Oceania Cruises Floats Out New Ship Allura In Italy

Posted on 3 July, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

Oceania Cruises celebrated the float out of its new ship, the Allura, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente, Italy.

The 1,200-guest ship was floated from the drydock and moved to the fitting-out berth to begin outfitting interiors, the company announced.

The Allura was blessed by the shipyard’s chaplain, Father Stefano and christened by Caterina Romeo, a designer in Fincantieri’s technical department.

“Our hearts and minds are with the entire team at Fincantieri as they mourn the passing of General Graziano,” stated Frank A. Del Rio, president of Oceania Cruises.

“The float out is an important moment for all at Oceania Cruises and Fincantieri, as we progress closer to Allura joining our family. Now that we have completed her shell, we are excited to get started on her interior. We have lots of exciting enhancements on Allura, our eighth vessel, further elevating our offerings and firmly cementing Oceania Cruises as the only ultra-premium cruise brand.”

The Allura will enter service from Trieste, Italy, on July 18, 2025, sailing to Athens, Greece, and visiting Rijeka, Croatia; Ravenna, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Kotor, Montenegro. After her summer season in the Mediterranean, the Allura will sail to Canada and New England for a series of voyages in North America before her inaugural winter season in the Caribbean, homeporting in Miami.

Regal Princess Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Posted on 20 May, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

Regal Princess arrives in the World Famous Port City of Liverpool on the 29th June 2023 and Spacejunkie2 took some great photos of the arrival.

Regal Princess in the Famous city of Liverpool, Photo credit Spacejunkie2 Flickr -29/062023

The Regal Princess is completing its 10th year of service this month. Built for Princess Cruises at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the vessel officially debuted on May 20, 2014.

A sister to the 2013-built Royal Princess, the ship is the second in a series of six Royal-class ships for Princess Cruises.

For its maiden voyage, the Regal Princess offered a seven-night cruise to Italy, Turkey and Greece. Built at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard, the vessel departed from Venice on an open-jaw cruise to Athens.

Sailing through the Eastern Mediterranean, the itinerary featured visits to Corfu and Mykonos, in addition to a two-day stop in Istanbul.

Throughout the summer of 2014, the Regal Princess offered Princess Cruises’ signature Grand Mediterranean cruises, with different seven- to 12-night itinerary choices.

In October 2014, the 3,600-guest ship crossed the Atlantic for the first time ahead of a winter season in the Caribbean.

Sailing from Port Everglades on Sundays, the Regal offered week-long cruises to St. Thomas, St. Maarten and the Bahamas during its inaugural program in the region.

The Princess ship is spending another summer in Europe in 2024.

Sailing from Southampton, the vessel is offering a series of 12-night cruises to the British Isles that feature visits to Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. Some itineraries also include stops in Wales, France and the Shetland Isles.

In early October the Regal Princess is scheduled to return to North America for a winter season in the Caribbean.

Now sailing from Galveston, the ship will offer six- to 11-night cruises to the Western Caribbean, featuring calls to ports in Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Belize and Grand Cayman.

New Norwegian Aqua Floats Out At Fincantieri

Posted on 24 April, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

Norwegian Cruise Line and its partners at Fincantieri celebrated the float out of the Norwegian Aqua from the drydock at the shipyard in Marghera (Venice), Italy.

This marks the completion of the external work on the ship ahead of its April 2025 debut.

As per maritime tradition, two ceremonial coins were welded into the Norwegian Aqua, which historically symbolized an offering to gods and goddesses of the sea in exchange for good luck and safe passage. The ceremony was followed by a blessing by a local chaplain and celebratory champagne breaking across the ship’s hull.

“We are excited to celebrate another milestone with our partners at Fincantieri, who are integral to the Prima Class journey and supporting us in evolving the amazing experience we design and deliver for our guests,” said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line. “Building upon the guest-favourite features of the award-winning vessels of this class, the 10 per cent increase in space provides us with more flexibility to deliver more offerings and more beautifully designed venues for our guests to relax and explore on board Norwegian Aqua.”

At 156,300 gross tons and a length that spans 1,056 feet, the Norwegian Aqua will be 10 per cent larger than the first two Prima Class ships. The ship will also offer luxurious accommodations in The Haven by Norwegian®, including the line’s first-ever Three-Bedroom Duplex Haven Suites.

“We are excited to mark this significant moment with Norwegian Cruise Line as we witness the float out of Norwegian Aqua, which represents a new chapter in our long-lasting partnership,” said Luigi Matarazzo, general manager of the Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division. “We are proud to be part of this transformative journey in which innovation, a cornerstone of our industrial plan, is one of our key points, as we strive to push boundaries and elevate industry standards.”