SeaDream Yacht Club has equipped its entire fleet with shore power connectivity.
Both SeaDream vessels can now turn off their engines and reduce emissions to zero while in ports with shore power facilities, the company said in a statement.
“This is an important milestone and a significant step in our journey to more sustainable cruising,” said Andreas Brynestad of SeaDream Yacht Club.
The SeaDream II completed the upgrade last fall, while the SeaDream I underwent the upgrade recently at Naval Rocha Yard in Lisbon, Portugal.
During the summer of 2024, both yachts will explore the Mediterranean, including the Greek Isles and the French and Italian Rivieras, before heading to the Caribbean for the 2024-25 winter season.
HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) celebrated a milestone when the Fridtjof Nansen became the first ship to connect to shore power at Midtbakki Terminal on June 9.
While at the Midtbakki terminal, the Fridtjof Nansen will use renewable electricity from Iceland, thus minimizing emissions during port calls in Reykjavik.
“The availability of sustainable shore power at the Midtbakki Terminal in the Icelandic capital is an important step in our efforts towards more sustainable shipping. We are proud to be able to supply another of our expedition ships, MS Fridtjof Nansen, with emission-free power in the harbour of Reykjavik,” said Claus A. Andersen, director of fleet operations at HX. “Using shore power is an important part of our strategy to make our expedition voyages climate-neutral by 2050.”
Sigurður Jökull Ólafsson from Faxaflóahafnir sf. (Associated Icelandic Ports) added: “HX is the perfect partner as they have broad experience with shore power connections on the Norwegian coast, and we are very pleased to be working with HX to take this innovative development forward. The expansion of shore power capacity is an important step to further improve the air quality in our harbour. We hope to encourage other operators to do the same.”
The inauguration of the new shore power connection on June 9 was attended by Halla Hrund Logadóttir, the current director of the Icelandic National Energy Authority Orkustofnun, and the Norwegian ambassador in Reykjavik, Cecilie Willoch. Willoch emphasized the importance of this collaboration to drive the green transition further in the future, including between local authorities, ports, cruise companies, shipbuilders and the technology industry.
Carnival Corporation today announced that in March 2025, the company will sunset the P&O Cruises Australia brand and fold the Australia operations into Carnival Cruise Line, according to a press release.
The Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure ships will be rebranded and operated by the Carnival Cruise Line brand while the Pacific Explorer will exit the fleet in February of 2025, the company said.
This change is the latest in a series of what Carnival said were strategic moves designed to increase guest capacity for Carnival Cruise Line, the company’s flagship brand and the highest-returning brand in Carnival Corporation’s global portfolio, the company said.
This will result in the addition of eight new ships to Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet in 2021, including the shift of three vessels from sister brand Costa Cruises. In addition, the company recently placed its first new ship order in half a decade for two new Excel-class cruise ships to join Carnival Cruise Line in 2027 and 2028.
“Despite increasing Carnival Cruise Line’s capacity by almost 25% since 2019 including transferring three ships from Costa Cruises, guest demand remains incredibly strong so we’re leveraging our scale in an even more meaningful way by absorbing an entire brand into the world’s most popular cruise line,” said Josh Weinstein, chief executive officer of Carnival Corporation.
“In 2019, Carnival Cruise Line was 29% of our total capacity, and when we complete this move early next year, Carnival Cruise Line – our highest-returning brand – will make up approximately 35% of our total global capacity. While our company’s overall growth between 2019 – 2028 is projected to be less than 2% (CAGR), the majority will be for Carnival Cruise Line, which will grow by approximately 50% over that period.”
In addition to further optimizing the composition of Carnival Corporation’s global brand portfolio, the realignment will strengthen the company’s performance in the South Pacific through numerous operational efficiencies, the company said in a statement.
“P&O Cruises Australia is a storied brand with an amazing team, and we are extremely proud of everything we have accomplished together in Australia and the broader region,” said Weinstein. “However, given the strategic reality of the South Pacific’s small population and significantly higher operating and regulatory costs, we’re adjusting our approach to give us the efficiencies we need to continue delivering an incredible cruise experience year-round to our guests in the region. Carnival Corporation & plc remains committed to Australia and we will continue to be the largest cruise operator in the region with 19 ships calling on 78 destinations and representing almost 60% of the market.”
For P&O Australia, current itineraries will operate business as usual, and guests will be notified in the coming days of any changes to future bookings as a result of this announcement.
When the transition is complete next year, Carnival Cruise Line will have four ships in the market, including Sydney-based Carnival Splendor and Carnival Luminosa sailing seasonally from Brisbane, in addition to their new sister ships Encounter and Adventure.
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