All Leisure Group has acquired the 508-passenger Alexander von Humboldt at auction for an undisclosed sum.
The 15,271-ton ship is currently operated by German tour operator Phoenix Reisen. It has 255 cabins, of which 90% are outside and 10 have a balcony.
The vessel will join the All Leisure fleet in 2011 after an extensive upgrade. The total investment in the ship, including the purchase price, is expected to be around $20 million.
All Leisure owns three cruise lines – Swan Hellenic, Voyages of Discovery and Hebridean Island Cruises. Each has one ship, resectively Minerva, Discovery and Hebridean Princess, and it is not yet clear which will get the second ship.
All Leisure group chairman Roger Allard said the ship fits perfectly with both the profile of the fleet and its destination-led product offering, especially given the high number of outside cabins.
He said: “This acquisition underpins the confidence that we have in the potential of our destination-led small ship niche cruise offering.”