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Oriana refit in focus

Posted on 12 December, 2016 by Spacejunkie2

We talk to P&O Cruises Senior Vice President Paul Ludlow about why Oriana holds a special place in so many guests’ hearts and why it’s time for her to undergo a refit

Cross-section of Oriana showing the areas of the ship that will feature in the refit

This cross-section shows the areas of the ship that will feature in the refit

Why do you think Oriana is so well loved, with such a loyal following?

Oriana is a unique ship with an incredible character; I think that’s what guests love about her. She’s exclusively for adults and offers all of the traditions and charms of cruising with an intimate atmosphere and a calm elegance. Also, one of the many benefits of a cruise on Oriana is the fantastic range of itineraries available. She has such a loyal following of guests who come back every year, more so than any of our other ships.

Oriana has a long history, how does this contribute to her popularity today?

Oriana was named by HM The Queen on 6 April 1995, so next year marks 22 years of loyal service. There are many things during this time that have made her so special and popular. Oriana still holds the prized Golden Cockerel Trophy, awarded to the fastest ship in the fleet, with a maximum speed of 30 knots. When she entered service, Oriana was also one of the largest cruise ships in the world (so you can see how times have changed!). However, size is not everything and Oriana’s tradition and charm remains throughout. The refit at the end of this year will not alter this but will just refresh her beauty.

What makes Oriana different to the other ships in the fleet?

Oriana offers traditional cruising at its best and brings to life everything about the luxuries of being at sea. Her signature tiered stern decks are reminiscent of ocean liners of the past, and the broad teak promenade and lido decks add a rich, classic feel to the ship. Her most recognisable feature is the stunning atrium with the Art Deco Tiffany glass ceiling. Coming on board Oriana is like stepping into the golden age of cruising, but with many contemporary touches and dining choices – a combination that is unique to Oriana.

The plans for the refit have taken into consideration guest feedback. Why do you think this is so important?

At every stage of a guest’s journey with us, from consideration through booking to the holiday itself, we aim to go above and beyond expectations. That’s why it’s so important for us to know what our guests are thinking – they are the whole reason our ships sail the world over, so their feedback is invaluable. We know that it’s time to give Oriana the attention she deserves. Her refit will take into consideration guest feedback on all aspects of the ship, from the public spaces and bars to the cabins, bathrooms and much more. We want Oriana’s guests, both returning and new, to feel that they are sailing on the most elegant and charming ship in the fleet. From what our guests have told us, we know that retaining these traditional elements that are unique to Oriana is as important as rejuvenating the ship. So that’s what we’re aiming to do.

Artist’s impression of the spa refit on board Oriana

Focusing on the public areas and cabins, how will the refit be balanced between the need to modernise and the desire to retain Oriana’s much-loved classic cruise feel? What added touches of luxury will there be?

We’ll be rejuvenating the public areas and cabins with a range of subtle upgrades that will have a big impact without losing Oriana’s unique charm. New carpets will enhance Oriana’s elegance while improved lighting designs will add to the atmosphere of traditional cruising. We’ll also be upgrading furniture and making changes to cabin bathrooms to ensure they meet the standards for P&O Cruises guests.

What’s most important, though, is that none of the changes will take away any of what makes Oriana so special. In fact, all of our plans aim to emphasise her unique and traditional charm – from the furniture choices to the fabric for our new soft furnishings and the chosen carpet designs, everything has been selected to complement and emphasise Oriana’s traditional feel.

One of the main changes in recent years is the wide range of dining available on Oriana. What further changes will there be?

Significant changes will be noticeable in the Conservatory buffet restaurant,which will become a much brighter, modern space where guests will be able to enjoy casual all-day dining. We will also be refurbishing the space of our hugely popular Beach House restaurant, which offers relaxed evening dining at great value.

The Peninsular and Oriental main restaurants will also have fresh new looks, with specially designed carpets and new furniture throughout giving these popular dining experiences a new lease of life in keeping with the tradition of Oriana.

For those all-important holiday cocktails and refreshing beers, Oriana’s pubs and bars will be upgraded to ensure there is something to match every mood. The quintessential British sports bar, Lord’s Tavern, will have new carpets and furniture, and the plans for Anderson’s include replacing old furniture as well as introducing new lamps and stylish new carpets and rugs, all with the intent of retaining and upgrading Anderson’s classic elegance.

Of course, holidays are about relaxation and pampering too, so to offer guests the best in salon treatments we’re planning to upgrade salon equipment such as the washbasins and treatment beds, as well as refurbishing the spa and relaxation areas to rival your favourite spa on dry land. We’ll be uplifting the sauna, steam-room, whirlpool and changing areas with new tiling, modern furniture and contemporary equipment. An improved layout will mean that guests can focus on pounding the pounds in the gym area, while the relaxation areas are all about escaping to a calming retreat with soothing natural décor such as a living plant wall.

Where will Oriana be going next year?

In 2017, Oriana has a wide range of itineraries, all sailing from Southampton. Highlights include the 50-night Caribbean & Amazon Adventure, which includes 13 different countries and covers over 14,000 nautical miles. This includes two full days in New Orleans to explore Bourbon Street and really pick up the musical vibe of this diverse city; two full days in Manaus in Brazil on the Amazon; an overnight stay in Fort Lauderdale; and extended time in Bermuda to relax on the pink sand beaches. There are also two Northern Lights cruises, which are always very popular, an Iceland cruise and seven long Mediterranean cruises. If you are short on time, then you could see the Iberian coast instead or have a quick chocolate, shopping and foodie break to Bruges or Amsterdam.

As fleets grow, cruise lines opt to update ships

Posted on 5 September, 2016 by Spacejunkie2

Royal Caribbean this year spent $50 million renovating the Empress of the Seas for potential use in Cuba. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst

Cruise lines are increasingly focusing their capital investments on renovating older ships as fleet sizes grow and attitudes evolve about the kinds of returns they get from new ships versus refurbished ones.

In Europe, where most new ships are built, 20.3% of what cruise lines spent at shipyards last year was for refurbishment, up from 5.7% in 2008, according to a new white paper from Seatrade.

Last year, Carnival Corp. spent more on improvement and replacement of its ships than it did building new ones.

For passengers and travel agents, that translates to having a broader selection of up-to-date vessels from which to choose and new features on older ships, not just on newbuilds.

Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 provides a recent example.

The QM2 pulled into its pier in Brooklyn in July after a $132 million “remastering,” one of the most expensive refurbishments ever undertaken. In 25 days at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Cunard added 30 balcony cabins and 15 solo traveler cabins and completely redid a restaurant and lounge.

It also overhauled the King’s Court buffet restaurant, upgraded the Queens and Princess Grill restaurants and expanded the dog kennels, a feature unique to Cunard.

The atrium of the Ruby Princess, a ship that was refurbished last December. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst

The QM2 was one of 40 cruise vessels renovated during the first six months of the year, according to the white paper, which estimated their combined cost of renovation at $1 billion.

That’s more than what the QM2 cost when it was launched in 2004.

There are several reasons why refurbishment is a growing business segment for shipyards.

For one, the fleets keep getting larger. There were 448 ships last year owned by CLIA-member cruise lines. Safety rules dictate that ships go to drydock at least once every five years. Since ships can have a useful life of 30 years or more, each one could get at least six refurbishments.

Some cruise lines are also slowing the pace of new construction. Carnival Corp., with 100 ships already, is sticking to growth of two or three ships a year. So the proportion of its capital spent on refurbishment is growing.

Last year, Carnival spent $981 million on new ships, chiefly the P&O Cruises ship Britannia, and $1 billion on ship improvements and replacements, according to its annual report.

Other cruise lines said the financial returns from refurbishments can equal or surpass those of newbuilds.

Frank Del Rio, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, has roughly doubled the amount budgeted for the drydocking of Norwegian Cruise Line ships, to about $35 million per ship, according to the Seatrade white paper.

In comments to Wall Street analysts last November, Del Rio described it as an alternative strategy to simply churning out new ships to drive revenue.

“We think the return on invested capital on these kinds of choices outpaces the [return] and the payback of new vessels,” he said. “We’ve got billions of dollars invested in these ships. You have to maintain them at the highest standards if you expect to achieve these higher yields.”

As a result, all of Norwegian’s ships except one will undergo refurbishments between 2016 and 2018.

Norwegian and other cruise lines use drydock to add to older vessels features that have proven to be hits on newbuilds. This fall, Norwegian will add Margaritaville restaurants to the Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway after the concept was successful on the Norwegian Escape.

Carnival Cruise Line’s $500 million Fun Ship 2.0 program is largely about adding features to older ships that keep them competitive and consistent with its latest vessels.

“They’re looking to have a homogenous brand,” said Tony Peisley, a cruise industry analyst who authored the Seatrade paper.

Cruise lines also struggle with what to do with their oldest ships, which still have value but are no longer very competitive in North America. Ten years ago, they were often transferred to European lines, but as Europe has struggled economically that trend has been reversed.

Patterned gray carpet was installed throughout the Azamara Journey during its drydock earlier this year. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst

Royal Caribbean International this year took back the Empress of the Seas from its Spanish subsidiary, Pullmantur, and spent $50 million renovating it for potential use in Cuba, an emerging market.

Also sailing to Cuba is the Adonia, an aging P&O ship that Carnival Corp. transferred to the Fathom brand following a drydock in March that included both technical work and some redecorating.

The Adonia was refit and made available to Fathom, in part, to find a use for a ship that wasn’t doing well for P&O.

“That’s what they’ve been doing, they’ve been refurbishing, not retiring,” said Vince Ciepiel, an analyst at Cleveland Research who has expressed concern about lines having too much capacity.

Peisley said cruise lines are loath to sell ships to competitors, because, “It’s not so much that they can’t get rid of them as they don’t want to sell them to their rivals. So that kind of limits their options.”

The Seatrade white paper identifies four levels of refurbishment, ranging from adding new paint and carpets at a minimal cost of between $4 million and $5 million to a redo the size of the QM2.

Most fall in the $30 million to $50 million range and involve a combination of technical upgrades, such as new air scrubbers, and retrofits of popular features, such as bars and restaurants.

While new ships are built almost exclusively in Europe, refurbishments are done there as well as in Canada, the U.S., Singapore and the Bahamas. This year, the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport is by far the busiest yard, with 19 cruise ship drydocks on its schedule.

Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. both have a 40% ownership stake in the yard, which was founded in 2000, and its location cuts transit times for refurbishment of ships based in the Caribbean.

Refurbished Pride of America ‘essentially a new ship’

Posted on 30 March, 2016 by Spacejunkie2

The refurbished East Meets West restaurant.

The Pride of America, Norwegian Cruise Line’s ship in the Hawaiian Islands, has returned from a drydock during which the ship received new venues, redesigned public spaces and refreshed décor.

The cruise line’s president, Andy Stuart, calls the Pride “essentially a new ship.”

“This is much more than just a fresh coat of paint and new drapes,” Stuart said.

Every stateroom received new bedding, new furniture, new flat-screen televisions and updated flooring.

New venues include the Soho Art Gallery, featuring works of art available for purchase; the Perspectives Photo Studio; and Dolce Gelato. The ship’s wedding chapel is in a new location on deck six with new flooring, furniture and wall fixtures.

The new Perspectives Photo Studio.

The ship’s pool deck underwent a refurbishment with a refinished pool, new loungers and Jacuzzis.

The Skyline main dining room got a new entrance, new carpet design, new furniture upholstery, new window drapes and new columns throughout the restaurant. La Cucina, Norwegian’s signature Italian restaurant, is now an “elegant and intimate venue,” Norwegian said.

The ship’s specialty restaurants East Meets West, Cagney’s Steakhouse and Jefferson’s Bistro also received enhancements.

Menus in all dining outlets offer additional choices, Norwegian said.

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