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Celestyal Cruises, part of the Cyprus based Louis group, has chartered the 1992 built cruise ship Gemini for three years from Clipper Group, the Bahamas based shipping group, and plans to introduce it in the eastern Mediterranean as Celestyal Nefeli next year, the company said in a statement.

The ship, which has gross tonnage of about 19,000, will be refurbished before it will take up an as yet unspecified cruise programme in the eastern Mediterranean. Celestyal, which has two other ships, plans to focus on smaller ports of call in the region. It will operate from Turkey and replace another charred ship.

Celestyal Cruises was known as Louis Cruises until the company was renamed last year. Celestyal Nefeli started life as Crown Jewel of the now defunct Crown Cruise Line, while the Celestyal Olympia of 1982 and of some 38,000 gross tons first sailed as Song of America of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL). Celestyal  Cristal, which is about 26,000 gross tons, was originally Sally Albatross that was built in 1992.

Clipper Group, which is a major dry bulk carrier operator, has been shedding non-core activities, which include ownership of cruise vessels to be operated by third parties.