R8 (Renaissance Cruises $5 inaugural LE Chip
Obsolete
Denom: $5
Event: Grand Opening
Issued: 2001
Last Update: 2019-09-08
Color: Red
Inserts: 8 -Yellow, Blue, Yellow
Mold: Plain
Collected and Updated By: A. J. Giametta
Renaissance Cruises, Wet Chips
Type: Cruise Ship
Status: Closed
Open: 1989, Close: 9/25/2001 due to event surrounding 9-11 tragedy in U.S.
R8, Inaugural Year 2001
Entered service for Renaissance Cruises in 2001. After the bankruptcy of the company, she was sold to Cruiseinvest but was laid up until 2003, when she was chartered to Swan Hellenic Cruises and renamed Minerva II. In March 2006, Princess Cruises announced that they were acquiring Minerva II and the ship debuted in the Princess fleet in April 2007, upon which she was renamed Royal Princess. In April 2011 Royal Princess was transferred to P&O Cruises and was renamed Adonia.
In 2015, Carnival Corp. announced the founding of a new brand called Fathom, with the Adonia being the lead vessel for the brand. When Fathom ended operations in 2017, she was returned to P&O Cruises, but she was retired a year later, in 2018, having been sold to Azamara Club Cruises.
After an extensive refit, she officially began sailing for Azamara as Azamara Pursuit in August 2018,
