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Siemens wins pod order for Saga Cruises’ newbuilding at Meyer

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 08 September 2016 08 September 2016

Siemens,the German electrotechnical group, says it has been awarded the contract to equip the first new build cruise liner for Saga Cruises in the UK under contract to Meyer Werft in Papenburg.

“The awarded package includes a SISHIP eSiPOD propulsion system as well as a power and distribution plant. This new cruise ship to be delivered in the summer of 2019 will be 236 meters long and 31.2 meters wide with a gross tonnage (GT) of 56,850 and will offer capacity of 999 passengers. The contract includes an option to equip one additional cruise liner potentially due for delivery in 2021,” the company said in a statement.

The major benefit of the SISHIP eSiPOD is its high overall efficiency resulting from the combination of a compact, hydrodynamically optimized design and an efficient permanent-excited synchronous motor. The propulsion motor is integrated into a pod shaped housing located outside the ship’s hull and enables full 360 degree steering angle.

With the combination of the SISHIP eSiPOD and Siship Drive MV solution, Siemens is able to provide a perfectly balanced integrated propulsion system for this cruise ship with improved propulsion efficiency and manoeuvrability. In addition, the low-noise and low-vibration operation of the propeller motors make them particularly suited for the high demands of the customers in the yacht, passenger and cruise ship segment.   The reliable power supply of the ship is guaranteed by the integrated power plant system Siship Power MV. This comprises four generators with a total electrical output of 21 megawatts.

The NxAIR medium-voltage switchgear takes care of efficient and safe power distribution. The power and propulsion plant is internally controlled and monitored by the Siemens integrated protection systems such as the Power Plant Protection (PPP), Generator Power Adaption System (GPA) and Propulsion Control System (PCS).

The integrated Siemens Siship solutions help to increase the overall efficiency and reliability of the cruise ship, reduce fuel consumption and thus drive down operating costs.  

Matthias Schulze, Executive Vice President Siemens Marine, said: “We are of course very happy and thankful for having been awarded this contract and for the customer’s trust in us. This contract enables us to position our new highly efficient generation of pod propulsion systems firmly within the cruise ship segment. Surely we do hope that this meticulously engineered and innovated design will open the door to securing additional orders in the future.”

Royal Caribbean launches search for Harmony of the Seas’ godmother

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 08 September 2016 08 September 2016

Royal Caribbean International says it has launched search for godmother for its latest ship, Harmony of the Seas.

“Harmony of the Seas will make her U.S. debut this November when she arrives into her new homeport of Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., introducing a new era of vacationing that will thrill guests of all ages. To celebrate, the South Florida-based cruise line is partnering with South Florida ABC affiliate Local 10 to look in their own backyard for a woman who is inspiring the next generation to dream big, think differently and challenge the status quo, and has launched a contest to honor this hometown hero by naming her godmother of Harmony of the Seas,” the company said in a statement.

South Florida residents are encouraged to visit www.local10.com/godmother and nominate a mentor, educator or teacher whose passion for education and a better tomorrow inspires students to make a positive impact on the world.

The winner will not only be honored as godmother of Harmony of the Seas during the ship’s official naming ceremony on November 10, 2016, but a $25,000 grant will also be awarded to her school or non-profit organisation to fund education initiatives that will further her mission to inspire South Florida’s youth, the company said.

Pullmantur year-round deployment in Panamá

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 05 September 2016 05 September 2016

Alan Lam reporting

Soon after its decisions to made the Colombian port of Cartagena de Indias its principle regional homeport and to increase its Caribbean capacity by 40%, Pullmantur Cruises, the contemporary Spanish brand of RCCL, has confirmed that, it will also operate year-round from the Panamanian port of Colón.

This move will further consolidate the lines presence in the region. It will, as it is claimed, increase the number of passengers embarking from this port by 30%.

The announcement was made in a press briefing, held yesterday morning (4 September) in Panamá City, by Alejandro Páez, Pullmantur’s Latin American director, in the company of Gustavo Him, the director of Panamá’s Tourism Authority.

This is the latest of a successive strategic moves made by the cruise line.

Corresponding to this decision, Gustavo Him, for his part, also announced that there would be a $600 million investment by the national government into renovating the city of Colón, making it more attractive to tourism in general.

On Pullmantur ships the port attracts cruise tourists mainly from México, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela. The investment will also focus on improving overnight accommodations, leisure facilities, and shopping.

The total economic impact for Colón from the 56 operations by the two Pullmantur ships, Zenith and Monarch, is estimated at about $18 million for 2017.

Deltamarin to participate in Mols-Linien ro-pax vessel design

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 05 September 2016 05 September 2016

Deltamarin Ltd, Finnish part of AVIC International Maritime Holdings Limited in Singapore, said is to provide Rauma Marine Constructions Oy shipyard in Finland with design services for a ro-pax vessel to be built for the Danish Mols-Linien A/S.

Deltamarin’s scope of work includes basic and detail design of the hull outfitting, machinery and cargo areas, it said in a statement.

The 158-metre ro-pax vessel will be designed and optimised to carry passengers and cargo between the Danish islands of Bornholm and Sjaelland. The cargo capacity will be 1,500 lane metres. Construction will start in spring 2017 and the vessel will enter service in autumn 2018. Deltamarin has previously developed technical outline material for Mols-Linien for the purpose of yard tendering.

“This ship contract is very important for Rauma Marine Constructions. We are proud to have a major role in this project, and to assist the shipyard in building up the new future of shipbuilding in Rauma. Mols-Linien’s order is a proof of the strong passenger vessel know-how in Finland,” says Janne Uotila, Director, Engineering Management at Deltamarin.

The total contract value of Deltamarin’s design work is about €3 million. The work will be carried out at Deltamarin’s offices in Finland and Poland over an estimated period of 12 months.

MSC Cruises names second Meraviglia class unit MSC Bellissima

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 05 September 2016 05 September 2016

MSC Cruises, the world’s fourth largest cruise shipping group, has unveiled the name of its second STX France-built Meraviglia-generation cruise ship. “She will be called MSC Bellissima and will come into service in the Spring 2019,” the company said in a statement.

“MSC Bellissima is a name that embodies the beauty and the magnificence of this entire next generation of MSC Cruises ultramodern mega-ships, so rich with new features and amenities for guests of all ages and interests,” said Gianni Onorato, chief executive officer of MSC Cruises, in the statement.

“We are so pleased to be able to make this announcement on the very day that her sister ship MSC Meraviglia is touched for the first time by water, a moment that symbolizes the real ‘birth’ of a ship.”