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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. partners with All Hands Volunteers for Hope Starts Here Hurricane Relief

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 27 September 2017 27 September 2017

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., yesterday announced a partnership with All Hands Volunteers, the world’s leading disaster relief organization powered by volunteers, and set a goal to raise $2.5 million for the Hope Starts Here hurricane relief program. Under Hope Starts Here, the company is committing to match up to $1.25 million of donations from its valued guests, team members, suppliers and partners in order to substantially help All Hands Volunteers (hands.org), a 501(c)3 non-profit relief organization, and Happy Hearts Fund (happyheartsfund.org) deliver early relief response for the Florida Keys, and rebuild safe, resilient schools in the Caribbean islands impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

“We are heartbroken to see the devastation that Hurricanes Irma and Maria have inflicted on the Florida Keys and several Caribbean islands, where our ships have been visiting since the beginning of our 50 years in business,” said Frank Del Rio, President and Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “The Caribbean is part of our family, and we are grateful to work with All Hands Volunteers and Happy Hearts Fund to create the Hope Starts Here hurricane relief program and do our part in giving back to these destinations. We’re proud to start our campaign with a $600,000 donation to help begin the rebuilding efforts.”

“We are incredibly grateful for this support from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., and for our continued partnership with Happy Hearts Fund to provide their support and expertise,” said David Campbell, Chairman and Founder of All Hands Volunteers. “As the single largest donation in our organization’s history, this funding could not have come at a more crucial time as we work to rebuild communities in the U.S. Virgin Islands and other Caribbean islands after the destruction brought by recent natural disasters, Hurricanes Irma and Maria. All Hands Volunteers will work together with the local communities to meet their long-term needs and rebuild hope.”

“We are thrilled to receive this donation from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. and to work in partnership with All Hands Volunteers with their hurricane relief efforts in the Caribbean islands and the Florida Keys,” said Petra Nemcova, Founder of Happy Hearts Fund. “This funding will allow us to together rebuild safe, resilient schools in areas most impacted by recent natural disasters to keep children safe, but also to ensure that these communities are not forgotten when the emergency response efforts are complete. Children often wait four or more years for schools to be rebuilt, and I hope that more companies will take the same thoughtful actions for long-term recovery.”

In the wake of Hurricane Irma, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. immediately deployed Norwegian Sky to St. Thomas, USVI to bring 35 pallets of much-needed supplies and assist in humanitarian efforts to evacuate residents and visitors. Additionally, one of the company’s newest ships, Norwegian Escape, also housed approximately 4,000 displaced guests who were unable to secure flights home due to hurricane closures. The company is continuing to collect essential items, including medical supplies, diapers, baby formula, water, food, construction materials, blankets, sleeping pods and more, and is working with partners on the ground to support disaster relief efforts. To help hurricane relief and recovery, and to make a donation that will be matched by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., please visit http://www.ncl.com/hope-starts-here.

Silver Spirit to be lengthened by 14.9 metres at Palermo

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 26 September 2017 26 September 2017

Silversea, the Monaco based luxury cruise line, has unveiled plans for its first-ever ship lengthening. The turn-key transformation of Silver Spirit will take place early next year at the Palermo shipyard of Fincantieri, ” the company said in a statement.

The ship is currently 196 metres in length.

Starting in early March, Silver Spirit will be lengthened by inserting a prebuilt 49-foot / 14.9 metre midsection housing six Silver Suites, 26 Veranda Suites and 2 Panorama Suites. Technical upgrades will also be implemented.

As the ship's extensive redesign takes its inspiration from the innovations of the line's new flagship, Silver Muse, creative dining concepts will be incorporated, and stylish décor enhancements will be made to existing suites and throughout the public spaces and outdoor areas, providing an increased level of comfort and spaciousness.

"Based on the wonderful feedback from guests sailing aboard our beautiful Silver Muse, we believe the comprehensive makeover we have planned for Silver Spirit will enrich the onboard experience and be equally appreciated by guests. They will see many of Silver Muse's innovations and elevated comforts embodied by our reimagined Silver Spirit" said Christian Sauleau, Executive Vice President of Fleet Operations for Silversea Cruises.

Giorgio Rizzo, Senior Vice President Services of Fincantieri, said : “The lengthening of a ship always entails a rare level of complexity in a sector with already high technological content as the cruise one is. Today our group and the Palermo shipyard boast an established and recognized experience in this kind of operations, confirmed by the project that Silversea has assigned us. We are particularly proud of it because we will supervise it entirely, from design to its full execution, to the delivery to the shipowner”.

Fincantieri delivers Viking Sun

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 September 2017 25 September 2017

Viking Sun, the fourth of eight cruise ships Viking Ocean Cruises has ordered from Fincantieri, has been delivered at the shipyard in Ancona, the shipbuilder said in a statement.

Viking Sun, as its sister ships, is placed in the small cruise ship segment. In fact, with a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tons, it has 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers, with a total capacity of over 1,400 people, including the crew.

The ship has been designed by experienced naval architects and engineers, including an interior design team of London-based SMC Design, and Los Angeles-based Rottet Studios, who transferred on Viking Sun a modern design of Scandinavian inspiration, featuring sophisticated elegance but functional, at the mean time.

In addition to the all-veranda staterooms, the ship also has spacious suites with sweeping views, two pools, of which one Infinity Pool off the stern, and a Spa designed according to the wellness philosophy of the Scandinavian tradition, with a sauna and a snow grotto.

The Viking Ocean Cruises units are all built according to the latest navigation regulations and equipped with the most modern safety systems, including the “Safe return to port”. Furthermore, they feature the most advanced technologies for energy saving and for meeting the strictest environmental regulations with energy-efficient engines and an exhaust gas cleaning system.

MedCruise on the threshold of 51st General Assembly

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 24 September 2017 24 September 2017

Alan Lam reporting

The 51st MedCruise General Assembly will be held during 11-14 October 2017 in Toulon, Var Provence, France.

The event is touted as an extraordinary occasion to meet with more than 120 cruise industry professionals, including cruise line executives, international press, and port executives, among others. An impressive line-up of cruise line executives will be attending. Confirmed cruise line executives include, among others, Giora Israel, Carnival Corporation & plc; Michael Nestour, Carnival Corporation & plc; Marc Berbarian, Ponant; Bruce Krumrine, Holland America Group; Javier Marin Martinon, Pullmantur; Miguel Reyna, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.; Adria Bono, Silversea Cruises; Marcus Putsch, TUI Cruises; Craig Milan, Virgin Voyages and Sander Groothuis, Windstar Cruises.

As before, latest cruise industry initiatives and development concerning the MedCruise region will be discussed and debated during the four-day gathering. Delegates and member representatives will explore implications and prospects of cruising in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas.

Once again, the assembly will address key issues concerning the cruise industry in the association’s region. It will also provide its regular and associate members opportunities for B2B meetings and interactive workshops with cruise line executives.

Cruise Business Review is a key media partner of MedCruise. Its correspondent will be reporting live from Toulon.

Meyer's Neptun shipyard finishes first engine room module for AIDAnova

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 24 September 2017 24 September 2017

On September 21, 2017, an AIDAnova module was released into the water for the first time at the Neptun shipyard in Rostock, which belongs to the Meyer Group. This is the first of two floating parts, so-called Floating Engine Room Units (FERU), which was placed onto the Warnow river with a special lowering device. The complex module stretching over 120 meters long and 42 meters wide, as well as three decks high, is carrying the four dual-fuel engines by Caterpillar and hence the heart of AIDAnova.

AIDAnova is the first cruise ship in the world, which – beginning in the fall of 2018 – will be able to operate both in ports and at sea with the most environmentally friendly and lowest-emission fossil fuel thanks to the operation of four dual-fuel engines. By using LNG, emissions of fine dust and sulfur oxides are almost completely prevented and emissions of nitrogen oxides and CO2 are permanently reduced.

The shipment of the first AIDAnova module from Rostock to the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg is scheduled to take place from September 25–28, 2017, depending on the weather conditions. It’s time to set sail as planned next Monday, September 25, 2017, at 10.00 am at the Neptun shipyard in Rostock with a course set for the Kiel Fjord. In the early morning hours of September 26, 2017, around 7.00 am, the floating part will begin the passage through the Kiel Canal from Kiel to Brunsbuttel. After a twelve-hour journey, the floating module will arrive in Brunsbüttel on September 26, 2017, at around 7 pm. From Borkum, it will carry on towards Emden with an expected arrival time of 9.00 am on September 27, 2017. The last passage will take the part from Emden to Papenburg, where the four dual-fuel engines will arrive around 7 pm on September 28, 2017.

With the construction of the engine room modules at the Neptun shipyard in Rostock and the investment in Caterpillar engines, AIDA Cruises not only strengthens regional cooperation but is also a key driver of the local economy. More than 500 shipyard workers and 500 external employees from other service providers are currently employed at the Neptun shipyard. In addition, there are 120 Caterpillar employees, who are assembling the engines.

Starting in December 2018, AIDAnova will offer cruises around the Canary Islands. Before the start of the Canary season, the new ship will make a stop in Hamburg. On December 2, 2018, the new ship will visit the Hanseatic City on the Elbe. From here, it will set off towards Gran Canaria.