MS Insignia is scheduled to undergo a significant renovation as a part of the company’s $100 million OceaniaNEXT program. The refurbished cruise ship will debut in December 2018.
Beginning in April 2012, MS Insignia began what was initially announced as a two-year lease to Hapag-Lloyd, which renamed the ship Columbus 2. Reports announced that Hapag-Lloyd had decided that after 2014, they would not renew the charter of the Columbus 2, in favor of focusing their luxury product. Insignia rejoined the Oceania fleet in May 31, 2014.
On December 11, 2014 whilst alongside in Castries, St. Lucia, MS Insignia experienced a major fire in her engine room. Two contract workers and one crew member, working in the engine room at the time, lost their lives. The resulting damages made it necessary to end the voyage started just 4 days prior in Miami. All passengers were disembarked and flown to their home towns. After minor repairs to restore power, MS Insignia was towed to San Juan, Puerto Rico where she was fully repaired. The ship was back in service by March 22, 2015 to start a world cruise from Singapore. The delayed departure date for the cruise resulted in a heavily modified itinerary, although many of the principal cruise destinations were still visited.
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