EasyCruise One

EasyCruise One was a cruise ship operated under the EasyCruise brand. The vessel was originally constructed in 1990 for Renaissance Cruises as Renaissance II. It later operated as the gambling ship Neptune II in Singapore after being renamed in 1998. When EasyCruise was established, entrepreneur Stelios Haji-Ioannou acquired the ship and commissioned an extensive refit. It entered service as EasyCruise One in 2005, representing the company's attempt to apply a low-cost, simplified travel model to cruising. The ship operated primarily along the northern Mediterranean coast and among the Greek islands. During the winters from 2005 through 2007, it also sailed in the Caribbean. Its onboard proposition was deliberately no-frills: the fare covered basic passage and accommodation, while services such as meals, cabin cleaning, and maid service generally cost extra. This approach was intended to keep headline prices low and give passengers flexibility over the services they purchased. The vessel's accommodation was notably basic. Most cabins were approximately 110 square feet, with a simple bed and bathroom. Two- and four-passenger cabins were offered, alongside a small number of suites. Early cabin construction created operational and design problems, including windowless interior cabins, difficult drainage in combined shower-and-toilet units, and a highly pervasive orange interior scheme. A later refit moderated the orange design in favor of charcoal and gray tones, added windows to interior cabins, and improved the onboard facilities. Over time, EasyCruise One gained additional or redesigned amenities, including an internet café, gym, restaurant, bars, a general store, a gift shop, a hot tub, and a wellness area. The coffee shop was replaced with cabins, and a sports bar was remodeled as Fusion on Four, a restaurant. These changes reflected an effort to refine the original budget-cruise concept after the initial operating experience. EasyCruise One left the EasyCruise fleet in October 2008. It was sold shortly afterward and renamed Cruise One, with plans for conversion into a luxury mega-yacht. The global financial crisis interrupted that project. The ship remained laid up in Dubai, first at Port Rashid and later at Dubai Maritime City, where it was offered for sale but did not attract a buyer because the acquisition and renovation costs were considered excessive. It never returned to service. In July 2022, the vessel was sold for scrap and dismantled on site, alongside the former HMAS Cook.

EasyCruise One began life well before the EasyCruise brand adopted it. The vessel was built in 1990 for Renaissance Cruises and entered service as Renaissance II. In 1998, it was renamed Neptune II and used as a gambling ship operating from Singapore. Its later career took a different direction when Stelios Haji-Ioannou, during the formation of EasyCruise, purchased the ship and arranged a major refit. The refitted vessel entered service in 2005 as EasyCruise One. It was intended to embody a budget-oriented cruising model: customers received a relatively low basic fare, while many conventional cruise services were either simplified or charged separately. The ship initially operated in the northern Mediterranean and around the Greek islands. It also undertook winter Caribbean voyages between 2005 and 2007, giving the brand a seasonal presence in two major cruising regions. The original interior emphasized the EasyCruise visual identity, including extensive use of orange. Cabins were compact and deliberately spare, with most measuring about 110 square feet. They contained basic sleeping and bathroom facilities, while two- and four-person configurations and a limited number of more luxurious suites were also available. The design and construction process produced several shortcomings. Interior cabins lacked windows because the prefabricated cabin units had not been matched to the hull's porthole positions. The combined shower and toilet units also suffered from poor drainage, allowing water to spread across the cabin area. The intense orange decoration and absence of windows were additional sources of passenger criticism. The ship was subsequently improved. Orange was reduced to an accent color alongside charcoal and gray finishes, window openings were added for interior cabins, and barriers were fitted in the shower areas to help contain water. The onboard layout also changed. A coffee shop was replaced by additional cabins, and a sports bar was converted into Fusion on Four, a restaurant. An internet café and gym were introduced, with the gym later moved to the upper-deck Wellness Zone. Other facilities included a small shop, gift shop, English-themed bar with evening DJ entertainment, cocktail bar, hot tub, and restaurant service. EasyCruise One was retired from the EasyCruise fleet in October 2008. It was sold shortly afterward, renamed Cruise One, and associated with a proposed conversion into a luxury mega-yacht. The project failed to proceed after the Great Recession disrupted the market and made the required investment difficult to justify. The ship was laid up at Port Rashid in Dubai and later moved to a dry berth at Dubai Maritime City. It was offered for sale, but the purchase price and renovation requirements deterred potential buyers. The vessel never resumed service. In July 2022, it was sold for scrap and dismantled at its storage location, together with the former HMAS Cook that had been laid up nearby.

1. 2022Scrapped in Dubai

   After remaining laid up for years, the vessel was sold for scrap in July and dismantled on site.

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2. 2008Retired from the EasyCruise fleet

   EasyCruise One was withdrawn from service in October and sold soon afterward.

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3. 2007End of documented winter Caribbean seasons

   The ship's winter Caribbean operations covered the seasons from 2005 through 2007, alongside its Mediterranean and Greek island itineraries.

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4. 2005Launch as EasyCruise One

   After acquisition and extensive refurbishment by the EasyCruise organization, the ship entered service under the EasyCruise One name.

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5. 1998Renamed Neptune II

   The ship was renamed Neptune II and operated as a gambling vessel in Singapore.

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6. 1990Built as Renaissance II

   The vessel was constructed for Renaissance Cruises and entered its original career under the name Renaissance II.

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A low-cost, no-frills cruise experience modeled on the broader Easy brand approach, with a low headline fare and additional charges for selected services.

• EasyCruise One cruise serviceBudget cruising2005

  The vessel offered low-cost cruises along the northern Mediterranean, around the Greek islands, and seasonally in the Caribbean. Its commercial model reduced the basic fare by keeping accommodation and service levels simple and charging separately for several optional services, including food and cabin cleaning.

• EasyCruise One cabinsCruise accommodation2005

  Cabins were compact and minimally furnished, with most measuring approximately 110 square feet. The ship offered single basic cabins, two- and four-passenger rooms, and a limited number of suites. Later improvements included additional windows in interior cabins and changes to the shower and toilet arrangements.

• Fusion on FourOnboard restaurant

  Fusion on Four was created when the ship's sports bar was remodeled as a restaurant during a later refit. It formed part of the vessel's effort to broaden its onboard dining proposition beyond the initial stripped-back format.

• 2008Retire the vessel from EasyCruise operationsStrategy

  EasyCruise ended the ship's operating period after several years of Mediterranean and seasonal Caribbean service.

  What changed. EasyCruise removed EasyCruise One from its fleet in October 2008 and the vessel was sold shortly afterward.

  Aftermath. The ship was renamed Cruise One and became the subject of an unsuccessful proposed luxury mega-yacht conversion.

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• 2005Launch a low-cost EasyCruise vesselProduct launch

  EasyCruise sought to extend its low-cost travel model to cruising after acquiring and refurbishing the former Renaissance II and Neptune II.

  What changed. The ship was extensively refitted and introduced as EasyCruise One, with basic accommodation and additional charges for services such as food and cabin cleaning.

  Aftermath. The ship operated in the Mediterranean, Greek islands, and Caribbean, but was later withdrawn from the fleet in October 2008.

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• Refine the onboard product after initial operationStrategy

  Early operation exposed shortcomings involving the orange interior, windowless interior cabins, and shower drainage.

  What changed. The ship was refitted with more restrained colors, additional cabin windows, improved shower barriers, redesigned public spaces, an internet café, and a gym.

  Aftermath. The updated vessel offered a broader and more conventional set of onboard facilities while retaining its budget positioning.

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• Abandon the luxury mega-yacht conversionOther

  The vessel's buyer planned to convert it into a luxury mega-yacht, but the Great Recession undermined the project.

  What changed. The conversion did not proceed, and the ship was laid up in Dubai and later offered for sale.

  Aftermath. High acquisition and renovation costs prevented a sale, and the vessel remained out of service until it was scrapped in 2022.

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• 2022EasyCruise One sold for scrap and dismantled

  After years in storage and unsuccessful sale efforts, the ship was sold for scrap in July 2022 and broken up on site.

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• 2008EasyCruise One leaves the fleet

  The ship was retired from EasyCruise service in October 2008 and sold soon afterward.

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• 2007EasyCruise One expands seasonal Caribbean operation

  During the winters from 2005 through 2007, the ship operated itineraries to various Caribbean islands in addition to its Mediterranean and Greek island routes.

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• 2005EasyCruise One enters service after refit

  The former Renaissance II was acquired, refitted, and launched under the EasyCruise One name as a low-cost cruise ship.

  Product launch
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• Luxury-yacht conversion plans abandoned

  After being renamed Cruise One, the vessel was intended for conversion into a luxury mega-yacht, but the project was halted by the global financial crisis and the ship remained laid up in Dubai.

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1. EasyCruiseOne