MSC Cruises takes delivery of new flagship MSC Seaside

Posted on 30 November, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

Image result for MSC seaside

MSC Cruises has taken delivery of its new flagship MSC Seaside at the Fincantieri shipyard.

It is the second new MSC ship to come into service in 2017 and will homeport in Miami for Caribbean itineraries. It is the first in MSC’s Seaside Class.

MSC Seaside weighs 169,380 tonnes and can take 5,179 passengers.

At the ceremony, in Italy, MSC Cruises and Fincantieri also signed firm orders for the €1.8 billion construction of two Seaside EVO ships.

MSC Cruises executive chairman Pierfrancesco Vago said: “MSC Seaside coming into service marks another key milestone in the history and future of our company, but she also embodies a pivotal moment for the industry. In fact, she is the first ship of the fifth new prototype that we bring into service and introduces a wholly-innovative product that sets a new standard for the industry to follow.

“The Seaside Class of ships is designed to bring guests closer to the sea and to operate in sunny waters while continuing to push the boundaries of maritime and guest-centric technology.”

Italian president Sergio Mattarella and Graziano Delrio, Italy’s minister of infrastructures and transports were among the dignitaries at the ceremony.

MSC Seaside’s sister ship MSC Seaview will come into service in June 2018, starting her summer season in the Mediterranean. At the delivery ceremony, Vago also announced that MSC Seaview will be christened in Civitavecchia, Italy, on June 2, 2018.

He added: “As we are nearing the end of 2017, we can look back on a year when we enjoyed unprecedented capacity growth. With two of the more innovative new ships in the industry have come into service in the past six months and now with the addition of two Seaside EVO ships to our investment plan, we are now even better positioned to further extend our global footprint. We are expecting the delivery of at least one new ship each year through 2026, with six to have come into service between 2017 and 2020.”

Giuseppe Bono, chief executive of Fincantieri, added: “We are proud to have accomplished such an important project: a ship, for a new customer, the largest one ever built in Italy. This demonstrates not only our ability to satisfy the needs of the shipowners but also the extraordinary operational level which Fincantieri has achieved.

“We believe we have built a highly innovative ship with MSC. She marks a further technological quality leap. Such a milestone has allowed us to gain the customer’s loyalty with another order for two new ships, which will [again] represent a real evolution.”

In total, 12 new MSC ships are to be built by 2026, for an overall investment of €10.5 billion.

How will Virgin Voyages navigate adults-only cruising?

Posted on 9 November, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

Built to carry more than 2,700 passengers at double occupancy, Virgin Voyages ships will be the largest that won’t cater to families.

The line said last week that it won’t book passengers under age 18. Virgin Voyages is due to launch its first ship in 2020.

“We have seen it work successfully with Viking Ocean’s 18-plus policy,” said Vicky Garcia, COO of Cruise Planners. “Also, on the land side, there are many adults-only resort models that work well when targeted so that the clients know what to expect.”

Most cruise lines that sail with children have an area of the ship that is adults-only, such as the Solarium on Royal Caribbean International’s largest ships, the Sanctuary on Princess Cruises and the Serenity areas on Carnival Cruise Line.

“Virgin Voyages is looking to attract those who probably are averse to cruising because of their impression that cruising is too focused on kids and families, with water slides, rock climbing and such,” Garcia said.

While Virgin could be going after a “party-hearty” demographic, several mainstream cruise lines fill that niche already, especially in the short-cruise segment.

Virgin’s plan calls for seven-day Caribbean cruises from Miami on its first ship.

Some expect Virgin to be aimed at the more sophisticated and lucrative end of the singles/couples continuum.

“I’m foreseeing a very South Beach-style vibe that will attract new-to-cruise passengers,” Garcia said. “It’s hard to know exactly what other vacations their target is currently aimed at, but the brand’s focus on the yacht-like design is unique and super sexy.”

The first renderings of the Virgin ships’ exterior design demonstrated some of Branson’s typical flair.

The ship’s colours will be silver-grey with red accents, including a red funnel. The aft below the promenade deck will be red with the familiar Virgin logo in large white letters centred in the middle.

Virgin also unveiled an image specific to Virgin Voyages: a sexy mermaid with blonde hair and a red tail trailing a flowing Virgin banner in one hand. The mermaid will appear at a modest size on the side of the ship’s bow in line with the bridge.

Virgin said the mermaid was inspired by figureheads on historical vessels and was designed by the London-based artist Toby Tinsley.

The overall shape of the vessel shares some angles and features with recent Fincantieri designs, such as MSC Cruises’ upcoming MSC Seaside and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Project Leonardo ships.

Renderings show a broad promenade at the aft contrasting with a slim tower of upper decks and a bow with a strong vertical aspect. Virgin said that 86% of all cabins will feature a balcony, and 93% will offer an ocean view.

Virgin has begun accepting $500 refundable deposits that will enrol prospective passengers in a presale that takes place before Virgin Voyages goes on sale to the public.

Royal Caribbean uses ship as hurricane safe haven for employees

Posted on 10 September, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

The Enchantment of the Seas holds 2,252 at double occupancy.Royal Caribbean International will use one of its ship as a vehicle to keep employees and their families safe from Hurricane Irma, which is expected to strike the Miami area this weekend.

The Enchantment of the Seas’ Sept. 8 cruise was canceled because of the hurricane, so Royal Caribbean opened the ship to its workforce. The ship will depart around noon on Friday and sail out to sea away from the projected path of the storm. The plan is to return to Miami once the storm passes and the port reopens.

The-20 year-old Enchantment holds 2,252 people at double occupancy and typically offers three- and four-day cruises to the Bahamas.

“We decided to offer the ship to our employees and their families so they could evacuate,” said spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez. “[We] felt that it was the right thing to do.”