MS Deutschland” after a forced break: Departure from Bremerhaven now with Falmouth!

MS Deutschland” after a forced break: Departure from Bremerhaven now with Falmouth!

The “MS Deutschland” said goodbye to the Columbuskaje in Bremerhaven on Tuesday afternoon around 3 p.m. The Phoenix Reisen ship was originally scheduled to leave for Portsmouth on Monday evening at 6 p.m. However, due to problems with the energy supply, the “MS Deutschland” had to take a one-day break. The delay caused guests to miss their planned visit to the National Museum of the Royal Navy and museum ships in Portsmouth.

The circumstances in Bremerhaven meant that the guests were able to spend a day on land instead. Despite the quick arrival of the spare parts, assembly took longer than initially expected. However, the ship ultimately continued the journey, skipping Portsmouth and instead heading for Falmouth in Cornwall.

A look at the history of the “MS Deutschland”

The “MS Deutschland”, a well-known cruise ship, was put into service in 1998 and has had an eventful history since then. It was the flagship of the ZDF television series “Das Traumschiff”. With a length of 176 meters, she was the last cruise ship to fly the German flag for a long time. Richard von Weizsäcker was present at the baptism. Your furnishings are characterized by a nostalgic style that is reminiscent of the 1920s and the Empire.

The ship was subject to several changes of ownership and bankruptcies. Plans were made in 2012 to reflagged the MS Deutschland to Malta to save costs, but this was met with resistance from staff and unions, particularly during the 2012 London Olympics. Previously, in 2010, a fire broke out in the engine room, leading to high repair costs and trip cancellations.

From Bremerhaven to new waters

The “MS Deutschland” is currently in use for Phoenix trips from Bremerhaven in the summer. It offers space for a maximum of 520 passengers and has classic furnishings in the Belle Époque style. The ship has ten decks that have German-language names, such as the Admiral and Commodore decks.

After the shipping company's financial difficulties, which arose after the death of the father of the managing partners Gisa and Hedda Deilmann, insolvency proceedings were opened in 2014. In 2015, the ship was sold to the USA, where it was renamed “World Odyssey”. Today it serves as a floating college in the Semester at Sea program.

The fate of the “MS Deutschland” is an impressive example of the changes and challenges in the cruise industry, and the current travel procedure shows that even traditional routes can be affected by unexpected circumstances.