slightly different to the German market which makes next year's switch to exclusive UK during May/June and then again in September attractive for Transocean and for us,' says Bastow, who has started working on promoting the 2007 UK programme to agents and tour operators.

Arielle will undertake a nine-night northbound positioning cruise from Monte Carlo arriving in Dover on May 6, 2007, which will be sold on the dual markets. Then from mid-May to Mid-June she will operate a seven-, a nine- and two 12-night cruises from Tilbury to Norway's North Cape, Iceland and 'Round Britain. The vessel will then go back into the Med for the German market before returning for a nine-night Round Britain and 12-night Baltic itinerary from Tilbury before repositioning to Nice from Dover on September 26.

'In total we will operate a 6,000 berth ex-UK programme exclusive to UK passengers in 2007,' says Bastow. 'Arielle spent a lot of time in the British market as Carousel (MyTravel) before Louis bought her and the ship is popular with Brits,' he adds. Louis continues to manage the marine and hotel ops on board. Bastow confirms the language and menus on the UK sailings will be in English, and Cruise & Maritime Services will provide cruise staff and entertainment.

Bremen-based Transocean operates two other cruiseships, Astor and Astoria, plus river vessels. Cruise & Maritime Services are the UK and Ireland gsa for Louis Cruise Lines' summer 2006 ex-UK cruises on Calypso. The ship, which had a fire in the engine room in May, is still undergoing repairs at Southampton and is due to start cruising out of Tilbury later this month. Louis confirmed it will not base a ship in the UK next summer.

The photo shows the ship in her former guise of Aquamarine.

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