MSC Seaview floated out, to operate in Mediterranean, Caribbean and Brazil

Details

Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: More News More News

Published: 24 August 2017 24 August 2017

MSC Cruises, the Swiss-based world’s fourth largest cruidse shipping group, the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri have celebrated the float out of MSC Seaview. The ceremony took place at the Monfalcone shipyard in Italy, where the ship is being built.

“MSC Seaview is the second of MSC Cruises’ Seaside generation of cruise ships, based on a highly-innovative prototype designed to bring guests closer to the sea than ever before, for warmer climates and the ultimate sun and sea cruise experience. She is set to come into service in June 2018, just six months after MSC Seaside will first come into service in December 2017 with her Grand Voyage from Trieste, Italy to Miami, USA in December 2017,” the cruise line said in a statement.

MSC Seaview will sail her inaugural 2018 summer season in the Mediterranean. Following this inaugural season, the ship will follow the sun to Brazil and the Southern hemisphere for the winter 2018-2019 season, with an itinerary that includes Santos, Ilha Grande, Buzios, Porto Belo and Camboriu.

 

Shares in Global Port Holdings extend losses after weak interims

Details

Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: More News More News

Published: 23 August 2017 23 August 2017

Shares in Global Port Holding (GPH), the world’s largest cruise port operator have extended their deep losses this week after the company had reported a sharp increase in net loss the first half of the year.

The Istanbul based company that operates 14 cruise ports, mainly in the Mediterranean, went public in London in early summer, when its shares floated at £7.45, near the bottom of their £7.40 to £8.40 guided range at the time. This week, they fell below £6.00 and in the morning of 23 August, they were priced at mere £5.88.

The company last week reported a deepening of net loss to $6.9 million from $0.5 million in the first half of 2016, while revenues shrank to $13.9 million from $16.7 million. The company also operators container terminals and revenue from this business actually increased, to $21.5 million from $19.2 million a year earlier.

GPH blamed seasonality in cruise shipping for the weak performance in the latest review period. It has a strategy to grow its network of cruise ports, which currently extends from Lisbon in the west to Singapore in the East.

 

Celebrity Cruises teams up with maritime university in Ghana

Details

Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: More News More News

Published: 23 August 2017 23 August 2017

Celebrity Cruises, the premium market unit in Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd (RCCL) group, has formed a partnership with the Regional Maritime University (RMU) in Ghana. “For the first time in cruise industry history, female bridge officers will be openly recruited from a West African country through a new Celebrity Cadet Program in partnership with RMU,” Celebrity said in a statement.

Nicholine Tifuh Azirh is the first cadet of the programme and she will be joining the bridge team onboard Celebrity Equinox.

The partnership with RMU came about when Celebrity’s President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo met with students from the Mandela Washington Fellowship at Florida International University (FIU).

There, she met Tifuh Azirh who shared her inspiring story of perseverance; Tifuh Azirh holds two degrees, yet following graduation she struggled to find opportunities in the maritime industry as an African female despite her academic performance, subsequent teaching at RMU, and cadet experience.

“After hearing Nicholine’s story, I met with our SVP of Global Marine Operations, Patrik Dahlgren, to see what we needed to do in order to give her, and others, the opportunities they’ve earned. A year later, I’m so excited to share the news of our partnership with RMU and to welcome Nicholine onboard,” said Lutoff-Perlo. “Nicholine isn’t just a new-hire, she symbolizes hope for women around the world who dream of working in a very male-dominated industry; she’s the face of our industry-leading partnership; and she is an incredible example of Celebrity’s commitment to opening up the world.”

Crystal Bach named in Germany

Details

Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: More News More News

Published: 21 August 2017 21 August 2017

Crystal Bach, the first of its four new build Rhine Class river ships, of Crystal Cruises, was named at a ceremony in Rudesheim, Germany, August 20.

The ship was built by MV Werften in Germany, which like the Los Angeles based Crystal Cruises is also part of the Genting Hong Kong group.

Crystal’s CEO and president, Edie Rodriguez, presided over the ceremony, along with emcee and longtime popular Crystal entertainer, Mark Farris. The ship’s godmother, German opera star Anna-Maria Kaufmann, named the ship with the traditional blessing and champagne breaking, and also lent her famed talents to the celebration with a special performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Air.”

Also in attendance were the ship’s cruise guests, local travel partners and executives from Genting Hong Kong.

“The fact that she is Crystal’s first-ever new build river ship means that we had the opportunity to go beyond the best and create a luxury river cruise experience that is truly unprecedented. She is the first – and, until her sisters join her – the only all-balcony, all-suite river ship,” Rodriguez said in a statement.