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Crescent Seas adds another ship to its fleet

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 April 2025 03 April 2025

Crescent Seas, a pioneering residential concept redefining luxury living at sea, today announced the addition of a second ship to its portfolio, further establishing the company as an emerging leader in the cruising industry. Blending well-appointed accommodations with extended stays in global destinations and exceptional service, Crescent Seas reimagines life at sea for discerning travelers. Crescent Seas debuted in March 2025 as the latest venture from GFO Investments.

Crescent Seas’ second ship, Insignia, will undergo a more than $50 million comprehensive revitalization and will feature 290 residences priced from $650,000 to $10,000,000. Amenities will include private butler service, refined gourmet dining, bespoke on-deck experiences, Starlink internet connection, and more. In agreement with the ship’s owners, Oceania Cruises, a subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH), the ship will join Crescent Seas at the end of 2027 and depart on its inaugural voyage for New Years of 2027. Insignia residence sales will open to the public in late summer 2025 from the sales gallery on the 8th floor of the Gale Miami Hotel & Residences.

Insignia will join Crescent Seas’ first ship, the Navigator, which will feature 210 residences, ranging from $750,000 to $8 million. The Navigator sets sail in December 2026, and sales open April 9th. Crescent Seas also plans to announce three more luxury residence ships over the next five years.

“As a developer, I know real estate has always been defined by location, location, location, as we say. With Crescent Seas, we’ve eliminated that limitation. Residents will have a view corridor like never before. Now, your home isn’t bound to a single address - it moves with you, taking you to the world’s most breathtaking destinations,” said Russell W. Galbut, Co Founder & Managing Principal, Crescent Heights and Founder and Chairman of Crescent Seas.

These world-class private residences will embark on immersive global journeys, spending up to five days in each port of call across all seven continents. To ensure seamless operations and exceptional service, each vessel will be staffed by its existing onboard service provider, The Apollo Group, which will manage all onboard hospitality and culinary offerings. With over five decades of expertise in luxury cruising, The Apollo Group will continue to deliver the elevated service and dining experiences travelers have come to expect.

Marisa Galbut, President of Crescent Seas, stated, “Imagine traveling the world without ever leaving the comfort of your own home. With our ownership model, families can share once-in-a-lifetime experiences seamlessly. Forget the hassle of planning vacations—embrace the freedom of remote work while exploring the world from your own residence at sea.”

Crescent Seas is a part of GFO Investments, Galbut’s global family office and a major investor in Crescent Heights. As Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Crescent Heights, Galbut has an exemplary track record of developing urban projects in gateway cities across the country including Ten Thousand Santa Monica Blvd and The Remington in Los Angeles, Forma Miami, and the redevelopment of 25 Broad Street in New York City into the most desired homes and residences. Galbut’s development expertise, coupled with his over 23-year tenure in the cruise industry gives Galbut a unique vantage point to meet the current market demands and drive the success of Crescent Seas.

Fincantieri signs agreement with TUI AG for two new cruise ships for Marella Cruises

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 31 March 2025 31 March 2025

Fincantieri and TUI AG signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the design and construction of two new cruise ships for the Marella Cruises brand. The value of this agreement, subject to financing and other typical terms and conditions, is considered as very important.

This agreement represents a major step for Marella Cruises, which is venturing into newbuilding for the first time and has chosen Fincantieri as its strategic partner for this transformation. At the same time, it establishes a new customer relationship for Fincantieri, expanding its client base with a fresh brand in the cruise sector.

The ships will be designed specifically for the British market and have a focus on environmental sustainability. They will redefine premium cruising through refined design, high-quality materials, and a variety of spacious accommodations.

The two vessels will be delivered in calendar year 2030 and 2032.

Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, commented: “We are proud to welcome Marella Cruises as a new customer and to support its vision as it enters the newbuild segment. This agreement is a testament to Fincantieri’s ability to forge strategic partnerships with an expanding client base, reinforcing our long-term visibility and ensuring a high level of capacity saturation for our shipyards. The project will bring together our expertise in ship design, innovation, and sustainability to deliver vessels that meet the evolving expectations of modern cruise passengers."

Fincantieri has built a solid and successful relationship with the brand TUI Cruises, joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises. This year in February, the Group delivered the cruise ship Mein Schiff Relax, the first of two InTUItion class new concept cruise ships dual-fuel powered (Liquid Natural Gas - LNG and Marine Gas Oil - MGO), while the second unit, Mein Schiff Flow, is currently under construction at the Monfalcone shipyard, with delivery scheduled for 2026.

Fincantieri lays the keel of Seven Seas Prestige in Marghera shipyard

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 29 March 2025 29 March 2025

Earlier this week, the keel laying ceremony for Seven Seas Prestige, the ultra-luxury cruise ship which Fincantieri is building for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, took place at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera (Venice). The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2026.

The ceremony was attended, among others, by Harry Sommer, President & Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, Jason Montague, Chief Luxury Officer of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Patrik Dahlgren, Executive Vice President, Chief Vessel Operations and Newbuild Officer Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., Daniele Fanara, Fincantieri Senior Vice President New Building and After Sales, and Marco Lunardi, Senior Vice President Marghera shipyard.

During the event, three specially chosen coins were welded onto the bottom of the ship as part of a longstanding maritime tradition and a symbol of good luck and blessing for the vessel.

With a gross tonnage of 77,000 tons and a length of 257 meters, Seven Seas Prestige will accommodate approximately 850 passengers in 434 spacious suites, offering one of the highest guest-to-space ratios in the industry. The ship will embody sophistication and refinement that is the epitome of timeless elegance, integrating the most advanced environmental technologies and introducing new accommodation categories, new dining and many more incredible experiences for luxury travelers.

Seven Seas Prestige will be the first vessel in the new Prestige Class, a generation of ships following the highly successful Explorer series, also built by Fincantieri: Seven Seas Explorer (2016), Seven Seas Splendor (2020), and Seven Seas Grandeur (2023), delivered respectively from the Sestri Ponente (Genoa) and Ancona shipyards.

Virgin Voyages shatters records with best wave season in company history

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 March 2025 28 March 2025

Virgin Voyages, Richard Branson’s adult-only, boutique hotel at sea, celebrates record-breaking revenue and bookings, delivering the strongest financial performance in the company's history. Fueled by its most successful wave season to date, the cruise line has seen 34% growth in bookings, with revenue up +45%. In addition to these impressive figures, since introducing new, longer itineraries, Virgin Voyages has also reported a more than 50% increase in bookings for these new products, indicating strong consumer interest in new ports and longer stays onboard the Virgin fleet.

Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages, said, "These outstanding results demonstrate the tremendous momentum our brand has established in the market. Our kid-free, award-winning experience has successfully positioned us as a true premium alternative in the cruise industry. Our vessels' deliberate size delivers the perfect balance of intimate, elevated experiences with exceptional variety that resonates strongly with consumers. The impressive repeat booking rates we're seeing validate our business model and product-market fit, with initial sailings consistently converting to long-term customer relationships. The entire Virgin Voyages team is energized by this growth trajectory. We've built something truly distinctive in the market, and we remain focused on scaling our success while maintaining the premium experience and value proposition that differentiates our brand in this competitive landscape."

The brand's meteoric rise comes at a pivotal moment as Virgin Voyages continues to make its mark on the cruise industry with its iconic blend of luxury, relaxed sophistication and signature Virgin spirit. As a further testament to the company’s successful Wave season, Virgin Voyages is also reporting a standout performance in web traffic as one of the only cruise brands to see gains in search, leading the industry with increases up 25%*. In addition to this, the brand's unique approach to cognitive marketing and non-traditional, new media has been a significant driver in its growth story, ability to reach new audiences and breakthrough the noise to capitalize on word-of-mouth, referrals and broad awareness.

Saverimuttu continues, “As a Virgin brand we’re able to really benefit from this new approach because we have the customer base. Our brand has cache and because of this unique position, we’re able to show an outsized impact in places like YouTube, Meta and more. For example, we saw a 200% increase in ChatGPT searches for the brand in Q1.”

Excitement continues to build as the adult-only travel brand unveils fleet-wide innovations, appealing to continued growth with travelers in their 50’s and 60’s who are looking for a more relaxed environment without kids. Plans include delicious reveals for its award-winning culinary program, new restaurants, expanded menus, seven new entertainment concepts, longer and more sought-after itineraries and the much-anticipated debut of its fourth ship, Brilliant Lady in September 2025. This celebratory moment marks a major brand milestone with all four Lady Ships sailing the Caribbean this fall. Brand-wide homeports will include New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Barcelona, Athens and Portsmouth. With the completion of the fleet, Virgin Voyages offers a tremendous amount of choice, from bucket-list itineraries to solar eclipse voyages, along with ports of call ranging from Iceland to the southern Caribbean.

"This is just the beginning of what we know will be our best year yet," concluded Saverimuttu. "We're not just changing how people cruise—we're redefining what a vacation at sea can be. And we're doing it with our signature mix of style, substance, and innovation that only Virgin can deliver, including exciting new itineraries, new entertainment, new food and of course Brilliant Lady’s debut. Watch this space; we've got some brilliant announcements coming soon that will make waves across the industry."

Virgin Voyages continues to break through barriers, attracting a significant new-to-cruise audience along with 60% repeat Sailors on some voyages. The company, now in its fourth year, has solidified its place as the brand of choice for travelers looking for a fresh, price-inclusive travel experience. Demand for kid-free vacations are increasing within the travel industry, and Virgin Voyages is staking its claim as the ultimate option for exclusively adult getaways.

MSC Cruises takes delivery of MSC World America, celebrates additional milestones with Chantiers de l'Atlantique

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 27 March 2025 27 March 2025

MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique celebrated milestones on Thursday for three World Class ships in Saint-Nazaire, France, with the delivery of MSC World America, the coin ceremony for MSC World Asia and steel cutting for the newly named MSC World Atlantic.

Attendees included Captain Gianluigi Aponte, Founder and Group Chairman of MSC; Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Group's Cruise Division; Laurent Castaing, Chantiers de l’Atlantique General Manager; and the French Minister for Industry and Energy, Marc Ferracci; together with representatives of MSC Cruises’ newbuild team and shipyard workers who built the ship over the last 30 months.

MSC World America is the 23rd ship in the cruise line’s fleet and is set to be officially named on April 9 at the company’s new state-of-the-art MSC Miami Cruise Terminal, which is the largest in the world. The ship offers new venues and concepts tailored specifically to the North American market, combining European style with American comfort.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, Cruise Division, MSC Group, said: “Today is a proud moment for all of us at MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique as we mark these major milestones in the development of our fleet. Our new flagship is a testament to our long-standing, innovative partnership spanning over 20 years, resulting in five groundbreaking prototypes and 19 ships. Together, we continue to push boundaries, combining cutting-edge design, the latest technologies, and a richness of experiences to set new standards in cruising and always striving to further improve the environmental performance of each ship. We look forward to raising the bar even higher with the upcoming MSC World Asia and MSC World Atlantic.”

Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, added: "It is with great emotion that we are marking today not one, but three MSC World Class ships. Continuous improvement of the onboard experience, ever more optimized energy performance – what a journey MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l'Atlantique teams have accomplished so far. To date, MSC World America has the best energy efficiency design index (EEDI) from the IMO, and therefore the lowest carbon footprint of the entire cruise industry… and we will go even further with the two sisterships we are celebrating today!"

Marc Ferracci, Minister of Industry and Energy of France, said: “Industrial excellence and a spirit of ambition are the hallmarks of Chantiers de l'Atlantique. Thanks to the privileged relationship with world leader MSC Cruises, and with the support of the State, the Saint Nazaire shipyards continue to make France and Europe shine across the seas. I pay tribute to the commitment and expertise of the men and women who work in this industrial sector essential for our sovereignty.”

MSC World Asia celebrated its coin ceremony, during which commemorative coins were placed inside the ship as a sign of blessing during construction and to bring good fortune to the ship. Two godmothers, Marialuisa Iaccarino, VP Shore Excursions for MSC Cruises; and Flavie Biondo, Chargé d'affaires for Chantiers de l’Atlantique placed the coins in the ship’s hull. MSC World Asia will enter service during winter 2026-27 with Mediterranean cruises to destinations in France, Italy, Spain and Malta.

MSC Cruises’ third celebration was a steel cutting ceremony to start construction of the line’s fourth World Class ship, due to enter service in 2027. The ship’s name—MSC World Atlantic – was revealed for the first time. MSC World Atlantic will offer cruises from Port Canaveral, sailing to the Caribbean starting with the winter 2027-28 season.

The World Class platform set new standards in cruising with the introduction of MSC World Europa in 2022, and it continues to evolve with each new ship incorporating innovations in design, technology and guest experience. World Class ships are named in honor of the world’s continents and oceans, not necessarily indicating where they will be deployed. The naming convention reflects the global nature of MSC Cruises, which sails to all parts of the world.

MSC World America is one of the most energy-efficient cruise ships in the world, surpassing all design requirements under the International Maritime Organization’s Energy Efficiency Design Index. Her latest-generation engines run on LNG, which enables a direct transition toward drop-in bio and synthetic renewable fuels.

The ship is also equipped with shore power to allow the engines to be switched off while in connected ports that offer it, such as the new MSC Cruise Terminal in Miami. The ship also has an advanced wastewater treatment system and a comprehensive onboard recycling management plant, which significantly reduce waste output.

The Classification Society, Bureau Veritas, has awarded MSC World America its Platinum Pearl Award in recognition of MSC Cruises’ 20-year commitment to health, safety and environmental protection across its fleet of ships.

MSC World America’s inaugural season of Caribbean cruises from Miami will start on April 12. 7-night Eastern Caribbean itineraries include calls at Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and MSC Cruises’ private island—Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. The ship’s 7-night Western Caribbean voyages will call at Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Isla de Roatan, Honduras; and Ocean Cay.