MS Koningsdam Cruise Ship, United States of America

Posted on 25 June, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

MS Koningsdam is a new cruise ship being constructed by Fincantieri at its Marghera shipyard, Italy, for Holland America Line. It will be the first Pinnacle-class vessel to join Holland America’s cruise ship fleet.

The first steel for MS Koningsdam was cut in February 2014, and a keel laying ceremony was held in August 2014. Delivery is expected in February 2016.

MS Koningsdam design

Koningsdam is designed in a contemporary style to create a perfect harmony with classic elegance. It will feature luxurious interiors that blend fresh air, fluid curves, elegant lines and illuminated spaces. The public spaces are designed to reflect tradition, whereas the architectural elements are inspired by music.

The central atrium with a ceiling skylight will be three decks high and adorned by an airy stainless steel sculpture. The interiors are designed by Adam D Tihany and Bjørn Storbraaten.

The 99,500 gross register tonnage (grt) cruise ship will have a capacity to accommodate 2,650 passengers and 1,025 crew members.

Accommodation aboard the new Pinnacle-class cruise ship

The new Pinnacle-class cruise ship will offer single and family staterooms. The staterooms will be classified into three categories, namely Neptune, Signature and Vista.

The ship will also feature 32 family ocean-view staterooms that occupy between 222ft2 and 231ft2, with two bathrooms and accommodation for five people, and 12 single ocean-view cabins measuring between 127ft2 and 172ft2. The staterooms and suites will be furnished with custom casework, USB ports and frameless glass shower doors.

A grand Pinnacle Suite of 1,290ft2 will comprise a living area, dining area, dressing area, bedroom and personal verandah with whirlpool. The cruise ship will also feature two Neptune Spa Suites and 43 Neptune Suites. The guests of Neptune and Pinnacle suites will have access to the Neptune Lounge, with the personalised service of a concierge.

The fleet-wide lounges offer worktables, a big-screen television, a library, sofas and chairs, complimentary refreshments and wi-fi at a nominal charge in the ship.

Koningsdam will also offer affordable accommodation, including 266 standard or large interior rooms of up to 225ftsq. Most of the rooms will feature verandas. The verandah spa accommodations, which will be located near the Greenhouse Spa & Salon, will offer health and wellness services during the journey.

Dining aboard the Koningsdam

The guests on-board Koningsdam can enjoy dining at six restaurants, namely the Pinnacle Grill, the main dining room, the Lido, Tamarind Asian fusion restaurant, In-Cabin and Balcony Dining, and Canaletto Italian restaurant.

The central bar area will allow the guests to check-in for an alternative-dining reservation at the central podium, and enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail before being seated at the restaurant.

The Culinary Arts Centre will offer activities such as hands-on classes and cooking demonstrations during the day, while it will transform into a dining area and the Grand Dutch Café to provide snacks or beverages in the evening.

MS Koningsdam entertainment venues

The Music Walk complex on the ship will encompass the Lincoln Centre Stage, Billboard Onboard and BB King’s Blues Club.

The World Stage, with multiple stage configurations, will feature high-definition 270° LED screen of two stories high and 250ft-long. It will be equipped with state-of-the-art sound systems and lighting for showcasing performances and productions.

Additional facilities will include Digital Workshop, Explorations Café, Fitness Centre, Merabella luxury shop, Signature Shops, Promenade, Casino and Explorer’s Lounge.

MS Koningsdam itineraries

MS Koningsdam will enter service with a seven-day round-trip voyage from Civitavecchia (Rome) to Naples, followed by a series of six 12-day sailings across the Mediterranean.

Carnival Corp. records $222 million in net income in Q2

Posted on 24 June, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Corp. reported $222 million in net income in the second quarter, up more than 126% from second quarter 2014. Revenue for the quarter, the company said, was $3.6 billion, compared with $3.63 billion in 2014.

Carnival said its net income in the quarter included unrealized gains on fuel derivatives of $34 million and $7 million on restructuring expenses.

Net revenue yields rose 4.1% in the quarter on a constant-dollar basis, beating the company’s estimate of increases in the 2% to 3% range; gross revenue yield decreased 3.5% due to changes in currency exchange rates, it said.

Fuel prices declined 37%, to $411 per metric ton; the company spent $333 million on fuel in the quarter, compared with $527 million in Q2 2014. Net cruise costs, excluding fuel, increased 6.1%, which the company primarily attributed to an increase in drydock days.

Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald said in the earnings statement that all company’s North American brands “enjoyed strong revenue yield improvement”; he singled out the Carnival Cruise Line brand and said it “performed particularly well again this quarter.”

The company said that fleetwide booking volume for the next three quarters was running “well ahead” of last year, at slightly lower prices due to transactional currency impacts. Donald said that the strong booking volume “clearly demonstrates strong consumer demand for our brands,” and he added that Carnival Corp. would step up marketing investment for the remainder of the year.

Carnival said its third-quarter net revenue yields were expected to be up 2% to 3% in constant dollars compared with Q3 2014.

This report was updated to clarify a statement from Arnold Donald regarding yield improvement in the company’s cruise brands.

With ships, green begets green

Posted on 19 June, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

It’s logical to think that the EPA bid to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from commercial jets will raise costs for airlines and their customers. That’s the usual side-effect of more regulation.In the long run it may be true. But in the short run, judging from what’s happened in the cruise industry, it may not be.

Efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions from ships at the International Maritime Organization have largely focused on making vessels more fuel-efficient. Less consumption of fuel equates to fewer greenhouse gases.

True, cruise companies have had to invest in new ways of saving energy, from hull coatings to LED and compact florescent lighting. Energy efficiency has also become a bigger factor in itinerary planning and ship speeds.

But the end result has been a reduction in fuel expense that companies can use to pad profits, invest in new ships and technologies or even hold the line on price increases.

To take one example, Carnival Corp. last fall said it had saved at least $2.5 billion in fuel costs over the last seven years as a result of a fleet fuel conservation program that has reduced carbon emissions by 12 billion kilograms over the same time frame.

In part, the program is an effort to comply with IMO rules on energy-efficient ship design and IMO’s development of a template for energy-efficient ship operations – amendments to the MARPOL convention that became effective in 2013.

Cutting fuel consumption is likely to be the main approach to reducing marine greenhouse gases for years to come.
Unlike sulfur dioxide emissions, which several cruise lines are reducing through the use of catalytic scrubbers in the exhaust stream, greenhouse gasses aren’t currently practical to scrub.

The main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, is hard to separate from other gases for treatment. And scrubbing by current methods is energy-intensive and costly. It adds between 50% and 84% to the cost of electricity produced by a power plant compared to plants that don’t have carbon capture technology, according to a U.S. Department of Energy study.

So reducing greenhouse gases from cruise ships may not only be sound for the environment but at the same time may be a good development for the bottom line. It’s always nice when doing right and doing well coincide.