Carnival Pride Kicks Off European Season

Carnival Pride Kicks Off European Season

The Carnival Pride sailed on Sunday on her first sailing of the Europe summer season, sporting the signature Carnival red, white and blue hull design for the first time, after undergoing extensive enhancements that include bow-to-stern upgrades to enhance accessibility on the ship for guests with disabilities.

Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy and Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse visited the ship in Barcelona before she set sail.

“I’m so proud of our team. They have done amazing work refreshing and enhancing Carnival Pride just in time for her Europe sailings,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We welcome everyone on Carnival ships, so we are happy we’ve completed the work to make the ship accessible to those with disabilities. I’m also delighted to see the addition of the Heroes Tribute bar since it has been popular with our guests and has resonated well with military service members and their families.”

The 2,680-guest Carnival Pride has been undergoing enhancements since April 28 and returned to service with several additional Carnival offerings and other improvements, including a new Heroes Tribute Bar, Chef’s Table, Dreams Studio, and Carnival Adventures Shop. In addition, the ship’s steakhouse has been refreshed and re-named Fahrenheit 555, the casino expanded and the spa rebranded to the Cloud 9 Spa and Fitness Center.

The first guests sailing Carnival Pride from Barcelona are embarking on an incredible 12-day sailing, with ports of call including Lisbon, Portugal; Le Havre (Paris), France; and Zeebrugge (Brussels), Belgium.

New Carnival Venezia Ready to Debut in Europe

New Carnival Venezia Ready to Debut in Europe

The new Carnival Venezia is ready for its big debut in Europe.

After being prepared at the Navantia shipyard in Cádiz, the 2019-built vessel is on its way to Southern Spain, where it will embark on its first commercial voyage on May 29.

A transatlantic crossing, the cruise precedes Venezia’s U.S. debut, which is scheduled for mid-June. Sailing from Barcelona to New York City, the 15-night repositioning voyage features visits to five ports in Spain, the UK, Portugal and Canada.

Upon arriving in New York on June 13, the Venezia is set to kick off a year-round program of cruises out of the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.

Extending through late 2024, the schedule includes four- to 15-night cruises to Bermuda, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Canada and New England.

For the 2024-25 winter, the Carnival Venezia is set to debut in Florida offering a series of cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas departing from Port Canaveral.

The first ship in the company’s new “Carnival Fun Italian Style” brand, the Venezia is debuting a brand-new concept.

Initially built for Costa Cruises, the Vista-Class vessel was designed with public areas and facilities inspired by the Italian city of Venice.

Combining the ship’s existing features with Carnival’s signature product, the new concept offers Italian-themed activities and experiences, such as a different version of Guy’s Burger Joint – which will serve its classic burgers and new, especially-created options inspired by Italy.

During its recent drydock in Spain, the Venezia also received other signature features of Carnival Cruise Line, including the Carnival Waterworks aqua park, the Piano Bar 88 and the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse.

In 2024, a second ship is set to join the “Carnival Fun Italian Style Concept,” as the Florence-inspired Costa Firenze enters the fleet for a West Coast program.

Princess Ship Completes Drydock in Rotterdam

Princess Ship Completes Drydock in Rotterdam

The Sky Princess successfully completed a routine drydock at the Damen Verolme in Rotterdam earlier this month.

According to the Dutch shipyard, the Princess Cruises vessel spent a total of 16 days in the facility undergoing regular maintenance, in addition to technical upgrades.

The scope of work included the installation of class-certified parts for a new air lubrication system and a full hull painting program, Damen said.

A total of 1,200 crew members and 700 contractors worked around the clock to complete the project, which the shipyard called a logistical challenge.

Following the successful drydock, the Sky Princess resumed service on May 5.

Spending the summer in Northern Europe, the 2019-built vessel is presently offering a series of cruises departing from Southampton, England.

The program includes itineraries to Western Europe, the Norwegian Fjords, the Mediterranean, the Baltic and more.

In May, for instance, the ship is offering a seven-night cruise to Scandinavia, in addition to a special 14-night cruise to Iceland and Norway.

Also sailing roundtrip from Southampton, the two-week cruise features visits to Akureyri, Isafjord and Grundarfjordur in Iceland, as well as Skjolden, Olden and Alesund, in Norway.

Following its summer program in Europe, the Sky Princess is set to return to North America in November.

Starting on Nov. 25, the vessel offers a series of itineraries to the Caribbean and the Bahamas departing from Princess’ cruise terminal in Port Everglades, Florida.

Fourth in a series of six ships known as Royal Class, the Sky Princess originally entered service in 2019.

Built by the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the 141,000-ton cruise ship was followed, in 2020, by the Enchanted Princess – which also completed a drydock recently.

After arriving in Europe in March, the 3,660-guest vessel underwent routine work at a facility of the Fincantieri Shipyard in Palermo, Italy.

A third ship also spent time at a shipyard recently, as the Sapphire Princess visited the Vigor Shipyard on the U.S. West Coast for regular maintenance in April.

CSSC Carnival to Deploy Mediterranea to Tianjin Later This Year

CSSC Carnival to Deploy Mediterranea to Tianjin Later This Year

CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping Limited announced that the Mediterranea (the former Costa Mediterranea) will start operations in China in the fourth quarter, sailing from Tianjin.

The ship will be operated by Adora Cruises, the company said, sailing short international itineraries.

The vessel will be upgraded for Adora Cruises, according to a statement, with a new livery and onboard experience tailored to the Chinese market.

The ship’s livery will blend the Mediterranean’s iconic blue, green, and white colours to dynamically recreate the elegant and artistic temperament of the Mediterranean.

CSSC Carnival said Tianjin Port holds a crucial position in the northern cruise market due to its broad geographic reach, substantial influence, and excellent infrastructure and services.

“With MEDITERRANEA calling Tianjin its home port, CSSC Carnival is poised to cater to the growing and diverse cruise holiday needs of local passengers. This move is set to further expand CSSC Carnival’s influence in the Northern China market,” the company said.

Last week, CSSC Carnival announced its first new build, the Adora Magic City, which will debut in Shanghai later this year.

Royal Caribbean Sails Up as Largest Brand in the Industry

Royal Caribbean Sails Up as Largest Brand in the Industry

Royal Caribbean International will be the largest cruise brand in the world by 2029 noticeably ahead of Carnival Cruise Line, according to the 2023 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

The Royal Caribbean brand will have an annual global capacity of approximately 6.5 million passengers in 2029, compared to 5.4 million for Carnival Cruise Line.

Royal Caribbean will sail 30 ships versus 27 for Carnival.

While Royal Caribbean will be the largest globally, based on known deployment and the current orderbook of new builds to be introduced, Carnival will most likely continue to dominate in the Caribbean where the brand tends to concentrate its deployment.

The other largest brands on a global scale in order of size will be MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess, Celebrity, AIDA, Costa, TUI and Holland America.

Two question marks would be what happens in China with Carnival’s joint Adora venture that could grow quickly when the Chinese market returns, and if more Costa ships were to be transferred to Carnival’s Fun Italian Style product.

The 2023 Cruise Industry News Annual Report is in digital and printed formats. Order today by clicking here.

Jamaica Welcomes Over 1.5 Million Visitors In 2023

Jamaica Welcomes Over 1.5 Million Visitors In 2023

Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett revealed that Jamaica has welcomed over 1.5 million total visitors since January 2023, according to a press release.

“Between January 1, 2023, and May 10, we received 1,586,303 total visitors, stopover and cruise, earning $1.69 billion, putting our destination on par with 2019 record figures. We have seen steady growth in our arrivals and continued investment in the tourism sector, which is a tremendous achievement,” said Bartlett.

Bartlett said that strategic investments and resilience were vital in sustaining such a strong recovery of the tourism sector.

“To keep this growth on an upward trajectory, we continue to secure new air service with the addition of new routes by prestigious carriers such as American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Arajet, and Edelweiss Airlines. We are expanding and modernizing Sangster International Airport and have approximately 8,000 new hotel rooms slated for construction over the next two to five years.”

Bartlett also highlighted that the Ministry of Tourism’s Blue Ocean Strategy and its Destination Assurance Framework and Strategy have influenced the development of a more sustainable and diverse tourism product.

“Jamaica is leveraging key pillars for tourism that showcase the destination’s unique culture and heritage while simultaneously addressing the desire of today’s traveller to experience more than just sun, sea and sand. We need to carefully manage the industry through resilience building, so it can continually adapt to issues that may arise and put plans in place to protect it from potential future shocks,” concluded Bartlett.

 

Galveston Cruise Terminal: $53 Million Makeover for Carnival Jubilee Arrival

Galveston Cruise Terminal: $53 Million Makeover for Carnival Jubilee Arrival

The Galveston Wharves will invest $53 million in the expansion of Cruise Terminal 25 ahead of the Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Jubilee arrival, a new ship set to debut in December.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the beautiful new Carnival Jubilee to our improved cruise terminal,” said Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO. “We’re proud to have Carnival Cruise Line, our long-time cruise partner, choose Galveston as the home port for its newest ship.”

The terminal’s makeover will include gangway modifications, a ramp, a new roof, two elevators and an escalator.

Rees added that cruise operations will continue while the project is underway. 

In addition, there will also be mandated improvements to areas used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. According to Reese, the improvements will aid the port’s future growth, help secure more jobs and contribute to a stronger regional economy. 

The project will be funded with cash reserves, a proposed bond issue and an agreement with Carnival.

 “Carnival was the first major cruise line to homeport in Galveston more than 20 years ago. They believed in us then and believe in Galveston’s growing prominence as a top cruise port today,” concluded Rees.

Carnival Venezia Heading to Port Canaveral in 2024

Carnival Venezia Heading to Port Canaveral in 2024

Carnival Cruise Line announced the Venezia will move from New York to Port Canaveral in late 2024, according to a press release.

“The sailings we’re opening today will allow us to share this new signature fun with more guests and bring another truly dynamic offering to one of our most popular homeports,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Carnival Venezia’s seasonal operation in Port Canaveral will bring our deployment there to five vessels and give our valued Carnival guests another great option when sailing from Central Florida.”

The cruise line will reposition the Carnival Venezia from New York with a 12-day Southern Caribbean Carnival Journeys voyage which departs on December 6, 2024, with calls in St. Thomas, Aruba, Curacao and Grand Turk before arriving in Port Canaveral on December 18, 2024. 

The ship will depart from Port Canaveral on the same day embarking on a four-day Bahamas cruise with visits to Nassau and Freeport. The Carnival Venezia will then sail 15 seven-day cruises and two 14-day Carnival Journeys voyages. The ship will return to New York in the spring of 2025.

Sailings aboard the Carnival Venezia from Port Canaveral currently on sale include:

• Seven-day Exotic Eastern Caribbean cruise departing on December 22, 2024, with calls in Grand Turk; San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas;
• Seven-Day Exotic Eastern Caribbean voyage departing on January 5, 2025, with visits to Amber Cove; San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas;
• Seven-Day Exotic Western Caribbean cruise departing on December 29, 2024, January 26, 2025, and March 23, 2025, visiting Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan; Belize and Cozumel, Mexico;
• Seven-Day Western Caribbean itinerary departing on February 9, 2025, and March 9, 2025, with stops at Nassau, Bahamas; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands;
• Seven-Day Western Caribbean journey departing on April 6, 2025, and April 20, 2025, with calls in Nassau, Bahamas; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. 

 

The two 14-day Caribbean cruises depart on January 12, 2025, and February 23, 2025. 

The Carnival Venezia will set sail on its 15-day Carnival Journeys transatlantic sailing on May 29, 2023, from Barcelona.

The ship’s first cruise from New York to Bermuda is scheduled for June 15, 2023. 

 

Sophia Loren to Name MSC Euribia in Copenhagen

Sophia Loren to Name MSC Euribia in Copenhagen

MSC Cruises announced that Oscar-winning actress Sophia Loren will name the cruise line’s 19th ship, the MSC Euribia at a ceremony scheduled for June 8 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In addition to having the Hollywood star name the ship, the ceremony will be hosted by television personality, model and actress Sarah Grünewald, who will serve as the Master of the Ceremony.

Guests can expect the traditional breaking of a bottle of champagne over the bow of the ship, a special gala dinner and a range of live performances, including a DJ set from the popular French DJ and record producer, Bob Sinclar

Following the naming ceremony, the MSC Euribia will start sailing seven-night cruises in Northern Europe departing from Kiel, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark. The ship will explore Norwegian Fjords including Geiranger, Ålesund, and Flaam.

At the event in Copenhagen, guests will have the chance to catch a glimpse of the new ships’ features and amenities including Street. 2023, artwork by British artist Julian Opie; The Carousel Lounge; MSC Foundation Lab, an area dedicated to kids; five speciality restaurants including Le Grill and more.

Seabourn’s Expedition Ships to Get Starlink

Seabourn’s Expedition Ships to Get Starlink

Seabourn announced that its two ships, the Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit, will be equipped with SpaceX’s Starlink Wi-Fi technology, according to a statement.

The technology will ensure all guests aboard Seabourn ships have fast and reliable internet access.

We are committed to providing the best ultra-luxury expedition experiences at sea, and the Starlink partnership will offer a significantly enhanced connectivity experience during our expedition journeys,” said Natalya Leahy, president of Seabourn. “From the polar regions to Australia and the South Pacific, our guests will experience a more reliable connection, allowing them to share those special moments and experiences with their loved ones as they sail on Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit.”

The first Seabourn ship to offer Starlink Wi-Fi is the Seabourn Venture beginning on May 12, 2023, ahead of its Arctic season. The Seabourn Pursuit will be equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity following its debut in the summer of 2023. 

“Starlink offers Internet capabilities and functionality to meet growing service demands globally, and I am so pleased that guests and crew members on both of our expedition ships will benefit from this innovative technology,” said Kathleen Erickson, Seabourn’s vice president of technology.

Royal Caribbean Back to China in April 2024

Royal Caribbean International will sail from Shanghai with the 2019-built Spectrum of the Seas in April 2024, marking the brand’s return to China.

The Anthem of the Seas will reposition to Singapore for the 2024-25 cruise season, starting homeporting operations in October 2024.

Singapore was the first homeport in Asia to allow ships to restart cruises in late 2020.

Since then, the Spectrum of the Seas has been sailing cruises primarily from Singapore ranging from three to four nights.

The Spectrum of the Seas will reposition to China and will start offering sailings from Shanghai in April 2024. The ship will visit ports in Japan including Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagasaki.

From Hong Kong, the Spectrum of the Seas will offer eight sailings with visits to Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady Ready for Debut

Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady Ready for Debut

Virgin Voyages’ third ship, the Resilient Lady, will make its debut on May 14, 2023, when it embarks on its inaugural Greek Islands Glow voyage.

The ship will sail a roundtrip from Athens with stops in Santorini, Rhodes, Bodrum and an overnight call in Mykonos.

“Virgin Voyages’ delivers an amazing experience and has been recognized by hundreds of thousands of happy Sailors with the awards we’ve won for our service, food, design, entertainment and more,” said founder Richard Branson.

“We have shown the world all that we have to offer when it comes to having the holiday of your dreams, and I can’t wait to show off our lovely new Resilient Lady in one of the most magical places in the world as she sails around the Greek Isles, Croatia, Turkey and more.”

The ship will offer seven-night cruises to Greek Islands from May through October 2023. Upon completion of its inaugural season in Greece, the Resilient Lady will offer transcontinental voyages from Melbourne, Australia.

“I’m thrilled this day is finally here and that Resilient Lady has officially joined our award-winning fleet,” said Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages. “Since our launch just a few years ago, we have received the travel industry’s top awards and have experienced a very high rate of return with up to 40 per cent of our Sailors rebooking their next cruise while they’re still onboard with us. I know people are going to love voyaging with Resilient Lady as much as they have with Scarlet and Valiant Lady, and I look forward to sharing this five-star experience with even more Sailors this summer.”

Inside the Construction of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas

Inside the Construction of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas

Northern Europe’s largest gantry crane, nicknamed “Baby” at the Meyer Turku shipyard, lifted a single block of cabins for Royal Caribbean’s new Icon of the Seas, weighing more than 900 tons recently, Royal Caribbean Group officials said Tuesday.

The nine-deck, roughly 60-meter-wide block was moved in one day. It was the largest ever lifted in Europe, as far as shipyard officials knew.

Meyer Turku CEO Tim Meyer said there were no nerves in the move. His team had done a detailed study of how the steel would flex while being lifted and knew exactly how it should be handled while being moved into place.

“It’s very easy,” Meyer deadpanned. “It’s like building a Lego ship.”

While hoisting the cross-section of cruise ship cabins was a feat of engineering, it was also an example of Icon’s aggressive build schedule. Putting the blocks together shoreside is much faster than doing so on the ship, so the larger the block moved, the less schedule burden.

In all, the Icon consisted of 201 blocks, with roughly one installed a day. Each block required about 100 meters of welding once in place.

Building the world’s largest cruise ship meant roughly 2,600 workers a day coming to the Turku, Finland shipyard, representing some 20 nationalities from countless subcontractors. The ship will debut in Miami next January.

The Turku shipyard opened in 1737 — 58 years before the Meyer family started building ships.

Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty called the yard the “tip of the spear” of innovation.

In their seventh generation of ownership and 228th year in operation, the Meyer family remains both focused and humble.

Patriarch Bernard Meyer, CEO of Meyer Werft, declined to spend much time looking backwards.

“We have no time to be proud; we have work to do,” he said.

Modest Growth Forecast for UK Market

Modest Growth Forecast for UK Market

Celebrity cruise in Southampton photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

The UK market has had to absorb additional capacity amounting to 316,000 more passengers, coming out of the pandemic in 2022 and 2023, according to the 2023 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

The capacity growth was driven by P&O Cruises’ introducing two new ships in short order, the Iona and Arvia, boosting the brand’s capacity from just short of 550,000 in 2019, the last typical operating year, to nearly 800,000 in 2023.

The other major operator in the UK market is Marella Cruises, which will see its capacity grow from approximately 407,000 in 2023 to 440,000 by 2024. It remains at that level, barring any more ship introductions, and maintaining its position as the second-largest brand in the UK.

Thus, the national cruise supply is forecast to see little growth from 2023 to 2029, only increasing from approximately 1.6 million to 1.8 million passengers over the time period.

The P&O and Marella brands typically target different market segments, with P&O in the premium segment and Marella in the more price-conscious so-called budget segment.

Cunard Line is also based in Britain, but also markets its capacity in other countries, such as the United States, Australia, Germany and Japan.

Other more typical British brands include Fred. Olsen, Saga and newcomer Ambassador Cruises, with the latter taking up the slack where Cruise and Maritime have been.

As the second largest national cruise market in Europe, Princess and MSC also have ships dedicated to the UK market and other European and North American cruise lines market.

Perfect Day at CocoCay Driving Revenue at Royal Caribbean

Perfect Day at CocoCay Driving Revenue at Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean International plans to take 2.5 million guests to Perfect Day at CocoCay in 2023 as the company’s private island in the Bahamas has become a major selling point on itineraries.

“The pricing premiums continue to be really robust, and the spend on the island continues to be really robust as well,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, of Royal Caribbean International, speaking on the company’s first-quarter earnings call.

Bayley said the company had about 250,000 guests disembark at Perfect Day in March.

Naftali Holtz, CFO, added: “The booking strength has been particularly evident on Caribbean sailings where our superior hardware and Perfect Day at CocoCay continue to be a winning combination.”

Holtz said that these itineraries are driving outsized yield and pricing growth.

“As we’ve increased the volume, we’ve seen no decline in the power of the pricing. And in fact, it continues to accelerate. With Hideaway Beach, that will accommodate approximately 2,500 more guests,” added Bayley.

The new Hideaway Beach area at Perfect Day is slated to open later this year ahead of the debut of the Icon of the Seas, which will call at Perfect Day weekly on its roundtrip Miami cruises.

“We’ve also got Utopia coming online in June (2024),” said Bayley. “We haven’t announced the deployment, but Utopia will also be going to Perfect Day. There’s a lot of demand for that particular product in any of our ships that have Perfect Day on their itinerary demanded, and there’s a strong pricing premium that we see there.”

Your Ship’s Not Clean Unless It Is EverClean

Managing biofouling on ship hulls has been a topic of interest for thousands of years. Like many things in the marine industry, progress in this field has been the result of a slow, steady churn of technological improvements, punctuated by periodic significant advancements (e.g. copper sheathing, anti-fouling & fouling release paints). We are now in the midst of another advancement: hull cleaning. Hull cleaning refers to the gentle, habitual and frequent mechanical maintenance of submerged ships’ hulls in order that they remain free from extraneous matter such as fouling organisms and particulate debris, with minimal impact on the coating. In hindsight, it seems remarkably simple – clean it regularly in a way that doesn’t damage the paint. As it turns out, some of those adjectives (gentle, frequent, habitual) are not easy to achieve.

EverClean™ is an autonomous robotic hull cleaning service that delivers always clean hulls made possible by combining a Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) business model with the next generation of hull cleaning robotics. The Armach vehicle has some distinct advantages – a small platform to get into tighter spaces on the hull, and caterpillar tracks which are kinder to hull coatings.

Because the Armach vehicle is scalable and efficient, cleanings can be performed more regularly using a thoroughly tested brush system that is non-destructive to the hull coating with built-in system intelligence which means it won’t overwork the coatings – adding yet another cost benefit. The system also saves costs by reporting valuable information back to the shipowner, effectively creating a hull condition survey every time it cleans a hull. If any damage or corrosion is picked up early by the robot’s cameras and sensors, decisions can be made on whether rectification is necessary or whether ongoing monitoring will suffice.

EverClean, makes operating with always clean hulls finally possible in an industry that has been doing things the same way for centuries and stands ready to provide a service solution to always clean hulls and hull intelligence for the marine industry today.

Don’t let biofouling drag you down. Schedule an EverClean consultation today and see how to save fuel, reduce carbon emissions, and mitigate invasive species transfer.

MSC Cruises Announces Extension to Formula 1 Deal

MSC Cruises Announces Extension to Formula 1 Deal

MSC Cruises announced the extension of its global partnership deal with Formula 1 to become its Official Cruise Partner through the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, according to a press release.

Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, said: “Formula 1 and MSC Cruises are great partners on many levels and our successes are founded in teamwork. Not only this, but we are both driving towards sustainable change. We want to build the future of our industries and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. We are both working at the forefront of our industries and helping to make a real difference. And this is why we are committed to Formula 1 for the long term and have extended our sponsorship as Global Partner. We look forward to this special partnership going from strength to strength.”

As part of the partnership, MSC Cruises will offer a unique hospitality experience onboard its ships on selected Grand Prix weekends.

The extended program will start when the MSC Virtuosa arrives in Abu Dhabi for the final round of the 2023 Formula 1 season and will offer accommodation, hospitality and transportation packages for fans and VIP guests.

More ships will join the program during the 2024 season and beyond. MSC Cruises will also be the title sponsor of the 2023 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix with more title sponsorships to be announced at the Formula 1 race during the 2024 season.

Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1, said: “We’re excited to extend our partnership with MSC Cruises, as both our brands share a commitment to innovation and excellence. This collaboration has brought exceptional results, and we look forward to enhancing our relationship further. Together, we’ll continue pushing boundaries and setting new benchmarks in sports and hospitality.”

Icon of the Seas Generating ‘Exceptional Demand’

Icon of the Seas Generating ‘Exceptional Demand’

When the new Icon of the Seas debuts in 2024 for Royal Caribbean International, she will become the world’s biggest ship and is already breaking sales records.

“Despite being on sale for only five months, Icon is significantly more booked for her inaugural season at materially higher rates than any other Royal Caribbean ship launch,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, speaking on the company’s first-quarter earnings call.

“The Icon will join the fleet later this year and debut in the Caribbean in January 2024, with itineraries including Perfect Day at CocoCay and its new expansion, Hideaway Beach.”

Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, added: “Icon is literally the best-performing new product launch we’ve ever had in the history of our business, and we’re delighted with volume and rate, and that really is a full 2024 product … it’s really driving a huge amount of demand and a great rate.”

Following the Icon, the company has another Oasis-class ship coming in 2024, the Utopia of the Seas, plus two more Icon-class vessels, set to debut in 2025 and 2026, respectively.

Carnival Luminosa Kicks Off Inaugural Season in Alaska

Carnival Luminosa Kicks Off Inaugural Season in Alaska

The Carnival Luminosa is kicking off its inaugural season in Alaska today.

After joining the Carnival Cruise Line fleet in late 2022, the 2009-built ship is also embarking on its maiden cruise in the United States.

Sailing roundtrip from Seattle, the vessel’s first Alaska voyage features visits to three ports in Alaska: Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.

Before returning to its Washington homeport, the seven-night cruise also includes scenic cruising at the Tracy Arm Fjord, in addition to a visit to Victoria, in Canada’s British Columbia.

The itinerary is set to be repeated through mid-September – when the Carnival Luminosa sails to Australia via a 30-night transpacific cruise.

Part of Carnival’s three-ship summer program in Alaska, the 2,260-guest vessel is set to offer a total of 19 cruises in the region.

Sailing from San Francisco and Seattle, respectively, the Carnival Miracle and the Carnival Spirit will also spend the next months in the Last Frontier.

Transferred from the Costa Cruises fleet, the Carnival Luminosa spent its inaugural season with Carnival in Australia.

Between November 2022 and April 2023, the ship offered a series of itineraries to South Pacific, New Zealand and more departing from Brisbane.

Before debuting, the Carnival Luminosa was subjected to a refit that added Carnival’s signature features to its public areas and staterooms.

Among the new additions are extra dining venues, including the company’s Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse and the upscale Chef’s Table.

The Luminosa also received the Bonsai Sushi Express, as well as Carnival’s new blue, red and white hull livery and different new entertainment venues.

Among them are The Punchliner Comedy Club, the Limelight Lounge, the Piano Bar 88 and the Alchemy Bar.

Other new venues added to the 92,700-ton ship include the RedFrog Rum Bar, the adults-only sundeck Serenity Retreat and the Cherry on Top candy shop.

‘EXCEPTIONAL’ Q1 BOOKINGS HELP RCG UPGRADE 2023 PROFIT PROJECTIONS

Independence of the Seas in the port of Southampton, photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr).

Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) saw booking volumes in the first quarter of 2023 perform "considerably" better than expected, enabling the company to "significantly" improve its revenue expectations for all three remaining quarters of 2023.

In a recent trading update covering the three months to 31 March, the group, which owns Royal Caribbean, Silversea and Celebrity Cruises, saw an earlier start to an extended wave period generate a record level of bookings.

 

The strong trends resulted in an acceleration of the group’s booked position in relation to prior years, with the company generating "significantly" more bookings at "meaningfully" higher prices.

 

This year’s wave resulted in strong close-in demand at higher prices for the first quarter and enabled a significant improvement in revenue expectations for all three remaining quarters.

 

The increase in yield expectations for the year is predominantly related to higher load factors in the first quarter and higher prices for all four quarters, especially for Caribbean sailings.

 

Consumer spending onboard, as well as pre-cruise purchases, continue to exceed 2019 levels driven by greater participation at higher prices. The company expects load factors to reach "historical" levels by late spring.

 

"We knew that demand for our business was strong and strengthening, but we have been pleasantly surprised with how swiftly demand further accelerated well above historical trends and at higher rates," said Jason Liberty, president and chief executive of RCG.

 

"Leisure travel continues to strengthen as consumer spending further shifts towards experiences. Demand for our brands is outpacing broader travel due to a strong rebound and an attractive value proposition."

The company reported a net loss for the first quarter of $47.9 million compared to a net loss of $1.2 billion for the same period in the prior year. 

 

The group also experienced particularly strong close-in demand for Caribbean itineraries, which accounted for close to 80% of first-quarter capacity. Load factors in the first quarter were 102%.

 

Adjusted earnings per share for the full year are expected to be in the range of $4.40 to $4.80 per share.

MSC Euribia completes sea trials ahead of launch in June

MSC Cruises’ upcoming ship MSC Euribia has successfully completed its four-day sea trial in the Atlantic Ocean. 

The cruise line tested the performance of the ship’s four LNG-powered engines, manoeuvrability, fuel consumption, safety systems, speed and stopping distances. 

MSC Euribia is now undergoing finishing touches at Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, before its naming ceremony on 8 June in Copenhagen, Denmark. It will then embark on its maiden season in Northern Europe from its homeport in Kiel, Germany. 

The ship, which is the 22nd to join the MSC Cruises fleet, will accommodate up to 6,327 passengers and will host seven different live productions per week to entertain guests. 

The LNG-powered vessel will feature shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce carbon emissions in port as well as advanced wastewater treatment, recycling and underwater noise management systems to protect marine life. 

MSC Cruises’ commitment to sustainability will also be reflected on the ship's exterior via a fresco designed and painted by German graphic artist Alex Flaemig.  

German Market Growth to be Driven by TUI

German Market Growth to be Driven by TUI

Mein Schiff 3 photo credit Spacejunkie2 (flickr)

The cruise brands catering to the national German market have an estimated capacity of 2.1 million passengers (double occupancy) in 2023, forecast to grow to 2.5 million by 2020, according to the 2023 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

The growth will mainly be driven by TUI Cruises which will launch three new ships over the time period, boosting its annual passenger capacity from approximately 600,000 to nearly 1 million.

TUI is focused on the German premium market along with Phoenix Reisen and Plantours. In the luxury segment are Hapag-Lloyd and Sea Cloud.

AIDA is the largest national brand today with an estimated annual passenger capacity of about 1.4 million, but has no new builds on order, and barring any further retirements of ships, will maintain its position, dominating the contemporary market segment.

These brands offer a German-language products. In addition, other European brands also market in Germany, including MSC and Costa, as well as North America-based brands.

Germany is the single largest national cruise market in Europe.