Mystic Invest, led by Mario Ferreira, has purchased the 1,258-guest Vasco da Gama at auction.

One shipbroker with knowledge of the Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) fleet auction told Cruise Industry News that the Vasco da Gama was “the ship everyone wants,” due to its age, condition and marketability.

Mystic confirmed they had bought the ship in an email to Cruise Industry News but did not elaborate on their plans for the vessel.

The ship originally launched as the Statendam for Holland America Line in 1993, where it served until 2015 when it was transferred to the P&O Australia fleet.

In 2019, CMV took ownership and it became the Vasco da Gama, mainly serving the Transocean brand for the German-speaking source market.

Four more ships from the CMV fleet will see their auctions close throughout October, including the Columbus, Magellan, Marco Polo and Astor. A buyer for the Columbus is expected to be named shortly.