You might think that the name of a cruise ship is something that is set and never changes. But it is something that can change for ships, especially if they are changing owners. While it might not be something that happens on a daily basis, it can happen.
The Changing of Names
The changing of a ships name is not anything too extraordinary in the ordinary course of things. However, it is going to lead to some people that are happy and some not so happy. Those that are happy are happy because the ship will be a new one to their favourite cruise line. Likewise, those who are unhappy will be sad to see the ship leaving their favourite cruise line.
Many Names, Few Owners
A change of name though does not always mean a difference of owner. Such is the case with one ship that started its life in 1989 as MS Delfin clipper. Over 29 years in service the ship has gone through nine names in total. With the most recent name which she currently carries being Silver Explorer. In 1992 she was renamed Baltic Clipper, a name which she carried for less than a year. However, even with so many different names, the ship has only had three owners.
Many Names, Many Owners
On the other hand, you can find that a ship might change names and owners somewhat frequently. A good example of this is the ship which was last named MS Golden Princess. Not to be confused with the current cruise ship sailing under Princess Cruises as Golden Princess. The ship started life named Finlandia in 1967 before ten different name changes over the next 42 years.
In addition to 10 name changes the ship was owned by nine different companies. But the owner was not always the operator, with 11 different companies operating the ship. Finally, the ship was sold off for scrap in 2009.
A Personal Experience
The first cruise that I ever took was onboard a ship named MS Statendam, operated by Holland America Line. The ship was one of their smallest and oldest ships, but still, a great first ship for me to start cruising. It is where I found a love for cruising even if I do not get to cruise all that often.
The Statendam operated with Holland America Line between 1993 and late 2015. The ship entered drydock in October 2015 for a makeover before arriving in Australia in November 2015. On the 25th November 2015, she was renamed the Pacific Eden. Below is a photo when she was named Statendam before I boarded my first cruise in San Diego in 2011.
What’s In a Name
When it comes to a cruise ship, there is not so much in the name as who operates the ship. A name is just a way to identify the ship and may have some relation to the theme of the ship. However, in my somewhat limited personal experience, the operator plays a much more significant part than the name. The idea of who operates the ship playing the bigger role is confirmed when you read through any online cruise forum.
