Explora I completes sea trials

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 13 April 2023 13 April 2023

Explora Journeys, the luxury lifestyle hospitality brand of the MSC Group, announced that Explora I has successfully completed her sea trials. This will be the first of a fleet of up to six luxury ships to be built for Explora Journeys by Fincantieri in Italy, the cruise line said in a statement.

Following the successful sea trials, Explora I will now undergo final preparations before embarking on her maiden journey in July 2023. Explora Journeys will offer today’s discerning luxury traveller an opportunity to experience a truly transformative and purposeful ocean travel experience, reflecting both the essence of each destination visited as well as the brand’s cosmopolitan and vibrant European luxury.

Construction of the 63,900 GT vessel began on 10 June 2021 at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. The naming ceremony for Explora I will take place in Civitavecchia near Rome, Italy on 8 July, followed by her maiden journey departing on 17 July from Southampton, UK for a 15-night sailing into Norwegian fjords and the Arctic Circle to Copenhagen, Denmark.

Michael Ungerer, CEO of Explora Journeys said in the statement: “Our vision and purpose from day one has been to create an ocean travel experience like no other and we are thrilled that the first of our ground-breaking new class of ships, Explora I will start sailing in July 2023. The sea trials are a critical part of the process, and we're pleased that Explora I passed with flying colours. Our team has worked tirelessly to design and build a ship that offers the perfect combination of luxury, adventure, and sustainability, and we can't wait to share it with our guests."

 

Viking marks float out of new Egypt ship

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 12 April 2023 12 April 2023

Viking announced yesterday its newest ship for the Nile River—the 82-guest Viking Aton—was floated out, marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water. Set to debut in August 2023, the Viking Aton will join the company’s growing fleet of state-of-the-art ships purpose-built for the Nile River and sail Viking’s bestselling 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary. Viking has seen very strong demand in Egypt, with the 2023 season now sold out and many 2024 sailing dates already sold out. The surge in demand has led Viking to open 2025 sailing dates sooner than originally expected.

“We are pleased with the continued strong interest for our Nile River voyages. Our guests are curious explorers, and Egypt remains a destination of great interest for its many cultural treasures,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “We are proud to be the only western company to build, own and operate ships on the Nile, and with the float out of the Viking Aton, we look forward to welcoming more guests to experience this fantastic region.”

The traditional float out ceremony took place at Massara shipyard in Cairo on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, and is significant because it denotes a ship moving into its final stage of construction. The float out of Viking Aton began at approximately 1:00 p.m. local time when Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen and Sayed Farouk, Chairman of The Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co.), together pressed the button that signaled to lower the ship-lift of the yard. She will now be moved to a nearby outfitting dock for final construction and interior build-out.

The Viking Aton & Viking’s growing Egypt fleet

Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, the new, state-of-the-art Viking Aton is inspired by Viking’s award-winning river and ocean ships with the elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known. The identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris, which was named in 2022 by Viking’s first ceremonial godfather, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, the Viking Aton features several aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. In addition to the Viking Osiris, the Viking Aton will join the Viking Ra, which launched in 2018. In response to strong demand, Viking will have six ships sailing the Nile by 2025 with the addition of two new sister ships, the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek, which are already under construction and will be delivered in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Viking’s Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary

During the 12-day, Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary, guests begin with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo, where they can visit iconic sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, or the Grand Egyptian Museum. Guests then fly to Luxor, where they visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a Viking river ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River, featuring Privileged Access to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, and excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan, and a visit to a colorful Nubian village, where guests can experience a traditional elementary school. Finally, the journey concludes with a flight back to Cairo for a final night in the ancient city.

For guests looking to extend their journey, Viking also offers Pre and Post Extensions that provide Privileged Access to archives and exhibits. Guests on the five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt extension will begin the journey in London, where they will meet their Viking Tour Director, an expert Egyptologist, and experience Privileged Access to two museums: first a private, early morning visit to the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum before it opens to the general public – and then a visit to the home and personal museum of world-renowned architect, Sir John Soane, where the tour will be illuminated by candlelight, a re-enactment of how Soane entertained guests and showcased his exquisite collection of Egyptian antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus. Guests will also visit London’s Petrie Museum, which houses more than 80,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt and Sudan. In Oxford, guests will visit the Ashmolean Museum, one of the oldest in the world, and home to a varied collection of Egyptian mummies and art – and go behind the scenes at Oxford University’s Griffith Institute, where they will enjoy a Privileged Access visit to see Howard Carter’s archives, which detail the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Lastly, guests will have further Privileged Access with an exclusive visit to Highclere Castle to view the Earl’s magnificent private collection of Egyptian artifacts, as well as archives and exhibits not normally accessible to the public.

Additional offerings include a Pre Extension in Jerusalem where guests will explore the ancient history and vibrant culture of Israel’s fascinating capital and a Post Extension to Jordan – Petra, Dead Sea & Amman to view Roman antiquities at Jerash, Crusader-era castles at Kerak or Shobak and experience the lost city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tallink Grupp charters out another cruise ferry

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 10 April 2023 10 April 2023

Tallink Grupp late last week signed a contract with Canadian enterprise Bridgemans Floatel LP/Bridgemans Services Group LP for a multi-year charter of the company’s vessel Isabelle, with a purchase option. The agreement is for a bareboat charter, meaning the vessel will be chartered out without Tallink Grupp’s crew.

The Latvian-flagged Isabelle, formerly operating on the company’s Riga-Stockholm route before the Covid pandemic, and currently housing Ukrainian refugees in Tallinn since April 2022 as part of a charter agreement with the Estonian government, will be chartered to Bridgemans from 1 July 2023.

Commenting on the new charter agreement, Tallink Grupp’s CEO Paavo Nõgene said: “We are very pleased to have reached this new agreement for our vessel Isabelle – a deal that will no doubt have a positive impact on our bottom line.Tallink has historically had many successful charter projects with many of its vessels providing either temporary accommodation or transport in Australia, Canada, Morocco, to name but a few. In recent years the chartering of our vessels has provided us a good alternative revenue stream and a vital buffer during challenging travel restriction times. Our ships and crew have proved themselves to be invaluable partners at global summits as well as in the relief effort of the war in Ukraine.

"It has become clear over the last few years, that the chartering of our vessels has been and will continue to be an important part of our business model going forward. And there are many reasons why the chartering of vessels with long-term contracts makes good business sense for us and mostly it is a combination of the continuing economic uncertainties, low consumer confidence and the significant pressure of increasing costs, such as the pay increases resulting from the recently signed new collective agreement, the slower than expected recovery of the passenger numbers and reduced demand.”

Isabelle is expected to stay in Tallinn for refurbishment before departing for Canada later this year.

Tallink Grupp’s current agreement with the Estonian Social Insurance Board ends in June 2023. There are currently approximately 900 Ukrainian refugees still living on board the vessel. The Estonian authorities have alternative accommodation plans in place for the refugees after the termination of the contract with Tallink Grupp.

Norwegian Cruise Line appoints John Chernesky as Senior VP of North America Sales

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 10 April 2023 10 April 2023

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) today announced John Chernesky will succeed Todd Hamilton as the Brand’s Senior Vice President of Sales for North America, as Hamilton steps into a new strategic role, Senior Vice President of New Ventures, at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH), the parent company for the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands.

Cruise industry veteran, John Chernesky, joins NCL on the heels of a record-breaking start to 2023 as the Brand began the year in a better booked position than ever before.

Chernesky, who has a reputation of championing the role travel partners play in the success of the cruise industry, as well as the guest experience, will be responsible for the Brand’s overall trade sales strategy across U.S. and Canada, under the leadership of newly appointed NCL President David Herrera.

"We are thrilled to welcome John to the NCL family and to infuse his dynamic energy into our business," said David Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line. "His reputation of taking an innovative approach to fostering and strengthening relationships with travel partners equally aligns to our Partners First philosophy, and we look forward to him continuing our legacy of commitment to this community which is critical to our overall success."

In his new role, Chernesky will reinforce NCL’s legacy Partners First philosophy of investing in and supporting the travel partner community through educational tools, marketing support and access to programs and opportunities that empower travel advisors to maximize their earning potential. Last year, the Brand made history as the first major contemporary cruise company to pay commission on non-commissionable fares. The revolutionary program was well received with an outstanding number of advisors submitting their marketing plans, demonstrating their commitment to NCL and driving sales. In addition, the Brand recently updated its commission tier structure offering advisors the opportunity to advance commission tiers more quickly based on net bookings or booked revenue.

Chernesky’s 30-year career spans multiple disciplines and various leadership roles across the cruise industry from sales and trade marketing to hotel operations, onboard revenue, business development, newbuild design development and passenger programs, with a proven track record of implementing and executing solutions and programs that drive sales and raise guest satisfaction ratings.

"Norwegian Cruise Line has a history of delivering exceptional experiences and putting partners first," said John Chernesky, senior vice president of sales for North America of Norwegian Cruise Line. "I am a huge advocate for the trade community, who play such a critical role in the success of this industry that I love and am continuously inspired by the passion they bring to what they do. I am thrilled to be back in the game and to join the incredible and dedicated team at NCL."

As NCLH’s newly appointed Senior Vice President of New Ventures, Todd Hamilton will be responsible for new strategic business developments and will work closely with the NCLH executive team to deliver on the Company’s priorities.

Herrera continued, "Todd was instrumental in leading the sales team and supporting the trade community during a critical point in our history, our great cruise comeback. We are grateful for his efforts and congratulate him on his new role."