Genting Hong Kong appointed travel industry veteran Tom Wolber as President and CEO of Crystal Cruises, effective September 15. Wolber brings to the role over three decades of experience in general management, operations, newbuild construction and business development. He joins Crystal most recently from the Walt Disney Company where he served in various executive roles for 28 years, 10 of which were with Disney Cruise Line where he served as Senior Vice President of Operations. Wolber helped transform Disney Cruise Line into a global cruise line.

A steel cutting ceremony was held at Meyer Turku shipyard, Finland for the first of two Costa Cruises ships to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The ship will sail in October 2019 with a sister ship following in 2021. Costa Cruises’ president, Neil Palomba, announced today that newbuild NB-1394 will be named Costa Smeralda, and added, “The two new Costa Cruises ships are a true innovation and set new standards for the entire sector. Meyer Turku CEO, Jan Meyer, said, “In the last two years…

Just a few weeks after delivery of the Crystal Bach, shipbuilder MV WERFTEN has handed over the Crystal Mahler, the second of four Rhine Class ships for client Crystal River Cruises. After the ceremonial change of flags, the ship was christened at the outfitting quay of MV WERFTEN in Wismar. Like its sister vessel, the 135-metre long and 11.4-metre wide river cruise ship was specifically designed for exploring Europe’s rivers. It complies with the highest safety and navigation standards…

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has laid the keel for AIDAnova, set to become the first cruise ship worldwide that will operate both at sea and in port fueled with liquefied natural gas (LNG). With AIDAnova’s first building block lowered into place on September 6, 2017, Carnival Corporation & plc officially marked the start of construction of seven fully LNG powered cruise ships due to be commissioned between 2018 and 2022 for four of its 10 cruise ship brands. The seven vessels for Carnival Cruise Lines…

The Cruise Lines International Association, has released the findings from two new reports about the Asian Cruise market. The first, 2017 Asia Cruise Trends, is a comprehensive analysis of the cruise industry within Asia. The second, the 2016 North Asia Economic Impact Study, reveals the economic impact the cruise industry has had to the North Asian market. “While the Asian cruise market has grown tremendously within the past four years – it has the potential to capture a much larger percentage of the Asian population…

As of 12 noon today, the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) approved restricted commercial vessel transit through Port Canaveral to allow the port to support the arrival of critical fuel supplies destined for Florida consumers, and to receive cruise ships that were diverted from Port Canaveral prior to the arrival of Hurricane Irma. Port Canaveral previously had limited operations capability due to lack of water and limited electric power. However, this update to the port's Condition Zulu confirms the port's ability to regain full operational capability over the next few days, as efforts are well underway at Port Canaveral to resume normal operations. Port Canaveral CEO, Capt. John Murray, said, "Our ability to supply the critical fuel needs of Florida has been a priority.

Environmental compliance challenges are nothing new to the cruise industry. Initiatives to enhance environmental compliance, from clean technologies to improved processes and procedures, have significantly reduced the impact cruise vessels have on the environment and improved the quality of discharge. These onboard initiatives address what is in the vessel’s control, but cannot simplify the increasingly complex regulatory environment in which cruise lines operate. Enforcement of environmental regulations is on the rise as international…

An AIDAnova module has been released into the water for the first time at the Neptun shipyard in Rostock, which belongs to the Meyer Group. This is the first of two floating parts, so-called Floating Engine Room Units (FERU), which was placed onto the Warnow river with a special lowering device. The complex module stretching over 120 meters long and 42 meters wide, as well as three decks high, is carrying the four dual-fuel engines by Caterpillar and hence the heart of AIDAnova.

Vard Holdings Limited said it won a contract for the design and construction of an expedition cruise vessel for Coral Expeditions of Australia. Newly developed by Vard Design in Norway in cooperation with the customer, the vessel is specially designed for small ship expedition cruises to remote and exotic destinations in the regions of Asia-Pacific. The vessel of VARD 6 01 design, measuring 93.5 x 17.2 meters, with room for 120 guests. True to the Coral Expeditions business concept…

Marlink has re-launched its Sealink C-band VSAT service, this time introducing new price and service plans, enabling easier integration with existing and future Ka and Ku-band VSAT services. According to Marlink, the upgrade gives Sealink C-band VSAT users more flexibility to add alternative VSAT frequencies to their network in order to ensure availability of high-speed critical business and operational applications globally. The new Sealink C-band provides customers with a transparent and cost-efficient way of integrating existing C-band services with flexible Ka and Ku-band VSAT.

General Dynamics Electric Boat delivered the nuclear-powered attack submarine Colorado (SSN 788) to the U.S. Navy. The 15th ship of the Virginia Class, Colorado is the fifth of the eight-ship group known as Block III. According to the builder, these ships embody a Navy and industry commitment to reduce costs while increasing capabilities through an initiative comprising a multi-year procurement strategy, improvements in construction practices and the Design For Affordability (DFA) program. “This delivery demonstrates the skill and commitment of everyone involved in the Virginia-class submarine program,” said Electric Boat President Jeffrey S. Geiger, recognizing the contributions of the Navy, the shipbuilders and the supplier base.

Port Taranaki is committed to providing world-class assets and service excellence to support the cruise industry, chief executive Guy Roper says. Mr Roper took part in a panel discussion of leaders from “emerging ports” at today’s Cruise New Zealand 2017 Conference. This is the first time Port Taranaki has participated at a Cruise New Zealand conference. Prior to the conference, Roper highlighted that, as the gateway to the region, Port Taranaki is prepared and ready for more cruise ships.

First steel was cut Friday at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone for a new ship for Carnival Corporation brand Princess Cruises. The vessel will be the fourth edition of the class for Princess Cruises, following Royal, Regal and Majestic, delivered by the same yard in 2013, 2014 and 2017 respectively. Works for the construction of a bow section for this unit began last November at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Castellammare di Stabia, Naples. The section will be then transported by sea and assembled to the rest of the unit in Monfalcone, where delivery will take place by the end of 2019.

E-navigation specialist NAVTOR said it has set its sights on the U.S. shipping market with a new office opening in Seattle. The Norwegian business, which has built a global network of facilities since forming in 2011, has, until now, serviced the territory from its Egersund headquarters. However, growing demand Stateside for the firm’s product portfolio has prompted the team to establish NAVTOR USA Inc. NAVTOR launched its ENC service to market in 2012 and, since then, has built a global client base on the back of its mission of making life simpler for navigators…

Orbit Communications Systems Ltd., a provider of precision tracking-based communications solutions and airborne communications management systems, announced that a global NGSO (Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit) satellite operator placed a repeat order worth $645,000 for its OceanTRx 7-500 Ka-band maritime satellite communications platform. Delivery of the system, which will provide continuous broadband connectivity via satellite aboard cruise ships, is expected in 2017. “We put a lot into our relationships and deals like this prove it,” commented Eitan Livneh, Orbit’s CEO. OceanTRx 7 is a maritime satcom platform supporting a variety of 2.2-meter stabilized antenna system configurations in C, Ku, X and Ka bands.

The second cruise ship in a newbuild series for Seabourn Cruise Line has been launched by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri at its shipyard in Sestri, Genoa. Seabourn Ovation is due to join the fleet of Carnival Corporation brand Seabourn Cruise Line in spring 2018, following on the delivery of sister ship, Seabourn Encore, at the end of 2016 from Fincantieri’s Marghera, Venice yard. Seabourn Ovation will be 40,350 gross tons, 210 meters long and 28 meters wide and will be able to reach a cruising speed of 18.6 knots. It will carry up to just 600 guests, based on double occupancy.

ABB will provide the power and propulsion for the first in a series of vessels that mark Ritz Carlton’s first foray into the maritime sector. The 190-meter long vessel has been dubbed the “anti-cruise ship” because it can accommodate just 298 passengers and is aimed at providing a more bespoke service than larger cruise ships. ABB’s solutions will optimize energy efficiency and allow the vessel to be remotely monitored from shore. Two Azipod D propulsors will enable the ship to…

Dozens of ships in the Caribbean have already been diverted to avoid Hurricane Irma, but how exactly does shipping cope with extreme weather - a post by UK Chamber of Shipping. Hurricane Irma, much like its predecessor Hurricane Harvey, has sent shipping into disarray, particularly for cruise passengers. Around 40,000 holidaymakers are estimated to have been affected by disruption to scheduled cruises this week and this figure could rise further as Irma speeds through the Caribbean towards southern Florida.

Silversea Cruises has place an order worth about €310 million (US$371.4 million) with Fincantieri for the construction of a new ultra-luxury cruise ship. The new vessel, tentatively named Silver Moon, will be a sister ship of Silver Muse, delivered in April at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Sestri Ponente, Genoa. At 40,700 gross tons and with a capacity to accommodate 596 passengers on board, the ship will maintain the small-ship intimacy and spacious all-suite accommodations. According to the builder, the new ship will achieve Green star 3 Design notation assigned to units that are designed, built and equipped in order to prevent air and water pollution, as well as the COMF-NOISE A PAX and COMF-NOISE B CREW notations assigned on the basis of the ship’s measured noise levels.

If you are an American thinking Asia for converting a vessel, building a drydock or contracting a medium-sized newbuild, then Krzysztof Kozdron, Managing Director of Germany-based Schulte Marine Concept (SMC), is the man you need to speak to. Easy to talk to, the Shanghai-based naval architect and engineer knows shipbuilding from all sides. Parent company Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) has owned and operated ships for 150 years, and he draws on that and his own 25 years of project experience.

MAN has revealed the successor to its 48/60CR engine in the company’s 4x line of high-performance diesel engines. The MAN 45/60CR marine diesel engine will initially be available as 12V and 14V versions that boast power outputs, of 15,600 and 18,200 kW respectively, with inline versions following at a later stage. According to Wayne Jones, Chief Sales Officer of MAN Diesel & Turbo, “The new engine combines the best features of the current 48/60CR, such as MAN’s common-rail system with ECOMAP capability…

A fleet of seven cruise ships attract 600,000 visitors to the fourth Hamburg Cruise Days. It was ‘time to say goodbye’ to the Deutschland and AIDAstella last Sunday, not only for the cruise passengers, but also for the many visitors to the fourth Hamburg Cruise Days. For three days the city was totally consumed by the laid back maritime cruising atmosphere that prevailed along the four-kilometre length of the event area. Blessed with midsummer temperatures, 12 cruise theme islands between HafenCity and Altona provided a range of sporting…

Five Asia cruise destinations – Hainan, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Taiwan and Xiamen–jointly announced the launch of Asia Cruise Cooperation (ACC), a committed and resourceful alliance with a strong commitment to maximize the growth of cruise tourism in Asia. Launched at a cocktail reception at Seatrade Cruise Global in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the members of ACC vowed to provide full support to cruise lines to develop Asian cruise products. Riding on the success of Asia Cruise Fund founded in 2014 and the participation of Xiamen since January…