Brittany Ferries' new Galicia to serve between Portsmouth and Santander

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 30 August 2020 30 August 2020

Brittany Ferries has announced that its newest ship Galicia is to take to the seas linking the UK with Spain. And customers can already make bookings for travel aboard the brand-new ship next year.

Mewasuring in at over 40,000 gross tons, Galicia will be one of the largest ships ever to serve the company, and at 215 metres long she will be the longest. The ship is currently nearing completion at the CMJL shipyard in Weihai, China. Sea trials have successfully taken place, and she will shortly embark on the 10,000-mile voyage to Europe. On arrival Galicia will undergo a period of crew training and dry-docking for finishing touches, before welcoming first passengers on board as early as mid-December 2020.

“Fleet renewal is an integral part of our five-year recovery plan and Galicia’s arrival is the result of a commission made in happier times,” said Christophe Mathieu Brittany Ferries CEO. “That is why I am delighted to bring this good news story to our staff, freight drivers and passengers today. Our message is clear: we have invested in beautiful new ships. Given the right support to get through this terrible crisis Brittany Ferries can have a bright future, as well as a proud past.”

In a first for French-owned Brittany Ferries, Galicia has been built from the keel up with the ship’s Iberian destination at heart. A warm, relaxing and authentic Spanish holiday ambiance will fill the ship’s interiors, with décor, paintings, photography, sculptures and murals inviting passengers to take a journey through the towns, countryside and coastlines of northern Spain, and to delve into the rich artistic and cultural heritage of the region that bears her name. The theme will even extend to the food and drinks served on board, with authentic Spanish dishes and drinks on the menu in bars and restaurants.

Customers will enjoy a wide range of facilities aboard the new ship including a beach-themed Azul restaurant, the vibrant town-square-inspired Plaza Mayor bar, an authentic Taberna de Tapas, as well as a spacious boutique. Dining aboard will offer great value. And, in a first for Brittany Ferries, one dinner and continental breakfast will be included in the fare for all UK-Spain sailings.

Comfort, cosiness and style are central to the design and fit-out of Galicia, with special care and attention given to comfortable furniture, spacious en-suite cabins, large beds, stylish carpets, and chic fabrics. In another first for Brittany ferries the ship will host an exclusive airline-style premium lounge – a warm and welcoming space where drinks and snacks are included in the entrance fee.

As with all ships in the Brittany Ferries fleet, Galicia will offer the many benefits afforded by space, with wide corridors and staircases and roomy facilities presenting airy, easy layout allowing customers to find their way around with ease, and to feel at home right away. Large portholes reveal a vista of seascapes, whilst wide open sundecks will bring passengers sea-air, sunshine and the promise of outdoor exercise and a children’s play area. And at the heart of the ship a huge vehicle deck will host spacious parking for over three kilometers of cars and freight vehicles, with easy access for all.

The ship has also been designed with the environment and efficiency in mind. Particular attention has been given to Galicia’s fuel-efficient propulsion plant and its long, slender hull and bow, with fine lines giving excellent seakeeping in all weathers, and a significantly lower emissions footprint compared to other ships of a similar size. Her funnel will be fitted with latest closed-loop, exhaust-emission-scrubbers to strip particulate matter (soot) and harmful components, such as sulphur oxides (SOx) from airborne emissions.

Relaxed times, and timings

Timetables have been planned for maximum comfort and convenience for customers, with handy departure and arrival times with plenty of relaxing time aboard to soak up all the sights and richness of travel by sea. Galicia will operate two return trips a week between Portsmouth and Santander, departing Portsmouth on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Santander on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The crossing time is between 28 and 33 hours.

In addition, the ship will offer one weekly round trip between Portsmouth and Cherbourg, with overnight sailings departing Portsmouth on Sundays and Cherbourg on Mondays. Brittany Ferries’ Pont-Aven and Cap Finistère will also continue to sail between the UK and Spain, with up to seven weekly return sailings in total between the two countries.

“The arrival of Galicia will serve as a statement of our confidence in the future of ‘Spain without the plane’,” added Christophe Mathieu. “We started running ferry services from the UK to Spain in 1978, and – in a normal season – they are among our most popular crossings, with around 350,000 passengers per year. Customers know that Spain without the plane means freedom to explore, taking everything you need in your own car, motorhome or bike, and it starts with a fantastic voyage by sea.

“But this is the very first time in the history of Brittany Ferries that we have designed, themed and decorated a ship around Spain. Galicia is the first in an entirely new class of ship for Brittany Ferries, with two sister ships, Salamanca and Santoña coming in 2022 and 2023. We can’t wait to welcome the first customers on board, and to give them a true taste of Spain as they sail towards it in comfort and style.”

Windstar cancels remaining 2020 sailings

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 30 August 2020 30 August 2020

Windstar Cruises announced the cancellation of remaining 2020 cruises on August 27. "We have made the difficult decision to cancel our remaining cruises in 2020. We had hoped that the number of cases of COVID and episodes of transmission would be in decline by now, and that the world recovery from the pandemic would be faster, but based on what we are seeing, we believe the most prudent way forward to keep our guests and crew safe is to postpone all Windstar sailings until next year," the company said in a statement.

Guests on cancelled cruises will receive a Future Cruise Credit valued at 125% of all monies paid on the booking to Windstar Cruises. Guests who prefer a refund can request their FCC be converted to a refund equal to 100% of the monies paid to Windstar once they receive their FCC certificate. Guests will have 24 months from the issuance date of their FCC to book and embark on any available Windstar cruise using their FCC.

"During this temporary pause in operations, we are reviewing and updating our health and safety practices including enhanced sanitation protocols, health screenings, adding more medical staff on board, flexible dining, and crew training. Our new Beyond Ordinary Care program is a multi-layered strategy with key hospital-grade elements: HEPA filters and UV-C ultraviolet germicidal irradiation to filter and disinfect circulated air within our yachts, plus EvaClean with PurTab to sanitize all surfaces throughout our yachts."

Lindblad Expeditions raises $85 million from prominent investors to enhance financial flexibility and support long-term growth

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 27 August 2020 27 August 2020

Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. today reported that it has entered into an agreement with a group of investors, including MSD Partners, L.P., Durable Capital L.P., Headlands Capital, Deep Field Asset Management LLC and Declaration Capital, for the private placement of $85 million of convertible preferred stock.

“Since the global COVID-19 pandemic began, we have taken a variety of proactive measures to ensure that Lindblad is sufficiently capitalized to withstand this downturn and emerge in a position of strength,” commented Sven-Olof Lindblad, President and Chief Executive Officer. “I am happy to report that we have secured $85 million of additional capital from this outstanding, diversified group of experienced long-term investors.”

Lindblad continued, “We know our guests are eager to travel again and this investment provides us with additional financial flexibility as we prepare to return to exploring the world’s most remarkable destinations.”

The Investors have agreed to make an investment of $85 million in newly-issued convertible preferred stock that carries a 6.0% dividend, which is payable in kind for 2 years and thereafter in cash or in-kind at the Company’s option. The preferred stock is convertible into shares of Lindblad common stock at a conversion price of $9.50 per share, representing a premium of 23% to Lindblad’s 30-trading day volume-weighted average price. On an as-converted basis, the preferred stock will represent approximately 15.5% of the pro forma common shares outstanding.

“We were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response to this offering and are thrilled to add such a high- quality set of value-add investors supporting the company,” said Mark Ein, Lindblad’s Chairman of the Board. “We believe this capital will not only secure our return to operations but, along with support from our committed investor base, will also position us to be offensive in pursuing opportunities to accelerate the growth of our platform coming out of the pandemic.”

“Lindblad Expeditions is a world-class franchise with a unique offering of expedition travel experiences. We have admired the company and its team for many years and are excited to partner with them at this time,” said Dan Bitar, a representative of MSD.

The net proceeds from the investment will be used for general corporate purposes. On a pro forma basis, Lindblad’s liquidity position at June 30, 2020 would have been approximately $187 million when factoring in this $85 million investment from the Investors.

Lindblad was represented in the transaction by Citigroup Global Markets Inc., as placement agent, and Latham & Watkins LLP, as legal advisor.

Silver Spirit receives CIP-M certification from DNV-GL

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 25 August 2020 25 August 2020

Awarded on August 24th, Silversea’s ultra-luxury Silver Spirit has become the first ultra-luxury cruise ship to sail with a certification in infection prevention for maritime (CIP-M) from DNV GL, the world’s leading classification society. The certification of Silversea demonstrates the cruise line’s commitment to enhancing its onboard sanitation protocols to further protect the health, safety and wellbeing of its guests and crew.

The CIP-M programme is built on DNV GL Healthcare’s expertise in infection risk management. Using the experience from over 4,000 audits in more than 640 hospitals worldwide, experts from DNV GL Maritime’s Cruise Center in Miami and leading medical professionals, tailored the existing infection prevention programme for hospitals to meet the needs of shipowners and operators. The certification is built on a unique combination of technical maritime knowledge and infection prevention expertise and is the most comprehensive infection prevention certification available in the maritime industry.

“We are proud to become the first ultra-luxury cruise line to gain the certification in infection prevention for maritime, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of our guests, crew and the destinations we visit,” says Roberto Martinoli, Silversea’s President and CEO. “Informed by the work of the Royal Caribbean Group’s Healthy Sail Panel, we are working hard to enhance our already exceptional sanitation procedures on board. Beginning with Silver Spirit, we will continue to work with DNV GL to gain certification across the rest of our fleet to provide the safest possible conditions for our healthy return to sailing, when the time is right to do so.”

Silver Spirit’s new three-year certification is tailored to the ship and has been awarded following a close audit of all aspects of operations. After an initial company audit that concluded on August 5th, a comprehensive onboard survey was completed on August 14th, 2020. Focus areas of the audits included:
• The cruise line’s COVID-19 outbreak prevention and response plan,
• infection prevention leadership and communication flow,
• medical equipment management,
• and infection risk management processes.

“We are pleased to award Silversea our Certification in Infection Prevention (CIP-M) for Maritime, which was developed as a holistic solution to the protracted pressures facing the maritime and cruise industries,” says Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL – Maritime. “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create a high level of public concern about the maintenance of health and safety on board cruise ships, we hope that our new certification will serve the dual purpose of helping to build passenger and crew confidence while also enhancing the cruise industry’s HSE standards.”

Through annual surveys on board and company audits ashore, DNV GL verifies that a company maintains a detailed operational plan in compliance with the CIP-M requirements. Integrating maritime specific standards, such as the US CDC Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), DNV GL’s teams of healthcare experts perform the certification surveys in combination with experienced maritime auditors, resulting in an unrivalled depth of expertise.