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Celebrity Cruises and Chantiers de l'Atlantique lays the keel of Celebrity Ascent

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 August 2022 25 August 2022

Sparks flew as workers at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard welded a ceremonial coin to a massive steel docking block forming the ship’s keel, officially marking the beginning of construction on the fourth ship in Celebrity Cruises® transformational Edge Series - Celebrity Ascent.

Placing the coin in this time-honored maritime ceremony were Jason Liberty, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Celebrity Cruises; and Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique. According to the legend – and a tradition that has spanned centuries – the laying of the coin is thought to bless and bring good fortune to the ship.

“Today, we celebrate the incredible Celebrity Ascent, a ship name that fittingly represents the climb, the rise and, ultimately, the upward trajectory of both Celebrity Cruises and the Royal Caribbean Group,” said Liberty. “It’s exciting to have our entire fleet back in the water, again, and moments like this reaffirm our bright future. We are grateful to all who have and will continue to lend their creativity and craftsmanship to this ship, as we work together to reach new heights in our industry.”

“Bringing another magnificent Celebrity Edge Series ship to life is absolutely thrilling for me and another wonderFULL development for our guests,” said Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. “While exploring the wonders of the world, our guests will be surrounded by the wonders of our Celebrity world - forward-thinking design, culinary excellence, thoughtful well-being experiences, and our uniquely intuitive service. Celebrity Ascent will be the epitome of a relaxed luxury resort at sea.”

“This new ship will be another great success in the continuity of the previous ships of the Celebrity Class built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique.” said Castaing. “We know our respective teams have been giving each other enough proofs of mutual confidence so that they can work smoothly on this new project.”

Celebrity Ascent is the fourth ship in the line’s ground-breaking Edge Series, a class of ships hailed as engineering and design marvels. Like her industry-changing sister ships, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, and Celebrity Beyond, Ascent will connect guests to the breathtaking world around them like never before. Standing at 17 decks tall and 20 meters longer than the original Celebrity Edge, Ascent will also feature more space and more luxury onboard.

Celebrity Ascent will debut in Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades on December 3, 2023 for her inaugural Caribbean season of alternating 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.

Viking's newest ship on the Nile named in Luxor, more new builds to follow

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 August 2022 25 August 2022

Viking named its newest river ship, the Viking Osiris, with a celebration in Luxor, Egypt on August 22. As part of the intimate event, the company’s first ceremonial godfather, George Herbert, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the ship – an evolution of the naval tradition that dates back thousands of years. Designed specifically to navigate the Nile, the state-of-the-art ship was built at Massara shipyard in Cairo and will sail Viking’s bestselling Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.

The naming of the Viking Osiris comes as Egypt marks several key events this year, including the highly anticipated opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum outside of Cairo on the Giza Plateau and the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb by the world’s most famous Egyptologist, Howard Carter, and his benefactor and co-explorer, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon.

“Egypt has always drawn curious explorers for its rich history and ancient antiquities, and ever since we first began operating on the Nile River in 2004, our guests continue to be amazed by the country’s many cultural treasures. Today we are pleased to officially welcome the Viking Osiris to our growing fleet on the Nile River, which allows us to welcome even more curious explorers to this incredible destination,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking.

“During this milestone year for Egypt, we are also very grateful for the continued close friendship with the Carnarvon family, and that Lord Carnarvon has honored us by serving as the first godfather in our history.”

“It is a great honor to be asked to be godfather to the Viking Osiris, one of the most beautiful river vessels to have ever graced the Nile. This is especially the case in the centenary year of my great-grandfather’s discovery of the tomb of the Pharoah Tutankhamun, and no doubt he and my great-grandmother, Lady Almina, would have been delighted to board the Viking Osiris had it been sailing in their day,” said Lord Carnarvon. “The 5th Earl of Carnarvon was one of the great explorers and excavators of his time, and today you may join in his love of the glories of ancient Egypt, all in the exceptional comfort and style of the Viking Osiris.”

Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, the new, state-of-the-art Viking Osiris is inspired by Viking’s award-winning river and ocean ships with the elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known. The vessel features several aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. The Viking Osiris joins the Viking Ra, which launched in 2018. Additionally, in response to strong demand, the Viking Aton, an identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris, will join the fleet in 2023. During the naming event in Luxor, Hagen also announced that two more sister ships, the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek, are already under construction and will be delivered in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Storylines signs ship building contract for private residence ship Narrative

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 23 August 2022 23 August 2022

Storylines residential ships and Brodosplit shipyard in Split, Croatia, have signed a construction contract to build the world's first environmentally sustainable private residence ship. Brodosplit, part of the DIV Group, has commenced the engineering phase of the 753-foot (229 meters) passenger vessel with 547 private residences on board. The ship, to be named Narrative, is the first residential ship powered by liquid natural gas propulsion (LNG).

"We are thrilled to be partnering with such a reputable European yard with a long history of delivering high-quality passenger ships,” said Storylines CEO Alister Punton. “Our resident owners can hardly wait to move onboard the state-of-the-art ship so they can travel the world from the comfort of home."

The ship is different from a vacation cruise ship in that it is purposely built for residential life at sea. It is intended to be a floating community and includes a post office, school, library, hospital, bank, pools, office spaces and 20 dining and bar venues. It features the largest wellness center at sea with a 10,000-square foot area for the spa, gym and anti-aging clinic. The ship's amenities also include a waterfront marina with personal watercraft, bowling alley, hydroponic garden farm and an open-air fitness deck with racquet sports, yoga sun deck and running track.

Total sales revenue of the project valued at US$1.5B
– 2025 delivery
– 547 residences
– LNG powered

World's most environmentally sustainable passenger ship

LNG is the most environmentally friendly option currently available for powering ships. Other initiatives onboard include converting waste into energy and growing produce at the solar powered hydroponic garden. A first-of-its-kind zero-waste farmer’s market will also be available with locally sourced products where everything is compostable or recyclable.

"We are pleased to be building this innovative ship with Storylines," said Brodosplit President of the board, Tomislav Debeljak. "We always enter into projects that bring development to the industry and include new technologies. This vessel is equipped with various energy saving features, has dual fuel powered engines (fuel oil and LNG) and will be optimized to have the lowest possible emission of harmful particles and gasses. There are many new green technologies and ship systems we are pioneering, which makes this a very exciting project for us."

Pricing of the residences on the ship ranges from $1 to $8 million for the lifetime of the vessel with a limited number of 24-year leases available starting at $647,000.

Windstar Cruises adds Red Sea and Persian Gulf to 2023/2024 sailing schedule

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 23 August 2022 23 August 2022

Windstar Cruises’ small ships are known for sailing to luxurious and off-the-beaten-path ports around the world. The full breadth of sailings is highlighted best in their new brochure, available to order or access online today, including the line’s newest offering: cruises to the Red Sea and Persian Gulf – a first for the luxury cruise line.

“With impressive UNESCO sights, beautiful beaches and wildlife, top-rated golf courses, amazing snorkeling and diving, and of course, great shopping, Windstar is excited to introduce our guests to the Red Sea and Persian Gulf with new itineraries in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar,” explained Windstar Cruises President Christopher Prelog.

Cruises begin November, 2023, on the all-suite, 312-guest Star Legend.

The 18-day Wonders of Arabia sails from Athens to Dubai, transiting the Suez Canal and spending five days in Egypt and Jordan, including an overnight in Luxor to take in the majestic Karnak and Luxor temples, followed by two days in Oman.

The 10-day Sparkling Sands & Cities of the Persian Gulf will sail on 11 dates from Dubai to Muscat, Oman (and the reverse). Highlights are overnights in Doha and Abu Dhabi; a late night in Ras Al-Khaimah; stops in quieter cities like Fujairah or Khasab; as well as time on Sir Bani Yas, an island known for its pristine nature and wildlife conservation.

The 9-day Arabian Nights & Egyptian Days will sail on two dates (one in each direction) from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Aqaba, Jordan – and the reverse. Highlights include an overnight in Sharm el-Sheikh and in Safaga with the opportunity to visit Luxor, and the chance to soak in the turquoise waters of the resort ports of Ain Sokhna and Hurghada.

There is only one Red Sea Revelries via the Suez Canal, a 12-day voyage from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Athens. Highlights include an overnight in Luxor; a later night in Ain Sokhna, Egypt; a transit through the Suez Canal; and a day in Heraklion, Crete.

Small ship cruise aficionados can choose to sail aboard the line’s Wind Class sailing yachts – 148-guest Wind Star and Wind Spirit and 342-guest Wind Surf – or the newly transformed Star Plus Class all-suite yachts – 312-guest Star Breeze, Star Pride and Star Legend. Windstar is the official cruise line of the James Beard Foundation and provides an elevated dining experience aboard its yachts.

Cruise industry celebrates first visit to Auckland

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 August 2022 12 August 2022

New Zealand’s cruise industry has set a course for recovery, celebrating the arrival of the first international ship to sail into Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour in more than two years.

P&O Cruises’ Pacific Explorer is in Auckland today as part of a South Pacific cruise from Sydney, becoming the first international vessel to carry passengers to New Zealand since the start of the pandemic. It follows the New Zealand Government’s decision to open the international maritime border after July 31.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Managing Director Australasia Joel Katz said the New Zealand cruise community could now begin rebuilding an industry that was previously worth almost NZ$570 million a year to the New Zealand economy.

“New Zealand has now joined the rest of the world in a careful resumption of cruise operations,” Katz said. “We now have an opportunity to revive a sector that previously supported many thousands of jobs in communities right around the New Zealand coast.”

Cruise lines have extensive health and safety protocols in place in response to the global pandemic and have worked closely with New Zealand health authorities to confirm requirements for local operations.

“While no setting is immune from Covid-19, the cruise industry’s health measures have been shown to be effective in more than 100 other countries where cruising has already resumed,” Katz said. “The experience on cruise ships overseas has shown significantly lower levels of serious illness and hospitalisation than on land,” he said. Pacific Explorer is the first ship to visit as part of a gradual resumption of operations in New Zealand that will continue with visits by other vessels in the spring and summer.

“The sight of Pacific Explorer in Waitematā Harbour will be cause for celebration for the many New Zealanders who rely on cruise tourism for their livelihoods, and for the wider tourism industry as New Zealand approaches the summer cruise season ahead,” Katz said.