Tag Archives: Costa cruise

January Update: Here Are the Latest Five Cruise Ship Moves

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Among recent cruise ship transactions, Resorts World Cruises is expanding in Asia, an AIDA ship is heading to a new home and there is much more.

Cruise Industry News looks at some of the more relevant ship moves in the last few months.

For a complete market overview of ships moving between owners and leaving the market, see the Secondhand Market Report by Cruise Industry News.

Explorer Dream
Capacity: 1,804 guests
Tonnage: 76,800
Year built: 1999
Former names: SuperStar Virgo
Move: Chartered to Resorts World Cruises; to be renamed Resorts World One
Date: January 2023

After spending several months anchored off Malaysia, the Explorer Dream found a new operator. In January, Resorts World Cruises announced plans to charter the 1999-built vessel, which will be renamed Resorts World One.

Rejoining its former fleet mate Genting Drem, the ex-SuperStar Virgo is set to debut in Singapore in February before kicking off a program of short cruises to nowhere departing from Hong Kong.

AIDAaura
Capacity: 1,270 guests
Tonnage: 42,200
Year built: 2003
Move: To be retired from AIDA Cruises’ fleet
Date: January 2023

Following its sister ship AIDAvita, the AIDAaura is set to be retired from the AIDA Cruises fleet. According to an announcement issued by the German cruise line in January, the 2003-built vessel is set to offer a farewell season before being withdrawn from service next September.

AIDA hasn’t revealed future plans for the ship, which is expected to be sold as part of Carnival Corporation’s fleet optimization initiative.

Pacific Venus
Capacity: 696 guests
Tonnage: 26,518
Year built: 1998
Move: Withdrawn from service as operator shuts down cruise business
Date: January 2023

The Pacific Venus concluded its last cruise for Venus Cruise in early 2023. After announcing plans to shut down its cruise operations, the Japanese cruise line went out of business on Jan. 4.

One of the market’s only three Japanese-flagged cruise ships, the Pacific Venus is now facing an uncertain future. Currently laid up in a shipyard in Japan, the 696-guest vessel was built at the Ishikawajima shipyard in Tokyo.

Costa Venezia
Capacity: 4,232 guests
Tonnage: 135,500
Year built: 2019
Move: Ended last cruise for Costa ahead of being transferred to Carnival
Date: December 2022

Set to be transferred to Carnival Cruise Line, the Costa Venezia concluded its last cruise for Costa Cruises in early December. Currently laid up in Italy, the 2019-built is scheduled for a drydock before launching service for its new operator in May.

Sailing from New York City on a year-round basis, the Venezia will be part of the new Carnival Fun Italian Style concept, which mixes Costa’s Italian heritage with Carnival’s experience and service.

Braemar
Capacity: 977 guests
Tonnage: 24,344
Year built: 1993
Former names: Crown Majesty, Crown Dynasty and Norwegian Dynasty
Move: To be sold by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Date: November 2022

In late November, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines announced plans to rationalize its fleet and concentrate on modern tonnage. As a result, the British brand decided to retire Braemar from service.

Currently the smallest vessel of the fleet, the 1993-built cruise ship has been laid up in Scotland since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of the announcement, Fred. Olsen is also said to be looking for a buyer for the vessel, which has a capacity for 977 guests in double occupancy.

Carnival Corporation 2023 Preview

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Carnival Corporation is set for an eventful year in 2023 with a new product and new builds entering service.

Cruise Industry News looks into the most anticipated events taking place across the company’s nine brands over the next 12 months.

Carnival Fun Italian Style
Carnival Fun Italian Style is debuting in 2023, with the introduction of the Carnival Venezia in May.

Originally built for Costa Cruises, the vessel is set to offer a unique product, combining Carnival’s experience with special touches from the European country.

Following the Venezia, which will sail year-round from New York, the Carnival Firenze is also set to join the concept in 2024 and launch service from California.

Two Newbuilds
Two new builds are entering service for core Carnival Corporation brands in 2023.

Originally ordered for AIDA Cruises, the new Carnival Jubilee is currently being built in Germany by the Meyer Werft shipyard. Joining the Mardi Gras and the Carnival Celebration, the XL-Class ship will debut during the fourth quarter, offering Western Caribbean cruises out of Galveston.

A sister to the Seabourn Venture, the Seabourn Pursuit is set to become Carnival Corp’s second expedition ship. Under construction in Italy, the vessel is scheduled to enter service in October, ahead of a winter season in Antarctica.

In addition is a yet-to-be-named new build for Adora Cruises, Carnival’s joint venture in China.

More Efficient Fleet
While new ships enter service, Carnival continues to withdraw smaller and less efficient ships from its fleet.

In 2023, at least three vessels are set to be retired by the brands, including the AIDAaura, which will bid farewell to AIDA Cruises in September.

Two more ships from Costa Cruises are also expected to be withdrawn. The exits are part of an effort to right-size the brand in light of the continued closure of cruise operations in China – where Costa had significant capacity before the pandemic.

More Passengers Onboard
Carnival Corporation is expecting more passengers onboard its ships in 2023, with an aimed average occupancy rate of 90 per cent across its nine cruise brands in the first quarter.

The number is up from 54 per cent occupancy in the first quarter of 2022 when cruise operations were still being restarted across the globe.

Return to Asia and World Cruises
Following a three-year gap, several Carnival brands are returning to Asia in early 2023.

While Seabourn is set to offer a series of Southeast Asia itineraries during the entire winter season, Princess and Holland America are returning to Japan in the spring.

Several brands – including P&O, Cunard, Costa, Princess and Holland America – also resumed their world cruise itineraries in January, offering long global voyages that visit several international destinations and countries.

China Joint-Venture Debut
After years in the making, Carnival’s joint venture with CSSC is set to launch service in China in 2023.

Named Adora Cruises, the new brand will serve the local market, offering itineraries from several Chinese homeports.

In addition to two ships acquired from Costa, the joint venture is set to operate a pair of new builds, which are currently being constructed at a shipyard in Shanghai and are scheduled for 2023 and 2025 deliveries.

China Cruise Line Staffs Up, Anticipating Restart

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The Chinese cruise industry may be ready to start sooner than later, as CSSC Carnival China Cruise Shipping, which will operate as Adora Cruises, is staffing up in the sales department.

The company is a joint venture between China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and Carnival Corporation.The company announced the appointment of Chen Yinglan as the sales director of the East China region, Lin Binbin as the sales director of the South China region, and Sun Wen as the sales director of the North China region.

Chen Ranfeng, CEO of CSSC Carnival, said in a translated statement: “The three are ‘senior cruise people’ who have been deeply involved in the industry for many years. They are also leaders in the cruise sales field. They have rich experience in marketing and a solid industry foundation in their respective regions. Maintain long-term and good cooperative relations with partners in the same industry. I believe they will play an important role in the market expansion of CSSC Carnival.”

The company said it will use a multi-vessel multi-homeport operation strategy and operate international routes in East Asia and Southeast Asia throughout the year. The company will focus on homeporting ships in China but is also committed to selling international departures as well, according to a statement.

As far as ships, the Costa Atlantica and Mediterranea previously transferred to Carnival’s joint venture in China prior. A new building is scheduled to be delivered from a shipyard in Shanghai this year.