Holland America Line Returns to Australia

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After more than a two-year absence, Holland America Line returned to Australia. 

The Westerdam is Holland America Line’s first ship back in the region and arrived at Cairns, Australia on Thursday, November 3.

The Westerdam embarked on the voyage on October 2, departing from Seattle, Washington and making calls in Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii, Nawiliwili (Kauai), Hawaii, Kailua Kona, Hawaii, Apia, Western Samoa, Suva, Fiji, Dravuni, Fiji, Lautoka, Fiji, Lifou, New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia, and Alotau, Papua New Guinea before reaching Cairns, Australia. 

“After being away from Australia for far too long, we are excited to be back in this beautiful part of the world,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “Despite just opening sales for Westerdam in Australia seven months ago, we’re already seeing some full cruises in the region. Thank you to all of the locals who welcomed our guests at Cairns today and embraced our return with open arms.”

The ship will make a few more stops at Australian destinations including Airlie Beach on November 4, Moreton Island on November 6, and Sydney on November 8 before moving on with its itinerary to New Zealand. The Westerdam will end its journey in Sydney, Australia on November 23. 

The Noordam will join the Westerdam in Australia, which will circle the Australian continent on its South Pacific and Australia Circumnavigation Collector journey, arriving at Sydney, Australia on November 5. 

This will be the first time that Holland America Line has positioned two of its ships cruising simultaneously around the region since 2016, according to a statement. 

On its Australian tour, the Noordam will make calls in Gladstone, Airlie Beach, Cairns, Darwin, Broome, Port Lincoln, Exmouth, Geraldton, Fremantle, Albany, Adelaide, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, and Melbourne.

A special, 14-day Holiday Cruise will depart from Auckland, New Zealand, on December 20, and will arrive in Sydney, Australia on January 3. 

Celebrity Beyond Christened, Sets Sail From Port Everglades

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The new Celebrity Beyond set sail from Fort Lauderdale following its christening, Celebrity Cruises announced in a press release.

Kicking off its inaugural season in the Caribbean, the vessel’s sailing was marked by a series of festivities, including its official naming ceremony, the company said.

Led by the godmother Simone Biles a 19-time World Champion, seven-time Olympic Medalist and most decorated American gymnast in history, the event was also attended by Captain Kate McCue. She, according to Celebrity, is the first and still only woman to be named captain of a large cruise ship.

“I can think of no one better to be the Godmother of this incredible ship than the G.O.A.T. herself – Simone Biles,” said Jason Liberty, President and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Celebrity Cruises.

“This ship’s beauty, power, and resilience set the standard by which all others will be measured. Simone’s determination, progressive nature, empowered attitude, and grace in the face of challenges make her such an inspiration to so many around the world. All of these attributes are why Simone Biles is perfectly suited to watch over Celebrity Beyond’s journey,” he added.

“I’ve been waiting for this day to arrive for a long time, and I am ‘Beyond’ excited to be able to share her with our guests. She is the gold standard by which other ships are built and embodies the meaning of relaxed luxury,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Celebrity Cruises President and CEO.

“She is ‘FULL’ of wonder and excitement and our guests will undoubtedly feel reconnected to the world around them as they visit new destinations and immerse themselves in culinary experiences and wellness amenities not found anywhere else at sea.”

Alongside Liberty, Lutoff-Perlo and other Celebrity Cruises executives, Simone Biles officially named Celebrity Beyond in a ceremony attended by 2500 guests and media, capped by a live performance from singer and songwriter, Leona Lewis.

“It is an honour to be selected as Beyond’s Godmother and to join such a distinguished group of strong, barrier-breaking women named Celebrity’s Godmothers before me,” said Simone Biles.

“I appreciate the important message this designation holds in recognizing our accomplishments as empowering women, and I am honoured to share the stage today with fellow brave, boundary-breaking leaders like Lisa-Lutoff Perlo and Captain Kate McCue,” she added.

According to Celebrity, the arrival to the U.S. of Celebrity Beyond ushers a “new era of cruising,” coming on the heels of a new brand campaign that aims to “define what a relaxed luxury resort at sea is.”

As it kicks off its inaugural season, the vessel will offer Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries visiting Grand Cayman, Puerto Plata, Cozumel, St. Thomas and more.  

Maersk to Explore Large-Scale Green Methanol Fuel Production with Spain

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MADRID, Nov 3 (Reuters) – Maersk plans to produce up to two million tonnes of e-methanol a year in Spain by 2030 to supply its fleet of cargo ships and reduce its carbon footprint, the shipping giant and the Spanish government said on Thursday.

The project will require an investment of about 10 billion euros ($9.75 billion), according to Spanish government calculations, and Spain may enter as a strategic investor.

An agreement on the project, which will be partly financed by EU recovery funds, was signed on Thursday in Madrid by Maersk CEO Søren Skou and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

It forms part of an objective by Maersk, the world’s second-largest container shipping firm, to achieve net zero emissions in its business by 2040.

Maersk plans to put 19 vessels capable of running on e-methanol between 2023 and 2025, which will require around 750,000 tonnes of the fuel, Maersk said. 

The company will need roughly 6 million tonnes of e-methanol per year to reach its 2030 emissions target, it said.

With global shipping accounting for nearly 3% of the world’s CO2 emissions, the sector is under growing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint.

As the company looks to switch from diesel, finding a reliable supply of greener fuels remains one of its key challenges and has pushed the company to opt for producing its own fuel in strategic locations. 

Sanchez said the project was “perfectly aligned” with Spain’s reindustrialisation and energy transition strategies, adding it would help meet the EU’s commitment to decarbonisation.

The project will begin in the second half of 2024 and is currently securing financing from banks and investors.

“If we enter the shareholding, it would be to give a signal to other companies and investors,” said a senior government source.

The added demand will mean Spain will need to speed up the procurement of renewable plants, but the Spanish government pointed out that Maersk can also opt to buy farms that are already in operation to speed up the process. 

Last year, Maersk announced the launch of the world’s first carbon-neutral liner vessel, which will begin operating in 2023. It has said all future ships will be built with dual fuel technology installed, allowing them to run on either e-methanol or low-sulphur fuel oil. 

($1 = 1.0252 euros)

(Reporting by Belén Carreño, Charlie Devereux and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; editing by David Latona and Jason Neely)