MS Deutschland-World Odyssey

The 1998-built MS Deutschland cruise ship (MV World Odyssey) is owned by Absolute Nevada LLC, a Las Vegas-based shipping company. Since May 2015, the vessel has been chartered annually (as "World Odyssey") by Semester at Sea, an abroad study program for international students managed by the Institute for Shipboard Education in Fort Collins, Colorado. Between May and August (since 2016), the ship (as "Deutschland") operates under charter to the German cruise line Phoenix Reisen GmbH.

Hotel and catering services aboard Deutschland/World Odyssey are managed by CMI Leisure Management, a Miami USA-based marine hospitality company.

The vessel (IMO 9141807) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311000410) and registered in Nassau.

History – Construction and Ownership

The 500-passenger ship is famous for being the setting of the German TV series "Das Traumschiff" ("The Dream Ship"). Another notable fact is that she accommodated the German Olympic Committee as a hotel ship during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, UK.

From 1998 to 2015, the vessel was owned and operated by Peter Deilmann Cruises (Reederei Peter Deilmann GmbH, founded in 1968, ceased operations in 2015). After the company’s bankruptcy, ownership passed to IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft GmbH, a German investment firm. Following another insolvency proceeding, the ship was sold in March 2015 to its current owner, Absolute Nevada LLC (major shareholder Donald Hoffman). The company also owns the smaller ship Americana/fka Yorktown.

MS Deutschland was officially transferred to Absolute Nevada LLC on May 19, 2015, after being purchased from Beteiligungsgesellschaft for USD 21 million.

In 2015-2016, MS Deutschland first served as a floating university for the "Semester at Sea" program managed by ISE (Institute for Shipboard Education, Charlottesville, Virginia). Following a major refurbishment, she was renamed "World Odyssey." In November 2015, Phoenix Reisen announced a five-year time charter with the shipowner starting in spring 2016. The vessel underwent a drydock refit in April 2016, adding French balconies to select cabins on decks 7 and 8, and received a new hull paint scheme in Phoenix Reisen’s colors and logo.

The ship’s most recent drydock renovation was in 2021, with the next scheduled for 2024.

The crew of 290 includes mainly European and Filipino staff, with most officers being German.

German is the official onboard language, and nearly all Phoenix Reisen passengers are from German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland). While some staff speak English, no English-language services are offered.

Decks and Cabins

MS Deutschland/World Odyssey staterooms (332 total) are divided into three main types: "Student Cabins," "Lifelong Learner Cabins" (suites, deluxe, and family accommodations), and "Faculty and Staff Cabins." All staterooms feature standard amenities: beds with nightstands, a mirrored writing desk/vanity table with chair, side table, LCD TV/CCTV, mini-fridge, wardrobe with safe, and an en suite bathroom with WC, shower, and sink. Air conditioning is also provided.

MS Deutschland offers 288 staterooms in 27 grades and four categories: suite, comfort, classic, and standard (both inside and outside). One cabin is wheelchair-accessible, and 44 are singles. All suites are on Admirals Deck (deck 8), and suite guests dine in the Vierjahreszeiten (Four Seasons) Restaurant.

Phoenix Reisen also promotes special voyages for solo travelers, allowing single occupancy in double cabins without a supplement.

The ship has 10 decks, of which 8 are accessible to passengers and 5 contain cabins.

MV World Odyssey (Semester at Sea) – Costs

Semester at Sea program fees cover tuition, travel health insurance, accommodation, all meals, academic field classes, onboard staff services, and a fuel fee (subject to oil price fluctuations).

Students can earn up to 15 credits (through Colorado State University, transferable to their home institutions) and visit 10–12 destinations per voyage.

All meals, including on sea and port days, are included. Dining is buffet-style, three times daily, with vegetarian options and late-night snacks.

Cabin accommodations include access to wellness facilities (gym, pool, spa, sauna), and crew gratuities (US$2 per person per day) are included. Additional expenses are charged to onboard accounts.

Travel health insurance includes access to the ship’s Infirmary, mental health center, and medical evacuation coverage.

The full-time residential team includes medical staff, resident directors, an academic dean, an executive dean, and a field office director. ISE also provides pre-cruise assistance with all pre-voyage requirements.

Student fees for Fall 2022 (“European, African, and Asian Adventure Cruise,” Sept 9–Dec 22) were: US$26,874 (Adventure Double Bunk/Discovery Triple Inside, including cabin cost $4,045), US$29,874 (Discovery Double Inside/Ocean Triple Outside, including cabin cost $7,045), and US$32,874 (Ocean Double Outside, including cabin cost $10,045). Prices included tuition ($21,280) and a fuel fee ($1,550).

Shipboard Facilities and Amenities

Guests may dine in three main venues. The primary restaurant, Berlin Restaurant (MDR), features large windows, white wood paneling, and fresh flowers on every table, with two dinner seatings. The a-la-carte Four Seasons Restaurant (Vierjahreszeiten) offers nightly changing menus and requires reservations. The Lido Restaurant provides buffet-style dining, combining bar, café, and grill options, and hosts formal afternoon tea in the Lido Terrasse. Late-night snacks are served at 10:45 pm in the Alten Fritz and Lili Marlene lounges.

The ship’s interior is designed in Art Deco style with traditional craftsmanship and Machine Age influences. The main entertainment venue, the Kaisersaal (Emperor’s Ballroom), is a two-story lounge with balcony seating, a ceiling mural of sky and clouds, and a large crystal chandelier. Seating is arranged in intimate groupings around tables.

Other facilities include the Aldon Library, Cinema/Conference Room, Lili Marleen Salon, Spa and Wellness Area, Gym, Beauty Salon, Sports Deck, two Sundecks, shuffleboard, whirlpool, swimming pool, and Photo Gallery. The Lobby Hall with Reception is on Deck 5. Deck 4 midship houses the Counseling Center (Semester at Sea) and a Kids’ Room forward. Deck 3 midship features the Spa (with indoor pool, Thalasso Pool, Rasul and Ayurveda rooms, and treatment rooms) and the Infirmary with resident doctors and nurses.

On Golf Deck/deck 10, four motorized Zodiacs are stored aft for shore landings and transfers in ports without docking facilities. Forward are two mini-golf courses and a Golf Teeing Ground.

Semester at Sea Itineraries (MV World Odyssey)

In Fall 2021 (Sept 9–Dec 22), World Odyssey operated a voyage from Amsterdam to Dubai, visiting Reykjavik, Gdansk, Stockholm, Dublin, Leixoes-Oporto, Casablanca, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Piraeus-Athens, Haifa, and Mumbai, transiting both the Kiel Canal and Suez Canal.

Semester at Sea itineraries feature “world voyages” with homeports in Europe (Bremerhaven, Amsterdam) and Asia (Dubai, Tokyo).

Semester at Sea Schedule 2024

(Spring 2024/Jan 5–Apr 20) The 107-day “Asia, Africa, and Europe Exploration Cruise” visits 12 countries and 13 ports, starting in Tokyo and ending in Bremerhaven. Ports include Busan, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City, Port Klang, Mumbai, Port Louis, Cape Town, Tema, Takoradi, Casablanca, Dublin, and Bremerhaven.

Semester at Sea Schedule 2023

(Spring 2023/Jan 5–Apr 20) The 106-day “Asian, African, and European Exploration Cruise” traveled from Dubai to Bremerhaven, visiting Mumbai, Mombasa, Aqaba, Limassol, Piraeus, Dubrovnik, Barcelona, Casablanca, Lisbon, and more.

(Fall 2023/Sept 10–Dec 22) The 105-day “European and Asian Adventure Cruise” sailed from Amsterdam to Tokyo, visiting Barcelona, Piraeus, Aqaba, Muscat, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, Saigon, Shanghai, Osaka, Busan, and Tokyo.

Semester at Sea Schedule 2022

(Spring 2022/Jan 5–Apr 20) The 106-day “Mediterranean Exploration Cruise” (Naples to Bremerhaven) visited 13 ports, including Piraeus, Limassol, Dubrovnik, Valletta, Barcelona, Lisbon, Brest, Glasgow, Copenhagen, and Stockholm.

(Fall 2022/Sept 9–Dec 22) The 105-day “European, African, and Asian Adventure Cruise” (Amsterdam to Dubai) visited Lisbon, Casablanca, Valencia, Dubrovnik, Athens, Limassol, Aqaba, Mombasa, Mumbai, and Dubai.

Phoenix Reisen Itineraries (MS Deutschland)

MS Deutschland’s itineraries focus on Northern Europe, including Iceland, Greenland, the Norwegian Fjords, and Arctic Norway (Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Nordkapp), as well as the UK.

The ship operates roundtrips from Bremerhaven, departing at 6 pm and returning at 9 am. Themed voyages include 7-day Norwegian Fjords, Baltic Sea cruises (Scandinavia and Russia), Norway and Iceland, Around Britain, Iceland and Greenland, and Canary Islands routes.

Between June 20 and August 10, 2015, MS Deutschland offered Northern Europe roundtrips from Kiel and Hamburg under charter to PLANTOURS Kreuzfahrten, visiting ports in Norway, Greenland, the Faroes, and the British Isles.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Phoenix Reisen suspended MS Deutschland’s operations from March 2020 to April 2022. Cruises resumed in April 2022, homeporting in Bremerhaven with itineraries to Baltic ports in Poland, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Norway, as well as to Svalbard, Iceland, and Greenland.

MS Deutschland cruise ship was built in Kiel, Germany. This privately owned vessel (an asset of Absolute Nevada LLC) is currently operated under a time charter by Phoenix Reisen GmbH, a major German travel agency and tour operator. Until 2015, the ship was owned by Reederei Peter Deilmann GmbH. Following the company's bankruptcy, the vessel was sold to the US investment firm Absolute Nevada LLC.

In 2012, the ship served as a hospitality vessel for DOSB (Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund – the German Olympic Committee) during the "2012 Summer Olympics" (London 2012).

Under the new ownership, in May 2015, the vessel’s flag state/registry was changed from Germany (Neustadt in Holstein) to the Bahamas (Nassau). Under the Bahamian flag, she was chartered for 10 months by Semester at Sea (a US-based study-abroad program) and operated under the name “MV World Odyssey.”

During her first winter charter (2015–2016), World Odyssey carried around 600 students on educational voyages around the world.

Between 1999 and 2015, the ship was used for filming the ZDF TV series “Das Traumschiff” (translated as “The Dream Ship”), a German production similar to ABC’s “The Love Boat” (1977–1987). Debuting in 1981, the show followed a cruise ship traveling around the world and became one of Germany’s most-watched television programs.

In November 2015, Phoenix Reisen announced plans to charter the ship for the summers of 2016 and 2017. During the subsequent drydock refurbishment, staterooms on decks 7 and 8 were upgraded with French balconies.

In January 2018, Phoenix Reisen extended its charter of MS Deutschland until 2025, following the vessel’s sale by Absolute Nevada LLC (USA) to Delos Cruise. The time charter agreement with Phoenix Reisen (covering summer operations) was renewed at the time of purchase, while the ship continued to be chartered to Semester at Sea for winter voyages.

The vessel’s powerplant consists of MAK diesel engines (2x 4790 hp and 2x 3590 hp) with a total output of 16,760 hp / 12,498 kW.

MS Deutschland’s most recent extensive drydock refurbishment took place in 2024 at Bredo Werft (a shipyard operated by BREDO Dockgesellschaft mbH in Bremerhaven). The EUR 10 million project included a full machinery overhaul, hull and superstructure cleaning and repainting, teak deck restoration, and comprehensive interior upgrades with new carpeting, furnishings, upholstery, and new beds and mattresses in all passenger cabins.