Tag Archives: luxury cruise ships

Explora Journeys orders two new Hydrogen-Powered Ships.

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Explora V

Explora Journeys, the luxury cruise brand of MSC Group, has agreed a deal with shipbuilding group Fincantieri for the construction of two new hydrogen-powered luxury cruise ships.

Explora V and VI will feature liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines designed to tackle the issue of methane slip and will also be equipped with a containment system for liquid hydrogen that will enable them to use the low-carbon fuel.

Hydrogen fuel will power a six-megawatt fuel cell to produce emissions-free power for the hotel operation and allow the vessels to run on zero emissions in port, with the engines turned off.

The two new builds, which will take the lines fleet from four to six vessels, are set to come into service in 2027 and 2028, respectively.

Explora Journeys has also confirmed that previously announced vessels Explora III and IV will be powered by LNG. The two ships will be enlarged by 19 metres to enable the installation of the system.

Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Group’s Cruise Division, said the move marks a “significant step forward” in the line’s 2050 net-zero emissions target.

“Explora Journeys is building ships for tomorrow, utilising today’s latest technologies and being ready to adapt to alternative energy solutions as they become available,” he added.

“This transition to zero-emissions operations for the maritime industry is the biggest challenge that we will ever face, and this will only be achieved by everyone playing their part – by investing in research and development and through significant investment both by companies but also governments.”

The two additional ships covered under the memorandum of understanding (MOA) with Fincantieri will bring Explora Journeys’ investment in its fleet to €3.5 billion.

This includes an additional €120 million each for fitting Explora III and IV with LNG engines, a change that required a temporary halt of work due to the significant redesign of the ships, which will now be delivered in 2026 and 2027.

Royal Caribbean takes complete ownership of Silversea Cruises

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Royal Caribbean to take majority stake in Silversea Cruises

Royal Caribbean Group has taken complete ownership of Silversea Cruises, two years after acquiring a two-thirds share of the ultra-luxury line.

Royal Caribbean Group is the recently-introduced new name of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, the parent company of Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara, Silversea and other lines.

Richard Fain, chief executive of Royal Caribbean Group, said; “Silversea has been a great fit for our company from the very first day. The cultures of the two organisations have proven to be harmonious, and guests have responded favourably to the combination.”

Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, who took over the company from his late father, will serve as chairman of Silversea. Roberto Martinoli will remain the brand’s president and chief executive.

Fain added: “Manfredi and Roberto have brought a fresh point of view to our company, as well as deep knowledge of their brand’s unique audience. Their skills – and Manfredi’s inimitable style – will continue to play an important role in growing Silversea into the future.”

Lefebvre said: “The combination of our companies has been everything I hoped for. The skills and resources of the Royal Caribbean Group have helped us grow and flourish. We share a vision about the bright future of cruising, and I look forward to being a shareholder in the broader Royal Caribbean Group.”

Martinoli added: “Thanks to the incredible resources and skills of Royal Caribbean Group, Silversea will grow and thrive. Today marks another key step in our drive to uncontested leadership in ultra-luxury and expedition cruising.”

The remaining stake in Silversea held by Heritage Cruise Holding Ltd was paid for in the form of 5.2 million shares of Royal Caribbean Group common stock, representing about 2.5% of its total common stock.

MSC TO BUILD FOUR 1,000 GUEST LUXURY CRUISE SHIPS

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MSC Seaview in Valletta, Malta
MSC Cruises is continuing its impressive growth in the cruise industry as the company today announced an agreement to build four ultra-luxury cruise ships at Fincantieri.
The 1,000-guest, 64,000-ton ships will enter service in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. The memorandum of agreement is for a total value in excess of two million euro, MSC said and marks the company’s first dedicated luxury ships.
Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman, said: “It is off the back of the great success of our ship-within-a-ship luxury concept that our guests asked us to enter into the ultra-luxury segment, as a natural evolution of the MSC Yacht Club. These ships will be able to offer unique itineraries, thanks to their size, and the guest services will be taken to another level, including our personalized MSC Yacht Club butler service, available 24/7.”
By 2027, MSC will have 25 mega ships in service, up from 15 today. The additional four ships will put the MSC fleet at 29 ships by 2027 with over 98,000 berths and a market capacity of over 5 million guests annually, according to Cruise Industry News estimates.
“I am especially pleased to be able to further extend our partnership with Fincantieri through this new order. The award-winning Seaside and Seaside-Evo class have already been recognized as ground-breaking and innovative designs. We are now introducing another new class, which will establish a new standard of ultra-luxury at sea with ships that will showcase the quality and highest standards that are associated with Made in Italy,” Vago said.
Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, stated: “It is with pride that two great brands – an Italian one and one with a strong Italian DNA -, well-known all over the world, today announce an important construction program. We are extremely satisfied that to launch a new class of ships in the luxury segment, MSC Cruises has acknowledged that our project will allow creating a new generation of cutting-edge units from both a technological point of view, safety and with particular attention paid to passenger comfort. With this project Fincantieri can count on 53 cruise ships in its order book, confirming to be an absolute market leader in all the cruise shipbuilding segments.”