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Meyer Werft delivers Disney Treasure

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 24 October 2024 24 October 2024

Meyer Werft today delivered the Disney Treasure, to Disney Cruise Line. The Disney Treasure features some of the most complex and innovative entertainment facilities in the cruise industry. The ship has been completed earlier than contractually agreed and will set sail with guests in December.

“We are very happy to hand over the Disney Treasure to Disney Cruise Line today. She is the newest milestone in our longstanding partnership and everyone at Meyer Werft has put a lot of effort and passion into Disney Treasure”, says CEO Bernd Eikens. Together with Bernard Meyer and Thomas Mazloum, president of Disney Signature Experiences, Eikens signed the handover papers.

“The Disney Treasure is yet another example of how we’re bringing the magic of Disney cruising to more fans than ever before – and today, we are one step closer to debuting this spectacular ship to the world,” said Mazloum. “We’re incredibly thankful for our work with Meyer Werft and look forward to our bright future together as we continue to expand the Disney Cruise Line fleet.”

New adventures await families aboard the Disney Treasure with imaginative experiences inspired by Disney’s rich portfolio of stories. These include theatrical dining inspired by Pixar’s “Coco,” an original Broadway-style adaptation of the Walt Disney Animation Studios film, “Moana,” and an all-new collection of Disney Parks-inspired lounges for adults, like the first-ever Haunted Mansion-themed bar.

The Disney Treasure is the latest ship to join Disney Cruise Line’s fleet and the fourth Disney ship built by Meyer Werft. Meyer Werft and Disney Cruise Line have a longstanding relationship, that started with the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, which were delivered in 2010 and 2012. In 2022, the Disney Treasure’s sister ship, the Disney Wish, was handed over to Disney Cruise Line. The third ship in the class, the Disney Destiny, is currently under construction in Papenburg and will be delivered in 2025. In August, Disney Cruise Line and Meyer Werft announced that the German shipyard will build four additional ships that will join Disney Cruise Line’s fleet between 2027 and 2031.

Meyer Werft has contracted 10 cruise ships, a research vessel and four offshore converter platforms, which will be delivered until 2031.

Fincantieri and Viking sign contracts for two cruise ships plus four options

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 23 October 2024 23 October 2024

Fincantieri and Viking have announced that they have signed contracts for the construction of two new cruise ships, based on the successful features of the previous vessels, which Fincantieri has already built for this shipowner in its Italian yards. The units will be delivered in 2030. The value of this agreement, subject to financing and other typical terms and conditions, is considered as large.

Fincantieri and Viking have also reached an agreement for four additional ships in option with deliveries scheduled for 2031 and 2032.

The new ships will be built according to the latest environmental rules and navigation regulations and will be equipped with the most modern safety systems. They will boast all innovations made available by the ongoing cooperation between Fincantieri and Viking for the development of eco-friendly fuels and of sustainable zero- emission power generation systems.

The new vessels will be placed in the small cruise ship segment, the gross tonnage is about 54,300 tons and they will accommodate 998 passengers on board in 499 cabins.

The agreement reflects the strong and long-lasting relationship between Fincantieri and Viking dating back to 2012- and whose collaboration encompasses, as of today, a total of 22 ships, including the two purpose-built expedition units of the Norwegian subsidiary Vard.

Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, commented: “This new order represents another step forward in our collaboration with Viking, further consolidating Fincantieri as a global leader in naval engineering innovation. This agreement not only strengthens our order book, but it ensures further depth of work in our shipyards over the long term, positioning us at the forefront of driving the industry towards energy transition. Our ability to integrate cutting-edge technologies is a testament to our commitment to building ships for tomorrow, aligned with the climate challenges and opportunities in the cruise industry, as outlined in our Industrial Plan.”

Fincantieri cuts steel for Seven Seas Prestige

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 October 2024 21 October 2024

Today, the steel-cutting ceremony for Seven Seas Prestige, the new ultra luxury cruise ship of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the world’s leading ultra luxury cruise line and a brand of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, took place at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera (Venice). The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2026 and will be followed by a sister ship in 2029.

The ceremony was attended, among others, by Harry Sommer, President & Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd; Andrea DeMarco, President of Regent Seven Seas Cruises; Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of Fincantieri's Merchant Ships Division; and Marco Lunardi, Director of the Marghera yard.

With a gross tonnage of 77,000 tons and a length of 257 meters, Seven Seas Prestige will accommodate approximately 850 passengers in 434 spacious suites, offering one of the highest guest-to-space ratios in the industry. The ship will embody sophistication and refinement that is the epitome of timeless elegance, integrating the most advanced environmental technologies and introducing new accommodation categories, new dining experiences, and many more incredible experiences for luxury travelers.

Seven Seas Prestige will be the first vessel in the new Prestige Class, a generation of ships following the highly successful Explorer series, also built by Fincantieri: Seven Seas Explorer (2016), Seven Seas Splendor (2020), and Seven Seas Grandeur (2023), delivered respectively from the Sestri Ponente (Genoa) and Ancona shipyards.

American Cruise Lines announces American Maverick and American Ranger

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 20 October 2024 20 October 2024

American Cruise Lines recently announced the construction of American Maverick and American Ranger. These new 125-passenger ships are the 7th and 8th vessels in the company’s Project Blue series of small ships for the U.S. market. American Maverick and American Ranger will both begin cruising in 2026, directly following the 2025 debuts of American Patriot, American Pioneer, and new riverboat American Encore (2026).

American’s Project Blue series began with four 100-passenger Coastal Cats introduced in 2023 and 2024. The newest Patriot Class ships, American Maverick and American Ranger (2026), and previously announced American Patriot and American Pioneer (2025), represent the latest iteration in the ongoing series. All 12 Project Blue ships are being built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding, the company’s affiliated shipyard in Salisbury, Maryland.

Accommodating 125 guests, American Maverick and American Ranger will be fully stabilized coastwise ships for smooth sailing along the Eastern Seaboard. The Patriot Class ships will increase the itinerary options for the company’s growing array of coastal cruises from Maine to Florida. American Cruise Lines remains the only cruise line in the world with a fleet of 100% U.S. flagged riverboats and small ships, enabling fully-domestic river and coastal itineraries that no other lines offer.

American Maverick and American Ranger will offer 5 decks with elegant interior design and 100% private balcony accommodations—56 spacious staterooms, for both double and single occupancy. The 4th deck on both ships will house all-suite accommodations ranging from 420 to 620 square feet.

The newest and most stunning feature on American Maverick and American Ranger will be the 5th deck Sky Lounge; an entire deck dedicated to relaxation and recreation, offering panoramic views, comfortable lounge seating, a 360° Skywalk (walking track), and a casual outdoor Back Porch Café. Both new ships will also feature an expansive Main Lounge and Restaurant on deck 1, with water views from every seat; a Bow Terrace and Horizon Lounge on deck 3; and an indoor Fitness Center on deck 4—extraordinary amenities for ships of this size.

When American Maverick and American Ranger begin sailing in 2026, American Cruise Lines will operate 24 small ships across the country, sailing the largest collection of fully domestic River and Coastal itineraries ever offered in the United States. The company continues to respond to the demand for 100% U.S. itineraries by introducing new ships with world-class amenities—unlocking amazing new opportunities for cruising closer to home year after year.

Meyer Turku floats out Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 10 October 2024 10 October 2024

Floating on air, Royal Caribbean International and thousands of workers celebrated the new Star of the Seas floating one step closer to its highly anticipated debut. The next combination of the best of every vacation reached a major construction milestone as it floated for the first time, a moment marked less than one year ahead of its mic-drop introduction at one of the world’s top travel destinations, Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, in August 2025. Next up, the new vacation enters the final stages of construction.

To kick off the milestone, a ceremony – a maritime tradition, complete with a shot from a cannon – took place in the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, to celebrate 19 months (and counting) of hard work put in by the thousands behind Star’s construction. Then, the proverbial floodgates opened to fill the dry dock with 92 million gallons of water – an overnight process that took nearly nine hours. Star was then floated out of the dock and into the outfitting pier, where it will continue to take shape inside and out. From the dry dock to the water, how the moment unfolded can be seen here.

Royal Caribbean will double the world’s best vacation count with Star, bringing new twists and acclaimed experiences introduced by Icon of the Seas to the greater Orlando area. Across eight neighborhoods that are destinations in themselves, there are ways for every type of family and vacationer to make memories, from thrills like six of the fastest and tallest waterslides to 40-plus ways to dine and drink and the Surfside neighborhood designed for young families. And it’s all combined with seven nights of island hopping to idyllic destinations like the cruise line’s Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.