Black Prince sale is completed

When I was on board the veteran cruise ship Black Prince for a farewell lunch three weeks ago, workmen were painting out the Fred Olsen name and colours and stripping out the artwork which belongs to the Olsen family.
After sailing under the Olsen colours since 1966, the ship was leaving the fleet because the cost of work needed to make it comply with the latest safety regulations was prohibitively high.
It was expected to leave Southampton within days to start a new life in Venezuela, but instead it remained in port for day after day as rumours grew that the deal had fallen through.
Today, however, Fred Olsen confirmed that the sale to Saveca was completed on Wednesday. The ship will be sailing Venezuelan waters as Ola Esmeralda, operating three and four day cruises from La Guaira to the islands of La Tortuga, Isle Margarita and Los Roques.
Managing Director, Mike Rodwell, said: “Black Prince has served us well over her 43 year life, and has certainly contributed to expanding our market of British cruise passengers; her small size, friendly staff, and convenient regional departure programme have all made her a firm favourite for cruising from the UK.”