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Full orderbooks divert attention to ship upgrades – Wärtsilä

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 29 October 2019 29 October 2019

Full orderbooks at cruise ship building yards are turning the attention of owners to upgrade their existing vessels instead of placing further newbuilding orders, according to the Finnish technology group Wärtsilä tht has extensive foothold in the marine sector.

“Newbuild orders in all the major vessel segments have declined, with LNG carrier and cruise vessel segments being the least affected,” the company said in its third quarter interim report..

“Demand for larger cruise vessels has stabilised following the contracting of most of the major fleet replacement programs and the increased interest in the refurbishment of the existing fleet due to capacity constraints at shipyards,” the company said.

The outlook in the Marine Business was soft due to lower vessel contracting volumes and a decline in the demand for scrubber solutions from last year’s exceptionally high level. However, activity in the marine services market is expected to be stable, the company concluded.

Victory Cruise Lines renews contract with CMI-Leisure

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 24 October 2019 24 October 2019

Victory Cruise Lines has announced its continued partnership with CMI-Leisure following the success of its inaugural season under the management of American Queen Steamboat Company, a Hornblower® Families Company. Committed to small-ship cruising on the Great Lakes, North American and Canadian coasts, Victory Cruise Lines’ Victory I and sister ship Victory II were acquired by American Queen Steamboat Company in January 2019 and began its inaugural season in May 2019 with the customized hotel management services of CMI-Leisure.

“By working closely with travel partners, like CMI-Leisure, we are able to offer guests an elevated experience while on board our ships,” stated Sarah Neelis, Manager of Hotel Operations for American Queen Steamboat Company.

Specializing in hotel operations, provisioning, crewing and logistics, CMI-Leisure’s meticulous attention to detail has established the brand as a leading hotel concessionaire in the small-ship expedition and cruise market. CMI-Leisure’s expertise in high-quality and cost-efficient leisure management enabled Victory Cruise Lines to seamlessly maintain its superior standards for customer service and experiential travel that can be found across the entire American Queen Steamboat Company fleet.

“The CMI-Leisure team was instrumental in the success of our first season,” shared David Kelly, Executive Vice President for American Queen Steamboat Company. “The overall customer satisfaction scores to date for both Victory ships averaged 9.48 out of ten, due in large part to our day-to-day operations with CMI-Leisure. We look forward to renewing our partnership, as we look to the 2020 season.”

Victory Cruise Lines will welcome a wide range of new offerings in 2020, including six new itineraries highlighting the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway and coastal New England and a number of premium shore excursion upgrades, as well as pre- and post-cruise stays. The 2020 season will begin April 24 and extend through October. In addition, Victory Cruise Lines will also unveil new itineraries for the currently under-construction Ocean Victory, which will offer expedition cruising in Alaska for the 2021 season.

“Our goal is to deliver turn-key hotel management and hospitality services for our CMI-serviced ships,” said Dietmar R. Wertanzl, President and CEO of CMI-Leisure. “As Victory Cruise Lines expands its offerings in 2020 with new and enhanced itineraries, we will continue to implement innovative solutions that encompass the unique needs of the lines’ distinctive voyages.”

The Victory I and Victory II joined the American Queen Steamboat Company fleet under the Victory Cruise name, alongside the flagship American Queen and the 166-guest boutique paddlewheeler American Duchess sailing the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, as well as the American Empress in the Pacific Northwest. Upcoming for the cruise line, the new American Countess will debut in 2020 on the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee Rivers and the Ocean Victory, currently under construction, will make her maiden expedition voyage to Alaska in 2021.

RCCL unveils Odyssey of the Seas details

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 24 October 2019 24 October 2019

Royal Caribbean International, the contemporary market unit in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd group, said Odyssey of the Seas that will be the first Quantum Ultra Class ship to arrive in North America will tout a brand-new look to match the fleet's most action-packed top deck to date, and a mix of record-holding hits and groundbreaking firsts for a game-changing cruise vacation.

“Odyssey's dialed-up onboard adventures, two-level pool deck designed for downtime under the sun and stars, and a collection of restaurants primed to please every palate will all be set against some of the world's most picturesque backdrops, including the vibrant islands of the Caribbean and idyllic coasts of the eastern Mediterranean,” the company said in a statement.

The ship, which will be built at the Meyer Werft in Germany, will enter service in the autumn of 2020, when it will commence a series of cruises from Ft Lauderdale. In the following summer, the ship will redeploy to the Mediterranean.

MV Werften starts construction of second Global class ship

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 24 October 2019 24 October 2019

MV Werften, the German shipbuilder in the Genting Hong Kong Group, has started the construction of second 208,000 gross ton Global class ship, the shipbuilder said in a statement. The 342 metre long and 46 metre wide ship is due to enter service in 2022, which is one year after the first unit of the class, which will be called Global Dream.Both ships are on order from Star Cruises, which is also part of the Genting Hong Kong group.

Carnival launches learning and development system

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 24 October 2019 24 October 2019

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise shipping company, has launched the Global Learning and Development Information System (GLADIS), providing employees convenient access to the latest technology in training resources for continuous learning and professional development.

Part of the company's commitment to achieve and sustain excellence in environmental compliance and overall operations, GLADIS is a single remote learning system capable of operating without internet access to deliver the company's more than 100,000 shipboard employees a consistent experience, real-time tracking of training requirement completion and greater efficiency in records management and reporting, the company said in a statement.

Developed to ensure shipboard employees have easy access to training resources and to support continuous professional development among shipboard and shoreside employees, the system is now available for crewmembers from the company's nine global cruise line brands as a centralized approach to strengthening the learning culture and lifelong learning process for employees around the world.