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…