Genting Hong Kong to sign multi-ship order with Lloyd Werft Group 10 May

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 26 April 2016 26 April 2016

Genting Hong Kong, which earlier today announced the completion of the acquisition of Nordic Yards’ three shipyards in Germany, said it will sign a multi-ship order with Lloyd Werft Group, its shipbuilding division that also includes the earlier acquired Lloyd Werft.

“Tan Sri Lim, Chairman of Genting Hong Kong will be signing a significant new multi-ship order with the Lloyd Werft Group on 10th May and these orders will help support the German and European shipbuilding industrial sector and employment during the current shipbuilding downturn,” said Rüdiger Pallentin, Managing Director of Lloyd Werft, in a statement.

“To support the new shipbuilding program, Mr. Hui Lim, Executive Director - Chairman's Office and Chief Information Officer of Genting Hong Kong will open the new “Lloyd Werft Design Center” in Bremerhaven on 9th May, which will house more than 250 designers, and Edie Rodriguez, President and CEO of Crystal Cruises, will officiate at the steel cutting ceremony for the Crystal river ships also on 9th May.”

Genting Hong Kong has said earlier it plans to order three river yachts, a 25,000 gross ton expedition yacht and three 100,000 gross ton luxury cruise ships for its Crystal Cruises luxury market unit at Lloyd Werft.

Genting Hong Kong completes Nordic Yards’ acquisition

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 26 April 2016 26 April 2016

Genting Hong Kong, parent company of Star Cruises, Dream Cruise and Crystal Cruises, said it has completed the acquisition of Nordic Yards’ three shipyards in Wismar, Warnemunde and Stralsund, Germany for the consideration of €230.6 million.

Ownership of the shipyards will free the company from both the delivery timing and pricing uncertainties associated with the cruise ship order book cycle, which continues at historic highs and allows Genting Hong Kong management to focus on the strategic planning, design and deployment of planned cruise ships among its three brands, the company said in a statement.

“We are pleased with the completion of the transaction as ownership of the yards provides certainty that we can build a fleet of high quality cruise ships at a pace dictated by our growth rather than constrained by supply as cruise ship order book continues to reach all-time highs, with orders placed as far out as 2026, ten years from now,” said Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Genting Hong Kong, in a statement.

“We will begin by building four Crystal river ships scheduled for delivery in 2017 and Crystal Endeavor, the first purpose-built polar class expedition megayacht, for delivery in 2018. Our goal is to grow the yard output to two Mega cruise ships and one mid-size cruise ship or megayacht a year within a decade, not only for our own fleet but also for other cruise lines and yacht owners.”

The newly acquired yards, together with the previously purchased Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, will be managed as the Lloyd Werft Group, optimising the strengths of each yard for design, fabrication, outfitting and final assembly using the two huge covered dry docks in Wismar and Warnemunde and one ship launching lift in Stralsund.

Oliver Design completes architectural design and exterior styling for Scenic Eclipse

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 25 April 2016 25 April 2016

Oliver Design, a company specialising in naval design and architecture with Head Offices in Getxo (Bizkaia), has won a contract from Australian cruiser operator Scenic Cruises to develop the architectural design and exterior styling of the Scenic Eclipse, the world's most sophisticated luxury vessel. The Spanish company, based in the Basque Country, is playing a key role in this iconic project, which will redefine the concept of the cruiser, combining the opulence of a first class cruise with a chance to discover almost virgin landscapes and extreme natural environments, including the Arctic and Antarctic coasts and even the seabed.

The Scenic Eclipse is a pioneer in its class, defined by the owners as the “world's first discovery yacht”. This is a ship Jules Verne would have loved for its capacity to reach destinations most people have ever only seen on TV documentaries.

This 165-metre, 16,500 tonne super-luxury cruiser in mega-yacht format, with a beam of 22 metres, will incorporate the latest novelties in naval design and technology. Although intended for an exclusive clientele (carrying 228 passengers in 114 luxury suites), the ship will be adapted to withstand the most demanding conditions – storms, extreme temperatures, ice, etc. The icebreaker-like reinforced hull, special stabilisers to smooth large swells and duplicated critical ship systems will all ensure maximum passenger safety.

The vessel will be fitted with two helicopters, a seven-seater submarine, Zodiacs, diving equipment and kayaks to offer passengers a unique experience discovering different marine and coastal environments. The Scenic Eclipse will also be adapted to minimise impact on protected environments, using a system that will allow it to remain stationary without an anchor, and energy systems that minimise emissions.

Together with its six-star suites, the ship will have services comparable to those of a super-luxury hotel: restaurants serving international cuisine, a butler service, a 240-seat conference room, gyms and a heated swimming pool with retractable roof. All of these factors bring the estimated construction cost to $250 million (around €223m).

The vessel is currently being built in the Uljanik shipyards in Pula (Croatia) and is due to make its maiden voyage between Istanbul and Venice in August 2018. A further twenty cruise itineraries are scheduled in the Mediterranean, the Norwegian fjords, Antarctica, the Arctic and various routes in North and South America.

The marine and off-shore division of the leading certification and classification firm, Bureau Veritas, will be responsible for certifying the ship to the strictest safety criteria.

The owner, Scenic, is an Australian company founded in 1987 by Glen Moroney, specialising in luxury cruisers. It already operates twenty river cruise ships in Europe, Russia and South East Asia. Created in the environs of the city of Melbourne, the firm soon began to diversify, and it entered the river cruise scenic market in 2008. The company has 400 employees, a fleet of 21 ships, and annual turnover of around 40 million dollars.

The role of Oliver Design

Competing against specialist firms from around the world, Oliver Design was chosen by this demanding shipowner to develop the entire exterior styling of the vessel, as well as the architectural conceptual design.

In developing the architectural project, Oliver Design has worked in coordination with the Finnish naval engineering firm Foreship to meet the highest technical, legal and regulatory requirements required of a polar class vessel, as well as the even more challenging demands involved in the complexity of the Scenic Eclipse.

Some of the most significant and complex aspects of Oliver Design’s architectural design include:
– A large heliport and two hangars for medium-large sized helicopters in the upper part of the stern, with two folding wings on the sides.
– An “indoor/outdoor ” pool with a retractable roof, also in the stern.
– A 300 square metre spa with access to Jacuzzi-type swimming pools on the stern of Deck 5.
– Six different on-board restaurants, with very individual and welcoming ambiences.
– An onboard garage for several kayaks, six inflatable dinghies and a small submarine to allow passengers to enjoy the full experience of discovering the marine environment.
– A 240-seat theatre fitted with the most advanced media for hosting shows, meetings, lectures, etc.
– One of the most complex tasks involved layout of the midship cabins and the luxury suites in the bow, together with the necessary service and upkeep.
– All of these features are coordinated with a stunning external design, finalised after numerous different proposals, alternatives, external impact studies, etc.

Passenger ship sewage discharges into the Baltic Sea will be banned

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 22 April 2016 22 April 2016

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) agreed this week that the Baltic Sea special area for sewage discharges from passenger ships under Annex IV or the MARPOL Convention will take effect by latest 2021 for IMO registered passenger vessels. However, in certain cases of direct passages between St. Petersburg area and the North Sea there is a two-year extension to the deadline, until 2023.

The decision means that by 2021 all IMO registered passenger vessels sailing in the Baltic Sea, as the first region in the world, must discharge all sewage at port reception facilities (PRFs), or treat it with an on-board treatment plant certified to meet stringent special area requirements. For new ships built on or later than 2019, these requirements will apply earlier.

The significant outcome concludes the long HELCOM process aiming to limit sewage discharges in the Baltic Sea from passenger vessels, as the emissions have negative impact on the marine environment.

The decision was made during the meeting of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) ending today in London.

The proposal to designate the Baltic Sea as a special area for sewage within MARPOL Annex IV was developed by the HELCOM Maritime Working Group, which is made up of maritime administrations of the Baltic Sea coastal countries and the EU. This proposal was submitted to IMO MEPC by the coastal countries in 2010, following a decision by the 2007 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Cracow, Poland.

Based on the submission the Baltic Sea was designated by IMO as a special area for sewage in 2011. However, according to the IMO decision this status would only take effect once the coastal countries informed IMO that adequate Port Reception Facilities are available in the region.

By the IMO meeting this week, all Baltic coastal countries had sent confirmation of adequate reception facilities in Baltic ports, as a result of substantial work on port reception facilities for sewage and their use in the Baltic Sea area by national administrations, ports and the passenger ship industry.

In order to document overall progress on sewage PRFs and their use in the region during recent years, an overview document was published by HELCOM in early 2015.

Upcoming events where related issues will be discussed include a joint session by HELCOM and CLIA on 18 May during the EU Maritime Day 2016 in Turku, Finland, and the International Workshop on Port Reception Facilities for the Baltic Sea as Special Area according to MARPOL Annex IV by Germany and BPO on 30 June - 1 July in Kiel, Germany.