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Carnival Cruise Line normally operates three- to eight-night sailings, but is planning to expand by offering longer sailings beginning this fall. These longer cruises called Carnival Journeys will stop at ports of call normally never visited by Carnival ships and will feature special onboard experiences. Local food and entertainment will be offered as well as lectures on topics ranging from cooking and arts and crafts to celestial navigation, digital photography and social media.
P&O Cruises newest and largest vessel Britannia has been taken into service. She arrived in Southampton for the first time and was greeted by a flotilla of ships and parachutists, while spectators lined the quayside. In the following week she was named by Her Majesty The Queen and a week long of festivities followed.
Lindblad Expeditions will merge with Capital Acquisition Corp., an investment company , in a $439 million transaction that will result in Lindblad Expedition Holdings, Inc. to be listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market. Further more, Lindblad announced the order of two new ships, the first-ever newbuilds for Lindblad. Scheduled to be launched in 2017 and 2018 respectively, the ships will have 50 cabins, 22 with balconies. According to the line eight rooms can be configured into four adjoining cabins for families. All public spaces will be designed for maximum outdoor viewing with easy, quick access to decks for wildlife sightings.
TV presenter Gloria Hunniford christened Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ newest ship, Magellan, on March 12th. She was previously owned by Carnival Cruise Line, and still retains the distinctive Carnival funnel shape. Se was recently owned by Costa Cruises. Magellan was built in 1985 and last refitted in 2010.
Most cruise lines, among them MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises have cancelled all calls at Tunisian ports for the rest of the year following the terrorist attack in Tunis on March 18th. 12 passengers travelling on MSC Splendida were killed, and five passengers on Costa Fascinosa were also killed. The attack took place when passengers were visiting the Bardo Museum during an excursion, Terrorists opened fire when the buses arrived at the museum.
Carnival Corporation, which had already planned 10 new cruise ships to its fleet by 2018, will add 9 more ships to its fleets over a four-year period beginning 2019. The ships will be built by Fincantieri and Meyer Werft. The ships will all be new-class designs, each designed and developed specifically for a selected brand under the Carnival cruise umbrella. Fincantieri will build five ships, while the other four will be built at Meyer Werft.
Thomson Cruises will name its newest ship Thomson Discovery when it joins the fleet in 2016. She is the former Splendour of the Seas and will replace Island Escape. The purchase of the ship is a result of the joint venture between TUI Group and Royal Caribbean Cruises. Thomson plans to expand further within the UK market.
MSC hass announced the name of its latest newbuilding: MSC Meraviglia.The 4,500-passenger ship, delivery May 2017, will be second only to Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class in terms of passenger carrying capacity. Meraviglia wiil start sailing in the western Mediterranean. Special features planned for the ship are interlinked family cabins allowing up to three cabins to be connected. According to MSC publications Meraviglia will have a large outdoor water park connected to a double-deck indoor amusement park; a double-deck aft lounge and entertainment space; and a two-deck interior promenade styled like a Mediterranean village. This area, which will house shops, bars and specialty restaurants, will be covered by an LED dome ceiling that will serve as a “digital sky” showing images and visual shows.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has awarded 11 ships perfect scores and gave failing grades to 2 vessels. Ships are checked twice yearly and of 55 ships checked perfect scores were given to Carnival Miracle and Carnival Pride; Celebrity Infinity; Holland America Line’s Eurodam, Noordam and Ryndam; Island Princess and Ruby Princess; Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Sky; and Seadream I of Sea Dream Yacht Club. However, Silversea’s Silver Shadow and Caribbean Fantasy, run by America Cruise Ferries, received failing grades.
Windstar Cruises Star Legend , originally Seabourn Legend has been christened. She underwent an $8.5 million, three-week renovation in Italy, which included expansion of the outdoor Star Deck; a new swim-against-the-current pool and whirlpool; expansion of the indoor/outdoor Veranda Cafe and addition of Windstar’s well-known Yacht Club..
The first cruise line entirely dedicated to volunteer tourism, Fathom, also called voluntourism, has been launched. The ship will sail from Miami to Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic. Passengers will be trained for two days before the ship casts off learning to teach English or build water-filtration devices and they will work together with local residents. For this new cruise service, the 710-passenger vessel Adonia will be shifted from the P&O brand.
After 32 years, Australia’s Coral Princess Cruises has changed its name to Coral Expeditions. All of its ships are to be rechristened and refurbished over the next year, Coral Princess I will become Coral Expeditions I, Coral Princes IIwill continue sailing as Coral Expeditions II and finally flagship Oceanic Discoverer will change to Coral Discoverer.
Virgin Cruises, the new cruise line founded by British billionaire Richard Branson has three new cruise ships planned, and is seeking passenger input on design and activities. A letter of intent has been signed with Fincantieri to build the three ships, the first of which will be delivered in 2020. She will measure 110,000-ton, carry 2,860 passengers and plans are for two sister ships in 2021 and 2022.
Hurtigruten has acquired a new ship to be named Norway Explorer, The 320-passenger vessel was constructed in Portugal as a ferry but was rejected when she failed to make the desired speed. She will first be refurbished and her hull will be ice-strengthenend.; she will start sailing on the regular coastal Hurtigruten-run.
Silversea Cruises has ordered a new flagship at Fincantieri shipyards, she will be named Silver Muse. The 40,000-ton luxury vessel will be delivered in 2017 and will carry 596 passengers. Speicific features are not yet released but she will be an evolution from the lines Silver Spirit of 2009.
Costa Cruises will get the second pair of a quartet of new cruise ships which have recently been ordered by mother company Carnival Corp. These ships will be 6,600-passenger giants and carrying more passengers than Royal Caribbean’s current Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. The first pair of Carnival ships will go to Carnival Corporation’s German cruise line, AIDA. They wil run on liquified natural gas (LNG).
Celestyal Cruises has aqcuired 1992-built MS Gemini (1,074 passengers) She will be renamed Celestyal Nefeli and will be completely refurbished. She will replace the Celestyal Odyssey when the charter agreement for this ship ends in October. Together with fleetmates Celestyal Crystal and Celestyal Olympia she will cruise to the more intimate ports of the Mediterranean.
Saga Cruises has announced an order for a new cruise ship expected to be delivered in Summer 2019 with an option to order a second one for delivery in 2021. She will be an all-balcony ship, will carry just under 1,000 passengersand will be constructed by Meyer Werft from Germany. It has 540 suites and cabins and each has a balcony. The new ship will replace one of the existing two ships in the Saga fleet and if Saga excercises the option for a second ship, it will replace the other existing ship.
