Rumor has it there is a buyer who will be returning her to service.

My guess would be Ocean Club Cruises, who has stated that they have already bought a second (nameless) ship.

NORWAY
SS UNITED STATES
INDEPENDENCE
REGAL EMPRESS

Wishful thinking, but wouldn't it be fun!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Draikar:
I forgot who Ocean Club Cruises

---

I dont see The Regal Empress fitting in with Ocean Club! Imperial Majesty maybe, but Not Ocean Club!

I think Ocean Club maybe has bought something different and newer!

But hey who knows!!

Annnthony, I sailed her as Olympia at 9yo and as an adult on a 2 day sunspreee party cruise. The 2 day jaunt had really horrible passengers. Food was mediocre, but passable-on a par with the Norway. Entertainment was better than Premier, but not up to Princess.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Noordam:
I would like to see an upstart Greek Company acquire her and put her into service out of Piraeus as the Olympia. If the Rotterdam gets to go back to her roots - it would only be fitting to see the same for Olympia.

ps - this will never happen!!! but i do like to dream!

---

Here is the full story from Seatrade Insider:

Regal Empress: no sale
16/5/2003

Regal Empress went up for auction today in Tampa but nobody offered the minimum $2m bid set by the court. John Tomaselli, the attorney for creditor Motor-Services Hugo Stamp, which obtained a lien against the vessel last month, told Seatrade Insider the Regal Empress will go on the block again but without a minimum bid.
Motor-Ship's claim is for $729,430 but other creditors have filed as well. They include: Asamr, Inc. and Etablissement Assamar, Ltd., $677,184; Imperial Ocean Services, $879,014; Manatee County Port Authority, $347,377; Seabulk Towing, $94,779; Winyah Stevedoring Industries of the Southeast, $64,120; Golten New York Corporation, $13,663; Rosita Aurora Dutton, $150,000 and Charles B. Dutton, $25,000. Other claims may also be outstanding, and 374 crew members must be paid, according to court documents.

Lack of bids for ship leaves Regal creditors high and dry
By STEVE HUETTEL, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 17, 2003

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TAMPA - The cruise ship M/V Regal Empress didn't attract a minimum bid of $2-million Friday, a bad sign for creditors who claim they're owed more the three times that amount from the vessel's now-defunct operator.

Surrounded by television crews and a crowd of onlookers, a deputy U.S. marshal standing in front of the Hillsborough County Courthouse called for bids on the 50-year-old vessel just after noon. No one said a word, including a Houston attorney who had told marshals he might bid.

Dozens of creditors have filed claims totaling more than $6-million, said David Sockol, an attorney who represents the Fort Lauderdale ship repair company that won a federal court order last month to have the ship seized for unpaid bills.

The ship's court-appointed custodian has run up about $500,000 in bills so far, with the tally rising about $10,000 every day, Sockol said.

His client, Motor-Services Hugo Stamp Inc., will ask U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Scriven to order another auction in a week without any minimum bid, he said.

Proceeds from a sale first go to pay the ship's custodian. Crew members owed back wages generally are next in line. Those combined claims come to more than $1-million, which could leave little, if anything, for remaining creditors, Sockol said.

Privately held Regal Cruises operated the ship from Port Manatee since 1993, selling bargain trips ranging from overnight "cruises to nowhere" to 10-day Panama Canal tours from October through June. The line moved the 1,100-passenger vessel to New York for summer and fall cruises along the coast of New England.

Regal was negotiating to sell the ship after the seizure but went out of business April 28 after the deal fell through.

Several potential buyers toured the M/V Regal Empress in recent weeks, Sockol said. Scriven set a $2-million minimum for the ship after some creditors objected that the auction was being held too soon to attract enough bidders and someone might get it for a fire-sale price.

quote:

---

Originally posted by eroller:
No takers for REGAL EMPRESS!

The 1953-built Regal Empress had been appraised at $3m-$4m for an auction sale, approximately $1.5m-$2m above the vessel's scrap value, court documents say.

---

It would be sad if Regal Empress would eventually go to the scrapers because no one would buy her, well I guess that is business you can make good decisions as well as bad ones.

maybe we could buy her and start our own “cruise talk” cruise line.

I wonder why the crummy “timeshare” site does not buy her, then they could officially notify that they have a timeshare ship instead of ships that aren’t for sale at all.

quote:

---

Originally posted by eandjracquet:
I wonder what will happen to the Fantasy class ships when they are 50 years old.

---

I don't think any of today's ships - save maybe QM2 - will be around at 50.

For one thing, they're not built to last that long!

The Regal Empress as a Cruise Talk ship, what a splendid idea, so who's got the $$! She could do short cruises out of Tampa 2-3 days to Playa del Carmen and Havana! Or Santa Domingo and Grand Cayman, something unique!

Or how about Purto Plata,Havana,Gand Cayman and Santa Domingo... a great itinerary, 5 days a round trip. Then 2 days to Playa del Carmen/Cancun!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Onno:

I wonder why the crummy “timeshare” site does not buy her, then they could officially notify that they have a timeshare ship instead of ships that aren’t for sale at all.

---

I think they need you to give them your money before they will be in a position to buy any ship. They have no cash.

They could even accept American pax, however said Americans would be obligated not to spend any money in Cuba.

The whole thing, if you ask me, is ridiculous. We can spend money in any other totalitarian dictatorship with no problem, why Cuba?