Russians Eye Expedition Newbuild Program
United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) has designed a series of expedition cruise ships as the Russian state-owned company aims to enter the cruise-ship business in the near future, according to Dmitry Kolodyazny, vice president. USC has taken notice of the expedition boom, the number of ships in the Arctic, and wants its piece of the pie….
Excellence on Nieuw Statendam
“The focus has been on elevation and excellence, we continue to strive to be better than before,” said Frits van der Werff, vice president of food and beverage at Holland America Line. “We want to continue to refine the experience. We are doing things really well and want to continue to offer a better experience.”…
Royal Caribbean: New Experiences at Sea and on Land
Introducing the Symphony of the Seas in the North American market in November, Royal Caribbean International President Michael Bayley said that the features on the new ship will be introduced on the 2009-built Oasis, the first ship in the class, when she goes into a two-month drydock in Europe this year, and then on the…
San Diego: Strong Uptick in Cruise Traffic
After a near decade-long hiatus, Carnival Cruise Line will be back in San Diego for a seasonal deployment starting in December. “They were drawing quite a few passengers from San Diego (to Long Beach) and you want to capitalize on those markets; we have a strong drive up market,” said Adam Deaton, senior account trade…
Pushing Energy Savings
Eight of 15 MSC Cruises ships have been fitted with exhaust gas cleaning systems, and three have shorepower plugs, with more to come, according to Bud Darr, executive vice president of maritime policy and government affairs. “On existing ships, where feasible, we are retrofitting exhaust gas cleaning systems. We also have a plan in place…
Carnival Sunrise: $200 Million Investment
The biggest refurbishment in the history of the cruise industry is set to take place this spring as the Carnival Triumph will emerge as the Carnival Sunrise following a $200 million drydock. In 2020, the same will happen with the Victory, which will be renamed the Radiance. “We’ve been investing in our fleet in terms…
Multiple Newbuild Projects
A set of newbuilding projects on opposite sides of the world are being run by Nikolaos Doulis, senior vice president of newbuildings at Lindblad Expeditions. The first of those projects will come to completion later this year when the company takes delivery of its second 100-guest newbuild from Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in Washington State….
Costa China Set to Introduce ‘Game Changer’ New Ship
“It is our first newbuild dedicated to the Chinese market,” said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Group Asia, referring to the new Costa Venezia, which debuts in Shanghai next May. “We are creating a strategy for the new ship and it will be a game changer.” That strategy is offering Italy at Sea to Chinese…
Shipbuilding Strategy
Luigi Matarazzo was recently named director of Fincantieri’s Merchant Ships Business Unit with direct responsibility for marketing, sales, design, purchasing and manufacturing of cruise vessels. “My main tasks are to consolidate our relationships with shipowners and to ensure that the ships we are building are built to the highest quality and delivered on time and,…
Bahamas Paradise Ups Its Food and Beverage Game
“The biggest advantage for us is our two-night itinerary, which means that we are at our homeport at least three times a week. Calling at West Palm Beach every other day allows us to supply the ship regularly with fresh meat, seafood, fruits and more. That’s something the other cruise lines simply can’t do,” said…
Biggest Year Ever in Asia-Pacific for Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean International will be offering 71 sailings on three ships out of Singapore in 2019 – the Voyager, Quantum and Spectrum of the Seas, according to Angie Stephen, managing director, Asia-Pacific for Royal Caribbean Cruises. “2018 is a banner year for us,” she said. “It is our biggest year ever with 78 sailings. “While…
Shorepower An Ongoing Debate
Norway’s Kristiansand was the second European port to offer shorepower to cruise ships when its 16 MW installation came on line in September. The only other European port offering shorepower is Hamburg, at its Altona Terminal, while Livorno expects to be operational by the end of the year. A spokesperson for the Port of Hamburg…
Capacity Up Down Under for Royal Caribbean Brands
Royal Caribbean Cruises will have five ships in the Australia and New Zealand markets during the 2019-2020 season, according to Susan Bonner, vice president and managing director. The Royal Caribbean brand will return with the Ovation, Voyager and Radiance of the Seas; Celebrity with the Solstice; and Azamara with the Quest. “Sailing from October to…
Ponant: ‘Leading the Market’
By 2022, Ponant’s fleet will grow with the additions of six 180-guest Explorer-class ships and an LNG-powered icebreaker. Just over the next three years, the number of departures will be more than doubled on an annual basis for the French brand, according to Hervé Bellaiche, executive vice president of sales. “We are confident we have…
MSC Cruises ‘Working All Markets’
“We are expanding in all our markets, deploying the new MSC Seaview in South America next winter, adding the Lirica alongside the Splendida in Dubai and moving from a smaller to a larger ship in South Africa,” Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, told Cruise Industry News in an exclusive interview. “Obviously, we are also…