FTI Cruises the German Cruise branch of Bavarian travel company FTI Group which operates the single ship BERLIN has ceased operations. FTI Cruises, along with Fly.de, Touristic 24 and LAL Sprachreisen are all set to be discontinued by the end of the 2019/20 financial year. FTI will “emerge from the crisis stronger than before, despite the current economic prospects for the industry with a new structure and focused on our strong core business,” believes the company founder, Dietmar Gunz.
FTI BERLIN berthed at Valletta Cruise Port back to 5th May, 2013.
The cruise liner BERLIN that FTI Cruises operated, was built in 1980 and started her life operated by Peter Deilmann Cruises as BERLIN flying German (DEU) Flag. From 1982 to 1985 the ship occasionally operated as the PRINCESS MASUHRI under the Singapore (SGP) flag. At the end of 1986 she was rebuilt in Rendsburg, Germany and was lenghtened by 16.8 meters from 122.5 to 139.3 meters. The conversion increased the capacity of the ship from 330 passengers in 150 cabins to 420 passengers in 210 cabins. From 1986 to 1998 the BERLIN was the dream ship in the ZDF television series.

The use of the ship for the Peter Deilmann shipping company ended at the end of 2004. The ship was first in Genoa launched and sold after three months Aufliegezeit to the British cruise operators Saga Cruises. Saga Cruises chartered the ship for one season in 2005 to the Russian provider Metropolis Tur (Метрополис Тур), who used the ship as ORANGE MELODY under the flag of the Bahamas (BHS) for cruises around Europe. After a conversion, in which the capacity of the ship was reduced from 420 passengers to 352 by converting several double cabins into single cabins, the ship operated as the SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE for Saga Cruises. On 14th May 2012, the German tour operator FTI Group bought the ship and marketed it through its subsidiary FTI Cruises and renamed FTI BERLIN .
FTI BERLIN leaving Valletta, Malta back to 24th May, 2012.
On 6th March 2014 she was renamed to her original name BERLIN and has operated her ever since. It it unclear what will happen to the ship at this stage, however the ship is likely to be scrapped.
BERLIN leaving Valletta, Malta back to 1st April, 2017.
FTI BERLIN used to berth at Valletta Cruise Port during scheduled port calls.

Watermarked Photos are by Capt. Lawrence Dalli. Do not use these images without my permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com

Published – Tuesday 28th July, 2020