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MSC Virtuosa floated out in France

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 December 2019 03 December 2019

MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise shipping company, last weekend celebrated the float out of MSC Virtuosa at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, the third major new ship building milestone the company has celebrated in the past month at the shipyard.

The float out follows the successful delivery on 31 October of MSC Grandiosa as well as the steel cutting ceremony on the same day of MSC Europa, the Company’s first of five liquified natural gas (LNG)-powered ships.

MSC Virtuosa is the second of three Meraviglia Plus class vessel the company is building at the French yard. Each ship has a gross tonnage of about 181,000.

MSC Cruises also unveiled on the same day a ground-breaking R&D project in conjunction with Chantiers de l’Atlantique named PACBOAT that will focus on the integration of a new fuel cell technology, especially relevant for cruising, on board the LNG-powered MSC Europa. The line said it was committed to contribute to the development of next-generation advanced environmental technology for the benefit of its own environmental stewardship journey and that of the entire cruise industry, the company said in a statement.

Sixth formers work a day at Meyer Turku

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 December 2019 03 December 2019

Meyer Turku, the Finnish shipbuilding group, has teamed up with a project whereby sixth formers spend a day at a workplace, in this case the the shipyard, in various tasks.

Each teenager has had an opportunity to choose between the jobs of a welder-sheet metal worker, project manager, naval architect and purchasing manager.

During their visit to the shipyard, the pupils will perform tasks that have been assigned to them beforehand: a sheet metal worker will be interviewed by another teenager who spends at day at the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE).

Nina Marttila, HR manager at the shipyard, said in a statement that participation in the project is one of the ways how the company wants to participate in the life of the community around it, but also to introduce the shipbuilding industry to the teenagers as a potential career choice.

Meyer Turku, Elomatic and Cadmatic donate two professorships to University of Turku

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 November 2019 28 November 2019

Meyer Turku, the shipbuilder and the consulting engineering firm Elomatic together with its subsidiary Cadmatic have donated two professorships to the University of Turku, the companies said in a joint statement.

The professorships focus on engineering and materials technologies. The university will start new study programmes in this field next autumn. The donations have a combined value of €1.2 million and they cover the professorships for five years.

Elomatic, which has its headquarters in Turku, will turn 50 next year, while the university will celebrate the centenary of its foundation also next year.

Jan Meyer, CEO of the shipbuilder, said the company wants to develop Finland as a leading centre of innovation and science in the maritime technology sector. High quality training of people with degrees in engineering is an important aspect of this.

Elomatic will celebrate its 50^th year in 2020 and the donation is a way to celebrate its long and successful track record and at the same time, congratulate the University of Turku, said Patrik Rauanheimo, CEO of Elomatic.

Jukka Kola, Rector of the Universtity of Turku, expressed his gratitude for the donations and pointed out that the support of local businesses is vital to develop education further. ”Together we can make sure that a favourable development of the economy in the (Turku) region will continue also in the future,” he said.

P&O Cruises Australia to add second Grand class ship, axe two vessels

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 November 2019 25 November 2019

P&O Cruises Australia, which is part of the Carnival Corporation & plc group, said it will introduce a second Grand class ship in its fleet in 2021 and axe two existing, smaller and older vessels.

The 108,865 gross ton Pacific Encounter will join the fleet in 2021, when the 2,600 passenger capacity ship will be transferred from sister company Princess Cruises.

It will join the similar sized Pacific Adventure, built as Golden Princess in 2001, that is due to enter service with the Sydney based company in October next year and the 77,441 gross ton Pacific Explorer, a Sun Princess class transfer from Princess Cruises.

The accompany has decided to sell the 1990 built Pacific Dawn of 70,285 gross tons that started life as regal Princess of Princess Cruises and the 55,819 gross to0n Pacific Aria that was built in 1994 as Ryndam of Holland America Line, also part of the Carnival group.

Carnival Australia that operates P&O Cruises Australia did not disclose details about potential buyers of either ship.

Strike stops Finnish flag cruise ferries

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 November 2019 25 November 2019

Finnish flag cruise ferries have been stopped in ports in the country as seafarers on them have gone to strike in support of postal workers in their labour market conflict.

The strike has halted e.g. two ships of Silja Line that is part of Tallink Grupp, the Estonian cruise ferry company, five of the seven ships of Viking Line that has its headquarters in Mariehamn, Eckero Line’s Finlandia and Wasa Express of Wasaline.

Leisure travel is an important part of the business of all companies concermed, although their vessels also carry cars and roro freight.

The seafarers’ union has no labour market conflict of its own and the strike that start this morning was declared only to support postal workers in their conflict with their government owned employer.