One of the famous (Batch 1) Renaissance cruise liners still around the world in the cruise line industry is the 1990 built MLT flag CORINTHIAN.
She was launched in 1990, built by Cantiere Navale Ferrari-Signani in La Spezia, Italy and was operated by Renaissance Cruises as the RENAISSANCE IV.
Above image is of RENAISSANCE FOUR laid up at Dockyard Creek, Malta back to April 1992.
After Renaissance Cruises ceased operations in 1996 she was sold to Lindos Maritime, Greece and was renamed as CLELIA II which used to come to Malta too trading from November 1996 to May 2011.
On 26th December 2009 while she was chartered by New York-based Travel Dynamics International, she ran aground along the Antarctic Peninsula with her starboard propeller hitting the rocks resulting in the shutdown of the starboard engine and loss of electrical power aboard the ship.
Also in December 2010, CLELIA II was partially disabled by a rogue wave of which the bridge was damaged too while transiting the Drake Passage.
In both occasions nearby cruise ships rendered assistance.
From May 2011 to December 2012 she traded for the Australian based luxury expedition cruise line Orion Expedition Cruises (OEC) as the ORION II and since then with her current name as CORINTHIAN.
From time to time she’s seen in our harbour like last March 2023 berthed at Pinto 1 and 2 wharves, for more than 24 hours.
During her stay she was berthed at Valletta Cruise Port – www.vallettacruiseport.com which they are our SPONSORS too for a lifetime.
