Artist to decorate part of Helsinki Shipyard main building with mural

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: More News More News

Published: 27 May 2020 27 May 2020

Helsinki Shipyard, which is building two expedition cruise vessels to a Russian company, said it has commissioned an artist to decorate part of its main building with a mural.

“We have chosen an experienced and renowned Finnish artist, Jukka Hakanen, as the mural painter. We have been eagerly waiting for Jukka’s first ‘brush’ pull, and look forward to seeing the job finished! The painting project lasts for about a week,” the company said in a statement, adding that the work would cover the city side of its office and fitting out terminal building.

The company celebrated its first anniversary on 20 May and to celebrate the event, a Panomax 360 panoramic camera will be installed on the beak of one of its cranes within a week, the image of which can be followed via a link on the company’s website https://helsinkishipyard.fi/

Virgin Voyages postpones start of operation to mid-October

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 23 May 2020 23 May 2020

Virgin Voyages, the new cruise line in Sir Richard Branson’s virgin Group of companies, said it has decided to postpone the commencement of operations until mid- October.

Scarlet Lady, the first ship of the line, is now scheduled to sail on 16 October.

Following the announcement on Twitter, the Miami based company said in the same medium: “We are expecting an incredible amount of incoming calls and change requests. We appreciate your patience as we work to service every affected Sailor in the order they contacted us.”

“As we are dealing with a high volume of affected bookings and a variety of payment types, we kindly ask that you wait at least three weeks before following up on any expected refunds after you have been serviced,” Virgin Voyages said.

The company is offering a full refund or future cruise credit for passengers affected by the situation.

Helsinki Shipyard celebrates first anniversary, working remotely gains traction

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 20 May 2020 20 May 2020

Helsinki Shipyard Oy, the shipbuilder in the Finnish capital, turns one on May 20 and in spite of the COVID-19 outbreak, the company decided to celebrate the event by sending greetings to all members of its staff.

At the same time, the company unveiled the results of a survey which showed that working remotely had become hugely popular among the part of its personnel who are able to do this.

“The first year of our operation has accommodated many positive events, such as a sale of two expedition cruise vessels, a completely new brand image, the launch of Helsinki Shipyard's own website, the introduction of AVEVA, the production of expedition cruise vessel blocks in Klaipeda, and much more,” the company said in a statement.

“Remote working has brought its own spice to the first year, creeping in from the shipyard’s gate along with the corona as a whole new way of working for us shipyard’s people. About 80% of designers and other office persons have done remote work during the pandemic.”

The company said remote working, it has come to the shipyard to stay, as up to almost 95% of the respondents are interested in working remotely in the future as well. However, remote workers miss the corridor discussions at the office and the social proximity of the office.

“Remote working has also spawned a new form of shipyard info, HS Live shows, which have gained a great popularity among the staff. However, remote working is not possible in the yard's production even during a pandemic, so in that sense it is good that the production work of the expedition cruise vessels at the yard will not start until August,” the company said.

Windstar Cruises plans to resume cruising in September 2020

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 19 May 2020 19 May 2020

Small ship cruise operator Windstar Cruises announced today the 148-guest Wind Spirit will be its first yacht to resume sailing after suspending operations further due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Wind Spirit will resume sailing in Tahiti with its first cruise departing on September 3, 2020.

“We have taken extraordinary measures to operate our yachts safely,” said Xanterra and Windstar Cruises CEO Andrew Todd. “While we look forward to welcoming guests aboard again, we believe this further suspension of operations is the responsible action to take. We have laid plans for a resumption of small ship cruising beginning in September.”

148-guest Wind Spirit: Resumes sailing September 3, 2020 in Tahiti on previously scheduled itineraries.

342-guest Wind Surf: Returns November 29, 2020 sailing in the Caribbean on previously scheduled itineraries before heading to the Mediterranean in April 2021.

148-guest Wind Star: Resumes sailing January 16, 2021 with Costa Rica and Panama Canal sailings and then heads to the Mediterranean in April 2021.

312-guest Star Breeze: Due to a shipyard delay in Italy, sailings in Asia, New Zealand and Australia are canceled. Star Breeze will begin sailing October 27, 2020 in the Mediterranean before moving to the Caribbean in December 2020 to pick up sailings from Star Legend and Star Pride. Then Star Breeze will offer a few new Caribbean itineraries until June when it heads to Alaska. A new 10-day Alaskan Splendors sailing was added on June 3, 2021 after which it resumes its previously scheduled Alaska itineraries.

312-guest Star Legend: Due to a shipyard delay in Italy, some sailings are canceled and others will be picked up by the Star Breeze. Star Legend begins sailing March 1, 2021 in the Mediterranean and will pick up some sailings previously scheduled for Star Pride.

312-guest Star Pride: Due to a shipyard delay in Italy, some sailings are cancelled and others will be picked up by Star Breeze. The Star Pride will begin sailing July 5, 2021 in Northern Europe.

Guests on cancelled cruises will receive a Future Cruise Credit valued at 125% of all monies paid on the booking to Windstar Cruises. Guests who prefer a refund can request their FCC be converted to a refund equal to the amount paid on the Windstar booking once they receive their FCC. Guests will have 24 months to book and embark on any available Windstar cruise using their Future Cruise Credit. Windstar Cruises will protect Travel Advisor commissions on the affected bookings following the normal policy for cancelled bookings.

The health and well-being of guests, crew, land-based employees and people in the communities visited is always a top priority. During this temporary pause in operations, Windstar’s staff is reviewing and updating its health and safety practices including enhanced sanitation protocols, health screenings, additional medical staff on board, expanded dining times with outdoor dining, and crew training.

Windstar operates a fleet of six small yachts carrying from 148 to 342 guests and is known for visiting small ports and hidden harbors around the world.