Update, May 18th: Keira Linden sent me the following in-world, and has given me permission to share it. Hopefully it will both please those of us hoping to see the Galaxy resume her role as a location for events:
“Hey Inara! Just read your blog about the SS Galaxy. Great article!
“Just wanted to clear a few minor things up. I saw where the topic of Events was discussed and wanted you to know that once the dust settles on the ship it will be available for public events just as any other parcel set as a Linden Location would be. I know that the ship had numerous events, and we would hate to have that opportunity vanish for those who have enjoyed it for so long.
“Also, I wanted it be clear that this wasn’t a situation where we came in and took over. We worked very closely with the former owners for quite some time before they offered us the opportunity to preserve the builds for the entire community. As long time residents ourselves, we are very sensitive to the disappearance of historic areas such as and work very hard to ways to keep them in world and active. Thanks again for the blurb on SS Galaxy! Talk to you later!”
In April 2015, I wrote about the final cruise for the SS Galaxy. At the time, a series of circumstances meant that the owners had decided to reluctantly call time on the great ship’s eight-year cruise on the “Sagittarian Sea” and make a return to port at the start of May.
Now, it seems that the great liner is to make a return to the open oceans of Second Life. DB Digital, who has operated the liner’s long with his SL partner Mia Epsilon, for the majority of the the ship’s cruise, passed me a short communique on Tuesday, May 12th, which has also been posted to the SS Galaxy blog, and reads as follows:
Dear Supporters and Friends of the SS Galaxy,
There have been many rumours cycling regarding the Galaxy and what really happened. I can’t release that information as of yet. However, I can now say that the SS Galaxy has been acquired by Linden Labs and will return. She is currently undergoing retrofitting to sail under the Linden Labs flag. I have been tirelessly converting all the transferable prims I personally owned to Linden Lab ownership, and my part of the project is now complete.
Sadly being under Linden Lab’s flag also means that none of the previous management or crew will be aboard in any sort of capacity. I have also been told there will be no rentals or events. This means she will not quite be the Galaxy you know and love. But she will still exist in a museum state and be open for visitation in the near future.
More information will be released as I can. I wish to thank everyone again from the guests, to the staff, and beyond. You all made the Galaxy the special place she was, and no one can take that from us.
DBDigital Epsilon
Former Managing Director
SS Galaxy
As can be seen from the communication, it doesn’t look as if the Galaxy is going to be available as a venue, but like Svarga, is to be preserved as a piece of Second Life history. I also understand from DB that her final moorings have yet to be determined. Should an update be forthcoming on this through DB or the Lab directly, I’ll update this post and will doubtless cover her return when it happens.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 
Amazing news! Thanks for sharing this. The Galaxy will become a very valuable property for The Lab, I’m sure
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Thanks, Uccie. I’ll be trying to keep an eye on things as they progress, and DB has offered to poke me should he have more news his end. Would be good to see the ship become a venue for some events, even if only on occasion. You know, something like future Linden meet-ups 😉 .
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I hope it comes back in the same location with a better link up to the sims south of Temasek and the Sailors Cove West sims to the North.
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Thank you for the news, and kudos to LL for preserving it! These are good news. Even if there would be no events, the Galaxy is still quite a landmark and it would be still fun to visit it and to amaze new visitors. Or to land with a helicopter or to travel there with a boat. Perhaps if she could be moved NW to fill the gap between Nantucket Yacht Club and Pslande, or south of Sirens Isle, more people would visit her.
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Glad to see the Galaxy won’t disappear. Giant projects like this are perfect for OpenSim with its huge, cheap, regions. Pity the original owner won’t get to keep his own project and run it as he sees fit. If the Lindens allowed region exports, he could have taken his work wherever he wanted.
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Is the lab going to pay him for his work? Or are they just appropriating great builds from people who they have priced out of their market? Pretty sweet deal for the lab. Free showcase piece.
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The nature of the arrangement is between the Lab and all of those involved in the project. As for “appropriating great builds from people who they have priced out of their market”, that would imply you assume the ship closed in April as a result of tier. As indicated in my original article on the closure, I was informed at the time by DB Digital wasn’t the case – there were other factors that led to the decision.
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Great news and i do hope as well as Aethelwine that it comes back in the same location with a better link up to the sims south of Temasek and the Sailors Cove West sims to the North.
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Reblogged this on Confessions of a Digital Daddy Bear and commented:
this is most excellent news.
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I’m SO glad to hear this. Kind of sad it won’t have a crew or events anymore but it’s good of LL to recognize how important the build is to SL history.
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