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Regal Princess to debut early

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 October 2013 17 October 2013

Regal Princess will make her debut next year earlier than originally announced, and Princess Cruises has added two new sailings to her maiden schedule. The ship's first voyage, which was previously scheduled for June 2, will now be May 20, 2014. Passengers can select from two new week-long Mediterranean cruises traveling between Venice and Athens.

The two new Regal Princess Mediterranean cruises are:

– May 20, 2014 (New maiden voyage) – Seven-day cruise from Venice to Athens including stops in Corfu, Mykonos and an overnight call in Istanbul.

– May 27, 2014 – Six-day cruise from Athens to Venice including calls to Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Santorini, Katakolon (for Olympia) and Dubrovnik.

Both voyages can be combined into a 13-day Grand Adventure or added on to the previously announced June 2 cruise for a full 20-day Mediterranean escape.

To ensure that passengers previously booked on Regal Princess' maiden voyage continue to have the option to sail on the ship's first cruise, each of these passengers will automatically receive a duplicate booking on the new May 20 maiden voyage. They have until November 15, 2013, to decide if they want to take the new cruise instead of, or in addition to, their existing reservation.

"The construction of Regal Princess has been progressing very well and we're delighted the ship will be ready to welcome passengers even earlier than originally planned," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. "We know that this beautiful new vessel will impress passengers just as much as her sister ship, Royal Princess, has this year."

Throughout the summer, the new ship will sail on Princess' signature Grand Mediterranean cruises, with two itinerary choices.

Regal Princess, a sister ship to Royal Princess, will offer its 3,560 passengers a variety of enticing features, including a soaring atrium, the social hub of the ship; a dramatic over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending more than 28 feet beyond the edge of the vessel; plush private poolside cabanas; the Princess Live! television studio; a dedicated pastry shop; a special Chef's Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; and balconies on all outside staterooms.

Norwegian Seaways plans to reopen Stavanger-Newcastle ferry service

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 October 2013 17 October 2013

A new company called Norwegian Seaways plans to reopen a ferry service across the North Sea from Stavanger in Norway to Newcastle in the UK, a Norwegian media report says.

The new company says it would need NOK85 million to acquire a large ropax vessel, believed to be Ikarus Palace of Grimaldi group, of which it already has NOK55 million, the Aftenbladet daily reports.

There has been no ferry service between the two countries since 2008, when DFDS, the Danish ferry company, closed its operation that linked Bergen, Haugesund and Stavager with Newcastle.

Meanwhile, a UK media report says former directors of P&O Ferries, the Dover based ferry company in the DP World group that has its headquarters in Dubai, are involved with the project.

Will Anthem of the Seas’ UK deployment be unveiled on 21 November?

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 October 2013 17 October 2013

Royal Caribbean International, the contemporary market unit in the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL) group, has called a media event to be held in London on 21 November.

At this point, the company did not disclose further details.

However, rumours have suggested that the company might unveil the employment of Anthem of the Seas, the second unit in the 167,800 gross ton Quantum class, from Southampton from spring 2015, when the vessel is scheduled to be completed at the Meyer Werft in Germany.

The Port of Le Havre in France has a list of cruise ship calls on its website for 2015, which lists Anthem of the Seas as arriving from Southampton or heading there after calling a the French port.

The list no longer features calls by Independence of the Seas, the current resident ship at Southampton, in 2015, although it does include Adventure of the Seas, which is also operating a series of cruises from the British port this year.

The Quantum class vessels are “winter ships,” with many activities that are outdoor on most ships under a glass roof and they also feature higher degree of multi functionality of indoor areas that most ships do at the moment.

Quantum of the Seas, the lead unit of the class, will operate out of New York from late 2014, when it is due to be completed.

TUI Cruises to offer practical experience to Bremen ship management students

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 October 2013 17 October 2013

TUI Cruises, the Hamburg based premium market cruise shipping company, says it has teamed up with the Bremen university of applied sciences (Hochschule Bremen) to offer students of ship management opportunity gain practical experience in the business.

Each term, the cruise line that currently has two ships in the water plus two newbuildings on order, will offer two students the opportunity to work at the company to gain practical experience.

In addition, from the start of 2015, the company will send speakers to Bremen to give talks to students of ship management about matters that are particular to the cruise industry.

Richard Vogel, ceo of TUI Cruises, said in a statement that the aim is to make the company known among the students as a potential employer and that the growing company is keen to have door open to young people as soon as they have obtained their Bachelor’s degree from Bremen.

MSC Group President and founder receives Italian Order of Merit for Labor

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 16 October 2013 16 October 2013

MSC GROUP PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER GIANLUIGI APONTE

In a recognition ceremony at the official residence of Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, President and founder of MSC Group, Gianluigi Aponte, was awarded the Order of Merit for Labor (Ordine “Al Merito del Lavoro”) for his remarkable achievements in international shipping over the last 40 years.

MSC Group today represents a global organization and market leader in not just one shipping sector but several, representing the second-largest container carrier in the world - employing about 50,000 people and operating a fleet of 460 cargo vessels that serves 200 ports across five continents – and the world’s largest privately owned cruise company, MSC Cruises.

Despite its formidable growth, MSC is still a family-owned business and its founder remains dedicated to the company and to his family.