The first cruise ship from AIDA Cruises to use LNG is scheduled to leave the Meyer Weft's covered building dock on August 21.

AIDAnova is the world's first cruise ship that will be operated both in port and at sea on LNG, using four dual-fuel Caterpillar engines. 

On leaving the building dock, she will berth at the shipyard’s outfitting pier where her mast and funnel cladding will be fitted, along with further interior fitting out. Additionally, her engines will be tested using LNG. 

Approximately 1,400 members of the ship’s crew will shortly be commencing their onboard training. 

Her passage along the river Ems to the North Sea for sea trials is scheduled for the end of September. The 5,200-passenger cruise ship will be welcoming her first guests on board in mid-November 2018, immediately after delivery. AIDAnova will have over 2,600 passenger cabins, with a gross tonnage of over 180,000, a length of 337 meters (1,105 feet) and a width of 42 meters (138 feet).

Carnival Corporation has contracted with Meyer Werft for seven LNG ships, including two each for AIDA and Costa, as well as two for Carnival Cruise Line and one for P&O Cruises. “Other firms that are adopting LNG-power include Royal Caribbean International, which has ordered two ships from Meyer, and Disney Cruise Line, which will use LNG-power for its three cruise ships also on order at Meyer,” says cruise industry analyst, Allan E Jordan. In addition, MSC Cruises plans to build four 200,000 gross ton LNG-powered cruise ships at STX France.

Carnival and AIDA have already been gaining experience successfully using LNG in the dual-fuel engines on AIDA’s new cruise ship the AIDAprima to generate power while in port at Hamburg, Southampton, Le Havre and Zeebrügge. 

The Maritime Executive spoke with Tom Strang, Senior Vice President Maritime Affairs for Carnival Corporation, to get an in-depth view of the challenges. He says, LNG is an economic, clean and safe marine fuel with increasing global availability that also complies with existing and scheduled emission requirements. “By building new ships that will be powered by LNG both while in port and at sea, we believe we are setting ourselves up to take advantage of these benefits and future-proofing our fleet.”

By Maritime Executive
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

A German cruise line is facing outrage after one of its employees shot and killed a wild polar bear in Norway after the animal attacked another of its employees.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises said its ship was docked at Spitsbergen, the largest island on Norway's Svalbard archipelago, on Saturday when the bear attacked a guard hired to go on shore before passengers to ensure there aren't any polar bears in the area. The guard suffered non-life-threatening head injuries and was airlifted out, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises said in a statement on Facebook.

"The incident occurred when the four-person polar bear guard team, who are always on board for these expedition cruises as required by law, prepared for a shore leave," the company said. However, they failed to spot one bear, who attacked one of the guards, the cruise line said. The other guards shot the bear after trying unsuccessfully to evict the animal, the company said.

"There had to be intervention for reasons of self-defense and to protect the life of the attacked person," the company said. "We are extremely sorry that this incident has happened." The incident occurred during a 10-day cruise on the MS Bremen, a ship that holds up to 155 passengers. The World Wildlife Fund lists polar bears as a vulnerable species.

"It's incredibly tragic," said wildlife conservationist Jeff Corwin on CNN Sunday. "When there's only 25,000 polar bears left on the planet, every one matters.

"When you are in this ecosystem as a tourist, as an explorer or as a scientist, you have the responsibility to follow the protocols to ensure that you stay safe and that you don't interfere with the wild behavior of polar bears."

Online reaction to the episode has been highly critical.

"'Let's get too close to a polar bear in its natural environment and then kill it if it gets too close,' Morons," British actor-comedian Ricky Gervais tweeted.

"Tourism... again proving itself to be harmful to wildlife," tweeted biologist Adam Hart.

"Maybe cruise sightseeing tours shouldn't take place then polar bear guards wouldn't be needed to protect gawking tourists & polar bears would be left in peace & not shot dead merely to satisfy a photo op?" suggested genealogist Jane Roberts on Twitter.

In its Facebook statement, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises notes that landings on Spitsbergen are only possible in a few places and these are not done for polar bear observation. "Polar bears are only observed from aboard ships, from a safe distance," the company says.

The Norwegian Polar Institute has no shortage of warnings about polar bears and urges visitors to Svalbard -- an island cluster in the Arctic Ocean, some 1,200 miles north of continental Norway -- to arm themselves:

"Due to the risk of meeting polar bears visitors traveling in Svalbard must always have firearms and protection devices at hand, such as a big-game rifle and ammunition for self-defense, flare gun or an emergency signal flare pen for driving off polar bears and tripwire with flares for camping," its online cruise handbook states.

"Do remember that it is prohibited to follow, seek out or lure polar bears. This great predator has little respect for humans and dangerous situations can easily arise if people get too close," says the NPI, Norway's central governmental institution for scientific research in the Arctic. "Almost every year a polar bear is killed in Svalbard after confrontations with humans or because of safety perspective in the settlements."

The 3,000 or so polar bears living on the main island of the Svalbard archipelago outnumber humans, according to the Norwegian government.

By Yonette Joseph, New York Times
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

Luxury line Regent Seven Seas on Monday announced plans for another epic cruise that includes stops in every continent except Antarctica.  The 117-night voyage on Seven Seas Mariner will kick off Jan. 5, 2021 in Miami and include calls at 61 ports in 30 countries.

Mariner will nearly circle the globe during the sailing, which starts with visits to the Caribbean islands of Antigua, St. Lucia, Grenada, Bonaire and Aruba.  From the Caribbean, Mariner will cross the Panama Canal to Ecuador and Peru before heading west across the Pacific Ocean to Easter Island, the Pitcairn Islands, Tahiti, Bora Bora and Samoa. 

Continuing West, Mariner will spend more than three weeks in New Zealand and Australia before heading to Asia for stops in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The ship then will cross the Bay of Bengal to Sri Lanka and India before visiting the Arabian Peninsula for stops in Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Stops in Jordan and Egypt also are on the schedule as the vessel approaches the Suez Canal for a transit to the Mediterranean. 

Mediterranean calls will include Haifa, Israel (for Jerusalem); Limassol, Cyprus; Rhodes, Patmos, Lesbos and Santorini, Greece; Istanbul, Bozcaada and Kusadasi, Turkey; and Amalfi, Civitavecchia (for Rome), and Livorno, Italy; and Monte Carlo. 

The voyage will end in Barcelona on May 3, 2021.   

Regent typically offers one extended "world cruise" a year that lasts for more than 100 days and includes a complete or nearly complete circumnavigation of the globe. In addition to the newly announced 2021 voyage, the line already has an extended, 131-night voyage around the world scheduled for 2020.  

Fares for the new world cruise start at $61,999 per person. The price includes first class flights to Miami and business class flights back from Barcelona, exclusive shore-side events and several other perks. 

By Gene Sloan, USA Today
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

While it is disappointing to learn today that Garden Island will not be used as a cruise ship terminal, it certainly was not a surprise to those in the Australian cruising industry.

The reason why Garden Island won’t be used as a cruise ship terminal is down to the following reason.

"A future terminal at Garden Island will not be considered following advice from the Commonwealth Government, Melinda Pavey who is the New South Wales Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight said citing significant challenges in sharing berth space alongside the navy.

Minister Pavey had this morning released the state government's long-awaited Cruise Development Plan, saying the move would "provide a blueprint for growing the cruise industry in NSW".

Please see the Cruising Development Plan here: http://www.industry.nsw.gov.au/cruise

The state's Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Adam Marshall, said the measures would "help keep the cruise industry powering along...it is vital we take the steps necessary to propel the industry's future growth".

The plan builds on the NSW Government’s significant investments in the state’s cruise industry. The CDP details ten actions to support the industry both in Sydney and in regional NSW, with options to address short, medium and long-term capacity constraints.

This will ensure that NSW remains a world-class cruise destination and continues to capitalize on economic benefits this industry brings to our state

CLIA Australia chair Sture Myrmell welcomed the plan, saying the industry would work constructively with the NSW government.

“Our industry has been advocating for a solution to Sydney’s infrastructure constraints for some years and having a clear plan of action with the NSW Government is a step forward to achieve greater certainty and a platform for growth,” Myrmell said.

Information supplied by: N.S.W. Department Of Industry And www.australiancruisingnews.com.au The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

Photo supplied by: Brian Gaskin of www.australiancruisingnews.com.au

A steel cutting ceremony held today at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente (Genoa) shipyard marked the official start of construction for the second of three cruise ships on order for Virgin Voyages (part of Virgin Group). During the event, Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Voyages President and CEO Tom McAlpin, welcomed by Giampiero Massolo and Giuseppe Bono, Chairman and CEO of Fincantieri, also revealed the name of the series’  first ship, which is currently under construction at the yard: Scarlet Lady, inspired by the name of one of the first aircrafts to fly for the sister company Virgin Atlantic.

Virgin Voyages second ship, as its sister ships, will weigh about 110,000 gross tons, be 278 meters long and 38 wide, with delivery scheduled in 2021, while Scarlet Lady will set sail in 2020 and the third in 2022. They will feature over 1,400 guest cabins that can host more than 2,700 passengers, accompanied by 1,150 crew members on board to deliver the famed Virgin service.

The development of Virgin Voyages ships will stand out for their design as well as for their attention to energy recovery, featuring cutting-edge alternative technologies that reduce the ship’s overall environmental impact. For example, the vessels will be equipped with an energy production system of approximately 1 MW, which uses the diesel engine’s waste heat. While at the shipyard, Virgin Voyages also announced that they are eliminating single-use plastics for their guests and replacing them with recyclable and reusable materials.

By MarineLink
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

Virgin’s highly anticipated adults-only cruise ship has a name: the Scarlet Lady.

The Plantation-based cruise line on Friday announced its first vessel’s name — an homage to sister company Virgin Atlantic’s earliest planes — and more details of the ship’s environmentally focused vision and public spaces, including an outdoor gym area.

Virgin, like some other cruise lines, will aim to eliminate plastic straws and other single-use plastics used by guests. Bottled water, condiment packages, shopping bags, food packaging, stirrers and take-away coffee and tea cups will also get the ax.

It also is focusing on opportunities for women in jobs that historically have been dominated by men.

New public spaces revealed

The line also is revealing some of the spaces for active travelers as part of the line’s “Vitamin Sea” directive, which focuses on health and well-being. The new details follow the May release of images of some public spaces, including lounging areas and a laboratory-inspired restaurant.

Among new details: The ship will include a Crow’s Nest, a secluded sundeck with 360-degree views for sunrise and sunset yoga classes, and The Runway, a Virgin-red running track.

Both areas will be connected to The Athletic Club, an “adult-play” area located at the top of the vessel whose centerpiece is a red-and-white semicircular lounger, the largest daybed at sea. The area will also include an outdoor training zone with a boxing ring and strength and gymnastics equipment reminiscent of 1920s New York sports clubs, Virgin said Friday. There will be oversized gaming for adults, cabanas and a bar. The B-Complex gym will include strength, spin yoga and cardio equipment.

For those worried the vessel would be all loungers and no pool, as initial renderings of the outdoor spaces indicated, Virgin has clarified that the ship will have a small “well-being pool,” which will set next to some Venice Beach-like equipment and fitness apparatus. In renderings, the pool sits under a circular opening in the deck above. 

The vessel will also have a spa, called Redemption, located on the fifth floor. It is inspired by an underwater cave, with a hydrotherapy pool, mud room, salt room, cold plunge pools, quartz beds, and spa treatments. At night, the spa will host spa parties in its thermal suite. Other additions include a stand-alone blow dry bar called the Dry Dock salon and a Stubble & Groom barbershop that includes a male pedicure spa.

The 2,700-passenger Scarlet Lady, which is only for passengers 18 and up, will begin sailing to the Caribbean from PortMiami in 2020. A second ship is due for delivery in 2021.

Female leadership

Virgin also announced plans to launch the “Scarlet Squad” program, which will recruit support and mentor female crew members and grow their access to leadership roles in the marine, technical and hotel management sectors. Those positions historically have been dominated by men. 

“Across the maritime industry, we can do better in onboard recruiting and leadership representation for women,” said Tom McAlpin, president and CEO of Virgin Voyages in a release. “I want all future crew to know that Virgin Voyages will create an onboard environment that is fair, inclusive and where everyone has an opportunity to reach their full potential.”

The program is particularly noteworthy given Virgin’s track record as a company that has used young attractive models at many of its announcements and press events. When Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson first announced that the Virgin ships would sail from PortMiami, he did so accompanied by nautically dressed models.

More details of the program will be released at a later date, Virgin said.

Virgin’s policy regarding single-use plastics is similar to one announced earlier this year by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which banned plastic straws on its three cruise lines: Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Royal Caribbean Cruises brands — Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises — will ban the straws by 2019, and Carnival Corp.’s nine brands, including Carnival Cruise Line, don’t give out plastic straws anymore, except for frozen drinks. They’ve moved to a “request only” policy.

By Chabeli Herrera, Miami Herald
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

Virgin Voyages unveiled the long-awaited name of its first ship - “Scarlet Lady” - at its shipyard in Genoa, Italy.

Founder Sir Richard Branson and president and CEO Tom McAlpin revealed further details about the cruise line’s debut ship, including a ban on single-use plastics on board, renderings and animations of nine new public spaces and the plans for its wellbeing programme, “Vitamin Sea”.  

The single-use plastics ban will range from bottled water to take-away coffee and tea cups as Virgin Voyages strives to create one of the cleanest fleets at sea.

Mr McAlpin said: “We believe that in order to fulfill our purpose of creating an ‘Epic Sea Change for All’ we must make a commitment that is bigger than just eliminating straws.

“We must make a commitment to building ships and experiences that do everything possible to look after the well-being of our precious oceans.”

Virgin Voyages describes its Vitamin Sea wellbeing programme for passengers as being inspired by the oceans and their importance in health and well-being for the planet and our daily lives.

Images of the nine new on-board spaces include those that will host the many group fitness classes (all of which will be included in the cruise fare). The Crow’s Nest, for example, which offers 360 degree views around the ship and is shown strewn with exercise mats in Virgin’s signature red, will host sunrise and sunset yoga.

Also on board will be The Runway running track, The B Complex with rooms for spin, yoga and cardio and The Athletic Club, which includes a boxing ring and gym equipment modelled on what you’d find in 1920s New York sports clubs.

Passengers will have ample opportunity for pampering in the ship’s Spa, Redemption, and in the blow dry bar, barber shop, male pedicure spa and mani-pedi spa.

Emma Featherstone, The Telegraph
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more.  For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

It doesnt matter which P&O Cruises Australia ship you are on, but on cruises of 3 nights and over you can still enjoy one of the most sophisticated and spectacular evenings on-board with P&O Cruises Australia’s Gatsby Night.

Inspired by the roaring twenties, P&O Cruises Australia’s Gatsby Night recreates an evening of fascinating style, sparkling drinks, jazz music and opulence.

The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald that follows a cast of characters living in the fictional town of West and East Egg on prosperous Long Island in the summer of 1922.

The story primarily concerns the young and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his quixotic passion and obsession for the beautiful former debutante Daisy Buchanan.

Considered to be Fitzgerald's magnum opus, The Great Gatsby explores themes of decadence, idealism, resistance to change, social upheaval, and excess, creating a portrait of the Roaring Twenties that has been described as a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream.

The P&O Cruises Australia Gatsby Party promises a night of seductive glamour, so leave your inhibitions at the door and give in to the extravagance of the era.

Information supplied by: P&O Cruises Australia And www.australiancruisingnews.com.au The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

The cruise capital of the world, PortMiami, wants to ensure it keeps that title.

To do it, the port has now signed its third agreement in recent years with a major cruise line — in this case Geneva-based MSC Cruises — to build a new terminal at the port. The terminal will sit east of the other two new terminals already in construction from Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

The Miami-Dade County Commission unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with MSC on Tuesday to build cruise Terminal AAA at the port. The aim for MSC, as it has been for Royal and Norwegian, is to accommodate the line’s largest new ships called the World Class vessels, which at maximum occupancy can carry nearly 7,000 passengers.

Royal Caribbean’s Terminal A will be completed this fall to bring its new Symphony of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, to Miami. At maximum occupancy, Symphony can carry 6,680 guests, so though it has less passenger capacity, it is larger than the MSC ships in terms of gross tonnage. In years past, the Miami-based cruise line’s largest vessels have gone to Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades instead, where a terminal was built to accommodate them.

Norwegian’s new Terminal B will be completed in fall 2019 to coincide with the launch of its newest ship, the Norwegian Encore, which carries 3,998 passengers at double occupancy.

MSC’s terminal would come next, with completion set for fall 2022. While specific designs and costs have not yet been announced, some details have been revealed: The terminal would occupy nine acres of land, allow for vessels up to 1,150 feet long, and accommodate a staging and loading area, bus and taxi staging areas and substantial parking.

MSC Cruises USA president Robert Fusaro hinted that new technology and a more seamless embarkation experience may be in the works for the new terminal. Both Royal and Norwegian are focusing on creating a better arrival process at their new terminals.

“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,” Fusaro said in a statement.

MSC is in the midst of a $13.5 billion investment plan that aims to add 10 ships by 2026. The line currently operates 15 vessels. Four of them will sail from Miami by 2019. Currently MSC Seaside sails year-round and MSC Divinia offers seasonal trips, while MSC Armonia will sail to Cuba beginning in December and MSC Meraviglia, the company’s largest ship at 4,488 passengers, will sail from Miami in November 2019.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said in a statement that the new terminal will create “thousands of jobs” for the South Florida community.

“Investing in PortMiami’s infrastructure positions Miami-Dade County as a global destination for visitors,” Gimenez said.

The county also approved an extension of MSC’s existing Saturday preferential berthing rights, adding Sunday at one of two existing terminals. The new berthing agreement would bring the port $14 million in gross revenue during fiscal year 2019, $16 million in 2020 and an additional 3 percent every additional year.

Also as part of that agreement, the port has committed to spending an additional $3.5 million to make improvements to Terminal F, including an already completed upgrade to the terminal’s audio visual system with new video and digital signage.

The construction of Terminal AAA is contingent upon the port acquiring the rights to the land in that area that is currently under agreement with Terminal Link (Miami) LLC. The port said it is in the process of finalizing those negotiations with the cargo company. Overall, the new cruise terminal is expected to bring an additional 1 million MSC passengers through the port, according to the memorandum of understanding. The port broke a world record in 2017 when it welcomed 5.3 million cruise passengers.

For MSC, the terminal further cements its commitment to its U.S. home port: Miami.

“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,” said Rick Sasso, chairman of MSC Cruises USA, in a statement. “We now look forward to further extending our partnership with the Port and working closely on the development of the new cruise terminal AAA.”

By Chabeli Herrera, Miami Herald
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

Cunard is touting another epic world cruise for 2020 that will take passengers from New York to Australia and back. 

The 113-night voyage on the 2,695-passenger Queen Mary 2 will kick off Jan. 3, 2020 at New York's Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and end at the same location on April 25, 2020.

The Queen Mary 2 initially will follow an easterly route across the globe that starts with a trans-Atlantic sailing to Southampton, England followed by stops in Lisbon, Portugal and Naples, Italy on the way to Israel. From there, the ship will travel through the Suez Canal to the Middle East for several stops before continuing eastward to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Indonesia. 

The Asia calls will be followed by an extensive visit to Australia, the easternmost destination of the trip. Stops on the schedule for the Australia portion of the trip include Darwin, the Whitsunday Islands, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. 

From Australia, Queen Mary 2 will return west across the Indian Ocean to Mauritius and Reunion Island before an extended visit to South Africa and Namibia. The ship then will head up the west coast of Africa back to Southampton before crossing the Atlantic a second time on a final leg back to New York.    

Overnight stays are planned for Haifa, Israel; Dubai; Singapore; Hong Kong; Sydney and Cape Town, South Africa.

Cunard has been a longtime leader in extended world voyages.

Fares for the 2020 sailing start at $20,109 per person, based on double occupancy.

By Gene Sloan, USA Today
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

P&O Cruises Australia has been sailing the Australasian region and making holiday dreams come true for 85 years.

With seven home ports in Australia and New Zealand plus destinations all over the Pacific, P&O Cruises gives you the opportunity to explore some of the world’s most beautiful destinations.

When you embark on a holiday with P&O Cruises Australia you enter another world. A world inspired by the freedom of the open sea. A world where ‘normal’ is what you make it.

It is a world you enter the moment the ship leaves Earth and launches off on your adventure. A world where you are free to have your holiday any way that you choose.

P&O Cruises Australia are thrilled to share an inspiring video that showcases who they believe they are.

A P&O Cruises Australia story that shares the true Aussie values & experiences that we work hard to provide, when you holiday with us. Here's to you the everyday Aussie battlers, the larrikins, the dreamers, the MasterChef’s, the adventurers and everything in between.

Here's to each and every one of us!

Information supplied by: P&O Cruises Australia And www.australiancruisingnews.com.au The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

Photo credit: Brian Gaskin of www.australiancruisingnews.com.au

Add Seabourn to the list of cruise lines getting into expedition-style cruising. 

The Seattle-based luxury cruise operator on Monday signed a letter of intent with a shipyard in Italy for the construction of its first two expedition vessels.

Scheduled to debut in June 2021 and May 2022, respectively, the as-yet-unnamed ships will offer all-suite luxury accommodations and carry their own submarines as well as kayaks and motorized Zodiac boats for exploring. Measuring 23,000 gross tons, they'll hold up to 264 passengers a piece. 

“This is a groundbreaking moment for Seabourn and for luxury travelers, who will now find a new standard of authentic yet luxurious expedition adventures in new and amazing destinations few people will ever see,” Seabourn president Richard Meadows said in a statement. 

Seabourn is joining an increasingly crowded field of upscale cruise companies that offer expedition-style cruising — a type of cruising that involves small, often rugged ships with landing craft that can be used to visit remote and hard-to-access places such as Antarctica. 

Luxury line Silversea, one of Seabourn's key competitors, already is a major player in expedition cruising with four expedition ships, as is upscale, France-based line Ponant. Ponant already operates five expedition vessels and has six more on order. 

Luxury line Crystal Cruises also is getting into the expedition cruising space with a vessel on order for delivery in 2020, and Australia-based luxury purveyor Scenic Cruises is adding its first expedition ship later this year.  

Expedition cruise pioneer Lindblad Expeditions also is expanding in the space as is longtime expedition cruise seller Hurtigruten, a Norway-based company.  

A boom in bookings for expedition cruises increasingly is catching the attention of the world's biggest cruise companies. Seabourn's announcement comes just days after the parent company of cruise giant Royal Caribbean revealed plans to buy a controlling stake in Silversea. The move was seen, in part, as a way for the company to gain a quick entree into the expedition cruise business.

Seabourn's move, in turn, can be seen as a way for Seabourn's parent company, cruise giant Carnival Corp., to get into expedition cruising.    

Like many of the ships on order by its competitors, Seabourn's new expedition vessels will be built with strengthened hulls and other features that allow them to operate in the icy waters of Antarctica and the Arctic. Seabourn said they would meet PC6 Polar Class standards.

Seabourn said it would announce more design and service details for the new ships beginning later this year. Details about itineraries and booking availability will be released in early 2019.

Seabourn said the first of the two ships will sail in the Arctic in late summer 2021, with a full winter season in Antarctica to follow. 

By Gene Sloan, USA Today
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

Luxury cruise line Cunard has partnered with The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation on its crowdfunding campaign to help build the new Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island. The Museum, scheduled to open in 2019, will celebrate the Statue of Liberty's story, explore how she has evolved from national monument to global icon and be the new home for her original torch.

The 26,000-square-foot museum was designed by architecture firm FXCollaborative with exhibitions created by experience design firm ESI Design. The structure is being built by Phelps Construction Group. Access to the museum will be free with purchase of a ferry ticket to visit Liberty Island and Ellis Island.  

The copper statue, a gift from the people of France to the people of the U.S., was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and built by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886. The Statue of Liberty is a figure of a robed woman representing Libertas, a Roman liberty goddess. She holds a torch above her head with her right hand, and in her left hand carries a tabula ansata inscribed in Roman numerals with "JULY IV MDCCLXXVI" (July 4, 1776), the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue became an icon of freedom and of the U.S. and was a welcoming sight to immigrants arriving from abroad.

Cunard played a key role in the immigration movement to the U.S. in the late 1800s - one in five immigrants who came through Ellis Island arrived on a Cunard liner. Today, passengers can travel the same route that hundreds of thousands of immigrants did on Queen Mary 2's seven-night Transatlantic Crossing, sailing by the Statue of Liberty before arriving in New York harbor.

Donations during the month-long campaign, launching July 4, will go toward the fundraising initiative being led by the Foundation and campaign chairperson Diane von Furstenberg. Donors can give at www.forladyliberty.org. Cunnard is offering rewards for certain donations such as free cruises on the Queen Mary 2.

Those giving the symbolic donation of $18.86 or more will also have their name permanently recorded in the Founders Registry, a digital donor list on display in the museum and on the museum's websites, and be collectively recognized in the Founders Star on the Liberty Star Mural in the Museum. The Mural features 50 sculpted stars, designed by French-American artist Anh Duong, which are offset by original hand-forged iron armature bars that supported the interior of the Statue of Liberty for her first 100 years.

The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1982. The Foundation has collaborated with the National Park Service/U.S. Department of the Interior in what has become the most successful public-private partnership in U.S. history, having raised nearly $1 billion and funded over 200 projects. 

By The Maritime Executive
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

After six years of cruising from Fremantle and Adelaide and carrying more than 115,000 guests, Astor will sail Australian shores with Cruise & Maritime Voyages for the last time in March 2019.

Travelers can take advantage of CMV’s ‘Extend your Escape’ (back-to-back) offers to experience the boutique ship between December 2018 and March 2019 with destinations including Kangaroo Island, Bali, Hobart, Busselton (in the Margaret River region) and Geographe Bay.

Back-to-back cruises are popular with CMV’s clientele and one particularly loyal passenger has booked nine consecutive voyages on Astor this season according to Dean Brazier, Managing Director of CMV Australia.

“We believe our guests keep returning because of the intimate atmosphere and personalised service on our ships, and our new offer provides the ideal opportunity to see more of Australia for less.

“In the upcoming season a guest could sail from Fremantle to Adelaide via Esperance for five nights before heading off on a three-night cruise sampling the delights of Kangaroo Island and Port Lincoln. They could then sail around Tasmania to experience its natural wonders, history, and culinary attractions for an additional seven nights.

“Summer is arguably the best time to cruise these destinations with plenty of opportunities to cool off at some of Australia’s most pristine beaches,” said Mr Brazier.

Guests booking any back-to-back voyages for Astor’s 2018/19 Australian season until 31 August 2018 will receive a bonus 20% off already reduced fares (for new bookings – example further below). Three-night cruises start from just $679 per person twin-share with the second guest traveling for half price.

Astor – fun facts and figures (based on conclusion of 2018/19 season on 10 March 2019)

• Number of guests sailed: 115,343
• Number of consecutive voyages one guest has cruised: 9
• Number of nights sailed aboard Astor by one guest: 497
• Nautical miles sailed in Australian waters: 129,036
• Number of afternoon teas served: 2,867
• Number of birthdays and anniversaries celebrated on board: 482
• Amount of prawns served on board: over 13,000 kg

CMV’s new ship Vasco da Gama will join the fleet from April 2019 and will begin its first Australian season in December 2019.

Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) is Australia’s leading independent cruise line, offering a traditional, boutique cruise experience and exceptional value. Next year marks the company’s 10th anniversary and over the past decade the cruise line has become known for its relaxed, convivial ambience, exacting standards and high levels of attentive personal service aboard each of the five small to mid-sized ships. This is reinforced by a customer satisfaction rating of 95 per cent.

CMV has been operating for six years in Australia with its charming Astor winning the hearts of cruise lovers around the region and its new ship Vasco da Gama to launch in 2019.

Nosing into smaller harbours off-limits to many others, CMV offers a range of exciting itineraries around Australia out of Adelaide and Fremantle, as well as through Asia, South America, Canada, the Caribbean and Europe, visiting Iceland, Greenland, the Baltics, Norwegian Fjords, Northern Lights, British Isles and more.

 CMV’s global fleet comprises Astor, Astoria, Columbus, Magellan, Marco Polo, and from April 2019, Vasco da Gama.

Information supplied by: CMV Australia And www.australiancruisingnews.com.au  The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

A German family received an unwelcome surprise after returning home from a family cruise to Norway. The son had used just under a half a gigabyte worth of data while at sea, and was billed more than €12,000 as a result.

A German family is seeking legal counsel after they arrived back home from a family holiday, only to find a phone bill totaling more than €12,000 (around $14,000).

The family had taken a short cruise from the northern German city of Kiel to the Norwegian capital of Oslo. It was during that trip that the 12-year-old son decided to unwind and watch some videos on his phone.

The catch: He was connected to the cruise ship's own phone network, which connects to the internet via satellite. While anyone can join the network, it is generally only intended to be used by the ship's crew to communicate with other vessels.

In fact, German mobile phone networks can demand as much as €30 per megabyte of data downloaded through a satellite connection. The EU's abolition of roaming charges does not apply at sea.

As a result, the family was ordered by their network provider to pay almost €12,500 for just 470 megabytes of data.

Legal counsel sought

The phone network did agree to reduce the bill, admitting it was clear the son had connected to the cruise ship's network without knowing. Nevertheless, it still demanded €5,000.

The family has since employed a lawyer to try and settle what they consider to be an "immoral" bill. The Norwegian cruise line operator Color Line said it regretted the incident but that it was unable to help.

By David Martin, DW.com
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

When river cruise giant Viking announced plans a few years ago to get into the ocean cruise business, many industry insiders scoffed.

They said Viking never would be able to secure the shipyard space or financing to build a significant fleet of ocean ships, and they said even if Viking did build a bunch of ships, the vessels wouldn't be much of a threat to existing lines. Plus, they added, what does Viking know about ocean cruising? 

It turns out a lot.  

Since debuting in 2015 with a single, 930-passenger vessel, Viking's ocean cruise division has won raves from vacationers and become a runaway hit. With bookings rolling in, the division already has rushed to add four more vessels — the latest just christened on Thursday. And it now has plans for 11 more ships by 2027. 

What's driving the boom? For starters, Viking seems to have hit a home run with the size, style and focus of its ocean-going vessels. The ships are relatively small and upscale, and the experience revolves heavily around the destinations they visit. The line also has grabbed the love and loyalty of customers with its "no nickel-and-diming" philosophy. A lot is included in the fare. But it's more than just that. 

Here, USA TODAY highlights 19 things that cruise fans and travel agents say are setting Viking ships apart:  

► The design is impeccable. From the easy flow of interior spaces to the understated elegance of the Scandinavian-influenced decor, the look is unified, stylish and sophisticated in a way that is rare in the cruise industry.

► They're relatively small. In an era of ever-bigger mega-ships — some holding as many 6,000 people — Viking decided to keep the capacity of all of the ships in its fleet at just 930.   

► They're quiet. There isn't music blasting out of speakers in every corner of the ships, and there are few announcements. 

► There's a balcony with every cabin. 

► The entertainment is classy — and educational, too. There aren't a lot of flashy dancing girl shows on Viking ships. If you like that sort of thing, this isn't your line. But you'll find plenty of enriching offerings, from classical music performances to lectures by NASA astronauts. 
 
► There are no casinos. 

► There are no art auctions.

► There are no ship-board photographers.

► There is no hard sell. You won't hear the cruise director on the loudspeaker touting great savings in the ship store, as is so common on many lines; spa staff are instructed not to try to pressure spa-goers into buying creams and potions.    

► No children under 18 are allowed on board. This is a negative, of course, if you're looking for a family cruise.  

► There is a shore excursion included in every port. For those of you who cruise, you know: This is a biggie. 

► The little touches in cabins are legion, starting with the heated floors in bathrooms. Viking doesn't make much of this in its marketing material, hoping that it comes as a delightful discovery for first-time passengers.  

► Two more little touches that set Viking cabins apart — both responses to pet peeves of Viking founder Torstein Hagen: The remote controls for televisions are blissfully simple to use — they have just a few buttons; and the toiletries in bathrooms are unusually easy-to-open and easy-to-identify (they have big, bold lettering and are color coded so it's easy to tell the shampoo apart from, say, the body wash). 

► Viking also has banished the clutter of the cabin desk top by tucking away daily planners, room service menus and the many other papers that cover cabin desks on most ships to a single leather folder.

► Bathroom showers are bigger than what you'll find on most cruise ships — the result of eliminating bathtubs in most cabins. Viking executives like to note that bathtubs typically take up about 6 percent of the space in a ship cabin and are little used. 

► There is no charge for beer and wine at lunch and dinner. 

► There is no charge for using the self-serve launderettes located in cabin areas. Even the detergent is free. 

► There is no charge for WiFi on board.

► There is no charge to enter the thermal suite at the ship's spa.    

► There is no charge for the specialty restaurants on board — or room service.

Viking's new ocean ships are among USA TODAY's list of the 25 most beautiful cruise ships.

By Gene Sloan, USA Today
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

For those times you want to get away from everything and everyone, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line now allows single passengers to book their own stateroom without paying a double occupancy surcharge.

The new solo traveler rate began Wednesday and starts as low as $149, plus the usual taxes and fees, for the budget cruise line’s signature two-night Bahamas cruises. Bahamas Paradise, which introduced its second ship in April, sails daily out of the Port of Palm Beach to Grand Bahama Island.

Bahamas Cruise Line said it is the only cruise line to offer staterooms with ocean views with no single supplemental fee on all of its sailings. Solo rates are available on cruises departing every day of the week for travelers who book through the cruise line’s website, bahamasparadisecruise.com.

The cruise line said it decided to offer the solo rate to serve a rising interest in solo travel. The news release cited a Booking.com study stating that the number of Google searches for solo travel has increased 40 percent since 2015, and that 40 percent of baby boomers have taken a solo trip in the last year. Twenty-one percent said they plan to take one over the next year, and 34 percent counted a solo vacation as among the “top five trips they’ve already been on and would like to go on again.”

Two-night Bahamas cruise line welcomes second ship to Port of Palm Beach | Photo gallery
In an interview by email, Chris Gray Faust, managing editor of the industry watchdog site CruiseCritic.com, said, “Solo travel has become much more prevalent within the industry. Adults of all ages are traveling more often by themselves, and [solo pricing] is a great way for the cruise lines to make cruising a viable option for this type of traveler.”

A spot check of available dates on the cruise line’s website shows the discount is available for immediate travel: A two-night cruise beginning June 22 is available for $209, plus $67.52 in taxes and fees. That price drops to $149, plus $67.52, for cruises sailing on June 24 and each day after that through June 28. The rate increases to $189, plus taxes and fees, for sailings beginning June 29 or June 30. For some dates, the weekend before Christmas, the rate climbs as high as $229, plus taxes and fees.

Bahamas Paradise’s solo rates are only available for the ship’s ocean view cabins, which measure the same size as interior cabins that have no outside views. Generally, cruise lines charge higher prices for ocean view rooms and relegate interior cabins to their lowest-price categories.

Asked why the cruise line decided to offer the solo rate in a higher-category cabin, Bahamas Paradise CEO Oneil Khosa said by email, “We wanted to provide a very attractive offering to invite solo travelers to experience our cruise. In many instances, cruise lines only provide solo travelers with smaller-size staterooms and/or with single supplement fees. We wanted to provide them with something better that stands apart in the industry.”

While some mainstream cruise lines have been catering to solo traveler by creating solo cabins that require no additional fee, waiving supplemental fees for solo travelers who book regular cabins isn’t prevalent among larger cruise lines, Faust said.

Carnival Cruise Line does not offer a solo rate, and all of its rates are based on double occupancy, brand spokesman Vance Gulliksen said Thursday.

Solo cruise rates are found more frequently on river cruises, Faust said. “That’s really what’s making the deal from Bahamas Paradise stand out — it’s a bigger-sized cruise ship offering waived supplements for solo travelers. Because the sailings are only two nights, it’s not a huge loss to the line, and a good way to entice travelers to possibly return again in the future.”

Khosa said the pricing will be available indefinitely but declined to say how many oceanfront rooms would be available at solo travel rates on each cruise. “Given that we have just launched, we plan to monitor interest closely and will adjust allocations based on demand and overall availability for individual sailings,” he said.

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line began sailing from the Port of Palm Beach in 2015. It consists of just two ships: the Grand Celebration, a former Carnival Cruise Line ship, and Grand Classica, formerly owned by Carnival subsidiary Costa Cruises.

By Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

Want A Job A Sea?? Well Carnival Australia is Certainly Playing It's Part in Gender Balance in Seafaring Careers At Sea!

When the Nautical Institute conducted a Women in Maritime event on-board P&O Cruises’ Australia's Pacific Explorer this week, the organisation came face to face with the future it seeks to achieve in which more women have opportunities to become career seafarers.

The Institute and its guests were welcomed by six third officers who are currently taking part in a special mentoring program on Pacific Explorer on their path to becoming senior deck officers on Carnival Australia-brand cruise ships.

The six, pictured here with Pacific Explorer Hotel Director Melissa Yates (centre), are (left to right) Hilary Cassano, Laura Abbruzetti, Rachel Davies, Lauren Brunton, Bryony Rodger and Emma Forbes-Gearey.

All have previous experience on cargo ships, bulk carriers or offshore rigs and are now participating in a program to ensure more women have opportunities to take their place as professional mariners. They are being supported on-board Pacific Explorer by accomplished Hotel Director, Melissa Yates, the daughter of a recently retired ship captain, who worked her way through the hotel operations ranks to her current senior position. 

“There are many women working on cruise ships and, during my years at sea, I have always been and felt accepted as part of the team,” Melissa said. “But it is distressing when I hear women tell me that their experience was quite different in other areas of shipping. It makes me realise how fortunate I have been.”

With women comprising only two per cent of the world’s seafarers, according to the Nautical Institute, the organisation is trying to raise awareness of the need to achieve greater gender balance by addressing barriers that can discourage women from seeking careers at sea.

Information Supplied by: Carnival Australia And www.australiancruisingnews.com.au The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

MSC Cruises and STX France signed today an order for the construction of a fifth Meraviglia class cruise ship. Due to be delivered in 2023, this vessel will be equipped with a new generation of dual-fuel engines designed to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG). She will also feature other innovative environmental technologies, notably including an advanced wastewater treatment system compliant with the world's most stringent regulatory standards, including the provisions enshrined in Resolution MEPC.227 for the Baltic Sea.

This announcement was made at a unique ceremony held at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard in the presence of Bruno Le Maire, the French Minister of the Economy and Finance. STX France and MSC Cruises celebrated three major ship building milestones: the Steel Cutting Ceremony of the 4th Meraviglia class vessel where MSC Cruises announced that the ship will be named MSC Virtuosa; the Coin Ceremony of MSC Grandiosa; and the Float-out of MSC Bellissima. For the first time in Saint-Nazaire's history, three cruise ships belonging to a single cruise brand are under simultaneous construction at the shipyard.

Speaking before opening the valves to flood the dry dock where MSC Bellissima has been assembled, Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises' Executive Chairman, said: "With the announcement of yet another new vessel, the 13th under our 10-year investment plan, we are affirming our commitment to sustainable growth for our Company. I say this while three more next-generation MSC Cruises are now simultaneously under construction.

Mr Vago added, "Our fifth Meraviglia class cruise ship will bring a new generation of cutting-edge environmental technology to the market, benefiting from a new generation of LNG-powered engines. This will help us further reduce our environmental footprint and advance in our journey of constant improvement. She will be joined at sea by up to four World Class LNG-powered ships, as part of our overall commitment to environmental stewardship through this and other next-generation technologies and solutions deployed fleet-wide."

The agreement for the additional Meraviglia-Plus ship represents an additional investment of €900 million (≈$1.06 billion USD).

About MSC Bellissima and MSC Grandiosa

MSC Bellissima will be Christened at a glamorous ceremony in Southampton on March 2, 2019 while MSC Grandiosa will be christened in Hamburg in November 2019.

MSC Bellissima will also be the first cruise ship to feature the industry's first digital cruise personal assistant, Zoe, as a new feature of MSC for Me, the Company's digital innovation program. A bespoke device is being designed specifically for use in the staterooms on board and will be available in seven languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Brazilian Portuguese and Mandarin. This digital service will provide guests with a simple and stress-free way to find out information that is traditionally asked in person at the Guest Relations desk. This way, the guest can find the information without having to leave their stateroom. This feature will also be available on MSC Grandiosa.

Both cruise ships will offer two brand new shows from Cirque du Soleil at Sea, created exclusively for MSC Cruises guests. This is part of a long-term partnership between MSC Cruises and Cirque du Soleil, the world leader in artistic entertainment that will result in a total of eight original shows that will be available on MSC Cruises' four Meraviglia and Meraviglia-plus generation ships – two different shows on each ship.

MSC Grandiosa will showcase an even larger Mediterranean-style promenade, the ground-breaking feature unique to the Meraviglia and Meraviglia-plus prototypes, that serves as the social hub of the ship. The promenade will feature an array of shops and specialty restaurants as well as a new bar and lounge, L'Atelier Bistrot, that will offer lounge seating with a stage and a dance floor, impressionist art on display and "terrace "seating with Parisian Bistrot tables and chairs on the Promenade. Throughout the day and the evening, this award-winning promenade hosts surprise performances, including flash mobs and themed parties as well as the awe-inspiring projections on the even longer 323 ft. long LED Sky screen.

MSC Cruise' award-winning family offering will also add several new features, including on board MSC Bellissima  the introduction of a fun Grand Canyon-themed Aquapark, and a host of new magic-inspired kids entertainment for all ages. The family deck will also include the DOREMI Studio Lounge, a dedicated space for all family activities, DOREMI Tech Lab, a must visit destination for kids who love technology, as well as facilities designed in partnership with family experts including the LEGO Group and Chicco. 

By MSC Cruises USA
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com