Departments

Tillberg Design of Sweden and Winch Design to design private residence superyacht Somnio

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 10 August 2021 10 August 2021

TDoS has been appointed lead architect for master planning and interior concepts for Somnio, which features 39 onboard apartments with amenities.

The name Somnio derives from Latin, meaning “to dream”. It is overseen by Captain Erik Bredhe, who has extensive experience overseeing luxury at sea.

When it came down to assembling the team to make this yacht a reality, Erik Bredhe had to rely on the best designers of luxury yachts across the globe. Tillberg Design of Sweden is more than delighted to be trusted with designing the luxury yacht, in close collaboration with Winch Design.

Daniel Nerhagen, TDoS Partner and Yacht Director, says: "Somnio can be seen as an evolution of two industries coming together. In this project, we merge the best of these worlds. The commercial build process for efficiency in combination with design, quality and craftmanship from the superyacht industry. Yachts have grown bigger and bigger, and I see shared knowledge and hybrid projects as a natural step for the industry in the coming years. All of this gives the owners the best value for their investment."

TDoS brings decades of experience into the construction process of Somnio. From a blank piece of paper, TDoS has worked closely with the client team to develop optimal flows, and tailored layouts, all with the purpose to enhance both the experience and the operations throughout the yacht.

During the development process, a number of different apartments, sizes and layouts have been developed for Somnio. In order to create a true yacht ambience onboard, a wide array of warm and tactile materials have been used, including crafted wood, supple leather and uniquely designed textiles.

Fredrik Johansson, TDoS Partner and Executive Director adds, "It really is a unique project, and the level of ambition from the stakeholders is truly exceptional. We are applying all the combined experience we have from our work within private yachts, effective master planning of large vessels, as well as our deep understanding of residential life at sea. The outcome will be like nothing else that exists today; it will be dream-like. The way the yacht is planned and equipped, and the interior and exterior design, together with the standard of outfitting, will make it as close to living on a private yacht that you can get without buying one of your own.”

Captain Erik Bredhe said: “Somnio will be the only residential yacht liner in the world and has been designed to exacting standards that are commensurate with a life of opportunity. We’re delighted to be working together with Tillberg Design of Sweden.”

Described in the industry as the first “Yacht Liner,” Somnio will be built to cater for the highest future hygiene and safety requirements, and the owners will have access to world-class health care and medical services.

The 39 apartments are already being sold, and acquisition of these apartments is strictly by invitation or referral. The names of the Somnio owners will remain a tightly guarded secret. The yacht liner, will explore all corners of the globe from the Mediterranean, a week in New York, sailing the South Pacific to undertaking expeditions in Antarctica.

A 10,000-bottle wine cellar, state-of-the-art restaurants and bars, and an onboard beach club with water sports facilities are just a few of the many amenities Somnio will feature when completed in mid-2024.

MSC Cruises introduces new shipboard property management system – Otalio

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 05 August 2021 05 August 2021

MSC Cruises has introduced a new shipboard property management system to create a seamless link between its shoreside operations and entire fleet of ships to improve internal efficiencies, tailor guest services and digitize information for crew. This pioneering system is set to revolutionize shipboard property management systems for the entire cruise industry.

The new customer-centric and digitized system brings benefits through increased flexibility and automation with a cloud platform that enables a global configuration across the MSC Cruises fleet and throughout a range of different departments.

The cloud-based software developed by Hamburg-based Otalio was first used onboard MSC Virtuosa, the Company’s flagship and first deep-sea cruise liner in 15 months to sail in British waters for her maiden season in the UK that started last month in May.

The modern architecture of the property management system provides scalability and flexibility so that many administrative tasks can now be performed by shore-side teams to bring new opportunities for fleet management.

Crew on board can centralize all guest information in one place, such as purchase preferences, complaint tracking and Voyagers Club member status. Crew will also benefit from real-time updates from ashore, as well as options to digitize processes such as housekeeping rotations and menu pricing.

Daniele Buonaiuto, Chief Information Officer, MSC Cruises, said, “This promises to be a win-win scenario whereby the Otalio technology will improve the overall guest experience and make life easier for our crew on board.

“Getting Otalio ready to launch across our fleet was a huge undertaking and involved a team of 500 dedicated individuals both on board and ashore, the biggest ever collaboration at MSC Cruises.

“The end result was worth the endeavor and is truly change-management at its very best.”

Tony Heuer, Managing Director, Otalio GmbH, said: “Having our latest product now in operation it’s a dream come true and we couldn’t be more excited to see it going live. It’s a great achievement for the entire Otalio team to develop an onboard solution that covers all aspects related to guests and crew management, suitable to support larger contemporary cruise ships, as well as smaller luxury vessels. Thanks to the cutting-edge architecture of our system, structured around the unique complexity a cruise ship environment has, many administrative tasks can now be performed by shore-side teams, bringing new opportunities into fleet management all together.’’

“We want to thank the MSC Cruises team for their trust and cooperation during these last two and half years of intense effort. All of this could have not been possible without the commitment and support of their entire organization, both ashore and onboard.”

Palfinger equips Crystal Endeavor

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 01 August 2021 01 August 2021

The recently delivered Crystal Endeavor is the world's largest expedition yacht. She combines both luxury and adventure. Palfinger was commissioned by the shipbuilders MV Werften to equip the ship with special rescue equipment and cranes, which have just been successfully put into operation. The yacht sailed its maiden voyage on July 17 (the ship will be extensively reviewed in the Summer issue of CruiseBusiness.com Magazine).

The expedition cruise ship Crystal Endeavor, operated by the cruise line Crystal Cruises, offers both luxury and adventure. With a length of 164 meters, the ship accommodates up to 200 passengers and is equipped for exploring polar regions as well as the tropics. Palfinger is involved in this special project and has equipped the yacht with lifesaving appliances as well as lifting and handling solutions. In close cooperation with MV Werften, a custom-built package was designed to meet all the requirements of the expedition yacht.

High-quality equipment for ice-class expedition yacht

Palfinger has equipped Crystal Endeavor with a total of six high-quality boats and suitable davits. Kitted out with teak floors, air conditioning, heating, and much more, passengers are brought to shore in first class comfort and safety. In addition to two tenders, the package includes two lifeboats and two fast rescue boats. Thanks to their high maneuverability, the FRSQ 630 rescue boats are perfectly suited for rough sea conditions in polar regions. Three Palfinger cranes complete the scope of delivery. Two PK 29002 foldable knuckle boom cranes are located to port and starboard for launching and recovering the tender boats for excursions. Thanks to their compact design, they are the perfect choice for deployment in confined spaces. The yacht's own submarines, which are used for underwater explorations, are handled using a Palfinger electric overhead crane.

Crystal Endeavor is specially designed for use in the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as in the tropics. She is the first expedition yacht in its class to comply with the strict Polar Code regulations in order to be capable of sailing through spring and fall ice. Palfinger has therefore combined its own high-quality standards with the requirements of the Polar Code while meeting the yacht’s luxurious specifications.

The future of travel by cruise ship

Smaller ships and more specialized and exclusive itineraries form a trend that is emerging in the cruise vacation industry. As a specialist for custom-built solutions, Palfinger applies its expertise to give the ship a personal touch with its equipment. “With this project, we are following the trend and underlining Palfinger's expertise as one of the leading suppliers for the cruise industry,” says Gunther Fleck, Vice President Sales & Service Region Marine at Palfinger.

Photo: Crystal Endeavor photographed in Reykjavik, Iceland. Photo credit: Teijo Niemela

RINA signed an agreement with SWS for the classification of the largest ever cruise ship to be built in China

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 26 July 2021 26 July 2021

RINA has signed an agreement with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) for the classification of the largest ever cruise ship to be built in China.

Speaking at the signing ceremony Mr. Wang Qi, Chairman at SWS said, “The Chinese cruise ship industry is expanding rapidly, and the new vessel is being designed to respond to that growth as well as Chinese tastes. China’s burgeoning economy is providing increased demand for leisure activities encouraged by the Chinese government, while its large geographic area and population promise sustained demand and no shortage of potential routes.”

With an overall length of about 341 meters and a gross tonnage of approximately 140,000, the cruise ship will be the largest ever built in China with a capacity of more than 6500 between passengers and crew on board.

Mario Moretti, Asia Marine Senior Director at RINA, said, “The Chinese shipbuilding industry has been the number one in the world for some time. But this has historically been focused on merchant and cargo vessels. We are very pleased to be working closely with SWS in building China’s largest ever passenger ship. The agreement represents a milestone in Chinese shipbuilding as it expands into the passenger sector responding to the growth of sea-borne tourism.”

The cruise project will be built according to the highest standards ever applied in China for environmental protection with RINA additional class notations “Green Plus” and “HVSC” (High Voltage Shore Connection).

Furthermore, the cruise ship design and equipment will follow the RINA notation “Biosafe Ship”, aiming to control and prevent possible on-board infection outbreak.

The expected delivery date of the vessel is December 2025.

Meyer Werft and Almaco complete catering project for P&O cruises’ vessel Iona

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 22 July 2021 22 July 2021

In January 2018, Almaco was contracted by Meyer Werft to provide catering solutions for P&O Cruises’ new vessel Iona. Almaco’s scope of work consisted of the turnkey delivery and installation for all the cold rooms and freezer rooms, an area around 1900 m2.

Almaco’s Project Manager at the building site, Valerie Maes, says “Completing a project like this in the middle of a pandemic brought some unforeseeable challenges. Still, the project proceeded according to the plan and the co-operation with Meyer Werft run smoothly throughout the process. We are very proud of the end-result.”

"P&O Cruises’ Iona is the first British cruise ship to be powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas). It’s the largest, greenest, and most innovative ship in P&O Cruises’ fleet. Iona will be sailing in Northern Europe, Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands.
Almaco is very proud to have been a part of building this green, sea-friendly ship. Iona was delivered to P&O Cruises on the 9th of October 2020," Almaco said in a statement.