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MSC Cruises and STX France cut first steel of MSC Bellissima

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 02 December 2016 02 December 2016

MSC Cruises and STX France held a traditional steel cutting ceremony at STX France in Saint Nazaire on Monday to mark the official commencement of construction of MSC Bellissima, the second of the Meraviglia generation of ships that will come into service in 2019.

Part $10.2 billion investment that will see MSC Cruises’ capacity triple over the next ten years, MSC Bellissima is due to become the fourth of 11 next-generation ships due to come into service over this period.

“MSC Cruises and STX France have walked a long path together since the construction of MSC Lirica in 2003,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, while speaking at the Steel Cutting Ceremony in Saint Nazaire. “Our current fleet was built at STX France and we are now shaping the future of the modern cruise ship with two new prototypes from STX France. With work nearing completion on MSC Meraviglia, we are delighted to begin construction of MSC Bellissima.”

“I am delighted with this prototype, which will soon become a beautiful and balanced cruise ship capable of operating everywhere in the world,” said Vago. “I am also extremely pleased that my wife, Alexa Aponte-Vago, has been able to join me here in Saint Nazaire to share this important milestone.”

”We are proud to be MSC Cruises’ industrial partner from the beginning and we are very involved in their fleet development,” said Laurent Castaing, CEO of STX France. “It is very challenging and we have passed an important milestone with the MERAVIGLIA generation. Meraviglia literally means wonder and the four new ships will astonish the public with their elegant and beautiful design. MSC Bellissima is as well named as her sistership.”

MSC Bellissima has been designed to operate in all seasons and to call in most of the world’s international cruise ports. As her name suggests, MSC Bellissima will embody the beauty and magnificence of the next-generation of MSC Cruises’ ultramodern mega-ships, rich with new features and amenities for guests of all ages and interests.

With a gross tonnage of 167,600 and total capacity for more than 5,700 guests, this new cruise ship will be the largest in MSC Cruises’ fleet, along with MSC Meraviglia.

CLIA names Vice President, Public Relations, Europe

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 November 2016 30 November 2016

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) announced that Catherine Couplan has joined the organization as Vice President, Public Relations, Europe. Couplan will be responsible for leading public relations and communications efforts across Europe.

Couplan brings extensive experience in association and corporate leadership roles. Most recently, she launched a public relations consultancy service in Brussels, Belgium, where she worked with a wide range of international clients including airlines, hotels, tourism boards, retail brands. Prior to that role, she oversaw European regional communications for United Parcel Services (UPS), and led the global communications department of Conrad Hotels.

"The experience that Catherine brings with her to this new role is an ideal fit for CLIA," said Raphael Von Heereman, secretary general, CLIA Europe. "Her public relations and communications background, as well as her history in working with global corporations will be instrumental in managing the strategic direction and coordination of European communication functions within CLIA.”

In her new role, Couplan will lead programming and support the development and execution of communications strategies, including public relations, social media and digital programs throughout Europe. She will work in partnership with the CLIA Global Communications team, based in Washington, D.C. to create effective management processes that ensure continuity between offices, departments and outside agencies.

Seabourn takes delivery of Encore, the last newbuild of the year

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 November 2016 30 November 2016

Seabourn Cruise Line took delivery of its newest all-suite vessel, Seabourn Encore, today during an official handover ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy.

"We have been looking forward to this day for over two years. Seabourn Encore has become a stunning ship that will set a new standard in ultra-luxury cruising," said Richard Meadows, president of Seabourn. "I am very proud of our partnership with Fincantieri, and it has been a great pleasure to work together to transform raw materials into this incredible vessel that will make a great addition to the Seabourn fleet."

"The jewel we deliver today is the first built for Seabourn, and dry dock works for the second vessel of this new and prestigious client will start in the next few days in our shipyard in Sestri Ponente. I say this with a certain pride and a lot of satisfaction, because Seabourn represents the top range offer of the Carnival Group and Fincantieri is now identified as an absolute reference point from the market, able to offer tailor-made products to an ever wider range of customers," said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri. "This gratifying result became possible thanks to the strategy stubbornly followed in the last years that has allowed us to be in the best conditions to seize the opportunities offered by the market."

Guests of Seabourn Encore will be treated to the line's extraordinary levels of personalized service, with a high staff to guest ratio. The ship carries 600 guests, based on double occupancy, who reside in 300 elegantly appointed suites each with a private verandah.

Designed by hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany who intended Seabourn Encore "to feel more like a luxury yacht," the 40,350 gross ton vessel features modern design elements and innovations in keeping with Seabourn's reputation for understated elegance, as well as one additional deck and new expanded public areas. The ship expands and builds on the line's award-winning and highly acclaimed Odyssey-class ships, which revolutionized ultra-luxury cruising with enhanced accommodations and innovative amenities when they were introduced between 2009 and 2011. New features include The Retreat, a sanctuary designed for guests to relax in private cabanas, with a Spa Treatment Cabana for personalized spa services.

In addition, guests will enjoy superb cuisine, including The Grill by Thomas Keller, the new signature restaurant from three-star Michelin chef Thomas Keller that was introduced on Seabourn Quest earlier this year and will be expanded to the entire Seabourn fleet. A new restaurant for Seabourn, Sushi, makes its debut as a destination for foodies, with a unique look and feel and high-quality dishes served throughout the day.

A new production show, 'An Evening with Tim Rice,' created exclusively for Seabourn in association with Belinda King Creative Productions, will open onboard Seabourn Encore in January 2017, when she sails from Singapore on her inaugural voyage. The new Spa and Wellness with Dr. Andrew Weil mindful living program also debuts on Seabourn Encore in January. Both Tim Rice and Dr. Weil will sail on the inaugural voyage.

Encore will be officially christened at a ceremony in Singapore on January 7, 2017. International recording artist and world's best-selling Soprano, Sarah Brightman, will be godmother of Seabourn Encore and officially name the ship during the celebration. The vessel will then depart on its Inaugural Voyage, the 10-day Gems of the Java Sea cruise, bound for Indonesia.

Following her inaugural sailing, Seabourn Encore will move onto a 16-day Great Barrier Reef & Gold Coast and back-to-back 16-day Australia & New Zealand voyages. The ship will then reverse the earlier 10-day Gems of the Java Sea cruise to Singapore, proceed on 16-day Jewels of India & Arabia cruise to Dubai, and finish her first season with a 19-day Arabian Gems & Holy Land voyage before ending her winter season at Athens on May 5.

Seabourn Encore will spend summer 2017 along the Mediterranean, with numerous itineraries including a 7-14-or 21-day Mediterranean cruise departing from Piraeus (Athens), Greece on May 6, the 22-day Adriatic & Mediterranean Isles cruise departing June 24, and the 20-Day Mediterranean Encore cruise departing from Barcelona on Aug. 5. The ship will finish summer with the 20-Day UNESCO Gems of the Western Mediterranean cruise on Sept.13 for the start of its autumn season.

Celebrity Silhouette to Southampton in 2018

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 November 2016 30 November 2016

Celebrity Cruises, the premium market unit of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. (RCCL) has decided that Celebrity Silhouette will replace Celebrity Eclipse in Southampton, offering northern Europe and Mediterranean itineraries from 2018, Travel Weekly reports.

Celebrity Eclipse would become the first ship from a major line to homeport in Dublin in 2018 after spending the last eight years sailing out of Southampton.

“Dublin is very popular with our North American guests who have great affinity with the country plus with its upgrades Silhouette can offer an enhanced experienced with sailings out of Southampton,” Jo Rzymowska, vice president and managing director for the UK, Ireland and Asia, was cited as saying.

Carnival Vista launches year-round service from PortMiami

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 November 2016 28 November 2016

PortMiami welcomed Carnival Cruise Line’s newest, largest and most innovative ship, Carnival Vista, when it arrived yesterday to kick off a year-round schedule of 6- and 8-night cruises to the Caribbean.

To officially welcome Carnival Vista to its Miami homeport, Carnival Vista Captain Stefano Battinelli and PortMiami Assistant Director Fred Wong participated in a traditional maritime plaque exchange prior to the ship’s inaugural departure from Miami.

As the line’s newest ship, Carnival Vista takes cruising to new heights, introducing groundbreaking features such as SkyRide, a suspended open-air cycling experience; the world’s first IMAX® Theatre on a ship; Kaleid-O-Slide, the line’s first water tube slide, part of the ship’s massive WaterWorks aqua park; and the RedFrog Pub & Brewery featuring the first brewery on a North American-based cruise ship.

“Miami has been our home since our company’s inception in 1972 and homeporting the new Carnival Vista here not only provides consumers with a convenient homeport with renovated facilities and numerous operational enhancements but speaks volumes about our confidence in growing this important market,” and said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president.

“We are thankful for Carnival Cruise Line’s continued growth at PortMiami,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “The arrival of new and innovative cruise ships such as Carnival Vista helps solidify our place as a global hub for travel and tourism, vital to the continual growth and development of our community.”

“It’s an exciting day at PortMiami,” said PortMiami Director/CEO Juan M. Kuryla. “There’s no doubt that the arrival of the Carnival Vista, Carnival Cruise Line’s newest and largest cruise ship, represents a new vacation option for passengers sailing out of the Cruise Capital of the World. We’re grateful to have this opportunity, and we look forward to continue strengthening our partnership with Carnival,” he added.

Island-intensive Caribbean cruises from Miami

Carnival Vista kicked off its new schedule from PortMiami with a special 6-night cruise to Grand Turk, Ocho Rios and Nassau that departed yesterday. The ship will then launch a year-round schedule of 6- and 8-night cruises beginning with an 8-night voyage departing Dec. 3, 2016. Six-night cruises feature Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, while a mix of different 8-night itineraries visit some of the Caribbean’s most sought-after destinations, including Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Kitts, St. Maarten and La Romana (Dominican Republic).

The ship will also offer a combination of one-time voyages, including a 5-night cruise departing Dec. 11 and 7-night voyages departing Dec. 17 and 24, 2016, that offer an exciting selection of ports including the Caribbean’s newest destination, Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, as well as Mahogany Bay, Grand Turk, Belize, San Juan, St. Thomas and Cozumel, depending on the itinerary.

In addition to visiting breathtaking Caribbean destinations, guests can experience all the Carnival Vista has to offer – from the colorful Havana area with tropics-inspired staterooms and suites and Family Harbor with special accommodations and a new family concierge to delicious choices like Seafood Shack and new al fresco options at the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse, Bonsai Sushi and Cherry On Top, featuring a mixed-to-order premium ice cream bar.