Adventure Over For Cruising Veterans?

This news slipped beneath the radar initially but the splendid 22,080gt/1965 built Marco Polo (above) is to be retired from CMV’s fleet in 2018.

The ship of Soviet origins was built as the Alexandr Pushkin as one of five Poet/Writer Class transatlantic liners/cruise ships built in Wismar, Germany. Orient Lines operated the ship in the early 90s and she passed to NCL when they acquired Orient Lines in 2002. She passed to CMV in 2010 and is said to be on the market for $15m with a suggested use as a floating hotel. The ship bows out in May 2018 and this will be another sad day for the cruise liner scene.

During winter 2016/17 the Marco Polo visited Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam (DSAm), part of Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) once again in December. During the initial docking process at the yard, the Marco Polo was inspected by DSAm prior to a high-pressure clean of the hull and then repainting of the flat bottom and vertical sides in the renowned ‘Marco Polo’ blue. The topside of the vessel was painted at a later stage. The equipment maintenance included polishing the main propeller and bow thruster blades and overhauling the main engine coolers. The main engine cooler jacket was removed and replaced with a new jacket fabricated at the yard. Damen’s work on the 1965 built vessel continued in maintenance, renewal and upgrade works in her public areas and cabins, the air conditioning and evaporator rooms as well as renewal of numerous sea water and fresh water piping and overhauling of the overboard valves. Work on the ship’s rudder, taking rudder clearances and repacking of rudderstock, was also performed.

CMV’s Magellan was also dealt with during this time. After her initial inspection, the 1985 built vessel presented a substantial work schedule for the Damen team. For example, the starboard propeller hub needed inspection in the workshop. So a special lifting tool was made for removing the hub. Then, after Rolls Royce’s survey, the Damen yard machined the existing hub, blade carriers and Wplates as per the Inspector’s instructions. Work on the Magellan’s propulsion system also included polishing of starboard propeller blades and repairs to the bow and stern thruster blades. Another major part of the project was installation of a new sewage tank system. This required cropping and removal of the existing tanks. This was followed by construction and fitting of new foundations for the new sewage treatment units and strainers. In addition to maintenance, renewal and upgrade works in her public areas and cabins, repairs of various steel damages and the overhauling of numerous ship’s systems was also necessary. This included overhauling the main engine blower, tender embarkation cylinders, heaters, evaporator and purifier. And also one of the scupper pipes, which was renewed by Niron Staal’s pipefitters department.

On 13th February the Marco Polo was diverted to Portland due to bad weather and tidal restrictions in the Bristol Channel. The ship was returning from a 39-night Amazon, West Indies, and Azores cruise and the bad weather saw her miss the tide timings to access the port of Avonmouth. A similar situation arose in 2016 when the ship diverted to Southampton. Passengers for the next cruise, a 15- night Land of the Northern Lights itinerary, were asked to continue to Avonmouth as usual where a complimentary coach was provided to Portland.

Another classic looks set to end her career in 2017 when the 16,144gt/1948 built Astoria leaves the CMV fleet. The Astoria is on a bareboat charter to Global Maritime of Greece until October 2017. After her CMV itineraries conclude in spring 2017 she has another charter to a French company (believed to be Rivages du Monde) but is sales listed $12 million.

Cruising Boost

The Port of Portland in Dorset is preparing for its busiest cruise ship season yet with 36,000 passengers expected. In a major coup for the facility, and a welcome boost for the local economy, Portland Port is moving to establish itself as a major player in the cruise industry welcoming larger ships capable of carrying thousands of visitors. This year it is estimated the expected visitors will add nearly £2 million to the local economy whilst they are in the region. Perhaps the most high profile visitor will be the 83,969gt/1998 built Disney Magic in May & July.

Overall the port is expecting to handle 24 cruise ships in 2017, bringing more than 36,000 passengers into Portland. Of these 24 calls, 10 will be first time visitors. The season will be starting with two first time visitors calling on 26th April, namely the 32,477gt/2011 built Seabourn Quest & 61,849gt/1997 built Rotterdam. Other notable visitors include the 93,559gt/2006 built Norwegian Jade and 99,526gt/2015 built Mein Schiff 4.

Amazon Queen

Cunard’s 90,049gt/2007 built Queen Victoria (above) became the largest passenger ship to sail the Amazon River. The ship made her maiden voyage through the ‘Meeting of the Waters’ on 25th January and became the largest passenger ship to sail these waters by sailing between the dark Rio Negro and the pale Amazon River in Manaus, Brazil. Manaus marked the sixth out of 32 ports on the Queen Victoria’s 41,000 nautical mile, 120-night World Voyage.

HAL & Princess Newbuilds

On 19th January Fincantieri announced that it had signed a memorandum of agreement with Carnival Corporation & plc for the construction of two new cruise ships of an overall value exceeding €1 billion. These ships will be built for Holland America Line (HAL) and Princess Cruises. The final contracts, subject to several conditions, including satisfactory shipowner financing, are expected to be executed in early 2017. HAL’s new ship will be built at Fincantieri’s yard in Marghera, with an expected delivery in 2021. She will be a 99,500gt and 2,660-guest ship and the third “Pinnacle” class vessel, after the Koningsdam, delivered in March 2016, and the Nieuw Statendam, scheduled for delivery in 2018, both from the same shipyard. The new Princess Cruises ship will be around 145,000gt, will carry 3,660 passengers, and will include the signature elements that have become synonymous with the Princess brand. She will be built in Monfalcone with an expected delivery in 2022, and will be the sixth Royal Class vessel, featuring the successful design platform used for the Royal Princess, delivered in 2013, the Regal Princess, delivered in 2014, and the Majestic Princess, scheduled for delivery at the end of March 2017, in addition to her two as yet unnamed sister ships under construction at Fincantieri and scheduled for delivery in 2019 and 2020.

Third Delivery For Viking

On 26th January the 47,842gt and 930 guest capacity Viking Sky (above) was delivered to Viking Cruises from Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy. On 25th February the Viking Sky set sail from Civitavecchia and will make her way through the Mediterranean on her maiden voyage. After sailing spring itineraries throughout the Western and Eastern Mediterranean, the Viking Sky will make her way to officially be christened under Norway’s “midnight sun” on 22nd June in Tromsø in recognition of Viking’s Norwegian heritage. Following the christening, the ship will continue her maiden season sailing itineraries in Scandinavia and the Baltic before crossing the Atlantic in September on her way to the Americas and the Caribbean. The fourth ship, Viking Sun, will be delivered in November. She is followed by the Viking Spirit in 2018 and an as-yet unnamed sixth sister in 2019. Viking Cruises has confirmed that the forthcoming Viking Spirit will operate a series of sailings in Australia during her inaugural season when she enters service in 2018/19. Prior to this, sister ship Viking Sun will call at Sydney during a world cruise on 10th Feb 2018 at White Bay. This year Viking Cruises celebrates 20 years of exploring inspiring destinations around the globe.

Revisions For NCL

Norwegian Cruise Line announced itinerary updates on 1st February for the 91,740gt/2001 built Norwegian Star and the 75,904gt/1998 built Norwegian Spirit (above). The Norwegian Star will now call at Kotor, Montenegro, on her seven-day Greek Isles Cruise from Venice, sailing regularly from 16th April 2017 to 23rd July and 6th August to 15th October 2017, and on her alternative route, a sevenday Adriatic and Greece cruise from Venice between April and October that will also feature calls to Split as a second new port. The Norwegian Spirit will depart on a new ten-day Eastern Mediterranean & Greek Isles from Rome (Civitavecchia) once a month from June to November 2017. The revised itineraries have been necessary due to ships not calling at Turkish ports owing to security concerns.

Norwegian Cruise Line was forced to revise the itinerary for its 16th January, 6th February, 18th February and 24th February Norwegian Star sailings from Sydney due to an engine failure off Inverloch, Australia on 10th February causing her to be adrift for a time. The ship had already been on restricted speed due to technical problems. Three tugs were sent to assist and towed her into Melbourne for repairs. A total of 6 ports of call were cancelled due to the issues. On 7th February NCL announced the addition of 25 more sailings to Cuba on the 71,104gt/1999 built Norwegian Sky, extending the cruise programme into December 2017. All 30 NCL sailings to Cuba will include an overnight call in the capital city of Havana. The Norwegian Sky will be the largest cruise ship sailing to Cuba when the first voyage departs in May 2017.

World Record

The World, the 43,188gt/2002 built private residential ship, has broken the record for the most southerly navigation reaching 78°43•997´S and 163°41•421´W at the Bay of Whales in Antarctica’s Ross Sea. The World (above) recorded this polar record at 1041 ship’s time (New Zealand time) on 28th January. The World was under the command of Captain Dag H. Saevik, carrying 145 Residents & Guests and 272 Crewmembers. The ship was undertaking a 22-day expedition of the Ross Sea, including 12 days in Antarctica assisted by EYOS Expeditions. This voyage of more than 5,000 nautical miles has taken The World to the most isolated area of the world. Few vessels have made the journey to this remote part of Antarctica. In February 2016, Heritage Expeditions’ 1,764gt/1982 built Polar Class Expedition Vessel the Akademik Shokalskiy reported reaching 78°43.971’S.

Crystal Passage

Following the astounding success of its first-ever Northwest Passage sailing in 2016, Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Serenity will again traverse the elusive waterway in August 2017. Aboard the vessel will be a comprehensive team of Arctic experts from Canada-based Arctic Kingdom, global leaders in Arctic travel, who will share their knowledge and passion for the region’s unique culture, wildlife and geography with guests onboard, as well as lead discovery expeditions ashore. The 32-day voyage departs Anchorage/Seward, Alaska for New York City on 15th August, and sails through some of the most spectacular, remote areas of the previously unpassable polar region. The 68,870gt/2003 built Crystal Serenity’s 2017 Northwest Passage Explorer will mark the final voyage for a classic Crystal ocean ship to sail through the Arctic region.

New Horizon For Europe

For the inaugural season of its newest ship, the 155,396gt Carnival Horizon (above), debuting in April 2018, Carnival Cruise Line has assembled a wide array of itineraries featuring destinations throughout the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy, the Carnival Horizon will offer many of the hugely popular indoor and outdoor dining, bar, entertainment and activity options that debuted on Carnival Vista, currently the line’s newest ship. Among those is a ground-breaking bike-ride-inthe- sky attraction called SkyRide, an IMAX Theatre and a massive WaterWorks aqua park featuring a water tube slide called Kaleid-oslide. A wide range of accommodations will also be offered, including spa cabins offering exclusive privileges at the luxurious Cloud 9 Spa, extra-roomy staterooms in Family Harbour, and tropical-inspired Havana staterooms and suites with exclusive daytime access to a Cuban-themed bar and pool. A variety of unique dining and bar concepts and spectacular outdoor spaces found only on Carnival Horizon will be offered and revealed in the near future. The ship is scheduled to make her maiden voyage on 2nd April 2018, with a 13-day Mediterranean voyage operating round-trip from Barcelona and calling at Livorno, Rome (Civitavecchia), and Naples (Capri and Pompeii), Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia, Corfu, Greece, Messina (Sicily), Valletta, Malta, and Cagliari (Sardinia), Italy – the first of four round-trip departures from this Spanish port. The ship will also operate two seven-day cruises departing 15th April and 22nd April 2018 plus a 10- day voyage departing 29th April 2018. The 14-day repositioning voyage from Barcelona to New York is scheduled for 9th May 2018. Upon arriving in New York, the Carnival Horizon will offer a summer schedule of eight-day Caribbean cruises plus a series of four-day Bermuda cruises prior to moving to Miami from 22nd September to kick off a year-round schedule of six and eight-day Caribbean cruises.

Makeover For Ecstacy

Carnival Cruises’ 70,526gt/1991 built Carnival Ecstasy has undergone a multi-million-dollar renovation that has added a variety of new dining and beverage innovations. The features were incorporated during a two-week dry dock that took place 10th-24th January 2017, in Freeport, The Bahamas. Following the refit, the ship returned to Charleston on 27th January to resume her year-round schedule of 4 to 10-day cruises. Alterations aboard include a new poolside Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, a complimentary poolside Mexican eatery, Alchemy Bar, a cocktail pharmacy-themed lounge with mixologists, Cherry On Top, which celebrates the joys of simple indulgences with bins of bulk candy, fun fanciful gifts and novelties, custom apparel and more. The new spaces complement the Carnival Ecstasy’s wide range of on-board features, including the poolside RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar, an extensive WaterWorks aqua park, a Serenity adults-only retreat, and a luxurious Spa Carnival health and wellness facility.

Carry Me Home

The 15,382gt/2013 built piggyback ship Rolldock Star was chartered to bring the stricken National Geographic Orion from Ushuaia back to Europe for repairs after encountering major main engine problems in December (above). The 3,984gt/2003 built and 103m long National Geographic Orion lost power from her main engine while returning from an Antarctic tour and had to return to port on an auxiliary turbine, at five knots across the Drake Passage, finally arriving in Ushuaia on 29th December. The engine damage was far more complicated than expected so a return to Europe was decided upon. Repairs were expected to be completed in April. Having loaded the cruise vessel at Ushuaia, the Rolldock Star later departed Rio de Janiero around 19th January bound for the Canary Islands and then The Netherlands. Linblad Expeditions-National Geographic announced in January that its newest addition to the fleet will be named National Geographic Venture. She is currently under construction in Seattle and will make her inaugural voyage in June 2018. A sister ship to the National Geographic Quest which is launching in June 2017, the 100-passenger capacity duo are the first newbuilds in Lindblad’s history and the only purpose-built expedition ships designed and built from scratch in the USA. The ‘Venture will undertake her inaugural voyage on 24th June 2018.

Swan Hellenic Sails On

On 1st February came the news that the pioneering adventure travel operator, G Adventures, had acquired the upscale cruising brand of Swan Hellenic, formerly part of the All Leisure Group, which went bankrupt just after Christmas. All Leisure was immediately forced to suspend sailings of both its Swan Hellenic and Voyages of Discovery brands. Now G Adventures is planning to relaunch Swan Hellenic in 2018 with provisional itineraries to be announced this coming summer. The new owners stress that the qualities of the brand will be maintained, focussed to the tastes of the loyal British clientele. The 12,892gt/1996 built Minerva has been returned to her owners, Artica Adventure & Cruise Shipping.

Ceremony With A Seaview

On 2nd February 2017 MSC Cruises and Fincantieri marked a key milestone in the building of the 154,000gt MSC Seaview with the celebratory coin ceremony, a maritime tradition (above). This was held at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard in Italy. The MSC Seaview is the third next-generation mega cruise ship that will come into service under MSC Cruises’ ten-year, €9 billion investment plan through 2026. The coin ceremony takes place when a ship’s keel is laid, at the early stages of its construction. Tradition dictates that two longstanding employees representing the shipyard and the ship owner act as godmothers for the ceremony, placing two coins under the new ship’s keel block as a sign of blessing and good fortune. The honour of performing this task fell to Michela Bullo, from Fincantieri and Loredana Giammusso, from MSC Cruises. Sistership MSC Seaside was floated out in November 2016, and will enter service from Miami in December 2017 and the MSC Seaview will follow likewise in June 2018. At 323m long the MSC Seaview will feature a maximum capacity of 5,179 guests.