MSC Cruises to base the new Seaside yearround in PortMiami
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: More News More News
- Published: 18 March 2015 18 March 2015
MSC Cruises, the largest privately-owned cruise company in the world, announced March 17 that the first of its next generation "Seaside" class of ships — set to debut in November 2017 — will be named MSC Seaside and sail year-round from Miami to the Caribbean.
In addition, MSC Cruises announced that its Miami-based cruise operations will benefit from a newly renovated and expanded dedicated berth and terminal at PortMiami — a testament to the company’s growing ambitions in the North American market and to providing guests with the best service possible.
Following the first ship’s delivery from the shipyard, MSC Seaside will make her way to Miami for MSC Cruises' first ever christening ceremony in the U.S. to take place in late 2017.
"The Seaside class of ships is part of MSC Cruises’ $5.3 billion fleet expansion plan that will allow the company to double its capacity by 2022," said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises. "Today is a very exciting day for the company as this is the first major announcement related to the company’s new builds and demonstrates our enthusiasm and long-term commitment to continuing to expand our presence in North America."
With a gross tonnage of 154,000 tons and the ability to accommodate up to 4,140 guests at double occupancy, MSC Seaside will be the largest cruise ship ever built by Fincantieri shipyards. The ship will offer a vast range of popular itineraries from Miami to the Caribbean.
"MSC Cruises has the unique opportunity to provide North American guests with a 'Mediterranean Style Cruise' experience that no other line is able to offer, and guests from around the world a unique setting as it sails to the most sought-after destinations in the Caribbean," added Onorato. "Since bringing MSC Divina to Miami in November 2013, we’ve seen significant demand from consumers in the product, excellent support from our travel agent partners and the growing need for additional MSC Cruises’ ships in the market."
As part of a first look at what MSC Seaside will offer on board, the company also unveiled that the ship will boast the most interactive and originally-designed aqua park at sea with five water slides and attractions for all ages. The park is being built by WhiteWater West Industries of Canada, the award-winning designer and manufacturer of waterpark attractions globally.
Highlights of the multi-story aqua park will include:
Slideboarding
In an industry first, MSC Seaside will add to the thrills of traditional waterpark fun by offering guests the chance to participate in “Slideboarding™” – a unique waterslide and interactive video game all-in-one. Guests race down a two-story, 367 foot slide on a sleekly designed raft that includes an embedded game controller with colored buttons. The end goal – match the color of the flashing strobe lights seen on various sections of the slide with the colored buttons on the raft. The slide uses a smart gaming system that knows who riders are and tracks their progress and scores over the run down the waterslide.
Duelling High-Speed AquaTubes
In a high energy competitive setting, guests race against other guests through a combined 525 feet of twists, turns and drops, on slides that partially extend over the side of the ship and give riders a look a quick look at the sea below.
AquaPlay & AquaSpray
To cater to its youngest guests, a portion of MSC Seaside’s aqua park will be designed specifically for tots, featuring an active and colorful water play structure that is an experience all on its own. The AquaPlay™ area will be complete with tipping buckets, various spray cannons, solid stream jets, a raintree and a mini-slide.
In addition, various interactive AquaSpray™ activities, such as jets, falls, forts and more will be found throughout the water park for all ages to enjoy.
Adventure Trail
Directly connected to the aqua park is the Adventure Trail, a ropes course which allows guests to cross-cross between soaring towers, rope bridges, climbs, crawl-throughs and slides as they enjoy an amazing bird’s eye view of the water. Explorers on the trail will need to move quickly though as guests below will be able to use water spray cannons to soak their friends and family.
MSC fleet and growth
MSC Cruises operates a fleet of 12 modern ships cruising year-round in the Mediterranean and seasonally in the French Antilles, northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, South Africa, South America, as well as in Dubai, the Emirates and Oman. The company currently sails seasonally in the Caribbean but will sail year-round in the region as of 2017.
The company, which grew by 800 percent since 2004, carried 1.67 million guests in 2014 and reported strong financial results with a turnover of $1.5 billion. In addition, MSC Cruises is forecasting an additional 10 percent growth for 2015.
In 2014, as part of its $5.3 billion expansion plan, MSC Cruises ordered two ultramodern, state-of-the-art ships from Italy’s Fincantieri, world leader in cruise ship construction and one of the world's largest shipbuilding groups, and has an option for one more ship. MSC Seaside has a planned delivery for November 2017 and the second ship in the class will be delivered May 2018.
Major expansion for Holland America Line's entertainment portfolio
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: More News More News
- Published: 18 March 2015 18 March 2015
At the press conference at CSM, Holland America Line (HAL) announced a series of new entertainment features for its newbuilding ms Koningsdam and across the entire fleet. Alan Lam reports from Miami.
Breaking from the line’s traditional style theatre, HAL’s new ship will showcase The World Stage concept with 270-degree panoramic LED screens. The stage will be a flexible space that can have multiple configurations. The theatre will initially host five new productions performed in repertory by a cast sourced from around the world.
“The World Stage on Koningsdam will enable us to debut new entertainment concepts to delight our guests with shows they’ve never seen before,” said Orlando Ashford, the new president of HAL.
Famous for its musical programmes, HAL has entered an exclusive partnership with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, a well-known entertainment brand, to present live music in its new onboard venues. Under this partnership, each Lincoln Center Stage musicians will perform multiple programmes nightly. The programme will debut on ms Eurodam in January 2016, on ms Koningsdam as part of the Music Walk complex, and on ms Oosterdam in April 2016. HAL has plans to introduce it to other ships.
In an effort to continue expanding its musical repertoire, HAL has also partnered with Billboard for live music venue on this first Pinnacle-class ship. Billboard Onboard will be a new interactive music experience, showcasing two pianists, one guitarist and a DJ.
“Our guests love music that spans all genres,” said Orlando Ashford, “and Billboard Onboard is the perfect way to showcase a wide range of popular hits under one roof.”
HAL’s hit B.B. King’s Blue Club music programme is also expanding to the new ship. It will perform on Queen’s Lounge Stage. Koningsdam will be the eighth ship in the fleet to feature the Memphis music experience.
Following an inaugural European season in 2016, Koningsdam will homeport at Port Everglades for 7-night as well as 10- and 11-night Caribbean voyages.
Carnival Sunshine to operate unique schedule of 2- to 10-night voyages from New York June to October 2016
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: More News More News
- Published: 17 March 2015 17 March 2015
Carnival Sunshine – the first ship to feature all of the line’s Fun Ship 2.0 dining, bar and entertainment innovations – will offer a unique schedule from New York in 2016 encompassing 20 voyages departing between June and October 2016.
This marks the first time that a Fun Ship 2.0-equipped ship will offer such a diverse itinerary schedule from the Big Apple with options ranging from value-packed two-day cruises to exciting 10-day Caribbean voyages.
Carnival Sunshine will also offer a series of sailings from Charleston, S.C., and Norfolk, Va., in summer and fall 2016, providing exciting new cruise choices in these markets. Following these departures from New York, Charleston and Norfolk, Carnival Sunshine will return to its current homeport of Port Canaveral, Fla., to offer a schedule of five- to eight-day Caribbean voyages from the Space Coast beginning in November 2016.
Guests sailing on these voyages can experience all that Carnival Sunshine has to offer, including a stunning three-deck-high Serenity adults-only retreat with its own pool and waterfall. The ship also features one-of-a-kind dining experiences like JiJi Asian Kitchen, a massive WaterWorks aqua park featuring the longest slide in the fleet, a SportSquare outdoor recreation area with a suspended ropes course, and innovative bar concepts like Havana Bar, all of which were added during a groundbreaking $155 million makeover.
“Carnival Sunshine has an extraordinary array of guest features and facilities and will provide consumers and our valued travel agent partners with a wide range of itinerary choices from these highly attractive East Coast homeports,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president.
Carnival Sunshine’s 2016 schedule includes:
New York
– Two-day cruises departing June 18 and Oct. 8, 2016
– Four-day cruises to Saint John departing June 30 and July 28, 2016
– Five-day sailings to Saint John and Halifax departing June 20 and 25 and Oct. 10, 2016
– Seven-day Canada/New England cruises to Boston, Portland, Saint John and Halifax departing Sept. 3, 10, 17 and 24 and Oct. 15, 2016
– Seven-day Bermuda cruise featuring a three-day stay in King’s Wharf departing Oct. 1
– Eight-day Exotic eastern Caribbean voyages to San Juan, St. Thomas and Grand Turk departing July 4 and 20 and Aug. 17, 2016
– Eight-day Exotic eastern Caribbean voyages to Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Nassau or Amber Cove (Dominican Republic) departing July 12 and Aug. 1 and 9, 2016
– Nine-day Carnival Journeys voyage departing Aug. 25 and featuring San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Grand Turk
Charleston
– Two-day cruise departing Nov. 11, 2016
– Four-day voyage to Nassau departing May 26, 2016
– Five-day Bahamas cruises to Nassau and Freeport departing May 21 and Nov. 6, 2016
– 10-day Carnival Journeys cruise departing May 30, 2016 and featuring St. Thomas, Antigua, Martinique, St. Kitts and San Juan
Norfolk
– Two-day cruises departing June 10 and Oct. 28
– Five-day voyage to Nassau and Freeport June 12
– Five-day Bermuda cruise overnighting in King’s Wharf Oct. 23
– Six-day Bahamas cruise to Nassau, the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay and Freeport departing Oct. 30
Port Canaveral
– Five-day cruises to Freeport, Nassau and Half Moon Cay departing Nov. 14, 2016, Jan. 8, Feb. 19 and April 2 and 23, 2017
– Five-day cruises to Amber Cove and Grand Turk departing Dec. 26, 2016, Jan. 19 and March 12, 2017
– Seven-day eastern Caribbean sailings to Amber Cove, St. Thomas, San Juan and Grand Turk departing Nov. 19 and Dec. 3, 2016
– Seven-day western Caribbean cruise to Costa Maya, Mahogany Bay, Belize and Cozumel departing Nov. 26, 2016
– Eight-day southern Caribbean cruises visiting Aruba, Curacao and Grand Turk departing Dec. 31, 2016, Jan. 21, March 4 and 25, and April 28, 2017
– Eight-day southern Caribbean voyages to Aruba, Bonaire and Grand Turk departing Dec. 10, 2016, Feb. 3 and April 15, 2017
– Eight-day eastern Caribbean cruises to Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Kitts and St. Maarten departing Dec. 18, 2016, Jan. 13, Feb. 11 and 24, March 17 and April 7, 2017
– Nine-day Carnival Journeys voyage visiting St. Kitts, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Maarten departing April 29, 2016
In 2015, Carnival Splendor will operate a series of four- to eight-day voyages from New York to the Caribbean, New England and eastern Canada and two- to seven-day departures from Norfolk to The Bahamas and Bermuda. Carnival Sunshine replaces Carnival Splendor on the line’s departures from New York and Norfolk in 2016. Additional information on the future homeport of Carnival Splendor will be provided in the near future.
Experiences onboard and ashore
Each of these destinations offers a variety of exciting landside experiences, including world-class beaches, unique dining, shopping and sightseeing opportunities, interesting landmarks and attractions and a rich history and cultures.
While aboard Carnival Sunshine, guests can enjoy the ship’s luxurious Cloud 9 Spa, savor delicious culinary choices like the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse, the Cucina del Capitano family-style Italian restaurant, and Guy’s Burger Joint developed in tandem with Food Network personality Guy Fieri. Guest can also enjoy fun entertainment options like the Punchliner Comedy Club presented by George Lopez, audience favorite Hasbro, The Game Show, and high-tech Playlist Productions shows.
In addition to unforgettable experiences both on board and ashore, these sailings depart from three highly convenient homeports, providing consumers with an easy and affordable means for getting to and from their “Fun Ship” cruise.
Three Carnival Sunshine voyages – the nine-day cruise departing Port Canaveral April 29, 2016, the 10-day cruise departing May 30, 2016 from Charleston and the nine-day voyage departing Aug. 25, 2016 from New York – are part of the line’s recently announced Carnival Journeys series that feature exceptional ports and unique on-board experiences showcasing local cuisine, entertainment and cultural opportunities. Enrichment seminars focusing on photography, cooking, arts and crafts, social media and celestial navigation, along with a 1980s-themed “Throwback Sea Day” and question and answer sessions with shipboard personnel, will also be offered.
Carnival Sunshine will operate three previously announced Carnival Journeys adventures in 2015-16 – an 11-day voyage departing Port Canaveral Nov. 28, 2015, a 10-day cruise departing San Juan Dec. 9, 2015, and a 13-day voyage departing Port Canaveral Feb. 21, 2016. The six Carnival Journeys cruises operated by Carnival Sunshine are the most of any Carnival ship.
New French restaurant debuting on Seven Seas Explorer
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: More News More News
- Published: 16 March 2015 16 March 2015
The lavish ambiance and epicurean delights found in Paris’ finest eateries come to life aboard Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ newest ship, Seven Seas Explorer, with a tantalizing new gourmet French specialty restaurant called Chartreuse. Featuring a classic French menu with a modern twist, Chartreuse joins Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ signature steakhouse, Prime 7, as the second of three distinct specialty restaurants aboard Seven Seas Explorer, providing guests a range of gourmet dining options as they sail upon the most luxurious ship ever built. Regent Seven Seas Cruises will release details about the third specialty restaurant in June.
“A luxury cruise experience is incomplete without gourmet dining,” said Jason Montague, president and chief operating officer for Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “With our sights set on building the world’s most luxurious ship, we challenged our design and culinary teams to develop some extraordinary and exquisite dining options for our guests aboard Seven Seas Explorer. The team exceeded that high mark with Chartreuse, an extremely elegant restaurant where the ambiance and cuisine is sure to stir fond Parisian memories, and help create new ones.”
A Parisian Experience at Sea
Deriving its name from sultry chartreuse-colored glass panels that adorn the dining room walls, the ambiance of Chartreuse evokes memories of a chic Parisian fine dining restaurant discovered during an evening stroll along the Seine or just off the Champs-Élysées. Guests are greeted by a hostess upon arrival at the restaurant through a curved paneled entryway with flooring that resembles a cobblestoned Parisian street damped by a gentle rain, creating an environment that is warm and welcoming, yet mysterious.
Contemporary lounge chairs and embossed leather stools are assembled around Golden Kosmos Granite topped tables in an intimate bar area with scalloped marble Cosmati mosaic tiled flooring. This is the perfect respite for guests to enjoy an apéritif, including specialty cocktails infused with the French liqueur Chartreuse. A solid zinc bar top that is placed atop a softly illuminated frosted glass base sits near a backlit wine display filled with the finest French wines and selections from boutique vineyards of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhône and Loire Valleys. Decorative iron sculpting throughout the bar pays a graceful and subtle homage to Paris’ iconic Eiffel Tower.
As guests transition to the dining room they are greeted by lush art nouveau décor with a feature wall lined with sculpted Chartreuse glass surrounded by metallic and crystalline frames on one side and floor-to-ceiling windows separated by metal filigree screens on the other. Whether seated at an intimate table for two or at one of the lavish white leather banquets, every guest will be treated to a succulent dinner while enjoying incredible ocean views. The design team at ICRAVE responsible for this sophisticated French restaurant left no detail unattended, including a silver-leafed ceiling that is interspersed with dramatic gold-bordered black lacquered lines to complete the elegant Parisian motif. The back portion of the restaurant seamlessly transitions from a regal dining room, to a whimsical Parisian courtyard, creating the illusion of al fresco dining. Separated from the main dining area by a metal lattice screen, this stylish garden area sits upon marble flooring with gold mosaic tile inlays and is illuminated by a wall of decorative lanterns and a centerpiece crystal chandelier.
The restaurant ambiance is complemented by a menu that features dishes expertly prepared using both classic and modern techniques for a multiple course celebration of French gastronomy. Using only the finest ingredients, the menu is highlighted by epicurean delights including hand-cut Charolais steak tartare in a hazelnut-Dijon emulsion topped with Perlita caviar d’Aquitaine, roasted Cévennes rack of lamb with rosemary-mint persillade and sugar snap pea sauce, and poached Brittany blue lobster tail glazed with caramelized lobster roe butter on a bed of Sologne white asparagus and Romanesco. Delectable desserts include a frozen Chartreuse parfait with almond crumble and classic savarin cake made with aged Martinique rum and topped with vanilla cream.
Beginning in the summer of 2016 the Chartreuse menu will extend to the rest of the Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleet, replacing Signatures on Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Mariner, and with select dishes available at Compass Rose on Seven Seas Navigator.
Designed as the most luxurious ship ever built, Seven Seas Explorer will cater to guests’ gastronomic desires with three distinct specialty restaurants, a signature grand dining room and multiple other options, such as outdoor dining with incredible cuisine and fresh ocean breezes. All restaurants will feature vintage wines and premium spirits at no additional charge, and each dish will be prepared à la minute and cooked to order.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Line's 2016-17 programme launch triggered record sales
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: More News More News
- Published: 12 March 2015 12 March 2015
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the UK based destinational cruise operator, said it is is celebrating breaking its record for the highest-selling day ever, taking £2.1 million in revenue on Friday 6 March 2015, following the launch of its new 2016-17 cruise programme, which went on sale on the previous day.
"Saturday 7th March 2015 was also the highest-selling Saturday that Fred. Olsen has ever experienced, taking revenue of £1.6 million on that day alone; Fred. Olsen also recorded the highest amount of revenue that it ever taken on a Sunday, on the 8th, with £800,000 in sales being generated," the company said in a statement.
Fred. Olsen’s ‘Top Sellers’ for 2016 are as follows:
1. ‘German Waterways’
2. ‘Exploring the Fjords of Greenland’ (adults only)
3. ‘The Croatian & Italian Coast with Venice’
4. ‘Old England to New England’ (adults only)
5. ‘Maiden Call Mystery Cruise’ (adults only)
6. ‘The Wonders of Spitsbergen’
7. ‘Rivers of France & Spain’
8. ‘Islands of the Adriatic with Venice (adults-only)
9. ‘Barcelona, Monaco & the Island of Elba’
10. ‘Sun, Sea & Monaco Grand Prix’ (adults only)
The ‘Top Sellers’ for 2017 are as follows:
1. ‘Central America & Mardi Gras’ (adults only)
2. ‘The Best of the Caribbean’ fly-cruise
3. ‘Canaries & Madeira Winter Warmth’
4. ‘The Caribbean with Panama & Venezuela’
5. ‘Amazon River Adventure’ fly-cruise
Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “It is fair to say that we were expecting a very encouraging start to the launch of our exciting new 2016/17 cruise programme, but these levels of customer demand are quite unprecedented."
“What these excellent booking volumes show is that – as I said at our PR Launch event in London last week – Fred. Olsen is all about ‘destination, destination, destination’, and this is what cruise customers are most interested in. It is not about the ship; it is not about the amenities on board; it is about where guests can go and what they can experience.”
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