Eastern Med based MSC Splendida resumes cruising

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 15 June 2021 15 June 2021

MSC Splendida at the weekend became the fifth MSC Cruises ship to restart summer sailings with her seven-night itinerary to the enchanting landscapes of the Eastern Mediterranean from the northern Italian port of Trieste, the company said in a statement. 

 Calls are to Ancona, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Bari, Italy; the Greek island of Corfu and Kotor in Montenegro or Split in Croatia before the vessel returns to Trieste with embarkation available in each of the Italian ports.

 Ancona was recently added to the itinerary to enrich the experience for guests with an opportunity to discover the capital of Italy’s picturesque Marche region.

The itinerary will appeal to guests from throughout the Schengen area of Europe, especially Germany, Austria and Switzerland given the relative ease of ground transport links to embark in Trieste.

MSC Splendida offers a wide choice of restaurants, bars and lounges, four swimming pools, a fully equipped gym and luxurious spa, award-winning family activities and facilities as well as the MSC Yacht Club with 71 spacious suites and personalised 24/7 butler service.

Four daily transfer shuttles for MSC Cruises guests will run from Venice’s Marco Polo airport and one from the city centre to the cruise terminal in Trieste offering a convenient service for embarking guests who have flown to Italy from Europe.  Prices per person are  €25 one way and €50 return. 

MSC Grandiosa and MSC Seaside are sailing in the West Mediterranean, MSC Orchestra is operating in the East Mediterranean and flagship MSC Virtuosa is cruising in the UK for British guests only.

Seatrade Cruise Global returns to Miami 27-30 September

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 15 June 2021 15 June 2021

Seatrade Cruise Global the cruise industry’s leading annual business-to-business event, is returning to the Miami Beach Convention Center, 27-30 September for its first in-person gathering since 2019, the organisers said in a statement. 

Expected to be unlike any other, the conference will bring together cruising powerhouses and fresh new voices to share indispensable insights and blueprints for the reimagined post-pandemic cruise journey. In tandem with its traditional expo, enriching panels and networking offerings, this year’s edition will feature virtual programming giving the cruise community more options to participate. 

“After more than a year of navigating uncharted waters in a virtual world, this year’s Seatrade Cruise Global experience will reconnect our community to share knowledge, actionable solutions and our collective vision for the future of cruising in this pivotal moment,” says Chiara Giorgi, Global Brand and Event Director for Seatrade Cruise. 

“Our programming – including the highly anticipated State of the Industry Keynote – will deliver the latest in cruising innovations, rising trends and industry outlook for 2022.”

The two-part experience will feature live conference sessions and exhibitors showcasing their most recent innovations in the expo hall as part of the in-person show, while the virtual platform will give attendees access to live-streamed sessions, online matchmaking and one-on-one virtual meetings with exhibitors across all sectors. Attendees registered for the in-person event will also have access to the virtual experience. 

Keeping safety at the forefront, Seatrade Cruise Global will be guided by Informa AllSecure standards that ensure a safe, hygienic, productive and high-quality organised event experience. More specific measures related to health and safety will be provided ahead of the event and protocols will adhere to all city and state regulations.

Helsinki Shipyard starts production of the third expedition cruise vessel

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 12 June 2021 12 June 2021

The production of the third vessel of the luxury expedition cruise ships ordered from Helsinki Shipyard began on June 10th. The project NB518 has progressed as expected, and now we have started cutting steel parts.

"The order for the third ship in this series of expedition cruise ships was one of the few cruise ship orders placed in the pandemic situation during 2020, and therefore significant for all of us. The order reflects our customers' solid trust in our expertise and abilities and the good spirit of our cooperation," says Esko Karvonen, CEO of Helsinki Shipyard.

The third vessel to be delivered to Swan Hellenic, like the two ships already in production, represents a new generation of expedition cruise ships and is designed for the global cruise market, with an emphasis on cruises at high latitudes. The vessel will be delivered to its customer at the end of 2022. NB 518 is bigger than its sisters and designed to sail to all continents.

Unlike the previous two ships in the series, the steel blocks of ship the 518 are manufactured at CRIST shipyard in Poland. The blocks are transported to Helsinki by sea. Production work in Helsinki will start during the Autumn, and the ship's hull assembly will begin with a keel laying in the end of year 2021.“

The start of production is a milestone for us and the customer about the partnership that works well. We will continue on this solid basis,building a high-quality vessel for the customer," commented Ville Korpela, project manager of ship 518 and the yard's new sales director.

The newbuilding 518 has a 4.6 MW diesel-electric hybrid machine with exhaust cleaning, max. 3 MW battery capacity and PC6 ice class hull. The 125-metre and 12,000 gross ton ship is specially designed to explore the most interesting and inaccessibleplaces on Earth. The ship offers spacious 5-star accommodation for 192 guests in 96 cabins and suites, most with large balconies. The ship will be operated by a crew of 140 to provide the highest level of personal service.

Aurora Botnia conducts sea trials

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 11 June 2021 11 June 2021

The car and passenger ferry Aurora Botnia is nearing the end of the construction phase at Rauma Marine Constructions’ shipyard. The ferry, which will operate on the route between the Finnish city of Vaasa and the Swedish city of Umeå, completed its first sea trial last weekend. The three-day sea trial was conducted with strict safety measures in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Only essential experts from RMC, Wasaline, and the equipment manufacturers attended the trial.

The sea trial represents a major milestone in the shipbuilding process to both RMC and Wasaline.

“This was definitely a highlight for us, a culmination of several years of effort. We were able to meet the expectations of our work, ensuring that the ship we built can operate as intended,” says Johanna Kaijo, Project Manager for Aurora Botnia at Rauma Marine Constructions.

“The event was important to Wasaline, too, as we had the opportunity to get to know our new ship and its operations in marine conditions for the first time with the project’s key personnel,” says Peter Ståhlberg, Managing Director of Wasaline.

Performance and environmental sustainability under review

The sea trial was conducted to assess the performance of the vessel, which will be the world’s most environmentally friendly passenger car ferry when completed. The ship’s equipment were adjusted to operate as efficiently and economically as possible.

“We adjusted the power plant and tested the ship’s speed, propulsion and steering, among other things, during the sea trials. We ran the ship’s fuel-efficient main engines with different settings and fine-tuned the automation to further improve the vessel’s environmental sustainability. In addition, we were able to ensure in practice that the ship’s design meets the strict criteria of the Clean Design class notation,” Kaijo summarises.

Both RMC and Wasaline consider the first sea trial a success.

“The ship performed well, meeting the requirements set for it. It was a pleasure to witness the successful outcome of years of work,” says Kaijo, with Ståhlberg concurring.

A model example of a new generation car and passenger ferry

Aurora Botnia will be the first car and passenger ferry in the world with a Clean Design class notation. In practice, this means that the ship has been designed and built to significantly exceed the requirements of the MARPOL Convention for the prevention of pollution from ships.

The ship’s main engines operate primarily on low emission liquefied natural gas, which reduces sulphur, nitrogen and carbon dioxide emissions. In the future, the ship can be powered by biogas. In addition to the fuel solution, Aurora Botnia has an electric power system that can be used when operating to and from ports.

“Our goal is to be a pioneer in environmentally sustainable technology in shipbuilding. Our ship for Wasaline is a prime example of what we can achieve by combining years of experience from building dozens of previous ships with the latest innovations. We are grateful to the customer for the opportunity to build such a great vessel,” says Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO and President of Rauma Marine Constructions.

“We are very pleased to leverage RMC’s shipbuilding expertise. We want to be one of the most environmentally sustainable shipping companies, and Aurora Botnia is the most significant concrete step towards this goal,” says Ståhlberg.

Preparations are underway for the handover of Aurora Botnia in Vaasa, Finland. The date of the handover, the maiden voyage and the start of ticket sales will be announced next week.

In the photo Aurora Botnia pictured in the archipelago during the sea trials. Photo: Sammeli Korhonen