Thomson Spirit

Mediterranean Cruises 2018

For the 2018 season, Palma was scheduled as the embarkation port in April, with Málaga serving in that role from May to October. The itinerary covered the western Mediterranean and the Iberian coast. The round trip “Continental Coasts,” scheduled for 21–28 October 2018, was due to begin and end in Málaga. After departing in the evening of 21 October, the ship was scheduled to call at Mahón, Toulon, Barcelona, Valencia and Cartagena. There was a sea day between departure and the first port of call; the cruise was planned to last seven nights over eight calendar days.

Cruise Ship Specifications

Built in Saint-Nazaire in 1983, the ship was 214.66 metres long and 27.26 metres wide. During its time as Thomson Spirit, it was listed at 33,930 GT, with a speed of 21 knots, ten decks and around 520 crew members. Passenger capacity was 1,254. Restaurants included Compass Rose, Sirocco’s, Lido and Terrace Grill; on board, there was a pool area with a children’s pool and a separate adults-only pool. From 2010 to 2018, Valletta was its port of registry and Malta its flag state.

Names and Service History

The hull, IMO 8024014, was delivered to Holland America Line in 1983 as “Nieuw Amsterdam” and later bore the names “Patriot” and “Spirit.” From May 2003, it sailed as “Thomson Spirit”; on 2 March 2018, it was renamed “Marella Spirit.” After being sold for scrapping in October 2018, the ship continued under the names “Mare S” and “La Spirit” and reached the ship-breaking beach at Alang, India, on 8 December.