Cruise Line Becomes a Family Divided

For fans of bankrupt Exploration Cruise Lines, here’s what became of their ships:

--The Starship Explorer became the Song of Flower from Singapore-based Seven Seas Cruises, sailing Alaska in summer, the Orient in winter.

--The Colonial Explorer joined the Canadian Empress of St. Lawrence Cruise Ships and turned into the Victorian Empress, doing summer cruises along the St. Lawrence out of Ontario and Quebec.

--The North Star was renamed Caledonian Star and sails to exotic destinations in Asia and Africa year-round for Salen Lindblad Cruising.

--Sven-Olof Lindblad’s Special Expeditions picked up the Great Rivers Explorer and the Majestic Explorer, renaming them Sea Lion and Sea Bird for Baja California winter sailings, Alaska in summer, and the rivers of the West in spring and fall.

--The Glacier Bay Explorer was purchased by Alaska Sightseeing Tours after a stint housing workers in the Exxon Valdez cleanup.

After declaring bankruptcy, Exploration President Bob Giersdorf retained the little 49-passenger catamaran Executive Explorer, which he sailed this year in Alaska and the Snake and Columbia rivers under the company name of Yachtship Cruise Line.