V. Ships wins management of easyCruise

V.Ships Leisure, the passenger ship arm of V.Ships, the Monaco-based ship manager and marine services group, has been nominated by easyGroup as the manager for it?s new easyCruise venture. This new cruise company will commence operations in the West Mediterranean in spring 2005 and the contract with V.Ships will include marine planning, technical management and provision of deck and engine crew in its package of services.

Recently the easyGroup acquired the 1990 Italian-built, 4,077gt Neptune 2 (ex-Renaissance 2) which will be delivered today and immediately be taken to Singapore where she will be refurbished and converted into a quality 180-passenger capacity vessel.

Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of easyGroup, said ” I am delighted that easyCruise will get the benefit of the experience of the world?s leading cruise ship management company in the crucial first three years of operation.”