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Viking takes delivery of hydrogen-ready Viking Vela from Fincantieri

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 December 2024 03 December 2024

Viking today announced it has taken delivery of the company’s newest ocean ship, the Viking Vela. The delivery ceremony took place this morning when the ship was presented at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy. Classified as a small ship, as are all Viking ocean ships, the Viking Vela has 499 staterooms that can host 998 guests. The Viking Vela joins the company’s growing fleet of award-winning ocean ships and will spend her inaugural season sailing itineraries in the Mediterranean and in Northern Europe.

"We are proud to welcome the newest sister ship to our award-winning ocean fleet,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “Together with Fincantieri we have built the world’s most elegant small ocean ships. With the arrival of our newest vessel, we look forward to introducing even more curious travelers to the Viking way of exploration.”

Viking is working on a project for a partial hybrid propulsion system for future ocean ships based on liquid hydrogen and fuel cells, which could allow the company to operate at zero-emission in the Norwegian Fjords and other sensitive environments. While the Viking Vela has a traditional propulsion platform, she is considered hydrogen-ready and can be retrofitted in the future.

The delivery of the Viking Vela follows a string of recent accolades for the company. Viking was rated #1 for Oceans, #1 for Rivers and #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards for the second consecutive year. This achievement marked the first time a travel company won these three categories in back-to-back years. Viking was also named Best Luxury Line, Best Line for Couples and Best Line in the Mediterranean in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Cruise Lines ranking for the fourth consecutive year. Viking’s ocean ships have been rated and “Recommended” as part of the Forbes Travel Guide 2024 Star Awards, an annual independent evaluation for luxury travel brands. Additionally, Viking received seven awards at the 2023 Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks Awards – more than any other line – across the luxury, river and expedition categories.

The new luxury cruise line Mitsui Ocean Cruises begins its first revenue cruise

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 December 2024 03 December 2024

Mitsui Ocean Fuji, the newest cruise ship from Mitsui Ocean Cruises, arrived in Yokohama to begin a maiden season of inspiring voyages celebrating the blue ocean and Japan’s breathtaking natural beauty. Japan’s most luxurious, all-suite vessel is sailing a series of 5- to 66-day cruises from Yokohama, Tokyo, and other local ports, launching a completely new and innovative onboard guest experience that captures “FUNATABI – Beautiful Encounters with Japan.”

The 458-guest Mitsui Ocean Fuji will officially be named in a traditional maritime ceremony on Saturday, December 7, in Tokyo Bay by Ikenobo ikebana Headmaster Designate Senko Ikenobo. Sister ship, Nippon Maru, will also be in Tokyo Bay to welcome Mitsui Ocean Fuji to the fleet.

Mitsui Ocean Cruises simultaneously launched a refreshed and expanded website with new functionality, images and richer content now available at www.mitsuioceancruises.com.

Tsunemichi Mukai, President of Mitsui Ocean Cruises, remarked: “Today marks an incredible milestone for Mitsui Ocean Cruises as we welcome our second luxury cruise ship to the fleet with Mitsui Ocean Fuji. We are thrilled to greet our very first guests and look forward to a prosperous future for our beautiful new ship celebrating our deep culture, wonders of the ocean, praise of delicious cuisine and the unique beauty of our treasured country. I’d also like to congratulate our incredible shipboard and shoreside team who have worked tirelessly together to ready the ship for her debut, promising to deliver an unforgettable experience.”

On sale now, the inaugural season offers a series of Debut Cruises, including a special New Year’s sailing; Spring and Golden Week Cruises (April-May 2025), and a 66-day Grand Asia Cruise (May-July 2025):

Hurtigruten acquired by consortium of existing investors

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 December 2024 03 December 2024

Hurtigruten announced on November 28 that the company has been acquired by a consortium of existing investors and has received approximately EUR 110 million in new, long-term funding. The new setup provides a solid base for the future growth and continued development of Hurtigruten as Norway’s leading coastal cruise line. The closing of this transaction will mark the completion of the process to separate Hurtigruten from HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions).

Hedda Felin, Chief Executive Officer at Hurtigruten, said, “This is an important milestone for Hurtigruten. The transaction allows us to continue to deliver our long-term goals, enable sustainable growth, and enhance our customer experience. We look forward to working alongside the new investor group.”

Under the new ownership, which includes existing investors led by Arini Capital Management, AlbaCore Capital and Barings, Hurtigruten will continue to deliver the best guest experience on the Norwegian coast, also known as "the world's most beautiful sea journey". With more than 130 years of transporting freight, local passengers and tourists, no other company knows the unique coastline like Hurtigruten and its nearly 2,000 employees on sea and land.

Hurtigruten is seeing strong demand for its products with, as of 24th November, 2025 bookings 24% higher year-to-date compared to last year for 2024, and poised for further acceleration in 2026.

Torben Geisler, who led the Arini investment, said on behalf of the consortium, “Hurtigruten is a strong, storied brand that has made a name for itself for over a century as a world-class operator. Our investor group looks forward to backing the Hurtigruten management team and its employees to help the company achieve its significant potential while continuing to deliver exceptional travel experiences to its customers.”

The transaction will significantly reduce outstanding debt of the company and its parent group by over EUR 1 billion, resulting in remaining debt of approximately EUR 400m, and extending the maturities to at least 2030.

Hurtigruten will continue as a standalone company, headquartered in Oslo, Norway and Hurtigruten will own and operate its 10 ships under the Norwegian flag.

The company will also continue to benefit from the leadership of Hedda Felin and her skilled team, which was further strengthened with the recent appointment of Per-Hermod Rasmussen as new Chief Financial Officer. Rasmussen assumed his position on 1 December and will play a central role in driving the Company’s financial strategy forward, bringing valuable expertise to Hurtigruten.

The change of ownership has no practical implications for Hurtigruten's customer offering, business partners or daily operations.

The transaction is expected to close in January 2025.

Seventh SunStone Infinity vessel Douglas Mawson launched in Haimen, China

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 29 November 2024 29 November 2024

SunStone Maritime Group A/S has announced the launch of its latest expedition cruise vessel, Douglas Mawson, marking a significant milestone in the completion of the groundbreaking Infinity Class series. The launch ceremony took place today at China Merchants Heavy Industry in Haimen, China.

This momentous occasion was met with enthusiasm by the entire team at SunStone, who look forward to the vessel’s upcoming sea trials next year. As the seventh and final vessel in the Infinity Class series, Douglas Mawson continues to exemplify the cutting-edge innovation, performance, and sustainability that define this fleet.

With a capacity up to 170 passengers and 102 crew, the vessel features advanced safety systems, energy-efficient operations, and eco-friendly technologies designed to minimize environmental impact. Built with Ulstein’s revolutionary X-Bow design, the vessel is IceClass 1A and Polar Class 6, ensuring safe and efficient operations in some of the world’s most challenging environments. Key features include Safe Return toPort, Dynamic Positioning, and zero-speed stabilizers, enhancing both safety and comfort.

The ship provides an exclusive yet spacious experience, offering amenities such as a swimming pool, bar, restaurants, lounges, a library, gym, and spa. This blend of intimate luxury and robust capability ensures immersive adventures for passengers exploring remote destinations.

Scheduled for delivery next year, Douglas Mawson will join the fleet of vessels operating on long-term charter agreements. It will be chartered to Aurora Expeditions and is set to embark on its inaugural voyages in the fall of 2025, continuing the tradition of extra ordinary expedition experiences.

Windstar Cruises’ new Star Seeker floated out in Portugal

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 29 November 2024 29 November 2024

The new Star Seeker yacht, the first Star Class newbuild for small ship line Windstar Cruises, has floated out of the building dock, touching water for the first time at the WestSEA Shipyard in Viana do Castelo, Portugal.

A float out is a maritime tradition of marking when a ship leaves dry dock and becomes waterborne for the first time. While construction of Star Seeker’s exterior is complete, work will be ongoing to complete the interiors, including 112 spacious suites. The ship will also boast five dining options, a full-service spa with a grand entrance from the deck above, a fitness facility, and a fresh take on the line’s iconic Watersports Platform, which turns the ocean into an infinity pool by providing guests access to the sea directly from the ship.

With a capacity for 224 guests and a staff to guest ratio of 1:2, Star Seeker will maintain the intimate atmosphere for which Windstar is renowned, ensuring personalized service at every turn.

Star Seeker will enter service in December of 2025, sailing from Málaga, Spain to Miami, Florida, where Windstar is headquartered and where the ship’s christening ceremony will take place in January of 2026. Star Seeker will then sail its first voyage in the Caribbean and offer more cruises in the region before heading up the West Coast of the United States to Alaska for a full season of summer cruises. From there, the ship will sail to Asia, bringing back the line’s popular Around Japan itineraries.

To commemorate the occasion, Windstar’s Star Seeker float-out ceremony included Mario Ferreira and Manuel Barros of Mystic Invest and Windstar’s Vice President of Expansion Projects John Gunner, who is directing the ship building project for Windstar. Gunner was on site for the float out and provided remarks including thanking Ferreira for his support through the process and the team at the Portuguese shipyard for their dedication and craftsmanship.

“Seeing a ship come together and be at the point where she leaves dry dock for the sea is a memorable milestone in the life of a new build project,” says Gunner. “I am very grateful for this opportunity to be involved in creating a new ship for Windstar and thankful for Mario’s passion and vision for ships which helped guide us to this momentous event today – the float out of a new, beautiful ship for Windstar.”

Windstar will debut an additional new sister ship, Star Explorer, in December of 2026. Star Seeker and Star Explorer both have ice-strengthened hulls, unlocking access to new destinations. The ships are equipped with the latest technology in safety, propulsion, and navigation, including pump jet thrusters and forward-facing Sonar. To minimize their environmental footprint and uphold the brand’s commitment to sustainability, the ships have tier III Nox rated Rolls Royce engines and can connect to shore power minimizing port emissions. In addition, the ships have advanced wastewater treatment systems that meet all global standards. Every aspect of their design reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to preserving the environment while providing unforgettable experiences to travelers.