New Seabourn Odyssey-class ship to accommodate more passengers

Posted on 22 January, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

Seabourn said it signed a contract with Fincantieri for its fourth Odyssey-class ship, to be delivered in mid-2016.

The ship, which had previously been announced, will be 40,350 gross tons and have capacity for 602 passengers.

That’s more than the previous three Odyssey-class vessels, which are rated for 450 passengers. Compared with those ships, the newbuild will have an additional deck and new, expanded public areas.

The vessel will replace capacity that will be reduced when the Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Spirit, and Seabourn Legend are transferred to Windstar Cruises in April 2014, April 2015 and May 2015, respectively.

Celebrity Millennium’s remaining 2013 Alaska cruises canceled

Posted on 22 August, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Celebrity Millennium’s remaining 2013 Alaska cruises canceled

By Tom Stieghorst

Celebrity Cruises called a premature end to the Alaska season for the Celebrity Millennium, canceling the ship’s remaining four cruises on its schedule.

Celebrity acted after mechanical problems with the ship’s propulsion units kept it in port for at least part of the last two cruises between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska.

The canceled cruises, in addition to the current one, were scheduled to depart Aug. 23, Aug. 30, Sept. 6 and Sept. 13. Celebrity is in the process of contacting passengers on those cruises and rebooking or refunding them.

Affected passengers are being offered a full refund and a 25% future cruise credit.

The next scheduled sailing of Millennium will be a Panama Canal transit cruise from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale on Sept. 22.

Millennium carries 2,038 passengers at double occupancy.

Cruise lines carried 20 million passengers last year, CLIA says

Posted on 31 January, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Cruise lines carried 20 million passengers last year, CLIA says

By Tom Stieghorst

The cruise industry carried more than 20 million passengers last year, according to an estimate released at a CLIA briefing in New York.

The industry’s global 2012 passenger count was 20.3 million, with 17.2 million sailing from North America.

CLIA estimated the 2011 global passenger base at 16.3 million this time last year.

For 2013, its projections call for slightly less than 21 million passengers, including 17.6 million sailing from North America.

CLIA President Christine Duffy said that 3,000 new travel agent members have affiliated with CLIA with the recent combination of global cruise trade groups into one worldwide network. That is in addition to 14,000 agent and agency members in North America.

2013 CLIA logo The number of cruise line members has grown from 26 to 55, she said.

CLIA unveiled a new logo to represent the global association it has become.

Duffy said 167 new ships have been built since 2000 for the industry. Another 20 are in progress, CLIA marketing committee head Jim Berra said, representing an $8 billion investment.