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Fincantieri cuts steel for Viking's seventh newbuild

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

The steel cutting ceremony of the seventh ship which Fincantieri is building for Viking Cruises, took place on March 18 at the shipyard in Ancona.

The new unit, whose delivery is scheduled in 2021, will be placed in the small cruise ship segment. As its sister ships, she will have a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tons and 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers.

The Viking units are all built according to the latest navigation regulations and equipped with the most modern safety systems, including the “Safe return to port”. Furthermore, they feature the most advanced technologies for energy saving and for meeting the strictest environmental regulations with energy-efficient engines and an exhaust gas cleaning system.

Fincantieri started its partnership with Viking in 2012, trusting the shipowner who was entering the ocean cruise market as a start-up. Today, the cooperation which first began with an order for two ships, has reached a total of 20 units, including the order awarded to Vard for two exploration cruise ships and the options. This is an all-time record, the largest number of units built by a shipbuilder for one sole shipowner.

The first of the series, Viking Star, has been built at the shipyard in Marghera and delivered in 2015. The other units, Viking Sea, Viking Sky, Viking Sun, and Viking Orion, handed over in 2016, 2017 and 2018, were all built at the Ancona yard, as well as Viking Jupiter, which joined the shipowner’s fleet in February. Other 10 units, options included, for Viking Cruises will take to the sea from the Group’s Italian yards between 2021 and 2027.

Cypriot niche operator Poseidon Expeditions appoint GAC as national agent in UK

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 March 2019 15 March 2019

Niche cruise specialists Poseidon Expeditions, whose headquarters are in Limassol in Cyprus, are coming to the United Kingdom, and GAC has been appointed as their national agent to take care of the 114-passenger Sea Spirit from the Scilly Isles in the south to the coast of Scotland in the north, the company said in a statement.

The expedition cruise line offers luxury sailings to remote and less frequented destinations, such as the Arctic and Antarctic. They aim to give curious, discerning travellers the perfect combination of comfort, service and adventure, serving a global clientele with offices in the UK, Cyprus, Germany, USA, China and Russia.

Poseidon Expeditions is the latest cruise company to select GAC UK as its agent, joining other operators such as Ponant, Fred Olsen and Grand Circle Cruise Line.

The Sea Spirit will take GAC UK to 25 ports on the Isles of May and Noss, Bass Rock, Grutness, Moussa, Llandudno, St Kilda and more, to arrange berths, timings, attractions and itineraries. Some of the calls are to uninhabited islands, where careful enquiries and arrangements have been made to establish ownership and permission to land the guests.

Angelica Vorea, CEO of Poseidon Expeditions, says: “In 2019, we expanded the geographic scope of our cruise destinations with the inclusion of the British Isles. The ‘Sea Spirit ‘ will be visiting coastal areas and smaller islands, inaccessible to larger vessels, keeping with our mission of providing our guests with a destination-focused experience, combining a high standard of onboard comfort and service with the spirit of adventure. We look forward to this new cooperation with GAC, which will provide our guests with an exceptional experience in the UK.”

Fergus Poole, GAC UK’s Cruise Manager, says: “With a 300% increase in cruise calls for 2019, along with the expansion of the range of our cruise products to include baggage distribution and ground handling services, we look forward to forging close ties with Poseidon Expeditions, and many other cruise lines in the years to come.”

The Sea Spirit will set off from Plymouth on 20 May, and complete its tour

Costa Smeralda floated out at Meyer Turku shipyard

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 March 2019 15 March 2019

Costa Smeralda, the second unit in a series of LNG powered 180 000 gross tons ships for four brands of Carnival Corporation & plc group, will be floated out at Meyer Turku in Finland today.

The ship is due to be Costa Cruises in and it will be the first LNG powered cruise ship in the Costa fleet.

“With LNG a breakthrough in fuel technology, Costa Smeralda represents a major innovation for the international market and an important step toward setting new standards for the entire sector. Costa Group is the market leader in Europe and China, and we continue to make sustainable tourism a key part of our industry leadership” says Neil Palomba, President of Costa Cruises.

Meyer Turku has been leading the LNG revolution in ship building for several years now, with already two LNG powered ships delivered.

“We have been very excited to bring our expertise in designing, engineering and construction of LNG ships in service for Costa Smeralda. This ship is also going to be a step up in ship size for us, as we are continuing our production ramp-up to two times the level of previous high for the shipyard”, CEO of Meyer Turku, Jan Meyer, says.

In addition to Costa Cruises, the same platform will be shared by Carnival group members AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line.

Fourth berth opens at Costa Maya

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 13 March 2019 13 March 2019

A pier expansion has been completed at costa Maya on the Caribbean coast of Mexico and the facility now has four berths open for business, it said in a statement.

The fourth berth has a length of 318 metres, while two of the already existing ones have a length of 392 metres and one of 463 metres.

The work on berth four was completed on time and on budget, Costa Maya said.

Emeril Lagasse spices up Carnival Cruise Line's Mardi Gras with first-ever restaurant at sea

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 06 March 2019 06 March 2019

Carnival Cruise Line today announced that it has partnered with world-renowned chef and restaurateur Emeril Lagasse on his first-ever seagoing restaurant aboard Carnival's newest and most innovative ship, Mardi Gras, setting sail in summer 2020.

Located in the heart of Mardi Gras' French Quarter zone, Emeril's Bistro 1396 will showcase the chef's signature dishes that earned him the reputation as one of New Orleans' most acclaimed and respected chefs.

"Mardi Gras is designed as the ultimate vacation experience, and that extends to the food and beverage offerings," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "Emeril Lagasse has brought the uniqueness and fun of New Orleans dining to foodies all over the world, and we're thrilled that he'll now bring that same experience to Carnival. There is no one better suited than Emeril to add a level of authenticity to the Mardi Gras experience that will give our guests another way to Choose Fun."

"I've developed restaurants all over the country, but to create my first restaurant at sea – on a ship named Mardi Gras with its own French Quarter, no less – was an opportunity I simply could not pass up," said Lagasse. "I'm excited to be a part of this brand new ship and bring a taste of the flavors of New Orleans cuisine to the guests sailing on Mardi Gras."

Named after Mardi Gras' hull number at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, the bistro will celebrate New Orleans' rich culture with Creole favorites and daily specials.

The menu will include: oyster and cochon de lait po-boys, muffaletta sandwiches, Emeril's signature barbecue shrimp, fresh seafood ceviche, roasted duck & Andouille sausage gumbo, jambalaya, and complements such as Creole potato salad with diced scallions, and red beans and "jazz-man" rice. Breakfast offerings will feature shrimp and grits and a shrimp Creole omelet. The New Orleans classic Bananas Foster and lemon ice box pie will be available for dessert.

Emeril's Bistro 1396 will take center stage in Mardi Gras' French Quarter, one of the ship's six themed zones where guests will find fun, memorable ways to create their own personalized vacations. The French Quarter will capture the festive spirit of Louisiana with food, cocktails and, of course, live jazz.

Currently under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, Mardi Gras is slated to enter service in Europe Aug. 31, 2020, before repositioning to New York for a series of voyages then shift to Port Canaveral for year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises beginning in Oct. 2020.