Cruise & Maritime Voyages, the UK based destinational cruise operator, said it would soon unveil details about a larger successor of Astor in Germany as the ship will be transferred to a new French unit of the group in 2021.

“Astor which has been serving both the Australian and German cruise markets with complementary summer programs since being acquired by CMV in 2013, will be re-deployed to the French market commencing cruise operations in Le Havre on Saturday 1st May 2021. To meet growing demand on the German market under the Group's TransOcean Kreuzfahrten brand, she will be replaced by a larger vessel with details to be announced shortly,” CMV said in a statement.

TransOcean Kreuzfahrten operates the 55,481 gross ton Vasco da Gama on the German market in the summer, but for the winter the ship repositions to Australia to serve the local market. Since the introduction of Vasco da Gama in April, Astor has served the German market exclusively.

In June, the company’s CEO Christian Verhounig was quoted by CruiseCritic as saying: “I know this might seem like we are teasing you with [Vasco da Gama] leaving for Germany tomorrow, but we will have [a new ship] for the UK very soon, possibly by 2020."