Next summer there will be a new ship in the Thomson fleet – but it will be familiar to seasoned cruisers who have sailed on Royal Caribbean ’ s Splendour of the Seas . The mid-size ship , with an on-board climbing wall , is sailing away from RCI to Thomson and will get a new name , yet to be announced . So many newly constructed floating resorts come out of shipyards these days – Britannia , Anthem of the Seas and Norwegian Escape all this year – and it is good news that tried and tested , smaller ships built on classic lines do not just sail off into the sunset or to the breaker ’ s yard , but are reinvented and relaunched , sometimes several times over . What will it be next ? The Splendour of the Seas will be transformed by Thomson , and launched under a new name next summer . Take Magellan , ‘ new flagship ’ of the Cruise & Maritime fleet , recently christened in Tilbury . Magellan started life as the Holiday , built in 1985 for Carnival Cruise Lines . It has had a colourful life , including providing a haven for victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and acting as a hotel for the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014 . It is hard to believe that luxurious little Hebridean Princess , chartered by the Queen for her 80th birthday family cruise around Scotland in 2006 , was the busy car ferry and Royal Mail ship MV Columba for 25 years from its launch in 1964 until transformed in 1989 into the country-house hotel-style cruise ship she is today . Her former sister ship , the 98-passenger Hebridean Spirit , was sold off in 2009 , amid rumours she was to become a private yacht . Three years later she reappeared , refitted for 114 passengers as Caledonian Sky for Noble Caledonia . Before : The cruise ship MS Grand Holiday of Carnival Cruise Lines docked in Nice along the French Riviera . After : The renamed and renovated Magellan , a new flagship of Cruise & Maritime Voyages . Then there ’ s P & O ’ s smallest ship , the 700-passenger Adonia . She was built in 2001 as ‘ R8 ’ – the last of eight ‘ Renaissance Class ’ ships . The ship became Minerva II for Swan Hellenic , serving the company for four years , then she was Royal Princess for Princess Cruises . She became Adonia in 2011 , named by Shirley Bassey in Southampton . Some of Adonia ’ s similar sisters are now Azamara Journey , Azamara Quest , Pacific Princess and Ocean Princess . Meanwhile , Swan Hellenic has operated the same ship twice . The first Minerva , built in 1989 , was originally intended as a Soviet spy vessel . She sailed for the one-ship cultural cruises company , accommodating 350 passengers , from 1996 until 2003 , when , to the dismay of her loyal passengers ( known as the Swans ) , she was replaced by Minerva II , with her 650 berths . Before : The luxury cruise ship Hebridean Spirit moored in Ermoupoli , Greek island of Syros . After : Now transformed into Noble Caledonia MS Island Sky cruise ship , sailing out of in Portsmouth Harbour . To the Swans ’ joy , the more intimate Minerva returned to Swan Hellenic in 2008 and was given a multi-million-pound makeover during 2011 . Quintessentially British line Fred.Olsen has just four ships , Balmoral , Black Watch , Boudicca and Braemar . They are all pre-loved and characterful and have been refurbished and even ‘ stretched ’ in the case of Balmoral . The ship , built in 1988 and previously owned by Norwegian Cruise Lines as Norwegian Crown , grew by 100ft , with 93 cabins added when she was added to the Fred.Olsen fleet in 2007 . Before : P & O 's smallest cruise ship , Adonia , sails along Southampton Water . After : Adonia became Minverva II for Swan Hellenic , serving the company for four years , and then she was Royal Princess for Princess Cruises .
Next summer Thomson will launch the transformed Royal Caribbean ’ s Splendour of the Seas as the new ship in their fleet . It has not been announced what she will be named yet . Transformation of ships is common , as shown by MS Grand Holiday becoming the Magellan .