Viking Line celebrates Viking Glory's keel laying in China

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 03 June 2019 03 June 2019

The construction of Viking Glory is proceeding on schedule. The keel laying ceremony took place on June 3 at the Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry shipyard in China. The new eco-friendly ship will begin operating along the Turku-Åland-Stockholm route in 2021. Passengers can make bookings for the ship from December 2019.

The keel laying ceremony is an old shipbuilding tradition, in which coins are placed under the keel of the ship to bring luck during the construction phase. In the ceremony, the first section of the ship is lowered onto the keel blocks on which the lucky coins have been placed. The keel laying ceremony symbolises the birth of the ship; the point at which the first section is complete and the other sections can then be joined together. Once the ship is ready for launch, the lucky coins under its keel are recovered and stored until they can be later welded to the base of the ship’s mast.

The eco-friendly ship Viking Glory will offer passengers unprecedented archipelago views and has already stirred a great deal of interest in Finland and Sweden. The name competition held in April produced more than 22,000 name suggestions. Viking Line will start taking bookings for the new ship in December of this year.

Remastered Riviera returns to service

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 30 May 2019 30 May 2019

Oceania Cruises revealed the many exciting enhancements that were recently completed during the Riviera’s dry-dock in Marseille, France as part of the brand’s OceaniaNEXT program. Similar enhancements will be carried out on Riviera’s sister ship Marina, in May 2020.

“With the evolution of OceaniaNEXT, this was a great opportunity to not just enhance the guest experience aboard Riviera, but to elevate it through the addition of surprising new elements,” stated Bob Binder, President & CEO of Oceania Cruises.

The most dramatic change is the all-new coffee bar area and addition of a tony new lounge with sweeping sea views on Deck 14. Resplendent in silvery-grey and sea greens punctuated with bold accents of gold and high-gloss ebony and white marble, the new Bar Istas lounge is the perfect place to relax in quietude or enjoy lively conversation over a bespoke illy coffee creation. There is even a brand new gleaming silver Victoria Arduino espresso machine – the reputed “Rolls Royce of Coffee”.

Riviera’s 200 Concierge and 244 Veranda staterooms along with the 124 Penthouse Suites radiate a stylish new air inspired by the better-than-new Insignia and Sirena. Retaining the warmth and charm they’re renowned for, the lustrous wenge walnut paneling and upholstered headboards are now offset with tones of Espresso, Caramel, and Ivory in the new carpeting and fabrics.

The proverbial jewel in the crown of the re-mastering are the three next-generation Owner’s Suites furnished exclusively with the Ralph Lauren Home Collection. Guests now enter through the breathtaking foyer with a limestone and black cabochon inset floor, walls of inset Georgian wood paneling, and a mahogany and quartzite bar. Spacious and airy, this grand room features dramatic sea-views from floor-to-ceiling windows dressed with Ralph Lauren Home Grimaldi-weave sail fabric, along with a self- playing ebony piano that provides the perfect interlude for in-suite entertaining.

The elegant living room is anchored by a new deep-navy sectional accented with saddle-suede and accompanied by a mahogany Lounge Moderne chair upholstered in navy and white Super-Yacht Stripe. The centerpiece of the dining room is the Mayfair dining table with a new Barrett Knurled chandelier overhead.

The master suite, which is an entire retreat unto itself, has taken on an entirely new persona with a new Cote D'Azure king-size bed, elegant Mayfair Bergere side chairs upholstered in Sutton Suede Doe, and dramatic nickel-trimmed lighting accents.

Finally, the wraparound teak verandas feature stylish pieces that were custom-crafted by Ralph Lauren Home for Oceania Cruises.

Designed by Los Angeles based Trevor R. Howells Interior Design, the Owner’s Suites reflect Ralph Lauren’s appreciation for sailing, Hollywood glamour and timeless, classical beauty.

Marine Catering Expo announces full agenda and speakers

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 30 May 2019 30 May 2019

Marine Catering Expo (MCE), taking place June 19-20, 2019, at the Miami Beach Convention Center, is the world’s first exhibition and forum to focus exclusively on the ever-evolving marine catering industry. It will provide an opportunity for galley and restaurant stakeholders to meet with qualified buyers from the marine sector. Co-located with the highly anticipated Cruise Ship Interiors Expo (CSIE) – the world’s first event focusing exclusively on interior design, architecture, and outfitting in the cruise industry – MCE will showcase the most innovative designs and technologies used in the galley and restaurant areas.

More than 15 C-level speakers will discuss and debate the industry’s most important issues across a series of focused sessions at Marine Catering Forum. Sessions include:

– Designing Marine Catering with Guest Experience in Mind
– Produce & Menus
– Designing the Perfect Galley
– Sustainability at Sea
– Legislation, Regulations & the Health Aspect of Public Spaces

Attendees registered to attend Marine Catering Expo will also have complimentary access to conference sessions at the co-located CSIE.

Led by industry experts, the Marine Catering Forum has been specially curated to inspire delegates and provide tangible solutions to challenges presented by the galley.

One of the speakers on the Forum will be vice president of specialty at WaterLogic USA, Harry W. Ostwald. In anticipation of his session, which will focus on sustainability, Ostwald commented: “I'll be showcasing the positive impact that cruise companies can have by removing single-serve plastic, as well as highlighting the benefits of point-of-use filtration versus plastic bottles.”

The Forum will begin on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at 11.20am – after CSIE’s keynote session, ‘Cruise Industry Outlook: Leaders’ Debate’ – with a session led by director international key account marine at RATIONAL, Mikael Eliasson, and director of food systems & equipment at Royal Caribbean Cruises, Paul Fortin. Other key speakers include:

– Vice president of cruise at DSV Air & Sea, Maxine Krajniak
– Sustainability and external relations director at Costa Cruises, Stefania Lallai
– Vice president of sales at SeaKing, Pasi Suvanto
– Senior vice president of hotel operations at Virgin Voyages, Frank Weber

Attendees at the event will enjoy two days of networking, a sold-out show floor across both shows, and product launches and demonstrations from world-leading brands.

Intercruises offering expanded range of port operations services

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 30 May 2019 30 May 2019

Intercruises Shoreside & Port Services, an experienced global business offering ground handling and port operation services to the ocean and river cruise industry, has established a Global Port Operations Team providing a comprehensive range of vessel and crew services in destinations around the world.

Since 2005, Intercruises has been offering port agency, but following strong growth and consistent demand for a wider array of services, a dedicated team has been setup to offer a full catalogue of port operation solutions. Cruise lines and third parties, such as concessionaires, can customize service agreements according to their needs, ranging from a single service, to having Intercruises as their one point of contact for all port operations services, for all vessels, in all ports.

The range of services on offer are categorized as below:

– Agency: A scale of services, ranging from standard legal representation and port agency coordination, to full general agency, including itinerary planning support and all berth reservations

– Logistics: Solutions for both commercial calls and dry-dock projects, including shipping, warehousing, transportation and customs brokerage

– Crew: Services for onboard, embarking & disembarking crew, such as accommodation, transportation, visas & legal representation, medical care and tours

– Terminal: Management of services related to vessel terminal operations, including security and luggage/stevedoring

“This is the natural evolution of this service area and enables greater customization, with cruise lines able to select individual or multiple port operations services as per their requirements. A cruise line could contract us to manage a significant amount of their port operations worldwide, or may want us to focus on a specific service in one port. Overall it is about delivering a consistent, efficient and high quality service tailored to the needs of our cruise line partners.” Said Ramon Hurtado, Global Product & Operations Manager

The Intercruises Global Port Operations Team works with cruise lines, ports and Intercruises’ network of local destination teams to ensure smooth operations and a consistently high quality of service. The team is led by Robert Moroney, who joined Intercruises in January 2019 as Global Port Operations Manager, based in Fort Lauderdale. Robert is supported by Miquel Biosca, Global Port Operations Business Development Manager and Nohemí Alcaucer Marti, Global Logistics Manager. Both have been working at Intercruises for a number of years and are based in the Intercruises Corporate Office in Barcelona. For more information visit www.intercruises.com