Fincantieri delivers Seabourn Ovation
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 28 April 2018 28 April 2018
Seabourn took delivery of its newest ship, Seabourn Ovation, on Friday during an official handover ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy. Seabourn Ovation is the fifth ship in the line’s award-winning fleet and the newest ultra-luxury ship in the industry.
“We are delighted to take delivery of Seabourn Ovation, offering yet another reason for luxury travelers around the world to choose us for their next holiday,” said Richard Meadows, president of Seabourn. “It has been an incredible journey to see the ship come to life, and the Fincantieri team has done a fantastic job in the construction of the ship. The combination of Adam Tihany’s design vision and Fincantieri’s fine craftsmanship have resulted in yet another stunning creation. We are very proud to welcome her to the Seabourn family.”
Said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri: “It has been a great honor for all of us at Fincantieri to work with the Seabourn and Carnival Corporation teams to bring to life such a beautiful ship that in many ways is a true work of art. There was an extraordinary level of luxury elements and complexity involved in the construction of Seabourn Ovation, and as always our team of world-class ship builders rose to the occasion. It is with much pride that we hand over a ship that sets the new standard in ultra-luxury cruising, and it is exciting that Seabourn guests from around the world will soon be enjoying wonderful cruise holidays on this magnificent luxury vessel.”
Seabourn Ovation will expand and build on the line’s award-winning and highly acclaimed Odyssey-class ships, which revolutionized ultra-luxury cruising with enhanced accommodations and innovative amenities when they were introduced between 2009 and 2011. A sister ship to Seabourn Encore, Seabourn Ovation features 300 all-oceanfront suites and maintain the line’s high ratio of space per guest, enabling highly personalized service.
Seabourn Ovation was fashioned by notable hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany with contemporary interiors, modern design elements, and innovations consistent with Seabourn’s reputation for understated elegance. Tihany’s vision has delivered the world’s finest ultra-luxury resort that happens to traverse the oceans of the world. The new ship will round out the current planned expansion of the line’s award-winning and highly acclaimed newest and most consistent fleet in the ultra-luxury segment.
The all-suite ship will offer a number of desirable in-suite amenities to provide guests with a “home away from home” onboard experience. In every luxurious suite will be a private veranda, providing sweeping oceanfront views and spacious enough for private al fresco dining. Featuring striking design and sophisticated décor, each suite will include a comfortable living area with sofa seating and a desk/dining table; elegant bedding; a walk-in closet; in-suite entertainment options with a wide selection of movies, music, broadcast television and radio channels; and a superbly-appointed marble bathroom with separate bath and shower and luxury bath products, including the exclusive Seabourn Signature Scents by Molton Brown. A personal bar and refrigerator will be stocked according to guest preferences, coordinated before arrival.
Guests who sail on Seabourn Ovation will also find a number of innovative offerings and programs, including partnerships with a select group of companies and individuals whose dedication to superior quality, exceptional service and consistent customer satisfaction matches Seabourn. These programs include ‘An Evening with Tim Rice’, the evening entertainment experience created exclusively for the line in association with Belinda King Creative Productions; Spa and Wellness with Dr. Andrew Weil, offering guests a holistic spa and wellness experience that integrates physical, social, environmental and spiritual well-being; and The Grill by Thomas Keller, reminiscent of the classic American restaurant from the 50’s and 60’s. Exclusive to Seabourn, The Grill is a unique culinary concept for Chef Keller, focusing on updated versions of iconic dishes. Guests will be treated to table-side preparations of Caesar salad and ice cream sundaes, as well as a range of other favorites like premium steaks, whole roasted chicken, and Lobster Thermidor, presented à la carte.
Seabourn Ovation will begin her maiden season with an 11-night inaugural voyage departing May 5, 2018, from Venice, Italy, to Barcelona, Spain. The ship’s naming ceremony will take place on Friday, May 11, in the beautiful baroque harbour of Valletta, Malta. One of the world’s highly-acclaimed actresses and singers, Elaine Paige, will serve as godmother and will name the ship during a spectacular ceremony that will light up the dramatic UNESCO World Heritage site and the 2018 European Capital of Culture.
The ship will spend the majority of its maiden season cruising the waters of Northern Europe, offering a series of 7-night Baltic and Scandinavian sailings between Copenhagen and Stockholm. Seabourn Ovation will also sail on longer 14-night voyages, visiting the majestic Norwegian fjords and British Isles providing an experience like none other.
MSC Cruises 2017 net profit fell to €311 million
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 26 April 2018 26 April 2018
MSC Cruises, the Geneva based privately owned cruise shipping company, reported a fall in net profit last year to €311 million from €338 million in the previous year, the company said in its 2017 annual report.
Revenues increased to €2.28 billion from €1.95 billion and operating profit increased to €367 million from €338 million.
Net yield rose to €134 per passenger and day from €127 in 2016, while net cruise costs excluding fuel increased to €78 from €74.
The group’s assets totaled at €6.82 billion at the end of last year, an increase from €5.54 billion a year earlier. Equity increased to €1.73 billion from €1.39 billion, while debt rose to €3.98 billion from €3.05 billion.
“Our overall capacity increased by 8.3%, from 11.4 million to 12.4 million Available Lower Berth Days, as a result of the deliveries of MSC Meraviglia and MSC Seaside during 2017.
In 2017, we were close to hitting the milestone of welcoming 2 million passengers, an increase of 9.0% compared to the previous year. Our ship occupancy achieved 111.0% remaining in line with the year before,” the company said.
Carnival Cruise Line names Lars Ljoen to head marine operations
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 26 April 2018 26 April 2018
Carnival Cruise Line announced today that it has appointed Lars Ljoen as its new executive vice president of marine operations. Ljoen is currently the executive vice president and managing director of Carnival Maritime, the marine service unit of the Costa Group in Hamburg, Germany.
Ljoen will be responsible for overseeing all of Carnival Cruise Line’s marine operations, including nautical and technical operations, environmental compliance and safety. He will be succeeding Martin Landtman, Carnival’s senior vice president of marine operations, who will be retiring from Carnival in June.
“Lars has the leadership skills and experience to further drive continuous improvement and operational excellence in marine operations across our fleet,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Having run Costa Group’s maritime unit, Lars will bring vast knowledge, passion and enthusiasm to this role and we are excited to welcome him to the team.”
Ljoen has a long and successful track record in marine operations. He joined the Costa Group in 2015 as senior vice president and was promoted to executive vice president and Managing Director in 2016. At Costa, he was responsible for fleet governance, Marine Projects and continuous improvement initiatives. From 2005 to 2015, Ljoen headed the development of business strategies for Ceres Marine Terminals (NYK Ports) in Miami. Prior to that, he was director of marine operations at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd where he managed fleet-wide navigation issues, maritime training and dock operations. A native Norwegian, Ljoen began his career on supply vessels and shuttle tankers in the North Sea offshore industry.
“There is strong collaboration among the brands at Carnival Corporation and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to step into this leadership role at Carnival Cruise Line, working closely with the seasoned team of maritime professionals,” said Ljoen.
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