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Chantiers de l’Atlantique lays the keel of Ilma

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 23 March 2023 23 March 2023

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection celebrated an exciting milestone at a keel-laying ceremony held at world-renowned shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France. A longstanding maritime tradition, the keel-laying ceremony marks the official start of construction, as the first modular block of Ilma was lowered into the building dock.

“We are thrilled to celebrate this important milestone and to partner with Chantiers de l’Atlantique on the construction of Ilma,” commented Douglas Prothero, Chief Executive Officer for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. “As we expand our fleet, we look forward to continuing to create unique experiences that celebrate the yachting lifestyle and are transforming the luxury cruising category.”

Slated to debut in 2024, Ilma, meaning “water” in Maltese, will be the second yacht for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. The specially designed superyacht will feature the highest space and staff-to-guest ratios in the luxury cruise category. Ilma will measure 790-feet, feature 228 airy, light-filled suites, and can accommodate up to 456 passengers. The onboard experience will reflect the sublime comfort and legendary service for which The Ritz-Carlton brand is recognized. It will be the first yacht in the collection to utilize liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a fuel source – further positioning The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection as an innovator with the industry.

“Chantiers de l’Atlantique is very proud of its partnership with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection,” said Arnaud Le Joncour, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing for Chantiers de l'Atlantique. “Through this ceremony, we wish the best to Ilma during construction with the assurance that the vessel’s elegant design, quality materials, and environmental performance will position Ilma as a legendary symbol in a new era of luxury cruising.”

P&O Cruises becomes headline sponsor British TV awards

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 March 2023 22 March 2023

P&O Cruises, the UK focused contemporary market unit in the Carnival Corporation & plc group, said it is the new headline sponsor to the BAFTA Television Awards which will take place on May 14, 2023. “The multi-year partnership will include activity around the awards, as well as future activation on board the P&O Cruises fleet,” the company said in a statement.

As part of the partnership P&O Cruises will launch a ‘P&O Cruises Memorable Moment Award’, which will be the only award to be voted for by members of the viewing public. The award will honour the impact of television in the UK and its power to entertain, inform and bring the nation together. Voting for the six nominees will open in April 2023. The nominations will be decided by an independent industry jury, overseen by BAFTA.

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “We could not be more delighted to be working in partnership with BAFTA for the upcoming Television Awards. This headline sponsorship brings together two iconic British brands, both steeped in heritage and with huge synergies in entertainment and experience.”

“Just like holidays, TV provides escapism from the everyday and the BAFTA Television Award categories and nominees represent a huge variety, with programming and talent which truly celebrates the best of the best.”

Louise Robertson, Executive Director of Partnerships & Fundraising at BAFTA, said: “As Britain’s most popular cruise line, P&O Cruises is a distinctively British brand with history and heritage in the hearts and minds of all age groups.

“As an arts charity, we are very grateful to P&O Cruises for its generous support of the BAFTA Television Awards, enabling us to stage Britain’s biggest celebration of UK and international television – and look forward to developing our new partnership over the coming years to celebrate the people who bring this to life through their storytelling and production, and inspire the next generation of creative talent,” she concluded.

MSC Foundation enters coral reef conservation partnership

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 March 2023 22 March 2023

The MSC Foundation and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) today announced a new partnership to conserve and restore threatened coral reefs. "The announcement was made during Monaco Ocean Week, an event that brings experts and leaders from across the marine conservation community together to discuss key challenges facing the world's oceans," MSC Cruises said in a statement.

The MSC Foundation’s support will enable the completion of the comprehensive global assessment of the world’s coral species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species^TM. The Global Coral Biodiversity Assessment project aims to deliver concrete, actionable restoration plans for coral reefs, as well as the threatened species populating them.

The project will include identifying the most threatened species of coral and areas of reef; prioritising conservation and restoration actions based on the threats they face; and reporting the contribution that conserving these ecosystems makes to achieving the targets in the UN Global Biodiversity Framework, the company said.

Frank Del Rio to step down, Harry J. Sommer to lead NCLH

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 20 March 2023 20 March 2023

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, said that Frank J. Del Rio has decided to retire and step down from his position as the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and from its Board of Directors, effective June 30.

Del Rio will serve in a consultant capacity as a Senior Advisor to the Board through 2025. Harry J. Sommer, who has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the group’s contemporary market unit, since 2020, has been appointed to succeed Del Rio and will also join the company's Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2023.

David J. Herrera, who has served as Chief Consumer Sales and Marketing Officer of NCL since 2021, will succeed Sommer as President of NCL, effective April 1, 2023, the company said in a statement.

Del Rio has led the Company since 2015 and prior to that led Prestige Cruise International, Inc., or its predecessor, which operated Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, from 2002 until its acquisition by Norwegian. He founded Oceania Cruises in 2002, creating a new “upper premium” market space in the cruise industry. During his tenure, Del Rio successfully led the Company in welcoming eight new and innovative ships since 2015, introducing the Company’s second private island destination, Harvest Caye, and achieving industry-leading yields and financial results.

Sommer, who is 55, has more than 30 years of cruise industry experience across sales, marketing, revenue management, passenger services, itinerary development and international business development and operations. In addition to his role as President and Chief Executive Officer, NCL, Sommer expanded his responsibilities in recent months to include oversight for all of the Company’s other revenue-generating functional areas, including Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and the tri-branded Onboard Revenue department. Previously, he served as President, International and throughout his career also held executive roles at various cruise operators, NCLH said.

Silver Endeavour to receive all-new suite categories during upcoming refurbishment

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 19 March 2023 19 March 2023

Silversea Cruises has unveiled details of the upcoming refurbishment planned for Silver Endeavour, dubbed the world’s most luxurious expedition ship. Following a successful inaugural season in Antarctica, Silversea’s newest expedition ship will enter the San Giorgio del Porto shipyard in Genova, Italy, on April 3, 2023, emerging with an array of enhancements that will evolve the onboard and expedition experiences for guests. Responding to high demand for the ship’s most spacious accommodations, Silversea will craft six new upper suites on deck eight, as well as four new suites on deck five, introducing two new suite categories that will immerse travelers even deeper into the destination.

“Silver Endeavour’s refurbishment will strengthen her status as the world’s most luxurious expedition ship,” said Roberto Bruzzone, Silversea’s Senior Vice President of Marine Operations. “With our guests’ cruise experience in mind, we are broadening her range of accommodation options by introducing two new suite categories, enriching a selection of public venues, and creating space for addition crew members to maintain one of the industry’s highest crew-to-guest ratios. Building on the success of her inaugural Antarctic season, Silver Endeavour will welcome travelers in the Arctic from June 2023, offering deeper connections and greater destination reach than ever.”

10 new suites across two new categories

Replacing the former helicopter hangar amidships, Silversea will install two Master Suites and four Signature Suites, introducing two new suite categories to increase guests’ accommodation options. Starboard side on deck five, four Classic Veranda Suites will replace the Medical Centre, which will relocate to the space currently occupied by the Casino on deck four.

Master Suites – offering one of the strongest connections with the destination in ultra-luxury expedition cruising, Silver Endeavour’s two new Master Suites, located towards the ship’s aft, will provide uninterrupted, 270-degree views from their 29m2 (312ft2) verandas and large living areas, thanks to panoramic, vaulted glazing. Spacious, at 108m2 (1,163ft2), the two Master suites will feature expansive living and dining areas; perfectly proportioned bedrooms with king-sized or twin beds, and a walk-in closet; and a roomy bathroom with a walk-in shower, and separate whirlpool bath. The living room will include a convertible sofa to accommodate a third guest.

Signature Suites – Four new Signature Suites, ranging from 67m2 to 78m2 (721ft2-850ft2), will welcome guests in spacious luxury, offering an open living room and dining area; an expansive bedroom with king-sized or twin beds, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a walk-in closet; and an adjoining bathroom, complete with a generously sized walk-in shower, and whirlpool bath. The living room will include a convertible sofa to accommodate a third guest, as well as floor-to-ceiling glass doors offering far-reaching views. Spacious verandas of between 16m2 and 25m2 (167ft2-269ft2) will provide ideal spots from which guests can relax and admire the destination.

Classic Veranda Suites – Four Classic Veranda Suites will be installed on the ship’s starboard side on deck five, maintaining the traditional layout, features, and amenities of Silversea’s existing Veranda Suites. Each of the 33m2 (356ft2) suites will include a veranda of 5m2 (52ft2) and will welcome guests in the cruise line’s trademark level of comfort.

Moreover, the removal of the Casino on deck four will create space for four new crew cabins, which will host seven additional crew members to maintain Silversea’s unparalleled service standards and expedition experience. As well as bolstering the ship’s hotel team, the extra cabins will enlarge the ship’s expedition team to 22 – offering guests greater access to more specialists for a deeper immersion into the destination.

Upcoming enhancements will also include the installation of handcrafted Lalique crystal panels in La Dame—Silversea’s signature French restaurant, which offers guests one of the most elegant fine dining experiences at sea.

Taking guests deeper to Polar Region

Silver Endeavour’s inaugural season in Antarctica included numerous highlights that demonstrate her advanced expedition capabilities. On November 24, for example, Silver Endeavour became the season’s first cruise ship to cross the Antarctic Circle, journeying as far south as Marguerite Bay. Other highlights from her inaugural season include the first-ever naming ceremony in the spectacular Lemaire Channel; the Antarctica premiere of long-term Silversea collaborator Steve McCurry’s biopic, McCurry: The Pursuit of Color; and the meeting of three Silversea ships in the White Continent in December – Silver Endeavour, Silver Wind, and Silver Cloud.

Following Silver Endeavour’s refurbishment in Genova, she will undertake two voyages in the British Isles and Iceland, before embarking upon her inaugural Arctic season from June 3, with nine voyages set to include many of the Polar Region’s most remote destinations, including Pond Inlet, Cape York, and Qaanaaq, among others.