News

No injuries after Costa Allegra fire that disabled ship

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 27 February 2012 27 February 2012

A fire broke out in the generator room of Costa Crociere’s 28,430 gross ton Costa Allegra in the Indian Ocean that left the adrift 20 miles outside the Alphonse island, but nobody was hurt in the incident. “Inspections on the state of the engine room are on-going in order to restart the necessary equipment to reactivate the functionality of the ship,” Costa Crociere said.

“The relevant authorities were alerted, including the Maritime Rescue Control Centre in Rome, which is following the situation ready to provide the necessary support. Tugs and other naval and aerial units have been dispatched to the ship, drifting over 200 miles south-west of the Seychelles and about 20 miles from Alphonse Island."

The ship left Diego Suarez on Saturday and was cruising towards the port of Victoria for Mahè in the Seychelles where it was expected to arrive on 28 February. The ship had 636 passengers on board. Costa Allegra was built in Finland in 1969 as Annie Johnson, a container vessel of the now defunct Stockholm based Johnson Line. Following a period in lay up in the late 1980s, it entered service as Costa Allegra in December 1992 after rebuilding in Italy that included lengthening the hull by 14 metres and fitting of new engines.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ losses deepen in final quarter

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 23 February 2012 23 February 2012

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, which operates four medium sized ships on the British market, has reported a deepening of final quarter loss in 2011 compared to the previous year, while revenues remained stable.

The company booked a net loss of NOK27 million in the last three months of 2011compared to a NOK3 million loss in the same period in 2010. Revenues remained stable at 1.68 billion, parent company Ganger Rolf said in a statement. Higher cost of bunkers was the reason behind weakening of the result, Ganger Rolf said.

The company repaid NOK78 million of dent that amounted to NOK 1.20 billion at the end of last year. Equity in the company amounted to NOK886.4 million at the end of last year, a decrease from NOK925.7 million in the same period in 2010.

Fred. Olsen has two holding companies, Bonheur and Ganger Rolf, that are both listed in Oslo. Bonheur owns 62.1% of the shares in Ganger Rolf and Ganger Rolf controls 20.7% of the shares in Bonheur. The two companies jointly own operating units in the system, including Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

Celebrity plans largest season ever in Europe, brings Solstice to Alaska

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 22 February 2012 22 February 2012

Celebrity Cruises has shared a sneak preview of its itinerary plans for the summer of 2013. Speaking to an audience of travel partners and press in London, Celebrity's President & CEO Dan Hanrahan revealed that, for the first time, joining Celebrity Eclipse in offering modern luxury vacation experiences from the UK will be the newly Solsticized Celebrity Infinity.

"Like the reaction to every stunning Solstice-class ship, the response to Celebrity Eclipse from our guests and travel partners has been extremely rewarding, ever since it debuted in Southampton in 2010," said Celebrity's President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. "Our decision to expand our European vacation options from the UK on our newly Solsticized Celebrity Infinity is in direct response to increased demand for more of the modern luxury holidays that only Celebrity can provide, as validated by the expanding host of honors our brand continues to receive."

Celebrity Eclipse – which this week was named Best from the UK in Cruise Critic's Cruisers' Choice Awards – will continue to offer sailings from Southampton in the spring and summer of 2013, while Celebrity Infinity – which emerged in December 2011 from Celebrity's ambitious, four-ship, $140-million Solsticizing investment – will present enticing new British Isles and Fjords sailings from Harwich, England.

The summer of 2013 will mark Celebrity's biggest season ever in Europe, with Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Silhouette, and Celebrity Reflection – which debuts in October of this year – all joining Celebrity Eclipse and Celebrity Infinity in offering the broadest array of modern luxury cruises and cruisetours on the newest fleet of ships in the region.

The 2,850-guest flagship of the Solstice-class fleet, Celebrity Solstice, will become the first of its class to offer vacations in Alaska in the summer of 2013, joining Celebrity Century and Celebrity Millennium in pairing Celebrity's chic style and design, signature cuisine, exciting activities and extraordinary service with the region's breathtaking, inspiring scenery.