Game over for Van Gogh Cruises

**Ally** · 04-29-2008, 11:57 AM

Quote:

A Gloucestershire cruise company, which had a liner on one of its cruises impounded, is to close.

Bosses at Van Gogh Cruises blamed the weak pound and rising fuel prices.

About 14 jobs will be lost. All of those taken on had only just been made redundant from another Gloucestershire cruise firm, Travelscope.

Some 500 holidaymakers on the MV Van Gogh were delayed in the Portuguese island port of Funchal for several days earlier this year in a legal dispute.

The dispute was between the administrators of Travelscope, the previous cruise operator, and the ship's Dutch owners Club Cruise, which set up Van Gogh Cruises.

Passengers eventually returned back to the UK a day later than expected.

BBC NEWS | England | Gloucestershire | Cruise company to close its doors

**Ally** · 04-29-2008, 11:59 AM

Now that is such a shame. They tried so hard to get things up and running. The administrators are partially to blame for this. They should never have done what they did in Madeira.

Very, very sad

**middy** · 04-29-2008, 12:46 PM

Such a pity.

Enjoyed my cruises aboard her. Bet she will be chartered else where in the world now.

**Ally** · 04-29-2008, 12:53 PM

The 14 who have lost their jobs must be absolutely devastated...not just cos they are now out of work, but for all the hard work they did to get things running...terribly sad for everyone involved.

**Ally** · 04-29-2008, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Van Gogh Cruise Line, the operator set up by the former financial director of Travelscope Mark Horwood, has gone out of business making all its 20 staff redundant.

The line blamed fuel prices, the increasing value of the Euro for the decision to cancel all plans to operate its only ship the m/v Van Gogh from the UK.

The line has been dogged by problems, including having the ship impounded in Funchal earlier this month after the administrators of Gloucestershire-based Travelscope won a court order.

At the time Van Gogh Cruise Line revealed it had had an application to join Abta refused and that planned to appeal. That appeal was turned down last Wednesday, an Abta spokesperson confirmed.

Amid rumours of the operator’s demise last week TTG contacted the Passenger Shipping Association and was told it was not a member, despite its logo appearing on its site.

Travelscope went out of business in December and Abta and the ship’s owner, Dutch-based Cruise Club worked together to save a round the world cruise.

In a statement Van Gogh Cruise Line said: “After careful consideration and in light of the changes in the market conditions - with the massive increase in fuel prices; the devaluation of the pound to the Euro, it is with much regret that Club Cruise Entertainment & Travelling Services Europe N.V have decided that the m/v Van Gogh will not now be sailing from the UK in the foreseeable future and therefore, disappointedly, Van Gogh Cruise Line Limited will no longer be in operation.

“The subsidiary company’s operations are therefore being wound down and the staff have, regrettably, been made redundant.”

Van Gogh Cruise Line closes - Travel Trade Gazette

**neil** · 11-12-2008, 08:50 AM

The Van Gogh finished up being chartered from her Dutch owners ' Club Cruise ' by the Russian Company ' Metropolis Tur ' this year.

They have been very happy with the ship and have again chartered her from February 2009 to March 2010.

Photo of Van Gogh below -