Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty, Chairman Richard Fain and Silversea’s President Barbara Muckermann enjoyed an exclusive preview of the Silver Nova.
Royal Caribbean Group’s executives were welcomed by Meyer Werft Managing Directors Jan and Bernard Meyer and enjoyed a detailed tour of the ship.
“Innovation drives our mission to provide the best vacations, responsibly, and Silver Nova embodies this commitment in every way. This stunning ship revolutionizes ultra-luxury cruising and represents an important step on our sustainability journey,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “I would like to officially thank and congratulate the Meyer family, and the talented teams at Meyer Werft, Royal Caribbean Group, and Silversea for pushing industry boundaries to create such a pioneering ship.”
“Silver Nova embodies the vision of our brand and the evolution of our fleet, demonstrating the extent to which our guests are benefitting from our brand being part of Royal Caribbean Group,” said Barbara Muckermann, president of Silversea. “Silver Nova introduces an industry-leading approach to sustainability, an unprecedented openness to the world, and an entirely new take on luxury at sea. She is a beauty and I can’t wait to personally greet our guests on board, introducing them to the future of ultra-luxury cruise travel.”
The Silver Nova will set sail on its maiden voyage on August 14, sailing roundtrip from Fusina (Venice). After a series of Mediterranean cruises, the new ship will cross the Atlantic to the United States of America to offer Caribbean and Central America voyages.
On January 4, 2024, the Silver Nova will depart on the 71-day Grand Voyage South America.
MSC Cruises is aggressively building up its global exposure through sponsorships of sports, including auto racing, soccer and basketball, in addition to the more traditional sales and marketing channels.
Comparing the cruise line to the worldwide Formula 1 racing series, Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, said: “We share common goals; we are focused on sustainability and driving new technologies, while also being in the entertainment business. F1 allows us to deliver our brand message across the world.
“This fits with our other sports sponsorships, such as the well-known soccer brands Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, and in basketball, the New York Knicks, which is drawing record spectator and (TV) viewer numbers.
“These sponsorships give us a high and positive visibility across the globe and in key markets,” Onorato added.
Showcasing MSC Cruises’ product this summer is the new 181,500-ton, 4,888-passenger (double occupancy) Euribia, built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
Onorato described the Euribia as the most environmentally sustainable cruise ship ever built and as for the new hull livery, he explained: “What is most important is not the decoration itself, but the message it sends with the hashtag ‘save the sea.’ Our assignment to the artist was to interpret our love of the sea and the need to care for and protect the sea.”
Built to run on LNG, the Euribia used biofuel on her first sailing, however, which meant net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, according to Onorato.
“The Euribia will allow us to sail in the heritage fjords of Norway,” he continued. “She will give us access to regions that in the future will become more restricted. In addition, our customers are also looking for a ship like this that is more environmentally oriented. I think that more and more sustainability will be a driver in people’s choice of holidays.”
The new ship is also fitted for shore power connection and will be dedicated to Northern Europe during its first year of operation.
Onboard features are shared with other ships of the same platform, Onorato said, noting that these have been fine-tuned. “Every time we introduce a new ship we work to improve and perfect certain aspects,” he said. “Thus, we have focused a lot on the entertainment and have three new shows on board as well as speciality restaurants ranging from Japanese to French and Italian cuisines, and bars similar to what you will find in high-end European destinations.”
Meanwhile, MSC continues to invest in new technologies like dual-fuel engines and systems to run on LNG, while also testing fuel cells, Onorato explained.
“For our legacy ships, we see non-fossil fuels as the solution, you can call it biofuels or synthetic fuels. And while our new ships run on LNG, longer-term solutions may also include hydrogen.
“We will do the necessary modifications to our ships so they will be ready to burn new fuels whenever these become available on a large scale.”
The clear target is net zero emissions across the entire fleet by 2050. Meanwhile, a target is to reach 40 per cent carbon intensity reduction by 2030, compared to 2008, is on track and already MSC Cruises is at 33 per cent, according to Onorato
“We believe the cruise market will continue to grow, and we are committed to maintaining our own leading position,” he said. “Our goal is not necessarily to be bigger than the other major brands, but to have our piece of the cake if I can put it that way.
“How far we will grow will be determined by our customers. What I can say is that we had 2.7 million passengers in 2019 and are on track to reach 4.2 million this year. So that means our customers love us.”
Costa Flaviosa entering Liverpool photo credit Spacejunkie2
Costa Cruises is launching Costa Voyages, a new cruise experience designed to explore extended itineraries, according to a press release.
Starting in September 2023, Costa Cruises will offer itineraries ranging from 10 to 14 days, allowing guests to visit destinations and explore them in-depth.
Voyages include visiting destinations such as the Canary Islands, Turkey, Egyptian pyramids, the Azores, Israel and Morocco and exploring the various European cultures, from Normandy to Spain.
In addition, guests can look forward to exclusive food and beverage experiences on every cruise including sampling the 14 new desserts created by the Master of pastry chefs, Iginio Massari.
The main restaurants will offer three different dinners including a new, exclusive menu included in the price and created by Costa chefs including Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze, and Ángel León.
Onboard, guests can relax and enjoy a drink or two at the special Banquet Night Party, a buffet with ice sculptures carved by master ice sculptors and a live DJ set.
Rock and roll enthusiasts can look forward to the Rolling Stone exclusive show onboard while photography amateurs can engage in dedicated photography sessions organized by the Japanese brand Canon.
Costa Voyages will also organize games inspired by the 1960s and 1990s, such as “Double interview” for couples, “Musichiere” and “C-Music” with quizzes, challenges and more. There will also be a range of workshops and creative labs and an exclusive guided tour of the behind-the-scenes areas of the ship.
The Costa Voyages cruises will be available from September through November 2023, from April to June 2024, and from September to November 2024, onboard six ships, including the Costa Favolosa, Costa Fortuna, Costa Firenze, Costa Fascinosa, Costa Pacifica and the Costa Diadema.
The Costa Pacifica will take guests to explore Egypt and the Holy Land in 2023, while the Costa Fortuna will take over in 2024. The Costa Favolosa and the Costa Fortuna will take guests to Morrocco to explore local traditions and visit the Hassan I Mosque.
The Costa Firenze and Costa Fortuna will visit the Canary Islands in 2023 and the Costa Diadema in 2024. Four ships will take guests to Portugal in 2023, including the Costa Firenze, Costa Fortuna, Costa Favolosa and the Costa Fascinosa, while the Costa Diadema will join them in 2024.
The Costa Fortuna will be visiting Turkey in 2023 and 2024, while the Costa Firenze, Costa Fascinosa, Costa Diadema, and Costa Favolosa will offer sailings that combine the North and South of Europe into a single vacation.
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