News

TUI Cruises orders two 161,000 gross ton LNG powered ships from Fincantieri

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 13 July 2018 13 July 2018

Fincantieri, the Italian shipbuilder,said it has been awarded an order for the construction of two new-concept LNG powered ships from TUI Cruises, a joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises. The new units will be built at the Monfalcone shipyard and delivered in 2024 and in 2026, respectively.

These are the first orders of the company at Fincantieri, which has built all its newbuildings at Meyer Turku in Finland so far.

These ships, of about 161,000 gross tons, will set up the backbone of the future TUI Cruises’ fleet. The order is based on a prototype project developed by Fincantieri which enhances the well-established features of modernity and sustainability of TUI Cruises, a company with one of the most modern and environmentally friendly cruise fleets in the world.

With an innovative product configuration, energy efficiency lies at the heart of the project, with the twofold objective of reducing fuel consumption and minimizing environmental impact, according to the latest industry regulations.

“With the new class of ships we are responding to the wishes of our guests and creating offerings that will also inspire new cruise passengers. As with the other ships in the fleet, the passenger/space ratio remains generous”, stated Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises. “The decision to run the two additional low-emission new builds is a logical continuation of our environmental strategy”.

Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, said in a statement: “These will be the largest ships ever built in Italy: we proved once more we can provide the market with the best mix of reliability and innovation, pillars of Made in Italy and distinguishing features of Fincantieri in the global shipbuilding landscape. The project we developed and offered to the client allowed us to achieve this outstanding commercial record, which is not just about adding a new brand to our client portfolio, but also a confirmation of the absolutely cutting-edge technological content of our products."

" All of these factors consolidate our leadership in the field and further extend the workload horizon of our shipyards, which has no comparables in any other industrial sector”.

TUI Cruises is a joint venture between TUI group, the world’s number one tourism business, and the global operating cruise shipping line, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. The company was founded in April 2008 and is headquartered in Hamburg. It has been offering cruises for the German-speaking market since May 2009. Within the expanding of its fleet, TUI Cruises will be introducing two new ships, in 2019 and 2023 with a total bed capacity of about 18,800.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings confirms orders for two more ships for Norwegian Cruise Line

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 12 July 2018 12 July 2018

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. today announced it confirmed its previously announced options for the fifth and sixth Project Leonardo Class ships with Fincantieri S.p.A. for Norwegian Cruise Line for delivery in 2026 and 2027.

“These orders extend our disciplined and measured newbuild program and strong growth trajectory well into the future and will further drive long-term returns for our shareholders,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “Our six-ship Leonardo Class fleet will allow us to broaden our deployment into strong performing and mature unserved and underserved markets and offer new experiences to our guests.”

At 140,000 gross tons and accommodating approximately 3,300 guests, this next generation class of ships will build upon the highly successful offering of freedom and flexibility found across Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet, including the most recent Breakaway Plus Class ships, and feature a host of inventive designs that will further elevate its already award-winning guest experience. A priority of the prototype design is energy efficiency, with the aim of optimizing fuel consumption and reducing the impact on the environment. The smaller footprint will also broaden deployment opportunities around the world. Details on the many innovative guest-facing and first-at-sea features will be announced at a later date.

“Following the Breakaway Plus Class, the most successful class in our company’s history, the highly anticipated Leonardo Class will fuel future growth with exciting and innovative offerings that will meaningfully drive demand from new and loyal returning guests alike,” said Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line.

With today's announcement, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has seven ships on order for Norwegian Cruise Line and one for Regent Seven Seas Cruises for a total of eight vessels for delivery through 2027. The company will take delivery of its newest ship, Norwegian Encore, in fall 2019.

MSC Cruises announces second new cruise terminal at the PortMiami

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 11 July 2018 11 July 2018

MSC Cruises and Miami-Dade county announced the signing of an agreement for extended preferential berthing rights as well as of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of a new Cruise Terminal AAA at PortMiami.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, commented: “The new agreement and expanded partnership with PortMiami and Miami-Dade County is another key step forward in the business growth of MSC Cruises, as we continue to strengthen our global footprint, with a strategic focus on North America."

PortMiami is the company’s exclusive home-port in the U.S. The new agreement extends MSC Cruises’ existing Saturday preferential berthing rights also to Sundays. Additionally, the new terminal — which is projected to be completed by October 2022 — will be able to accommodate MSC Cruises’ next-generation, still under construction MSC World Class cruise ships carrying up to 7,000 guests.

Currently the revolutionary MSC Seaside, which debuted only a few months ago in late 2017, sails year around from Miami to the Caribbean from the recently completed Terminal F. MSC Divina also sails seasonally to the Caribbean from October through March, and MSC Armonia will join MSC Cruises’ North American-based fleet beginning year-round cruises to Havana, Cuba in December 2018. In addition, as of November 2019, MSC Meraviglia, the company’s largest ship at 171,598 gross tons with the capacity to carry 5,714 cruise guests (4,488 at double occupancy), will join the other three ships at PortMiami.

“PortMiami is committed to providing a world-class experience to its guests and thanks to a long-standing collaborative relationship with Miami-Dade County we are thrilled that in less than 18 months MSC Cruises will have four ships sailing from the Port,” said Rick Sasso, Chairman of MSC Cruises USA. “This will also allow us to make a significant additional contribution to the economy of Miami and the county in its role as the Capital of the Cruise World, especially thanks to the large percentage of international guests traveling to Miami and South Florida to embark and disembark from MSC Cruises ships calling PortMiami. We now look forward to further extending our partnership with the Port and working closely on the development of the new cruise terminal AAA.”

"In 2017, MSC Cruises worked with PortMiami on the completion of Terminal F, home to MSC Seaside, the first MSC Cruises ship to be built specifically for North American market and the Caribbean,” said Roberto Fusaro, President of MSC Cruises USA. “The construction of another cruise terminal is further testament of our commitment to U.S. travel partners and their guests, as it will allow us to continue to enhance our service, starting right from embarkation.”

“Investing in PortMiami's infrastructure positions Miami-Dade County as a global destination for visitors," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. "The construction of a new cruise terminal AAA with the capacity to berth an additional 7,000-passenger cruise ship represents thousands of jobs and increased opportunities for our community. We are grateful for MSC Cruises continued partnership.”

"We are proud and extremely honored by MSC's commitment to PortMiami and Miami-Dade County,” said Chairwoman of the Miami-Dade County Economic Development and Tourism Committee Rebeca Sosa. “MSC’s continued partnership is a big win for the growth and expansion of tourism in Miami-Dade County.”