Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (“BSM”), part of the Schulte Group, and Optimum Ship Management (“Optimum”), a division of Celestyal Cruises, today announced the establishment of a 50/50 Joint Venture, under the name of Hanseatic Cruise Services (“Hanseatic”), to provide comprehensive, world class passenger vessel management services to third-party clients on a global scale.
BSM, one of the largest ship management companies worldwide, is a leading and integrated provider of ship-management services andother maritime solutions, with a strong heritage spanning more than 130 years in the shipping industry. The company manages a fleet of 600 vessels; its 20,000 employees at sea and ashore enable the delivery of safe, reliable and efficient ship management services through a network of nine ship management, 23 crew service and five wholly-owned maritime training centres across the world.
Optimum is a global passenger ship management company with a passion for quality of service and safety. The company has provided peerless fleet management services from its fully-fledged operation centre in Piraeus to its largest client, Celestyal Cruises and currently manages the entire Celestyal fleet – the Celestyal Crystal, the Celestyal Nefeli and the Celestyal Olympia– as well as two Thomson Cruises ships – the Thomson Majesty and the Thomson Spirit – fully in-house. From inception, Optimum has helped Celestyal Cruises exceed customer expectations while ensuring its vessels meet the highest possible standards of safety, health and operational efficiency.
“Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement is pleased to re-enter the passenger vessel management arena in partnership with Optimum Ship Management,” said BSM CEO Captain Norbert Aschmann. “We are impressed with Optimum’s operations and with the vision of its parent company, Celestyal Cruises, particularly with regard to the niche they’ve created for themselves in European cruising. We are eager to set course on a successful venture.”
“We are honoured to partner with Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, one of the world’s preeminent ship management companies,” said Captain George Koumpenas of Optimum Ship Management. “The company’s pedigree as a global innovator in ship management ensures our new joint venture, “Hanseatic Cruise Services”, will enter the market place as a provider of world class passenger ship management services. BSM has long set the standard for maritime solutions, and we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”
