Royal Caribbean Group has sold Empress of the Seas to an undisclosed buyer, according to sources familiar with the matter.

They would not identify the ship's buyer or for how much it was being sold. The vessel's market value and scrapping value both stand at $6.38m, VesselsValue data shows.

The Richard Fain-led owner of 58 ships two weeks ago dispelled rumours that the 2,020-berth, 1990-built vessel would not get scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey, as it headed to Malta.