Piano Bar News

Chinese cruise shipbuilding company CMHI Haimen yard carried out the keel laying ceremony for the 'Ocean Explorer'. This is the fourth ULSTEIN X-BOW design in the INFINITY class of expedition cruise vessels that the U.S. based shipowner SunStone Ships has contracted to CMHI.The 'Ocean Explorer' is based on the ULSTEIN CX103 design featuring the X-BOW® by Ulstein Design & Solutions.The INFINITY Class vessels are 104,4 m long and 18,4 m wide. They have a passenger capacity of 264, and a crew capacity of 99, small enough to give an exclusive atmosphere, large enough to yield all expected services and facilities, such as jacuzzi, bar and restaurant, boutique, open-air cinema, gym and spa.The flexible design of the INFINITY class series opens up to new possibilities for every new vessel.

Miami-based  SunStone Ships has declared option number two at CMHI shipyard after signing a long-term charter contract with Victory Cruise Line for the vessel, with a total of three newbuilds now under construction at the Chinese yard.A press release from the manager of passenger ships across the globe said that it  originally placed one firm contract and nine options on Ulstein deliveries of expedition cruise vessel designs and equipment packages back in 2017.All ten vessels are part of SunStone Ships’ series of vessels in the ‘INFINITY-class’. With the declaration of the next option, the CMHI (China Merchants Heavy Industry) yard in China will be constructing three expedition cruise vessels based on the Ulstein design.

SunStone Ships, Inc. announced it has finalized an agreement with shipbuilder China Merchants Industry Holdings Co. Ltd. to build a third Infinity class expedition cruise vessel, to be named Ocean Victory. The newbuild is scheduled to be delivered in March 2021.SunStone’s President & CEO, Niels-Erik Lund, commented, “We are pleased with the rapid adoption of the Infinity-class vessels. It seems our European design and technology, combined with lower overall operating costs ticks…

Shipbuilder MV WERFTEN has completed its first newbuild project, having today delivered Crystal Bach, the first of four new Rhine Class luxury river cruise vessels for Crystal River Cruises. Designed specifically for river cruising in Europe, the 135-meter-long and 11.4-meter-wide Crystal Bach will sail along the Rhine, Danube and Main Rivers through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, carrying up to 106 passengers in 55 large suites, all designed to be above the water line with horizontal sliding windows.

Tall ship sailing specialist Star Clippers has announced that it has started building a fourth ship to add to its fleet of graceful square-riggers; its first new-build since the launch of Royal Clipper in July 2000. The new vessel, yet to be named, will be the biggest and most ambitious project to date and will be launched in the second half of 2017, carrying 300 passengers, measuring 8,770 tons and powered by more than 6,350 square meters of sails. The new ship will technically be a five-masted, square-rigged barque.

MAVCO has been awarded the contract to design, supply and install a range of audio, video, lighting and effect systems in over twenty venues on board a third Crystal Cruises ship. Commissioned by ALSTOM Marine Chantiers de l’Antantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, MAVCO will be involved with the complete contract for local entertainment systems. Scheduled for delivery in late June 2003, the unnamed 68,000-ton vessel will see an increased number of Crystal Cruises’ most successful features, including more entertainment lounges, expanding on the best of Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony. The scope of the project ahead for MAVCO incorporates detailed system design, supply, installation and commissioning shared between the company’s offices in Miami and the U.K.

An agreement for the acquisition of a new unit has been defined today between Moby Spa and the Danish company DFDS, one of the leading European maritime operators. The ship, called “Prince of Scandinavia”, will be named Moby Drea and will operate on the Livorno-Olbia-Livorno itinerary. Moby Drea, that will join the 15 units of Moby fleet, will arrive in Italy mid December to undergo a complete technical and structural refit and will already start operating end of May 2004. With a speed of 24 knots, a capacity of 1.800 pax and 450 car places, it is equipped with 400 cabins, 300 seats, restaurant, self service, piano bar, cafeteria, pizzeria, pool, solarium and Happy Moby, an area equipped with maxi-screen, games and video-games specifically dedicated to children and teenagers.