Carnival Developments

Carnival Cruise Line announced on 17th October that it had signed an agreement with landlord Urban Commons and the City of Long Beach, California, to expand the Long Beach Cruise Terminal facility to accommodate larger ships in the future and enhance its terminal operations. The deal will nearly triple the size of Carnival’s current terminal facility. Carnival has operated the Long Beach Cruise Terminal since 2003 using a partial area of the Geodesic Dome that was the former museum housing Howard Hughes’ “Spruce Goose” attraction. The agreement gives Carnival 100% use of the Dome, allowing for larger ships and providing additional space needed to accommodate two-way operations, enabling embarking guests to access the terminal prior to completion of disembarkation. Construction is scheduled for completion in late 2017. During the construction period, measures will be taken to ensure a continued smooth operational flow and high standard of customer service for cruise guests.

Carnival is also to expand capacity in two key markets with the 85,942gt/2004 built Carnival Miracle (above) operating seven-day Caribbean cruises from Tampa (joining the Carnival Paradise there) and the 113,562gt/2008 built Carnival Splendor offering week-long Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, California beginning on 27th January 2018. Prior to launching these services from their new homeports, both ships will offer extended Panama Canal cruises in January 2018.

The Carnival Splendor (above) is said to become the first Carnival ship to transit the newly opened Panama Canal lock system. To celebrate the U.S. arrival of its newest, largest and most innovative ship, Carnival Cruise Line held an overnight gala event on 4th November in New York featuring a concert for Operation Homefront military families by the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year and seven-time GRAMMY award-winning country music superstar Carrie Underwood. The event also included the ship’s official naming ceremony with Miss USA, Deshauna Barber, the first woman serving in the U.S. military to hold the title, presiding over the ceremonies as godmother and releasing the ceremonial bottle of champagne that smashed over the hull of the 133,596gt ship. As the line’s newest ship, the Carnival Vista introduced a number of ground breaking innovations including the first brewery on a North American-based cruise ship, the first IMAX Theatre at sea, the most elaborate water park in the fleet highlighted by the Kaleid-o-slide, a bike-ride-in-the-sky aerial attraction called SkyRide, and the new Family Harbour with specially designed staterooms for families, a family concierge and more. The ship operated two 11-day itineraries from New York before launching year-round six and eight-day Caribbean cruises from Miami as from 27th November. Carnival Cruise Line has also unveiled its 2018 Australia cruising programme and this will see the 85,920gt/2001 built Carnival Spirit continue to be based in Sydney full time in 2018. The company decided the ship will no longer spend the northern summer in China, as announced earlier in 2016, but will instead return to Australia immediately after her scheduled dry dock in Singapore in May 2018.

Virgin Rebrand

Virgin Voyages (formerly Virgin Cruises) has finalised its order for three cruise ships from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, and has also agreed to be the first cruise line to adopt clean energy system, Climeon Ocean. The news of the company’s rebranding and ship order was revealed by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Voyages’ president and CEO Tom McAlpin at an event in Miami on 18th October. Virgin Voyages, backed by lead investors Bain Capital Private Equity and Virgin Group, expects the multi-billion- dollar financing package for the purchase of its three ships to be finalised shortly. The lead lending partners will be Cassa depositi e prestiti (Cdp) and UniCredit, and the loan will be fully backed by Italian export credit agency SACE and supported by SIMEST.

Fincantieri will cut the steel for the first ship in early 2017 and lay the keel in Genoa, Italy in the fourth quarter of 2017. Virgin Voyages’ first 2,700 guest/1,150 crewmember capacity ship will arrive at Port Miami in 2020 and will offer a range of Caribbean itineraries. The new cruise operator is also the first major cruise line to partner with Climeon. This partnership will enable the line to install Climeon Ocean, a system that will transform low-grade energy into clean electricity, on all three ships. The resulting environmental impact will be an estimated 5,400 tons of carbon dioxide savings annually per ship. Keen to adopt a different approach, Virgin Voyages prefers to describe its guests as “sailors.”

For more information, see www.virginvoyages.com

Cruising Icons

On 11th October Royal Caribbean Cruises announced an order for two new ships that will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and introduce the use of fuel cell technology. The ships will join the fleet of Royal Caribbean International and a memorandum of understanding has been signed with shipbuilder Meyer Turku for the new class of vessel under the project name Icon. These Icon Class vessels will be delivered in the second quarters of 2022 and 2024. The company also said it will begin testing fuel cell technology on an existing Oasis-class ship in 2017, and will also run progressively larger fuel cell projects on new Quantum-class vessels being built in the coming years.

The 200,000gt ships will accommodate 5,000 passengers and the project technology will “take the smoke out of the smokestacks.” The Icon Class will build on the ground breaking successes of the Oasis, Solstice, Quantum, and Mein Schiff class of newbuilds. With the new orders, Meyer Turku shipyard will increase its output until 2024 substantially beyond the Turku yard’s all-time-high work load during Oasis/Allure times in 2007-2009. These new orders provide an unprecedented level of stability and allow for a smooth production increase. The eight year-long horizon creates a unique opportunity for Turku shipyard and the entire Finnish maritime cluster to invest and develop their capabilities with a long-term strategy and achieve new leaps in technology.

Meyer Turku has so far announced €75 million of investments in the yard and further investments are on the drawing board. Royal Caribbean Cruises’ adjusted net income has increased to $690.9 million in the third quarter of 2016 from $628.1 million in the same period in 2015. Being “better than expectations,” the figure is driven by strong yields and positive movements in currency and fuel during that quarter. Last year’s figure included an impairment charge related to Pullmantur. Looking ahead to 2017, the company said that its booked position is better than the same time last year on both volume and rate, supporting Royal Caribbean’s trajectory to the Double-Double. New ships including Harmony of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas, are seeing strong trends, supporting a solid outlook for 2017. In November Royal Caribbean announced that Harri Kulovaara, Executive Vice President of Maritime & Newbuild for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is this year’s recipient of the Elmer A. Sperry Award. This prestigious engineering award recognises Harri’s outstanding contributions to the art of transportation. It is presented jointly by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, SAE International, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Cruising Bliss

Norwegian Cruise Line announced on 14th October that it will once again pioneer a new era of Alaska cruising from June 2018 with its next new vessel, the Norwegian Bliss, which will be the first cruise ship custom-built for the ultimate Alaska cruise experience. The Norwegian Bliss will cruise to Alaska from Seattle. At a ceremony held at Port of Seattle’s Pier 66, NCL President and CEO Andy Stuart

shared the news, alongside Port of Seattle CEO Ted Fick and Port of Seattle Commission President John Creighton. The 167,800gt and 4,000 guest capacity Norwegian Bliss is the third ship in the line’s Breakaway Plus-Class. She will be constructed at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany and is scheduled for delivery in spring 2018. Continuing NCL’s tradition of decorating each ship’s hull with signature art, the company also announced that the world’s premier marine life artist, Wyland, had been commissioned to design the hull artwork for the Norwegian Bliss. Known for his iconic whale murals, marine life paintings and sculptures, Wyland has inspired generations. The artwork was revealed on 28th October, entitled “Cruising with the Whales,” the engaging and beautiful art prominently features an image of a mother humpback whale and her calf as the centrepiece of the design, signifying the beauty of Alaska and the importance of conservation. In connection with the new ship, NCL’s parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has entered into a ground breaking 15-year agreement with the Port of Seattle to collectively invest $30 million to upgrade the Pier 66 facilities. Including an expansion of guest check-in space by 300%, a new VIP lounge with expansive views of Elliott Bay and the addition of two new elevated passenger boarding gangways to provide easy and comfortable passenger boarding, the new amenities will provide guests with the perfect send-off to start their Alaskan adventure. NCL & Meyer Werft executives gathered at Meyer Werft’s Laser Centre in Papenburg, Germany on 28th October to mark the ceremonial start of construction of the Norwegian Bliss, the twelfth NCL ship built by the shipyard. The first steel was cut by a plasma torch in the yard’s state-of-the-art facility and will become part of the first of 81 blocks that will comprise the new vessel.

Harmonious Rendezvous

On 4th November the trio of Oasis-class ships, the 225,282gt/2009 built Oasis of the Seas, 225,282gt/2010 built Allure of the Seas and new 226,963gt Harmony of the Seas, greeted each other at sea for the first and possibly only time. The three record-breaking sisters came together to celebrate the U.S. arrival of the Harmony of the Seas on the eve of the latter’s debut at her new permanent homeport of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. On 7th November the ship departed on her maiden voyage from the U.S.A and she will offer seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. The company chose Brittany Affolter as the Harmony of the Seas’ godmother. On 10th November she broke a bottle to officially name the ship. The cruise line received nearly one thousand applicants for its search to find an educator “who is inspiring South Florida’s next generation to dream big, think differently and challenge the status quo”. The ship’s godmother works in Teacher Leadership Development for Teach For America Miami-Dade, which supports at-risk and low income students, along with tutoring children, working to become a mentor for children in foster care and completing her masters in educational leadership.

Expedition Cruising Damen Style

Damen Shipyards Group has unveiled its Expedition Cruise Vessel design. The result of a partnership unique in the industry, the vessel type is said to benefit from unparalleled collective experience. With Damen taking the lead, the design also draws on the skills and expertise of two additional parties: Expedition Voyage Consultants Ltd. and the Danish Naval Architect firm, Knud E. Hansen.

The Damen Expedition Cruise Vessel has been designed for expedition operations in both remote polar and tropical regions. The vessel’s Polar Class 6 compliance and 30 days autonomous cruising capability ensure that she is globally capable and able to tackle challenging, far-reaching itineraries.

A core philosophy of the design was to connect its passengers to the pristine environments in which the vessel will sail. Whether sailing adjacent to remote Pacific atolls or sliding past towering Antarctic icebergs, passengers will take in the views on multiple viewing platforms that extend over the side or past the bow, providing the most spectacular vantage point of any expedition ship. Perched on the ship’s mast, a specially developed crow’s nest will aide visibility during ice navigation as well as give passengers a panoramic view over the surrounding landscape. With approximately 1,100m2 of public areas and 2,500m2 of outside deck, there will be sufficient space for 115 passengers and a large 200+ passenger capacity design will be developed next. For the propulsion system, Damen has selected a diesel-mechanical hybrid configuration. More specifically, this will encompass IMO Tier III compliant (EPA tier 4 equivalent) medium speed engines. A PTI-PTO variable frequency drive will also be included, thus enabling efficient load distribution on the engines. Designed to be ‘battery ready’, the 16 knot (18 knot maximum) vessel could be equipped with an energy storage battery system capable of various functions such as peak-shaving, provision of supplementary power for manoeuvring or silent sailing operations and auxiliary generator UPS.

Makeover For P&O Classic

On 26th October P&O Cruises released further information concerning the 3-week refit for the 69,840gt/1995 built Oriana at the end of November. The refit takes into consideration guest feedback on all aspects of the ship, from the public spaces and bars to the cabins and bathrooms. Public areas and cabins will be rejuvenated with a range of subtle upgrades that will have a big impact without losing any of the ship’s unique charm. P&O Cruises is collaborating with design firm Richmond International, which worked on the decor for flagship Britannia, to provide a modern yet classic look and feel throughout. Highlights include:-

Cabins and suites – replacing soft furnishings, repairing and replacing furniture, upgrading bathrooms and carrying out maintenance work on balconies.

The Peninsular and Oriental Restaurants – a brand new colour scheme, replacing carpets and chairs.

The Spa – the sauna, steam-room, whirlpool and changing areas will be upgraded with new tiling, modern furniture and contemporary equipment. There will also be relaxing heated loungers, soothing natural décor and a living plant wall and the Theatre Royal where new sound and lighting equipment as well as re-upholstered seating will be installed. Other areas being refurbished include The Conservatory, Lord’s Tavern, Riviera Bar, Loyalty & Future Cruise Deck, the gym, Anderson’s and all public areas across the entire ship. Following the refurbishment at Blohm+Voss, the Oriana will embark upon on a two-night short round trip celebration cruise to Zeebrugge from Southampton departing 16th December, followed by a 17-night Canary Islands cruise from Southampton departing 18th December 2016.

P&O Newbuild Highlights

On 26th October further details were given relating to the 2020 newbuild announced previously. The ship will feature a major new entertainment hub called The Dome. Featuring an impressive clear sky dome, a pool with a retractable stage, water feature and whirlpools, The Dome will act as an all-weather venue for all day entertainment and informal dining. By night The Dome, one of four primary entertainment spaces on the new 180,000gt ship, will come alive with aerial performances, projection onto the roof and immersive shows. An uninterrupted half-mile Promenade around the ship on Deck 8 will provide easy access to al fresco dining at a range of restaurants and relaxation areas under shaded pavilion awnings. Glass walls spanning three decks will flow natural light into P&O Cruises’ signature Atrium, the focal point of the 5,200-guest ship, complete with a grand staircase, gallery and overhead walkways. Cutting-edge designers and architects will work on creating the next generation ship, the first new-build in five years when she enters service in early summer 2020. Initial concepts for differentiated cabins will be created by Acumen (London), a contemporary design practice behind British Airways’ first-ever lie-flat beds, Air France first class and The Residence, Etihad Airways’ opulent three-room suites in the sky. The ship will be the most environmentally efficient in P&O Cruises history with “green cruising” design using LNG to generate the primary source of power both in port and on the open sea. This will significantly reduce exhaust emissions to help protect the environment in support of the company’s sustainability goals.

As expected, guests will be spoilt for choice for dining, entertainment, socialising and relaxation options as follows: 17 places to eat, 7 speciality restaurants, 12 places to enjoy a drink and see the sea, 13 entertainment venues from the theatre to adult only venues, 3 pop-up entertainment spaces/venues, 16 whirlpools, 4 swimming pools (three outside, one inside), 9 places to have breakfast, 5 places to enjoy afternoon tea, and 7 places to have coffee.

Silver Service

Silversea Cruises, the world’s leading luxury cruise line, announced details on 21st October of its industry-defining culinary experience aboard the new 40,700gt flagship Silver Muse, due to enter service in April 2017. With six months to go before the ship’s christening in Monaco, Silversea released details about the eight restaurants on board, underlining the fact that its flagship will boast more dining options than any other ultra-luxury cruise ship, offering an unrivalled selection for guests.

Silversea’s exclusive partnership with Relais & Châteaux continues on board Silver Muse in the form La Dame, a refined and elegant French restaurant. Showcasing the distinct flavours of contemporary Asia at Kabuki and Indochine, the Kabuki restaurant honours traditional Japanese culture while Indochine delivers a journey for each and every one of the senses. The newly announced music venue Silver Note will present an intimate, elegant setting with exceptional acoustics playing tribute to the iconic jazz clubs of Manhattan. The finest musicians will perform while exquisite tapas-styled dishes deliver sensory delight. Hot Rocks will offer one of the most creative restaurant concepts on board Silver Muse. A proven favourite amongst Silversea Venetian Society members, guests are invited to make their own selection from the finest meat, fish and vegetables on offer, and invited to cook for themselves, at their table, on top of the 400-Degree-Celsius lava stone. La Terrazza is the hallmark of Silversea dining. Drawing inspiration from Silversea’s distinctive Italian heritage, this traditional restaurant uses the freshest ingredients to recreate the finest Italian cuisine. Whether enjoyed al fresco or in the ocean-view restaurant, guests can make the most of the interactive food stations, an olive oil cellar, mozzarella bar, seafood station and salumeria. Italian-themed restaurant, Regina Margherita, will be open throughout the day serving relaxed Italian favourites.

Facelift For Fred. Favourite

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines announced on 24th October that the 28,613gt/1972 built and 804 passenger capacity Black Watch was to undergo a multi-million Pound refurbishment at Hamburg’s Blohm + Voss shipyard in November 2016. The ship underwent various engineering works, general maintenance and refurbishment during the dry dock, as well as the creation of several new public areas and guest facilities. The Black Watch departed from London Tilbury for Hamburg on 18th November 2016, following a seven-night European Cities & Waterways cruise. Work began on the 26-day project at Blohm+Voss on 20th November 2016. As well as the usual maritime inspections and maintenance work, the company carried out major upgrades to the cabins and public areas throughout the ship. A key focus of the refurbishment was the 423 cabins across the ship, on Marquee Deck 9, Bridge Deck 8, Lido Deck 7, Main Deck 5, Atlantic Deck 4, and Marina Deck 3. A new interactive in-cabin TV system was installed across the ship, equipped with all the latest features and connectivity. Bathrooms were also refurbished, and all cabins now feature safes and mini-bars, as standard. During the work the Garden Café, on Lounge Deck 6, was converted into a new restaurant, to be called Brigadoon, in keeping with Fred. Olsen’s Scottish connections. The new restaurant features modern new décor and will offer a stylish, intimate dining experience, for up to 54 guests. The Braemar Courtyard, on Lounge Deck 6, was converted into a separate speciality dining area called The Black Watch Room, offering an à la carte dining experience, with seating for up to 46 guests. A new dedicated Galley will be created to service this new dining facility. The existing Grill restaurant, situated on Lounge Deck 6 aft, by the main pool area, has been rebranded and redesigned, to offer a new Mediterranean-themed dining experience.

The Black Watch’s main 340-guest restaurant, The Glentanar, on Lounge Deck 6, will undergo extensive refurbishment, with a spacious new layout and new look including new furniture, carpet and curtains. Considerable attention has also been given to the various bar areas with the Observatory Lounge, on Marquee Deck 9, receiving a refresh to the décor and fittings whilst the Lido Lounge, on Lido Deck 7, benefitted from an extensive overhaul, with new furniture, fabrics and carpets being fitted throughout, plus a full-width sliding door to the aft. The Morning Light Pub has been moved to the area previously occupied by the Braemar Lounge, on Lounge Deck 6, replacing that Pub next to the Neptune Show Lounge. New furniture and fabrics are a key feature of the larger, more spacious Pub, along with a new bar. The area vacated by the Morning Light Pub has been renamed the Neptune Bar. The Marina Cinema on Marina Deck 3 was upgraded with the latest ‘3D’ technology, enabling the Black Watch team to show 3D films and other programmes. The Guest Services area on Main Deck 5 has also been revamped. Similar refurbishments and upgrades are expected to the rest of the Fred. Olsen fleet in the coming years. Following the dry docking, the ship recommenced her cruise season from London Tilbury with a sevennight German & Danish Christmas Markets cruise, departing on 15th December 2016.

Veteran Returns Home

A crowd of 2000 people waited at Leirvik on the night of 3rd November to welcome the return of the 1,105gt/1943 built Sunnhordland after over 40 years operating in Finland as the small cruise vessel Brahe. The Sunnhordland was originally built as an anti-submarine corvette and an escort vessel for the U.S Navy in Chicago in 1943. She was stationed in Gibraltar and sailed under the British flag for the Royal Navy until the end of World War 2. In 1974 the Sunnhordland was sold to Finland and she sailed between the Finnish lakes and Russia as the Brahe. In 2015 some enthusiasts/supporters of the ship in Stord heard that the Sunnhordland was to be sold and they succeeded in buying her. A refit in Tallinn followed and she was reunited with her original name.

See www.mssunnhordland.no

Dream Delivery

Dream Cruises’ 150,695gt Genting Dream was delivered by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft to the Asian cruise operator in Bremerhaven on 12th October. After being handed over, the 335m long Genting Dream (above) departed for Pacific Asia where she will offer cruises for two, five and seven nights and entered service on 13th November. The Genting Dream is the first of two cruise vessels being built for Dream Cruises, a part of Genting Hong Kong. The sister ship, the World Dream, is scheduled for delivery in late 2017. Dream Cruises later confirmed revised itineraries for the Genting Dream as she will now put a greater focus on Hong Kong as a homeport, with a twonight Friday to Sunday weekend sailing turning around at Kai Tak, with a day at sea. There is also a six-day voyage calling in Vietnam, sailing from Hong Kong, and a six-day cruise from China’s Nansha (Guangzhou) also calling in Vietnam. The ship is being based at both Nansha (Guangzhou) and Hong Kong, with a greater emphasis on the latter. Both six-day itineraries depart on a Sunday and return on a Friday. On both days, the ship will jointly call at both Hong Kong and Nansha (Guangzhou). The naming ceremony took place on 13th November when Genting Dream’s official Godmother, Puan Sri Cecilia Lim, the wife of Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genting Hong Kong, christened its maiden luxury cruise ship before 900 guests, including an assembly of prominent officials from the Chinese government as well as top executives from trade and industry. The Genting Dream’s arrival also marked the first time a luxury cruise ship of this scale has home-ported in Guangzhou (Nansha). That evening the ship departed on her maiden journey to Vietnam with “I love Guangzhou” emblazoned across her decks in a kaleidoscopic display of her state-of-the-art LED lighting system.

When The Worlds Of Sea & River Cruising Meet

The 482 mile long River Seine is one of the most famous rivers in the world, primarily because it flows through the city of Paris. River Cruising through Europe has been immensely popular for many years but there is a steady increase in sea-going cruise ship itineraries visiting navigable rivers along Europe’s coastline. The Seine is one such river with cruise ships of a suitable size able to  navigate their way to the historic capital of Normandy, Rouen. Here ships up to 240m in length can berth near the city centre. The course of the river from the open sea to Rouen is extremely scenic, takes 7- 8 hours and the impressive Pont de Normandie and Tancarville cable-stayed/suspension bridges are sailed beneath. In 2016 there were around 10 scheduled deep sea cruise calls to Rouen and, so far, 28 are listed for 2017, 12 of which are listed as Fred. Olsen ships, namely the Braemar, Black Watch and Balmoral. In the estuary of the River Seine is the picturesque and historic fishing port of Honfleur. This location boasts a modest cruise terminal on the River Seine, within walking distance of the old town and seaward of the Pont de Normandie, plus inland waterway berths for the River Cruise vessels from Paris. In 2016 there were 43 cruise calls scheduled for Honfleur with 31 booked for 2017 as of November 2016. Fred. Olsen Cruises vessels are some of the most frequent callers to Honfleur as well as Rouen with visits to the latter combining the best of the worlds of sea and river cruising.

An itinerary example for 2017 is a three-night ‘River Seine Sojourn’ cruise on board the Black Watch, departing from Southampton on 21st April 2017. After traversing the Seine River, the ship arrives in Rouen for an overnight stay, before returning to Southampton on 24th April. See www.fredolsencruises.com for details. Other companies to visit these River Seine ports in 2017 include CMV, Swan Hellenic and Saga Cruises. The Brittany Ferries New Year cruise from Portsmouth again visits Rouen on 30th December 2016.