Commodore Cruise Line, operating from 1968 to 2001, succumbed to a perfect storm of economic pressures. Skyrocketing fuel costs eroded profit margins, while aggressive price wars from giants like Carnival flooded the market with discounted megaship sailings, squeezing smaller operators. A weakening U.S. economy further dampened bookings. After multiple ownership changes, Commodore filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2001, suspending all operations and liquidated its fleet.