After two years of languishing, the 1990-vessel left the Elefsis Bay bound to the scrapyard last week.
The 47,000-ton ship has been out of use since the beginning of 2020. It will now be dismantled at a Turkish recycling facility and other classic cruise ships.
The entire vessel’s construction materials, fixtures, systems, and engines will be removed for sale to make way for reuse or repurposing.
The Horizon debuted as Celebrity Cruises’ first new build in 1990. The Meyer Weft designed the vessel for premium cruising in North America.
The 1,450-guest vessel, which was launched on the New York to Bermuda route, served the upscale brand in many destinations, including Alaska and Canada.
Before the Horizon left the company’s fleet, it was also the first Celebrity ship to be based in Philadelphia and Norfolk.
Transferred to Island Cruises in 2005, the vessel was renamed Island Star.
Royal Caribbean and First Choice Holidays partnered to launch the brand. It was designed for the UK family market in the summers and a younger audience in Brazil in the winter.
Three years later, it was handed over to Pullmantur Cruceros, its last operator. A Spanish company also owned the ship, which was part of the Royal Caribbean Group. The Spanish company used it for itineraries throughout Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Horizon was also part of Pullmantur’s 12-year history. It also sailed with Croisieres France, the company’s French brand.
After the COVID-19 pandemic brought the entire cruise fleet to an abrupt halt in early 2020, the Horizon completed its final cruise in March that year.
The vessel was used to repatriate Pullmantur’s crewmembers a few weeks later before arriving in Elefsis Bay, Greece – where they remained for two years.
Pullmantur filed for insolvency on July 2020. The ship and its fleet mates Monarch & Sovereign were returned to Royal Caribbean Group.
