SuperStar Libra

SuperStar Libra was a cruise ship owned and last operated by Star Cruises. She was built in 1988 at Wärtsilä Marine Perno Shipyard in Turku, Finland as Seaward for Norwegian Cruise Line. In 1997 she was renamed Norwegian Sea, remaining in NCL fleet. In 2005 she was transferred to the fleet of Star Cruises. In May 2022, the ship, renamed Libra, arrived in Turkey for demolition.

SuperStar Libra
History
Name
  • 1988–1997: Seaward
  • 1997–2005: Norwegian Sea
  • 2005–2022: SuperStar Libra
  • 2022: Libra
Operator
Port of registryLomé, Togo,  Togo
BuilderWärtsilä Marine Perno Shipyard
Yard number1294
Launched14 November 1987
Completed16 May 1988
Maiden voyage1988
In service1988
Out of serviceJune 2018
HomeportPenang, Malaysia
Identification
FateScrapped in Aliağa, Turkey in 2022
NotesBeached for scrap
General characteristics
Class and typeLibra Class
TypeCruise Ship
Tonnage42,275 GT
Length709 ft (216 m)
Beam93 ft (28 m)
Decks10
Capacity
  • 1,480 passengers
  • 740 cabins
Crew740

History
A model of Seaward.

The vessel entered operation with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) in 1988 as Seaward. The vessel was renamed Norwegian Sea in 1997. In 2005, the vessel was transferred to Star Cruises, part of the Genting Group, and renamed SuperStar Libra.

With Star Cruises, SuperStar Libra sailed a variety of cruises in the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Aegean and Guatemalan seas in the summer of 2006. The vessel deployed back to Mumbai in late September 2006. SuperStar Libra has subsequently been based at various ports in Asia including Singapore, Penang, Hong Kong, Xiamen and Haiku.[1][2][3][4][5]

Norwegian Sea in Roatan, Honduras.

Accommodation vessel

In March 2018, Star Cruises announced that SuperStar Libra would end her public cruise operations for the company in June 2018.[6] From July 2018, SuperStar Libra was used as an accommodation ship for workers at the MV Werften shipyard of the Genting-Hong-Kong-group in Wismar, Germany to support the construction of ships for Genting's Dream Cruises and Crystal Cruises. She remained there under a 3-year lease.[7]

SuperStar Libra was moved to another berth in Wismar harbour in November 2021.[8] On 4 February 2022, it was announced that the ship's operator, Star Cruises Germany GmbH, was insolvent, and she was sold to Flash Maritime Ltd, which is associated with the Greek company Hellenic Seaways.[9][10] On 11 April 2022 she departed Wismar in tow for Greece, reportedly to continue as an accommodation vessel,[11] but was resold for demolition at Aliağa, Turkey, departing Salamis in tow on 28 May.[12] The ship arrived in Aliağa and was beached on 1 June. [13]

References
  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "SuperStar Libra's Homeport in Xiaamen, longest homeport of any industry cruise ship in the city, from 24 July to 1 November" (PDF).
  3. "SuperStar Libra's New Homeport at Haikou | Press Release | Star Cruises". www.starcruises.com. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  4. "TravelDailyNews Asia & Pacific | Traveldailynews.Asia".
  5. "SuperStar Libra's Penang itinerary from September 2016 to December 2017" (PDF).
  6. Staff, CIN (2 March 2018). "SuperStar Libra to End Public Cruise Operations". Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  7. "Kreuzfahrtschiff als Wohnschiff – "SuperStar Libra" kommt nach Wismar und macht bei MV Werften fest" (in German). 18 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  8. "Wismar: Wohnschiff bereitet sich auf seine wohl letzte Reise vor" (in German). 3 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  9. "Betreibergesellschaft der Superstar Libra meldet Insolvenz an" (in German). Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  10. "Superstar Libra (8612134)". Equasis. French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  11. "Genting's Former SuperStar Libra On The Move". 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  12. "Τελευταίο ταξίδι για το Superstar Libra! (Last trip for Superstar Libra!)". Arxipelagos (in Greek). 28 May 2022. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  13. McGillivray, Robert. "Former Norwegian Cruise Line Ship Is Beached for Scrapping in Turkey". CruiseHive. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
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