Quark Expeditions names its newbuild Ultramarine

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 05 June 2019 05 June 2019

Quark Expeditions, the leader in polar adventures operating exclusively in the Arctic and Antarctica, yesterday announced the name of their new polar expedition ship scheduled to set sail late in 2020. The technologically-advanced vessel will be named Ultramarine.

"The highly-anticipated new ship takes its name from the precious color of the same name: ultramarine, which means “beyond the sea.” These words, of course, speak to the very ethos of Quark Expeditions, which for the last three decades has been committed to helping people go beyond the predictable in polar exploration, to experience life-changing polar moments they never thought possible," the company said in a statement.

“We picked the name Ultramarine because it links us directly to the sea, which of course is integral to our identity,” said Andrew White, President of Quark Expeditions. “But the word ‘ultra,’ especially by its modern-day definition, ‘beyond what is ordinary,’ reflects our signature approach to polar exploration. We create expedition experiences that go beyond what others in the industry can offer – especially in terms of off-ship experiences. Ultramarine has been designed in a way that will continue to allow us to go beyond and take people to places no one else can.”

In a league of its own, Ultramarine will combine leading-edge technology and advanced safety systems that will allow passengers to get off the ship and deeper into the polar wilderness faster than ever before. The features of this advanced polar vessel will allow Quark Expeditions to continue to redefine what’s possible in the Polar Regions:

– Two twin-engine helicopters and two helidecks: The helicopters on Ultramarine will be the safest and most capable helicopters in the Polar Regions. These robust twin-engine helicopters – which will have exceptional viewing spaces and exceed all industry standards for safety – will allow passengers to experience epic aerial perspectives of the Polar Regions and landings only accessible by air.
– The industry’s largest selection of adventure options: Ultramarine will be the only ship in the polar waters to offer every off-ship adventure in Quark Expeditions’ robust adventure activity portfolio – including sea kayaking, paddling, hiking, mountaineering, cross-country skiing, stand up paddle boarding and now, for the first time ever, helicopter flight-seeing, heli-hiking and heli-skiing.
– Twenty quick-deploy Zodiacs: Ultramarine will house 20 Zodiacs, located close to the waterline, which can be quickly deployed from both sides of the vessel at four embarkation points that will be easily accessible from two passenger ready rooms, allowing guests to get off the ship in less than 20 minutes – which is half the industry average – to enjoy more spontaneous off-ship adventures than previously possible.
– Best-in-class 70-day operational range: Optimized fuel, water, provisioning, and waste-handling systems will enable a best-in-class, 70-day operational range that will allow Ultramarine to offer up a completely new set of polar experiences from exploring innovative itineraries to new, seldom-seen landing sites.
– Advanced sustainability features: In keeping with Quark Expeditions’ recently unveiled Polar Promise sustainability framework, Ultramarine will include technical features that will minimize the ship’s environmental footprint to an extent previously unseen for a vessel of this size. It will also include environmentally-friendly innovations such as dynamic positioning, which will eliminate the need to drop anchor in sensitive seabed areas.

“Ultramarine will be an unrivaled operational base for polar adventures,” said White. “This new vessel – in the hands of the most experienced team in the expedition industry – will allow our guests to go further into the Polar Regions than ever before while maintaining the same respect for nature that has always been paramount to us. Ultramarine will allow our guests to spend their days embracing the off-ship adventures that have made Quark Expeditions so popular. And once back on the ship after a day of polar exploration, they will be able to rest, relax and rejuvenate in a high-end, modern contemporary space.”

The inaugural season for Ultramarine is expected to go on sale this summer. The first voyages will set sail in the Antarctic 2020.21 season.

Commentary – Cuba cruise ban to affect premium pricing, smaller ships and Global Ports Holding

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 05 June 2019 05 June 2019

Norwegian Sky docked in Havana cruise terminal (Photo credit: Teijo Niemela)

A decision of the U.S. to ban cruises from the country to Cuba will affect the cruise industry at least in three aspects.

Firstly, itineraries that have included calls at Cuban ports have commanded a premium over ones that do not. Revised itineraries of the ships involved should lose this premium.

Many Cuban ports have restrictions to the size of cruise ships they can accept alongside. This has provided attractive utilisation for smaller and older tonnage. The cruise ban may accelerate disposals of older vessels from major fleets, given high order books.

The ban should also negatively impact Global Ports Holding, the Istanbul-based port operator that in May 2018 signed a 15-year agreement to operate cruise facilities in Havana. The plan was to increase the number of cruise ship berths to six in 2024 from the present two.

Spectrum of the Seas named in Shanghai

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 03 June 2019 03 June 2019

Spectrum of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International’s newest ship, made its debut in China today. The first Quantum Ultra Class ship sailed into Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal in Shanghai after completing a 46-night Global Odyssey that spanned 17 cities. In honor of Spectrum arriving to her new home, the cruise line held a grand naming ceremony with Chinese celebrities and Royal Caribbean brand ambassadors, Xiaoming Huang and Angelababy, in attendance. Honored with the lifetime role of Godparents, the popular couple were on hand to name the ship and bestow a blessing of safekeeping over all those who sail on her.

Spectrum’s historic milestone is on the heels of Royal Caribbean’s 10th anniversary in China. Building on years of success with Quantum and Ovation of the Seas, the arrival of the largest and most expensive cruise ship in Asia will continue to raise the bar and lead the Chinese cruise industry into a new era.

“Royal Caribbean has always been known for innovating and pushing the boundaries, and Spectrum of the Seas is a great example of this,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Spectrum brings to life the best of Royal Caribbean along with curated experiences for our Chinese consumers.”

Custom built for the Chinese market, Spectrum of the Seas features bold and unexpected experiences, including the cruise line’s first private enclave for suite guests, new stateroom categories, innovative dining concepts, and stunning features and experiences – many of which have never before been seen at sea.

Viking Line celebrates Viking Glory's keel laying in China

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 03 June 2019 03 June 2019

The construction of Viking Glory is proceeding on schedule. The keel laying ceremony took place on June 3 at the Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry shipyard in China. The new eco-friendly ship will begin operating along the Turku-Åland-Stockholm route in 2021. Passengers can make bookings for the ship from December 2019.

The keel laying ceremony is an old shipbuilding tradition, in which coins are placed under the keel of the ship to bring luck during the construction phase. In the ceremony, the first section of the ship is lowered onto the keel blocks on which the lucky coins have been placed. The keel laying ceremony symbolises the birth of the ship; the point at which the first section is complete and the other sections can then be joined together. Once the ship is ready for launch, the lucky coins under its keel are recovered and stored until they can be later welded to the base of the ship’s mast.

The eco-friendly ship Viking Glory will offer passengers unprecedented archipelago views and has already stirred a great deal of interest in Finland and Sweden. The name competition held in April produced more than 22,000 name suggestions. Viking Line will start taking bookings for the new ship in December of this year.