Fincantieri lays first keel block for Nieuw Statendam and order a Third Ship

Posted on 24 March, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

Fincantieri lays first keel block for Nieuw Statendam

Fincantieri laid the first piece of keel for Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam at its Marghera yard in Venice, Italy on 20 March. The 260-ton block, which is 11.3 metres long and 34.8 wide, will form the central section of Nieuw Statendam.

Built as a sister to Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam will be Holland America’s second 99,800gt Pinnacle class ship and will be delivered at the end of 2018. The vessel will be able to accommodate up to 2,650 passengers in more than 1,300 cabins and feature interiors created by two major studios – Tihany Design and YSA Design.

Holland America Line to Build Third Pinnacle Class Ship for Delivery in 2021

Carnival Corporation announced that it has signed a memorandum of agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri S.p.A. to build two new cruise ships with final contracts expected to be executed in early 2017. The two new ships are designated for the company’s Holland America Line and Princess Cruises brands.

Holland America Line’s new ship will be built at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera, Italy, with an expected delivery in 2021.

“We are extremely pleased to formally announce these two new ships and build on the success and popularity of their sister ships already sailing guests around the globe,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “Our goal is to exceed expectations of the 11.5 million guests who sail with us each year, and these new ships will offer more opportunities for our guests to create lifelong vacation memories while generating added excitement around the fast-growing global demand for cruise vacations.”

Holland America Line’s new 99,500-ton, 2,660-guest ship will be its third Pinnacle Class vessel, following the design of the line’s newest and largest ship, ms Koningsdam, and its sister ship, ms Nieuw Statendam, scheduled for delivery in November 2018.

The new ship will combine classic hallmarks of the brand while featuring several of the innovative venues that were introduced on Koningsdam, as well as new concepts that will debut on Nieuw Statendam and additional elements unique to the new vessel.

Each of Carnival Corporation’s new ships will be specifically designed and developed for each brand and the guests and markets it will serve, supporting the corporation’s overall goal of providing extraordinary vacation experiences at an exceptional value for its guests around the world. Specific features and amenities for the ships, along with deployment details, will be revealed in the coming months.

Dover Cruise Port to welcome 96 cruise calls in 2017

Posted on 24 March, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

Photo Credit; Dave Jones Port of Dover taken from the Carnival Legend.

Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Magic will return to Dover in both 2017 and 2018 (Image: Port of Dover)

Destination Dover and Dover Cruise Port is set to welcome 96 cruise calls in the 2017 season, which started on 15 March with a call from Saga Cruises’ Saga Pearl II.

This year, several cruise lines will return to the UK port including Holland America Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Phoenix Reisen with Artania and Albatros. Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Magic will also return on 24 May and then make further turnaround calls on 28 June and 9 July. Disney Magic has also booked four calls for 2018. Another highlight of 2017 will be an inaugural call from Silversea Cruises’ Silver Explorer on 1 June.

“It’s wonderful that the cruise season is underway again here at Dover Cruise Port and fantastic to be able to announce that Destination Dover has secured so many cruise calls for the 2017 season,” said Sonia Limbrick, Port of Dover’s head of Business Development (Cruise). “The history and inspiring regeneration of Dover Western Docks and town has created a buzz of excitement within the industry and placed Dover firmly on the map as a destination of choice for both local and international cruise passengers.”

Carnival settles pollution lawsuit with state of Alaska

Posted on 31 January, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Cruise ship Belching out Fumes

Carnival Corp. has settled with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation over allegations that Carnival Cruise Line violated Alaska’s standards that regulate visible air pollution from marine vessels.

Carnival said the settlement was reached Aug. 6, 2016, and resulted in a payment “not material to our consolidated financial statements.”

The disclosure was made in Carnival’s 2016 annual report filed with securities regulators.

Carnival said Alaska in 2015 issued notices of violation to all major cruise lines operating in Alaska, including its Princess Cruises and Holland America Line brands, the two biggest lines in the market.

Carnival said it is cooperating with Alaska and “conducting its own internal investigation into these matters.”