Assembly of Carnival Mardi Gras’ hull begins at Meyer Turku

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 18 June 2019 18 June 2019

The hull assembly phase of Carnival Mardi Gras, a 180 000 gross ton cruise ship of Carnival Cruise Line, was celebrated with a traditional coin ceremony at Meyer Turku shipyard today. The coin set on top of the keel blocks will be placed into the ship for good luck after the float-out of the ship, the shipbuilder said in a statement.

The ship’s technical design is shared with a numberof newbuildings of Costa Crociere, P&O Cruises and AIDA Cruises that are all built at Meyer’s shipyards at Turku in Finland and Papenburg in Germany. All four are Carnival Corporation & plc group brands and each ship's interiors will be designed in accordance to the requirements of the brand they will operate for.

This time the assembly of the ship hull had already began few weeks before by the arrival of floating engine room unit from another Meyer shipyard, Neptun Werft, in Rostock, Germany.

“Mardi Gras is the second LNG powered cruise ship being built at Meyer Turku and will have many interesting attractions, including six themed zones.  Ultimate Playground will have water slides, a ropes course and the first in the world roller coaster onboard a ship. The French Quarter will have New Orleans-inspired cocktail bars and restaurants, at Lido pool area passengers are able to enjoy fun in the sun,” Meyer Turku said .

At the heart of the ship there is Grand Central, a large open three-deck space for entertainment and relaxing. A special feature of Grand Central, one that will really connect the passengers to the sea, is its floor-to-ceiling glass front, a complex feat of design and engineering skill.

Carnival Mardi Gras is already benefiting from some of the investments of Meyer Turku’s €200 million investment programme. The steel halls at the shipyard are going through a major rebuilding with new machines and IT-systems, but also new processes to build the ships with newly trained employees.

“We are seeing the benefits already and will continue to see more benefits later this year. Already our automated steel pre-treatment facility and storage have been up and running for some time now and supporting the steel construction of Mardi Gras”, Jan Meyer tells.

Iona coin ceremony held at Meyer Werft in Germany

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 17 June 2019 17 June 2019

The team building P&O Cruises’ 180,000 gross ton Iona, which will be powered by liquefied natural gas, making it the UK’s greenest ship, celebrated the milestone with the traditional coin-laying ceremony, the company said in a statement.

It was held at Meyer Werft in Papenburg in Germany on 14 June. Iona is the first of two similar ships to be built there for P&O Cruises, which is part of the Carnival Corporation & plc group. Iona will enter service next summer and the yet unnamed second ship in 2022.

“A bronze coin from the historic Iona Abbey and a slice of precious green Iona marble from the island were placed under the block housing the bow thrusters before the block was then lowered onto these items,” P&O Cruises said in a statement.

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow who attended the event said “This was an auspicious occasion in Iona’s build. The coin-laying is a long-held ship-building tradition which is to bring good luck to the ship and its crew through from construction to the future at sea.

“It is very special to think that a small part of the island of Iona will live within our own Iona. We hope that the qualities of beauty, heritage, pride, camaraderie, mutual support and loyalty from the island which attracted us to the name will be inherent in our ship, its crew and guests.

“The build of any ship is an incredible achievement but to see one of this size and scope is an extraordinary feat of skilled design and engineering. To view Iona’s SkyDome take shape was literally breath-taking – no other ship in the world has a glass dome of this quality of construction and scale. The extent of the space on Iona has allowed us to create not only spectacular spaces for shows, entertainment, dining and wellness but also many more intimate spaces for tranquility and relaxation as well as exclusive performances. Iona will be game-changer for holidays.”

As part of the ceremony the ship’s central steel block, the “mega block”, which has already been constructed was “floated out” on to the water. The 21.5 metre long block weighs 461 tons, is 19.4 metres wide and 9.8 metres high and had to be lifted by a 600 ton crane. The next steps are the block assembly of the bow and forward part of the ship in the dock as well as the further outfitting of the “mega block” in the harbour basin. In August, the “mega block” will be brought inside to the building dock and welded to the forward part.

MSC for Me app to include new features on MSC Grandiosa

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 17 June 2019 17 June 2019

MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise shipping company, said it has introduced new features for its MSC for Me multi-channel digital programme on MSC Grandiosa.

Since its introduction on board MSC Meraviglia in 2017, MSC Cruises has introduced this digital innovation programme on four more ships, MSC Seaside, MSC Seaview, MSC Splendida and MSC Bellissima, each time adding more features to improve guest experience

The new features that have been introduced this year encompass not only the onboard experience but also pre-cruise, so that guests can better plan everything they want to experience before they even set foot on board.

“These services include the option to book packages through the MSC for Me app and add them already to their persona agenda. Meanwhile on board new services such as the Friends & Family Locator and the MSC for Me Chat, help guests to stay connected with the people they are travelling with. All these innovations are designed to save valuable time for the guest that they can spend more time enjoying their holiday,” the company said in a statement.

In the latest update, guests can browse and select pre-paid packages. Drinks and specialty restaurant packages or shore excursions are all available to browse and purchase ahead of time at the very best prices.

Guests also can begin to plan their time aboard by adding selected pre-booked experiences to their pre-cruise personal agenda, whether it be excursions, specialty restaurant reservation or that exciting Cirque du Soleil at Sea show.

Pre-registering of a credit card through the app prior to the cruise is then one less thing that guests need to do when they embark, giving them more time to enjoy their holiday once on board is also a new feature.

 

Carnival Cruise Line announces senior officers for Mardi Gras

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 16 June 2019 16 June 2019

Carnival Cruise Line has announced the appointment of the senior officers for its newest and most innovative ship, Mardi Gras, currently under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland and set to debut in summer 2020.

“For a ship as special as Mardi Gras, we’ve assembled an equally impressive team that has been hand-selected to deliver this unique expression of the Carnival vacation experience,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Mardi Gras’ crew will be led by some of the most talented and experienced mariners in cruising who will oversee the final stages of construction and usher in this exciting chapter of Carnival Cruise Line’s history.”

Mardi Gras’ senior officers will include:

– Captain Giuseppe Giusa: A 31-year veteran of the maritime industry, Captain Giusa joined Carnival in 1993 after serving as a sergeant in the Italian Navy. After working his way through the ranks at Carnival and serving on the start-up teams of seven of the company’s ships, Giusa was named captain of Carnival Ecstasy in 2004, making him the youngest officer ever appointed to this position. Most recently, he served as captain on Carnival Breeze. “The original Mardi Gras that debuted in 1972 set the tone for Carnival’s long history of Fun Ships. I am proud and honored to be a part of what this new Mardi Gras represents – a technologically advanced ship with exciting new ways for our guests to enjoy this truly unique vacation experience,” Giusa said.
– Chief Engineer Ferdinando Ruocco: A graduate of the Nino Bixio Nautical School in Piano di Sorrento, Italy, Ruocco joined Carnival in 1997 following a career in the tanker industry. He was named chief engineer of Carnival Triumph in 2010, and over the past nine years, has served in this capacity for six vessels, most recently Carnival Valor. He has also served as the fleet’s chief engineer working with Carnival Corporation’s Maritime Quality Assurance team to prepare the company for its two new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)-powered vessels, which includes Mardi Gras, the first cruise ship in North America powered by this technology. “I am truly proud and honored to be a part of this groundbreaking journey which is a technological advancement for our company, as well as a professional development opportunity for our entire technical team,” Ruocco said.
– Hotel Director Pierre B. Camilleri – Now in his 16th year with Carnival, Camilleri joined the company in 2004 as hotel director after managing a variety of hotel and resort properties in his native Malta, as well as Europe and Asia. He has served as hotel director on several Carnival ships and has been part of the inaugural teams for the line’s last three newbuilds, traveling to Italy to oversee the delivery of Carnival Breeze, Carnival Vista and Carnival Horizon. “I am grateful and privileged to be selected to lead our experienced and talented hotel team onboard Mardi Gras. The features on this ship, from food offerings to entertainment venues, have been carefully chosen and are unmatched in the industry. The amazing Mardi Gras hardware, coupled with the extraordinary service for which Carnival is known, will allow us to offer an unsurpassed experience our guests will fondly remember as one of the best vacations ever,” Camilleri said.

These talented professionals will lead a team of more than 1,700 dedicated crew members who will travel to Turku, Finland, to prepare the ship for its inaugural Aug. 31, 2020 voyage – a nine-day cruise from Copenhagen to Southampton. The ship will then reposition to New York for a series of voyages before arriving in Port Canaveral, Fla., for year-round seven-day Caribbean sailings beginning in October.

Mardi Gras will feature a number of innovations as well, including BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea; the first seagoing restaurant by legendary chef Emeril Lagasse; and a variety of new accommodation choices, including the premium Carnival Excel suites with special amenities and access to a new resort-style, open-air enclave, Loft 19.