What Happened to Vasco Da Gama Cruise Ship?

By Robert Palmer

The Vasco da Gama Cruise Ship was an impressive and luxurious cruise liner. It set sail in August of 1993 and quickly became one of the most popular cruise liners in Europe.

It had a number of amenities that made it attractive to many passengers, including five restaurants, a swimming pool, a health spa, and a casino. Additionally, it had two large public lounges and three large ballrooms for its guests to enjoy.

The Vasco da Gama Cruise Ship operated for almost two decades until it was sold to the Spanish cruise line Pullmantur Cruceros in 2011. The ship underwent refurbishments prior to its sale and was renamed the ‘Zenith’. Under its new ownership, the ship continued to sail around Europe offering both short and long cruises.

At the beginning of 2020, the Zenith had been leased out by Pullmantur Cruceros to another company called Global Maritime Group who planned to use it as part of their convoy operations in the Middle East. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on global travel, these plans were never realized.

In May 2020, Global Maritime Group ceased operations on the Zenith due to financial difficulties caused by the pandemic. The ship was then laid up at anchor off the coast of Turkey while awaiting potential buyers or investors. In September 2020, Global Maritime Group declared bankruptcy and sold off all their assets including the Zenith.

What Happened to Vasco Da Gama Cruise Ship?

The Vasco da Gama Cruise Ship has seen many changes over its long life. After being sold from one owner to another over its 27-year history, it eventually ended up in the hands of Global Maritime Group who were unable to continue operating due to financial difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on global travel. In September 2020 they declared bankruptcy and sold off all their assets including the Zenith (formerly known as Vasco da Gama Cruise Ship).

The fate of this distinguished vessel is still unknown at this time but hopefully it will find a new home soon.