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Cruise Ship Interiors Expo Miami welcomes thousands of attendees to launch event

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 July 2019 11 July 2019

Cruise Ship Interiors Expo Miami, the world’s first highly focused event dedicated exclusively to interior design, architecture, and outfitting in the cruise industry, welcomed the entire cruise interiors community under one roof on June 19 and 20, 2019, at the Miami Beach Convention Center, FL, USA.

The inaugural event opened its doors to more than 2,800 industry delegates from 43 countries. Twenty-three per cent of attendees held C-level job titles, while 20% were lead architects or designers. Attending companies included Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Fincantieri, Holland America Group, and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. The reception on-site was unprecedented, with the event receiving an impressive 120% rebookings on-site.

The brand’s launch event was met with high praise from the industry, with Shores Global’s CEO Susan Sadolin commenting, “The quality of visitors on day one was extremely high. We saw everybody we wanted to see and, as a result, we are developing an entire new collection for cruise lines.”

Kickstarting the event on June 18 at the New World Center in Miami, VIPs and exhibitors came together for an evening of networking, complimentary drinks, and live painting by James R Hahn at the Official Launch Party, sponsored by Bolidt, Global Marine Travel, Janus et Cie, and Somec Group.

After a successful evening of reconnecting with industry peers and making new acquaintances, attendees flooded into the expo hall at 9.30am the following day to meet with 250+ marine interior brands. The expo hall quickly filled up with cruise lines execs, senior interior designers, shipyard and outfitting experts, and IMO-certified suppliers.

“This event is something that we need. The market is changing and for the interiors industry there is nothing else like this," said Antonio di Nenno, lead architect, MSC Cruises

Meanwhile, hundreds of delegates gathered for the first conference session of the day, ‘Cruise Industry Outlook: Leaders’ Debate,’ where speakers from Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, and MSC Cruises were welcomed to the stage by chair & associate professor of interior architecture at Florida International University Newton D’souza. It was standing room only as the session got under way.

Day two highlights included international president of NEWH Cindy Guthrie presenting Brennan Broome with a design scholarship sponsored by Cruise Ship Interiors Expo. Even more networking took place at Studio DADO’s VIP breakfast and, later in the day, at Trimline’s exclusive party.

“There is a definite need for this show. That seems to be the excitement from everyone involved.," said Petu Kummala, senior director of interior design and architecture, Carnival Cruise Line

After a laudable first event, Cruise Ship Interiors Expo attendees left with brand new connections, reaffirmed partnerships, fresh inspiration, and a host of new clients.

Royal Caribbean returns to New Orleans year-round in 2020

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 10 July 2019 10 July 2019

Royal Caribbean International will sail year-round from New Orleans when Majesty of the Seas arrives to her new homeport in January 2020, offering more itineraries from the Big Easy than ever before. Embarking on 7-night cruises, vacationers will visit bucket list-worthy beaches in The Bahamas and catch big thrills at Perfect Day at CocoCay – Royal Caribbean’s newly reimagined private island that features a combination of first-of-their-kind thrills and one-of-a-kind ways to chill. Cruises from New Orleans on board Majesty are now open to book for itineraries departing through April 2020. Sailings departing from May 2020 through April 2021 will be open to book the week of July 22, 2019.

Empress of the Seas will continue to depart from Miami, adding Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands as a new destination for the global cruise line. Famed for hidden grottos and giant boulders, the idyllic island offers sun-soaked discovery for adventure seekers of all types. Empress’ 6- to 8-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings will also visit Mexico, Belize and The Bahamas, as well as Perfect Day at CocoCay on select itineraries. Cruises on Empress departing from January through April 2020 are now available to book. Details for the ship’s 2020-21 deployment will be announced and available to book in the upcoming weeks.

Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, was unveiled in May 2019 following a $250 million transformation. Exclusive to Royal Caribbean guests, Perfect Day at CocoCay forever changes what is possible in a vacation destination with an iconic lineup of action-packed adventures and relaxing island amenities, including Thrill Waterpark with 13 jaw-dropping waterslides, like Daredevil’s Peak – the tallest waterslide in North America; Oasis Lagoon, the Caribbean’s largest freshwater pool; the largest wave pool in the Caribbean; Up, Up & Away, the helium balloon that can soar up to 450 feet in the air; and Chill Island for some beach R&R.

Duchess of Cornwall named Spirit of Discovery in Dover 5 July

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 08 July 2019 08 July 2019

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall named Spirit of Discovery, the first of two cruise ships of Saga Cruises, in the UK port of Dover on 5 July.

Spirit of Discovery was the first cruise ship to be named at the Port of Dover for over a decade and the first to be docked at Dover Western Docks following the £250 million redevelopment of the area.

The Duchess toured the ship before the ceremony. In building Spirit of Discovery, classic and contemporary materials and furnishings have been combined to create a luxurious environment.

The 1,000 plus pieces of art on board will include 400 original pieces commissioned from British based artists and artisans. Hush Heath, an independent wine producer from Kent, will provide a jeroboam of their sparkling wine for the naming ceremony that has been specially blended for Spirit of Discovery, Saga Cruises said in a statement.

Tillberg Design of Sweden: focus on sustainability, timelessness on Roald Amundsen

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 08 July 2019 08 July 2019

Tillberg Design of Sweden (TDoS) that designed the interiors of the hybrid powered expedition cruise ship Roald Amundsen of Hurtigruten, the Norwegian operator, says that timeless and sustainability were key in the work on the ship.

“The essential focus in the design for Hurtigruten's new cruise ship has been sustainable and timeless design throughout the whole ship. With only functional solutions and natural true Scandinavian materials the guests are given the very best sustainable experience at sea,” said Daniel Nerhagen, TDoS Partner & Project Director for Roald Amundsen in a statement.

Roald Amundsen is the first cruise ship able to operate on battery power. When using its battery packs, it enables her to move silently through sensitive wild life areas without a trace. It was built at the Kleven shipyard that is now owned by Hurtigruten. A second ship, to be called Fridtjof Nansen, is due for delivery next year.

“This opens a new chapter in maritime history. MS Roald Amundsen is the first cruise ship equipped with batteries, something deemed impossible just a few years back. With the introduction of MS Roald Amundsen, Hurtigruten sets a new standard not only for cruising, but for the entire shipping industry to follow,” said Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam.

“The MS Roald Amundsen is designed and built with sustainability at core of every little detail. In addition to the green technology, this makes her the first cruise ship in the world designed to be single-use plastic free. Sustainability will also be an integral part of the guest experience. From the hand-picked Hurtigruten Expedition Team to the industry-first Science Center, we will give the guests a deeper understanding of the areas we explore,” added Skjeldam.

Hurtigruten Captain Kai Albrigtsen was at helm as MS Roald Amundsen left the Kleven yard for her maiden voyage along the Norwegian coast. “The Roald Amundsen is a 'Green Pioneer' and to captain a new ship and bring her from the shipyard is always an honor," said Albrigtsen.

Roald Amundsen, can take 500 passengers and is designed to sail in harsh climate waters. Named after the Norwegian explorer who navigated the Northwest Passage in 1903-1906 and was first to reach the South Pole in 1911.

Asia Pacific overtook Europe in 2018 as second most important passenger source

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 04 July 2019 04 July 2019

Asia Pacific has overtaken Europe as the second most important source region for cruise passengers, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL) said in its 2018 annual report.

The number of Europeans that took a cruise increased by 3.0% to 6.99 million last year, while the Asia-Pacific region experienced a 29.4% increase, to 7.00 million, RCCL said.

“Industry cruise guests sourced from the Asia/Pacific region represented approximately 25% of global cruise guests in 2018. The compound annual growth rate in cruise guests sourced from this market was approximately 31% from 2014 to 2018. The Asia/Pacific region is experiencing the highest growth rate of the major regions, although it represents a relatively small sector compared to North America,” RCCL said.

“Industry cruise guests sourced from Europe represented approximately 25% of global cruise guests in 2018. The compound annual growth rate in cruise guests sourced from this market was approximately 2% from 2014 to 2018,” RCCL continued.

North America produced 13.0 million passengers last year, an increase of some 200,000 on the previous year, according to RCCL figures.