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Ponant and INTERPOL partner to enhance maritime security

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 18 July 2019 18 July 2019

INTERPOL is expanding its I-Checkit program in partnership with Ponant cruise line as part of efforts to further strengthen security for the global cruise industry.

The phased roll-out of the I-Checkit passenger screening system across Ponant’s cruise operations began July 1, 2019, following the successful completion of a three-month pilot phase that concluded in March.

The integration of I-Checkit into Ponants global passenger check-in process will enable INTERPOL to undertake the secure screening of travel documents against its databases, including the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database which contains more than 87.5 million records from 177 countries.

Ponant President Jean Emmanuel Sauvée underlined the role of corporate social responsibility behind the cruise line’s collaboration with INTERPOL to help enhance global security. “The safety and security of our guests, crews and ships has always been a priority for Ponant, the only cruise company flying the French flag, the safest in the world,” said Sauvée. “As a cruise company carrying thousands of passengers annually, having a highly effective and efficient security screening process is a crucial part of our corporate social responsibility in terms of how we serve our guests every day, worldwide”.

“This partnership with INTERPOL reflects our strong intention to set the security standards across our fleet as high as our service standards and our commitment to protecting the environment. This represents another important step for our industry as we continue to enhance our efforts on the safety and security of our passengers and crew members,” added Sauvée.

Harald Arm, Director of INTERPOL’s Operational Support and Analysis Directorate and Head of the I-Checkit programme said, “I-Checkit’s initiative with Ponant offers an additional layer of safety in the travel sector by establishing an international standard for security screening. It provides an invaluable preventative and investigative capability for global policing.”

“It is also important in raising awareness with travelers on the need to only travel with valid identity documents,” added Arm.

The I-Checkit screening solution was introduced in 2014 to bridge a gap in safety and security in the transportation industry. Following successful pilot phases which demonstrated the benefits of I-Checkit to law enforcement as well as trusted partners, the solution was endorsed by INTERPOL’s member countries as part of its global border management strategy for both the maritime and aviation sectors.

Royal Caribbean to invest $165 million for Allure of the Seas transformation

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 July 2019 15 July 2019

Travelers can soon take in Europe’s historic destinations from a bold, new perspective on board the amplified Allure of the Seas. Royal Caribbean International has revealed the signature feats and innovative experiences coming to the renowned Oasis-class ship as part of a 58-day, $165 million transformation. Guests will be able to conquer a continent’s worth of adventures and come back for more with Allure’s upcoming lineup of new features, including the Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea; The Perfect Storm trio of waterslides, completely redesigned Adventure Ocean kids and teens spaces, the first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, and Quantum-class original Music Hall.

Reimagined as the ultimate summer vacation in Europe, Allure will open its season of 7-night Western Mediterranean cruises from homeport Barcelona, Spain on May 10, 2020. Sailing roundtrip from Barcelona will visit must-see cities such as Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Provence (Marseille), France; Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Rome (Civitavecchia) and Naples/Capri, Italy.

Allure joins the original gamechanger, Oasis of the Seas, as the second Oasis Class ship to be reimagined in the $1 billion Royal Amplified fleet modernization program. These two revolutionary ships will steal the spotlight next year in Europe and the New York area, respectively, as the boldest summer vacations on both sides of the Atlantic.

In November 2020, Allure will make its way coast to coast to Miami for the winter season. Sailing from Royal Caribbean’s state-of-the-art Terminal A, the reimagined ship will offer 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises. Many of the ship’s Caribbean itineraries will include visits to the cruise line’s new private island destination in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Hybrid powered Roald Amundsen to be named in Antarctica

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 July 2019 12 July 2019

Hybrid powered expedition cruise ship Roald Amundsen continues to make history – as Hurtigruten announces the first ever ship naming ceremony in Antarctica. Instead of the traditional bottle of champagne, Roald Amundsen’s explorer heritage will be honored by naming the vessel with a chunk of ice.

The naming ceremony will take place this fall, as the first world’s first hybrid powered cruise ship makes her way to the white continent on her maiden Antarctica voyage.

"We can think of no better place to name the truly unique MS Roald Amundsen than the waters of Antarctica – where no ship has ever been christened before," Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam says.

Named after polar hero Roald Amundsen, who led the first expedition to traverse the Northwest Passage, the first expedition to the south pole and the first expedition proven to have reached the North Pole – the Roald Amundsen naming ceremony is set to honor his legacy with a ritual invented by Amundsen himself.

When christening his famed expedition ship “Maud” in 1917, Roald Amundsen switched the traditional bottle of champagne for a chunk of ice. Before crushing the ice against her bow, he stated: “It is not my intention to dishonor the glorious grape, but already now you shall get the taste of your real environment. For the ice you have been built, and in the ice, you shall stay most of your life, and in the ice, you shall solve your tasks."

Hurtigruten – and the yet to be disclosed godmother – will use the same ritual when naming Roald Amundsen.

"To honor Roald Amundsen and his explorer heritage, we will revive his ritual. With over 125 year of Polar experience, Hurtigruten will use the first ever ship naming ceremony in Antarctica to pay our respects to our oceans, the environment and past and present explorers," Skjeldam says.
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Hurtigruten’s hybrid powered Roald Amundsen made maritime history by being first cruise ship in the world to sail purely on battery power – as she left Kleven yard for her maiden voyage off the coast of Norway in late June.

Check out our photo tour onboard:

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Cruise Ship Interiors Expo Miami welcomes thousands of attendees to launch event

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 July 2019 11 July 2019

Cruise Ship Interiors Expo Miami, the world’s first highly focused event dedicated exclusively to interior design, architecture, and outfitting in the cruise industry, welcomed the entire cruise interiors community under one roof on June 19 and 20, 2019, at the Miami Beach Convention Center, FL, USA.

The inaugural event opened its doors to more than 2,800 industry delegates from 43 countries. Twenty-three per cent of attendees held C-level job titles, while 20% were lead architects or designers. Attending companies included Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Fincantieri, Holland America Group, and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. The reception on-site was unprecedented, with the event receiving an impressive 120% rebookings on-site.

The brand’s launch event was met with high praise from the industry, with Shores Global’s CEO Susan Sadolin commenting, “The quality of visitors on day one was extremely high. We saw everybody we wanted to see and, as a result, we are developing an entire new collection for cruise lines.”

Kickstarting the event on June 18 at the New World Center in Miami, VIPs and exhibitors came together for an evening of networking, complimentary drinks, and live painting by James R Hahn at the Official Launch Party, sponsored by Bolidt, Global Marine Travel, Janus et Cie, and Somec Group.

After a successful evening of reconnecting with industry peers and making new acquaintances, attendees flooded into the expo hall at 9.30am the following day to meet with 250+ marine interior brands. The expo hall quickly filled up with cruise lines execs, senior interior designers, shipyard and outfitting experts, and IMO-certified suppliers.

“This event is something that we need. The market is changing and for the interiors industry there is nothing else like this," said Antonio di Nenno, lead architect, MSC Cruises

Meanwhile, hundreds of delegates gathered for the first conference session of the day, ‘Cruise Industry Outlook: Leaders’ Debate,’ where speakers from Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, and MSC Cruises were welcomed to the stage by chair & associate professor of interior architecture at Florida International University Newton D’souza. It was standing room only as the session got under way.

Day two highlights included international president of NEWH Cindy Guthrie presenting Brennan Broome with a design scholarship sponsored by Cruise Ship Interiors Expo. Even more networking took place at Studio DADO’s VIP breakfast and, later in the day, at Trimline’s exclusive party.

“There is a definite need for this show. That seems to be the excitement from everyone involved.," said Petu Kummala, senior director of interior design and architecture, Carnival Cruise Line

After a laudable first event, Cruise Ship Interiors Expo attendees left with brand new connections, reaffirmed partnerships, fresh inspiration, and a host of new clients.

Royal Caribbean returns to New Orleans year-round in 2020

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 10 July 2019 10 July 2019

Royal Caribbean International will sail year-round from New Orleans when Majesty of the Seas arrives to her new homeport in January 2020, offering more itineraries from the Big Easy than ever before. Embarking on 7-night cruises, vacationers will visit bucket list-worthy beaches in The Bahamas and catch big thrills at Perfect Day at CocoCay – Royal Caribbean’s newly reimagined private island that features a combination of first-of-their-kind thrills and one-of-a-kind ways to chill. Cruises from New Orleans on board Majesty are now open to book for itineraries departing through April 2020. Sailings departing from May 2020 through April 2021 will be open to book the week of July 22, 2019.

Empress of the Seas will continue to depart from Miami, adding Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands as a new destination for the global cruise line. Famed for hidden grottos and giant boulders, the idyllic island offers sun-soaked discovery for adventure seekers of all types. Empress’ 6- to 8-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings will also visit Mexico, Belize and The Bahamas, as well as Perfect Day at CocoCay on select itineraries. Cruises on Empress departing from January through April 2020 are now available to book. Details for the ship’s 2020-21 deployment will be announced and available to book in the upcoming weeks.

Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, was unveiled in May 2019 following a $250 million transformation. Exclusive to Royal Caribbean guests, Perfect Day at CocoCay forever changes what is possible in a vacation destination with an iconic lineup of action-packed adventures and relaxing island amenities, including Thrill Waterpark with 13 jaw-dropping waterslides, like Daredevil’s Peak – the tallest waterslide in North America; Oasis Lagoon, the Caribbean’s largest freshwater pool; the largest wave pool in the Caribbean; Up, Up & Away, the helium balloon that can soar up to 450 feet in the air; and Chill Island for some beach R&R.