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Mein Schiff 5 keel laying and Mein Schiff 6 steel cut at Meyer Turku

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 23 June 2015 23 June 2015

On 23 June 2015, the keel of Mein Schiff 5 was laid at Meyer Turku shipyard’s drydock. Before the keel-laying ceremony, the start of production of the sister ship Mein Schiff 6 took place in the shipyard’s construction hall.

The production of the cruise ship Mein Schiff 6 was officially launched when TUI Cruises CEO Wybcke Meyer started the plasma cutting machine in the production hall of Meyer Turku shipyard. Another important event was also celebrated at the shipyard on the same day, as the next milestone in the building process of the Mein Schiff 5 took place. The hull construction of the Mein Schiff 5 began by lowering the keel block into the shipyard’s drydock. Following old traditions of the shipyard in this event some coins were placed under the keel block to bring luck for the ship. Representatives of TUI Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Meyer Turku and the classification society Det Norske Veritas, invited guests, and members of the press joined these events.

Mein Schiff 5 and Mein Schiff 6 will be delivered in 2016 and 2017. Like their sister ships (Mein Schiff 3 and Mein Schiff 4), they will be approximately 294 meters long, have 15 decks with around 1,253 staterooms and the capacity to carry approximately 2,506 passengers. 90 percent of the cabins are outside cabins and 82 percent have a balcony. Both ships are being constructed to the latest technological standards using innovative and environmentally-friendly technologies. They are especially energy-efficient and consume around 30 percent less energy than comparable cruise liners. Thanks to the advanced exhaust cleaning system that uses a scrubber and catalytic converter, sulphur emissions can be reduced by approximately 99 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by around 75 percent.

“This growth presents us with the opportunity to further strengthen our position with one of the most modern fleets on the German market. With six ships in the medium term, we are aiming at a market share in excess of 25 percent,” says Wybcke Meier, TUI Cruises’ CEO.

“The construction of a ship is for the shipyard a great team effort in which we work closely with our customers and subcontractors. For such a big and custom-designed project brought to reality by so many contributors with their effort and skilled work, it is a nice tradition that we pause and appreciate the moment when the hardware part of the construction of a new ship is actually starting – as for Mein Schiff 6 today. We are also happy that we are in schedule with Mein Schiff 5 and can celebrate the keel laying for Mein Schiff 5 as planned today,” says Jan Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku Oy.

Azamara appoints Michael Pawlus Director, Deployment & Destinations

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 June 2015 22 June 2015

Azamara Club Cruises, the upmarket cruise line known for its destination-immersive voyages for discerning travelers, is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Pawlus to Director, Strategic Itinerary & Destination Planning. A seasoned professional with a number of innovations in the area of itinerary planning, Pawlus has more than 25 years of experience in the cruise industry.

“Azamara Club Cruises is excited to welcome Michael Pawlus to our team,” said Larry Pimentel, President and CEO, Azamara Club Cruises. “Our unique ports of call and shore excursion offerings are what differentiate our brand and we take great pride in our distinctive itineraries and land discovery programs. Michael brings deep expertise in this arena with his exceptional luxury deployment background, strong yield revenue and rich financial and charter experience. We look forward to his fresh approach to add to our always evolving programs.”

In his new role, Pawlus will oversee the development and deployment of 65-70 annual itineraries for Azamara Club Cruises across the globe. He will work alongside Francisco Mallmann, Associate Vice President, Strategic Planning & Revenue Management at Azamara Club Cruises.

“I am thrilled to join the Azamara team and look forward to taking on this new role,” states Michael Pawlus, Director, Strategic Itinerary & Destination Planning at Azamara Club Cruises. “I’ve worked in the cruise industry nearly my entire career and have traveled to over 450 ports in 75 countries around the world. I can’t wait to work with the team at Azamara as I’ve always admired its programs from afar.”

Pawlus joins Azamara from Silversea Cruises where he served as Director of Strategic Itinerary Planning. Prior to joining Silversea, Pawlus held positions at Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Uniworld River Cruises, and Delta Queen Steamboat Company. Pawlus started his career in the cruise industry with Royal Viking Line and Norwegian Cruise Line where he was employed for 14 years. Pawlus holds an MBA in Finance from Texas A&M University and did his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan.

MSC Cruises' next-gen MSC Meraviglia opens for sale

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 June 2015 22 June 2015

MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately-owned global cruise line, announced that sales for the inaugural summer 2017 cruises of MSC Meraviglia, its first next generation cruise ship, are now open.

Sales of sought-out cruises on this ground-breaking 1033 foot-long ship will first open exclusively to MSC Club members, rewarding loyal guests across MSC Cruises’ growing fleet. Then, on July 5, sales will open to the rest of the public.

Gianni Onorato, Chief Executive Officer of MSC Cruises, said: “The opening of sales marks yet another decisive milestone in MSC Cruises’ expansion plan, especially as MSC Meraviglia’s inaugural cruise will take place two years from now. MSC Meraviglia is a true maritime marvel and will be one of the greenest and safest ships in the industry, as well as one of the most technologically advanced. We are thrilled to offer our loyal MSC Club members the opportunity to be the very first to book their distinctive vacation experience so far in advance, demonstrating one more way in which we provide best-in-class service. The ship is perfect for cruising year-round in almost any destination around the world, in outstanding comfort and style. The demand we are seeing for our product demonstrates the eagerness with which MSC Meraviglia is awaited.”

MSC Meraviglia will be the largest and most innovative cruise ship ever built by a global European-based cruise line. The cutting-edge, 4,500-guest (based on double occupancy), 167,600-ton ship — due to be delivered in May 2017—will spend her first summer sailing the western Mediterranean, and will be the first to have three major ports of embarkation: Genoa, Marseille and Barcelona.

MSC Meraviglia will be able to call at any cruise port in the world, providing North Americans the opportunity to sail to some of the best and most exciting destinations in the world.

MSC Meraviglia will be a ship full of cutting-edge technology and will feature a range of services ranging from ‘Near Field Communication’ technology to mobile applications and the use of smart devices throughout the ship, thus enabling guests to interact with the ship and the onboard community or select and plan their activities. This technology will also allow guests to make payments, access their staterooms or geo-locate children, friends and onboard locations using their cruise card or smartphone.

Another jaw-dropping feature, and an industry first, will be a 5,167-square-foot LED screen, which forms the entire ceiling of the ship’s interior promenade. Like a digital sky, this LED image vault will beam out compelling images and vistas throughout the day – including highly impactful visual events – creating a variety of powerful atmospheres at all times.

Adding to the unique and innovative features of the ship, MSC Meraviglia will also have new categories of staterooms, with specially crafted Family and Super Family staterooms, duplex staterooms and an extended MSC Yacht Club, the wholly self-contained luxury area on the prestigious foredecks, which includes a vast solarium, private lounge and restaurant. MSC Meraviglia will be packed with extraordinary features that make it ideal for cruising year-round in any destination, including wide dining options and entertainment choices, stunning panoramic spaces, a large theatre and a spectacular amusement park linked to an outdoor aqua park, as well as a three-deck interior promenade.

Entertainment options will also be widely available throughout the day for all ages, including standout activities for families – with partnerships with global brands such as LEGO and Chicco that further exemplify the company’s commitment to creating unforgettable vacations for parents and their children. The line also offers a rich program of varied and spectacular shows, impressive Broadway and Las Vegas-style theatrical performances, live music and dance-'til-dawn nightlife.

MSC Meraviglia is the first of two identical ships on order from STX France, the second of which will be entered in to service in 2019. In addition, MSC Cruises has options for two further Vista project ships to be delivered by 2022.

MSC Cruises charts course back to US

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 June 2015 22 June 2015

MSC Cruises, the world's fourth largest cruise shipping company, will return to the United States when MSC Divina returns to Miami in November, is aiming to carve out a niche in the market rather than become a major player, according to its CEO, CruiseCritic reports on its website.

Speaking exclusively to Cruise Critic, CEO Gianni Onorato said the line was looking to carry "a couple of hundred thousand" passengers across two Miami-based ships -- MSC Divina and new ship MSC Seaside -- by 2017/2018.

He acknowledged that the company needed to change its philosophy to succeed with Americans on its second push into the country. "We need to get there with a different proposal," Onorato said. "And we will be doing that by improving the brand, investing in the organisation and investing in the product."

When asked, Onorato said MSC was considering basing a ship out of New York "before 2022" -- when the last of the line's newbuilds are complete.

Here are some of the specific steps MSC will be taking to appeal to Americans:

Improve the brand: A TV campaign has just been launched in the U.S. which will explain what MSC stands for both literally and figuratively, i.e. 'a Mediterranean experience'.

Investment: The line is investing in its sales forces on both coasts as well as training for cruise specialist agents. It will also re-launch its website to consumers, adapting it to the U.S. market and making it easier to book.

Product: The line will be christening a brand new ship, purpose built for the U.S./Caribbean market in Miami in November 2017. The 154,000-ton, 4,140-passenger ship MSC Seaside, is designed for warm weather, with a huge amount of outdoor public space as well as terraces for all restaurants and bars. It is designed to look like a Miami condo, and appeal to a young, hip contemporary market, the report said.

FleetPro statement on cruise ship Saint Laurent incident

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 19 June 2015 19 June 2015

FleetPro Passenger Ship Management, managers of the 4,954 gross ton cruise vessel Saint Laurent, report that the ship made contact with a concrete approach wall bumper of the Westbound door of the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway system, at 2115 hrs on June 18. The Bahamas Flag vessel, which was on passage from Montreal to Toronto, was carrying a total of 192 passengers and 81 crew members. The passengers are mainly of French and Swiss nationality.

As a result of the incident, 19 guests and 3 crew members suffered minor injuries and were transferred to Massena Memorial Hospital for treatment. The shipboard doctor was available at all times.

The vessel remains in safe condition in the lock which is partially drained of water. All shipboard services are fully functional for guests on-board. A ship inspection team has been appointed by owners and managers and will attend the vessel to assess the damage, which is limited to the bow area, before any attempt is made to move the Saint Laurent out of the lock and onto a berth.

At all times, the safety of passengers and crew is the absolute priority and owners and managers wish to thank the US Coast Guard and all the local agencies and emergency services who responded in such a timely and professional manner to this unfortunate incident. The Company will carry out a full investigation onto the events leading up to the collision and cooperate fully with any official investigation.