Global Dream completion subject to funding, two Crystal Cruises ships held for debt

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 08 February 2022 08 February 2022

Administrator of the collapsed Genting Hong Kong group’s shipbuilding unit MV Werften in Germany is trying to secure the completion of the large newbuilding that remains at the yard, while two of the three ships of Crystal Cruises have been arrested for unpaid bills.

Global Dream, the 208,000 gross ton new building Dream Cruises has on order at MV Werften is about 75% complete, but a further €600 million would be needed to finish the work, according to a media report.

Christoph Morgen, administrator of the German shipbuilder, said that several parties have contacted him about the possibility of acquiring the ship, no serious offers have been put on the table as yet and securing one could be difficult. The deadline for bids is 1 March, according to a news report on the website of MTV3 in Finland.

Sixteen Finnish companies have supplied their products and services to the ship and the Finnish export credit agency Finnvera has exposure to the matter among several other organisations.

Meanwhile, authorities in the Bahamas are reported to have arrested two ships of Crystal Cruises, the Los Angeles based luxury segment unit of the Genting Hong Kong group.

Two Crystal Cruises’ ships held for debt

Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity were arrested following a court ruling in the US as a bunker supplier took legal action to obtain payment for fuel that it had supplied to the two ships.

The ships did not return to the US to disembark their passengers, but instead they had to leave the ships in the Bahamas and take a ferry back to the US.

Crystal Endeavor, the new expedition cruise ship of the company that was only delivered in the summer, has reportedly disembarked its passengers in Ushuaia in Argentina. According to MarineTraffic.com that follows the movements of shipping, the vessel is due to arrive olin Montevideo in Uruguay on 10 February.

World Dream, one of the two ships of Dream Cruises, is currently in Indonesian waters after sailing from Singapore on 6 February. Genting Dream, its sister vessel, is at an anchorage outside Hong Kong, where it arrived on 4 February, the same source shows.

TUI AG sees weak first half, firmer second for cruise operations

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 08 February 2022 08 February 2022

 

TUI AG, the German company that is the world’s largest tour operator and which has a major footprint in the cruise industry, said that its cruise operations were on the course of stronger second half after a soft start of the financial year.

 

“Coming into the new calendar year, we have seen itinerary amendments across our three brands, due to various port closures and increasing incidence rates affecting our planned itineraries in the Middle East and in the Caribbean,” the company said in a statement.

 

“For all three cruises brands, we will likely see a challenging first half as a result with the short- term booking profile expected to continue into the Summer. However H2 2022 and 2023 bookings are all currently at higher rates compared to booking positions as of Q1 2019,” TUI AG said.

 

The company owns 50% of TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten in Germany and is the sole owner of Marella Cruises in the UK.

 

In the three months to 31 December 2021 that was the first quarter of the company’s present financial year, revenues from cruise operations rose to €34.2 million from a mere €0.6 million in the corresponding period year earlier. EBITA remained deeply negative, but improved to minus €31.7 million from €98.4 million, the company said..

Vidanta Cruises to launch its operations in April

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 07 February 2022 07 February 2022

Grupo Vidanta has spent the last 47 years creating extraordinary vacation experiences in the country's most beautiful destinations. Now, Latin America’s leading name in entertainment and destination resorts presents the exclusive preview itinerary of Vidanta Cruises, Mexico's first-ever luxury cruise line. The exclusive preview is available to guests of Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta and includes an extraordinary three-day, two-night journey on Vidanta Elegant – Vidanta Cruises’ maiden vessel that offers an adults-only sailing experience akin to being on your own private yacht. The itinerary kicks off on April 14th and is designed to showcase the magnificent coastlines of Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán.

"Vidanta Elegant has been carefully customized to create a singular and highly personalized experience in luxury sailing while offering a wide range of amenities, entertainment, and activities. The exclusive preview will showcase Mexican culture and traditions by visiting some of the country's hidden gems on the coastline and highlighting the unique beauty of Mexico," the company said in a statement.

With a capacity of 298 guests and featuring 149 staterooms and suites, Vidanta Elegant offers breathtaking exterior views and prioritizes comfort, style, and spaciousness in an environment of complete exclusivity and luxury. And by incorporating the Vidanta Extraordinary Standards – one of the hospitality industry’s leading comprehensive health and safety systems, Vidanta Cruises is the first cruise line with COVID protocol built into its launch and operation. Vidanta Elegant also leads the way in industry-changing technology by using custom-built, medical-grade PYURE filtration systems that are proven to eradicate 99.9% of all viruses.

"When we began the process of bringing Vidanta Cruises to life, we were very clear that we wanted to exceed our guests' expectations, while also positively impacting Mexico and our people. After an arduous process, we couldn't be happier with the result. Not only have we become the first Mexican developer to operate both on land and at sea, but we are generating direct and indirect jobs that will benefit many communities along Mexico's Pacific Coast, and we are positioning our country as a world-class tourist destination," said Ivan Chavez, executive vice president of Grupo Vidanta. "We wish to take this opportunity to reiterate Grupo Vidanta’s commitment to the development of Mexico. We will continue working to inspire generations of happiness and revolutionize the tourism industry," he concluded.

Vidanta Elegant features 13 restaurants and bars, a state-of-the-art spa and fitness center, and a lounge with live entertainment. It also leads the industry in many design aspects, including an average of almost twice as many outdoor and public spaces per guest as the world’s top cruise ships; a balcony square footage superior to those of major national and international cruise ships; and a passenger-to-crew ratio of almost one-to-one, while the other top ships rated one-to-five.

Celebrity Beyond completes sea trials

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 07 February 2022 07 February 2022

The height of new luxury took one step closer to becoming a reality as Celebrity Beyond successfully completed its sea trials over the weekend and returned to the Chantiers de l’ Atlantique shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France. In less than 80 days, the fleet’s crown-jewel makes her highly anticipated debut on April 27, 2022, when she sets sail from Southampton, England.

The latest ship in Celebrity Cruises’ industry-changing Edge Series, Celebrity Beyond conducted her sea trials during the first week of February in the Bay of Biscay near the shipyard. Overseen by more than 50 crew members, including Captain Kate McCue, engineers and nautical experts, the ship showcased that its strength, excellence and superb sailing capabilities go beyond its breath-taking amenities. It displayed a superior level of comfort, safety, maneuverability and fuel efficiency, the latter due in part to the revolutionary design of the ship’s Parabolic Ultrabow.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to have completed this important milestone as it brings us that much closer to welcoming our guests onboard to enjoy their own ‘Journey WonderFULL,’ on Celebrity Beyond,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises. “Beyond showed why there is so much more to her than just her looks. Like her sister ships – Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Edge – she went beyond what was needed to demonstrate she’s ready.”

“Successfully completing these sea trials was a thrill of a lifetime for me,” said Celebrity Beyond Captain Kate McCue. “Her smooth sailing and maneuverability is a testament to her innovative design and I can’t wait to take the helm of this awe-inspiring ship and take our guests to equally beautiful destinations.”

Celebrity Beyond will not only hold the title of the largest ship in the Celebrity Cruises’ fleet, but the distinction as the brand’s most luxurious vessel.

Standing at 17 decks high and 21 meters longer than her innovative predecessors Celebrity Edge (2018) and Celebrity Apex (2020), Celebrity Beyond’s look and feel has been carefully curated with newly imagined spaces and expanded versions of the brand’s popular signature spaces, including:

– The Retreat, an exclusive area for suite guests, now featuring a two-story sundeck;
– Transformational accommodations, from modern two-story villas with plunge pools to staterooms with Infinite Verandas, blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living;
– An expanded Rooftop Garden and stunning resort deck featuring cantilevered float pools;
– A stunning multi-level, multi-terraced Sunset Bar, defining the ship’s aft, from American designer Nate Berkus;
– A first-ever Daniel Boulud fine-dining restaurant at sea called Le Voyage;
– A redesigned Grand Plaza spanning three decks and flanked by the new World Class Bar and Le Voyage;
– And, the Magic Carpet, an engineering feat soaring cantilevered above the sea, offering guests uninterrupted vistas while sipping cocktails or having dinner.

Celebrity Beyond will depart on her maiden voyage on April 27, 2022 from Southampton, England, on a 10-night Western Europe cruise visiting Bordeaux, France; Lisbon, Portugal; and Seville, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona, Spain.

It will then offer a variety of Mediterranean journeys including nine-night Italian Riviera and France itineraries and 10-night Greek Isles itineraries through early October, when she then heads to the Caribbean.