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Chantiers de l'Atlantique floats out The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's second vessel

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 September 2023 30 September 2023

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection marked a significant construction milestone with the successful float out of its next superyacht, Ilma, at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. This traditional maritime celebration brought together senior leadership and shipbuilders in anticipation of Ilma touching water for the first time, signifying the commencement of its next phase of construction in preparation for its maiden voyage in 2024.

The float out event was attended by company leadership from The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection including Jim Murren, Executive Chairman and CEO, and Ernesto Fara, President and CFO. Also present were representatives from Chantiers de l’Atlantique, including Laurent Castaing, General Manager, and Arnaud Le Joncour, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

As part of the float out, the yacht’s dry dock was filled with water overnight, then moved to an outfitting dock where it will remain for the rest of its build leading to sea trials in April and start of its first season. Now afloat, final-stage construction will focus on completing interiors, fixtures, and fittings for suites, restaurants, and other public spaces that will welcome guests to experience a new journey of discovery at sea in just less than a year.

“As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, we are immensely proud of the dedication and craftsmanship by all those involved in the construction of Ilma,” remarked Jim Murren. “We are thrilled to have partnered with the team at Chantiers de l’Atlantique and are excited to enter the next stage of construction and outfitting in anticipation of the yacht’s inaugural journey next year, expanding our fleet and vision within the ultra-luxury space.”

Ilma, meaning “water” in Maltese, will be the second newbuild superyacht from The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Measuring 790-feet, the yacht will feature 224 airy, light-filled suites, all with private terraces, and will accommodate up to 448 passengers. Paving the way for a new era of cruising, this brand extension introduces an entirely unique experience at sea, illustrating the ongoing commitment to innovative luxury travel experiences from The Ritz-Carlton. Ilma will offer expansive public spaces and will have one of the highest space ratios at sea, ensuring an exceptional journey.

The onboard experience will reflect the unparalleled lifestyle and legendary service for which The Ritz-Carlton brand is recognized, including state-of-the-art technology, five distinct dining venues, and a Ritz-Carlton Spa.

Delivering thoughtfully curated itineraries and unforgettable journeys for guests, Ilma will join the company’s first yacht Evrima in visiting the most coveted destinations in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, with select ports of call in Central America and South America, depending on the season.

The yacht’s sleek and graceful exterior design, expertly crafted by Helsinki-based design studio Aivan, draws inspiration from the elegant aesthetics of private yacht design. Interiors will seamlessly blend warmth and sophistication with a relaxed atmosphere, showcasing modern craftsmanship and interior finishes imagined by AD Associates, a renowned London-based architectural and design firm, and award-winning lighting designer, DPA.

“We are thrilled to witness Ilma’s float out. Ilma embodies Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s dedication to ultra-luxury,” expressed Arnaud Le Joncour. “This milestone marks the beginning of the next construction phase of outfitting. Drawing inspiration from Ilma’s elegance, clean lines, and unique features, our teams are united in the pursuit of meeting the expectations of today’s most discerning luxury travelers.”

Explora I makes its U.S. debut

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 29 September 2023 29 September 2023

The port of New York City welcomed Explora I for its maiden call to mark Explora Journeys’ debut in the U.S.on September 25 The luxury ship is the first of a fleet of six ships of the luxury travel brand of the MSC Group.

The maritime tradition of a crest exchange to celebrate a ship’s first visit to a destination took place on board the vessel at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal between the ship’s master Captain Diego Michelozzi and Captain Zeita Merchant, Commanding Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York.

Michael Ungerer, CEO, Explora Journeys, said, “We are very proud to bring our extraordinary new ship, Explora I, to New York City. New York City is one of the most important destinations in the Northeastern U.S. and it is an honor to showcase our highly anticipated new ship and luxury experience in the North American market. Our team has worked tirelessly to push the boundaries of innovation and excellence to create a product that we are thrilled for guests to see when they embark in New York City.”

Explora I set sail for her inaugural East Coast U.S. and Canada voyage following the maiden call in New York. The itinerary will call Boston, Massachusetts in the U.S. and Saint John, Bay of Fundy and Quebec City in Canada. The luxury ship will then sail two additional 7-night journeys along the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada, before heading to Miami, Florida for the beginning of the Caribbean season.

Ungerer added, “Throughout these journeys, our guests will experience the authentic and bespoke experiences offered by Explora Journeys. With best-in-class service, exquisite onboard offerings and immersive destination experiences, they will reach an ‘Ocean State of Mind’. A balanced blend of on- and off-the-beaten-path destinations will allow our guests on Explora I to indulge in authentic cultural experiences and a slower pace of travel, leaving them rejuvenated and inspired.”

Explora I is equipped with the latest environmental and marine technologies, including selective catalytic reduction technology, shore power plug-in connectivity, underwater noise management systems to protect marine life and a comprehensive range of onboard energy efficient equipment to optimize engine use to further reduce emissions.

Explora I first set sail in July 2023. Explora II will enter service in summer 2024 and operate until April 2025 in the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East. Explora III and Explora IV will both be powered by liquefied natural gas and enter service in 2026 and 2027 respectively. Explora V and Explora VI will both be powered by hydrogen and enter service in 2027 and 2028 respectively.

Editor's note: We are currently onboard the Explora I to prepare our cover story for the Winter 2023/2024 issue.

Hurtigruten Expeditions rebrands as HX

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 24 September 2023 24 September 2023

After launching the world’s first expedition cruise in 1896, Hurtigruten Group AS is taking its adventure travel brand Hurtigruten Expeditions to the next phase. This includes a new global brand identity that will launch this December, with a new name, HX, and logo across all materials. The new name is a nod to Hurtigruten Expeditions and its origins.

Hurtigruten Norway, which celebrated 130 years of operating the original Norwegian Coastal Express this summer, will continue with the iconic name but simplified to just “Hurtigruten”, maintaining the same name as when it first launched in 1893, signifying “the fast route” in Norwegian. Both Hurtigruten Expeditions and Hurtigruten Norway are 100 percent owned by Hurtigruten Group and form a portfolio of sustainable travel brands that includes extensive land-based activities, including hotels, restaurants, and more through Hurtigruten Svalbard, and a 25 percent stake in Ecuador-based Metropolitan Touring, the pioneers of sustainable travel in the Galápagos Islands.

"The name Hurtigruten is synonymous with travel in Norway, just as it has been a renowned travel brand for over 130 years. Today’s evolution of our brand identities is the culmination of the work that started in 2021 when we split the two brands,” said Daniel Skjeldam, CEO, Hurtigruten Group. “HX will remain at the forefront of expedition cruising and sustainable travel as we continue to significantly grow its global presence while strengthening Hurtigruten’s iconic position on the Norwegian coast. With HX, we are investing in our high-end expedition itineraries to some of the most adventurous, remote places around the world. While we have traditionally been known as the Polar experts, we launched the Galápagos Islands last year, which is already our third most popular destination. And we will be the only cruise liner to exclusively sail the West African archipelagos of both Cape Verde and the Bissagos Islands in this year’s most exciting new itinerary, which we are launching this fall."

The new HX brand and logo will be fully implemented starting in December, with updates to brochures, websites, and social channels; livery repainting of the fleet’s six ships will commence over the next 18 months.

In 2020, the strategic separation of the two brands was announced to enhance operational and commercial autonomy for each business, allowing for the delivery of distinctly different guest experiences. Implementation of this separation began in 2021, and earlier this year, Hurtigruten Group completed its internal restructuring to align commercial and support functions with the dedicated ship operations. The Group also announced a fleet adjustment over the summer, shifting Hurtigruten Expeditions’ battery-hybrid-powered Otto Sverdrup to Hurtigruten Norway as of January 2024 while redeploying Maud to Antarctica due to growing demand. In the 2024-2025 Antarctica season, HX will offer guests more choices than any other expedition cruise company, with 36 departures across eight different itineraries spanning 12 to 24 days.

As the leader of expedition cruising, HX will continue to provide its guests with the same immersive small-ship experience deeply rooted in exploration with scientific research, expert-led lectures, and community advocacy at the heart of the experience. The Hurtigruten Group offers more itinerary options to Antarctica, the Galápagos Islands, Greenland, Svalbard, and the West African coast than any other expedition cruise company while also offering Alaska, Iceland, Canada’s Northwest Passage, the British Isles, and many other exciting destinations. The most sustainable fleet in the industry, HX’s vessels include Roald Amundsen, the world’s first-ever battery-hybrid-powered ship, and its sister ship, Fridtjof Nansen.

Hurtigruten Group remains steadfast in its commitment to becoming the world’s most sustainable adventure travel company by investing in technologies and solutions to achieve emission-free travel by 2050. As the leader in sustainable travel, they most recently announced Hurtigruten Norway’s zero-emission ship that will launch in 2030.

MSC orders two hydrogen-powered ships for Explora Journeys

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 September 2023 21 September 2023

The Cruise Division of MSC Group today confirmed firm orders for two hydrogen-powered vessels for its luxury travel brand Explora Journeys with the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and pledged to continue its push towards a net zero-carbon emissions target by 2050 by investigating additional new and advanced environmental technologies for the luxury ships. The deal completes a total investment of €3.5 billion in six luxury ships for Explora Journeys. The contracts are subject to access to financing as per industry practice.

EXPLORA V and EXPLORA VI will have new state-of-the-art energy efficiency measures and will also be capable of using alternative fuels such as bio and synthetic gas and methanol and the Cruise Division will work in the future with Fincantieri to equip the ships with future technologies including carbon capture, and more advanced waste management systems. The two confirmed additions to Explora Journeys’ fleet will be delivered in 2027 and 2028.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman - Cruise Division, MSC Group, said, “With Explora Journeys we have created a luxury brand that has been successful at redefining luxury at sea. We are seeing continued growth in the luxury segment and the investment in these two new ships shows our commitment to continue to grow within this sector as well as to invest in ships of the future. Together with Fincantieri we will study the newest technology that the world has to offer and continue with our commitment to introduce these technologies to drive efficiencies across the whole spectrum of ship performance. And of course we will continue to deliver the very best luxury travel experience, immersing our guests in the ocean state of mind with an sustainable soul.”

Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer, Fincantieri, said “This new contract with MSC is a sign of the growing vitality of the cruise sector, in line with what we had predicted. In strategic terms, our future will depend on our ability to lead the evolution of the sector towards all energy and digital transition technologies with the entrepreneurship required to validate, industrialise and commercialise new solutions. The relevance of the partnership with MSC in this sense is a great strategic stimulus towards the future in line with the technological development goals set out in our new business plan. We are therefore particularly proud that the Explora project will mark the acceleration of this new phase, which with the fifth and sixth ships, will reach the highest level of advancement, making Fincantieri's vision of the ship of the future ever more concrete.”

The two new ships will pursue the use of liquid hydrogen with fuel cells for their hotel operations while docked in ports to eliminate carbon emissions with the vessels’ engines switched off. The ships will also feature a new generation of LNG engines that will further tackle the issue of methane slip with the use of containment systems.

LNG is one of the world’s cleanest marine fuels currently available at scale and is set to play a key role in the transition to the decarbonisation of international shipping. It substantially reduces local air pollutant emissions with sulphur oxides falling by up to 99 per cent and nitrogen oxides decreasing by up to 85 per cent. LNG also plays a key role in climate change mitigation as it offers up to a 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Further environmental benefits are expected following the availability at scale of synthetic LNG.

Explora Journeys’ first ship, EXPLORA I was delivered by Fincantieri in July 2023 and is currently operating in Northern Europe. The ship will spend the autumn in North America, and the winter in the Caribbean Sea. She will sail during the spring 2024 off the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii before returning to Europe in summer 2024 for a series of journeys in the Mediterranean Sea

EXPLORA II will enter service in summer 2024 and operate until April 2025 in the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean and Africa visiting 82 ports in 26 countries. EXPLORA II first ‘touched water’ on 6 September 2023 at a ‘float out’ ceremony near Genoa in Italy.

EXPLORA III will enter service in summer 2026 and construction of the LNG-powered vessel started on 6 September 2023 with a steel-cutting ceremony. Construction of LNG-powered EXPLORA IV will begin in January 2024 and will be completed in early 2027.

All six ships in Explora Journeys’ fleet will be equipped with the latest environmental and marine technologies and will also feature the latest selective catalytic reduction technology to enable a reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions by 90 per cent, be equipped with shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce emissions in port and fitted with underwater noise management systems to help protect marine life.

All six vessels will also have a comprehensive range of onboard energy efficient equipment to optimise engine use to further reduce emissions.

Royal Caribbean Group completes successful biofuel testing

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 20 September 2023 20 September 2023

This week, Royal Caribbean Group laid important groundwork for the industry’s alternative fuel ambitions by completing over 12 consecutive weeks of biofuel testing in Europe. The company’s steadfast pursuit to find lower-carbon energy solutions is driven by its SEA the Future commitment to sustaining the planet, energizing communities, and accelerating innovation. By introducing methods that reduce emissions today, Royal Caribbean Group is ultimately advancing the decarbonization of its operations.

“This is a pivotal moment for Royal Caribbean Group’s alternative fuel journey,” said Jason Liberty, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “Following our successful trial of biofuels this summer, we are one step closer to bringing our vision for net-zero cruising to life. As we strive to protect and promote the vibrant oceans we sail, we are determined to accelerate innovation and improve how we deliver vacation experiences responsibly.”

On September 19th, in Barcelona, Spain, Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas became the first ship in the maritime industry to successfully test and use a biofuel blend to meet part of her fuel needs. The company confirmed onboard technical systems met operational standards, without quality or safety concerns, demonstrating the biofuel blend is a reliable “drop in” supply of lower emission energy that ships can use to set sail across Europe and beyond. The tests across Europe also provided valuable data to understand the availability and scalability of biofuel in the region.

“Royal Caribbean’s success is a clear example of how commitment to innovation makes possible the development of solutions to decarbonise the maritime sector. In this case, it involves the cruise sector and focuses on biofuels, an area in which the Port of Barcelona is already working to become an energy hub, producing and supplying zero carbon fuels, such as green hydrogen and ammonia, and of other almost zero-carbon alternative fuels, such as methanol, biofuels or synthetic fuels. Innovation and collaboration between ports and shipping companies is key to accelerate the decarbonisation of maritime transport,” said the President of the Port of Barcelona, Lluís Salvadó.

The company began testing biofuels last year and expanded the trail this summer in Europe to two additional ships — Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Apex. The sustainable biofuel blends tested were produced by purifying renewable raw materials like waste oils and fats and combining them with fuel oil to create an alternative fuel that is cleaner and more sustainable. The biofuel blends tested are accredited by International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), a globally recognized organization that ensures sustainability of biofuels and verifies reductions of related emissions.

With Symphony of the Seas departing from the Port of Barcelona and Celebrity Apex departing from the Port of Rotterdam, both ships accomplished multiple sailings using biofuel and contributed critical data on the fuel’s capabilities. These results will help accelerate Royal Caribbean Group’s plans to continue testing the use of different types of biofuels on upcoming European sailings this fall. The company is exploring strategic partnerships with suppliers and ports to ensure the availability of biofuel and infrastructures to advance the maritime energy transition.