Top Headlines

Historic Port Royal opens in Jamaica

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 25 January 2020 25 January 2020

The mystique and allure of historic Port Royal was boldly awaken on January 20, 2020 when the PAJ’s newly built Port Royal Cruise Port received its inaugural ship call by Marella Cruise Line’s Discovery 2 on January 20, 2020. The introduction of cruise shipping to Port Royal and by extension Kingston, represents an achievement of an objective which was first contemplated over 25 years ago. Port Royal joins Montego Bay, Falmouth, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio and it is anticipated that the new complement of five cruise ports of call will further strengthen Jamaica’s cruise shipping product and enhance the Cruise Jamaica brand. The PAJ built a cruise port in Port Royal to fulfil three main objectives which are to: create economic and social benefits whilst collaborating with other Government of Jamaica agencies; enhance the unique historical assets of Port Royal for the benefit of Jamaicans and visitors; as well as Create a gateway to Kingston, the ‘cultural capital’ of the Caribbean of the Caribbean in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Cruise Passengers on the Discovery 2 were treated to a grand fare representing an infusion of authentic Jamaican vibes, cuisine and music which was augmented by the natural heritage and culture that the town of Port Royal offers. The port’s courtyard buzzed with products and services from iconic Jamaican brands including Red Stripe Beer, Appleton Jamaica Rum and Devon House I-Scream which were all well received by cruise passengers and crew. Visitors experienced a taste of Jamaica through a number of tours, most of which were conducted in Kingston that included a visit to the Bob Marley Museum, Trench Town Culture Yard and New Castle for a Blue Mountain coffee experience. They also had a chance to experience the new Fort Charles, now upgraded and managed by the PAJ, where they were immersed in 17th century history and had the opportunity to visit the renowned Giddy House.

In addition to this historic call at Port Royal, the PAJ marked another milestone with its first use of the SeaWalk during the maiden visit on Monday (January 20). The SeaWalk is a floating articulated bridge that is motorized and under electronic control, which unfolds to meet a ship off the shore (analogous to a jet-bridge at an airport). It is anchored at the port at one end and positioned and secured alongside the ship at the other end allowing passengers, baggage, trolleys and crew to move from the ship to the bridge to the port. It facilitates the berthing of vessels in Port Royal without dredging and extensive infrastructural works typically required to construct a conventional berthing system. Therefore, the use of the SeaWalk technology in Port Royal enables the PAJ to both adhere to its environmentally conscious operational practices as well as fulfil the objective of establishing Kingston as a permanent cruise port destination. Passengers travelling on the Discovery 2 disembarked and embarked the ship using the SeaWalk.

Three more calls are scheduled for the rest of the 19/20 winter tourist season, one each in February, March and April. It is expected that the construction works on phase one of the new port development will be completed by the time it welcomes the last call of the season.

Meyer Turku floats out Mardi Gras

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 24 January 2020 24 January 2020

The float out of the coming flag ship of Carnival Cruise Line, Mardi Gras, was celebrated today at Meyer Turku shipyard.

At some 180,000 gross tons, it will be the largest vessel in the fleet of the company that is part of Carnival Corporation & plc and the fourth unit in a class of LNG powered vessels but at Meyer Turku and Meyer Werft for four brands of the Carnival group.

“We can’t wait for our guests to experience Mardi Gras, a one-of-a-kind ship that is true game changer and continues the evolution of the Carnival vacation experience,” said Ben Clement, Carnival’s senior vice president of newbuilds, in a statement.

“I believe Mardi Gras will be a truly special ship. She will be the first to use our now proven LNG cruise ship propulsion system in North American markets and feature many other sophisticated technologies – including BOLT, the first roller coaster onboard a ship," CEO of Meyer Turku Jan Meyer stated.

With the float-out Mardi Gras' six themed zones are also beginning to take shape with the interior build out of spaces like Emeril’s Bistro 1396 created by famed chef Emeril Lagasse and a groundbreaking new atrium concept with spectacular three-deck-high floor-to-ceiling windows and moveable LED screens.

A cruise ship is always a result of cooperation by many parties. The shipyard’s own design office works with the ship owner architects to create a custom designed ship for the signature style of the Carnival brand – a totally new architectural design. Next almost 1000 specialized companies are engaged in providing materials and complex services to create the cruise ship at Turku Shipyard.

CEO Jan Meyer reminds that the ships are truly smart floating cities:“We are building all the facilities a smart modern city would have: hospitals, IT-networks, restaurants and sophisticated environmental technologies, on a ship sailing the seas. It is a very difficult undertaking but also the end result is really spectacular.”

Mardi Gras will be delivered in late October and Carnival has announced she will enter revenue service on 14 November from Port Canaveral, Florida.

In the spring, Meyer Werft is due to deliver Iona, the first of two ships of the class, to P&O Cruises in the UK, while Meyer Turku delivered Costa Smeralda, to Costa Crociere in December. AIDAnova, the first unit of the class, was handed over by Meyer Werft to AIDA Cruises in late 2018.

MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’ Atlantique unveil two newbuilding projects

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 20 January 2020 20 January 2020

MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique have unveiled two newbuilding projects after signing firm contracrs to build the third and fourth MSC World class vessels.

“First, the companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the development of yet a new prototype class of LNG-powered cruise ships to operate under the MSC Cruises brand,” the Geneva based cruise company said in a statement.

For this project, MSC Cruises, Chantiers de l’Atlantique and other partners will focus on developing emerging environmental technologies in line in particular with IMO’s vision for 2030 and 2050. “The four vessels in this new class would represent a capital investment exceeding €4 billion and an extra 30 million working hours for the yard, the suppliers and subcontractors involved in the project,” MSC Cruises said.

A second MoU covers joint development of yet another innovative prototype ship class concept with which the two companies will explore opportunities that wind power and other advanced technologies could bring to passenger shipping.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises, said: “The three agreements signed today extend our investment plan up to 2030. They stem from an exceptional partnership, with Chantiers, that has already delivered 15 highly-innovative innovative cruise ships over the past two decades and will see many more vessels come to life at Saint-Nazaire’s docks in the next ten years. They also confirm that this industry’s commitment to environmental sustainability, in this case helping the French national industry further position itself as a world leader in the development of next- generation technologies and other solutions.”

Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, said: “We are really proud and happy to have built such an outstanding relationship with MSC Cruises, based on mutual trust and driven by the spirit of innovation. We are both committed to shaping the cruise of tomorrow and to developing ship concepts which go far beyond the existing environmental standards. Our companies have already been working together for twenty years and these new projects allow us to look enthusiastically to the future.”

MSC Cruises, Chantiers de l’Atlantique sign firm contracts for third and fourth MSC World class ship

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 20 January 2020 20 January 2020

MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise shipping company and the French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique have signed firm contracts for construction of third and fourth LNG-powered MSC World Class ships, the cruise line said in a statement.

These 205,700 gross ton vessels will be delivered in 2025 and 2027, respectively. The first of the initial two ships in the class is currently under construction at Chantiers’ shipyard in Saint- Nazaire and is due to enter service in 2022.

The ship will become the biggest vessel operated by a European cruise line as well as the first LNG-powered cruise ship built in France. “Compared to standard marine fuel, LNG combined with saving measures decreases sulphur emissions and particulate matter by 99%, NOx emissions by 85%, and CO2 emissions by 25%,’ MSC Cruises said..

These contracts represent a capital investment by MSC Cruises exceeding €2 billion and are expected to generate with the shipyard and its suppliers 14 million additional working hours, amounting to over 2,400 full-time equivalent jobs for the next three and a half years, directly supported by those orders.

“Today’s signature also allows Chantiers de l’Atlantique to start working with the hundreds of suppliers and subcontractors involved in the projects, setting in motion a new cycle that will greatly benefit the French economy,” the company said.

Viking launches expedition voyages

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 16 January 2020 16 January 2020

Viking has announced that it will expand its destination-focused travel experiences with the launch of new expedition voyages. Viking Expeditions will begin sailing in January 2022 with its first vessel, Viking Octantis, embarking on voyages to Antarctica and North America’s Great Lakes. A second expedition vessel, Viking Polaris, will debut in August 2022, sailing to Antarctica and the Arctic. Viking’s arrival to the Great Lakes will bring the newest and most modern vessels ever to explore this region of North America and will mark a major commitment to local tourism and economic development for the states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario. As part of an exclusive preview, past Viking guests have been able to book select Viking Expeditions polar itineraries since October 9. Starting today, January 15, all expedition voyages – including the new Great Lakes itineraries – are available to past Viking guests for booking during a two-week exclusive preview; the itineraries will be available to the public for booking beginning February 1.

“We invented the concept of modern river cruising when we launched in 1997; then we reinvented ocean cruises and became the ‘World’s Best Ocean Cruise Line’ in our first year of operation, as well as every year since then. Now, in creating ‘the thinking person’s expedition,’ we are perfecting polar expedition cruising, and we will usher in a new era of comfortable exploration in the heart of North America,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “Our guests are curious explorers. They want to continue traveling with us to familiar and iconic destinations, but they would also like to travel further. We began as Viking River Cruises; then we evolved into Viking Cruises with the addition of ocean cruises; today we stand singularly as Viking, offering destination-focused voyages on more than 20 rivers and five oceans, visiting more than 500 ports in 100 countries and on all seven continents.”

To develop the new expedition voyages, Viking has partnered with some of the world’s most prestigious scientific institutions. The lead partner is the University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute. This relationship is underpinned by a major Viking endowment for scientific research into the polar regions, The Viking Chair of Polar Marine Geoscience, a Cambridge University full professorship based at the Scott Polar Research Institute, as well as a sponsorship fund supporting the Institute’s graduate students. As part of this endowment, the Institute’s scientists will undertake fieldwork on board Viking expedition vessels and join voyages to share their expertise with guests. Viking has also partnered with The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a globally recognized bird research facility, whose ornithologists will regularly be on board the expedition ships, providing guest advice and interaction.

Details of Viking’s plans were unveiled by Chairman Hagen this evening during a celebratory launch event in Beverly Hills, Calif. Hagen also announced that famed adventurers and educators Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft will be honored as ceremonial godmothers to Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, respectively. Arnesen, a native Norwegian, became the first woman in the world to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole in 1994. Bancroft is the first woman to successfully finish a number of arduous expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic. Arnesen and Bancroft also became the first women to ski across Antarctica in 2001. Together they co-founded Bancroft Arnesen Explore / Access Water, an initiative that aims to engage and empower more than 60 million minds to create a sustainable tomorrow. Arnesen will also periodically serve as a member of the Viking Expedition Team.

During this evening’s event, attendees were treated to a performance by Sissel Kyrkjebø, one of the world’s leading crossover sopranos and ceremonial godmother to Viking Jupiter, the newest ship in Viking’s ocean fleet. Before her performance, Sissel officially “named” Viking Jupiter as the ship sailed between the Falkland Islands and Cape Horn. As part of the naming, Sissel offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the ship – a naval tradition that dates back thousands of years – and then instructed crew members currently on the ship to break a bottle of Norwegian aquavit the ship’s hull.

As she introduced Sissel on stage, Viking Executive Vice President Karine Hagen spoke about Sissel’s close relationship with Viking. “We are grateful for our longstanding friendship with Sissel, who is responsible for many of Norway’s most treasured musical memories. Sissel was my grandmother ‘Mamsen’s’ favorite singer – and she has been part of the Viking family since we launched our first ocean ship. We are honored to have Sissel as the godmother of Viking Jupiter,” said Hagen. “Viking Jupiter’s location tonight, near Ushuaia, Argentina, is particularly significant. Ushuaia is the southernmost port our ocean ships currently visit, but with today’s announcement of Viking Expeditions, it will also serve as the launch port for our guests to explore the Antarctic region in Viking comfort.”

Today’s announcement is the most recent development as Viking continues to increase its award-winning presence in the travel industry; in the last eight years alone, the company has introduced more than 60 new river cruise ships and six ocean cruise ships to become the largest small ship cruise line with a current fleet of 79 river and ocean vessels around the world. In 2020, Viking will launch seven new river ships. Six more ocean sister ships are on order, with options for four additional ships. These options could bring Viking’s total ocean fleet to 16 ships by 2027.