Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship Carnival Celebration has completed sea trials and is inching closer to its debut voyage at the Port of Miami
Carnival Celebration set sail on its first round of sea trials on 5 September from Finland’s Meyer Turku shipyard, where sister ship Mardi Gras was built. The vessel had a full contingent of officers, technicians and engineers on board to test the ship’s technical, mechanical and navigation systems.
Captain Vincenzo Alcaras said the vessel underwent several tests during its sea trials, to determine the ship’s capability and performance. “We’ve done many manoeuvring tests, such as endurance tests, steering tests, speed tests and thrusters tests. The ship performed wonderfully, and shortly, we will start cruising.”
The 180,000-dwt, LNG-powered Excellence-class ship will become the operator’s largest upon delivery, capable of accommodating up to 6,500 passengers.
Carnival Celebration will arrive in PortMiami in November, and following an inaugural six-day voyage to the eastern Caribbean, the ship will launch year-round, seven-day cruises to the eastern and western Caribbean from PortMiami beginning 21 November. The week-long voyages will visit San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cozumel, Mexico and Grand Turk.
Carnival Celebration will feature many of the attractions seen on Mardi Gras, including BOLT, an onboard roller coaster at sea, an atrium spanning three decks and Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken restaurant.
The ship will also have a new Miami-themed zone aboard: named after the address of Carnival’s original headquarters, 820 Biscayne will celebrate the culture, architectural styles and flavours of the home city where the line was founded in 1972.
Princess Cruises has revealed the brand’s largest ship, a bespoke ship platform that will run on dual-fuel LNG and accommodate more than 4,000 guests
Currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard and scheduled to debut in early 2024, the 175,500-tonne vessel is the largest Princess ship ever constructed and embraces Italian heritage by featuring a next-level Piazza and The Dome, an entertainment space inspired by the terraces of Santorini. Sun Princess will also feature Princess Medallion, extending Princess’s position in delivering personalised experiences.
“Sun Princess is a new and bespoke ship platform, designed to simultaneously embrace Princess heritage while boldly pressing into the future with iconic, elegant and pure lines unique to our brand,” said Princess Cruises president John Padgett. “A show-stopping, first-of-its-kind Dome on the top deck and suspended glass Piazza in the centre of Sun Princess offer innovative designs showcasing expansive ocean views for incredible opportunities to connect with the sea.”
The cruise line also announced Sun Princess will sail an inaugural spring/summer season of Mediterranean cruises followed by western and eastern Caribbean voyages out of Port Everglades, Florida in Q3 2024.
The line’s Piazza spans three stories, forming an architectural feature offering guests an outward-looking suspended space with comfortable seating and areas to enjoy the ocean views in every direction. An LED screen is also showcased in the centre of the Piazza that can be moved and configured to deliver live entertainment. Adjacent to the Piazza Atrium will be Coffee Currents coffee shop, Bellini’s Cocktail Bar, along with Princess favourites like Crooners’ Bar and Alfredo’s Pizzeria.
The other stand-out structure onboard Sun Princess is The Dome. Princess Cruises said, “Inspired by the terraces of Santorini, it is a multi-level covered deck and the first true glass-enclosed dome ever constructed on a cruise ship. During the day, the Dome features an indoor/outdoor pool and unique water features in a comfortable and relaxed space. At night, the pool becomes a stage, and the Dome transforms into an entertainment venue with a South Beach vibe, state-of-the-art lighting effects and the ability to deliver stunning aerial performances.”
With 2,157 staterooms, including 50 suites and 100 connecting rooms, 21-deck Sun Princess features more outdoor balcony space and all-balcony accommodations feature an in-room sofa.
Also launching exclusively on Sun Princess will be a new level of suite accommodations, the Signature Collection. In addition to premium stateroom amenities, Signature Collection suites include access to the Signature Restaurant, Signature Lounge and Signature Sun Deck, a private area of the Sanctuary.
With Sun Princess, Club Class accommodations on board this ship, and all Princess ships will now be called Reserve Collection, which is the best-located mini-suite staterooms. Within the Reserve, Collection will be Reserve Collection Cabana rooms, resort-style staterooms that offer a balcony and private cabana, and extra-large outdoor lounge space. These premium accommodations also include access to the Reserve Collection Restaurant.
Sun Princess is part of Carnival Corp’s green cruising focus and is one of 11 new ships in the corporate fleet powered by LNG fuel technology.
A second, next-generation Sphere-class ship is also on order, slated to be delivered by Fincantieri in Q2 2025.
While secondhand sales dominated the cruise industry headlines over the past few months, the shipbuilding business has also been busy during the pandemic.
In addition to the vessels that were already set to be built in 2020, a total of 13 extra ships were also ordered in March 2020.
Here’s the complete list:
SH Diana Cruise Line: Swen Hellenic Order Date: October 2020 Shipyard: Helsinki Shipyard (Finland) Capacity: 192 guests Tonnage: 12,500 Expected Delivery: Q1 2023
Swan Hellenic was among the first cruise lines to order a cruise ship after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to its operator, the LNG-powered ship will feature private residences, in addition to features that include a microbrewery, a hydroponic garden and an art studio.
Emerald Cruises ordered a second cruise ship for its fleet in September 2021. The new Emerald Sakara is set to be delivered in 2023 and will have the capacity of 100 guests.
A sister to the 2021-built Emerald Azzurra, the super yacht is being built by the Halong shipyard in Vietnam.
The 152-guest vessel is set to enter service in 2025 and did not have its buyer revealed at the time of the order.
American Eagle and American Glory Cruise Line: American Cruise Lines Order Date: January 2022 Shipyard: Chesapeake (United States) Capacity: 109 guests each Tonnage: 3,000 each Expected Delivery: 2023
Named Project Blue, the class will include a total of 12 vessels – of which the first two are already in construction at the Chesapeake shipyard.
Ilma and Luminara Cruise Line: Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection Order Date: March 2022 Shipyard: Chantiers de l’Atlantique (France) Capacity: 456 guests each Tonnage: 37,000 each Expected Delivery: 2024 and 2025
Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection ordered two additional cruise ships in March 2022, the Ilma and the Luminara. Following the Evrima, which is set to enter service soon, the vessels will be built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France.
Designed as mega yachts, the 37,000-ton ships are set to be delivered in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Explora V and Explora IV Cruise Line: Explora Journeys Order Date: July 2022 Shipyard: Fincantieri (Italy) Capacity: 922 guests each Tonnage: 70,000 each Expected Delivery: 2027 and 2028
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