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Helsinki Shipyard Oy celebrates today its second birthday

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 20 May 2021 20 May 2021

Helsinki Shipyard Oy celebrates today on May 20th its second birthday. The last two years have been busy at the shipyard. Very soon after getting its new ownership the shipyard received its first order of two expedition cruise ships and in the Autumn of 2020 one more ship order was inked.

Carl-Gustaf Rotkirch was appointed as the first CEO of the new shipyard company, and he piloted the shipyard to its new way to go. Within the last two years the shipyard achieved its short-term targets to 1) Build the organization 2) Re-start the operations 3) Stabilize the financial situation. In February 2021 Rotkirch moved to the position as board member with responsibility for overlooking the development and maintaining of the stakeholder relations.

Esko Karvonen, former Helsinki Shipyard COO, was appointed new CEO of the shipyard from February 1. Today Esko Karvonen has served one hundred days in his new role, very much hands-on, so now is a good time to have a look at what is accomplished and which the future plans for the shipyard are.

"The first of the three expedition cruise vessels will be launched in June and the third one will celebrate the start of steel cutting quite soon. The second vessel is being built in parallel with the first one, so the task is clear – to build and deliver the orders as we promised to our customer. The global pandemic does not make this task easy, although Helsinki Shipyard has managed well with the pandemic so far thanks to effective measures put in place promptly from the start and updated constantly," the company said.

The shipyard has put a lot of effort into its new strategy to be a competitive and wanted partner for our customers and other stakeholders, and to be the most attractive employer. It is focusing on streamlining the processes and increasing the productivity and developing smart logistics solutions.

Its competences in demanding ship building projects are well known and we will boost this even more by allocating resources to R&D activities. R&D projects for light weight and energy efficiency will ensure it will have the solutions for the ships of the future. All these issues are on a good path now and moving forward. It will be a system integrator and have a central position in the value chain.

The shipyard focuses on its three core business segments – icebreakers, cruise ships and super yachts, keeping in mind the sustainability and social responsibility while growing and building the future.

One important thing is the shipyard’s financial situation which has improved during last two years. From a minor profit in 2019, the year 2020 already shows a positive result and year 2021 is expected to be even better.

Viking to restart European river cruises in July

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 20 May 2021 20 May 2021

Viking has announced that it will restart its European river operations in July 2021 with select itineraries in Portugal, France and along the Rhine. Offered exclusively for vaccinated guests as part of Viking’s Welcome Back collection, the first five European river itineraries now available in July are among the company’s most popular: Rhine Getaway (8 days; Amsterdam to Basel), Portugal’s River of Gold (10 days; Lisbon to Porto), Paris & the Heart of Normandy (8 days; Paris roundtrip), Lyon & Provence (8 days; Avignon to Lyon) and France’s Finest, a 15-day journey that combines the northern and southern France itineraries in one seamless experience. This announcement comes immediately after the European Union agreed yesterday to reopen its borders to vaccinated Americans and other travelers.

“The response to our initial Welcome Back ocean voyages has been overwhelmingly positive. It is clear that many people are eager to get back out into the world, and I would like to thank all of our destination partners for their support as we plan our return to service,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “We have been delighted to greet our first guests back on board in England this week—and we are looking forward to welcoming travelers back on board some of our European river vessels in July.”

The announcement of Viking’s restart of European river cruise operations follows the launch of Welcome Back voyages exclusively for vaccinated guests in England, Iceland, Bermuda and the Mediterranean. Earlier this week Viking also named its newest ocean ship, Viking Venus, in England – and the ship is currently sailing her maiden voyage along the coast of England with Chairman Torstein Hagen on board. The company is actively working on developing additional Welcome Back itineraries in a variety of other destinations, with the goal of announcing further 2021 sailings as soon as possible.

Those who sail these new voyages will also experience Viking’s industry-leading health and safety program. Grounded in scientific research, the Viking Health & Safety Program was developed in partnership with an international team of medical advisors, including Raquel C. Bono, M.D., Viking’s Chief Health Officer. Dr. Bono is a board-certified trauma surgeon and retired Vice Admiral of the United States Navy Medical Corps – and most recently led Washington State’s medical and healthcare systems response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing a full-scale laboratory installed on every Viking ocean ship—and a strong network of dedicated shoreside labs for Viking river ships in Europe – all guests and crew will receive frequent quick and easy non-invasive saliva PCR tests. New air purification technology has also been installed on all Viking ships, which have always featured independent air handling units for all guest staterooms. And additional health checks, sanitization and physical distancing measures will provide further protection for Viking guests and crew at all points of the journey. A complete overview of the Viking Health & Safety Program can be found at: www.viking.com/health-safety.

MSC Cruises to start Baltic sailings in July from Germany

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 18 May 2021 18 May 2021

MSC Cruis will restart its sailing operations in Germany on July 3 with its first ever deployment of an innovative Seaside class ship to operate in the Baltic Sea, MSC Seaview, and with a brand new itinerary for the region.

The ship will homeport in Kiel until September and offer 7-night voyages – all to include protected shore excursions - to Visby on Sweden’s largest island of Gotland, the port of Nynashamn for Swedish capital city Stockholm, and Estonia’s capital Tallinn, before returning to the northern Germany port.

MSC Seaview will be available for guests of all ages from the Schengen area in Europe, plus residents of Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria.

Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said: “We are looking forward to the resumption of our cruises from Germany, an incredibly important market for us, and provide our guests with an enjoyable, relaxing and safe cruise holiday on MSC Seaview, one of our most innovative ships.

“Visiting destinations and going ashore is an integral aspect of a cruise holiday and it is now possible with our Baltic Sea cruises from Germany thanks to the general relaxation of health measures locally, as well as much of Europe, and the confirmed opening of the ports and destinations MSC Seaview will call.

“We’re delighted that this brand-new itinerary will provide our guests with some outstanding destinations to visit ashore where they can safely discover the beauty of the Baltics with the same high health and safety standards as those on board MSC Seaview, as well as all of our ships.”

Visby, the capital of the Baltic Sea island of Gotland, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with impressive medieval buildings. Stockholm – known as the ‘Venice of the North’ – is famous for its outstanding architecture and abundance of open water, and Tallinn is renowned for its monumental walls, towers and well-preserved ancient buildings.

The ship will comply with MSC Cruises’ industry-leading health and safety protocol that was developed last year with input from international health experts, including MSC Cruises’ ‘COVID-19 Blue-Ribbon Expert Group’, and in close cooperation with health, safety and transport authorities throughout Europe.

Measures include universal testing at embarkation and mid-cruise, weekly testing of crew, social distancing, the wearing of masks in public areas and protected shore excursions. Details of the current health and safety protocol are here.

MSC Cruises will closely monitor the situation ashore at all the destinations MSC Seaview will call and the itinerary may see the possible addition of new ports.

MSC Seaview’s Baltic Sea cruises are another step forward in MSC Cruises’ wider plans for a return to sea for its fleet of ships. MSC Grandiosa and MSC Seaside are currently sailing in the West Mediterranean and will be joined in August by MSC Seashore for her maiden season. The Company’s most recent addition MSC Virtuosa is set to start her own maiden season later this week with voyages around the UK.

Three more ships will soon begin cruises in the East Mediterranean – MSC Orchestra, MSC Splendida and MSC Magnifica. With only a few ports in the Baltic and North Seas open for cruising this summer, MSC Cruises has been forced to cancel its proposed summer season sailings from the German ports of Warnemünde and Hamburg for MSC Preziosa and MSC Musica, respectively.

Carnival Cruise Line reflags Mardi Gras, names its godmother

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 18 May 2021 18 May 2021

When Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship, Mardi Gras, arrives to her its home in Port Canaveral, Fla. on June 4, she will be flying the Bahamian flag to designate the new ship registry for the first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) ship to operate in North America.

Mardi Gras has been the most highly anticipated new ship in the cruise industry for more than a year, with her arrival and inaugural impacted by the extended pause in cruise operations from U.S. ports. But with more and more hopeful signs of a return to guest operations and constructive discussions between the industry and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Carnival is moving the ship to Port Canaveral to get her ready for sailing. The ship will depart from Barcelona on May 21 to start her transatlantic voyage and eventual arrival.

Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, thanked the Panama Maritime Authority for their support during the ship’s construction and registration process but said that the move to the Bahamas Maritime Authority made business sense for a number of reasons. “The Bahamas will be a frequent destination for Mardi Gras, and we are pleased to bring this new level of environmental sustainability to the many ports in the Bahamas and the Caribbean that the ship and our guests and crew will be visiting,” she said.

Upon arrival to Port Canaveral, Mardi Gras will continue to bring joining crew members on board, train them on new equipment, technology and procedures, and get ready to welcome guests for her inaugural sailing. On Sunday evening during the global broadcast of the MISS UNIVERSE competition, Carnival named Miss Dominican Republic Kimberly Jimenez as the Mardi Gras godmother. The Dominican Republic destination of Amber Cove will be among the destinations the ship will regularly visit on seven-day itineraries. Along with the new LNG technology, Mardi Gras will boast many other firsts, including the first cruise ship with a roller coaster.

Norwegian Prima debuts as brand's most in-demand vessel with record-breaking sales

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 May 2021 17 May 2021

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is once again breaking the boundaries of conventional cruising and vacation experiences, with the reveal of Norwegian Prima, which has become the Brand's most in-demand ship ever, with record bookings on the first day and week of sales.

With voyages beginning August 2022, Norwegian Prima, the first of six ships within NCL's all new Prima Class, will offer guests exciting itineraries, the highest staffing levels and space ratio of any new cruise ship in the contemporary and premium cruise categories, and Brand-first experiences with Ocean Boulevard, Indulge Food Hall, The Concourse, Infinity Beach and Oceanwalk.

"Every aspect of Norwegian Prima, from bow-to-stern, was conceptualized with the guest in mind," said Norwegian Cruise Line's President and CEO Harry Sommer. "With this world-class ship, we are providing our guests with more wide-open spaces, elevated service, thoughtful design and a variety of experiences that go beyond expectation. Our record-breaking sales are a clear indicator of our guests' excitement to return to the ocean and of the significant demand for a premium vacation experience."

Norwegian Prima will not only offer the largest variety of suite categories available at sea but will also boast a redefined The Haven by Norwegian, NCL’s ultra-premium keycard only access ship-within-a-ship concept. The Haven will feature an expansive sundeck, a stunning infinity pool overlooking the ship's wake and an outdoor spa with a glass-walled sauna and cold room.

"Norwegian Prima is already proving to be a gamechanger for NCL," added Sommer. "Norwegian Bliss, which debuted in 2018 and boasted our biggest booking day ever during her unveiling, has been outpaced by Norwegian Prima, which has doubled the prior record. In addition, nearly 20 percent of bookings are for our Haven suites, indicating the desire for top-of-the-line experiences."