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Mein Schiff 3 to improve energy efficiency by about 30%

Details: Category: Latest News; Published on Friday, 17 May 2013 14:11; Written by Kari Reinikainen

Mein Schiff 3, the first of two 97,000 gross ton cruise liners on order by TUI Cruises in Hamburg, Germany at STX Finland in Turku, will be about 30% more energy efficient than existing ships of the same size, the cruise line said in a statement.

The use of energy on board will have a direct effect on fuel consumption and in order to reduce this plus emissions from the new vessel that will enter service next year, a raft of energy saving measures will be introduced. Exhaust heart from the engines will be used to heat water; the air conditioning plant is more efficient than traditionally and a modern energy management system will be used to keep consumption and emissions at a bay.

TUI Cruises is a joint venture of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL), the world's second largest cruise shipping group, and TUI AG, the German tour operator that also owns Hapag-lloyd Kreuzfahrten.

The statement came only a few weeks after a senior Carnival Corp & plc group official had stated that the 141,000 gross ton newbuilding on order for P&O Cruises in the UK would offer 25% more capacity and about 30% less fuel consumption than the existing seven ships of the Southampton based company.

Regent Seven Seas makes itinerary changes for fall 2014

Details: Category: Latest News; Published on Thursday, 16 May 2013 22:24; Written by Teijo Niemelä

Regent Seven Seas Cruises has announced changes to its Fall 2014 itineraries for Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Voyager. The company launched 10 new cruises with expanded itineraries that include cruises to sought-after destinations such as Tahiti and South Africa. It has been four years since a Regent ship called in South Africa and almost three years since one of its ships visited Tahiti.

“We continually speak with our guests and travel agent partners looking for feedback on our itineraries and product offerings. I recently sailed on Seven Seas Mariner and heard from several loyal guests of their desire for expanded voyages to the South Pacific and Southern Africa,” said Kunal S. Kamlani, president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “To meet our guests’ wishes, we have shortened the 2014 Mediterranean season to feature new voyages to these exciting destinations.”

The new sailings on Seven Seas Mariner include an 18-day Los Angeles to Papeete TransPacific cruise, a 10-day round-trip Papeete voyage and a 16-night Papeete to Auckland cruise. This will be the first time in the company’s history that Seven Seas Mariner will conduct a turnaround in Tahiti.

For the Seven Seas Voyager, the company added a 30-day Dubai to Cape Town cruise where guests will enjoy breathtaking scenery, discover big game on guided safari tours, and relax on luxurious beaches. This exciting itinerary includes overnight calls in Mumbai, India; Male, Maldives; Port Victoria, Seychelles; and Cape Town, South Africa with visits to Mombasa, Kenya; Zanzibar, Tanzania; Maputo, Mozambique; and Richard’s Bay and Durban, South Africa.

The company has also created a number of Mediterranean sailings that have a similar itinerary as previously offered.

Seven Seas Mariner’s previously-scheduled Mediterranean cruises from September 23 to December 18, 2014 as well as Seven Seas Voyager’s October 21 to November 28, 2014 cruises have been cancelled to allow for the new cruises. Guests on the previously-scheduled sailings are being notified and assisted with re-booking their voyages.

Mein Schiff 1 godmother to celebrate fourth anniversary of ship with gala concert

Details: Category: Latest News; Published on Thursday, 16 May 2013 09:29; Written by Kari Reinikainen

Ina Muller, the German singer and television presenter that acted as godmother of Mein Schiff 1 of TUI Cruises four years ago, will celebrate the anniversary of the event on board the ship with a gala concert.

On 21 May, Muller and the pianist Joja Wednt will give a gala concert on board the ship on a cruise around Britain. “ I will be there next year too and cut the birthday cake,” Muller said in a statement. This year, each passenger can look forward to receiving a small present and a sliced of the cake.

Muller named the ship in Hamburg on 15 May 2009.

Keel laid for largest P&O Cruises’ ship at Monfalcone

Details: Category: Latest News; Published on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 12:35; Written by Kari Reinikainen

A ceremony to mark the keel laying of the largest cruise ship ever built for the British market took place today at the Monfalcone shipyard of Fincantieri near Trieste, Italy. The 141,000-ton cruise ship will enter service in 2015.

The ship is based on the same platform as Royal Princess and Regal Princess of sister company Princess cruises, but its external appearance and interior will be different to the two ships.

This next-generation ship will offer a stylish and innovative new design, with an unprecedented number of passenger facilities together with many iconic signatures of the P&O Cruises brand, the company said in a statement.

It will offer the “best of the best”, combining favourite classic features of ships such as Oriana and Aurora, the wide choice and variety of Ventura and Azura and a host of new concepts which will include some yet-to-be-announced “sophisticated wows”.

In delivering the ultimate P&O Cruises experience, the ship will be designed to attract many thousands of newcomers and will equally resonate with existing passengers by delivering the sense of P&O-ness for which the brand is held in such high regard. At the same time, the ship will be designed to deliver much greater levels of operational and environmental efficiency.

The keel laying will involve the placement in the dry dock of the first section of the ship’s hull. This section is made up of 6 pre-manufactured blocks, weighs 408 tons and is fitted with 214 tons of pipes, cables, insulation and other equipment. The ceremony follows an intensive period of design and development. 74 sections will be used in the construction of the ship.

In a speech Carnival UK CEO David Dingle said: “Each of our new ships has been exclusively designed for the British market. We have ensured that each anticipates the subtly changing trends in what British passengers expect from their cruise holiday – and is equipped to meet those expectations for many years to come. Our success in adapting to the market’s changing needs is why our ships continue to fill and why the whole cruise sector ultimately continues to buck any downward trend. We cannot wait to see this ship finished and underway”.

Fred Olsen first quarter losses increased, but yields rose and debt was reduced

Details: Category: Latest News; Published on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 11:17; Written by Kari Reinikainen

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, the destinational cruise company that operates four vessels on the UK market, suffered a deeper loss in the first quarter of this year than a year earlier, but on a positive note yields rose and debt was reduced.

Net loss deepened to NOK46 million from NOK 41 million in the first three months of 2012, while revenues decreased to NOK 386 million from NOK 448 million, mainly due to a fall in passenger days, parent company Bonheur ASA said in a statement.

“The UK cruise market continued to experience difficult economic conditions. Number of passenger days totaled 296 800 (330 373) for the quarter, partly offset by higher net ticket income per diem (6% higher than 1st quarter last year),” the company said.

The average spot price of fuel oil in the quarter was 5% lower compared to first quarter 2012. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines also reduced dent, to NOK822 million at the end of March from NOK 1.12 billion at the end of the same month last year.

The company did not give guidance for the rest of the year.