With a dominant position in the European river cruise market, a fleet of ocean-going cruise ships, two expedition ships, a joint venture in China and a Mississippi river operation, the company continues to expand in the cruise industry, with more riverboats and ocean-going ships on order.
If Viking were to list, it would join the other public cruise companies, including Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Lindblad Expeditions. Of those four, Lindblad was the last go to public in 2015.
According to Bloomberg, the IPO could raise over $500 million and Viking is said to be working with Bank of America, UBS, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan on the listing.
As the first in a series of LNG-powered cruise ships built by Carnival Corporation, the AIDAnova introduced a new generation of vessels for AIDA.
Now sharing the title of largest ship in the fleet of the German operator along with its sister ship AIDAcosma, the 5,200-guest vessel spent its inaugural season in the Canary Islands.
Soon after being delivered, the AIDAnova welcomed guests for its inaugural cruise in St. Curz de Tenerife on Dec. 19, 2018.
On that day, the vessel departed on a seven-night cruise that sailed across the Spanish archipelago and also included a visit to Funchal, in Portugal’s Madeira Island.
In late April 2019, the AIDAnova repositioned to Southern Europe for a summer season in the Western Mediterranean.
Sailing from Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona, in Spain, the ship’s regular seven-night itinerary featured three additional ports in Italy and France: Civitavecchia for Rome, La Spezia for Florence, and Marseille.
Currently sailing from Hamburg, in Germany, the AIDAnova is offering a series of cruises to Northern and Western Europe during the 2023-24 winter.
Different itineraries will be offered through late April, including seven-night voyages to Norway and Denmark, and week-long cruises to Germany, England, Belgium, the Netherlands and France.
The cruises can be combined to create a single 14-night cruise that visits Western Europe, the North Sea and Scandinavia.
The AIDAnova remains in the region during the 2024 summer, offering different itineraries to the Norwegian Fjords, Scandinavia and more departing from the German port of Kiel.
Celestyal has confirmed the acquisition of a second new vessel this year as the Celestyal Discovery follows the recent arrival of the Celestyal Journey, signaling a fleet refresh and further commitment to significant investment into the customer proposition, the company said.
The Celestyal Discovery will now join the Celestyal Journey in Athens, where they will both undergo multimillion-euro winter refurbishment programs ahead of the new season, which starts in 2024.
The Discovery takes over the Olympia’s program starting next March. Cruises will go on sale in December.
Built in 2003 for the Carnival Corporation, the ship has been sailing for the AIDA Cruise brand throughout her career to date.
The company said that the Celestyal Discovery is a mid-sized vessel, allowing Celestyal to continue offering its signature unique blend of marquee destinations and more secluded gems that characterize the company’s itineraries. She offers 633 staterooms, 62 of which feature balconies, in total accommodating up to 1,266 guests.
“Given strong market and business conditions, we are thrilled to have expedited the renewal of our fleet to welcome the Celestyal Discovery into the Celestyal family,” said Chris Theophilides, CEO. “Celestyal Discovery joins the Celestyal Journey to undergo an extensive refurbishment program over the winter period, signifying further our intent to keep delighting our customers. As a confident challenger brand, our team is excited to continue to make waves across the industry next season, with a refreshed fleet, brand, network, and a renewed sense of direction.”
North America Push
“The new Celestyal Discovery is a significant upgrade from the Olympia, in both guest-facing spaces and below deck,” said Brandon Townsley, vice president and managing director, North America. “It offers a variety of restaurant outlets, entertainment spaces, and we are very excited about the conference and meeting facilities it offers.”
The ship also has a better mix of premium accommodations and 62 balcony cabins, Townsley told Cruise Industry News, noting that per diems should be on the rise with the more modern ship.
The new Discovery joins the Celestyal Journey, which replaced the older Crystal earlier this year, marking a quick complete fleet transformation for the brand.
“It’s a testament to the efforts and initiatives to position the brand as a small, premium ship experience with upgraded hardware and an upgraded range of accommodations,” said Townsley.
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