Guests and crew of German cruise ship AIDAbella enjoy Victoria Harbour Fireworks and New Year Party

As Hong Kong's picturesque Victoria Harbour came alive with a 12-minute New Year Countdown Firework Musical, about 2,000 passengers of German cruise ship AIDAbella berthed at Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui took their “front-row seats” on deck to herald in the New Year in a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The pyrotechnic show themed “New Year New Legend”, playing out in a 1,300-metre stretch extending from Central to Causeway Bay, was the biggest and longest yet taking centre-stage at iconic Victoria Harbour. Hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors packed the vantage points along both sides of the harbour to farewell 2023 and ring in 2024.

On the open deck of AIDAbella, cruise guests could relax to enjoy unobstructed views and best camera angles of the firework extravaganza, set against the spectacular skyline of the city that has been made ever more vibrant with festive lights and decorations.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board made the countdown party for AIDAbella guests all the merrier with a New Year Countdown Celebration party onboard, featuring a host of traditional Chinese craft demonstrations and performances.

In the Hong Kong-themed party from 10pm to midnight, the ship’s open deck was lined with stalls offering local treats like dragon beard candy and Chinese cookies, and demonstration of crafts such as calligraphy on paper fan, Chinese rainbow calligraphy and flour doll-making. Captivating cultural performances were also staged – the energetic LED lion dance was symbolic of Hong Kong's diverse cultural scene, and the harmonic duet performances pairing traditional Chinese instruments mesmerised the audience with rich artistic expression in Chinese style.

AIDAbella perfectly timed her Hong Kong port call for her guests to join in the greatest show of the year in Hong Kong right at the world-famous Victoria Harbour. The specially curated New Year Countdown Celebration party onboard infused with local flavours exemplified how cruise passengers get twice as much fun with the integration of major onshore events with culturally rich activities onboard.

Throughout the year in Hong Kong, renowned as the event capital of Asia, there is a robust lineup of world-class art exhibitions, sports events and cultural festivals that can enrich the onshore experiences for international cruise passengers to immerse themselves in the vibrant culture and dynamic spirit of Hong Kong.

American Cruise Lines continues its ambitious newbuilding program

American Cruise Lines has announced that it currently has five more new ships under construction, all scheduled for delivery over the next two years. These are in addition to the three ships the company took delivery of this year. All five ships will be for the U.S. market and will include a mix of American Riverboats and Coastal Cats. The new ships will further American’s expansion on the coasts and renew its focus on the Mississippi and Columbia Rivers, where the Line’s acclaimed modern riverboats lead the U.S. market.

American Cruise Lines has specialized in river and small ship cruising for over 50 years and has ordered the vast majority of all American-built cruise ships during that time. The company operates the only fleet of 100% U.S. registered riverboats and cruise ships in the world.

“The new contract is an exciting expansion of the American Cruise Lines fleet,” said Charles B. Robertson, President & CEO of American Cruise Lines. “After several years building the coastal fleet, we are once again ready to begin building out the U.S. River cruise capacity.”

The new ships will be built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, MD; more details, including schedules, will be available in the first quarter of 2024.

Margaritaville at Sea acquires Costa Atlantica to start sailings from Tampa

Margaritaville at Sea is offering an entirely new way to float into island time aboard their new flagship vessel, the Margaritaville at Sea Islander. Starting June 14, 2024, the fully-reimagined ship will sail 4- and 5-night cruises with stops in Key West, Cozumel, and Progreso, expanding the growing cruise line’s itinerary availability to the Gulf of Mexico along with entertainment-packed sea days designed to fully immerse guests in the Margaritaville state of mind. Guests can reserve 2024 sailings online starting today and take advantage of exclusive preview incentives available for a limited time.

“Since we launched our first ship, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, last year, we’ve been working to expand what our guests have been asking for: more amazing views, longer itineraries, and new ports of call,” said Christopher Ivy, CEO of Margaritaville at Sea. “The addition of the Islander is an exciting moment for Margaritaville at Sea and marks the next chapter of growth for our business.” Christopher continued, “We are also pleased to add Tampa as a new homeport – the perfect location to provide access to our adventurous new itineraries in and around the Gulf of Mexico.”

“We’re honored Margaritaville at Sea has chosen Port Tampa Bay to homeport this new addition to their fleet and we welcome them to the Gulf Coast,” said Paul Anderson, President and CEO of Port Tampa Bay. “Our port’s cruise terminals are easy to navigate and provide a variety of unique and interesting activities just steps from the Margaritaville at Sea Islander. The ship will be a great addition to our portfolio of cruise lines and a fantastic new option for cruisers from Florida’s west coast.”

The Margaritaville at Sea Islander spans 12 passenger decks accommodating 2,650 passengers and was originally built for Costa Cruises. Currently undergoing an extensive transformation, Margaritaville at Sea will fully redesign all 1,100 staterooms with custom styling reminiscent of the sand, sea and sky and all new furnishings including Margaritaville’s signature bedding, pillows, and linens. With more than 700 Breezy Balcony staterooms, Grand Terrace Suites, luxurious Corner Suites, and ultra-exclusive Islander suites, couples, families, and friends alike can chase the sunset from their spacious balconies with endless gulf breezes.

The ship will feature a soaring 14-story atrium with a unique nautical Margaritaville flip flop and a lively atrium bar with three awe-inspiring multi-story floating margarita glass chandeliers. Exclusive innovations like the only three-story poolside LandShark Bar at Sea and a Margaritaville-inspired cornhole and mini-golf course alongside new family-friendly spaces like the Caribbean Amphibian Splash and Slide and signature favorites like JWB Prime Steakhouse and Rita’s Taco House will make sailing aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Islander a journey of discovery. The more than 250,000 guests who have sailed aboard the Palm Beach-based Margaritaville at Sea Paradise will find several familiar favorites, including Paradise Pickleball at Sea, Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria, Margaritaville Coffee Shop, and Cheeseburger in Paradise, surrounded by unforgettable new spaces and experiences to explore.

“We are excited to expand our cruise line with the launch of Margaritaville at Sea Islander as our flagship vessel,” said John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville Holdings. “The addition of this ship will allow our guests to visit more island destinations and, while at sea, enjoy a broader and more elevated range fun and signature Margaritaville onboard experiences.”

Margaritaville at Sea Islander’s first available sailing will be June 14, 2024 on a 4-night itinerary from Port Tampa Bay, Florida featuring a stop in Cozumel, Mexico and two sea days.

Meyer Turku delivers the world's largest cruise ship Icon of the Seas

Meyer Turku has today delivered the cruise ship Icon of the Seas to Royal Caribbean International. "Icon of the Seas is the world's most advanced and its owner's most environmentally friendly cruise ship. The ship will leave the Meyer Turku shipyard during the current week and will start its first voyage from Miami in January 2024," the shipyard stated in its press release.

Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku, commented on the handover of Icon of the Seas as a significant moment in the shipyard's history:

"Icon of the Seas is the world's largest, but above all, the world's most advanced cruise ship. Together with Royal Caribbean, we set the bar exceptionally high in terms of design, technology, safety and reducing energy consumption.

Icon of the Seas is a revolutionary ship and at the same time a significant step towards the green transition, which is the shipyard's most important competitive advantage. Such a demanding project has only been possible because we cooperate closely within the maritime cluster. In particular, I would like to highlight the finishing expertise of our supply chain. I am extremely proud of the people of Meyer Turku and everyone who has participated in this project."

In what has been estimated to be the most complex project in the industrial history of Finland, several smaller, yet huge sub-projects fit inside. They are good examples of the strength of cooperation between Meyer Turku and partner companies. These include, among other things

– AquaDome, the heaviest and in terms of surface area largest glass-steel structure ever lifted onto a ship

– Pearl, a 15-meter-diameter round thrill staircase that is part of the ship's load-bearing structure

(Article continues below the AquaDome image -- photo credit: Christer Gorschelnik)

"Today we are celebrating much more than just a ship being completed. We also celebrate that the innovations and dreams created by Royal Caribbean during over 50 years have reached a new peak. Icon of the Seas represents everything that can be achieved in responsible vacationing thanks to commitment and strong partnerships. We thank Meyer Turku and the shipyard's incredibly competent partner network with whom we have done this work. The memories of the millions who will travel on Icon will be our greatest achievement to date," says Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty.

Royal Caribbean International markets Icon of the Seas as an unprecedented vacation experience with something for everyone. The ship's eight different themed areas include the largest water park in the seas, the Central Park consisting of living plants, the AquaTheatre offering water acrobatics entertainment, and forty different places to eat.

Icon of the Seas will depart for its first customer cruise from its home PortMiami at the end of January. At that time, there will also be published more footage from the interior of the ship. Icon of the Seas will regularly cruise in the Caribbean.

The hull assembly of the second ship in the series, Star of the Seas, will begin at the Meyer Turku shipyard in December.

MSC Cruises confirms orders with Chantiers de l'Atlantique for two World-class ships

MSC Cruises today confirmed the order of two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered vessels with French ship builder Chantiers de l’Atlantique. This sees the two World Class options confirmed as firm orders with an option for a fifth ship. The two new ordered vessels – currently referred to as World Class 3 and 4 - will be delivered in 2026 and 2027.

MSC World Europa and MSC World America are already the most energy efficient ships in the industry performing significantly better than the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) requirement, and the new ships will be an evolution of the state-of-the-art World Class prototype with innovative solutions to maximise the energy efficiency, with extensive use of heat recovery and other technological solutions, which will see the vessels having an even further reduced carbon footprint. In addition, the new ships will be ready for a variety of alternative fuels including bio and synthetic methane and green methanol. The ships will also be fitted with the next generation dual fuel internal combustion engines with reduced methane slip.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises, said, “We are proud to continue our 20-year partnership with the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, with whom we have already built 18 ships with our 19th under construction. The World Class is a truly innovative prototype and together we are building some of the most advanced ships in the world. We are committed to researching and investing in future environmental technologies as they become available, to ensure we continue progressing on our decarbonisation journey to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”

Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique added, “At a difficult time for the European shipbuilding industry, MSC Cruises has shown its confidence in our abilities and skills with this order. We would therefore like to express our gratitude to MSC Cruises for its renewed confidence at this crucial time. In addition, MSC Cruises, always seeking to reduce the environmental impact of its ships quickly and significantly, has accepted a significant cost premium to improve the energy efficiency of these new ships which, according to the IMO's EEDI index, will emit 50% less CO2 than the IMO's 2008 benchmark.”

Castaing continued, “We would also like to thank our government, whose support for our R&D policy to make our ships greener has enabled us to meet the customer's expectations for this order.”

The new World Class vessels will feature shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce carbon emissions in port, the most advanced wastewater treatment systems designed in line with the IMO, new advances in waste management, and a comprehensive range of onboard energy efficient equipment to optimise engine use and hotel energy needs to further reduce emissions.

The two new orders will be subject to access to financing, as per industry practice.