Top Headlines

TUI Cruises expects STX Finland to complete Mein Schiff 3 on time

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 22 April 2013 22 April 2013

TUI Cruises, the Hamburg based joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL), says it expects STX Finland to complete Mein Schiff 3, the first of two newbuildings in has on order at the Finnish yard, on timedespite a delay in implementation of a multi-party agreement to inject funds in the yard.

“Unfortunately the materialisation of the agreement has taken longer than expected. However, now the owner has taken the necessary steps to move forward and TUI Cruises expects to proceed with the original agreements this week,” the Hamburg based company said in a statement.

It made the statement in light of recent public speculation relating to the shipyard, the company also confirmed that it expects all details to be clarified and confirmed with a few days. “The company noted that all relevant parties, including the shipyard, its owner, the buyer, the Finnish government and Finnish government agencies, previously reached an agreement to cover the financing of the work and ensure that the shipyard had the liquidity it needed to complete the ship on time,” TUI Cruises said.

“We are confident that this ship will make all of us involved in the process proud,” said Richard Vogel, TUI Cruises President and CEO, who is in Finland this week reviewing the status of the construction of the company’s two ship orders and provided an update.

Vogel noted that Mein Schiff 3 had just reached an important milestone – construction at STX Finland is now 25% complete and the main engines have completed their acceptance testing. Formal keel-laying has been set for Friday 24 May, 2013 with delivery almost exactly one year later. “It is very exciting to see all the pieces coming together to form this spectacular vessel,” said Vogel. “We can’t wait to amaze our guests with the special spaces aboard this beautiful and innovative ship.”

The construction of the vessel is being overseen by Harri Kulovaara, EVP-Maritime of RCCL, who also commented that the pace of construction was encouraging. “I have no doubt in the ability of the Finnish yard and its contractors to complete this ship in a timely way and to produce yet another excellent ship.”

Suspension of activities at STX Finland “highly likely” – report

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 19 April 2013 19 April 2013

The Finnish government is preparing for the possibility that activity at the two shipyards of STX Finland would be suspended in the next couple of weeks due to lack of funds, the Finnish broadcasting company YLE reports on its website.

“According to the information obtained by YLE News, the government considers the suspension of activity at STX shipyards in Turku and Rauma highly likely,” the broadcaster reported.

YLE did not disclose the source of the information.

“According to assessment of the situation, STX Finland should obtain new funding in the next couple of weeks in order to be able to maintain its activities. Three Finnish civil servants have been in South Korea on a fact finding mission,” the report continued.

STX Finland is part of STX Europe headquartered in Oslo, which again is owned by STX Shipbuilding & Offshore, one of the three listed main companies in the Seoul based STX Business Group. The group is facing financial difficulties and, according to YLE, it has not been able to meet its obligation based on an agreement earlier this year to inject cash in the Finnish subsidiary.

Earlier this year, the government agreed to buy the site of STX Finland’s Turku shipyard and the STX group agreed to inject funds into STX Finland to ensure the completion of two 97,000 gross ton cruise liners the company has on order from TUI Cruises in Germany.

Carnival Cruise Lines announces fleetwide $300 million program to enhance operating reliability and guest comfort

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 17 April 2013 17 April 2013

Carnival Cruise Lines, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc, today announced that it has implemented a program to significantly enhance emergency power capabilities, introduce new fire safety technology, and improve the level of operating redundancies across its entire 24-ship fleet. This enhancement program will cost more than $300 million, and rapid upgrades have already begun.

The actions by Carnival Cruise Lines will expand the availability of hotel services for the comfort of its guests in the rare instance of a shipboard event that involves the loss of main power. In addition, the plan will reinforce key shipboard operating systems to further prevent a potential loss of primary power. The improvement plan is the result of a comprehensive operational review, overseen by parent company Carnival Corporation & plc, initiated immediately after the Carnival Triumph fire in February 2013.

"All of Carnival Cruise Lines' ships operate safely today. Each vessel already has effective systems in place to prevent, detect and respond to emergency situations, and we meet or exceed all regulatory requirements," said Gerry Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines. "However, by applying lessons learned through our fleet-wide operational review after the Carnival Triumph fire and by taking advantage of new technologies, we have identified areas for enhancement across our operations. These initiatives reflect our commitment to safe and reliable operations and an enjoyable cruising experience for the nearly 4.5 million guests who sail with Carnival Cruise Lines each year."

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Increased Emergency Generator Power

The initial increase in emergency generator power across Carnival Cruise Lines' fleet of 24 ships will be completed over the next several months. An additional emergency generator will be installed on each vessel to provide for 100 percent of stateroom and public toilets, fresh water and elevators in the unlikely event of a loss of main power. The work is already underway and will not affect scheduled itineraries. Upon completion of the initial phase, the line will install a second permanent back-up power system on each ship to provide an even greater level of hotel and guest services if main power is lost. These additional services will include expanded cooking facilities and cold food storage, as well as internet and telephone communications.

"Although every ship in our fleet currently has emergency back-up power which is designed to enable the continuous operation of safety equipment and some hotel services, it is our intent to significantly bolster that back-up power to support the core hotel services. With this improvement, we will better ensure guest comfort in the rare instance of a loss of main power," said Cahill.

Increased Fire Prevention, Detection and Suppression Systems

The company will also make additional investments in the newest and most technically advanced fire prevention, detection and suppression systems. This includes upgrading the existing water mist fire suppression systems already in place on Carnival vessels to the newest generation. When triggered, this high-pressure water mist system instantly creates a larger and thicker blanket of water droplets than the present system. As the water droplets evaporate, the system also rapidly cools any hot areas to prevent the possibility of a fire restarting.

"On Carnival Triumph, our fire systems were effective and our teams performed well in controlling and extinguishing the fire. However, we want to take advantage of the latest and most-advanced generation of fire safety systems to enhance the current extensive capabilities across our fleet," added Cahill.

Enhanced Operating Redundancies

All of Carnival Cruise Lines ships have two separate, redundant engine rooms. The company's operational review has identified modifications to further decrease the likelihood of losing propulsion or primary power, as happened on Carnival Triumph in February. The modifications will include a reconfiguration of certain engine-related electrical components. On ships where these enhancements will be made, the design and fabrication of specialized components will require longer lead times for completion, in contrast to the immediate upgrades to back-up emergency power and other systems.

Last month, Carnival Cruise Lines announced results from the first phase of the company's operational review, specifically addressing Carnival Triumph and Carnival Sunshine, both of which are currently out of service. The plan for each of these ships addresses each of the three areas outlined above.

Company to Form New Safety & Reliability Review Board

Carnival Cruise Lines also announced the formation of a Safety & Reliability Review Board comprised of outside experts with significant expertise in marine and occupational safety, reliability and maintenance, marine regulatory compliance and quality control/assurance. The company already receives oversight and input from outside regulatory authorities and industry experts. The new Review Board will provide an additional, independent third-party perspective, drawing from deep experience across a number of relevant fields and organizations.

The Review Board will be comprised of five external members. Active searches are underway for candidates with previous experience in organizations such as the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and National Transportation Safety Board, as well as leading airlines and equipment manufacturers.

"The formation of our Safety & Reliability Review Board is an integral part of how Carnival Cruise Lines will drive continuous improvement across our fleet. We will be responsive to its recommendations," said Cahill.

Carnival Corporation & plc Fleet Enhancements

Parent company Carnival Corporation & plc previously announced a corporate-wide operational review of all 10 of its brands and 101 ships. The review process will include learnings from the recent incidents that can be applied across the corporation's fleet. Carnival Corporation & plc has confirmed that, based on the results of the ongoing review, the latest versions of technologies and enhancements will also be implemented on the remainder of the fleet where they are not already present. The overall program of enhancements across the corporation's 101-ship fleet, including Carnival Cruise Lines' ships, is expected to cost between $600 and $700 million.

"Our fleet already operates at a high standard of reliability. The investments announced today for Carnival Cruise Lines, and those we will continue to make, will reinforce our ability to consistently deliver the customer experience that 10 million people every year have come to expect from us across our fleet of 101 ships. Absolutely nothing is more important than the safety and comfort of our guests and crew, and we will use the full resources of our company to meet that commitment," said Micky Arison, Chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc.

Initial implementation of the upgrades to the Carnival Corporation & plc fleet will take place during the next several months. Each class of ship is different and often systems differ on ships within a class, so the enhancements will be tailored to each vessel. All findings from the operational review will be shared with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) as part of the industry-wide operational review announced in March.

Destination focus to core of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 17 April 2013 17 April 2013

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the British operator of four medium sized cruise ships, has worked for more than a year to find out what both those that cruise and those that currently do not really expect from a cruise holiday. The answer, in both cases, has been the same: immersion in destinations.

“Destination is the key driver, not the brand or the ship,” said Nathan Philpott, Director of Marketing and Sales at the Ipswich based company. “People also want to spend more time in port and they want to return home brining with them enrichment and stories, not just sun tan,” he said in a presentation in London on Monday.

The mission of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is, therefore, “to enable people to discover the world; to provide inspirational experiences for a lifetime,” he added. Consequently, the company has axed its previous motto “It’s All About the People” in favour of a wider approach: “Bringing the World Closer To You.”

Philpott explained that the human element remains a very important part of the company’s offering in the future as well: with smaller ships that can carry between 840 and 1,350 passengers, the passengers will have more interaction between each other and the service staff can offer a more personalized service than what would be possible on bigger vessels. The ships can also get closer to their destinations - up river to Sevilla rather than coaching passengers from Cadiz; central St Petersburg, through the Kiel Canal and up to Ho Chi Minh City.

In addition, the company will add two departure ports in 2014, Bristol Avonmouth and London Tilbury, whereby it will offer cruises from 10 ports in the UK next year. “Ninety present of the UK population will be within 90 minute drive from one of these ports,” he pointed out, adding that this was very much a part of the credo of the company to bring the world closer to its passengers.

Moving on to destinations themselves, Philpott said that winter cruises to Norway in search of the Northern Lights have become so popular that the company added one such cruise to the 2013 schedule in addition to the two it had planned to operate. In 2014, there will be three such cruises from Southampton and one from Liverpool. A Christmas cruise to Norway will also be a new offering next year.

Due to solar activity, the Northern Lights are at their most active and once that phase will end, it will take a decade before they will peak again.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will also take its passengers to the Riviera at the time of the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix, so that those interested in film stars and fast cars will have an opportunity to see both.

A cruise to the Canaries in August should coincide with an expected shower of meteors in the night sky in that region, while a Baltic cruise will take in the Kiel Regatta. In Tallinn, passengers can attend a music festival that will bring 18,000 singers and dancers at an open air stage plus enjoy the Copenhagen Jazz Festival.

In order to attract new passengers to cruising, the company will launch Multi-City Cruise breaks next year. One will include overnight stays at Copenhagen, Oslo and Amsterdam, while another one will offer the same extended stay in Amsterdam, Antwerpen and Oslo.

The Adriatic Coast is becoming a hugely popular destination and the company will operate a 28 night cruise to that region in may, while a voyage of similar duration will start in Liverpool and take in the Black Sea. Those looking for longer voyages will be offered a 73 night voyage around South America ands a 119 night Grand Voyage to the Far East.

Quantum of the Seas to feature North Star to see ship from above, sky diving, inside cabins to have virtual balconies

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 16 April 2013 16 April 2013

Royal Caribbean International has unveiled some details about its Quantum of the Seas:

The ship will feature North Star, a glass pod at the end of a telescopic pole from where you can see the ship and the ocean from above.

Rip Cord will offer sky diving will be available in a glass tube with compressed air.

It will have Two70, a venue that transfers during the day, it will have a three storey video wall. In the evenings, it becomes a venue with live entertainment.

Sea Flex, will be an indoor multi deck high sports venue with basket ball, table tennis etc.

The ship will also feature electric cars that you can drive and crash in line with circuses ashore.

The company “was looking for a measurably more exciting, interacting and measurably more entertaining,” said Richard Fain, chairman and ceo of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL), the second largest cruise shipping group in the world, hence the name Quantum of the Seas.

London Eye, the world’s largest Ferris wheel, inspired North Star, while sky diving is also a “voyeuristic experience,” Fain said. Staterooms on board Quantum of the Seas will be 9% larger than those on the Oasis class and they have more storage space. There will be single staterooms, including ones with a balcony.

A number of staterooms can be interconnected to a suite of rooms for multi-generational groups. Inside cabins will feature an 80-inch virtual balconies that show the view outside. Fain said this should help the company to obtain a premium in ticket price.

A key element in the design is Wow! that is compounded by how the whole comes together and not just its individual elements.

The goal of the new ship is to give passengers a different feel of what cruising is about, said Adam Goldstein, president of Royal Caribbean International, the contemporary market unit of RCCL that will operate Quantum of the Seas.

The device used in sky diving is used by parachute jumpers to train night time conditions.

The indoor sports area will allow people to play soccer, volley ball and basket ball. In the evening, it will feature the bumper cars and later still, it will become a dance venue.

270 is the living room or the heart of the ship, place to read a book and take it easy. In the evening, it will become a "stunning dancing scene" with a large video screen and other electronics, Goldstein said.

Quantum of the Seas will have a main show theatre, but Two70 is an addition to the offering of entertainment, Fain added.

Quantum of the Seas is the first of two 158,000 gross ton newbuildings for Royal Caribbean International from Meyer Werft in Germany and it is due to enter service in the autumn of 2014. Anthem of the Seas, the second ship of the class, will follow in 2015.

Quantum of the Seas will sail from the New York area.