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Norwegian Cruise Line unveils new culinary experiences on the upcoming Norwegian Aqua

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 April 2024 17 April 2024

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, yesterday revealed fresh, new culinary and beverage experiences debuting aboard Norwegian Aqua, the Company’s next evolution new build and first vessel of the expanded Prima Plus Class, setting sail in April 2025.

Norwegian Aqua will boast three brand-new onboard offerings including Sukhothai, NCL’s first-ever Thai specialty restaurant; Swirl Wine Bar, a new, upscale wine bar; and Planterie, the Brand’s first dedicated eatery offering a full plant-based menu; in addition to returning guest favorites.

"Discovering new flavors and dining experiences is such a memorable part of any vacation, especially when you share it with those who matter most to you,” said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line. “Expanding on our award-winning food and beverage program, we’re looking forward to bringing new concepts to life aboard Norwegian Aqua, while continuing to deliver on the variety of available offerings and value that NCL delivers.”

Brand-new culinary and bar experiences

Making its debut on the all-new Norwegian Aqua is Sukhothai, the Company’s first-ever Thai specialty restaurant, featuring an eclectic menu with authentic, traditional offerings with creative, dynamic flavors. Guests can look forward to a new spin on traditional staples, such as Thai Cashew Chicken; Salt and Pepper Prawns; Thai Grilled Steak Salad; a variety of complementing curries and so much more. Décor imagined by the London-based SMC Design firm, the upscale dining venue will boast a harmonious blend of traditional and contemporary Thai design elements. When guests walk into Sukhothai on deck 17, they will be greeted with a warm, inviting atmosphere of bamboo and rice paper pendant lights; a striking geometric patterned floor; and colorful furniture transporting diners to the culturally rich country of Thailand.

At the returning guest-favorite Indulge Food Hall, a new eatery, Planterie, will offer plant-based bowls and other healthy options. Located on deck eight, Planterie’s menu will include dishes such as the Southwest Bowl with smoked tempeh and the Mediterranean Goddess Bowl filled with delicious, spiced vegetables, tabbouleh and honey-roasted carrots. Offering indoor and outdoor seating, Indulge Food Hall will boast a brand-new design by New York-based firm, Rockwell Group, with 10 food stations drawing inspiration from international food marketplaces from around the world. Notable architectural features include deep wood accents; gold and metal furnishings; and warm yet colorful tones that flow seamlessly throughout the venue.

Also premiering aboard Norwegian Aqua is Swirl Wine Bar, a contemporary wine lounge that strikes the perfect balance between exclusivity and approachability for a unique, intimate experience tucked away on deck six between the popular Whiskey Bar and Hasuki, the hibachi-style restaurant. The hidden enclave will feature a comprehensive wine-by-the-glass menu, and an extensive list of rare and premium vintages. Designed by the Miami-based Studio DADO firm, the venue’s architecture is inspired by the captivating beauty and curvature of the geologically stunning Antelope Canyon in Arizona, with warm color hues complemented by cascading horizontal lines and serene blue touches create a perfectly inviting and enchanting space for guests to unwind.

Norwegian Aqua boasts all-new dining venues including Sukhothai, a Thai specialty restaurant featuring Thai Cashew Chicken and Nam Tok Neua; as well as Planterie, a new eatery in Indulge Food Hall, with menu items such as the Mediterranean Goddess Bowl.

Elevated, redesigned venues

From new designs to expanded seating, the all-new Norwegian Aqua will feature enhanced restaurants and lounges previously debuted on the Prima Class. From the creative minds of Studio DADO, one of the ship’s main complimentary dining rooms, the Commodore Room, will now feature a rustic yet luxurious design inspired by its sea-faring namesake. Paying homage to the imaginative narrative of the captain’s room, the venue will transport guests to the past times of maritime sophistication with antique wood furnishings; leather banquettes; floors that mimic the lines of a pier; and incredible stone accents, all with a delicate, modern touch.

Metropolitan, NCL’s modern Sail & Sustain cocktail bar, which won the 2024 Vibe Vista Award for “Best Beverage Program,” will return aboard Norwegian Aqua and boast a distinct new design from other Prima Class vessels. Relocating from mid-ship to the aft of deck seven, the innovative bar will now feature a grand piano and a small entertainment space for guests to enjoy live music with their Sail & Sustain cocktails, biodynamic wines and sustainably produced liquors. Inspired by the art deco and mid-century modern areas of New York City, Studio DADO crafted an intimate enclave with dark hues, eye-catching motifs and fresh greenery offering an easy-going ambience for guests engaging in a nightly beverage.

Nama Sushi and Sashimi, which first debuted on Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, will now feature a fresh, lively design by Studio DADO aboard Norwegian Aqua. Introducing a new color palette, the space draws inspiration from the vibrant world of Manga art. Guests can expect a playful dining experience surrounded by bold colors of lime green and black.

Located on deck 17, Surfside Café will boast floor-to-ceiling windows, providing guests with scenic views as they enjoy an expansive and diverse buffet-style dining experience. Featuring a new design by London-based design firm, A.D. Associates, the three-meal a day venue will showcase warm colors, sunset tones and timeless color palettes. Next door, offering the same panoramic views as Surfside Café, the upscale, Mediterranean seafood dining venue of the Prima Class, Palomar, will feature an elevated design with natural materials, such as rope and wood accents complemented by pops of blue and dark purple shades.

Aboard Norwegian Aqua, Whiskey Bar will relocate to deck six near the brand-new Swirl Wine Bar, while Belvedere Bar will move to deck eight at the heart of the atrium, where guests can revel in night caps and nightly entertainment.

Penrose Bar and Waves Pool Bar will also feature new designs, and venues such as The Local Bar & Grill, NCL’s 24-hour pub-style restaurant, Hasuki, a lively Japanese hibachi experience, and Cagney’s, NCL’s signature upscale American steakhouse, will be expanded to accommodate even more guests.

Returning guest-favorites

In addition to unveiling new food and beverage experiences and designs, guest-favorite restaurants will return to Norwegian Aqua such as Hudson’s, the elevated, main complimentary dining room offering 270⁰ of scenic views; Le Bistro, the high-end French restaurant inspired by the Palace of Versailles; Los Lobos, the contemporary, authentic Mexican dining venue with outdoor seating; and Onda by Scarpetta, the upscale Italian restaurant, which also offers al fresco dining on Ocean Boulevard.

With so many culinary options to choose from, NCL’s Free at Sea program delivers guests more value with vacation enhancing benefits including specialty dining credits, unlimited beverage package, shore excursion credits, Wi-Fi minutes and more.

Set to be the 20th ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, Norwegian Aqua will feature industry-and-brand-first experiences including the world’s first hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide, the Aqua Slidecoaster; the Glow Court, a digital sports complex with an interactive LED floor; and NCL’s first-ever Three-Bedroom Duplex Haven Suites in the Brand’s premium keycard-access-only-complex, The Haven by Norwegian.

Beginning April 2025, Norwegian Aqua will sail seven-day Caribbean itineraries departing from Port Canaveral, Fla., featuring calls to the tropical island destinations of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s private island in the Bahamas. Following the ship’s Caribbean season, Norwegian Aqua will offer five and seven-day voyages to Bermuda from New York City from August 2025 through October 2025 and then cruise five and seven-day Eastern Caribbean itineraries from Miami, the “Cruise Capital of the World,” beginning October 2025 through April 2026.

Photo: Swirl Wine Bar is designed by Miami-based Studio DADO

Princess Cruises rolls out fleetwide dining evolution

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 16 April 2024 16 April 2024

Princess Cruises recently announced it is making a significant enhancement to the main dining options found across its fleet, designed to give guests the ultimate in flexibility and choice when it comes to their dining experience by offering three table service options – Traditional, Reservable, or Walk-in Anytime – coupled with the brand's industry exclusive OceanNow location-based "anywhere" service.

With a dedication to personal preference and individualized service, Princess will designate separate dining rooms aboard every ship in the fleet* to the three table service options – one dedicated to traditional dining offering an early and a late seating every evening; one offering reservable dining times; and a third with open seating to support walk-ins anytime. The three table service options integrate with the line's unparalleled OceanNow, which provides guests the convenience of ordering anything, anytime, and receiving it anywhere onboard, making Princess uniquely positioned to accommodate all guest dining preferences.

Making all dining formats available fleetwide follows the resounding success of this new approach already implemented aboard the new Sun Princess. With the stunning introduction of the new next level Love Boat came the debut of three-story dining room with one floor dedicated to traditional dining, another serving guests with a flexible reservation and a third for anytime walk-ins.

"Our guests have been delighted with the dining flexibility aboard Sun Princess and we're pleased to extend the concept to all the other ships in our fleet," said Sami Kohen, Princess Cruises vice president of food and beverage. "Now whether guests prefer an early seating every evening, or change things up every night, or even change their mind, these flexible dining options ensure that their dining preference is effortlessly accommodated."

Starting on April 15, 2024, the new approach will launch on Princess voyages departing September 14, 2024 and beyond. To support these changes and the transition to the new system, main dining reservations that already have been made for voyages sailing September 14 and beyond for any ship except Sun Princess will be cancelled. Main dining reservations for guests sailing through September 13 will not be affected.

Starting June 17, booked guests will be able to use the app ahead of their voyage to opt for traditional seating in a dedicated dining room with the same waiter, same table and same time each night, or flexible dining, allowing them to enjoy dinner at any available time and table size of their choosing in either the Reservable or Open Seating dining rooms.

This change does not affect guests booked in specialty dining restaurants or suite or reserve collection accommodations, who enjoy a dedicated dining room on Princess ships, where no reservations are required.

* Reservable and Walk-in Anytime Dining will be combined into a single Main Dining Room location aboard Coral Princess and Island Princess.

Meyer Group's new ship concepts receive great interest at the Seatrade Cruise Global

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 April 2024 15 April 2024

At the Seatrade Cruise Global event that ended in Miami last week, Meyer Group's visionary ideas and the company's technological leadership in maritime industry products were presented. For the first time, sketches of the climate-neutral cruise ship concept under development in Meyer Turku's NEcOLEAP research project were also on display. In addition, Alfred Maritime, part of the Meyer Group, presented the Meyer energy management system based on artificial intelligence. Meyer Floating Solutions' floating docks and terminals and the visionary future concept Origin completed the offer of the Meyer stand.

The climate-neutral cruise ship will be developed until 2025

The outlines of the climate-neutral Avatar cruise ship concept are the result of research projects of the NEcOLEAP project. MEYER Turku's goal is to develop a climate-neutral cruise ship concept by the end of 2025 and to be ready to build one in 2030. "The Business Finland-funded research and development project NECoLEAP and Meyer's work on a climate-neutral ship concept were presented at the exhibition stand. We also revealed the outlines of our new concept, which will make cruises more sustainable in the future," says Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku. The Avatar concept includes, among other things, automated logistics, alternative materials, more sustainable cabin design and more energy efficiency optimization. The holistic approach extends to the end of the product's life cycle, emphasizing material choices, recycling and circular economy principles.

Unique product selection in the industry

Meyer also presented its unique product range at Seatrade Cruise Global. Meyer Floating Solutions' innovative floating docks and cruise terminal selection and the Icon of the Seas ship model were included. In December 2023, Meyer Turku delivered the Icon of the Seas ship, which is one of the world's most innovative and efficient cruise ships. "Meyer is the only shipyard that can offer a complete range of river cruise ships to large ocean liners such as Icon of the Seas. With our tradition of innovation and new products, such as Meyer Floating Solutions' floating docks and terminals, we can create added value for ship owners and port operators," says Meyer Group Sales Director Thomas Weigend.

The Meyer Energy Management System platform was developed by Alfred's IIoT and data experts together with the Meyer Energy Efficiency Team, and its purpose is to increase the efficiency of ships' operations. The Meyer energy management system helps ship operators and crew to understand and analyze the ship's performance. The platform offers the crew useful suggestions for optimizing energy efficiency and reducing fuel consumption. Combined with accurate performance forecasts and multiple onboard systems, it helps the crew reduce the ship's emissions.

The newest future concept is called Origin. It meets the housing needs of the future and responds to global trends with weather-independent features that work all year round. The key point of the design concept is a ship without the typical "ship-looking" exterior and interior.

DFDS plans to deploy fleet of battery electric vessels on the English Channel

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 14 April 2024 14 April 2024

DFDS reaffirms commitment to the electrification of cross-channel transport after meeting with UK Minister for Investment and Regulatory Reform, Lord Dominic Johnson. DFDS's long-term goal is to have up to six battery-powered vessels operating on its routes on the Channel, with the first two in service by 2030.

Earlier this week, the UK Minister for Investment and Regulatory Reform visited DFDS headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark to discuss decarbonisation of the shipping sector and the electrification of maritime traffic across the English Channel.

DFDS will deploy two battery-powered vessels in the Eastern Channel by 2030. This is a part of a program to invest in six green vessels – two methanol, two ammoniac and two electric – for a total of around DKK 7.3bn over the next six years. The long-term goal is to introduce up to six fully electric vessels on the channel, which would be the world's largest electric ferries.

Because of the relative short distance between the UK and the European continent, the routes on the channel are optimal for electric ferry transport. The English Channel is one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world. It links two of the world’s biggest economies and accounts for 33% of the trade between the EU and the UK.

UK Minister for Investment and Regulatory Reform, Lord Dominic Johnson said: “With its superb infrastructure, technological advances and proximity to Denmark, the UK is the partner of choice for green investments like this. DFDS’ commitment highlights the value of our trading relationship and the strategic importance of the English Channel shipping route.”

“The UK Government remains steadfast in its aim to reach net zero by 2050 and the green transition of the cross-Channel shipping will create British and Danish jobs and strengthen both our economies.”

The green transition of maritime transport on the Channel not only relies on the ships at sea. A sufficient power supply on land and infrastructure to accommodate recharging facilities in ports are equally important to be able to complete the fleet electrification.

“We have a shared ambition with the UK Government to decarbonise maritime traffic across the channel. The transition is not going to be easy. It requires significant investments in innovation, technology and infrastructure, and collaboration and partnerships between the public and private sectors. But I am confident that we will succeed. DFDS will invest in green vessels and cooperate with ports and governments on both sides of the channel to decarbonise cross channel transportation,” says Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS.

DFDS has 12 routes connecting UK to France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark and employs 3,300 people in 5 ports, several logistics offices in the UK and onboard 3 UK flagged vessels.

Bert Hernandez named new President of Silversea, Barbara Muckermann steps down

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 April 2024 12 April 2024

Today, Royal Caribbean Group announced that Barbara Muckermann will depart Royal Caribbean Group after 14 years with Silversea to pursue other opportunities, and effective today, Bert Hernandez will succeed her as president of Silversea.

"I have had the pleasure of working with Barbara since 2018 when Silversea joined Royal Caribbean Group, first in her role as chief marketing and commercial officer and later as brand president,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “Barbara has helped position Silversea as the world’s top ultra-luxury and expedition cruise line, and the brand further solidified its leadership with the official inauguration of Silver Nova earlier this year, a ship hailed as ushering in a new era of luxury at sea.”

"I would also like to congratulate Bert on his appointment as the next brand president of Silversea," Liberty added. "With deep industry knowledge, experience in markets around the world, and past leadership of a luxury cruise line, I know Bert is well positioned to chart a smart course for Silversea’s continued growth and success. At Royal Caribbean Group, we are committed to delivering the very best experiences in the ultra-luxury and expedition space, and I am confident in Bert’s ability to find opportunities to take the brand to the next level.”

Most recently serving as senior vice president, international, Bert has been with the Royal Caribbean Group for the past 20 years and brings to the role tremendous commercial and operational experience. In his current role, Bert works with his team to further position Royal Caribbean International as the vacation brand of choice, across a wide range of travel preferences in more than 80 countries. He also served as president of China operations for Royal Caribbean International, where he built the brand into China’s leading cruise line. Notably, he was chief operating officer for the Group’s former luxury cruise line, Azamara, delivering the line’s most profitable year while it was part of the Royal Caribbean family of brands.

“I have long admired the wonderful brand that Barbara and team have built over 30 years and respect how they have been driven to create the most unique and memorable experiences in travel,” said Bert Hernandez. “The opportunity to lead and grow such a beloved brand is a great honor, and I couldn’t be more excited to work with the experienced Silversea leadership team. The future of the brand has never been brighter as we continue the tradition of delivering best-in class experiences with the arrival of Silver Ray later this year.”