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Cruise Ship Interiors Expo announces opening session

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

Cruise Ship Interiors Expo, the world’s first highly focused event dedicated exclusively to interior design, architecture, and outfitting for the cruise industry, has announced its first conference session to kick off the inaugural two-day event. Professionals at the forefront of the industry will share their expertize in ‘Cruise Industry Outlook: Leaders Debate’, starting at 10:50am on Wednesday, June 19, 2019.

The event’s first conference session will focus on the newbuild order book and the impacts of newbuilds, how shipyards can respond to capacity issues, challenges around recruiting staff, economical concerns, and growth in the expedition market. Industry experts speaking on the panel will include:

Moderating:
– Newton D’Souza, chair and associate professor, department of interior architecture, Florida International University
Speaking:
– Stephen T. Fryers, consultant, Royal Caribbean Cruises
– Colin Gant, vice president of vessel refurbishment, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
– Petu Kummala, senior director of interior design & architecture, Carnival Cruise Line
– George Scammell, director of interior design, Princess Cruises

When asked what to expect from his session, Petu Kummala, senior director of interior design & architecture, Carnival Cruise Line, commented: “Expect the unexpected. There are many new projects in the works for Carnival Cruise Line, so I am confident we’ll have an interesting and exciting conversation.” He also told the CSIE team that the event is “filling a void in [the marine interiors] community.”

Chairing and moderating the session will be Newton d’Souza, chair and associate professor at Florida International University’s department of interior architecture. Over the past 20 years, d’Souza has practiced as a professional architect, interior designer, and educator. He is also in the process of writing his first book, ‘The Multi-Skilled Designer’, making him the ideal candidate to chair the conference’s opening session.

Led by industry experts, the Cruise Ship Interiors Conference has been specially curated to inspire delegates, with forecasts on upcoming trends and insights into opportunities and challenges faced by the cruise interiors industry. As such, a debate on cruise industry outlook on a more holistic level will aptly set the tone for the rest of the two-day conference.

Jacques Van Staden joins MSC Cruises as Vice President, Food & Beverage

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

MSC Cruises announced that Jacques Van Staden has joined its global team as Vice President, Food & Beverage, reporting to Andrea Gangale, SVP Product Development and Guest Experience. In this role, based at the Company’s global headquarters in Geneva, Van Staden will lead all Food & Beverage activities for MSC Cruises worldwide.

“MSC Cruises is committed to delivering best-in class culinary experiences and providing our guests the opportunity to discover new cultures and tastes through the dining we offer onboard,” said Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises Chief Executive Officer. “Jacques is well-known for his innovative and creative dining concepts and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the MSC Cruises family as we strive to continue to elevate our culinary offerings across our fleet.”

Van Staden joins MSC Cruises as a hospitality expert with more than 28 years of experience across fine dining establishments and casual restaurants, hotel and cruise, including high-profile culinary establishments in the U.S. Most recently, Van Staden was president and CEO of the Miami-based JVS Culinary Group, providing visionary creative F&B consulting services for a wide-range of hospitality entities. Van Staden is also the founder of 2941 Street Food, an award-winning modern fast-casual Mediterranean concept with five locations in Detroit, Michigan.

Prior to JVS Culinary Group, Van Staden served as Vice President of Food & Beverage and Master Chef for Celebrity Cruises. In this position, he was directly responsible for transforming Celebrity Cruises’ culinary footprint, including introducing an entirely new array of dining and beverage experiences on board Celebrity’s Solstice class of ships.

“The dining experience is a critical element in MSC Cruises guest’s overall cruise vacation and our guests are looking for gourmet culinary offerings across a wide range of cuisines,” said Ken Muskat, EVP and Chief Operating Officer, MSC Cruises USA. “Jacques, with his passion for creating fresh and authentic cuisine from around the world and impressive history of working with top establishments across the US, is the perfect addition to our team as we continue to grow our presence in North America and increase the number of North American guests sailing on our ships worldwide.”

"MSC Cruises delivers a true culinary journey with an array of international cuisine and an elegant dining experience,” said Van Staden. "I'm honored to be part of such a distinguished company and, together as one team, our mission is to further enhance our culinary canvas with innovative creations in the pursuit of not only exceeding expectations but crafting memorable dining experiences worthy of all the senses."

Van Staden’s extensive experience also includes Sous and Executive Chef positions at a number of restaurants across the U.S., including the late, legendary three-star Michelin chef Jean-Louis Palladin’s restaurant at the Watergate Hotel; three-star Michelin chef Gray Kunz’s restaurant Lespinasse in Washington, DC; the well-known two-star Michelin restaurant Citronelle, featuring California French cuisine in Washington, DC; the chic London Club in the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas; and Michelin-star award-winning restaurants Andre’s & Alize in Las Vegas.

American Cruise Line names third ship American Jazz

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 May 2019 15 May 2019

American Cruise Lines, the USA’s largest coastal and river cruise operator, has decided to give the name American Jazz for the third ship for its Modern Riverboat Series, the company said in a statement.

“The American Jazz will join sister-ships, American Song and American Harmony, in sporting elegant modern design, state-of-the-art technical features and enhanced environmental credentials,” the company stated.

The American Jazz is currently under construction at Chesapeake Shipbuilding and is scheduled to begin cruising the Mississippi in 2020, visiting iconic destinations such as Memphis, New Orleans and St Louis.

Slightly larger than both the first and second ships in the Modern Riverboat Series, the American Jazz will share features including multi-story glass atriums, private furnished balconies - a rarity on U.S. rivers - and a unique opening bow and retractable gangway, designed to enable “bow landings” direct to a river bank or dock wherever needed.

This patent-pending feature will enable the American Jazz to offer an array of options for its itineraries unmatched by other ships, the company said.

Silversea Cruises to upgrade Silver Shadow in November

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 May 2019 15 May 2019

Silversea Cruises, the Monaco based luxury and expedition cruise operator, said that the 388 passenger capacity Silver Shadow will undergo an extensive refurbishment in November 2019, to enrich the ship’s comfort for all guests.

The company thatis controlled by Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd (RCCL) said upgrades to Silver Shadow, which was built in 2000 and is of 28,258 gross tons, are intended to include:

Suites: The ship's spacious suites will undergo a floor-to-ceiling renovation, incorporating an elegant colour palette with stylish accents that will echo Silver Muse.

New Atrium & Arts Café: The space currently occupied by the Lobby, Boutique and Casino will be redesigned as a new Atrium—a social hub that will feature an updated guest reception area, boutique and at its centrepiece, the Arts Café.

La Dame: Offering the highest expression of excellence in French dining, the hugely popular La Dame restaurant will be refurbished and enlarged to accommodate more diners to ensure every guest has the opportunity to experience its chic style, exceptional service and sophisticated cuisine.

Connoisseur's Corner: A rich and luxurious lounge, offering fine cognacs and premium cigars, the Connoisseur's Corner will be moved to Deck 8, where its complete reimagining will include the addition of a new outdoor smoking area with comfortable seating.

Casino: A complete redesign of the ship's Casino will include its relocation to Deck 8, adjacent to the repositioned Connoisseur's Corner.

Observation Library: Formerly the Observation Lounge, this quiet space for reading and reflection, which is set at the fore of the ship on Deck 10, will enable guests to access a carefully curated collection of books. Its panoramic ocean views will be complemented by new carpet and furniture.

Zagara Beauty Spa & Fitness Centre: The top-to-bottom renovation of the Zagara Beauty Spa and the Fitness Centre will encompass new steam and sauna rooms, fully refurbished treatment rooms, new furniture and flooring, updated state-of-the-art fitness equipment, and more.

Refreshed Public Spaces: Also scheduled for comprehensive renovation are The Restaurant, La Terrazza, Panorama Lounge, The Bar, The Show Lounge, and Card/Conference Rooms—each of which will benefit from décor upgrades, from new furniture to new upholstery, carpets, and wall/window treatments. The pool area will boast new outdoor furniture, refurbished teak flooring, a new canvas awning with inserted lighting, and new outdoor heaters, while the jogging track will benefit from new teak resin.

Whether relaxing in the new Atrium area or sipping a cognac in the expanded Connoisseur’s Corner, you will notice not only a revitalised look but also greater choices and flexibility as a result of Silver Shadow’s enhancements.

CroisiEurope expands ocean fleet with Silver Discoverer

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 14 May 2019 14 May 2019

Silver Discoverer, which has been chartered by Silversea Cruises, will join CroisiEurope’s fleet. CroisiEurope will name the ship as La Belle des Océans and her small size make it the perfect ship to discover new ocean itineraries. The 7-deck ship measures 103 meters long and 15 meters wide accommodating 120 passengers in 60 spacious suites, all with exterior view of which nine with private balconies.

All suites have a bathroom with walk-in shower, desk, hairdryer, built-in wardrobe with safe, mini bar, flat-screen TV and air conditioning.

The high-class comfort combined with refined elegance offer well thought out spaces and tailor-made services on board. two lounges, a restaurant, a bar-restaurant grill around the pool, a fitness center, a beauty salon with hairdresser and spa as well as a laundry service.

The itineraries, cruise dates and their marketing will be revealed very soon as well as the day of the inauguration scheduled for next spring. It will be CroisiEurope’s second sea-going ship alongside La Belle de l’Adriatique.