2011

– P&O Cruises Australia has announced that is has sold Pacific Sun, which has sailed for the company since 2004, and before that operated as Jubilee for Carnival Cruise Lines. Rumour has it the buyer is a Chinese company and that she will sail from China’s mainland.

– Paul Gauguin Cruises announced today that it has acquired a new ship, which will sail for the company together with the Paul Gauguin, the company’s existing ship. The new vessel, to be named Moana, is Compagnie du Ponant’s former Le Levant, which can accommodate up to 90 passengers in 45 cabins. She will be renovated before being taken into service.

– Norwegian Cruise Line has announced the names of its new vessels 144,017-ton, 4,000-passenger Project Breakaway : Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway. The two ships will be taken into service in April 2013 and 2014, respectively. After a contest organised by USA Today five names remained in the runnning: Breakaway, Getaway, Bliss, Escape and Journey.

– Small British cruise line Noble Caledonia has acquired a second ship to operate alongside its existing vessel, MS Island Sky. The vessel acquired is Island Sky’s twin sister which was originally built for Renaissance Cruises in 1991, a 4,200-ton, 114-passenger vessel, which will be named Caledonian Sky. She sailed as Renaissance VI until November 2000, when she was sold to Hebridean Island Cruises and named Hebridean Spirit.

– Again two cruise ships being upgraded: Crystal Serenity, recently received a $25 million facelift during a two-week dry dock in Hamburg, Germany. The overhaul brings the Crystal Serenity in line with its sister Crystal Symphony which received a similar overhaul in 2009. The same goes for Carnival Destiny, which once was the biggest cruise ship. Destiny will be in drydock in early 2013 for more than a month, during which the Lido Deck will be upgraded amongst other enhancements.

– Royal Caribbean announced today that it will spend $300 million over the next three years to upgrade nearly its entire fleet, introducing family cabins and additional dining options to its Voyager-, Vision- and Radiance-class ships. The upgrades will also include ship-wide WiFi, in-cabin docking stations, flat-panel TV’s in cabins, computerized info kiosks and poolside video walls for entertainment.

– Following the recent naming ceremony of its smallest ship, Adonia, P&O Cruises has announced that it has ordered its largest ship ever, a 141,000-ton, 3,611-passenger vessel, to be launched in March 2015. The new ship will be built by Italian shipyard Fincantieri. Compared to Azura, currently the largest vessel in the P&O Cruises fleet, it will be 20% bigger in tonnage.

– The 710-passenger Adonia which arrived in Southampton a day late due to adverse weather conditions has been christened by godmother Dame Shirley Bassy. Until recently she has been sailing for P&O Cruises’ sister line, Princess Cruises, and was refitted at the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas.

– P&O Cruises Australia has sold its Pacific Sun, which has been part of its fleet since 2004 and before that sailed as Carnival Cruise Line’s Jubilee. Although the buyer hasn’t been mentionded, it is believed that she is going to a Chinese buyer and will operate cruises out of China’s mainland.

– The 130,000-ton, 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic sets out on its inaugural cruise this weekend recently. Some of the ship’s innovations are the Cucina del Capitano, a family-style Italian restaurant with a Tuscan decor, the Red Fog Pub, the Spor Square, an activity deck with a ropes course hanging 150 feet above the sea and Cherry on Top, where everything from cupcakes to tux rentals can be bought/ rented.

– Viking River Cruises, as part of its ongoing $250 million expansion and upgrade program, announced today that it will take four new-builds in 2012 with state-of-the-art features into service.
The four new ships, Viking Freya, Viking Idun, Viking Njord and Viking Odin will sail from the beginning of the 2012 river cruise season and they will inaugurate the line’s Longship class of vessels, designed by maritime architects Yran & Storbraaten

– Some details of the 141,000-ton, 3,600-passenger ship, to be named Royal Princess became known recently and the most significant is the innovative Sky Walk, a cantilevered, glass-enclosed walkway that will extend 28 feet beyond the edge of the ship and 128 feet over the water. Even the floor is made of glass……

– The Australia and New Zealand cruise industry receives another huge boost when Holland America and Celebrity Cruises are positioning their Celebrity Solstice and Holland America’s just refurbished Oosterdam here. Normally, older, smaller vessels are operated in this area. In addition to these two vessels, Carnival Cruise Lines will deploy its 88,500-ton, 2,124-passenger Carnival Spirit in Australia also.

– Grand Princess, Princess Cruises 109,000-ton, 2,600-passengers vessel will receive a rather radical faceloft: during the 24-day refit, which will take place at Freeport’s Grand Bahama Shipyard from April 11 to May 4, workers will slice off the ship’s distinctive “shopping trolley” handle , altering its profile. Further more the atrium will be gutted and will recive a makeover.

– Oceania Cruises’ new Marina was christened recently. The 66,000-ton, 1,250-passenger Marina is the first new-build in the premium line’s history. The price tag for the vessel (and its sister, Riviera, due in 15 months) lies at $600 million.

– The venerable ocean liner S.S. United States has been saved from the scrap yard for now. The S.S. United States Conservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting, revitalizing and promoting America’s flagship, has acquired the the ship, thanks to a grant from the Lenfest Foundation. Last july Philadelphia philanthropist H.F. Gerry Lenfest agreed to contribute up to $5.8 million to purchase the ship from its owner Norwegian Cruise Line and maintain it for up to 20 months. S.S. United States has slowly been deteriorating at a Philadelphia dock since 1996.

– Disney Dream, Disney Cruise Line’s first new-build in more than a decade, has been christened in Port Canaveral by the ship’s godmother, “American Idol” and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.
In true Disney style, the event started with an elaborate show, with all Disney characters present, and impressive fireworks.

– Cunard’s three ships – Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth – visited New York together and gathered by the Statue of Liberty for a fireworks display. The event marks only the second time Cunard’s entire fleet has docked in New York. The previous occasion was in 2008 before Queen Elizabeth 2, now languishing at a dock in Dubai, was retired.

– Hapag-Lloyd, an upscale cruise line that caters primarily to German-speaking travellers and considered to be one of the world’s best luxury operators, will take over Oceania’s 698-passenger Insignia for two years, beginning in April 2012. The ship will be renamed Columbus 2 (Hapag-Lloyd’s already owns four-star Columbus as part of the existing fleet which is little-known outside of Germany) for the duration of the charter. She will be primarily aimed at wealthy family vacationers with not much time to spare…

– Celebrity Infinity, the second of four Millennium-class ships scheduled to receive Solstice-class upgrades, will get even more new additions than the recently upgraded Celebrity Constellation, it was announced. Extra cabins will be added, eight suites will receive balconies, an ILounge computer lounge and Apple store will be added as well as the Tuscan Grille, Café al Bacio, Bistro on 5 creperia, Martini Bar and Cellar Masters wine bar and upgrades to stateroom and public area décor and furnishings.

– Southampton is doing remarkably well attracting cruise ships, recently some 18,000 passengers passed through the city, either disembarking or embarking, when Fred Olsen’s Balmoral and Black Watch; P&O Cruises’ Arcadia; Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria; and Saga Cruises’ Saga Ruby docked at the port together. 2011 is looking good so far for Southampton as more than 350 ships are already booked to call or turn around here for 2011, an increase of over 50 on 2010.