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Costa Cruises projects 43 percent capacity growth by 2021

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 26 May 2018 26 May 2018

Costa Cruises is continuing to expand and renew its fleet of ships flying the Italian flag. At Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard, construction has begun on a new 135,500-ton ship with 2,116 cabins, due for delivery in 2020. Like its twin Costa Venezia, it will be designed specifically for the Chinese market.

Between 2019 and 2021, four new ships will enter service for Costa, with an overall increase in capacity of 43%. Costa Venezia, currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, is due to arrive in Feb. 2019. The flagship Costa Smeralda, the second cruise ship for the world market powered by LNG, built by Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, is due to arrive in 2019, with the sister ship of the Costa Venezia due in 2020, followed by that of the Costa Smeralda’s sister in 2021.

Starting in March 2019, the fleet innovation program also includes the return to the Mediterranean of the Costa Fortuna, a ship currently operating in Asia, which will offer one-week cruises departing from Genoa, Italy. At the end of 2019, the Costa neoRiviera will be transferred to the fleet of AIDA Cruises, the Costa Group’s German brand. After being remodeled and refurbished, the ship will be named AIDAmira, departing on its maiden voyage on Dec. 4, 2019, from Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

In addition, the Costa Victoria has been operating regularly in the Mediterranean since March 30, 2018, having undergone renovation work worth 11 million euro, carried out at the Marseilles Shipyards. The majority of the work was focused on the cabins, the internal and external public areas, with the creation of a new "tapas and paella bar." In fact, during the next summer season, the ship will offer a week-long itinerary dedicated to the beaches and entertainment of the Balearic Islands and Spain.

Under this growth program, the number of ships in the Costa fleet will increase to 17 in 2021, compared with the current 14. Overall, the Costa Group currently has seven new ships on order, for a total investment of over six billion euros. In addition to Costa Cruises four new ships, there are three new LNG ships for the AIDA Cruises fleet, arriving between autumn 2018 and 2023.

Stena RoRo orders another newbuild and signs a 10-year charter contract with Brittany Ferries

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 May 2018 25 May 2018

The vessel now ordered, which will be built for LNG operation, is the sixth in the so-called Stena E-Flexer RoPax class with delivery set for autumn 2021. Stena RoRo has a further two options with the Chinese shipyard AVIC International. At the same time, the newbuild has been signed to a 10-year charter with the French ferry shipping company Brittany Ferries.

This vessel, together with a further vessel in the E-Flexer series ordered last winter, will supplement Brittany Ferries’ fleet operating between Portsmouth in the UK and Bilbao and Santander in Spain. The new ferries will have a capacity of 3,100 lane metres and will accommodate up to 1,000 passengers.

In 2016, Stena RoRo placed an order for four large RoPax vessels with the Chinese shipyard AVIC International with an option on a further four vessels. The vessel now ordered is the sixth in the series and, in contrast to the other vessels, will be built for LNG operation. Recently, a 10-year charter contract for a vessel planned for service in the English Channel was signed with the Danish shipping company DFDS. The other three vessels will be operated by Stena Line on the Irish Sea.

“These ships have been designed to satisfy our customers’ demanding standards with respect to both operational efficiency and the environment. The Stena E-Flexer class is designed to offer the highest possible flexibility as regards future fuels and Brittany Ferries has chosen LNG operation for this ship," says Per Westling, MD, Stena RoRo AB.

Costa neoRiviera to join AIDA Cruises as AIDAmira

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 May 2018 25 May 2018

Costa neoRiviera that was built as Mistral for the now defunct Festival cruises in 1999 will be transferred to AIDA Cruises’ AIDA Selection sub-brand as AIDAmira after a refit, the Rostock based company said in a statement.

Both companies are parts of Carnival Corporation & plc group.

Felix Eichhorn, President AIDA Cruises, said in the statement: "The feedback we have received from our guests and the high demand for our AIDA Selection programme continually inspires us to keep expanding our variety of routes and to call at new dream destinations in the most beautiful regions in the world.”

“Therefore, we are very pleased to have found with the Costa neoRiviera the perfect ship within the Costa Group for our explorer fleet at such short notice. Many of our guests have been hoping for AIDA cruises to South Africa for a long time. I am pleased that we are now able to fulfill this wish," he said.

Due to its size and design, AIDAmira is a perfect addition to the current three Selection ships. Since 2017, AIDAaura, AIDAcara and AIDAvita have been traveling unusual routes and have delighted over 157,000 guests. The AIDA Selection explorer program is ideal for cosmopolitan adventurers who would like to experience countries and cultures in an intensive and unique way.

Before going into service, the ship will be remodeled and refurbished. There will be two large pools and two whirlpools on the spacious sun deck of the 216 metre long vessel From 624 staterooms, 96 will be suites, 80 of them with balconies. Guests can enjoy delicious variety in six bars and six restaurants. AIDAmira will depart on its maiden voyage on December 4, 2019, in Palma de Mallorca.

The ship’s itineraries will also be totally new for the AIDA program: In December 2019, guests will have a first-time opportunity to experience the natural wonders in southern Africa with AIDAmira. The departure and destination port on the 14-day route "South Africa & Namibia" is Cape Town.

Further ports include Durban, East London and Lüderitz on the edge of the Namib desert. The multi-day stops in Cape Town on the cruises are an absolute highlight and give guests plenty of time to explore attractions such as Table Mountain and Lions Head. AIDAmira also stays overnight at Walvis Bay. In the large lagoon between the desert and the sea, guests can observe exotic species. AIDAmira cruises can be booked starting now.

While AIDAmira will expand the AIDA fleet from December 2019 onwards, the newbuild AIDAnova will be embarking on its first cruises already in November 2018. Two sister ships of AIDAnova are to follow in the spring of 2021 and 2023. The AIDA fleet will then include 16 ships.

Iona to enter UK and not Bermuda registry

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 May 2018 25 May 2018

Iona, the first of two 180,000 gross ton newbuildings for P&O Cruises from Meyer Werft in Germany, is likely to enter the UK registry rather than that of Bermuda, where six of the seven present ships of the company are registered.

A computer generated video clip of the exterior of the ship that is due to enter service in 2020 shows Southampton as the port of registry of the vessel. Only the 2015 built Britannia is registered in the UK port, while the other ships of P&O Cruises are registered in Hamilton on Bermuda.

The ships of both P&O Cruises and Cunard Line, both of which are parts of the Carnival Corporation & plc group, were registered in the UK up to 2013. However, the registration of them was then moved to Bermuda, a British crown dependency, as the Bermuda government would allow masters of ships to conduct weddings on board, which was not possible in the UK registry.

There was also another reason: in that same year, the Parliament passed Equalities Act, which effectively meant that crew members from other member states of the EU would have to be paid the same wages as their British counterparts as they too had the legal right to live in the UK. In practice, this affected crew members mainly from Eastern European countries.

Ships registered in the UK and Bermuda – plus Gibraltar, the Isle of Man and Cayman Islands – use the British merchant navy flag, also known as the Red Ensign.

P&O Cruises to name eighth ship Iona

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 24 May 2018 24 May 2018

P&O Cruises, the UK focused contemporary market unit in the Carnival Corporation & plc group, said it would name its next ship Iona. It will be eighth vessel in the fleet of the company.

The 180,000 gross ton LNG powered newbuilding that is due to enter service in 2020 is the first of two similar ships the company has on order at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.

Iona is a small island on the west coast of Scotland and a legend has it that a monastery there was founded by St. Columba in 563. Consequently, the island became a centre of learning. Later, Vikings conquered the island and it remained part of Norway until 1266, when it passed to Scotland.

P&O Cruises senior vice-president Paul Ludlow said in a statement: “We are an island nation and as Britain’s favourite cruise line it seems very fitting to highlight one of our most notable islands and celebrate the geographic diversity of the UK, especially as we can trace back our roots to the Scottish Isles.”

Brodie Wilcox and Arthur Anderson that founded P&O in 1837 were both of Scottish origin.

“Iona played a significant part in shaping the history of our nation and we hope that with this very special name our new ship will shape the future of holidays at sea for generations.” The sea was a powerful force in the history of the Inner Hebridean island of Iona and is still today a crucial link to trade and a thriving tourism industry, requiring two sea crossings to reach the island.

Ludlow said: “Iona is known for its peace and tranquillity, stunning landscape and, most importantly, the view of the ocean from almost every point on the island. This mirrors our primary intention when building the ship, which was to make the sea the star. Throughout the design process we were mindful that we were building a ship, not a hotel, and the intrinsic beauty of the sea, the vistas of the coastlines and ports of call should be at the fore and visible as much as possible from all areas of the ship.“

The name was unveiled by BAFTA award-winning TV presenter Stephen Mulhern on Iona, which is protected by the National Trust for Scotland, where he was joined by several of the islanders.