Tag Archives: LNG

Mein Schiff: Aggressive Growth

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Mein Schiff: Aggressive Growth

With the new Mein Schiff Flow to be introduced next year, following the sister ship, Mein Schiff Relax, this spring, and Mein Schiff 7 last year, the brand is on an aggressive growth path, more than doubling its guest capacity from 2023 to 2026.

With nine ships in service, Mein Schiff will have a 35.5 per cent share of the German-speaking cruise market as estimated by the 2025 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

Mein Schiff is sailing into 2025 with a tailwind, according to the cruise line, noting strong demand from the German-speaking markets, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and also increasingly from neighbouring European countries.

According to Wybcke Meier, CEO, the clear and differentiated position of the brand and the Mein Schiff fleet is in the premium segment of European cruises, thus seeking to appeal also to customers beyond the German market.

Clas Eckholt, Vice President of Commercial, said in a prepared statement that the focus is on offering an international cruise experience with a distinctly German touch.

At some 160,000 tons and with a double occupancy capacity of more than 4,000 guests, the new ship class is introducing a new era for the brand. The new ships are not only significantly larger than the rest of the fleet but are also fueled by LNG and are described as being future-compatible with low emissions bio- and e-LNG.

Also, introduced last year, the Mein Schiff 7 is said to be methanol-ready.

The rest of the ships are kept up to date with the latest project being the drydocking of the 2015-built Mein Schiff 4, which underwent a facelift earlier this year.

MSC World Asia to Feature Industry’s Longest Dry Slide

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MSC World Asia to Feature Industry’s Longest Dry Slide

The new MSC World Asia will feature the largest dry slide onboard a cruise ship, MSC Cruises said in a press release.

According to the company, the Tree of Life @ The Spiral will serve as a signature architectural feature of the vessel, which will be the third in the company’s World class series.

In line with the ship’s Asian-inspired interiors, the slide was designed after the trees of Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay.

As the industry’s longest dry slide, the feature will be 81.3 meters long, offering a thrilling ride that lets guests glide between 12 decks in seconds.

The Tree of Life @ The Spiral will be part of the ship’s World Promenade, an open-air area that will also feature bars, restaurants and other entertainment spaces.

Other new features coming to the area include a new Pan-Asian specialty restaurant, as well as an expanded dessert shop.

As the third ship in MSC’s World Class series, the MSC World Asia is set to enter service in December 2026.

Following the MSC World Europa and the MSC World America, the LNG-powered vessel is currently under construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France.

As with the previous ships in the class, the new ship will pay homage to a region visited by MSC’s ships, featuring a series of subtle design elements that reflect Asia’s culture, art and landscapes.

For its maiden season, the MSC World America is scheduled to offer seven-night cruises around the Western Mediterranean.

Sailing from multiple homeports, the weeklong itineraries will be offered through the 2026-27 winter season and feature visits to destinations in Italy, Spain, France and Malta, such as Genoa, Barcelona and Valletta.

The 205,700-ton ship will continue to sail in the region during the 2027 summer, offering similar itineraries to countries in Southern Europe.

Asuka III Arrives in Japan Ahead of Maiden Season

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Asuka III Arrives in Japan Ahead of Maiden Season

The new Asuka III arrived in Japan earlier this week after her long journey from Europe to Asia.

Built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, the new Asuka Cruise ship arrived at the port of Yokohama on June 2, 2025.

The LNG-powered vessel is now getting ready to embark on its inaugural season in late July, kicking off a series of cruises departing from ports in Japan.

Upon being delivered, the Asuka III sailed from Northern Europe in mid-April, embarking on a journey that included technical stops in Africa and Asia.

With no guests onboard, the ship sailed to the Canary Islands, South Africa and Singapore before arriving in the Far East.

In an update on its website, Asuka Cruise highlighted the ship’s rendezvous with the previous Asuka ships.

According to the company, in late April, the ship met at sea with the original Asuka off the Canary Islands.

Currently operated by Phoenix Reisen, the 1991-built vessel, which now sails as the Amadea, sailed for the brand until 2006.

Asuka also arranged a meeting of the new ship with its fleetmate, the Asuka II, which is currently offering a world cruise.

The two vessels sailed alongside near the coast of the island of St. Helena, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic.

To mark the occasion, special ceremonies were held onboard the vessels, with crew and guests taking part in a themed celebration.

According to Asuka III’s Chief Engineer Takaaki Nakano, the ship’s delivery voyage was key to evaluating and testing various systems onboard.

“We inspected the operating conditions of various equipment, striving to provide a comfortable cruise experience for the future passengers of the Asuka III,” he said.

“We did our utmost to deliver the Asuka III safely to Yokohama so that everyone can see its beautiful sight,” he added.