Regency Cruises Ship Postcards



These pages are devoted to postcards and photographs of the Regency Cruises fleet. Postcards of the Regency Cruises Fleet List colours are shown below the table, which links to complete postcard histories of selected ships.

Regency Cruises was formed in 1984 with Anastasios (Takis) Kyriakides as founder and chairman and William Schanz as president. William Schanz had previously been president of Paquet Cruises (the Regency livery was very similar to that of Paquet). The first ship was Regent Sea (a dreadful pun), previously the Gripsholm and Navarino of 1957. Regent Sea was chartered from Antonios (Tony) Lelakis. She entered service for Regency in November 1985, offering weekly cruises out of Montego Bay.

The company was publicly listed, and expanded rapidly in the Caribbean and Alaska, using further tonnage chartered from Lelakis (although a percentage of Regent Star was owned by Regency). At its maximum, the fleet consisted of seven vessels, most of which had begun life as classic ocean liners. I have seen many posts on cruise forums praising Regency Cruises under their original management. Lelakis supplied a couple of substantial rebuilds, the Regent Rainbow and Regent Jewel. The two container ships which were later taken by Costa and rebuilt as Costa Marina and Costa Allegra were also originally destined for Regency.

Tony Lelakis took over Regency Cruises in the early 1990s, and took it back into private ownership. Cruise forum reports suggest that standards rapidly dropped at this point. The Lelakis group, of which Regency was only a small part, collapsed in 1995, taking Regency with it.

Anastasios (Takis) Kyriakides subsequently founded Seawind Cruises and Tropicana Cruises.


Ships Covered on this Page:-
Calypso
Regent Jewel
Regent Rainbow
Regent Sea
Regent Spirit
Regent Star
Regent Sun

Associated Shipping Companies:-
Deutsche Atlantik Line
Grace Line
Holland America
Home Lines
Louis Cruise Lines
Paquet
Royal Cruise Line
Swedish America
Thomson Cruises

Associated Pages:-
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates
Simplon Postcards - Home Page

References:-


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Table of Ship Histories
Name Other names Built Calypso Canguro Verde, Regent Jewel 1968 Regent Rainbow Santa Rosa, Emerald 1958 Regent Sea Gripsholm (II), Navarino 1957 Regent Spirit Anna Nery, Danaos, Constellation, Morning Star, Salamis Glory 1962 Regent Star Statendam, Rhapsody 1957 Regent Sun Shalom, Hanseatic, Doric, Royal Odyssey, Sun Venture, Sun 1964 Regency Cruises Fleet List


Regent Sea
(Regency: 1984-1995)

Built for the Swedish America Line in Italy in 1957, Gripsholm (II) was a near sister to Kungsholm (III). She was sold to Karageorgis Lines in 1975, becoming their Navarino. She suffered a major fire in 1981, but returned to service after three years undergoing repairs as Regent Sea, for the Lelakis group in 1984. She was Regency Cruises first ship. The line expanded rapidly, using second hand tonnage, until it collapsed in 1995. Despite various attempts to return her to service, Regent Sea has not sailed since.

A complete history of this ship is available on this link.


Five Regency official postcards of Regent Sea are shown below.



Regency official postcard (serial number P003 150M 8/89) of Regent Sea.



Regency official postcard (serial number P44124) of Regent Sea.



Regency official postcard of Regent Sea.
Scan: Ken Murayama.



Regency official postcard (serial number P75972) of Regent Sea.



Regency official postcard (serial number P001 105M 8/89) of Regent Sea, in the Gatun Locks, Panama Canal.



A fine card of Regent Sea leaving Los Angeles on May 6th 1994 by CT Publishing (serial No.007).
Photo by Peter Knego, issued 1994 - A list of CT Postcards is available on this link.



A commercial postcard of Regent Sea and Regent Sun at St Thomas is shown below.
It is published by the Virgin Island Postcard Co, using a photograph by Don Herbert.
The serial number is 2US VI296. An enlarged view of the ships is shown beneath.





The Lelakis group was in financial trouble in the early 1990s, and sought charter work for their ships. A charter was arranged for the Regent Sea with German company Transocean Tours. It was intended to rename her back to her original name Gripsholm, and this postcard was produced in anticipation. Unfortunately, the financial problems of Regency caused Transocean to cancel the charter, and Gripsholm never appeared in these colours. Transocean Tours proceeded to charter the Sagafjord from Cunard, which they also renamed Gripsholm.

Transocean Tours postcard of Gripsholm







Regent Star
(Regency: 1986-1995)

Regent Star was built as the Holland America liner Statendam in 1957. She was bought by the Paquet group in 1982 and renamed Rhapsody, but sold again to the Lelakis group in 1986, and named Regent Star in the Regency fleet. Her steam turbines were replaced by diesels in 1987. She has been inactive since the Regency Cruises bankruptcy. The Statendam (4) was built in 1957. She was bought by the Paquet group in 1982 and renamed Rhapsody, but sold again to the Lelakis group in 1986, and named Regent Star in the Regency fleet. Her steam turbines were replaced by diesels in 1987. She has been inactive since the Regency Cruises bankruptcy.

A complete history of this ship is available on this link.


Regency official postcard (serial number P44154) of Regent Star.



Regency official postcard (serial number P81779) of Regent Star.



Regency official postcard (serial number dg-P84556) of Regent Star.



CT Publishing postcard (serial number 087) of Regent Star leaving Vancouver July 18th 1993.
Photo by Jim Stephen.
A list of CT Postcards is available on this link.







Regent Sun
(Regency: 1988-1995)

Regent Sun was built as the Zim Israel liner Shalom in 1964. After only three years, she was bought by the Deutsches Atlantik group in 1967 and renamed Hanseatic (II). She was sold again to Home Lines in 1973, and named Doric, and became Royal Odyssey in the Royal Cruise Line fleet in 1981. In 1988 she became the Regent Sun in the Regency fleet. She has been inactive since the Regency Cruises bankruptcy, despite an announced sale to Royal Venture cruises as their Sun Venture. Current name is listed just as Sun, with owners Canyon Ranch.

A complete history of this ship is available on this link.


A Regency official postcard of Regent Sun. Thanks to Michael Kenyon for the scan.



Regency official postcard (serial number P44123) of Regent Sun.



Regency official postcard (serial number P72970) of Regent Sun.



Regency official postcard (serial number P004 150M 8/89) of Regent Sun, in the Caribbean.
An enlarged view of the ship is shown beneath.
"The Gems of the Caribbean cruise sparkles as you visit the dazzling jewels in a chain of lush golden islands".





An enlargement from commercial postcard of Regent Sea and Regent Sun at St Thomas is shown below.
It is published by the Virgin Island Postcard Co, using a photograph by Don Herbert.
The serial number is 2US VI296. The complete card is shown under Regent Sea above.



Benjamin postcard (serial number 2QB 141) of Regent Sun, at Quebec.
Photo by J.F.Bergeron.



Arctic Circle Enterprises (Anchorage) postcard (serial number ACE-1145) of Regent Sun, in Tongass Narrows, Ketchikan, Alaska. Photo by Don "Bucky" Dawson.







Regent Spirit
(Regency: 1992-1995)

Regent Spirit was built as the Brazilian liner Anna Nery in 1962. She was bought by the Kavounides Hellenic Cruises in 1978 and renamed Danaos then Constellation. In 1992 she became Morning Star, then Regent Spirit in the Regency fleet. Following the Regency Cruises bankruptcy, she became Salamis Glory, for Salamis Cruise Lines, running cruises out of Limassol.

Complete history of Regent Spirit


Regency official postcard (serial number P82119) of Regent Spirit.



Regency official postcard of Regent Spirit. Thanks to Michael Kenyon for the scan.



Salamis Cruise Lines official postcard of Salamis Glory.







Regent Rainbow
(Regency: 1992-1995)

Regent Rainbow was built as the Grace Line Santa Rosa in 1957 for their New York-Central America service. She was laid up for 20 years before sale to the Lelakis group in 1990. Following a substantial rebuilding (although keeping her steam turbines), she returned to service in 1992 named Regent Rainbow in the Regency fleet. Since the Regency Cruises bankruptcy she served as Emerald under charter to Thomson Cruises, which she continues in 2001, although now owned by Louis Cruise Lines.

A complete history of this ship is available on this link.


Regency official postcard (serial number P81673) of Regent Rainbow.



Simplon Postcards serial number sc2044 (issued November 1993) of Regent Rainbow.
Photo by Mike Ralph at Tampa, Florida, before maiden voyage as Regent Rainbow in January 1993.







Calypso
(Regency: 1994-1995)

Calypso was a conversion of the Italian car ferry Canguro Verde, carried out by Regency Cruises in 1994. She was due to be named Regent Jewel, but was immediately chartered to the German Transocean Tours, who named her Calypso. In 2000 she was sold to Louis Cruise Lines, who have retained the name.



Transocean Tours issue of Calypso (still in Regency colours)



Transocean Tours issue of Calypso in Transocean Tours colours





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Name	Other names	Built
Calypso	Canguro Verde, Regent Jewel	1968
Regent Rainbow	Santa Rosa, Emerald	1958
Regent Sea	Gripsholm (II), Navarino	1957
Regent Spirit	Anna Nery, Danaos, Constellation, Morning Star, Salamis Glory	1962
Regent Star	Statendam, Rhapsody	1957
Regent Sun	Shalom, Hanseatic, Doric, Royal Odyssey, Sun Venture, Sun	1964