Pullmantur Cruises is a cruise line headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It began operations in the late 1990s as an offshoot of the Madrid-based travel agency Pullmantur. In 2006, Pullmantur Cruises, through its parent company, was purchased by U.S.-based Royal Caribbean Group, but Royal Caribbean later sold a 51% stake in the cruise line to Spain-based investment firm Springwater Capital, retaining a 49% stake. Pullmantur Cruises is the largest Spain-based cruise line. The company mainly markets to Spanish passengers, although cruises are also sold by some travel operators outside the Spanish-speaking world. Some of the company's ships operate an "all-inclusive" product, where some extras, such as brand alcoholic beverages, are included in the cruise price. Originally, most Pullmantur ships do not operate cruises for the company during the northern hemisphere winter season. Instead, they are either laid up or under charter to other cruise lines, such as the Brazil-based Viagens CVC. On 22 June 2020, due to the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pullmantur's owners announced they had filed for reorganization of Pullmantur under Spanish insolvency laws.
History
Pullmantur began cruise operations in the 1990s by initially selling cruises on board, founded by Anastasios Kyriakides, in the Southern Caribbean from Premier Cruises and later also on board Premier Cruises flagship the SS Rembrandt in the Mediterranean. Premier changed its business plan in 1997 and canceled its contracts with operators, such as Pullmantur, and later collapsed in 2000. Pullmantur then acquired SS Big Red Boat 1 and started its own cruise line, Pullmantur Cruises. Big Red Boat 1 reverted to her original name, and began cruising around the Mediterranean from Barcelona in May 2005. The Oceanic became very successful, and in 2002, Pullmantur acquired a second ship, MS Pacific, from Princess Cruises, and chartered the former Renaissance Cruises ship from Cruiseinvest. R Five was marketed under the name Blue Dream. Two more ships followed in 2003 when Pullmantur acquired MS Superstar Aries from Star Cruises and renamed her, while R Fives sister ship was chartered as Blue Star. In 2004, R Five was chartered to Oceania Cruises. In 2005, Pullmantur purchased R Six, and renamed her after R Five exited the fleet. A third R-class ship followed in 2006 when Pullmantur bought Delphin Renaissance and renamed her. Later that year, Pullmantur's fleet grew to six ships when it purchased Pacific Sky from P&O Cruises Australia and renamed her. In August 2006, Royal Caribbean Group announced it would purchase Pullmantur, making it Royal Caribbean's first wholly owned European brand. The acquisition was expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of the year. Following the acquisition by Royal Caribbean, several transfers were carried out between the Pullmantur fleet and those of other Royal Caribbean brands. In 2007, Blue Dream and Blue Moon were transferred to Azamara Club Cruises, while and Celebrity Cruises' joined the Pullmantur fleet in their place. Oceanic II had only spent the 2007 summer season operating for Pullmantur. In 2008, Pullmantur received Empress of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International and renamed her. Pacific and Holiday Dream left the Pullmantur fleet in April and May for Quail Cruises and CDF Croisières de France, respectively. Also in May, Pullmantur purchased Pacific Star from P&O Cruises Australia and renamed her MS Ocean Dream. was also transferred to Pullmantur and renamed MS Sovereign. In April 2008. Lloyd's List reported that Pullmantur was in the process of purchasing Pride of Aloha from Norwegian Cruise Line's subsidiary NCL America. However, the deal fell through and Pride of Aloha joined Norwegian's fleet. In January 2009, Sky Wonder was renamed Atlantic Star, and in March, Oceanic was sold to Peace Boat. In mid-April 2009, Island Star was transferred from Island Cruises to Pullmantur Cruises. In April 2013, Royal Caribbean transferred Monarch of the Seas to Pullmantur. Ocean Dream was chartered to Peace Boat to replace Oceanic and Pacific Dream, which had been renamed Horizon, was transferred to CDF. In 2014, Zenith joined sister ship L'Horizon in the CDF fleet. In 2014 it was announces that the Majesty of the Seas wold join the Pullmantur-fleet in 2016, but these plans were cancelled in 2015, and Empress was transferred back to Royal Caribbean in early 2016. CDF ceased operations in early 2017, and both ships in the CDF fleet were transferred back to Pullmantur. In July 2019, it was announced Zenith would leave the fleet in early 2020. Later in 2019, Pullmantur announced Grandeur of the Seas would be transferred from Royal Caribbean to Pullmantur, joining the fleet in April 2021. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than half of the crew members onboard Horizon were reported to have tested positive for the coronavirus following the company's suspension of operations. In early-June 2020, Pullmantur's fleet had been moved into "cold lay-up" due to the company's extended suspension of operations given the pandemic. On 22 June 2020, Pullmantur's owners announced that, due to the significant economic impact caused by the pandemic, they had filed for reorganization of Pullmantur under Spanish insolvency laws. It was also reported Pullmantur had begun dismantling part of the interiors of MS Sovereign and MS Monarch, with claims that "everything of value" was removed.
