Fincantieri unhappy over rumoured investigation of Chantiers de l’ Atlantique deal

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 30 October 2019 30 October 2019

Fincantieri, the Italian shipbuilder that is a major builder of cruise ships, has raised concerns over rumoured EU antitrust investigation into its acquisition of a 50% stake in the French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique, unveiled earlier this year.

“With reference to the rumours published by several media on the alleged decision by the EU antitrust authorities to commence a further in-depth analysis of the Fincantieri/Chantiers de l’Atlantique transaction, Fincantieri strongly disapproves of such rumours, which have also negatively affected its share price today,” Fincantieri said in a statement.

According to the agreement between Fincantieri and the French government, will acquire a 50% stake in Chantiers de l’Atlantique, which has a large shipyard in St Nazaire, from the French state, which also agreed to lend a 1% stake to Fincantieri to allow it to take effective control on condition the company makes commitments on jobs, governance and intellectual property, Reuters reports.

"Fincantieri expresses its firm disapproval of such decision, if confirmed, particularly in case it were based on the alleged reduction of the European players from three to two, as previously reported. Following the transaction, there would still be three cruise shipbuilders in Europe, as opposed to the current four," the Italian shipbuilder said.

The four cruise shipbuilders Fincantieri refers to are itself, Chantiers de l Atlantique in France, Meyer Werft in Germany and Meyer Turku Shipyard in Finland. The two Meyer yards are separate legal entities, but they are controlled by the same interests.

Full orderbooks divert attention to ship upgrades – Wärtsilä

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 29 October 2019 29 October 2019

Full orderbooks at cruise ship building yards are turning the attention of owners to upgrade their existing vessels instead of placing further newbuilding orders, according to the Finnish technology group Wärtsilä tht has extensive foothold in the marine sector.

“Newbuild orders in all the major vessel segments have declined, with LNG carrier and cruise vessel segments being the least affected,” the company said in its third quarter interim report..

“Demand for larger cruise vessels has stabilised following the contracting of most of the major fleet replacement programs and the increased interest in the refurbishment of the existing fleet due to capacity constraints at shipyards,” the company said.

The outlook in the Marine Business was soft due to lower vessel contracting volumes and a decline in the demand for scrubber solutions from last year’s exceptionally high level. However, activity in the marine services market is expected to be stable, the company concluded.

Victory Cruise Lines renews contract with CMI-Leisure

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 24 October 2019 24 October 2019

Victory Cruise Lines has announced its continued partnership with CMI-Leisure following the success of its inaugural season under the management of American Queen Steamboat Company, a Hornblower® Families Company. Committed to small-ship cruising on the Great Lakes, North American and Canadian coasts, Victory Cruise Lines’ Victory I and sister ship Victory II were acquired by American Queen Steamboat Company in January 2019 and began its inaugural season in May 2019 with the customized hotel management services of CMI-Leisure.

“By working closely with travel partners, like CMI-Leisure, we are able to offer guests an elevated experience while on board our ships,” stated Sarah Neelis, Manager of Hotel Operations for American Queen Steamboat Company.

Specializing in hotel operations, provisioning, crewing and logistics, CMI-Leisure’s meticulous attention to detail has established the brand as a leading hotel concessionaire in the small-ship expedition and cruise market. CMI-Leisure’s expertise in high-quality and cost-efficient leisure management enabled Victory Cruise Lines to seamlessly maintain its superior standards for customer service and experiential travel that can be found across the entire American Queen Steamboat Company fleet.

“The CMI-Leisure team was instrumental in the success of our first season,” shared David Kelly, Executive Vice President for American Queen Steamboat Company. “The overall customer satisfaction scores to date for both Victory ships averaged 9.48 out of ten, due in large part to our day-to-day operations with CMI-Leisure. We look forward to renewing our partnership, as we look to the 2020 season.”

Victory Cruise Lines will welcome a wide range of new offerings in 2020, including six new itineraries highlighting the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway and coastal New England and a number of premium shore excursion upgrades, as well as pre- and post-cruise stays. The 2020 season will begin April 24 and extend through October. In addition, Victory Cruise Lines will also unveil new itineraries for the currently under-construction Ocean Victory, which will offer expedition cruising in Alaska for the 2021 season.

“Our goal is to deliver turn-key hotel management and hospitality services for our CMI-serviced ships,” said Dietmar R. Wertanzl, President and CEO of CMI-Leisure. “As Victory Cruise Lines expands its offerings in 2020 with new and enhanced itineraries, we will continue to implement innovative solutions that encompass the unique needs of the lines’ distinctive voyages.”

The Victory I and Victory II joined the American Queen Steamboat Company fleet under the Victory Cruise name, alongside the flagship American Queen and the 166-guest boutique paddlewheeler American Duchess sailing the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, as well as the American Empress in the Pacific Northwest. Upcoming for the cruise line, the new American Countess will debut in 2020 on the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee Rivers and the Ocean Victory, currently under construction, will make her maiden expedition voyage to Alaska in 2021.

RCCL unveils Odyssey of the Seas details

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 24 October 2019 24 October 2019

Royal Caribbean International, the contemporary market unit in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd group, said Odyssey of the Seas that will be the first Quantum Ultra Class ship to arrive in North America will tout a brand-new look to match the fleet's most action-packed top deck to date, and a mix of record-holding hits and groundbreaking firsts for a game-changing cruise vacation.

“Odyssey's dialed-up onboard adventures, two-level pool deck designed for downtime under the sun and stars, and a collection of restaurants primed to please every palate will all be set against some of the world's most picturesque backdrops, including the vibrant islands of the Caribbean and idyllic coasts of the eastern Mediterranean,” the company said in a statement.

The ship, which will be built at the Meyer Werft in Germany, will enter service in the autumn of 2020, when it will commence a series of cruises from Ft Lauderdale. In the following summer, the ship will redeploy to the Mediterranean.