Tillberg News

SunStone Ships has ordered a seventh cruise vessel in its INFINITY class. Designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions AS, these vessels were the first to introduce the patented X-BOW design in the cruise industry.“We have signed a new contract with the CMHI Haimen yard for the construction of a new X-BOW expedition cruise vessel of the ULSTEIN CX103 design,” said Lars Ståle Skoge, commercial director at Ulstein Design & Solutions.Although all the SunStone vessels in this class are designed on the same platform…

As the cruise industry rebounds from its COVID hiatus, more than 25 cruise lines, designers, outfitters and sustainable accreditation experts are scheduled to be sharing their expertise at this year’s Cruise Conversations Live, taking place at Cruise Ship Interiors Expo America June 7–8, 2022. Cruise Conversations Live’s official Conference Partner is Passenger Ship Interior & Refurbishment Review and the official sponsor is NEWH. The conference will give life to the conversations everyone is talking about in the cruise interiors industry…

Norwegian shipbuilding and design group VARD announced it has secured a contract to build the world's largest superyacht.At 33,500 GRT, with a length of 222 meters and a beam of 27 meters, the $600 million superyacht Somnio was unveiled Monday as the first ever residential "yacht liner", featuring 39 luxurious apartments for a select, secret group of ultra-wealthy travelers.Captain Erik Bredhe, co-founder of Somnio, is overseeing the project. He said, "Somnio, meaning 'to dream' in Latin…

Maritime leisure management company COLUMBIA blue – The Leisure Group said it has teamed up with cruise and yacht interior designer Tillberg Design of Sweden (TDoS) to work together on conceptualizing and building vessels from scratch.“The design skills of TDoS and the operational proficiency of COLUMBIA blue form a unique set of expertise, offering a seamless and complete project lifecycle of a vessel design – from the first lines on the sketch board, to the actual operations of the yacht or cruise vessel,” said Julia Siebert, COLUMBIA blue’s Vice President of Business Development.The partnership will make the creative process more efficient and cost-effective for clients…

Not long ago, at the start of 2020, the market for passenger vessel construction was booming, with record orders rolling in across the size spectrum, from small passenger vessels all the way up to the world’s largest mega cruise liners.But then passenger vessels of all types and sizes began to empty out as COVID-19 spread. A large number of ferries were taken out of service or left operating with drastically reduced ridership (or in some cases, none at all) while the cruise industry—a related but separate species—was brought to a virtual standstill.

The keel laying ceremony for the first of Swan Hellenic’s two new ice-class expedition cruise ships took place in Helsinki today. This saw the first 347-ton block of the ship – newly arrived from Klaipeda, where it had been outfitted and painted – being set on the keel over coins to bring good luck in accordance with ancient maritime custom.Swan Hellenic announced during the ceremony that the ship would be christened SH Minerva in honor of the company’s first purpose-built vessel, named after the Roman goddess of creativity and wisdom.

Tillberg Design of Sweden has been a central player in the six-year quest to envision, design, build and launch The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection brand. It has had a hand in all design aspects, from vessel exterior and interior, down to the service organization and the crew uniforms, as Fredrik Johansson, MA, Partner, Executive Project Director, explains.“Everything was designed from scratch with one thing in mind: the guest experience,” is how Fredrik Johansson neatly summarizes the quest to deliver the Ritz-Carleton brand to the water. The ship, when delivered from Hijos de J.

As privately owned, luxury yachts near the size of the average cruise ship, behold a new option, which is anything but commonplace: The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. At 624 feet and 11 decks, her exterior profile resembles a sleek superyacht design, not a cruise ship on the horizon. Launched in October 2018 at Hijos de J. Barreras Shipyard in Vigo, Spain, the flagship of the new brand is now in outfitting and interior finishing. The project was co-managed by The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Marriott and Tillberg Design of Sweden.

As the global cruise industry enjoys it most robust period of growth ever, the question invariably becomes: How long can it last?Cruising, which is a blend of the hospitality and maritime businesses, continues to grow at a historic pace. The Cruise Trends & Industry Outlook publication from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) projects a passenger count of 30 million in 2019 – up nearly 2 million from the previous year. By year end 2019 CLIA members – a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the largest brands – will have 272 vessels…

Designer Tomas Tillberg’s quest for freedom breaks down barriers and expands to China, where his team builds China’s first expedition cruise ships putting Antarctica - and the most remote, mysterious parts of the world - within reach.All for freedom. Freedom for all. Tomas Tillberg could be Harley Davidson’s new poster boy. As he views the open road from behind his handle bars, he’s filled with an amazing feeling of personal freedom.With formal training from Royal Academy of Arts in Stockholm, Tillberg’s artistry expresses his aspiration for independence.

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.

Talk of trade wars and politics aside, attention should be paid to a growing relationship between U.S.-based SunStone Ships, Inc. and Chinese shipyard China Merchants Heavy Industries in Haimen, China, as the pair is quietly growing a cruise shipbuilding business in China. Sunstone announced that on June 12, 2018, the keel was laid for the first Infinity Class vessel Greg Mortimer, the first in a series that could eventually total 10 high-spec expedition cruise vessels.Greg Mortimer…

China earns cruise newbuild business, aims for ship financeWhile China has steadily built shipbuilding market share, cruise ship construction –  more specifically mastering the logistical complexities inherent in cruise ship design, outfit and construction – has proved elusive. But it appears that Chinese shipbuilders have turned the corner, with contracts signed for the first cruise newbuilds. We were in Tianjin, China, earlier this year for the 4th Annual China Maritime Finance Forum for a look behind the covers of passenger vessel in China…

Last week in Tianjin, China, the Intercontinental Tianjinyujiapu Hotel & Residences played host to The 4th China Maritime Finance (DFTP) Summit, a two-day event which saw nearly 800 delegates from across China gather for discussions on all matters maritime finance, including day one, Wednesday, April 25, dedicated exclusively to the growth and future for China’s cruise industry. As the exclusive international media outside of China to cover the event, Maritime Reporter & Engineering…

Niels-Erik Lund began his passenger ship career in 1969 as a trainee in a Danish passenger shipping company, DFDS. In the nearly 50 years since, the passenger and cruise shipping industry has changed many times over, with consistent growth being the only similarity between then an now. Today Lund, President & CEO of Sunstone Ships, Inc., has an unfettered view of the expedition cruise sector that he helped to create. With the expedition and luxury cruise segments set for fast growth, Maritime Reporter spoke to Lund to help put the market in better perspective.

SunStone Ships, Inc. and China Merchants Industry Holdings Co., Ltd. (CMIH) have signed a framework agreement for the construction of four expedition vessels with options for an additional six vessels. The new vessels will be part of the SunStone Fleet and chartered to new and existing clients. CMIH has entered into an agreement with Ulstein Design & Solutions, who will supply the vessel’s design and equipment package, as well as the supervision for the building of the vessels.

MV WERFTEN signed a letter of intent with the engineering company Foreship in Stralsund today. The agreement includes parts of the basic design as well as design, purchasing and production assistance of the “Endeavor” class luxury expedition yachts. The 20,000 GT cruise vessels will be built at MV WERFTEN Stralsund, with production starting late 2017 and deliveries from spring 2019. “We are excited to build a series of the world's first purpose-built expedition yachts, with PC6 polar-class designation,” stated Jarmo Laakso, Managing Director of MV WERFTEN. “Our own staff at all sites and other subcontractors have already been fully involved in this project.

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (Nichols Boats), located in Freeland, Washington, recently signed an agreement with Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. to build two new 100 guest ships. The first vessel is scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2017, and the second vessel will be completed in the second quarter of 2018. These new vessels will provide the Lindblad Expeditions' guests with comfortable accommodations, flexible dining options and advanced technical equipment for presentations and discussions. The new vessels will also have storage for a fleet of sea kayaks, paddle boards, and specially designed landing craft - all of which are geared to get guests out and into the wild, remote places being explored.

Blue Star Line engages Tillberg Design of Sweden to provide architectural & design services for the interior of the 'Titanic II' project. Titanic II, a full scale version of the original ship, is being designed by the Finland-based Deltamarin and will be built by leading Chinese shipbuilders CSC Jinling Shipyard. The replica of the original RMS Titanic, is scheduled to sail from Southampton to New York on her maiden passenger voyage in 2016. Blue Star Line Pty Ltd Chairman Professor…

Cruise ship and passenger vessel design are unique in the maritime world, evolving with time and style, demanding efficient power and safety for these cities at sea. Tomas Tillberg of Tillberg Design International is a renowned “go to” source for perspective and insight in this regard. For those not familiar, can you kindly give an overview of how you found your way in to cruise and passenger vessel design? I grew up with design being discussed at home and helped in the office very early on, visiting clients together with my father and helping in other ways.

I must admit that exploring the historical nature of our business is one of my favorite endeavors, and this month we are pleased to continue our series of articles in celebration of our 75th anniversary. Patricia Keefe again graces our pages with her overview of the creation and fate of what is arguably the greatest if not most famous ship in the history of U.S. shipbuilding, the passenger liner SS United States. The SS United States is one of those ships that  has intricately interwoven itself into the culture of this industry…

Modern cruise ships can cost upwards of a billion and built to last more than 25 years, so the platforms must be built for change, as evolving style & taste, material innovation & maritime regulation dictate. “Built to stand the test of time” is the mantra, so in seeking insight on modern cruise design we sought insights from a designer that also has stood the test of time, Tomas Tillberg of Tillberg Design International. Mr. Tillberg, as a long-tenured and well-respected member of the Cruise Ship design community…

Cruise Shipping Miami 2015 is gearing up to offer the most comprehensive and robust roster of panel discussions featuring the industry's most knowledgeable and experienced executives. The panels will be grouped under several broad themes based on industry trends during the four-day conference. The 31st edition of Cruise Shipping Miami is scheduled for March 16-19 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Organized by UBM Connect, thematic topics include The Geography of Cruise Tourism, Safety and Ship Operations, Market Segments and Cruise Product Development. On Tuesday morning, March 17, the conference will open with the popular State of the Industry session. Participants in that plenary session will be announced in the coming weeks. This program may be subject to alterations and additions.