New UK Cruise Ship

All Leisure Group already has several specialist cruise ships in Discovery, Swan Hellenic's Minerva, and the Hebridean Princess now their adding MV Alexander von Humbolt to their fleet. All Leisure Group is an established cruise holiday company which owns the tour operators: Voyages of Discovery, Swan Hellenic, Hebridean Island Cruises and Discover Egypt. Voyages of Discovery, Swan Hellenic and Hebridean offer destination-led cruises to a number of countries and are focused on the market for mature passengers whilst Discover Egypt offers package holidays to Egypt, including cruises and excursions on the River Nile.

MV Alexander von Humboldt was previously owned by Dutch consortium Club Cruises and will have a complete upgrade and refit, before setting sail under the All Leisure Group banner in 2011. She’s had any number of names in the past: Jules Verne, Walrus, and Crown Monarch and she was built originally in Spain in 1990 – currently she accommodates around 500 people in 250 cabins. All Leisure Group is keen to expand its niche market in destination focused small ship cruising but it hasn’t said yet which of the three brands Alexander von Humboldt will be joining - Swan Hellenic, Discovery or Hebridean.

Their Executive Chairman commented ‘We have been particularly patient and prudent in deploying our cash resources in order to meet with our strict investment criteria, but I believe that the wait has been worthwhile. Our latest acquisition fits perfectly with both the profile of our fleet and our destination-led product offering, especially given the high numbers of outside cabins. Most importantly, we believe that this asset has been acquired at a cost that is highly commercial. This acquisition underpins the confidence that we have in the potential of our destination-led small ship niche cruise offering.’