Well, filings and rumors had it that Apollo and PCH were getting ready to do an IPO for Regent or the whole PCH, so this may mean they couldn't see getting the price they wanted, OR as Apollo has a large holding in NCL, they decided that they would expand and strengthen that holding by adding premium and luxury cruise lines to it.

I agree with Ted; this definitely means change, but that change could well be for the better. The current management team at PCL has done a really good job with Oceania, but it's not so clear at Regent - mixed reviews. Apollo and the DelRio team at PCH are no dummies, and they've recently committed to build a new ship for Regent, so my guess, and that's all it is, a guess, is this announcement bodes well for Regent and its clientele.

Now watch and see if Royal Caribbean snaps up Crystal or more likely Silversea. Carnival already has Seabourn in the luxury cruise space. Luxury hotels make more money than middle of the road brands; I suspect that also applies to cruise lines, so adding some extra frosting on top makes good sense.

For us, HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL!

Editing to Add (9/3/14): Anyone with any further interest in the NCL purchase of PCH should look at the current lead story "Norwegian's (CEO Kevin) Sheehan delves into the implications of acquiring Prestige Cruises" on SEATRADE Insider: at http://www.seatrade-insider.com. Another article there announces that Moody's rating service has confirmed NCL's less than investment grade rating of Ba3, but lowered its outlook on the company to 'negative' from 'stable' as a result of the purchase of PCH.