Island Escape yacht

The 2021-built cruise yacht Island Escape is a 30-passenger ship owned by Seasons Shipping Co Ltd (Jongno-gu/Seoul, South Korea-based, 2020-founded company registered in Hong Kong China) and operated under a demise/bareboat charter by the New Zealand-based company and travel brand Island Escape Cruises Ltd. A bareboat charter is an arrangement for hiring the ship without crew or provisions included in the deal.

The luxury boat was constructed by VARD Vietnam (at Vung Tau Shipyard) and is also available for private charters. In 2022, the Island Escape yacht charter cost NZD 325,000 (~USD 204K / ~GBP 169K).

IMPORTANT: On November 30, 2022, the superyacht was seized at Port Broome. In 2023, the boat was sold at auction on January 13 and handed over to the new shipowner on February 22. The announced sale price was AUD 5.5M (USD 3.69M / EUR 3.43M).

The ship was sold to repay the debtors (financiers and unpaid customers) of Island Escape Cruises NZ, which owed millions of dollars. According to shipping experts, the ultra-luxury vessel was sold for ~AUD 34.5M (USD 23.1M / EUR 21.5M) less than its estimated value.

Most of the money was owed to customers who prepaid in 2022 for several 12-day Kimberley voyages (scheduled for 2023) that were eventually canceled. On the date of the liquidation, Island Escape Cruises Ltd owed ~AUD 20.3M (USD 11.17M / EUR 10.38M) to its creditors, including ~AU$11.85M to Eksfin (Export Finance Norway) and ~AU$8.5M to BNZ (Bank of New Zealand). As of May 31, 2023, the company's accounts held ~AU$4.677M from pre-booked cruises.

Note: In August 2022, Island Escape Cruises Ltd (owned by Erik Helseth) went into court-appointed receivership, and investigations into its finances were initiated by Chapman Atkins Ltd (liquidator). The yacht's sale was ordered by Hon Michael James Feutrill (Federal Court Judge).

The vessel (IMO number 9903994) is currently France-flagged (MMSI 538009093) and registered in Majuro/Marshall Islands.

Note: Between 2002 and 2015, "MS Island Escape" was the name of the 1982-built cruise liner Scandinavia (IMO 8002597), Alang India-scrapped in 2018 as "MS Ocean Gala".

History - construction and ownership

The shipowner Island Escape Cruises NZ (founded in 2006 by Peter Bissett) previously owned and operated the 2007-built catamaran Island Passage (IMO 8745216, 24-passenger boat), which was sold in 2018 to Maple Leaf Adventures (Canada) and renamed Cascadia.

The new superyacht Island Escape (VARD Vung Tau yard/hull number 915) was designed by Vard Design (Vard Marine Inc’s naval architecture and marine engineering division) and originally planned for delivery in April 2021 (postponed to October 2021). Due to the Coronavirus crisis (lockdowns, restrictions, supply chain disruptions), construction was hampered and delivery was delayed ~7 months.

The vessel was ordered from Vard Vung Tau Ltd in December 2019 (when the shipbuilding contract was signed), and construction officially started in June 2020 with the keel-laying ceremony.

In November 2020, Island Escape Cruises opened bookings and announced details of the new ship, including an aft helipad (helicopter landing platform), 2x tender boats (used as lifeboats and for disembarkation in ports without docking facilities), 2x Zodiacs (motorized RIBs/rigid inflatable boats for close-to-shore and inland cruising). Watersports equipment (water toys/kayaks and paddle boards), snorkeling gear, and fishing gear are also provided complimentary.

As to marine technologies, the vessel is SOLAS-certified and fitted with the latest-model stabilizers, a dynamic positioning system (allowing her to hold position without anchoring, thus protecting the seabed), fuel-efficient diesel engines, a diesel-electric propulsion system, a modern HRV/waste-heat recovery system (using engine heat to warm water for cabin showers and the galley/kitchen), and catalytic converters (reducing NOx emissions by ~90%).

Decks and cabins

Island Escape's staterooms (17 total) are all outside and in five suite categories, accommodating a maximum of 32 passengers. Cabin types include Owner's Suite (1), Horizon Suites (6), Solo Suites (2), Ocean Suites (5), and Ocean Twin Suites (3).

Ocean and Solo cabins are on the Lower Deck (Ocean Deck/Deck 2), while the Owner's and Horizon cabins are on the Upper Deck (Horizon Deck/Deck 3). Ocean Suites come with either one king-size double bed, two single beds/twins, or one single bed.

All passenger staterooms (designed by Tillberg Design of Sweden) are stylishly appointed with premium bedding sets (Egyptian-cotton linens; six pillows), bedside cabinets, wall-mounted reading lamps, a writing desk (direct-dial phone, magnifying mirror, power outlets, USB charger), two armchairs, a coffee table, a wall-mounted HDTV, modern entertainment systems, large wardrobes, spacious bathrooms (WC-toilet, shower, single-sink vanity), and individually/thermostat-controlled air conditioning.

All Horizon Deck cabins feature floor-to-ceiling glass doors opening to private step-out balconies.

The boat has 4 decks, of which three are passenger-accessible and two have cabins.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

The certified Helideck (Deck 4’s aft-positioned helipad on the top deck) is used for landings of helicopters serving the company's heli-transfers between the yacht and home port. The luxurious boat also features an outdoor spa pool/Jacuzzi. Midship on Deck 4 is the Wheelhouse/Navigation Bridge.

At the stern (aft on Deck 3) there is an Outdoor Lounge (alfresco dining area with two large tables plus couch seating), roof-protected by the Helideck above. An outdoor observation deck (forward on Deck 3/at the bow) is furnished with bench seats and small coffee tables. Midship on Deck 3 are positioned both tenders (port and starboard), each fitted with a davit crane.

On the Main Deck/Ocean Deck are the Salon (starboard lounge fitted with large sofas) and the Dining Room/Restaurant (port side), both with floor-to-ceiling windows and comfortable seating, served by the Bar (centrally located in between).

Aft on the Marina Deck (Deck 1) is the marina platform used for launching the two Zodiacs (stored forward on Decks 2–3) and the water toys (kayaks and paddle boards). The Marina Deck is accessed from the Ocean Deck (Deck 2).

Onboard meals are prepared by professional chefs using the freshest ingredients, including local seafood and guests’ daily catch.

Island Escape Cruises fares include all onboard food and beverages (spirits, wines, beers, and champagne by the glass; soda; bottled water; branded teas/coffees), unlimited Wi-Fi, all daily activities (entertainment, boat tours, etc.), and helicopter transfers (shore-ship-shore).

Itineraries

Island Escape's inaugural itineraries (planned for season 2021-2022) included Fiordland National Park and the Bay of Islands, as well as helicopter golf cruises (roundtrip from Auckland).

In October 2021, Island Escape Cruises Ltd's owner (Peter Bissett) announced that the company would officially start operations in New Zealand in November 2022. For 2023, voyages were scheduled along Western Australia's Kimberley Coast (roundtrip from home port Broome) in the period May-September (2023), as well as itineraries visiting the South Pacific Islands and Tahiti.

Ultimate Fiordland itinerary

In June 2022, Island Escape Cruises extended the 10-night "Ultimate Fiordland" itinerary program (December–March 2023).

The voyage features an overnight in Queenstown, a bus transfer to Fiordland NP's Milford Sound (Te Anau Lake, for a 20-minute helicopter tour and joining the yacht in Doubtful Sound), a stop in Pickersgill Harbour (Dusky Bay), cruising Dusky Sound and Breaksea Sound (Disappointment Cove, Sunday Cove, Third Cove), cruising Moana Uta (Wet Jacket Arm's marine reserve, up to Herrick Creek), overnight anchorage off Oke Island, navigating Vancouver Arm (bay) and Broughton Arm (Southland, Murihiku), then continuing north to the Fiordland sounds Nancy and Charles (Day 8), Caswell and George (Day 9), and Bligh and Milford (Day 10). On Day 11, a complimentary helicopter transfer from Milford Sound to Queenstown is provided. Island Escape's Fiordland experience also features daily Zodiac tours led by an experienced local guide.

Fares for the Ultimate Fiordland cruise started from NZD 13,950 (~USD 8,750 / GBP 7,240) per person with double occupancy (2022 currency exchange rates), and include an overnight hotel and breakfast (in Queenstown), nine nights of cruising (on the yacht Island Escape), and two helicopter transfers.

Note: Island Escape Cruises Ltd holds a 20-year permit (through 2042) from New Zealand's government to operate throughout Fiordland (Te Wahipounamu), listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.

Wild Kimberley Coast itinerary

In April 2022, Island Escape's Kimberley (Australia) deployment (July–September 2022) was announced with the new 12-night "Wild Kimberley Coast" itinerary out of Broome. Prices ranged from NZD 14,950 pp (Ocean Suite, based on twin share) up to NZD 20,950 (Owner's Suite).

The roundtrip from Broome, WA, visits the Buccaneer Archipelago's Horizontal Waterfalls (Day 2); Doubtful Bay and Sale River cruising towards Red Cone Creek (Day 3); Careening Bay (Day 4); Naturaliste Island's Mitchell Falls (Day 5); Jar Island's Vansittart Bay (Day 6); King George Falls and anchorage in Faraway Bay (Day 7); cruising along Sand and Cassini Islands and anchoring in Swift Bay (Day 8); wildlife watching in Swift Bay (Day 9); cruising through Prince Regent National Park and King Cascade/terraced waterfall (Day 10); Montgomery Reef (Day 11); Hidden Island's Silica Beach and anchorage at Mission Bay/tour of Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm (Day 12); arrival/debarkation in Broome (Day 13).

Tropical North Queensland itinerary

The 10-night "Tropical North Queensland" voyage (priced from NZD 11,950 pp) was scheduled for October 2022.

The itinerary operates roundtrip from Cairns QLD and visits the Great Barrier Reef's Escape Reef and Ribbon Reef (Day 2), Lizard Island/Dyiigurra (Day 3), Stanley Island and Cape Melville's Bathurst Bay (Day 4), Forbes Island/Wuthara (Day 5), Thursday Island/Waiben (Day 6), Restoration Island/Maalpiku (Day 7), Davie Cay and Howick Island (Day 8), anchorage at Ribbon Reef 9's lagoon (Day 9), Cooktown/Gangaar and Undine Cay (Day 10), and arrival/debarkation in Cairns (Day 11).

For season 2023, Island Escape Cruises introduced three new itineraries—"Experience the South Pacific" (Tahiti, Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji), "Experience Papua New Guinea" (Sepik River, Milne Bay, Trobriand Islands, Rabaul), and "Experience Tahiti" (April–June; a 7-night voyage visiting the Leeward Islands in French Polynesia; fly-cruise from Papeete Tahiti to Bora Bora, Tahaa, Raiatea, and Huahine).