More News

Hurtigruten to employ hybrid technology on newbuildings

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 September 2016 12 September 2016

Hurtigruten, the Norwegian expedition cruise shipping company, says it has decided to fit its newbuildings with hybrid propulsion technology.

The first ship, which is on firm order at Kleven shipbuilding group, will be fitted with a n electric auxiliary engine, which will reduce CO2 emissions by a fifth.

A second vessel, which is currently an option, is planned to be fitted with full hybrid propulsion system that would allow the vessel to use batteries and electric drive over long distances in environmentally sensitive areas. From the beginning, the second ship is expected to be able to sail on electric power for 15 to 30 minutes.

The ships are designed by Rolls Royce and Hurtigruten’s investment in the new technology amounts to NOK125 million, of which NOK 45million comes from an environmental grant, the company said in a statement.

Magellan to operate Norway, Canaries and Brazil itineraries winter 2017-18

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 08 September 2016 08 September 2016

Magellan, at 46,052 gross tons the second largest vessel of Cruise & Maritime Voyages in the UK, will operate a series of cruises to Norway and the Canaries plus a 42 night cruise to Brazil in the winter of 2017-18 from London Tilbury.

The company has already said that Columbus, at 63,786 gross tons which will join its feet in June to become the largest unit in its fleet, will operate a 120 night cruise around the world from London Tilbury.

Marco Polo will sailo Spain, Portugal and France from Liverpool, Belfast and Bristol up to the end of October. The firsr cruise in 2018 sail on 31 march to France from Bistol. The company has not said what the ship will do in the interim.

Astor will sail to Australia as in the previous years and cruise from Fremantle to ports in Australia and e.g. Indonesia.

Siemens wins pod order for Saga Cruises’ newbuilding at Meyer

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 08 September 2016 08 September 2016

Siemens,the German electrotechnical group, says it has been awarded the contract to equip the first new build cruise liner for Saga Cruises in the UK under contract to Meyer Werft in Papenburg.

“The awarded package includes a SISHIP eSiPOD propulsion system as well as a power and distribution plant. This new cruise ship to be delivered in the summer of 2019 will be 236 meters long and 31.2 meters wide with a gross tonnage (GT) of 56,850 and will offer capacity of 999 passengers. The contract includes an option to equip one additional cruise liner potentially due for delivery in 2021,” the company said in a statement.

The major benefit of the SISHIP eSiPOD is its high overall efficiency resulting from the combination of a compact, hydrodynamically optimized design and an efficient permanent-excited synchronous motor. The propulsion motor is integrated into a pod shaped housing located outside the ship’s hull and enables full 360 degree steering angle.

With the combination of the SISHIP eSiPOD and Siship Drive MV solution, Siemens is able to provide a perfectly balanced integrated propulsion system for this cruise ship with improved propulsion efficiency and manoeuvrability. In addition, the low-noise and low-vibration operation of the propeller motors make them particularly suited for the high demands of the customers in the yacht, passenger and cruise ship segment.   The reliable power supply of the ship is guaranteed by the integrated power plant system Siship Power MV. This comprises four generators with a total electrical output of 21 megawatts.

The NxAIR medium-voltage switchgear takes care of efficient and safe power distribution. The power and propulsion plant is internally controlled and monitored by the Siemens integrated protection systems such as the Power Plant Protection (PPP), Generator Power Adaption System (GPA) and Propulsion Control System (PCS).

The integrated Siemens Siship solutions help to increase the overall efficiency and reliability of the cruise ship, reduce fuel consumption and thus drive down operating costs.  

Matthias Schulze, Executive Vice President Siemens Marine, said: “We are of course very happy and thankful for having been awarded this contract and for the customer’s trust in us. This contract enables us to position our new highly efficient generation of pod propulsion systems firmly within the cruise ship segment. Surely we do hope that this meticulously engineered and innovated design will open the door to securing additional orders in the future.”

Royal Caribbean launches search for Harmony of the Seas’ godmother

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 08 September 2016 08 September 2016

Royal Caribbean International says it has launched search for godmother for its latest ship, Harmony of the Seas.

“Harmony of the Seas will make her U.S. debut this November when she arrives into her new homeport of Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., introducing a new era of vacationing that will thrill guests of all ages. To celebrate, the South Florida-based cruise line is partnering with South Florida ABC affiliate Local 10 to look in their own backyard for a woman who is inspiring the next generation to dream big, think differently and challenge the status quo, and has launched a contest to honor this hometown hero by naming her godmother of Harmony of the Seas,” the company said in a statement.

South Florida residents are encouraged to visit www.local10.com/godmother and nominate a mentor, educator or teacher whose passion for education and a better tomorrow inspires students to make a positive impact on the world.

The winner will not only be honored as godmother of Harmony of the Seas during the ship’s official naming ceremony on November 10, 2016, but a $25,000 grant will also be awarded to her school or non-profit organisation to fund education initiatives that will further her mission to inspire South Florida’s youth, the company said.

Pullmantur year-round deployment in Panamá

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 05 September 2016 05 September 2016

Alan Lam reporting

Soon after its decisions to made the Colombian port of Cartagena de Indias its principle regional homeport and to increase its Caribbean capacity by 40%, Pullmantur Cruises, the contemporary Spanish brand of RCCL, has confirmed that, it will also operate year-round from the Panamanian port of Colón.

This move will further consolidate the lines presence in the region. It will, as it is claimed, increase the number of passengers embarking from this port by 30%.

The announcement was made in a press briefing, held yesterday morning (4 September) in Panamá City, by Alejandro Páez, Pullmantur’s Latin American director, in the company of Gustavo Him, the director of Panamá’s Tourism Authority.

This is the latest of a successive strategic moves made by the cruise line.

Corresponding to this decision, Gustavo Him, for his part, also announced that there would be a $600 million investment by the national government into renovating the city of Colón, making it more attractive to tourism in general.

On Pullmantur ships the port attracts cruise tourists mainly from México, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela. The investment will also focus on improving overnight accommodations, leisure facilities, and shopping.

The total economic impact for Colón from the 56 operations by the two Pullmantur ships, Zenith and Monarch, is estimated at about $18 million for 2017.