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Cruise Shipping News

13 Mar 2024

RINA to Chart Decarbonization Path for Cruising Sector

© biletskiyevgeniy.com / Adobe Stock

Italian marine engineering consultancy RINA has secured a contract from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to carry out a comprehensive Global Investment Plan Study aimed at steering the cruise sector towards a sustainable future.The research will provide a worldwide scenario focused on the cruise sector, mapping real-time energy needs, infrastructure and regulations with foresight scenarios extending to 2050.The cruise sector is recognized as one of the most active in driving the shipping industry towards greater sustainability.Today


21 Feb 2024

American Queen Voyages Up for Sale as Hornblower Gets New Majority Owner

(Credit: Hornblower Group)

A global alternative investment firm Strategic Value Partners has entered into agreement with Hornblower Group to acquire the majority ownership of the company in exchange for significant equity investment. As part of the agreement, Crestview Partners retained minority ownership in the business, and the decision was made to sell or wind down the company’s overnight cruises unit American Queen Voyages.Aside from significant minority stake in the business, Crestview will become the sole owner of Journey Beyond


02 Jan 2024

Great Ships of 2023: Icon of the Seas

Icon of the Seas (Photo: Royal Caribbean Group)

“Turku is building the real big ships,” said Meyer Turku CEO Tim Meyer.Meyer is not exaggerating. The yard’s latest newbuild, Icon of the Seas—the first ship of Royal Caribbean’s Icon class—is 248,655 GT, making it the largest cruise ship ever constructed.In general, the cruise ships rolling out of the nearly 300-year-old Finnish shipyard have been steadily increasing in size since the Meyer Group took full ownership in 2015. “We are proud to say Turku has been a first-mover in building these big new classes for Royal Caribbean


21 Sep 2023

MSC Confirms Order for Hydrogen Cruise Ship Pair

Image courtesy Fincantieri

The total investment in six luxury ships for Explora Journeys worth $3.7BMSC Group Cruises Division confirmed the order of two hydrogen ships for its luxury brand Explora Journeys with Fincantieri, confirming its commitment to achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050. The contracts are conditional on obtaining financing for the shipowner.The two new ships will pursue the use of liquid hydrogen fuel cells for hotel operations while in port, to eliminate carbon emissions with engines turned off.

03 Aug 2023

Norwegian Viva Delivered by Fincantieri

Norwegian Viva is the second of six new generation cruise ships of the new First Class for Norwegian Cruise Line. Image courtesy Fincantieri

Norwegian Viva, the second of six new generation cruise ships of the new Prima class for Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), was delivered at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard.At 143,500 gross tons, almost 300 meters in length and with a capacity to accommodate around 3,100 passengers, Norwegian Prima and her sister ships will form the backbone of NCL's future fleet. Deliveries are expected until 2028.The Prima class is based on a prototype project developed by Fincantieri which enhances the consolidated characteristics of NCL's freedom and flexibility with an innovative product configuration


20 Jul 2023

$560M Explora I Delivered for MSC's New Luxury Cruise Brand

Explora I is the first of four new luxury cruise vessels for MSC's new luxury travel brand, a four ship buy totalling $2.6B. Image courtess Fincantieri

MSC Group Cruise Division -- Explora Journeys -- saw the launch by Fincantieri of Explora I, the first of four new luxury cruise vessels for MSC's new luxury travel brand. The first ship cost $560m, part of a four-ship newbuild plan for a cumulative $2.6B.The event was attended by Gianluigi Aponte - Founder and President of the MSC Group, Pierfrancesco Vago - Executive President of the Cruise Division of the MSC Group, the godmother of the ship Zoe Africa Vago, and for Fincantieri Pierroberto Folgiero


20 Jun 2023

Port of Seattle Commissions Third Shore Power System at Pier 66

Adding a third shore power system is a major component of the Port of Seattle’s Waterfront Clean Energy Strategy. (Source: Watts Marine)

The Port of Seattle is installing a third shore power system at Pier 66, making it the world’s first port with three systems for cruise ships.The port receives over 200 cruise vessels in a typical season between April and October, and adding a third shore power system is a major component of the port’s Waterfront Clean Energy Strategy.The new shore power connection is expected to be fully operational by the 2024 Alaska cruise season.The contract for the shore power system components was awarded in November 2022 to Watts Marine.

03 May 2023

Zinus Awarded Contract to Supply Shore Power to Port of Oslo

Port of Oslo courtesy of Zinus

Zinus has won a contract with PowerCon to supply the Port of Oslo with a shore power solution.The aim of the project is to make shore power available for all cruise ships that visit the Port of Oslo.Zinus’s CRU500 is an all-in-one cable management system that integrates with PowerCon’s shoreside electro distribution station and the cruise vessel. The CRU500 can be moved and operated as one unit with cables and cable management system, including both power and signal cables.Jens Eirik Hagen


24 Apr 2023

Ocean Albatros, Sixth Infinity Class Ship, Delivered to SunStone

Image courtesy SunStone Maritime Group A/S

Expedition cruise company SunStone Maritime Group A/S recently received its sixth Infinity class vessel, the Ocean Albatros. Final documentswere signed on Thursday, April 20, completing delivery of the vessel from the CMHI Shipyard in Haimen, China, to the SunStone companies. The ship will be on a year-round charter to Albatros Expeditions.Infinity Class Vessels are 104 m long and 18 m wide, with a draft of 5.1 m. They feature a passenger capacity between 130 and 200 and a crew capacity between 85 and 115.

28 Mar 2023

Survitec Snags Cruise Contract for Nitrogen IG System

Image courtesy Survitec

Maritime Protection, a brand of Survitec, won an order for a set of nitrogen systems for installation on an LNG-powered cruise ship. The scope of supply is for two nitrogen generators, feed-air compressors, valves, and control cabinets. Scheduled for delivery in 2025, the 51,950-gt newbuild is the first cruise ship for this Japanese owner to be built in Europe. There is an option for a second vessel. About ten LNG-fuelled cruise ships are currently in operation, with a further 25 set to join the global fleet over the next five years.Engines operating on LNG


31 Oct 2022

Celebrity Leaps Ahead of Regs with new RWO Wastewater Treatment Systems

Celebrity Solstice. Image courtesy Celebrity

RWO recently completed two installations of its next-gen advanced water treatment system (AWTS); the CleanSewage Membrane Reactor (CS-MBR), for Celebrity Cruises. The sewage treatment plant on the Celebrity Solstice-class vessels, Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection, have been upgraded to the CS-MBR system, with an additional three orders placed to complete the fleet-wide upgrade.RWO’s CS-MBR is a sustainable biological treatment technology that has been designed to minimize a vessel’s impact on the environment


26 Oct 2022

Sylvia Earle & Ocean Odyssey: Sunstone Takes Expedition Cruise Ship Pair from China

SunStone Maritime Group A/S took delivery of two Infinity class ships -- Sylvia Earle (pictured) and Ocean Odyssey -- from the CMHI Shipyard in Haimen, China. Photo courtesy Sunstone

SunStone Maritime Group A/S took delivery of two Infinity class ships -- Sylvia Earle and Ocean Odyssey -- from the CMHI Shipyard in Haimen, China. The pair are the fourth and the fifth of the Infinity class delivered from China Merchant Heavy Industries, and both will be on long-term, year-round charter: the SYLVIA EARLE with Aurora Expeditions, and the OCEAN ODYSSEY with Vantage Deluxe World Travel.The Infinity series of ships represents a collaboration between European design and technology and Chinese shipbuilding.Infinity class ships measure 104 x 18m with a 5.1m draft.

14 May 2022

'Cruise Conversations Live' to Headline Cruise Ship Interior Show

Copyright Björn Wylezich/AdobeStock

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


27 Apr 2022

Pair of Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection Vessels to Sport Azipod Propulsion

Image courtesy Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection/ABB

ABB inked a deal with Chantiers de l’Atlantique for Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection to supply the electric propulsion systems and remote support for the luxury cruise operator’s two forthcoming mega-yachts. The ships are the second and third in a series that began with Ritz-Carlton Evrima, to start operations later this year, also featuring ABB technologies on board.With a capacity of 456 passengers, the two yachts will be larger than the 298-passenger Evrima while maintaining the exclusivity and personalized service that differentiate Ritz-Carlton.

25 Mar 2022

BV AiP for Solid Sail, which aims to slash Cruise Ship Emissions

Chantiers de l’Atlantique's innovative sailing propulsion system 'Solid Sail' receives Approval in Principle from Bureau Veritas. © Chantiers de l’Atlantique

Bureau Veritas (BV) delivered an Approval in Principle (AiP) to Chantiers de l’Atlantique for its sailing propulsion system, Solid Sail, tailored for the large ships market.Solid Sail is a 1,200 sq. m. rigid sail made of composite panels assembled together, which was developed specifically for large vessels. The system overcomes the usual size limitations of standard fabric sails. Moreover, the rigidity of the sail panels induces less flapping and therefore increases the estimated


11 Mar 2022

From Cruise Ships to Condos, Meyer Group JV Aims at the Floating Real Estate Biz

Photo courtesy MEYER Floating Solutions

MEYER Group, aleading shipbuilding consortium with three modern, large-scale shipyards in Europe, has joined forces with ADMARES Marine, a leader in floating real estate, to form a new joint venture. Headquartered in Turku, Finland, MEYER Floating Solutions is focused on developing and manufacturing high quality floating real estate.“MEYER Group had recognized great potential in the floating solutions business and identified ADMARES Marine as the market leader in this developing industry.

10 Mar 2022

Tech File: Study Suggests Pre-insulated Plastic Piping Aids Passenger Ships Efficiency

Image courtesy GF Piping Systems & Foreship

A new study by GF Piping Systems and Foreship shows HVAC applications on passenger ships offer significant potential for improvement. The study, comparing a baseline steel piping system with pre-insulated polyethylene pipes in an air conditioning chilled water system revealed that plastic is more efficient in four areas: It decreases fuel consumption, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, lowers costs, and slightly improves EEXI and CII values.GF Piping Systems, the Swiss flow solutions provider


22 Feb 2022

Meyer Turku-led Finnish Project Studies Climate-Neutral Cruise Ship

Image courtesy Meyer Turku

The NEcOLEAP project, led by Meyer Turku, is determined to design and build a climate-neutral cruise ship.Meyer Turku was selected to take part in Business Finland’s financing project for leading companies and their partner ecosystems, which aims to help companies to increase their RDI investments in Finland. Meyer’s NEcOLEAP project develops carbon-neutral and sustainable technological solutions for cruise ships through an extensive partnership network. The goal is to secure a billion-order cruise ship order for Turku Shipyard.According to the shipyard


11 Feb 2022

Shipbuilding; Carnival Celebration floated out at Meyer Turku in Finland

Photo courtesy Carnival/Meyer Turku Shipyard

The 185,000-gt cruis ships Carnival Celebration was floated out to the outfitting keel at Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, with the LNG-powered ship marking the culmination of Carnival Cruise Lines 50th birthday. The float-out started on Friday morning local time with the opening of the building dock valves and will culminate over the weekend. “The Float out marks the beginning of a very intensive phase in the ships construction, as the inside features and venues start taking form.

13 Jan 2022

Ten Years on, Costa Concordia Shipwreck Still Haunts Survivors, Islanders

Credit: biancia

Ester Percossi can still hear the screams, feel the cold and see the terror in people's eyes.She is one of the survivors of the shipwreck of the Costa Concordia, the luxury cruise liner that capsized after hitting rocks just off the coast of the small Italian island of Giglio on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people in one of Europe's worst maritime disasters.Percossi and other survivors have returned to the island to pay tribute to the dead and again thank the islanders who, in the dark and dead of winter


17 Dec 2021

Ship Design: Zero-Emission Cruise Ship Concept Unveiled

Artist illustration of Northern Xplorer zero-emission cruise ship. (Photo credits: Northern Xplorer)

Northern Xplorer AS (NX) announced itszero-emission, luxury cruise concept, designed to feature 'clean' technologies including fully electric propulsion, battery energy storage, hydrogen fuel cells and auxiliary renewable energy supply (wind and solar power). Northern Xplorer will provide opportunities to travel ‘off the beaten track’, connecting passengers with unique locations in the Nordic countries in a personal way,” said Rolf André Sandvik, the company's founder and CEO. Sandvik is a master mariner with extensive experience with cruise lines NCL and Crystal Cruises.

30 Sep 2021

National Geographic Resolution Delivered to Lindblad Expeditions

Photo courtesy Lindblad Expeditions

Lindblad Expeditions Holdings took delivery of National Geographic Resolution from Ulstein Verft, marking the official completion of the line’s second polar new build. Present at the handover ceremony in Ulsteinvik, Norway for the official signing was Nikolaos Doulis, Senior Vice President, New Buildings and Kenneth Pettersen, Project Director at Ulstein Verft. The vessel is now ready to set off for her inaugural polar voyage on November 17, 2021 to Antarctica, South Georgia and


23 Jul 2021

Linblad Expeditions' National Geographic Endurance Honors Shackleton

Photo credit: Julie Rowland

Lindblad Expeditions officially launched the newest addition to its fleet, National Geographic Endurance, at a dockside christening ceremony in Reykjavik, Iceland, the first christening of an international vessel in Reykjavík Harbor.The occasion, a closed ceremony exclusively for Lindblad Expeditions guests, marked a major milestone for the line as the first polar new build in the company’s history. Named to honor legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton, National Geographic Endurance