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Helsinki Shipyards invites tenders for third ship intended for Swan Hellenic

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 November 2022 30 November 2022

Helsinki Shipyard in Finland said it has started to invite tenders for an incomplete 12,500 gross ton cruise ship originally intended to be operated by Swan Hellenic, it said in a statement.

“The Vessel is offered for sale and will be sold ‘As Is’ and ‘Where Is’ without representation, warranty, or guaranty as to quantity, quality, title, character, condition, size, or kind, or that the same is in condition or fit to be used for the purpose for which intended, and no claim for any allowance or deduction upon such grounds will be considered after the bid opening or conclusion of an auction,” the shipbuilder said in a statement.

Swan Hellenic bought the second of the planned three ships, SH Vega at an auction from the shipbuilder in the summer. The sale was due to Russian finance being linked to the original contract to build the ship that Swan Hellenic was to charter from a Russian controlled company.

The winner of the tender would be disclosed on 12 December, the shipyard said.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to offload smallest ship

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 November 2022 30 November 2022

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the UK based destination focused cruise operator, will offload the 1993 built Braemar of 24,344 gross tons, it has been reported.

The ship remains in lay up in Rosyth in Scotland, while the other three ships of the company that is part of the Bonheur group that is headquartered and listed in Oslo have returned to service a long time ago.

Bonheur said in its third quarter report that is dated 8 November that Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ average occupancy for the three ships in the quarter was 73% (62%) with a net ticket income of £188 per diem in the quarter compared to £191 for the same quarter in 2021.

“The EBITDA was negatively impacted by technical issues with Balmoral’s starboard propeller resulting in the ship requiring a short dry dock to repair and the cancellation of a 11-night cruise during the peak holiday season. Furthermore, some cruises during the quarter experienced lower than expected occupancy due to last minute cancellations and transfers because of guest concerns with rising cases of Covid-19 in the UK,” the company said in a statement.

EBITDA was negative by NOK42 million in the review period, an improvement from negative by NOK138 million

In addition, operating costs rise by the increase in fuel costs in the quarter as a result of the prolonged conflict in the Ukraine together with the significant weakening of British pound against the US dollar.

“An impairment charge was made in the quarter of NOK 456 million to the asset value of the two older cruise ships. This is impacted by the challenging market situation, higher operating expenses in the cruise industry in combination with increase in discount rate,” the company said.

The charge refers to Braemar and the 1988 built Balmoral that is of 45,088 gross tons. Bolette and Borealis, the two other ships of the line, were built in the mid-1990s and were acquired from Holland America Line during the pandemic.

Braemar was built in Spain as Crown Dynasty for the now defunct Crown Cruise Line and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines acquired the ship in 2001. Much smaller than its three peers, it has been able to navigate the Corinth canal in Greece and sail up the Guadalquivir river to Seville in Spain. However, most of its cabins are significantly smaller than those on the other ships of the line.

Fincantieri floats out Brilliant Lady

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 November 2022 28 November 2022

The floating out ceremony of Brilliant Lady, the last of four ships which new cruise operator Virgin Voyages that is part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group ordered to Fincantieri, has taken place today at the Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, Fincantieri said in a statement.

Brilliant Lady, as well as her sister ships Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady, each have a gross tonnage of about 110,000, are 278 meters long and 38 wide. They all feature over 1,400 guest cabins designed to host more than 2,770 passengers, accompanied by 1,160 crew members.

“The quality of life on board is guaranteed by the “comfort class” certification, testifying minimum levels of noise and vibration, as well as by an extensive use of home automation. Thanks to this, by installing an app on their smartphones, guests are able to manage a wide range of cabin functions (air conditioning, lightening, opening and closing of blinds, music, and television),” the shipbuilder said.

The ships stand out for the design, as well as for the particular attention paid to energy recovery, featuring cutting-edge alternative technologies that reduce the ship’s overall environmental impact.

“For example, the ships are equipped with an energy production system of approximately 1 MW, which uses the diesel engine’s waste heat. In addition to a scrubber system, that is a device for the sustainable waste management of sulfur dioxides, the units are also fitted with a catalytic converter which reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides. They are entirely equipped with led lights to reduce energy consumption, while the hydrodynamic design of the hull provides excellent performance with consequent fuel saving,” Fincantieri stated.

CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping names brand Adora Cruises

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 November 2022 28 November 2022

The joint venture between China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise shipping company, has decided to name its brand Adora Cruises.

The company has two newbuildings on order at CSSC’s Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company subsidiary. The first unit will be of about 135,000 gross tons and the second one of about 142,000 gross tons. The first ship is scheduled to enter service towards the end of 2023.

“The company said Adora Cruises ships will use Wusong in Shanghai as home port and operate on long routes along the Maritime Silk Road, while serving as a carrier spreading Chinese culture and enhancing exchanges between China and other countries,” the Xinhua news agency reported.

In addition to the two newbuildings, CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping owns Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranean that are both of roughly 90,000 gross tons and built at the turn of the millennium.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines planning two cruise ship newbuildings

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 November 2022 28 November 2022

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), a major Japanese shipping group, is planning an order for two 35,000 gross ton newbuildings to replace the 1990 built Nippon Maru of about 22,500 gross tons.

The two projected vessels would cost $719 million sand the first one would enter service in 2027 and there would be aimed at both the Japanese and international source markets, the company said in a statement.

In addition to its cargo shipping interests., MOL also operates a number of large ferries on Japanese domestic services.