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Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas reaches first major milestone

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 02 July 2022 02 July 2022

It is full steam ahead on Royal Caribbean International’s upcoming ship, Utopia of the Seas, as construction reaches the first major milestone. On July 1, a keel-laying ceremony for the first LNG-powered ship of the industry-defining Oasis class took place at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The event celebrated the official start of Utopia’s physical construction ahead of the ship’s bold introduction in spring 2024.

“The keel laying for Utopia of the Seas represents the first milestone of an incredible ship and the next step toward a bolder, thrilling future for Royal Caribbean and vacations,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Utopia’s debut in 2024, on the heels of Icon of the Seas setting sail in fall 2023, will build on a new, exciting chapter that is set to redefine family vacations and getaways for all ages in ways we’ll soon reveal.”

At the ceremony, the working teams constructing Utopia watched as newly minted coins were placed on the ship’s first 948-ton steel block. The longstanding maritime tradition calls for coins, representing Royal Caribbean and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, to bring luck during the construction process and while the ship is at sea.

“Today, we are celebrating with Royal Caribbean International an important tradition and milestone for Utopia of the Seas” said Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique. “The construction of Utopia is an exciting opportunity for the Chantiers de l’Atlantique teams that are aiming to make this cruise ship one of the most environmentally friendly ships in the world equipped with new generation dual-fuel engines.”

As the second Royal Caribbean ship that will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), Utopia will also advance Royal Caribbean’s decades-long commitment to the environment. The ship’s LNG technology will join a lineup of the cruise line’s already-established environmentally friendly initiatives on its ships. From shore power connection to waste heat recovery systems, the applications have been developed and continually enhanced as part of Royal Caribbean’s dedication to innovation and making strides toward a clean-energy future.

Windstar Cruises celebrates new Miami office

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 July 2022 01 July 2022

Windstar Cruises celebrated its new headquarters office in Doral, Miami with a party on June 29. The line moved its office across the country from Seattle, WA, where it had been previously headquartered.

The small ship cruise line marked its official relocation to Miami at its new office at 8400 NW 36th St. (Suite 520) with a grand opening ceremony followed by an open house. Local businesses, partners, vendors, media, and government officials were in attendance.

“We are all so excited to open our new headquarters of Windstar Cruises here in Miami, the center of the universe in cruising,” said Windstar Cruises’ President Christopher Prelog. “This new location allows us to collaborate closely with our vendors, partners, travel agents, and fleet. The location here in Doral is perfect for Windstar.”

Prelog said a Miami office is beneficial for building industry relationships and attracting new talent. It also enables operations employees in Miami to be closer to the line’s ships and crew as they pass through Florida and shorten flight times to the ships in Europe and the Caribbean.

Guests enjoyed food, drinks, entertainment, and the much-anticipated unveiling of the office mural created by Fountainhead Arts-commissioned artist TYPOE. Windstar has partnered with Fountainhead Arts, a Miami-based arts organization dedicated to elevating and supporting artists, to commission local artists to paint murals on each of the three Star Plus Class yachts, in addition to the office mural. Guests at the party also had the chance to meet James Beard Foundation Chef Jennifer Hill Booker, who recently sailed with Windstar on a culinary cruise as the guest chef. Windstar is the Official Cruise Line of the James Beard Foundation and has a series of culinary sailings and other special dishes + programming on board.

Seatrade Cruise Med announces 2022 programming

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 July 2022 01 July 2022

Seatrade Cruise Med, the only gathering of its kind for the global cruise industry in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas, returns to the Trade Fairs and Congress Center of Málaga, 14-15 September 2022. In partnership with MedCruise, and hosted by the Port of Málaga, Málaga City Council, Costa del Sol and Andalucía, the conference and exhibition will feature influential discussions with headlining notable leaders from the Mediterranean’s preeminent cruise lines.

“After a four-year hiatus, we’re delighted to host our international community in the beautiful city of Málaga, at the heart of the second largest cruise destination in the world,” says Chiara Giorgi, Global Brand and Event Director for Seatrade Cruise. “Our tailored programming with +18 sessions specifically curated for the Mediterranean will guide the future of cruising. As we reassess the industry’s overall impact and direction, the cruise community continues to collaborate to deliver enriching, comfortable and above all, safe, cruising.”

Leading the way through innovative programming

The Seatrade Cruise Med programme will feature expert speakers addressing the Mediterranean’s most relevant issues and trends through a line-up of engaging panels and conversations. Inspired by this year’s conference theme, “Steering Change Together,” the dynamic dialogue will explore the latest developments across sustainability, shoreside experiences, ports & destinations, technology, expedition cruising, luxury cruising and beyond.

Confirmed sessions and moderators for 2022 include:

* State of the Mediterranean Cruise Industry Keynote
* Alternative Fuels: Alternative Options, and The Changing Geography of Med: Adapting and Improvising
* Beyond the Poles: Expedition Workshop
* Human vs Machine – The Impact of Technology on Shoreside Experiences
* Are you Fit for 55? – Moving Towards a Carbon-Free Future
Free-to-attend sessions on the Showcase Deck of the exhibition floor also explore topics including up-and-coming destinations, health & safety, IT developments and additional interviews with cruise executives.

CLIA Ports & Destinations Dialogue (Tuesday 13 September)

Hosted by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), this invitation-only event is designed to create meaningful discourse on the port and destination’s role in the growth of the Mediterranean cruise industry. The gathering will include roundtable discussions, presentations and concurrent sessions, alongside opportunities to network with industry leaders and influencers. Separate registration is required.

Seatrade Cruise Awards (Wednesday 14 September)

Seatrade Cruise Awards, the global cruise industry’s most distinguished award programme, will host its 2022 awards ceremony during the two-day event, recognising the industry’s top talent and innovators. Entries for the 2022 Seatrade Cruise Awards are now open for submission.

Broker warns of risk for Carnival, cruise majors shares in double digit dive

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 29 June 2022 29 June 2022

Extreme volatility in shares of listed cruise shipping companies continued on Wednesday as a broker’s critical assessment of the outlook for Carnival Corporation & plc sent valuations of all the three majors sharply lower.

Morgan Stanley slashed full-year EBITDA estimates for Carnival from nearly a $1 billion profit to a $900 million loss, “due to weaker than expected occupancies, weakening pricing, elevated unit costs and higher fuel costs,” Forbes.com reports on its website.

The broker warned that in a worst-case scenario, Carnival’s stock could lose all of its value if the economy falls into a recession and the company faces another demand shock, the report said.

“The Covid-19 pandemic, surging inflation and higher fuel prices are all having a material impact” on Carnival’s business, management said on the earnings call last week,” the report continued, adding that the management now expects a net loss for the full financial year 2022 that will end on 30 November.

In its first quarter interim report Carnival had already said it expects a net loss for the full year but a profit for the third quarter. However, it revised the third quarter guidance to a loss in the second quarter interim report last week.

At around 1 PM New York time, shares in Carnival Corporation, the US listed and Panama domiciled holding company of the group, traded 14.98% lower at $8.78 after hitting a low of $8.66 earlier in the session.

Royal Caribbean Group fell 11.42% to $35.56, the session’s low, while Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH) fell 10.35% to $11.41. It had hit a session’s low of $11.30 earlier.

Carnival’s second quarter earnings triggered double digit gains for all the three listed companies when it was published on Friday.

The report stated that cash flow had turned positive and President and CEO Arnold Donald stated: "It is reinforcing to see continued strength in demand with our guests overcoming far more restrictive protocols than broader society and travel at large, leading to a near doubling of booking volumes since last quarter with near-term bookings even outpacing 2019. We were encouraged by close-in demand and remain focused on optimizing occupancy while preserving long term pricing."

Seabourn takes delivery of Seabourn Venture, the line's first purpose built expedition ship

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 29 June 2022 29 June 2022

Seabourn, the ultra-luxury ocean and expedition cruise line, took delivery of its first expedition ship, Seabourn Venture, today during an official handover maritime ceremony at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy. Seabourn Venture is the first of the line’s two purpose-built, ultra-luxury expedition ships and the newest expedition ship in the industry.

“Today is so incredibly special and important as we take ownership of our first ultra-luxury expedition ship and welcome Seabourn Venture to the Seabourn family,” said Seabourn President Josh Leibowitz. “The Mariotti team has done a wonderful job in the building of the ship and bringing Adam Tihany’s stunning design vision to life. Seabourn Venture will raise the bar in ultra-luxury expedition travel, and we look forward to introducing her to the world as she sets sail to explore remote destinations from the polar regions in the Arctic to the southernmost continent of Antarctica.”

“Someone well known in the cruise industry said, ‘She is not another expedition ship or a luxury cruise ship. She is #SeabournVenture and when she begins sailing next month, she will be the world’s finest luxury expedition ship.’ I totally agree with him,” said Marco Ghiglione, Managing Director of T. Mariotti. “Seabourn Venture is the fairest one of all, ice class PC6 certified to call polar routes. Since we started building Seabourn Venture, the world has literally changed before our eyes, requiring unexpected efforts. The great dedication and passion of the team made by T. Mariotti and subcontractors with Seabourn have been the keys to success,” he added.

Seabourn Venture has been designed and built for diverse environments to PC6 Polar Class standards and will include a plethora of modern hardware and technology that will extend the ship’s global deployment and capabilities. The ship will provide an exceptional luxury small-ship experience with the addition of world-class equipment that allows the line to offer its widest range of expedition activities led by an expert 26-person team of scientists, scholars, naturalists, and more. The ship will offer complimentary Seabourn Expedition amenities such as Zodiac cruises, hikes, nature walks, scuba diving, and snorkeling, as well as additional curated complimentary excursions. In addition, the ship will offer optional shore excursions and optional Seabourn Expeditions with kayaking and two custom-built submersibles at select destinations. These experiences will provide close-up views of wildlife and natural scenery, as well as unforgettable intimacy with the underwater wonders of the ocean.

Seabourn Venture features 132 luxurious oceanfront veranda suites and will take travelers to some of the most awe-inspiring places in the world, some of which are only accessed by ship.