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Virgin Voyages shatters records with best wave season in company history

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 March 2025 28 March 2025

Virgin Voyages, Richard Branson’s adult-only, boutique hotel at sea, celebrates record-breaking revenue and bookings, delivering the strongest financial performance in the company's history. Fueled by its most successful wave season to date, the cruise line has seen 34% growth in bookings, with revenue up +45%. In addition to these impressive figures, since introducing new, longer itineraries, Virgin Voyages has also reported a more than 50% increase in bookings for these new products, indicating strong consumer interest in new ports and longer stays onboard the Virgin fleet.

Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages, said, "These outstanding results demonstrate the tremendous momentum our brand has established in the market. Our kid-free, award-winning experience has successfully positioned us as a true premium alternative in the cruise industry. Our vessels' deliberate size delivers the perfect balance of intimate, elevated experiences with exceptional variety that resonates strongly with consumers. The impressive repeat booking rates we're seeing validate our business model and product-market fit, with initial sailings consistently converting to long-term customer relationships. The entire Virgin Voyages team is energized by this growth trajectory. We've built something truly distinctive in the market, and we remain focused on scaling our success while maintaining the premium experience and value proposition that differentiates our brand in this competitive landscape."

The brand's meteoric rise comes at a pivotal moment as Virgin Voyages continues to make its mark on the cruise industry with its iconic blend of luxury, relaxed sophistication and signature Virgin spirit. As a further testament to the company’s successful Wave season, Virgin Voyages is also reporting a standout performance in web traffic as one of the only cruise brands to see gains in search, leading the industry with increases up 25%*. In addition to this, the brand's unique approach to cognitive marketing and non-traditional, new media has been a significant driver in its growth story, ability to reach new audiences and breakthrough the noise to capitalize on word-of-mouth, referrals and broad awareness.

Saverimuttu continues, “As a Virgin brand we’re able to really benefit from this new approach because we have the customer base. Our brand has cache and because of this unique position, we’re able to show an outsized impact in places like YouTube, Meta and more. For example, we saw a 200% increase in ChatGPT searches for the brand in Q1.”

Excitement continues to build as the adult-only travel brand unveils fleet-wide innovations, appealing to continued growth with travelers in their 50’s and 60’s who are looking for a more relaxed environment without kids. Plans include delicious reveals for its award-winning culinary program, new restaurants, expanded menus, seven new entertainment concepts, longer and more sought-after itineraries and the much-anticipated debut of its fourth ship, Brilliant Lady in September 2025. This celebratory moment marks a major brand milestone with all four Lady Ships sailing the Caribbean this fall. Brand-wide homeports will include New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Barcelona, Athens and Portsmouth. With the completion of the fleet, Virgin Voyages offers a tremendous amount of choice, from bucket-list itineraries to solar eclipse voyages, along with ports of call ranging from Iceland to the southern Caribbean.

"This is just the beginning of what we know will be our best year yet," concluded Saverimuttu. "We're not just changing how people cruise—we're redefining what a vacation at sea can be. And we're doing it with our signature mix of style, substance, and innovation that only Virgin can deliver, including exciting new itineraries, new entertainment, new food and of course Brilliant Lady’s debut. Watch this space; we've got some brilliant announcements coming soon that will make waves across the industry."

Virgin Voyages continues to break through barriers, attracting a significant new-to-cruise audience along with 60% repeat Sailors on some voyages. The company, now in its fourth year, has solidified its place as the brand of choice for travelers looking for a fresh, price-inclusive travel experience. Demand for kid-free vacations are increasing within the travel industry, and Virgin Voyages is staking its claim as the ultimate option for exclusively adult getaways.

MSC Cruises takes delivery of MSC World America, celebrates additional milestones with Chantiers de l'Atlantique

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 27 March 2025 27 March 2025

MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique celebrated milestones on Thursday for three World Class ships in Saint-Nazaire, France, with the delivery of MSC World America, the coin ceremony for MSC World Asia and steel cutting for the newly named MSC World Atlantic.

Attendees included Captain Gianluigi Aponte, Founder and Group Chairman of MSC; Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Group's Cruise Division; Laurent Castaing, Chantiers de l’Atlantique General Manager; and the French Minister for Industry and Energy, Marc Ferracci; together with representatives of MSC Cruises’ newbuild team and shipyard workers who built the ship over the last 30 months.

MSC World America is the 23rd ship in the cruise line’s fleet and is set to be officially named on April 9 at the company’s new state-of-the-art MSC Miami Cruise Terminal, which is the largest in the world. The ship offers new venues and concepts tailored specifically to the North American market, combining European style with American comfort.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, Cruise Division, MSC Group, said: “Today is a proud moment for all of us at MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique as we mark these major milestones in the development of our fleet. Our new flagship is a testament to our long-standing, innovative partnership spanning over 20 years, resulting in five groundbreaking prototypes and 19 ships. Together, we continue to push boundaries, combining cutting-edge design, the latest technologies, and a richness of experiences to set new standards in cruising and always striving to further improve the environmental performance of each ship. We look forward to raising the bar even higher with the upcoming MSC World Asia and MSC World Atlantic.”

Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, added: "It is with great emotion that we are marking today not one, but three MSC World Class ships. Continuous improvement of the onboard experience, ever more optimized energy performance – what a journey MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l'Atlantique teams have accomplished so far. To date, MSC World America has the best energy efficiency design index (EEDI) from the IMO, and therefore the lowest carbon footprint of the entire cruise industry… and we will go even further with the two sisterships we are celebrating today!"

Marc Ferracci, Minister of Industry and Energy of France, said: “Industrial excellence and a spirit of ambition are the hallmarks of Chantiers de l'Atlantique. Thanks to the privileged relationship with world leader MSC Cruises, and with the support of the State, the Saint Nazaire shipyards continue to make France and Europe shine across the seas. I pay tribute to the commitment and expertise of the men and women who work in this industrial sector essential for our sovereignty.”

MSC World Asia celebrated its coin ceremony, during which commemorative coins were placed inside the ship as a sign of blessing during construction and to bring good fortune to the ship. Two godmothers, Marialuisa Iaccarino, VP Shore Excursions for MSC Cruises; and Flavie Biondo, Chargé d'affaires for Chantiers de l’Atlantique placed the coins in the ship’s hull. MSC World Asia will enter service during winter 2026-27 with Mediterranean cruises to destinations in France, Italy, Spain and Malta.

MSC Cruises’ third celebration was a steel cutting ceremony to start construction of the line’s fourth World Class ship, due to enter service in 2027. The ship’s name—MSC World Atlantic – was revealed for the first time. MSC World Atlantic will offer cruises from Port Canaveral, sailing to the Caribbean starting with the winter 2027-28 season.

The World Class platform set new standards in cruising with the introduction of MSC World Europa in 2022, and it continues to evolve with each new ship incorporating innovations in design, technology and guest experience. World Class ships are named in honor of the world’s continents and oceans, not necessarily indicating where they will be deployed. The naming convention reflects the global nature of MSC Cruises, which sails to all parts of the world.

MSC World America is one of the most energy-efficient cruise ships in the world, surpassing all design requirements under the International Maritime Organization’s Energy Efficiency Design Index. Her latest-generation engines run on LNG, which enables a direct transition toward drop-in bio and synthetic renewable fuels.

The ship is also equipped with shore power to allow the engines to be switched off while in connected ports that offer it, such as the new MSC Cruise Terminal in Miami. The ship also has an advanced wastewater treatment system and a comprehensive onboard recycling management plant, which significantly reduce waste output.

The Classification Society, Bureau Veritas, has awarded MSC World America its Platinum Pearl Award in recognition of MSC Cruises’ 20-year commitment to health, safety and environmental protection across its fleet of ships.

MSC World America’s inaugural season of Caribbean cruises from Miami will start on April 12. 7-night Eastern Caribbean itineraries include calls at Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and MSC Cruises’ private island—Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. The ship’s 7-night Western Caribbean voyages will call at Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Isla de Roatan, Honduras; and Ocean Cay.

The Cruise Division of MSC Group announces new North American leadership organization

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 26 March 2025 26 March 2025

The Cruise Division of MSC Group has announced that Rubén Rodríguez has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer, Cruise Division, North America, where he will oversee the growth of both MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys.

Under the strategic guidance of Gianni Onorato, Global CEO of MSC Cruises, and Anna Nash, Global President of Explora Journeys, Rodríguez will work with each brand’s respective leaders – Lynn Torrent as President, MSC Cruises North America and Chris Austin, President Explora Journeys, North & Central America.

The new leadership structure in North America will support the Company’s continued growth in one of its most important markets. This new role and structure enable both brands to continue their own unique expansion while generating enhanced synergies and collaboration under the leadership of Rodríguez.

Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago, Cruise Division of MSC Group, said: “In his role as President of MSC Cruises USA, Ruben achieved significant business results and laid the groundwork for growth and as such he was the natural choice to take on this newly created role. We are building a new organization that will better service the needs of our trade partners and consumers, maximize the performance of the two brands with their distinct offerings and strengthen our presence in North America.”

This is a pivotal year for MSC Cruises in North America as the brand’s new flagship MSC World America will launch from the Cruise Division’s new terminal at Port Miami on April 9, which is the largest cruise terminal in the world. The new ship will be deployed in the region offering Caribbean cruises all of which will call at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve – the Company’s private island destination in The Bahamas. Later in the year, the line will begin offering cruises from Galveston, Texas for the first time, followed by the addition of cruises to Alaska in the summer of 2026.

TUI Group provides update on its cruise business, reveals plans for two newbuilds for Marella

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 March 2025 25 March 2025

TUI Group provided the following statement on its cruise activities during Capital Markets Day:

"In Cruises we aim to grow our product offering through new ship deliveries based on a continued strong trading environment and market growth predictions, particularly in Europe. Our three award-winning brands incorporating Mein Schiff and Hapag-Lloyd within our joint venture TUI Cruises, alongside our wholly owned Marella Cruises, hold strong market positions in Germany and UK respectively. Following the successful launch of Mein Schiff 7 in June 2024, Mein Schiff Relax will now join the Mein Schiff fleet ahead of the key summer season with a third vessel, Mein Schiff Flow, complimenting the fleet in Q3 2026. We expect the addition of the Mein Schiff 7 to deliver €25m to €30m EAT (TUI 50% share) and the larger Mein Schiff Relax and Mein Schiff Flow, to each deliver €35m to €40m EAT (TUI 50% share) per annum to the TUI business. We also expect the TUI Cruises dividend to return to pre-pandemic levels of at least €170m in FY25.

Against the background of an aging Marella Cruises fleet, we are currently exploring future growth options on how to position our highly profitable UK market leading business in a steadily growing market. We are in discussions with shipyards and we are currently considering ordering two vessels based on a design customised for the UK market. New-build slots are tentatively available from FY31 onwards. We would expect customary market financing, based on an Export Credit Agency (ECA) structure (80% debt and 20% equity) and that the equity contribution could be generated by an increase of joint venture dividends. An indicative business case calculates an EBIT of between €130m and €150m p.a. per ship and ROIC of 11% to 12%. In parallel we continue to explore partnership options for Marella Cruises, with TUI Group's capital allocation framework remaining our overriding focus."

Celestyal Discovery returns to service after major refurbishment

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 24 March 2025 24 March 2025

Celestyal Discovery has returned to service after a major refurbishment carried out in Athens during the winter.

The 1,360-passenger ship departed from Athens on March 21 on its inaugural voyage of the 2025 season to Greece and the Mediterranean on a three-night "Iconic Greek Islands" cruise. The voyage continued with a stop in Santorini on March 23, marking the first cruise ship visit since the lifting of temporary restrictions imposed by local Greek authorities.

The renovation has incorporated 47 new cabins: 32 suites have expanded the ship's premium capacity by 52%, reflecting the growing demand for this type of accommodation, while 15 Cosmos interior cabins have also been added. This total cabin increase has raised the ship's overall capacity by 7.4%.

The 32 suites include two new categories: 30 Junior Dream Suites, measuring 25 m², with balconies up to 5.6 m², and two Grand Horizon Suites, located above the bridge, measuring 42 m² and featuring separate living areas and spacious 15.5 m² balconies.

Other enhancements include the addition of the Smoked Olive restaurant, in line with its sister ship Celestyal Journey, available as a dedicated dining space at no additional cost to all suite guests. Additional à la carte dining options, such as roast lamb shank and rum baba dessert, will also be available for a small additional charge. Later in the season, a pop-up evening restaurant called Grill Seekers will also be available, with a private, reservable dining area, featuring high-end regional cuisine inspired by the ship's itinerary destinations.

Celestyal has made a significant investment in the ship since joining the fleet in November 2023. Initially, the company updated all public spaces onboard, refurbished cabins, and added a new café, Café Nation, as well as complimentary dining options such as the Pizza Oven and the poolside Greek Deli. The refurbishment work was led by specialist design agency AMK.

Lee Haslett, Celestyal's Chief Commercial Officer, commented: "This latest refurbishment reinforces our commitment to constantly evolving our guests' experience and delivering unparalleled value. Our impressive enhancements, including two new suite categories, provide guests with even more comfort and choice, in line with the growing demand for more premium and spacious cabins.

"We are delighted to have unveiled Celestyal Discovery's enhancements last week and to be the first cruise line to return to Santorini, a favorite destination among our guests, kicking off the new season in the Greek Islands and the Mediterranean."

Celestyal Discovery will offer three- and four-night 'Iconic Greek Islands' cruises from Athens, from March to November, with calls in Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, and Santorini. Prices start from €339 per person for a Cosmos interior cabin, €1,009 per person for a new Junior Dream Suite, and €1,009 per person for a Deluxe Suite. €1,249 per person for a new Grand Horizon Suite.* All meals, soft drinks, Wi-Fi, and gratuities are included in the rates.