Holland America Line to call next Pinnacle class ship Ryndam

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 08 April 2019 08 April 2019

In a nod to its long line of historic ships that helped build the foundation for cruising as we know it today, Holland America Line announced that its next Pinnacle Class ship will be called Ryndam. The newbuild, due for delivery in May 2021, will be the fourth ship in the company’s history to carry the name.

Ryndam will be similar to sister ships Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam, measuring 99,500 tons and carrying 2,666 guests. As the third in the series, Ryndam will feature enhanced Pinnacle Class amenities and innovations, along with Holland America Line hallmarks that drive one of the highest guest repeat rates in the industry.

“Holland America Line honors the timeless tradition of cruising while also embracing new innovations for today’s travelers, and the name Ryndam reflects the unique history of this company while honoring previous ships that were progressive in their time as this last Ryndam will be,” said Orland Ashford, Holland America Line’s president. “From the first Ryndam more than 100 years ago to the most recent, the namesake ships have been beloved by our guests. The next Ryndam will bring new life to one of the most notable series of vessels in our history.”

The steel cutting for Ryndam, signifying the official beginning of the building process, was held March 13, 2019 at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera, Italy. This will be the 17th ship constructed for Holland America Line by the Italian shipbuilder, which most recently delivered Nieuw Statendam.

Seven Seas Splendor to feature Studio DADO designs

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 03 April 2019 03 April 2019

Regent Seven Seas Cruises has selected Miami-based boutique cruise ship and hospitality design firm Studio DADO to create key public and private areas of its newest luxury ship, Seven Seas Splendor. The studio is designing the ship’s Observation Lounge, Spa, Card Room, Constellation Theater, Connoisseur Club cigar lounge, Pacific Rim Pan-Asian specialty restaurant, and all 55 Penthouse Suites, Grand Suites and Superior Suites on board. The highly anticipated all-suite, all-balcony ship debuts in February 2020.

Led by DADO founding partners Yohandel Ruiz and Javier Calle and lead designer Scheherezade Marles, designs will elevate the standard for modern-day elegance, as each space aims to create an atmosphere of uncompromised luxury as unique as the many guests who sail on board.

“It is no small feat to create both public and private living spaces for a ship that aspires to perfect luxury,” notes Ruiz. “We are focusing on all the intricate details that will take each of the 750 guests on a journey while on board for an indulgent and transformative personal experience.”

The Observation Lounge incorporates a light and airy color palette to create a restful daytime space that evokes the feeling of an enchanting English garden, complete with peonies, roses, traditional English architectural molding, and curved, lush upholsteries that gracefully echo the fluid forms of flower petals. Specially commissioned art by Gorman Studios incorporates hand painted English roses and flowers on glass screens to mimic the look of porcelain. The highlight of the room includes a whimsical chandelier made from hundreds of hand-painted porcelain flowers.

The Grand Suite, one of the most glamorous spaces on board, features marble mosaics, rich woods, brilliant emerald green accent colors and unique furniture pieces based on haute couture fashion.

Elegance flows through the 55 sapphire-inspired Penthouse Suites from the subtle mother-of-pearl inset in the dining table, to the expanse of the breeze-swept balcony. Each suite is adorned with custom artwork, bathrooms featuring Carrara marble and stone and custom-lit vanity mirrors, and even expansive, walk-in closets that include lined jewelry drawers and custom space built for designer handbags.

“Our suite designs welcome guests with an opulent and highly tailored environment which seamlessly blends comfort and luxury,” adds Calle. “This distinctive design focuses on impeccable details, exquisite high-contrast materials and lush jewel-toned accents to create an unparalleled guest experience.”

“These vibrant, functional and interactive Studio DADO-designed spaces are another example of how S even Seas Splendor will set new benchmarks in her quest to perfect luxury,” said Jason Montague, president and chief executive officer of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “Their designers bring an eye for both bold architectural cues and the most whimsical of tiny details to create spaces that are pieces of art our guests will admire throughout their voyage.”

Fincantieri cuts steel for Windstar's $250 million Star Plus Initiative

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 03 April 2019 03 April 2019

At Fincantieri’s shipyard “Arsenale Triestino San Marco”, in Trieste, Italy, John Gunner, Vice President of Expansion Projects for Seattle-based Windstar Cruises, pushed the button which activated the torch to make the first cut in the new steel that will become the first of three new ships sections as part of Windstar’s $250 Million Star Plus Initiative.

The $250 Million Star Plus Initiative is the most complex and comprehensive small ship lengthening, engine replacement, and renovation project undertaken in cruising. Windstar will take half of its entire fleet – Star Breeze, Star Legend, and Star Pride – and renovate each ship in succession. The work on the first of the three ships begins on Star Breeze in October 2019 and shall end with the departure of the Star Pride from the yard in November 2020. This steel cutting marks the beginning of true project construction. The popular ships will be cut in half to allow the installation of a new stepped mid-body section that will lengthen each vessel by approximately 25 meters. The total capacity of the “new” expanded ships will be 312 guests, and additional staff will be hired in order to maintain the line’s impressive 1.5 to 1 guest to service staff ratio.

The new sections will be built in Trieste and then will be transported south by barge to the Fincantieri yard in Palermo Sicily, Italy to be inserted into the Windstar ships along with the new engines. The timeline requires the new sections to be fabricated from April through September, shipped in October, and then inserted into Star Breeze so that she can be completed in time for her arrival for re-inaugural activities at the port of Miami on March 19, 2020.

The extension and modernization project is being performed by the Ship Repair & Conversion part of the Services Division of Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups and number one for diversification and innovation that has built 89 cruise ships from 1990 to today with 54 new ships currently being designed or built in the group’s yards. The company also has a deeply rooted experience in cruise ship conversion, which consolidates its leadership in this highly specialized naval transformation sector.

The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry in New York, led by Ray Chung, Director of Design, has been tasked with creating modern and inviting design aesthetics for the new public spaces and 50 new suites. In addition to new suites, there will be a new pool area, restaurants, a spa & wellness center, and enhanced “living room deck space.”

Gunner pointed out, “This is not about just cutting a ship in half and making it bigger. We are replacing the engines and ‘back of house’ too, so that these ships deliver on their promise of visiting smaller ports and special waterways of the world with a softer environmental footprint for generations to come”.

Andrew Toso, Vice President Ship Repair and Conversion of the Fincantieri Services Division, stated, “The considerable experience gained with major naval projects undertaken over recent years, and the Windstar program that we are officially starting, consolidates Fincantieri’s position as the reference point worldwide for this kind of highly sophisticated and complex operations. We are very proud that Windstar, a prestigious new client for our company, has chosen us for these strategic works which will require an extremely high level of engineering competence and project management“.

Reservations can be made for cruises aboard the post-Star Plus Initiative Star Breeze and Star Legend, including Star Breeze’s Colors of Key West & Central America 10-day voyage from Miami to Colón, Panama on March 20, 2020;sailing from Miami will be a first for the Seattle-based company.

A-ROSA signs contract with Concordia Damen for river cruise vessel

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 03 April 2019 03 April 2019

River Cruise specialist A-ROSA has signed a contract with Concordia Damen for a newbuild River Cruise Vessel. The new ship, which will be delivered spring 2021, will operate in the northern Rhine region, including trips from Cologne to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Bruges. The innovative River Cruise vessel will take A-ROSA’s city trip concept to the next level of leisure and sustainability.

“With this we will usher in a new era of travel that offers the perfect blend of experience and relaxation. With a length of 135 metres, a width of 17.7 metres and a fourth deck, it offers more space, not only to meet the expectations of our clients, but to exceed them. With Concordia Damen we have found the ideal partner for this project because it is a traditional, and at the same time, innovative shipyard that stands for quality and reliability,” said Jörg Eichler, managing director of A-ROSA.

In total, the vessel will present 140 cabins, including two-person cabins (21m2) with a balcony and separate living and sleeping areas.

To cater for the entire family, the vessel will feature a number of generous family cabins, 28m2. On the sun deck, next to a large, adult swimming pool, will be a smaller, children’s pool with shallow water. The design also features a separate children’s eating area in the restaurant so young guests can dine with their friends.

For adult guests, in addition to a high quality restaurant serving five course meals, there will be a spa and wellness area with sauna, whirlpool, ice grotto, heat bench and treatment rooms.

The staff receive their own generously spaced cabins along with, for the first time, their own rest and relaxation area where they can unwind before and after working hours.

Concordia Damen Managing Director Simon Provoost said, “Concordia Damen has invested time and energy into the river cruise market since the beginning of our joint venture and we are delighted that this has led to a contract with A-ROSA. Our work on innovations such as zero emissions battery propulsion, hull optimisation and air lubrication finds a natural resonance with such a forward thinking client. We fully understand A-ROSA’s philosophy in building this new type of river cruise vessel with increased passenger entertainment and we are looking forward to applying our knowledge and skills to the challenges presented. I’d like to extend my gratitude to A-ROSA for placing their trust in Concordia Damen to build this vessel and to assure them we will be putting every effort into realising a successful project for them.”

SVP sales & marketing Damen Cruise Andrea Trevisan said, “We are extremely happy to be welcoming a prestigious client like A-ROSA with the first River Cruise contract by the Damen Shipyards Group. The contract is another example of the cohesive proposition of Damen Cruise to the industry with newbuilding of both ocean and river-going cruise ships and its dedicated maintenance and upgrade services.”

Concordia Damen is grateful to A-ROSA for the trust it has placed in the yard and is looking forward to putting its energy into the realisation of a successful project.