The former Bitcoin cruise ship Satoshi, currently owned by Ambassador Cruise Line, has entered Viktor Lenac Shipyard (Rijeka Croatia) for an extensive refurbishment.
Satoshi arrived at the shipyard on October 14 from Bar Montenegro where she had been docked since March 2021. The new travel brand Ambassador has plans to bring the former glory of the vessel which was originally built for Princess Cruises as "Regal Princess" and later operated for P&O Australia as "Pacific Dawn".
The refurbishment is expected to last until February 2022, when the boat will be renamed Ambassador Ambience. During the refit, extensive works will be carried out, such as installation of new equipment, scrubbers, wastewater treatment system, water purification system, ballast water. Extensive interventions are needed in order to renew all of the ship's expired certificates.
The maiden season of Ambassador Ambience is scheduled for April 6, 2022, sailing from homeport London-Tilbury UK to Hamburg Germany. The cruise ship will sail on cruises ranging from 7 to 14 nights to the British Isles, the Norwegian Fjords, Iceland, Baltic, and the Mediterranean.
On September 29, 2020, P&O Australia announced Pacific Dawn's sale. The new shipowner Ocean Builders (a Panama-based company) reconstructed Pacific Dawn into a residential ship ("Crypto Cruise Ship") and renamed it "MS Satoshi". Prior to the Transatlantic repositioning crossing from Europe to Panama, the ship entered drydock at Gibdock Shipyard (Gibraltar). The vessel's name honored Satoshi Nakamoto (Bitcoin's creator).
Ocean Builders company's CEO is Chad Elwartkowski. The "Crypto Cruise Ship" project generally targeted bitcoin enthusiasts. The ship was marketed as a floating residence where payments (in all onboard shops and restaurants) can be made in BitCoins, in addition to conventional currencies. The access to the off-coast drifting MS Satoshi was intended to be via a 30-min ferry ride from Panama City. Some of the privately-owned staterooms on the liner were opened for rent as living accommodations or business offices.