Cruise Giant News

Hurtigruten Expeditions said it will be the first cruise line to implement SpaceX’s broadband service Starlink across its entire fleet.The expedition cruise line and its long-time connectivity partner Speedcast began testing and integration of Starlink terminals on board the operator's fleet of small-size expedition cruise ships in March. Installation will be complete by end of October, making Hurtigruten Expeditions the first cruise line to introduce the high-speed, low-latency connectivity across its entire fleet…

Royal Caribbean Group this week revealed it will be the industry's first cruise ship operator to implement SpaceX’s Starlink for onboard broadband internet service for guests and crew fleetwide.The cruise giant said on Tuesday it will immediately begin installing Starlink high-speed, low-latency connectivity on all Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships, along with all new vessels for each of its brands going forward. Initial installations…

German cruise operator AIDA Cruises, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, has for the first time started to use biofuels in regular ship operations as part of its CO2 emissions reduction efforts.On July 21, 2022, during its layover in Rotterdam, AIDAprima became the first larger scale cruise ship to be bunkered with a blend of marine biofuel from Dutch supplier GoodFuels made from 100% sustainable raw materials such as waste cooking oil, and marine gas oil (MGO).

Cruise giant Royal Caribbean Group said it has completed the sale of its Azamara brand to private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $201 million in cash. The sale, which was announced earlier this year, includes Azamara’s three-ship fleet and associated intellectual property.Miami-based Royal Caribbean said the the deal allows it to focus on expanding its core brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises as it continues to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 cruise pause.“This creates huge opportunities for all parties,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “In fact, as we are inking this deal today, Azamara already has added a fourth ship to their fleet.

In the past few weeks, Manila Bay in the Philippines has been transformed into the world’s biggest parking lot for cruise ships, none of which have any guests.More than 20 vessels collectively weighing about 2 million tonnes are clustered off the coast of the capital, awaiting coronavirus clearance for more than 5,300 Philippine staff to return home from abandoned cruises, with no guarantee of a job at sea again.More ships are set to join the flotilla, says the coast guard, which has been shuttling between ships to administer 4,991 virus tests for crew quarantined for the 14 days mandatory for repatriates. No suspected cases have been reported.Crew told Reuters they were bored…

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…

MSC Cruises has moved to increase its order of megaships from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to two ships, with an option for third. At a cost of AUD $3.2 billion, this investment signifies a confidence that the cruise holiday industry will only continue to strengthen. The Italian-Swiss shipping company currently operates 12 cruise liners, running numerous different sea routes simultaneously. The two new ships, currently nicknamed Project Seaside I and Project Seaside II, from Fincantieri are larger in terms of gross tonnage than any of the company's current liners.

STX Finland is now lobbying the Finnish government on behalf of Royal Caribbean in a bid to get contract for third 'Oasis-class' cruise ship. A loan would help facilitate a deal to avoid Royal Caribbean building its third Oasis-class cruise ship in Germany or France. The state owned financing firm, Finnvera, has reached an impasse with Royal Caribbean to securing a loan to allow the proposed ship to be built. STX is concerned that if a deal is not reached soon between Royal Caribbean and Finnvera, the cruise giant may look to shipyards in Germany or France as alternatives.

Maersk, NOAA, SUNY Maritime College and the American Salvage Association winners of NAMEPA’s Marine Environment Protection Awards; 5th Anniversary Awards dinner on November 14th follows Environmental Intelligence in Maritime Conference. Clay Maitland, Founding Chairman of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), announced the recipients of NAMEPA’s 2012 Marine Environment Protection Awards. Maersk is the winner of the Corporate Award; NOAA for the Government Agency category…

Experts state in a leaked pre-trial report that the cruise giant failed to act in 'Costa Concordia' accident. Europe’s biggest cruise operator Costa Crociere may have failed to act promptly in the Costa Concordia disaster, according to a pre-trial report that still heaped much of the blame on the ship’s captain. The report, which was leaked in the Italian press on Thursday, was commissioned by the judge investigating the tragedy which claimed 32 lives when the giant ship with 4,229 people on board hit rocks on January 13, 2012, reports the 'South China Morning Post' via Agence France-Presse in Rome. Nine people are under investigation for the shipwreck off the island of Giglio, including captain Francesco Schettino and three Costa executives.

The GL-certified Undercover sprinkler system was designed by Minimax for the M/S Scenic Emerald, the largest freshwater cruiser on the river Elbe. At 442 ft long and 37.5 ft wide, this new cruise giant from Saxony-Anhalt’s Tangermünde Ship Building and Developing Company (SET) offers 20 percent more room than average cruisers. The four extensive decks are home to 86 luxury suites, a restaurant, a lounge and bar area and spacious viewing areas. Modified GL and SUK regulations now also require fire protection for German river boats.

Shares in shipping operator Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. moved to full speed ahead March 23, tracking a recovery course by U.S. cruise giant Carnival Corp., analysts said. P&O shares, which slid from $16.47 at the beginning of the year to touch a low of 586 pence on March 17, were among the strongest performers in the FTSE 100, up 48-1/2 pence or eight percent at 648p.. More than 3.2 million shares traded by this time. P&O shares have underperformed the FTSE 100 index by as much as 38 percent on the year, but that pales to insignificance when placed alongside Carnival's share slump. The world's largest cruise operator is down 50 percent against the S&P 500 index on the year, having sunk to an 18-month low of $21-3/16 on March 17.

Shares in Norwegian cruise operator NCL Holding ASA fell six percent early Wednesday after Singapore's Star Cruises bought a 20.6 percent stake but said it did not plan to bid for the entire company. NCL, which is currently the target of a hostile takeover from U.S. cruise giant Carnival Corp., said it had asked to meet Star to discuss possible options.

Cunard Line says it has five bids from European shipyards to build the Queen Mary 2, a rare new transatlantic liner that will rank with the world's largest passenger ships upon its completion in 2003. "Some yards are quoting bids in euros, some in D-marks, some in pound sterling," Cunard Line President Larry Pimentel said. Pimentel declined to identify the shipyards in a brief interview after a news conference aboard Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 but said all bidders were based in Europe. He also declined to provide details of the bids or finances for the planned Queen Mary 2, a successor with a "wedding cake" profile to the Queen Mary, built in 1936 for Cunard-White Star Line. The company announced plans to build the Queen Mary 2 in November.

Shares in Norwegian cruise operator NCL Holding ASA fell six percent early last Wednesday after Singapore's Star Cruises bought a 20.6 percent stake but said it did not plan to bid for the entire company. NCL, which is currently the target of a hostile takeover from U.S. cruise giant Carnival Corp., said it had asked to meet Star to discuss possible options. "NCL has asked for a meeting with Star to map out what options the acquisition holds, compared with other possibilities the company is working on," NCL said. Star and related companies have now bought 51.4 million NCL shares, corresponding to 20.6 percent of the share capital. Star said that it had no intention at present to make any offer for NCL to counter the hostile bid from Carnival Corp.

Cunard Line says it has five bids from European shipyards to build the Queen Mary 2, a rare new transatlantic liner that will rank with the world's largest passenger ships upon its completion in 2003. Cunard’s president Larry Pimentel was quoted as saying the a letter of intent should be forthcoming in the next few weeks, or month. All of the shipyards bidding are reportedly based in Europe. The original Queen Mary, built in a British shipyard, is now a floating hotel in southern California. Pimentel said at the news conference the Queen Mary 2 would carry 2,500 passengers, would be extremely long and built along sleek lines to speed voyages across the northern Atlantic.

Holland America Line, owned by cruise giant Carnival Corp., ordered two $400 million ships from Italian shipyard Fincantieri Cantieri Navali S.p.A. for delivery in 2003 and 2004, the company said. Holland America said the 84,000-ton, 1,800-passenger ships will feature exterior elevators and will be built at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard. Each will and measure 951 ft. (289.9 m) in length. Based in Seattle, Holland America said the two would be the third and fourth of a new series of vessels for the line. The company has options with Fincantieri for one more 84,000-ton sister ship.

Shares in shipping operator Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. moved to full speed ahead on Thursday, tracking a recovery course by U.S. cruise giant Carnival Corp., analysts said. P&O shares have underperformed the FTSE 100 index by as much as 38 percent on the year, but that pales to insignificance when placed alongside Carnival's share slump. The world's largest cruise operator is down 50 percent against the S&P 500 index on the year, having sunk to an 18-month low of $21-3/16 on March 17. The company set sail in 2000 valued at over $46. However, Carnival shares have rallied from the deep over the last three sessions to post an overnight close in New York of $24-3/16. P&O shares have charted a similar course.