More News

Royal Caribbean launches relief effort for Bahamas

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 04 September 2019 04 September 2019

The Bahamas has always been more than a destination for Royal Caribbean and its guests. "For more than half a century, we’ve made many friends and many memories. The Bahamas is also home to more than 500 of our colleagues who work at Perfect Day at CocoCay and the Grand Bahama Shipyard.

So in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, we’re rolling up our sleeves to help our friends, and inviting our guests to help," Royal Caribbean said in a statement.

Royal Caribbean is committing $1 million to Dorian disaster relief, and ITM – its partner in the Holistica joint venture that is developing the Grand Lucayan resort in Freeport – —is also donating an additional $100,000.

"To make sure our donations go where they can do the most good, we are collaborating with the Bahamian government and our non-profit partner, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), and a network of Bahamian charities and other local organizations, including the Bahamas Feeding Network.

We are loading all kinds of goods onto our ships— generators, water, cleaning supplies, clean sheets, towels, and more—for direct delivery to the Bahamas. The trained employee volunteers we call the GO Team are on their way to assist with relief efforts. And we’re taking special care of coworkers and their families who were affected by the storm.

And we’re matching every dollar of guest and employee donations to PADF so they can help our friends as well.

We can’t make every bad memory of Dorian go away. But we can start making things better—today. If you want to contribute please click this LINK and get started."

Istanbul's Galataport expected to open second quarter 2020

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 September 2019 03 September 2019

Galataport İstanbul – a global project providing access to the Karaköy coastline for the first time in 200 years, while serving as a hub for the city from tourism to arts and culture- is preparing for its 2020 Second Quarter launch.

Hosted by Doğuş Group President and CEO Ferit F. Şahenk, with the participation of Bilgili Holding President Serdar Bilgili, the Galataport İstanbul introductory meeting’s opening speech was delivered by Doğuş Group’s Deputy Chairman Hüsnü Akhan. Akhan spoke as follows: “We are now at the countdown phase of this journey, which we kicked off in 2014. We are excited for the launch of our project, which is expected to happen in the Second Quarter of 2020.”

In his speech during the meeting, Doğuş Group President and CEO Ferit F. Şahenk said: “Galataport İstanbul is a diamond for Turkey and İstanbul and marks an achievement of Doğuş Group’s mastery phase. Projected to host seven million foreign tourists, and 25 million visitors in total, per year, and with the two museums, as well as 14,000 square meters of recreational area, Galataport İstanbul will also become a new center of arts and culture.”

Serdar Bilgili, President of Bilgili Holding, one of the project’s partners,- commented: “Galataport İstanbul will be an added value to the city in various ways and, furthermore, turn into a destination that will give all a chance to ‘experience İstanbul’.”

The countdown for the Galataport İstanbul project, made possible by the partnership of Doğuş Group and Bilgili Holding, has started. Set to be a signature project that will touch all fields of life from tourism to culture, gastronomy and shopping, the project will launch during the Second Quarter of 2020. As one of the largest coastline projects on earth, Galataport İstanbul will turn into a brand-new destination.

The opening speech of the meeting was delivered by Doğuş Group’s Deputy Chairman Hüsnü Akhan. Hosted by Doğuş Group President and CEO Ferit F. Şahenk, with the participation of Bilgili Holding President Serdar Bilgili, the meeting marked the first occasion where the project’s details were shared with the public.

Doğuş Group President and CEO Ferit F. Şahenk, who spoke during the meeting said, “Galataport İstanbul is a diamond for Turkey and İstanbul and marks an achievement of Doğuş Group’s mastery phase,” and continued as follows:

“I am certain that you have never viewed İstanbul from this perspective. One of the most captivating locations of our city had been off-limits to us for so many years. With Galataport, we are embracing beautiful İstanbul form a different angle. In 2013, when bidding for the Salıpazarı Cruise Port, as it was known back then, our main goal was to open up this unique coastal line, which is an extension of the historic peninsula, to the residents of İstanbul, as well as to all visitors. As a result, this coastline that had been closed to the general public for 200 years is opening up to visitors. The doors of Galataport, which has a total investment value of $1.7 billion including the tender bid, is opening its doors in 2020.

For the first time anywhere in the world, we have constructed a cruise port, where passengers will be received underground; the customs and customs-free areas can be flexibly adjusted and 1.5 million visitors, including crew members, can be hosted in the city’s culturally and historically richest area. Positioned as a major-hub-pier, Galataport İstanbul will kick cruise tourism into higher gear in a vast area ranging from the Mediterranean Basin to the Black Sea. We will host 25 million visitors, 7 million of whom will be international tourists. Hence, the new and modern face of İstanbul will be presented in a visual setting that is unparalleled anywhere on earth, yet without losing its ties to its past.”

On the other hand, Bilgili Holding President Serdar Bilgili stressed how happy they were to be part of this project together with Doğuş Group and continued: “Galataport İstanbul is an investment that will transform the city’s social life with many new experiences it will offer to visitors. Once launched, our project will open up a part of the coastline that had been closed for two centuries and offer a sort of time travel experience to both domestic and international tourists. Therefore, Galataport İstanbul means so much more than a mere port project.”

Doğuş Group’s Deputy Chairman Hüsnü Akhan added: “Located on 1.2 kilometers of coastline, Galataport will help Karaköy regain the old spirit it once possessed when it was the city’s center of commerce. It is an honor for us to be part of this project with the cooperation between the Doğuş and Bilgili groups. Galataport İstanbul will have various functions ranging from culture and arts to gastronomy and tourism.”

A $1.7 billion investment

The project, which has a total investment value of $1.7 billion including the tender bid, covers a length of 1.2 kilometers of coastline on the Bosporus. With Galataport İstanbul, the city will enjoy a new center of living. This center will not only be harmonious with the natural setting of the area, but also house institutions of arts and culture, a world-class cruise port, a distinguished hotel chain, various brands catering to several segments, cafes, restaurants and office space. Domestic as well as international tourists and residents of İstanbul will enjoy this living space together, while the new port terminal will have unmatched features and innovative technologies with its underground design.

25 million visitors every year

The renewed historic port will be İstanbul’s naval gateway to the world. The port has been designed to serve 15,000 passengers and crew every day by joining three ships. Once the project is completed, projections call for 1.5 million cruise passengers and crew to visit İstanbul every year. Galataport İstanbul will host 25 million visitors, seven million of whom will be international guests. The economic contribution of this activity to Turkey’s tourism income is estimated at around one billion USD.

The plans of the project include roughly 250 food retail points. The total area reserved for rent by food retailers is approximately 52,000 square meters, while total office space for rent is roughly 43,000 square meters.

The Tophane Square, whose landscape design is part of the project, will once again become a major square of İstanbul. With its two museums and total recreational area of 14,000 square meters, Galataport İstanbul will turn into a new center for arts and cultural life in the city. This area will mark the first museum square of İstanbul and transform into a living center with the various activities planned to run throughout the year.

A hotel with 177 rooms operated by one of the world’s major chains

Established in 1928 and operating only out of ten major distinguished locations in the world, the Peninsula Group headquartered in Hong Kong will open its hotel in Istanbul right across the historic peninsula, befitting its name. The Peninsula Group will not only be the operator, but also the 50% owner of the Peninsula İstanbul project and thereby make a major contribution to both Galataport İstanbul and the country’s tourism industry.

Employment for 5,000 individuals

With the many operational fields and investments within, Galataport İstanbul will make major contributions to the Turkish economy as well as the tourism industry. During its busiest phase, Galataport will offer employment to 5,000 individuals including the jobs offered by the contractors. Once fully operational, upon the opening of the cruise port, the cafes and restaurants offering guests local as well as international tastes, the shops housing domestic as well international brands, the hotel, offices and the high capacity car park, the project is expected to offer employment to approximately 4,500 individuals.

Turku Maritime Fair 2019 to look at digitalisation, career prospects

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 29 August 2019 29 August 2019

Maritime Fair 2019, the biannual maritime cluster gathering at the Finnish port and shipbuilding city of Turku, will this time focus on the effects of digitalisation to the cluster and employment prospects in it, event organisers said in a statement.

An exhibition highlighting shipping industry and start-up companies will form part of the fair, while a conference with workshops, panel discussions and career events, will run parallel to it.

The fair will take place at Aboa Mare, Auriga Business Center in Turku, Finland, from 31 October to 1 November. The Maritime Fair 2019 targets professionals within the shipping industry, seafarers, shipping and start-up companies, authorities, maritime trainers and students. The fair is organized every second year.

Alexander Avanth, digital entrepreneur and director of business innovation at PTC Holdings hosts a keynote during day one and a ‘Future Leadership and Forecasting’ workshop during day two at the Maritime Fair.

The workshop is intended for leaders from the maritime industry and enables participants to visualise a road map concerning leadership and strategies, in a digitalised maritime future.

The effect of technologies such as autonomous vessels, general artificial intelligence (AI), genetic modification and biotechnology often overwhelm us, according

to Alexander Avanth. It is necessary to grasp the future in the sense most common to ourselves. This means that an organisation quickly must locate their limitations in knowledge, in order to find a strategical business partner, Alexander Avanth adds.

A panel debate on autonomous shipping will take place on the first day during the Conference, titled ‘Will autonomous shipping be reality and in what extent?’. Maritime industry leaders share their views and discuss the future of shipping in the panel debate.

The career day event also takes place during day one. The event is organised by Aboa Mare ́s student association, ENÅ. Representatives from different shipping companies, private yachts and the Finnish Maritime Authorities will give presentations about career possibilities and discuss job opportunities with the audience.

Silver Moon launched at Ancona

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 29 August 2019 29 August 2019

Silver Moon, the second of three cruise ships that Fincantieri is building for Silversea Cruises took place today at the Ancona shipyard in Italy, the shipbuilder said in a statement.

The 40,700 gross ton and 596 passenger capacity vessel will enter service next year and it will be followed by Silver Dawn in 2021. Silver Muse, the first unit of the class, was completed in 2017.

Silversea Cruises is based at Monaco and it is controlled by Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd (RCCL).

MSC Grandiosa to feature fine art and dining experience

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 27 August 2019 27 August 2019

MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise line, said that MSC Grandiosa, the newest and largest ship in the its fleet and which is set to enter service on 9 November, will host the world’s first fine art experience on board a cruise ship.

“The immersive art and dining experience featuring ‘Degas Danse Dessin’ will bring guests closer to the world of fine art with a spellbinding exhibition of the artists world renowned original Impressionist art. Housed in a purpose-built installation within the new French Bistro chic L’Atelier Bistro on-board MSC Grandiosa at the heart of the ship’s Mediterranean-style Promenade,” the company said in a statement.

The Danse Dessin series presents 26 studies of movement and dance and was previously exhibited in major international galleries and museums. With each new ship that MSC Cruises introduces to its fleet, the cruise line aims to elevate the cruising experience for holidaymakers, the company said.