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SunStone signs contract for third Infinity-class newbuild

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 05 June 2018 05 June 2018

SunStone Ships, Inc. has announced an agreement with China Merchants Industry Holdings Co. Ltd. to build a third Infinity-class expedition ship, to be named Ocean Victory. This newbuild will be delivered in March, 2021. SunStone’s President & CEO, Niels-Erik Lund commented, “We are pleased with the rapid adoption of the Infinity-class vessels. It seems our European design and technology, combined with lower overall operating costs ticks all the boxes for the small and expedition-ship market.”

SunStone has signed a long term time charter contract for the Ocean Victory. The vessel will be technically managed by Cruise Management International, Miami. Hotel operations will be handled by CMI Leisure, Miami. The ship building contract was signed at the offices of Stephenson Harwood, SunStone’s legal advisors in connection with the Infinity class vessels. The three day meeting in Paris included a total of 20 representatives from:
 
– CMIH - contract partner for building the vessel.
– China Merchants Heavy Industry - shipyard building the vessel
– SunStone Ships - contracting party on behalf of the buyer
– SunStone Marine Advisors - company supervising the construction of the vessel
– Ulstein Design and Solution - Norwegian company who has designed the vessel from a technical point of view, and who is responsible for the delivery of the technical equipment package, supervising the technical construction of the vessel
– Makinen, Finland - responsible for the construction of all interior spaces of the vessel
– Tillberg Design USA - interior designer for the vessel
  
The first Infinity-class ship, named the Greg Mortimer, is scheduled for delivery August 2019 and goes on charter to Aurora Cruises, Australia. 

Morgan Stanley raises pricing, demand and overcapacity concerns, Carnival plc falls more than 6%

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 05 June 2018 05 June 2018

Shares in Carnival plc, the British holding company in the carnival Corporation & plc group, fell more than 6% on 5 June following a reported negative outlook expressed by Morgan Stanley, the US investment bank

“Our channel checks show solid booking volumes but at flat prices, and agents cite concerns about the Caribbean and general Q4 demand,” Proactiveinvestor.co.uk website quoted Morgan Stanley as saying in a report to clients.

“We cut forecasts for fuel/FX (fuel/ foreign exchange), with FY19e (financial year 2019 estimate) EPS (earnings per share) -11% for CCL, -5% for NCLH and -3% for RCL, and stay cautious on the cruise space due to oversupply risk,” the bank was cited as saying. CCL refers to the Carnival group, whose Carnival Corporation holdimng unit is domiciled in Panama and head quartered in the US, RCL refer to Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. and NCLH to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

“The double whammy of the recent rally in oil prices, plus the stronger dollar in addition to hurricane threats and a risk of over capacity led the investment bank to slash their earnings forecast for the firm,” a report on cityindex.co.uk said, referring to the Morgan Stanley report.

Shares in Carnival plc closed 6.40% lower at £45.61 in London, while Carnival Corporation was 4.33% lower at $60.63 at lunchtime in New York. Both Royal Caribbean and Norwegian traded more than 4% lower in New York at the same time.

Fincantieri delivers MSC Seaview

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 04 June 2018 04 June 2018

Today, MSC Cruises officially took delivery of its new flagship MSC Seaview, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. The delivery ceremony took place in the presence of Gianluigi Aponte, the ship owner as well as Founder and Executive Chairman of MSC Group. Also present at the ceremony were Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, other members of the Aponte and Aponte-Vago families, Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, as well as other regional and local authorities and dignitaries.

Coming on the heels of her sister ship, MSC Seaside — which launched at the end of 2017 in Miami — MSC Seaview is ready to start sailing her inaugural season in the Mediterranean. The ship, representing a key highlight for 2018 as she is the one MSC Cruises new build coming into service this year, is also the third MSC Cruises new build to come into service in just 12 months, the second ship to be built by Fincantieri, and the 15th ship to join the MSC Cruises global fleet.

With her iconic “beach condo” design and generous outdoor public spaces, MSC Seaview is a game changer, bringing guests closer to the sea and ensuring they are able to enjoy the outdoors during their cruise. During her inaugural season, MSC Seaview will cruise the Mediterranean. She then heads to South America for the winter season, further strengthening the Company’s position in two markets in which MSC Cruises is the leading cruise brand.

“MSC Seaview will bring yet another new distinctively innovative MSC Cruises product to the market as she boasts cutting edge design, and features the latest marine and environmental technology,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises. “She is an example of our commitment to bring the best and most innovative tonnage to the market, and our ambition to set each time a new standard in the industry. The Seaside class is yet another brand new, highly-innovative prototype that we introduce – the 5th to date, since we entered the cruising industry only 15 years ago. Moreover, I am proud to say, together with her sister ship MSC Seaside, it is the biggest ship ever built in Italy.”

Vago added, “We are increasing capacity at record speeds. MSC Seaview is the third ship to come into service in just 12 months. These are very exciting times for us, and we are already merely nine months away of the completion of our next ship, MSC Bellissima – the first of two Meraviglia class ships that will come into service over a six-month period next year.”

“We will remember MSC Seaview, without doubt, as an authentic undertaking. Just six months ago, in fact, we celebrated in this same yard the delivery of the largest ship ever built in Italy, MSC Seaside, a revolutionary prototype,” said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri. “Today we are repeating this success with her sister ship. This is an amazing performance that we are extremely proud of, carried out thanks to the technical and managerial skills, which made us great and acknowledged as such in the world and which allows us to look to the future with renewed confidence.”

During today’s delivery ceremony, which pays tribute to an important maritime tradition, Roberto Olivari, Fincantieri's shipyard director, handed over to Pier Paolo Scala, Master of MSC Seaview, an ampoule holding the first water that touched the hull when the ship was floated out last year.

MSC Seaview is the second ship in the Seaside Class and, like her sister ship MSC Seaside, is pushing the boundaries of pioneering ship building and design. As one of the most innovative ships at sea, MSC Seaview will feature the latest environmental technology. In addition to complying with the highest international environmental standards she will also receive from the international classification society RINA, — in addition to the main class notations – the “Green Star 3 Design” notation. RINA’s Green Star 3 — the latest and most comprehensive of RINA’s Green STAR class notations – recognizes attention to detail during design and construction. Specifically, the certification recognizes that MSC Seaview reaches the highest levels of eco-compatibility thanks to the relevance of the various innovative measures put in place to help reduce the ship’s environmental footprint during operations. These include the exhaust gas cleaning system, advanced waste water treatment, systems for the prevention of oil discharge from machinery spaces, ballast water treatment system, and the ship’s Environmental Management Plan.

MSC Seaview is the third ship to be built under MSC Cruises’ EUR 10.5 billion ($12.4 billion USD) investment plan which has already resulted in the completion of two out of 12 next-generation ships: MSC Meraviglia and MSC Seaside in May 2017 and November 2017 respectively. She will depart from the shipyard later today, making a three-day voyage, arriving in her homeport, Genoa, Italy, on June 7. The newest addition to the MSC Cruises’ fleet will be officially inaugurated there in a glittering ceremony on June 9 and will commence her inaugural cruise on June 10.

Norwegian Bliss makes history as the largest cruise ship christened In Seattle

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 31 May 2018 31 May 2018

Following a month-long show-stopping tour around the United States including previews in New York, Miami and Los Angeles, Norwegian Cruise Line’s highly-anticipated ship, Norwegian Bliss, was officially christened on May 30 in her summer home of Seattle. Following a preview sailing from May 30 – June 2, Norwegian Bliss, the third ship in the most successful class in the line’s history, will commence her inaugural summer season with cruises to Alaska including calls in Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau and Victoria, British Colombia beginning June 2. She will join Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Pearl as the youngest fleet ever to cruise to Alaska.

Norwegian Bliss was welcomed to her summer home with a sky-high water-canon salute by the Seattle Fire Department, as she cruised into Port of Seattle. The recently renovated and expanded Bell Street Cruise Terminal at Pier 66, a public-private investment between Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and the Port of Seattle, received the 168,000-gross-ton ship with a capacity of 4,004, double occupancy, early this morning. The enhanced terminal features three times the square footage, increasing the usage capacity by 300 percent, a dedicated lounge for suite guests and more guest-facing elements providing a seamless, comfortable and stylish ship-to-shore experience.

“Norwegian Cruise Line has been cruising out of the Port of Seattle for eighteen years, and the public-private investment that made the enhancement of Bell Street Cruise Terminal at Pier 66 possible, demonstrates the commitment we have to the city of Seattle,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. “This month, Norwegian celebrates twenty-four years of cruising to Alaska, and with Norwegian Bliss joining our Alaska fleet we will have the largest capacity in our history, offering guests more options to experience the majesty of that destination.”

“The Port of Seattle is thrilled to host the magnificent Norwegian Bliss and her passengers for many Alaska cruise seasons to come,” said Port of Seattle Commission President Courtney Gregoire. “Cruise ships like Norwegian Bliss meet our objectives of increasing economic opportunity in our region while constantly raising the bar on environmental sustainability. We thank Norwegian for their eighteen years of partnership with the Port of Seattle, and look forward to many more to come.”

The christening ceremony took place on board the ship, for another Norwegian first. The meticulously orchestrated event was a testament to the company’s commitment to entertainment. Led by the godfather, Elvis Duran and The Morning Show crew, nearly 2,400 people witnessed the christening ceremony as it was broadcasted throughout the ship, making it an interactive experience for all on board. The main event took place in the 900-seat Bliss Theater with satellite activations in Q – the debuting Texas Smokehouse, the new 20,000-square-foot Observation Lounge offering 180-degree views, the Atrium and other venues throughout.

Frank Del Rio and Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line, welcomed travel partners, investors and industry representatives on board Norwegian Bliss, and spoke to the beauty of the ship, the excitement of her incredible inaugural tour, the industry leading amenities and their gratitude to all those who ensure a memorable guest experience aboard Norwegian Bliss. Special guests included governor of Alaska Bill Walker and local officials from Seattle. Also in attendance was the internationally renowned marine life artist Wyland, whose larger-than-life mural adorns the hull of Norwegian Bliss, and stands as an inspiring reminder of the splendor of Alaska and the importance of preserving the world’s oceans.

“As the largest ship to ever be christened in Seattle, Norwegian Bliss’ ceremony was our most exciting one yet,” said Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. "We thank the Emerald City for a very warm welcome and their partnership, and we are looking forward to continuing and strengthening our relationship with the Port of Seattle for years to come.”

After the traditional blessings, honorary Godfather, Elvis Duran, officially christened Norwegian Bliss with the symbolic bottle break across the ship’s hull, wishing a safe voyage to all guests and crew wherever in the world she may travel, and commencing an evening full of show-stopping surprises.

Norwegian Bliss will cruise seven-day voyages to Alaska from Seattle and then in October she will sail select voyages to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles. For her fall/winter season, she will sail to the Eastern Caribbean from Miami and in 2019; she will sail from New York City to the Bahamas and Florida, the Southern and Western Caribbean.