New delivery date for Crystal Endeavor

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 10 April 2020 10 April 2020

Crystal Expedition Cruises has postponed the launch of its luxury expedition ship, Crystal Endeavor. The news comes following the temporary closure of the MV Werften shipyards, which halted operations in ship production to protect its employees during the COVID-19 global pandemic like most European manufacturing companies. Due to uncertainty regarding when production will resume, Crystal has been compelled to delay the introduction of the ship – previously planned for this coming August – and cancel all scheduled itineraries through October 31, 2020. The ship’s maiden voyage will now be the Tasmania & Fjords of New Zealand 14-night cruise embarking on November 14, 2020.

“We know that, like us, our guests have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to explore anew with Crystal aboard this groundbreaking ship, and we deeply regret that this change has become necessary and has disrupted our guests’ travel plans,” said Crystal’s president and CEO, Tom Wolber. “While this unprecedented global health crisis inhibits our journeys for now, we are looking ahead with great optimism to introducing Crystal Endeavor to the world on November 14 and welcoming travelers to their next great adventure.”

The company is reaching out to guests and their travel advisors directly with rebooking options.

Poseidon Expeditions renews charter contract for Sea Spirit

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 09 April 2020 09 April 2020

Poseidon Expeditions has signed an agreement with ship owner SunStone Ships, Inc. to extend the charter of the 114-passenger expedition ship Sea Spirit for two years. This will keep the ship flying the Poseidon Expeditions banner until May 2024.

Nikolay Saveliev, founder and president of Poseidon Expeditions, a specialist in active adventure cruises in Arctic and Antarctic regions, said that the Sea Spirit has received great acceptance in the marketplace and that the company is delighted to be able to continue offering the ship to its travel partners and polar travelers around the globe.

“With the Sea Spirit, we have a smaller-capacity, premium vessel that’s perceived as very desirable compared with most of the newly announced polar-class ships in the range of 200-500 passengers. Those wanting to go to Antarctica or to the Arctic understand the advantages that a smaller vessel can provide – better access to remote areas and landing sites; more ‘face time’ with the expedition team; and a camaraderie among guests and staff that is more difficult to achieve aboard larger ships,” he added.

Saveliev continued: “This ship has delivered a consistently high level of service and performance in the polar regions from the ship’s officers, catering and hospitality team. Sunstone has done a great job keeping the passenger areas renovated and the technical features consistently updated, such as the new, state-of-the art Rolls Royce Zero Speed Stabilizers installed in 2019. Combined with our exceptional expedition staff, which curates experiences for our guests that are engaging, educational and fun, it’s no wonder the Sea Spirit achieves a 4.9 ranking out of a possible 5.0 from TrustPilot, the well-established third-party review site.”

The founder of Poseidon added that plans were still moving forward with a new build, configured for fewer than 150 passengers, but that an official announcement with details was still forthcoming.

Like a migrating bird, the Sea Spirit spends her year between the two polar regions, in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean from late October through mid-March and then in the sub-Arctic and Arctic regions of the British Isles, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and Greenland from mid-May through September.

Rauma Marine Construction starts production of MyStar ferry

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 06 April 2020 06 April 2020

Rauma Marine Constructions continues to design and build ships despite the global coronavirus pandemic. The production of Tallink’s new shuttle ferry MyStar began at Rauma shipyard on Monday, April 6, 2020.

Tallink’s new car and passenger ferry will be the largest ship built at the Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) shipyard in Rauma, Finland yet. Making use of cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions, the ship will be energy efficient and will have a dual-fuel solution that can use liquified natural gas (LNG), a fuel with lower emissions. The vessel’s advanced, certified electric propulsion system allows the ship to operate energy-efficiently in all circumstances at speeds of up to 27 knots.

“We are proud to start the construction of MyStar, a new vessel which continues the tradition of building ships with our important customer, Tallink Grupp. This will be the seventh ferry built for Tallink at Rauma. Together, we are developing increasingly environmentally friendly shipping between Finland and Estonia,” said Jyrki Heinimaa, President and CEO of RMC.

RMC aims to be the leading builder of car and passenger ferries in Europe. According to Heinimaa, building Tallink’s vessel supports this objective.

Tallink MyStar is valued at around EUR 250 million. The vessel will be approximately 212 metres long and will have a gross tonnage of approximately 50,000. It will be able to accommodate around 3,000 passengers and crew members in total, and will have a freight capacity of 1,900 lane metres for lorries and other vehicles. The ferry will provide over 1,500 person-years of employment for the shipyard. MyStar will operate between Helsinki, Finland, and Tallinn, Estonia. The building project will consider the vessel’s operating profile, efficient functionality for large numbers of passengers and vehicles, as well as passenger comfort.

Economies rely on shipping

“The world around us has recently changed beyond recognition and all around us we only see shut-downs, challenges and closure. Our group, too, is facing challenges, but we are working hard to get through the current situation and are continuing to focus on the future. And one of the key future projects already underway before the crisis was the construction project of our new shuttle, MyStar – one of the most eco-friendly ships on the Baltic Sea. I am therefore pleased to say today that we are able to start this new project in cooperation with our long-standing partner, Rauma shipyard,” said Paavo Nõgene, CEO of Tallink Grupp.

“During this intense challenging period, we see, more than ever, how much our economies rely on dependable, sustainable and eco-friendly ships, and the importance of vital shipping routes remaining open. At Tallink, this makes our commitment to building and operating the most innovative and most sustainable ships on the Baltic sea even stronger,” Nõgene stated.

Rauma shipyard is taking action to prevent the spread of the coronavirus

Rauma shipyard has taken sizeable measures to maintain operations and to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus. Personnel and network partners are actively informed, more work is done remotely, online workspaces are being developed and personnel are supported in a challenging situation. Cleanliness and tidiness are emphasised throughout the company. In production, the focus is on developing safe ways of working in close cooperation with network partners.

“Our primary objective is to ensure the health and safety of our personnel and partners. We are also aiming to minimise the impact the coronavirus will have on our production and finances. There is plenty of work to be done, as long as employees and materials can move. The shipyard is in full swing,” says Jyrki Heinimaa.

Viking launches new experience channel, Viking.TV

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 05 April 2020 05 April 2020

Viking has announced the official launch of Viking.TV (https://viking.tv/), a new digital platform designed to provide enriching cultural content and livestreaming video experiences from around the world. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President Karine Hagen in a video for current and past Viking guests, posted on the homepage of Viking.TV.

“Right now, we are all staying at home instead of traveling together, but that does not have to mean that the only thing we can do is watch the news,” said Karine. “My father, Torstein Hagen, and I felt that if we cannot for the time being bring our guests to the world, let’s bring the world to our guests. Viking.TV is a way for us to continue exploring the world in comfort – from the comfort of our homes. And as soon as actual travel is less complicated again, we are ready to welcome you onboard.”

Viking.TV was conceived as a way to build community, stay connected and share positive experiences at a time when people are staying home, rather than traveling. In addition to housing a library of enriching content that Viking guests would have enjoyed onboard their respective cruise itineraries, Viking.TV will also feature live content from a variety of experts, cultural partners and notable individuals. Each day at 11 a.m. PT in the “Conversations with Karine and Friends” section of Viking.TV, there will be a livestream conversation, demonstration or virtual tour where viewers can participate by submitting questions in real time. All content sessions will be archived for anyone who cannot view at the original time of broadcast. The schedule of daily participants will be announced every Sunday, and viewers can expect the following themes each day:

– Museum Mondays – Viking is a longtime sponsor of Oslo’s Munch Museum and hosts “Munch Moments” onboard its ocean ships every afternoon, showcasing a curated collection of Norway’s most famous artist, Edvard Munch. On Viking.TV, Museum Mondays will take the place of the onboard event, and viewers can expect streamed sessions with the museum’s director and various curators, providing virtual privileged access to exhibitions, experts and restoration facilities. Additional museums may also participate in the future.

– Resident Historian Tuesdays – As part of Viking’s onboard cultural enrichment program and commitment to destination-focused learning, Viking’s Resident Historian faculty provides guests with lectures and roundtable discussions on significant milestones in world history. Each Tuesday, a Resident Historian will host an iconic lecture followed by a livestreamed Q&A session.

– Wednesdays with Music – One of the most important cultural aspects of any destination is its music. On Wednesdays, Viking.TV will bring some of the world’s most interesting artists, composers and conductors of the musical world.

– Guest Speaker Thursdays – Viking is proud to welcome onboard as guest lecturers many experts in the fields of science, the arts and exploration. Every Thursday, Viking.TV viewers can enjoy meaningful conversations with a variety of academics and individuals who have led extraordinary lives. Upcoming hosts include veteran British broadcaster journalist Anne Diamond; world-renowned Norwegian explorer Liv Arnesen; and Xander Parish, principal dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg.

– Fridays at Home at Highclere Castle – Together with her husband Geordie, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, the Countess of Carnarvon manages affairs at Highclere Castle, widely recognized as the filming location of Downton Abbey. Through her friendship with Karine, Viking has enjoyed a long relationship with Highclere Castle, to which many Viking guests each year enjoy Privileged Access. Every Friday, visitors to Viking.TV can get a glimpse of life “At Home at Highclere,” as Lady Carnarvon broadcasts tours and conversations.

– Wellness Weekends – Saturdays and Sundays on Viking.TV are dedicated to wellbeing during uncertain times and will feature staff from the LivNordic spas onboard Viking’s ocean ships, as well as other selected hosts, largely focusing on yoga and meditation.

– The first “Fridays at Home at Highclere Castle” livestream officially launched today, April 3, and the next session will take place next Friday, April 10, at 11 a.m. PT. “Karine are I are as much sisters as we are friends, and our dogs are all related too!” said Lady Carnarvon. “The Viking and Highclere families are tightly linked through friendship and dogs, and I am delighted to open our castle doors and lives to the extended Viking family to give a little virtual insight into our history and lives, while we are all trying to deal with this temporary new normal. I hope you’ll join me on Fridays as we go behind-the-scenes, with stories about royal visits, entertaining and heritage.”

– In addition to the daily content sessions, visitors to Viking.TV can access Viking-produced destination insights, which are hosted by Karine and showcase the history, art and culture from around the world. Viking.TV also features reading lists, filmography and music playlists by popular itinerary, so visitors can read, watch or listen their way around the world from right at home. Those who are looking to get creative in their home kitchen – and journey around the world through global cuisine – will enjoy “The Kitchen Table,” a digital cookbook on Viking.TV that features recipes browsable by country and the ability for visitors to submit their own favorite recipes. And for guests who were especially looking forward to seeing their Viking family of onboard crew during their voyage, Viking.TV includes a forum where guests and crew can exchange greetings – reinforcing the tight community bonds that form as part of the travel experience.

On March 11, 2020, Viking became the first cruise line to announce a temporary suspension in operations in response to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Viking.TV stays true to the brand tagline of “Exploring the World in Comfort” – albeit for the time being, that exploration can now happen from the comfort of one’s own home, rather than from the comfort of Viking ships.