Carnival Vista launches year-round service from PortMiami

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 28 November 2016 28 November 2016

PortMiami welcomed Carnival Cruise Line’s newest, largest and most innovative ship, Carnival Vista, when it arrived yesterday to kick off a year-round schedule of 6- and 8-night cruises to the Caribbean.

To officially welcome Carnival Vista to its Miami homeport, Carnival Vista Captain Stefano Battinelli and PortMiami Assistant Director Fred Wong participated in a traditional maritime plaque exchange prior to the ship’s inaugural departure from Miami.

As the line’s newest ship, Carnival Vista takes cruising to new heights, introducing groundbreaking features such as SkyRide, a suspended open-air cycling experience; the world’s first IMAX® Theatre on a ship; Kaleid-O-Slide, the line’s first water tube slide, part of the ship’s massive WaterWorks aqua park; and the RedFrog Pub & Brewery featuring the first brewery on a North American-based cruise ship.

“Miami has been our home since our company’s inception in 1972 and homeporting the new Carnival Vista here not only provides consumers with a convenient homeport with renovated facilities and numerous operational enhancements but speaks volumes about our confidence in growing this important market,” and said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president.

“We are thankful for Carnival Cruise Line’s continued growth at PortMiami,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “The arrival of new and innovative cruise ships such as Carnival Vista helps solidify our place as a global hub for travel and tourism, vital to the continual growth and development of our community.”

“It’s an exciting day at PortMiami,” said PortMiami Director/CEO Juan M. Kuryla. “There’s no doubt that the arrival of the Carnival Vista, Carnival Cruise Line’s newest and largest cruise ship, represents a new vacation option for passengers sailing out of the Cruise Capital of the World. We’re grateful to have this opportunity, and we look forward to continue strengthening our partnership with Carnival,” he added.

Island-intensive Caribbean cruises from Miami

Carnival Vista kicked off its new schedule from PortMiami with a special 6-night cruise to Grand Turk, Ocho Rios and Nassau that departed yesterday. The ship will then launch a year-round schedule of 6- and 8-night cruises beginning with an 8-night voyage departing Dec. 3, 2016. Six-night cruises feature Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, while a mix of different 8-night itineraries visit some of the Caribbean’s most sought-after destinations, including Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Kitts, St. Maarten and La Romana (Dominican Republic).

The ship will also offer a combination of one-time voyages, including a 5-night cruise departing Dec. 11 and 7-night voyages departing Dec. 17 and 24, 2016, that offer an exciting selection of ports including the Caribbean’s newest destination, Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, as well as Mahogany Bay, Grand Turk, Belize, San Juan, St. Thomas and Cozumel, depending on the itinerary.

In addition to visiting breathtaking Caribbean destinations, guests can experience all the Carnival Vista has to offer – from the colorful Havana area with tropics-inspired staterooms and suites and Family Harbor with special accommodations and a new family concierge to delicious choices like Seafood Shack and new al fresco options at the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse, Bonsai Sushi and Cherry On Top, featuring a mixed-to-order premium ice cream bar.

MSC Cruises and Fincantieri celebrate float out of the MSC Seaside

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 28 November 2016 28 November 2016

MSC Cruises and Fincantieri, heir to the great tradition of Italian shipbuilding and one of the largest shipbuilding groups in the world, on Saturday celebrated the float out of MSC Seaside, one of two new groundbreaking megaships that MSC Cruises is bringing into service between June and December 2017. The ceremony took place this at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, where the ship is being built.

MSC Seaside will homeport in PortMiami as of December 2017 and will sail year round in the Caribbean – further enriching the company’s offering in the region with MSC Cruises having a total of five of the most modern cruise ships serving the Caribbean once MSC Seaside debuts.

“This is another exciting milestone in our ambitious expansion plans as we see the second of our 11 next-generation cruise ships entering the final stages of her construction,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman. “MSC Seaside has been specifically designed to provide our guests with a unique onboard experience in warmer regions and boasts one the highest ratios of outdoor space in the industry so that guests can enjoy a range of open-air activities such as dining and drinking al fresco, strolling along the promenade or simply taking in the beautiful sea views from the privacy of one of the many balcony staterooms.”

“We are delighted with the strength of sales for MSC Seaside so far, from both American and European guests alike,” said Vago. “The Caribbean continues to be an ever popular destination for travelers. With the addition of MSC Seaside, we are further strengthening our ability to serve this demand in this key region with five cruise ships for the winter 2017/18 season, each bringing our own, distinctive Mediterranean flair and elegance to the Caribbean vacation experience.”

“Seeing this ship taking shape has a value which is not only symbolic for the group that I lead, but also for me personally,” said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri. “We acquired the order for the construction of it, along with a sister ship, in 2014, at the turn of an unprecedented crisis and an equally extraordinary explosion of the market. We placed such great ambitions for this order, undertaking to give the owner a state-of-the-art product, able to meet its vision of modern cruising. Being successful with a prototype and such a recognizable design, which confirms our commercial and technology leadership in this sector, makes us doubly proud of the result.”

MSC Seaside is the first of a completely new and innovative generation of cruise ships being built by MSC Cruises leading Italian shipyard Fincantieri. With this new prototype inspired by an elegant beach condo, MSC Cruises is pushing the boundaries with its bold design concept and demonstrates the Company’s continued commitment to put the guest experience at the center of all innovation and product development. Every element of the ship is designed to bring guests closer to the sea with special design features such as a unique 360° ocean level promenade, panoramic glass elevators, and a breathtaking 98 foot bridge on the top deck. In addition, with 73 percent of the staterooms featuring balconies, guests will never be far from a view of the ocean.

MSC Seaside brings to life the key distinguishing elements of an MSC Cruises’ experience. An extensive range of comfortable accommodations will meet the various needs of a wide range of cruise guests, including chic aft corner suites as part of the unique beach condo design, clever modular connected staterooms designed for families and groups of up to ten people, and a collection of balcony staterooms with a private terrace overlooking the promenade.

In addition, MSC Cruises has taken its MSC Yacht Club – a unique ship-within-a-ship concept first introduced by MSC Cruises – to the next level. Located on the prestigious foredecks of the ship and offering a private sun deck, a private lounge and private restaurant, the MSC Yacht Club has been expanded on MSC Seaside to now be over five decks. The MSC Yacht Club will also feature two coveted apartment suites that include a living room and a large balcony with a dining area and private whirlpool.

On board MSC Seaside, the dining experience has been designed to inspire and delight with a huge choice of Mediterranean and international cuisines served in 11 different dining venues, including five specialty restaurants. Of these, one is a Pan-Asian specialty restaurant created in partnership with world renowned chef Roy Yamaguchi and two are buffets serving food 20 hours a day, with one designed specifically for families.

The onboard entertainment, another award-winning feature of the MSC Cruises offering, will cater to all age groups and includes a stunning 934 seat theater offering four performances every night. Meanwhile, the interactive aqua park with its four exhilarating slides will provide hours of fun for the entire family, the 394 foot long zip line will appeal to thrill-seekers, and the aft pool will be the perfect spot for those looking for complete relaxation.

In addition to all of the fun that will be had while on board, MSC Seaside will enable guests to experience the Caribbean Sea like never before, while calling at exotic and stunning ports such as George Town in the Cayman Islands, Cozumel in Mexico and Nassau in the Bahamas. From October 2018, MSC Seaside will also call at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the stunning marine reserve private island in the Bahamas, exclusively available for MSC Cruises guests.

The float out is an important milestone in the construction of a cruise ship as it is the moment where the ship first floats on water when the dry dock is flooded and the ship is moved to a wet dock for the final phase of her construction. The exterior of the ship is complete and work moves to complete interiors, fixtures and fittings.

At 1059 feet long with a gross tonnage of 160,000 tons, the ship will feature a maximum capacity of 5,179 guests (4,140 guests at double occupancy). MSC Seaside is the first of two identical ships in the Seaside generation. Her sister ship – MSC Seaview – is set to enter service in the Spring 2018 and will be based in the Western Mediterranean, while a third one – reflecting an existing option for one additional Seaside generation ship – would be delivered by 2021.

Costa Cruises' 'Bravo Chef: The show' debuts on Costa Pacifica

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 28 November 2016 28 November 2016

Costa Cruises is known for showcasing Italy's finest, especially when it comes to the cuisine onboard. Now Costa is sharing insider tips and tricks with guests through "Bravo Chef: The Show," a new cooking experience starring the onboard executive chefs preparing typical Italian regional recipes and international dishes. The culinary presentations debuted on Costa Pacifica and will gradually roll out to seven more Costa ships.

A "show kitchen" set is created on the main theater stage, with cameras projecting the cooking action onto large screens. Costa chefs demonstrate how to make dishes in the Italian tradition, as well as some international recipes, preparing them step by step for guests.

Fleetwide, every day Costa ships serve 520 representative dishes from 18 regions of Italy to showcase Italian culinary excellence. With "Bravo Chef: The Show," guests will learn how to prepare some of these traditional recipes at home and see how to make international dishes from several of the destinations on Costa's itineraries. For example, guests will learn how to make spaghetti with anchovies and breadcrumbs from Sicily, veal saltimbocca alla romana from Rome (veal, prosciutto and sage rolled up and cooked in dry white wine and butter), the traditional Basque dish bacalao pil-pil (dried, salted cod cooked with olive oil, chili pepper and garlic) and French bouillabaisse, just to name a few of the dishes that are presented during the show.

In addition to demonstrating how to prepare the dishes, "Bravo Chef: The Show" also provides useful tips on how to serve a perfect dinner. The ship's maitre d' will explain the correct selection and positioning of dishes, cutlery and glasses, while the sommelier will suggest complementary wines to serve with each recipe. The format will resemble a real television show with the cruise director serving as host.

Each "Bravo Chef: The Show" will end with a contest for guests in attendance who will be invited to answer a question related to the recipe. The first guest to give the correct answer via a remote-control button will win dinner for two at the Club Restaurant.

In addition to the demos, Costa is featuring a "Bravo Chef: The Battle" version. Guests will compete in a real-time cooking challenge to earn the title of "Bravo Chef for a Day." Contestants will prepare a dish using surprise ingredients contained in special "mystery boxes" for a jury composed of the ship's food and beverage director, the maitre d' and a guest. The cruise director will host the competition on the open deck poolside and the winner will receive dinner for two at the Club Restaurant or at Burger d'Autore, which serves gourmet Italian burgers.

"Bravo Chef: The Show" and "Bravo Chef: The Battle" premiered on Costa Pacifica Nov. 18 and will roll out on seven additional Costa ships: Costa Deliziosa, Costa Diadema, Costa Fascinosa, Costa Favolosa, Costa Luminosa, Costa Magica and Costa Mediterranea, where they will be staged on every cruise.

Oceanwide Expeditions behind Brodosplit expedition cruise ship order

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 27 November 2016 27 November 2016

Oceanwide Expedition, the Dutch expedition cruise specialist that currently operates two vessels, has emerged as the customer of the Brodosplit shipyard that recently ordered an expedition cruise ship at the Croatian builder.

“Due to an increased demand for polar cruises, Oceanwide Expeditions, the leading exploratory Polar cruise company since 1996, has commissioned the building of an innovative 180-passenger vessel. The ship, called the m/v Hondius, will be the strongest ice-strengthened vessel in the Polar regions. It is being built in Croatia by shipbuilder Brodosplit and will be available to customers in 2019,” the Dutch company said in a statement.

“We currently sail with our ice-strengthened 116-passenger vessels Plancius and Ortelius, and the Hondius will give us the opportunity to accommodate more travelers, to grow as a company, and to offer new, innovative products in the Polar regions,” said Oceanwide Expeditions’ CEO, Michel van Gessel, in the statement. “The name Hondius follows our custom to name our ships for celebrated Dutch-Flemish cartographers who continue to inspire us as we carry on their passion for exploration and discovery.”

Hondius was specially designed to support and serve Oceanwide’s exploratory programs and activity-based shore excursions in the Arctic and Antarctica. It will be rated Polar Class 6, similar to the previous Finnish-Swedish ice-class notation 1A-super. A speedy zodiac embarkation is guaranteed, with two separate gangways and an indoor platform that can be used for outdoor activities such as kayaking. While Hondius is at anchor during passenger excursions, it can drift or remain in position with the support of the bow and stern thrusters. One deck on board is reserved for an observation lounge, with a separate lecture room in order to offer simultaneous or multilingual lectures and presentations.

The vessel will be 107 meters (350 feet) long, with a breadth of 17.6 meters (58 feet). It will be equipped with two main engines for a total of 4,200 kW, generating a speed of 15 knots.

Hondius will offer passengers an advanced hotel standard of quarters, as well as a variety of cabin categories, from spacious suites and superiors to twin and quadruple cabins. Guests will be accommodated in the following configurations: 1 spacious suite (cabin size 33 m2), 6 suites with balcony (cabin size: 29 m2), 8 superior cabins with balcony (cabin size: 22 m2), 19 twin deluxe cabins, (cabin size: 22 m2), 14 twin-window cabins (cabin sizes: 14 to 16 m2), 31 twin porthole cabins, 2 triple porthole cabins and 4 quadruple porthole cabins (cabin sizes of the porthole cabins vary from 13 to 16 m2).