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German shipyards have order books bursting at the seams |
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On the other hand the number of cruise line and ferry
newbuilds is setting new records: In 2006 worldwide more than 60
ferries and passenger ships with a total tonnage of 1.4 million CGT
(Compensated Gross Tonnage) were delivered. At the same time new
orders rose by 72 new units to 187 passenger ships with in total 6.2
million CGT. As a result German shipyards and suppliers have benefited from this positive development. For example the Meyer Shipyard in Papenburg has ten cruise ships on its order book: This includes the 93.500 RT Norwegian Gem, which will be delivered to Norwegian Cruise Line in September. Additionally three club ships for AIDA, four Post-Panmax ships for Celebrity Cruise`s and two cruisers for Disney Cruise Line will be build at Meyer Shipyard. Positive news is also coming from Neptun Shipyard in Rostock, a subsidiary of Meyer. One of the core competences of this company is the construction of innovative river cruise ships. A lot of ships of the Danube and Rhone class for the A-Rosa fleet were built at Neptun. Additionally Neptun has developed the innovative TwinCruiser for Premicon. This new ship concept has set a benchmark. The TwinCruiser consists of two separate hulls linked by a special coupler system. Due to the separation, vibration and noise will not be carried to the cabin section. In August Premicon ordered an additional TwinCruiser, which is already the sixth order of Premicon from Neptun Shipyard. Seatrade Europe - Cruise, Ferry and River Cruise Convention will take place between 25 and 27 September 2007 at CCH-Congress Center Hamburg. One month before Seatrade Europe starts, more than 210 exhibitors have already confirmed their attendance (2005: 134 exhibitors). A comprehensive conference programme, more visitors than ever and an extensive social programme make this a key event in the maritime calendar |
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Olympic gold medalist Cathy Freeman will be godmother
to Pacific Dawn when P&O Cruises Australia’s newest resident ship is
named at a fireworks and high-tech light show at Sydney’s Overseas
Passenger Terminal on the evening of November 8.
The 70,000gt ship, which was named Regal Princess by former British
Prime Minister Margaret (now Baroness) Thatcher in New York on
August 8, 1991, arrives at Wharf 8, Darling Harbour, on October 1 on
her final voyage for Princess Cruises. |
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Silversea's buys the expedition ship "WORLD DISCOVERER" |
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Acquisition Opens Door to Antarctic Explorations
Silversea Cruises Group Ltd., announced today that it
has purchased the expedition ship World Discoverer. The
company took delivery of the vessel in Singapore on
September 17. The ship will undergo a multi-million
dollar refurbishment before it begins service in spring
2008. "We're very excited about this acquisition, as it means we'll be able to further tap that segment of the luxury travel market that is adventure driven," said Manfredi Lefebvre, Silversea's chairman. "We have been looking into this segment for quite some time. When we were informed about the opportunity to buy World Discoverer, we took immediate action in a matter of days. We believe that exploration cruises can combine extremely well with an utterly exclusive product. With the addition of World Discoverer, our current fleet increases to five ships and to six in 2009, offering a more-expansive cruise schedule that encompasses all seven continents." Amerigo Perasso, Silversea president, added, "We will be unveiling more details about World Discoverer, including the new name, in the next few weeks, when all the elements of the project will be finalized. However, at this time, I can advise that the refurbishment will extend to virtually every area of the ship. Although we will maintain much of the vessel's current configuration, which features all ocean-view accommodations, we will dramatically enhance and redesign a number of public spaces, as well as some of the accommodations, and even some aspects of the ship's external appearance. This will bring World Discoverer in line with our usual high standards, but with some modifications to better adapt the ship for the special needs of expedition cruises." Perasso further elaborated, "The mix of innovative land programs, top-quality lecturers, enrichment programs and exotic destinations will enable us to offer a very special experience that will appeal to the most discerning world travelers. It just made good sense to grow our company with the addition of a vessel purpose-built for in-depth exploration and adventure in places far off the beaten path. World Discoverer is well suited to become the "best in class" for this type of operation." After the planned refurbishment, World Discoverer will accommodate around 140 guests (reduced from current 175) in ocean-view staterooms, including Owner's Suites, Grand Suites, and 12 yet-unnamed suites that will be similar to the line's popular Silver Suites -- offering an intimate club-like ambiance that will deliver an expedition cruise experience consistent with Silversea's award-winning luxury standards. Guests will also enjoy many amenities found on larger ships, such as an elegant single-seating main dining room, a specialty restaurant, library (with desktop computers and Internet access), boutique, beauty salon, fitness center, sauna and whirlpools. The ship will also feature several lounges for enjoying drinks, music and entertainment, including a cigar lounge like the Humidor on the line's other ships. World Discoverer will be equipped with state-of-the-art satellite communication systems, providing bow-to-stern wireless Internet access, enabling guests with Wi-Fi-enabled laptops and PDAs to surf the Internet and check e-mails from the comfort of their suites as well as public areas. Cellular phone service will also allow guests to stay in touch using their own cell phones even when the ship is miles away from land. The vessel will also feature flat screen TVs in all suites and staterooms. In the ship's lounges, the latest audio-visual equipment, complete with high-definition video screens, will display live lectures hosted by visiting destination experts. The ship will maintain the line's reputation for intimate yet spacious ships. And the vessel's crew complement of 106 will continue to ensure the highest level of service with a crew-to-guest ratio that will equal or exceed that of Silver Cloud and Silver Wind , thus being among the highest in this niche market. The 6,072-ton vessel also boasts a strengthened hull with the highest Lloyd's Register ice-class notation (1A), appropriate for navigating waters, without an escort, in some of the world's most remote regions, including Antarctica. Earlier this year the company finalized plans to purchase one 36,000-GRT, 540-guest, ultra-luxury vessel from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri with delivery scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2009. The line has also signed an option for a sister ship with the same shipbuilder. |
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The success of easyCruise’s inaugural summer season
in Greece has prompted the unorthodox and innovative cruise operator
to more than triple its capacity for summer 2008. The line’s new
flagship, to be named easyCruise Life, will accommodate 540
passengers and will enter service in April 2008. The hallmark of easyCruise is that itineraries include overnight stays in port so guests can enjoy nighttime fun ashore. The new vessel will offer a seven-night itinerary that visits Turkey for the first time, calling at Bodrum, one of the country’s most popular resorts. Bodrum is awash in white, stucco hillside houses, charming waterfront cafes and ancient treasures, and enjoys a nightlife known throughout the Aegean. The new itineraries will also showcase six different Greek Islands from laidback Syros and Samos to lively Kalymnos, Kos, Paros and Mykonos, the legendary jet-set mecca. Guests can uniquely choose to join the cruise in Piraeus (Athens) on Saturdays or in Bodrum on Mondays. “Since easyCruise launched two years ago we have offered an affordable way to see intriguing places that are difficult to reach, except by sea,” said Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, chairman of easyCruise. “It is clear that staying in port until the early morning hours has broad appeal because many travelers also want to experience the local nightlife.” The 12,711-ton easyCruise Life is three times the size of her yacht-like, sister ship easyCruise One (4,011 tons). The vessel – named Lev Tolstoy by her original Soviet owners – was built at Poland’s Szczecin shipyard in 1981 and extensively refurbished in 1989. It will undergo a further, multi-million-dollar update before emerging in her new easyCruise livery. This fall and next spring, the line’s easyCruise One will be deployed on a new seven-night itinerary that showcases some of the most amazing archaeological sites in Classical Greece, including Mycenae, Nemea, Olympia and Delphi. In summer 2008, the ship will again offer her long-weekend cruises to Poros, Mykonos, Paros and Sifnos. A new 10-night itinerary will transit the Corinth Canal to the islands of the Ionian Sea, including Ithaki, Paxos, Corfu, Kefallonia, Zakynthos, Itea (for Delphi), Corinth, Preveza and Agioi Saranta, Albania, which serves as a gateway to Butrint, a UNEXCO World Heritage Site. |
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Cunard Line has ordered a new 92,000-ton liner, to be named Queen Elizabeth |
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Cunard Line said it has ordered a new 92,000-ton
liner, to be named Queen Elizabeth, scheduled to enter service in
the autumn of 2010. Cunard, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc
signed an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the
construction of the new 2,092-passenger ocean liner, which will be
built at Fincantieri's Monfalcone yard at an all-in cost of
approximately $700 million. The vessel will be the second largest
Cunard ship the company has ever built. "Cunard already owns and operates the two most famous ocean liners in the world, Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Mary 2, and a third -- Queen Victoria -- is due to be named by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales, in December of this year," said Carol Marlow, president of Cunard Line. "The decision to order another ship for Cunard Line has been taken as a result of the strong booking response to the new Queen Victoria, and we are extremely pleased that Cunard will once again become a three-ship fleet so soon after the departure of the much-celebrated Queen Elizabeth 2 in November next year. Furthermore, we are delighted that Her Majesty The Queen has given her blessing to our calling this new Cunarder Queen Elizabeth, after our first vessel of that name." The new ship follows a long line of famous Cunard liners stretching back to the company's inception as the first operator of a timetabled transatlantic service 167 years ago. Through her opulent public rooms and impeccable service, the new ship will reflect the grandeur which has been associated with Cunard ships since the introduction of the Mauretania in 1907. From the outside, her black hull, white superstructure and distinctive red funnel will echo the classic characteristics of the company's distinctive liner heritage. Queen Elizabeth will fly the Red Ensign with her home-port Southampton, as is the case with the other ships in the Cunard fleet |
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List of new builds under construction |
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