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More suites, cluster cabins, two central meeting points among MSC Seashore features

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 19 September 2019 19 September 2019

MSC Seashore, the first of two Seaside Evo class ships from Fincantieri, will feature more suites and two central meeting points among new features on board, the cruise line and shipbuilder said in a joint statement.

At 339 metres, the ship is 16 metres longer than MSC Seaside and it will also have 200 additional cabins, a larger MSC Yacht Club and an additional double-deck aft lounge.

MSC Seashore will offer more suites thanks to the addition of 28 more terraced suites, two suites with private whirlpools and the MSC Yacht Club will see two new cabin categories: 41 Deluxe Grand Suites and two Owner’s Suites with whirlpools.

The ship will feature new cabin designs such as cluster cabins for families that link two or three adjoining cabins and can accommodate between six and 10 people, plus bigger and more spacious cabins for guests with a disability – 75 in total – will be available.

The internal architecture has been completely redesigned with two central meeting points positioned at the middle and forward part of the ship, as well as specific measures to further enhance passenger flows. Overall the ship has 10,000 square metres of additional deck space for an even greater and more spacious onboard experience.

Two brand new restaurants will be introduced, including one exclusively for Aurea guests. There will be a new location for the five specialty restaurants to allow for waterfront seating on the ship’s breathtaking boardwalk to give guests a greater sea view as they dine al fresco.

MSC Seashore will have a new double-decker show lounge at the aft part of the ship, a bigger casino and 20 distinct specialty bars. The ship will feature a new design of her aft pool design, an enlarged indoor pool and a new interactive waterpark will provide thrills and spills for guests of all ages.

Clubs for young children and teenagers have been separated from a larger kids’ zone. The ship will provide all of her guests with latest customer-centric technology, including ZOE – the world’s first-virtual personal cruise assistant and an MSC Cruises exclusive in every cabin - and MSC for Me.

Coin ceremony to mark laying of the keep of the ship was held at Monfalcone today.

Voyages to Antiquity to cease trading

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 19 September 2019 19 September 2019

Voyages to Antiquity, the UK based operator of destination focused cruises, has decided to cease trading after a major engine failure on its only vessel had forced it to cancel 10 cruises in the summer.

Aegean Odyssey, which was built as a cargo ferry in 1974 and later converted into a cruise ship in 1988, suffered an engine failure in April that forced the cancellation of the entire summer season of cruises up till the departure on 26 August. The ship has a gross tonnage of 11,653 and it can take 350 passnegers.

Voyages to Antiquity was founded in 2009 .

Cruise yacht master’s beach clean up initiative becomes regular feature of week

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 19 September 2019 19 September 2019

Master of Panorama II, a sail powered cruise yacht of Variety Cruises, has decided to anchor the vessel for a few hours each week and to go ashore and clean up a beach, with crew members and passengers joining him in an initiative that has become a regular feature of each cruise.

“Currently cruising the waters of the Flores and Bali Seas in Indonesia, Captain Antononiu Leontios decided to dedicate a few hours every week to dropping anchor in a bay, venturing ashore with some crew members and filling as many bin bags as possible with rubbish which he then stowed on board and disposed of properly at his next port of call,” the company said in a statement.

“It seemed the right thing to do,” Captain Leontios said, “the sea and the natural beauty of beaches and islands is the livelihood for myself and my crew. We need to respect and protect them and whilst our passengers are off sight-seeing we thought we’d do our bit.’ But it didn’t stop with just the crew.”

“When the Panorama II’s passengers discovered what the crew were doing they too wanted to get involved,” explained Captain Leontios. “News soon got around and next time we planned a stop we were joined by eight guests. It’s now become a feature of our week – so much so we’re going to print beach clean-up t-shirts to give to anybody who joins us.”

According to Variety Cruises UK's MD, Chris Lorenzo, environmental responsibility is part of the cruise line’s ethos: “We have already started eliminating single-use plastic from our fleet,’ he explained. ‘As for the beach clean-up program, our vessels are uniquely placed to do something practical – we only have small ships of 50-70 passengers so we can get close up to beaches and moor anywhere. Overall our philosophy is ‘small is beautiful’ and that’s not just about the size of our ships but about doing the small things that can add up to a big difference.”

Costa to add third ship in South America for the 2020/2021 winter

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 19 September 2019 19 September 2019

Costa Cruises announces the arrival of Costa Luminosa in South America in the winter of 2020/2021. From November 2020 to April 2021 the company flying the flag of Italy will be about to count on three ships operating in the region: Costa Luminosa will support Costa Fascinosa and Costa Pacifica, whose positioning in South America had already been announced.

“The arrival of Costa Luminosa for the 2020/2021 season reflects Costa Cruises' desire to strategically invest in the South American market, a market with a great potential for growth. For this reason we want to gradually increase our presence in the region,” stated Dario Rustico, General Manager for Central and South America at Costa Cruises.

Costa Luminosa, Costa Pacifica and Costa Fascinosa will offer various itineraries to discover Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, which will be on sale from November 2019.

In particular, Costa Fascinosa, which will leave for South America from Savona in mid-November 2020, will have its principal home port at Santos. The cruises will sail toward the North of Brazil, visiting destinations such as Buzios, Salvador, Ilheus, and Ilha Grande.

After the transatlantic crossing departing from Genoa on November 13, 2020, the Costa Pacifica cruises will mainly concentrate on Argentina, Uruguay, and the southern part of Brazil. Calls are scheduled at Buenos Aires (Argentina); Ilhabela, Buzios, Rio de Janeiro, and Ilha Grande (Brazil); Montevideo (Uruguay).

Costa Luminosa will also leave from Santos, with 7-night cruises directed to Itajai (Brazil), Buenos Aires, and Montevideo. The positioning cruise in South America from Venice to Santos will sail on November 8, 2020.

American Queen Steamboat Company announces partnerships to secure and protect the Mississippi River

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 September 2019 17 September 2019

Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI) Mayors along with officials from the U.S. Geological Survey, executives from American Queen Steamboat Company, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Maritime Administration launched the first private-carry nutrient sensor for the Mississippi River today to help secure and protect the Mississippi River’s freshwater economy.

In 2018, Mayors signed a historic agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey, the Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Department of Transportation to deploy nutrient sensors on private vessels transecting the Mississippi River between New Orleans and St. Paul moving closer than ever before to a real-time nutrient monitoring net for the nation’s most important waterway.

“We as mayors along the Mississippi River, see nutrient loading as the greatest threat to our water security. But, in order to manage this threat, we must be able to measure it. We have to be able tell if the hundreds of millions of tax dollars going into conservation work along the River or Corps ecosystem restoration work is having an impact and if not where by how much,” asserted Frank Klipsch, Mayor of Davenport, Iowa and Co-Chair of MRCTI.

“It’s hard to overestimate how critical fresh water is to the Memphis economy,” said Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. “Each year the river draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to our city contributing millions to our local economy. Because of this, we created the Fresh Water Institute to ensure that our drinking water is safe and that our aquifer is viable for years to come.”

West Memphis Mayor, Marco McClendon calibrated what the launch means implicating both sides of the River: “The tourism industry within the Mississippi River region of Arkansas provides over 22,000 jobs and is a $2.4 billion industry. But, no one wants to hunt, fish, paddle, or cruise in or near water full of algae due to nutrient surge. So, we need to know what is in our water where to keep it clean and that’s what the sensors we’re deploying will do.”

As the next step in its commitment to the river and communities in which it serves, AQSC will be the first private carrier of the USGS sensors which will allow for data collection as the company’s flagship vessel, the American Queen, travels up and down the River on its various itineraries. An informational kiosk has also been installed on the riverboat so that guests on board can learn more about the project and how the data will contribute to a better understanding of water quality on the Mississippi River.

“As the long-standing leader in Mississippi River cruising, we are dedicated to the sustainable health of not just the river, but the communities that rely on it,” said John Waggoner, founder and CEO of American Queen Steamboat Company. “Along with our partners, we are thrilled to introduce the USGS Mobile Super Gage on our flagship vessel and look forward to keeping the waters in which we travel clean for many future generations to come.”

The U.S. Geological Survey will own, operate, and maintain the nutrient sensors being deployed on private vessels in this partnership. “The USGS is dedicated to providing sound science that informs policy-making at all levels of government – from local communities to national priorities. Today’s launch exemplifies our commitment to working with partners from both the public and private sectors to accomplish projects that impact American communities in a meaningful way,” emphasized Dr. Jim Reilly, Director of the USGS.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been a committed partner with the Mayors, AQSC, and federal agencies since planning for this partnership began. “The Corps' missions along the Mississippi River include flood risk management, environmental stewardship, and ecosystem restoration. The healthier the Mississippi River system is ecologically, the more resilient and the better protected communities and economies are. This work compliments and supports Corps efforts from the headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico,” stated COL Zachary Miller, Commander of the Memphis District.

“The Mississippi River provides billions of gallons of fresh water to industry each day and drinking water to 20 million people in 50 cities. It is essential we know what is in our water,” confirmed Lionel Johnson, Mayor of St. Gabriel, LA and MRCTI Co-Chair.