Azipods ordered for two more Carnival Corp. newbuilds

ABB’s delivery will also include generators, main switchboards, a remote control system and distribution transformers.

One of the ships is for Carnival Corporation’s Holland America Line brand and will 99,500 gt, 2,650 passenger sister ship to Koningsdam, currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard. It will be delivered in fourth quarter 2018.The other is Carnival Cruise Line’s 3,954-passenger a sister ship to Carnival Vista. It is set for delivery for in first quarter 2018 and will be the line’s twenty-sixth ship

“We are pleased to continue our collaboration with Fincantieri, which is known as one of the world’s leading cruise ship builders. Longstanding customer relationships with leading shipyards such as Fincantieri are testament to our continued dedication to quality and customer value,” says Heikki Soljama, managing director for ABB’s Marine and Ports business.

The collaboration between ABB and Fincantieri spans over 25 years: ABB’s first electric propulsion delivery to Fincantieri was for a Carnival cruise ship in 1990. Since then, 14 ships built by Fincantieri have been equipped with ABB’s Azipod propulsion. Twenty-four of Carnival Corporation’s ships are equipped with Azipod propulsion.

Royal Caribbean orders fifth Quantum class ship

Meyer Werft delivered the second Quantum Class ship, Anthem of the Seas, from its Papenburg, Ems, shipyard in April of this year. The third, Ovation of the Seas, is set for mid-2016 delivery and the fourth is planned for delivery in 2019.

“It is such a pleasure to announce the order of another Quantum-class ship as we are welcoming Anthem of the Seas to North America,” said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “These ships have been received with excitement, and performed exceptionally well, across the globe. We fully expect that momentum to continue as we add to this innovative class of ships.”

“At Royal Caribbean we are focused on continuously improving efficiency and sustainability, and the fifth Quantum class vessel will be clear evidence of this,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Of equal importance is our ability to consistently surpass guest expectations, and we are harnessing the power of the latest technology to do so on this ship.”

Based upon current ship orders, says Royal Caribbean, projected capital expenditures for full year 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 are $1.6 billion, $2.4 billion, $0.5 billion, $2.5 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively.Capacity increases for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 are expected to be 5.4%, 6.4%, 3.4%, 3.7% and 6.6%, respectively. These figures do not include potential ship sales or additions.

Following are the main particulars of the Quantum Class ships. If the numbers don’t quite convey how big these ships are, take a look at the infographic below, released by Royal Caribbean as the Anthem of the Seas is set to make its New York debut.

Tonnage    168,600 GT
Overall Length    348 m
Width    41.4 m
Decks    18
Engine Output    67,200 kW
Speed    22 kts
Number of Passenger Cabins    2,094
Passengers    4,188

low 1446477685 RC AnthemNYGen vert

Carnival and Chinese partners formalize cruise joint venture

OCTOBER 21, 2015 — Carnival Corporation & plc’s China cruising plans got some high level endorsement today when both British Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese President Xi Jinping were on hand

Carnival to bring two more cruise brands to China

Yesterday we reported that Norwegian Cruise line is to customize its second Breakway Plus newbuild for the Chinese market.

Today’s news is that Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) is to deploy two additional cruise brands in China in 2017.

Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises will join Costa Cruises and Princess Cruises in the Chinese market, making Carnival Corporation the first company to operate four brands in China – which, it says, “is expected to eventually become the world’s largest cruise market based on surging demand for cruise vacations by Chinese travelers.”
 
The move means that four of Carnival’s ten brands will have at least one homeported cruise ship in China. The plan to deploy two additional ships – one new ship each for both its Carnival and AIDA brands – and operate four total brands in China in 2017 is in line with Carnival Corporation’s long-term, multi-brand strategy to provide Chinese travelers with a variety of vacation options and experiences to meet growing demand across all segments of the Chinese market.
 
“We are excited to introduce our Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises brands to our fleet in China, giving us a total of four global cruise brands in the market and a unique opportunity to provide a diverse lineup of brands and cruise offerings to Chinese guests who are looking for a great vacation experience,” said Carnival CEO Arnold Donald, who was in Shanghai to announce the news at the 10th Annual China Cruise Shipping and International Cruise Expo (CCS10). “As we execute our multi-brand growth strategy in China, we are emphasizing choice and variety in our offerings to match the different tastes and preferences of Chinese travelers.”
 
“As more and more Chinese are discovering why cruising is the best vacation experience, they are having a great time on our Costa and Princess brands, and we look forward to even more Chinese travelers enjoying vacations on our AIDA and Carnival brands,” said Mr. Donald. “This is an exciting time in China for the cruise industry, and as the world’s largest cruise company and the first global cruise operator in China, we are more committed than ever to helping China become one of the world’s most popular regions for cruise vacations.”

Adding the two new brands follows a July announcement by Carnival Corporation that Costa Cruises and Princess Cruises will  each put a new ship into its China fleet in 2016, making Carnival Corporation the first global cruise company with six total ships based in China. This all adds up to a 58 percent increase in total capacity in China in 2016, including three year-round ships and three seasonal ships in the market. Together, the Costa and Princess brands will potentially offer about four million passenger cruise days in 2016.
 
As previously reported, Carnival Corporation is also exploring potential joint ventures in China with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and China Merchants Group (CMG) designed to accelerate the growth of the overall cruise industry in China, including the possibility of launching a world-class Chinese domestic cruise brand, building new cruise ships in China, and supporting port and infrastructure development.

Rotterdam could get LNG Hybrid Barge

A floating energy plant, the LNG Hybrid Barge is designed to provide ships in port with clean power—an alternative to providing ship’s power by plugging into the city grid or producing electricity via generator sets or main engines. During winter season the LNG Hybrid Barge will be able to deliver heat to factories or to the central city heating system in addition to electricity.

BMS is the owner of the LNG Hybrid Barge and provides services to charter out the barge.  BMS Managing Director Dirk Lehmann, says, “The LNG Hybrid Barge is the first flexible solution supplying clean LNG energy to cruise ships during summer season and providing the flexibility of generating electric energy and heat into a public grid system or industrial users during winter season. We see this advanced flexible solution as an opportunity for Rotterdam and other international ports.”

Primarily the LNG Hybrid Barge will support cruise ships moored in Rotterdam, traditionally key clients of KOTUG. KOTUG will move the LNG Hybrid Barge and will provide commercial, technical and operational management of the LNG Hybrid Barge.

KOTUG CEO Ard-Jan Kooren, says, “As a leading towage company and with our strong focus on innovative technical and environmental solutions, we strive for reducing our environmental footprint and encouraging our suppliers, clients, business partners and stakeholders to reduce their environmental impact. We are proud to be working with innovative partners like Becker Marine Systems and we look forward to making together a significant step in supporting our clients in a greener, safer and more efficient operation.”

This new, innovative concept and unique cooperation has also drawn significant attention from key players in the LNG market, like Cruiseport Rotterdam, Dutch National LNG Platform and Shell. Arjan Stavast, Shell’s Downstream LNG Business Development Manager for Europe says, “We see the LNG Hybrid Barge as a unique solution for the maritime industry. We will follow these developments closely as we do believe that the delivery of electricity through LNG is possible for (cruise) ships, factories and cities, while not having to invest heavily in additional electricity infrastructure.”

“We are delighted to learn about this initiative and are looking forward to welcome the LNG Hybrid Barge in Rotterdam,” says Mai Elmar, Executive Director of Cruise Port Rotterdam.

Gerrit van Tongeren, Chairman of the Dutch National LNG Platform, says the initiative “is another great and unique example of how (in their respective fields) leading maritime companies can work together in the entire LNG chain and together strive to get LNG introduced in the market and contribute to a cleaner and greener environment. We therefore follow and support this initiative and wish all parties good luck in achieving the objectives.”

 

Cuba cruise and ferry services get a little nearer

 

They will take effect on Monday, September 21, 2015, when they are published in the Federal Register. Coincidentally, or probaby not, that’s the day before Pope Francis arrives in Washington, DC, from Cuba.

The Pope is widely credited with initiating the dialogue that led to the new direction in U.S.-Cuba relationship.

A fact sheet issued by the the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Commerce includes the following regulatory changes:​

While there’s no explanation as to how spacecraft got in there, the “temporary sojourn” authorization should be particularly useful to Carnival Corporation’s start up brand fathom. It intends offering cultural exchange voyages to Cuba starting in May 2016, using the 704 passenger cruise ship as a “comfortable home base” during travelers stay on the island.

Cruise lines and ferry operators are now waiting for the Cuban permissions needed to initiate service.

Read the Treasury backgrounder HERE

Carnival Liberty guests to be flown home from St Thomas

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 — Carnival Cruise is to fly more than 3,300 passengers home from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, after an engine room fire incident involving the cruise ship Carnival Liberty

Engine room fire curtails Carnival Liberty cruise

SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 — Guests aboard the 10 year old cruise ship Carnival Liberty remained aboard the ship in St. Thomas this evening following an engine room fire Monday that was extinguished

Knut E. Hansen unveils design for expedition cruise ship

SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 — One of the reasons why President Barack Obama wants to accelerate acquisition of increased Coast Guard icebreaker capacity (see earlier story) is that climate change and receding ice

AEG Power Solutions picked for cruise newbuild

AUGUST 3, 2015 — AEG Power Solutions says that shipbuilder Fincantieri S.p.A. has chosen its power systems solutions to secure all critical loads applications on board Seabourn Encore, an ultra-luxury cruise ship

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