More News

NCLH prices notes and says bookings start to recover from Omicron

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 14 February 2022 14 February 2022

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH), the world’s third largest cruise shipping group, has priced three offerings of notes and said that bookings had started to recover from the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus in recent weeks.

The company announced that it had priced $1,000.0 million principal amount of its 5.875% senior secured notes due 2027, $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 7.750% senior unsecured notes due 2029 and $435.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 2.50% exchangeable senior notes due 2027, each of which were offered in private offerings that are exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

NCLH said in a separate statement that in recent weeks, net booking volumes have continued to improve sequentially. “As a result of the impacts from Omicron, as of February 6, 2022, the Company’s cumulative booked position for the first half of 2022 is below the extraordinarily strong levels of 2019 while the second half, when the full fleet is expected to be back in operation, is in line with the comparable 2019 period,” the company said..

It noted that concurrently, pricing for the first half, second half and full year 2022 are above the record levels for the same time in 2019, even when including the dilutive impact of future cruise credits.

“Booking trends for 2023 demonstrate continued strong demand for sailings in the medium and longer term with booked position and pricing meaningfully higher and at record levels when compared to 2019,” NCLH said.

While we cannot estimate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our business, financial condition or near- or longer-term financial or operational results with certainty, we will report a net loss for the fourth quarter and full year ending December 31, 2021 and expect to report a net loss until we are able to resume regular voyages,” NCLH stated.

Carnival Celebration floated out at Meyer Turku shipyard

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 February 2022 11 February 2022

Carnival Cruise Line’s next new ship Carnival Celebration was floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland today, which signifies a major step in her construction.

Carnival Celebration will now move alongside the shipyard’s outfitting pier and into the next phase of construction, where the focus will shift to work on what all Carnival ships are known for: the fun.

“This is the exciting part, after the float out, that’s when everything that everyone will love about the ship goes from blueprint to reality,” said Ben Clement, senior vice president of New Builds, Refurbishment and Product Innovation for Carnival Cruise Line, who was in Finland to oversee the milestone. “When there’s a new ship coming, it’s always tough to pick your favorite part, but Carnival Celebration is going to make that choice tougher than ever when she makes her way to Miami.”

“We are very proud to build this beautiful ship for Carnival Cruise Line,” said Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku. “By the end of the summer, Carnival Celebration will be ready for her sea trial and then for delivery later in the autumn.”

Carnival Celebration is the second of three revolutionary Excel-class ships. She joins Mardi Gras, already sailing from Port Canaveral, Fla., and Carnival Jubilee, set to sail from Galveston, Texas in 2023. Carnival’s newest and biggest class of ships run on a liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology platform. Carnival Corp. pioneered the introduction of LNG fuel in the passenger cruise sector as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and emissions reduction.

Following Carnival Celebration’s float out, work begins outside on installing some of the Excel-class exterior features already thrilling guests on sister ship Mardi Gras, including the award-winning BOLT roller coaster at sea. Inside the ship, the build out will help bring out Carnival Celebration’s own unique personality. The ship will feature six distinct zones, much like Mardi Gras, but three of those are designed specifically for Carnival Celebration. Details about the new zones will be revealed soon.

Scheduled to enter service this fall, Carnival Celebration will sail a transatlantic voyage from Southampton to its PortMiami homeport in November. Carnival’s newly transformed Terminal F will welcome the new ship. Not long after, the Carnival terminal will also usher in a new era of port infrastructure as one of the first at PortMiami equipped to provide shore power to ships by fall 2023.

Carnival Celebration’s first sailing from Miami to the Caribbean will take place Nov. 21, 2022. Her arrival will mark the culmination of the year-long celebration of Carnival Cruise Line’s 50th birthday.

Her name is a nod to one of Carnival’s classic cruise ships, Celebration, but in every sense, Carnival Celebration is designed to lead the way to the future of cruising.

Helsinki Shipyard floats out SH Vega

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 February 2022 11 February 2022

Helsinki Shipyard has floated SH Vega out of the dry dock. SH Vega is the twin ship of SH Minerva, launched at the end of last year and now exploring Antarctica. Steelwork production for the third slightly larger vessel commissioned from Helsinki started last Summer, and about 50% of the blocks are now ready at the yard. The Swan Hellenic fleet is thus coming together smoothly to take adventurous and discerning voyagers on a wide range of distinctive cruises.

All three ships are designed for minimal environmental impact and comply with the latest emission standards, while also being battery-ready for future emission-free silent sailing in port as well as wildlife and marine reserves.

SH Vega features a 4.6-megawatt diesel-electric hybrid-ready propulsion system with selective catalytic reduction and PC5 ice-strengthened hull that is fully Safe Return to Port certified. At 113 m, the 10,500 gross ton vessel has been specially designed for worldwide cruising to explore the most inspiring and inaccessible places on earth.

Providing elegant and spacious 5-star accommodation for 152 guests in 76 spacious cabins and suites, the vast majority with large balconies, SH Vega will be operated by an onboard team of 120 to provide the highest levels of personal service, priding itself on one of the highest GRT-to-passenger ratios in its category. The very latest hygiene technology will protect the health of all on board to the highest standards and includes air conditioning with UV sanitisation systems.

Designed for immersive experiences and extensive open views, SH Vega features an expedition laboratory, marine life library and observation lounge for lectures by expert expedition leaders and specialists from a wide range of disciplines. Expedition day trips by zodiac are a central feature of the programmes that will be offered, along with kayaking, trekking and other activities. The on-board amenities include a spa, sauna, gym, library, panoramic restaurant and club lounge serving world-class cuisine, as well as a pool deck with bar.

SH Vega will be delivered to Swan Hellenic in May 2022. Departing on her 11-day maiden cruise on the 29th of May, she will sail from Leith, the port of Edinburgh, to explore the Faroe Islands and Iceland, docking in Reykjavík on the 8th of June. The third ship in the fleet, temporarily named Vega 3, will be delivered in early 2023.

“SH Vega is a next-generation ship that advances the Swan Hellenic cultural expedition cruising tradition in the inspired mould of her sister ship. We are very proud of our contribution to everything she represents,” commented Simo Rastas, CEO of Helsinki Shipyard.

“We are again delighted with the quality of Helsinki’s work,” added Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito. “Despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, everyone at the shipyard has maintained an ambitious schedule to the very highest standards. It’s wonderful to see our vision come together so well. We know our guests will love how such similar ships as SH Minerva and SH Vega can also be so different, enriching their voyages with us worldwide to see what others don’t.”

Fred. Olsen Cruise Line says sales return to pre-pandemic levels

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 09 February 2022 09 February 2022

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the UK based destination focused cruise operator, said it had enjoyed a bumper January, with sales returning to pre-pandemic levels across its small-ship ocean fleet that comprises four ships.

“The strong start to 2022 was reflected in new bookings across Fred. Olsen’s 2022 and 2023 programme currently on sale, with last minute bookings for late winter and early spring proving particularly popular,” the company said in a statement.

It follows the introduction of Fred. Olsen’s Travel Ready Service, launched in December, under which the line will take care of paperwork such as the Passenger Locator Forms and NHS vaccination letters.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines also offers risk-free deposits on all new bookings for sailings in 2022, meaning guests can move their deposit to any other cruise within 12 months of their original sailing, with no transfer fees, so long as they let Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines know before the final balance has been paid, the company said.

Cunard names next ship Queen Anne

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 09 February 2022 09 February 2022

Cunard, the UK based premium to luxury market segment unit in the Carnival Corporation & plc group, has decided to name its fourth ship Queen Anne.

The company unveiled the name, which had been rumoured to the choice of the company for some time, in a presentation online.

Queen Anne is scheduled to be delivered by Fincantieri in 2024, two years later than projected before the Covid-19 pandemic. It will accommodate 3,300 passengers and it will join Queen Mary 2 (2004), Queen Victoria (2007) and Queen Elizabeth (2010) in the Cunard fleet.

Queen Anne reigned from 1702 to 1714. She gave birth to several children, none of whom survived her to adulthood, which meant that she became the last monarch of the House of Stuart - or Stewart as it is in Scotland - on the British throne.