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VP Operations Ferdinand Strohmeier leaves TUI Cruises, Benny Weidacher takes over

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 July 2020 03 July 2020

Ferdinand Strohmeier, Vice President Operations at TUI Cruises for almost nine years and responsible for the entire ship operation, is leaving the cruise company, to start as CEO at the Portuguese expedition cruise operator Mystic Cruises.

Strohmeier joined TUI Cruises as General Manager on board of the former Mein Schiff 1 in March 2011 and looks back on six successful commissions of newbuilds in his new position as Vice President Operations. As part of the management team he has decisively shaped both TUI Cruises and the Mein Schiff fleet in terms of product and service. "We very much regret, that Ferdinand Strohmeier is leaving us, thank him for all the years of trustful cooperation and wish him all the best and much success in his new position as CEO of Mystic Cruises in Portugal," said Wybcke Meier, Chairman of the Management Board of TUI Cruises.

As his successor, Benny Weidacher, currently Vice President Ship Operations at Pullmantur Cruises Lines joined TUI Cruises on the first of July 2020. Born in Austria, he has been in the cruise industry for more than 20 years and held various management positions both on land and on board, including at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Wybcke Meier: "With Benny Weidacher we are gaining an experienced cruise manager. We wish him a sucessful start."

Fincantieri unit acquires majority stake in Support Logistics Services

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 02 July 2020 02 July 2020

Fincantieri, the Italian shipbuilder, has through its subsidiary INSIS acquired a majority share in Support Logistic Services (SLS), a company based in Guidonia Montecelio (Roma), specialized in the production, installation and maintenance of radar, satellite and radio communications systems for military and civil applications, the shipbuilder said in a statement.

“The operation falls within the Group’s strategy to strengthen its competence in high-technology activities. As such, it is consistent with the development plan conceived for the newborn Electronics, Systems & Software Division to foster and improve innovation, its main competitive strength,” Fincantieri said..

Last year, SLS had revenues of about €9 million, which is expected to further increase this year, almost half of the company’s 35 employees are engineers, systems analysts, design engineers and qualified technicians.

Fincantieri has undertaken several actions to diversify and expand its product and service portfolio, steering it towards higher added-value solutions over the past few years.

This will allow the company to gain direct access to a pool of highly qualified resources, to set up a high-technology center of excellence, while, at the same time, enabling SLS to further boost its industrial growth and its turnover.

Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, commented: “This operation fits into our far-reaching strategy to consolidate and safeguard a supply chain made up of small and medium-sized enterprises. A dedicated corporate division will coordinate the various companies, which will continue to operate independently according to their intrinsic business approaches. This will allow them to retain key resources, expanding the pool of expertise of our Group”.

The closing of the transaction is subject to the usual conditions envisaged for comparable operations, as well as to the Italian Government refraining from exercising the “golden power” and to obtaining all the necessary authorizations from the relevant authorities.

CLIA and member lines welcome EU move to resume cruising in Europe

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 July 2020 01 July 2020

Cruise Lines’ International Association (CLIA) and its member lines welcome the publication by EU Healthy Gateways of its Interim Guidance for Restarting Cruise Operations. “This is an important marker in the possible resumption of cruising in Europe,” CLIA said in a statement.

“CLIA and its member lines have been actively engaged in the development of this Guidance and will continue to work with EU Healthy Gateways to assess the practicality and suitability of the guidance as a pan-European framework moving forward,” the organisation said.

CLIA said its member lines are currently identifying appropriate protocols, based on evolving guidance from health authorities and medical experts, that cover passengers from the time of booking their cruise, to the holiday itself and their safe return home. The guidance published today will help to inform these protocols and provide another level of trust for our customers and crew.

Speaking on behalf of CLIA Europe, Tom Boardley, Secretary-General stated: “The primary concern of CLIA and its member lines is the health and safety of its passengers and crew. This guidance from the public health authorities in Europe provides a useful resource for cruise lines as they prepare to resume operations.”

CLIA members envisage that there will be a gradual, phased-in approach to resumption of operations. Full resumption will also be dependent on a variety of factors, including international, national, and/or local arrangements, the status of the continued spread of COVID-19 in specific locales, and advancements in detection, treatment, and prevention.

Banks release €175 million in funding for MV Werften

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 June 2020 30 June 2020

A group of banks has released €175 million in interim funding for MV Werften, the German cruise ship builder owned by Genting Hong Kong, the state government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern said in a statement.

The funding will ensure the liquidity of the shipbuilder from July to September, which means that it can e.g. settle all invoices of its suppliers and contractors due in this period.

Genting Hong Kong had placed €260 million on a “locked box” account, which means the funds could be released in case of a crisis to ensure continuation of work on ships on order at the shipbuilder. A total of 17 banks control the funds and the same banks finance the shipyard’s orderbook, the state said.

MSC World Europa coin ceremony in France

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 June 2020 30 June 2020

A traditional coin ceremony has taken place earlier at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France when the keel was laid for MSC Cruises’ first liquified natural gas (LNG)-powered ship, MSC World Europa.

The 200,000-plus gross ton ship is scheduled to enter service in 2022 and be one of most technologically- and environmentally-advanced LNG-powered cruise vessels in its class, and the first ever to be built in France, the company said in a statement.