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Cruise ships to Venice to be diverted from scenic Giudecca Canal – report

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

Cruise ships on their way into and out of Venice would be gradually diverted away from the scenic Giudecca Canal, the Financial Times reports.

“Danilo Toninelli, minister for transport, said on Wednesday that the cruise ships would gradually be diverted away from the existing route,” the London based paper said on its website..

Toninelli was xcited as saying he had been looking for a variety of temporary ports “to avoid witnessing more invasions of the Giudecca by these floating palaces, with the scandals and risks that they bring”.

Starting from next month until the end of the year, the minister said that some liners would dock at Fusina and Lombardia terminals away from the centre of Venice but still inside the city’s lagoon. By next year a third of cruise ships will be rerouted, the report said.

Many local residents have objected to the large cruise ships sailing through the Giudecca Canal that passes major landmarks, such as St Mark’s Square.

P&O Cruises cancels Oceana’s 2019-20 Arabian Gulf programme

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

P&O Cruises, which is part of the Carnival Corporation & plc group, has decided to cancel the 2019-20 Arabian Gulf cruise programme of the 77,441 gross ton Oceana that flies the British flag.

This would have been the second time, the ship would have operated in the region, based in Dubai.

However, rising tensions in the region after Iran seized the British flag tanker Stena Impero last month resulted in the cancellation of the programme.

Britain has an 4,900 ton frigate called HMS Montrose and an 8,500 ton destroyers, the HMS Duncan, in the region that are now tasked with escort duties of merchant ships through the Straits of Hormuz, plus facilities in Bahrain and Oman to service them.

A few weeks ago, Marella Cruises that is the UK based cruise unit of TUI AG said it would position a second ship in the Arabian Gulf for the 2020-21 season. Although it caters for the British market, its ships fly the flag of Malta.

Meanwhile, Dubai expected 211 calls for the 2019-20 season, an increase from 152 in the previous one prior to the withdrawal of Oceana from the region, Menafn. Com reports. The ship’s new winter programme would be published later this month.

ANEX Tour agrees to buy Saga Sapphire

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 07 August 2019 07 August 2019

ANEX Tour, the Turkey based tour operating company that mainly does business in Eastern and Central Europe, has decided to enter the cruise business and acquire the 1981 built Saga Sapphire from the UK based Saga Group plc, ANEX said in a statement

Neset Kockar, Chairman of ANEX Tour said: "With changing habits of travellers, we must adopt our product offering accordingly. By acquiring Saga Sapphire, we will be able to create a unique eastern Mediterranean cruise experience for our valued guests."

Kockar stated that Saga Sapphire will be delivered to ANEX in mid-2020, and maiden voyage is to be scheduled from Antalya, making it a first as home port.

The 37,012 gross ton Saga Sapphire accommodates approximately 800 passengers and the British company will replace it by second of two newbuildings on order at Meyer Werft in Germany.

Enchanted Princess floated out at Monfalcone

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 06 August 2019 06 August 2019

Enchanted Princess, the fifth Royal-class ship built for the ship operator Princess Cruises, a brand within Carnival Corporation & plc, floated out today at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone. Interior fittings will now begin, leading the vessel to its delivery, scheduled in 2020, the shipbuilder said in a statement.

The 145,000 gross ton ship follows Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Majestic Princess and the upcoming Sky Princess, built and delivered in the same shipyard starting from 2013.

The partnership between the Monfalcone yard and Princess Cruises will continue with two next-generation cruise ships. These will be the largest built so far in Italy with a gross-tonnage of 175,000 tons, expected to be delivered at the end of 2023 and in spring 2025.

The vessels will accommodate approximately 4,300 guests and will be the first of the ship owner’s fleet to be dual-fuel powered primarily by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

Rolls-Royce to rebrand Power Systems units

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 06 August 2019 06 August 2019

Rolls-Royce plc, the British engineering group, will rebrand parts of its Power Systems units, the company said in a statement.

“One of the first visible steps to be taken will be the renaming of four operating companies, which manufacture products and solutions: MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH will thus become Rolls-Royce Solutions GmbH in the Autumn 2019. This will be followed by MTU America Inc., which in future will operate as Rolls-Royce Solutions America Inc,” Rolls-Royce said.

“Today’s MTU Onsite Energy GmbH in Augsburg will become Rolls-Royce Solutions Augsburg GmbH and MTU Onsite Energy Systems GmbH in Ruhstorf will be renamed Rolls-Royce Solutions Ruhstorf GmbH. The remaining subsidiaries will successively be given new designations based on the above examples. The products of Bergen Engines will also be part of the new brand architecture,” the company continued.

Rolls-Royce Power Systems is based in Friedrichshafen in Germany and it employs 11,000 people, the company added.