Legend of the Seas Delivered to Royal Caribbean Ahead of July Debut

Legend of the Seas Delivered to Royal Caribbean Ahead of July Debut

Royal Caribbean has welcomed the Legend of the Seas, its third Icon-class ship, to its fleet.

Following nearly two years of construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, and sea trials that started in April, the ship is ready to make its European debut in July 2026, the cruise line said in a statement.

More than 1,200 crew members and partners gathered for a ceremony led by Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley, and Meyer Turku CEO Casimir Lindholm.

The event marked the transfer of ownership between Royal Caribbean and Meyer Turku.

“Today’s delivery of Legend of the Seas marks another important milestone in our ambition to continuously redefine the vacation experience. This new ship reflects the strength of the vacation ecosystem we are building – combining industry-leading ships, innovative technology, and exceptional experiences for our guests,” noted Liberty.

“It is an achievement only possible through the extraordinary partnership and expertise of Meyer Turku and the thousands of talented people whose creativity and commitment continue to help us design the future of vacations.”

The ship is scheduled to travel from Turku to Cadiz, Spain, soon, for finishing touches by Royal Caribbean.

After that, it will operate seven-night Western Mediterranean sailings from Barcelona, Spain, and Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, this summer, as part of its inaugural season.

In November, the ship will arrive in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to deliver six-night Western Caribbean and eight-night Southern Caribbean cruises.

The delivery is part of the company’s long-term framework agreement with Meyer Turku, securing shipbuilding capacity through 2036.

Under it, the shipyard will build the Icon 5, to be delivered in 2028, as well as the sixth and seventh Icon Class ships, coming in 2029 and 2030, respectively.

“Legend of the Seas is the third Icon Class ship built at our shipyard, and constructing the series has enabled us to develop our production processes in a systematic way. We have built on the experience gained from the previous vessels and further improved efficiency with the customer and our extensive partner network,” added Lindholm.

“The ship is an exceptional project in terms of both scale and technical complexity, requiring strong expertise and seamless collaboration across the entire maritime cluster. At the same time, Legend of the Seas moves shipbuilding towards more energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable solutions.”

The Legend will be the company’s fourth ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) as it continues on its journey toward introducing a net-zero cruise ship by 2035.

Royal Caribbean’s New Icon of the Seas Delivered

Royal Caribbean’s New Icon of the Seas Delivered

After more than seven years of dreaming and 900 days of design and construction by thousands of experts, Royal Caribbean International welcomed the Icon of the Seas during a handover at Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland.

Representatives signed on the dotted line just two months before the new ship’s January 2024 debut in Miami.

Marking the milestone at the celebration were more than 1,200 crew members and workers, who were joined by Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley and Meyer Turku CEO Tim Meyer.

“Today, we are celebrating more than a new ship; it’s also the celebration of the culmination of more than 50 years of innovation and dreaming at Royal Caribbean to create the ultimate vacation experience,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “Delivering Icon of the Seas represents all that can be accomplished with strong partnerships and a commitment to delivering memorable vacations responsibly, and we thank Meyer Turku and an incredible village of skilled partners for joining us on this journey. The memories millions of families and vacationers will make on Icon will be our greatest accomplishment yet.”

“Welcoming Icon of the Seas to the Royal Caribbean family is a remarkable accomplishment years in the making for thousands of innovators, engineers, architects and designers,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Seven years ago, we had an ambitious idea to create the first vacation truly made for every type of family and adventurer; now, it’s in our hands, and in this final stretch, we’ll bring it all to life for the biggest debut in our history in January 2024.”

Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku, commented on the handover of Icon of the Seas as a significant moment in the shipyard’s history: “Icon of the Seas is the world’s largest, but above all, the world’s most advanced cruise ship. Together with Royal Caribbean, we set the bar exceptionally high in terms of design, technology, safety and reducing energy consumption.

Royal Caribbean Cuts Steel for Second Icon Ship

Royal Caribbean Cuts Steel for Second Icon Ship

Royal Caribbean International has marked the initial milestone – the first cut of steel – for the second ship in the Icon Class.

In celebration of the next in the lineup, a steel-cutting ceremony was held at Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland.

The soon-to-be-named ship will set sail in 2025, following the debut of Icon of the Seas in January 2024, according to a press release.

The Royal Caribbean and Meyer Turku teams dedicated to building the second Icon Class ship were in attendance at the traditional ceremony.

The major milestone represents the official start of production, beginning a series of key moments in the design and construction that spans months and involves thousands of innovators across design, naval engineering, architecture and more.

Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas Arrives in Port Canaveral

Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas Arrives in Port Canaveral

Following a full summer program in Europe, Royal Caribbean International’s Wonder of the Seas is debuting in Port Canaveral today.

Returning to the United States after first debuting in March, the Royal Caribbean International vessel is wrapping up a 14-night trans-Atlantic.

Ahead of its first complete season in the Caribbean, the two-week repositioning cruise sailed from Barcelona. It included visits to four additional ports in Spain: Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Cartagena and Malaga.

Before arriving in Florida, the vessel also paid a visit to Nassau, the Bahamas.

Now set to sail from Port Canaveral on a weekly basis, the Oasis-Class ship will offer a year-round schedule of cruises to both the Western and Eastern Caribbean.

For its first sailing from Central Florida, the Wonder offers a seven-night itinerary to the Eastern Caribbean.

In addition to three full days at sea, the voyage features visits to St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

A highlight of the deployment, the Royal Caribbean International private island in the Bahamas is set to be featured on most of Wonder’s cruises.

Other destinations set to be visited by the 5,448-guest ship include Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatán, Labadee, San Juan, Falmouth and more.

Built-in 2022, the Wonder is the latest vessel in the company’s Oasis Class and debuted as the world’s largest cruise ship.

Following the 2009-built Oasis of the Seas, the 2010-built Allure of the Seas, the 2016-built Harmony of the Seas and the 2018-built Symphony of the Seas, the vessel debuted new features, such as a lineup of more than 20 dining venues that include the all-new The Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar.

With a menu of Southern staples and new twists on classics, the venue offers live music, a collection of more than a dozen American whiskey and more.

Completing the ship series, a sixth Oasis-Class vessel, the Utopia of the Seas, is set to debut in 2024.

Steel Cut for New Costa Smeralda LNG Ship

Steel Cut for New Costa Smeralda LNG Ship

Construction work began today on the Costa Smeralda, including her steel-cutting ceremony held at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland.

The new Costa Cruises ship will be the brand’s first ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the world’s first cruise ship to be broadly marketed to consumers from multiple countries throughout Europe, the Italian cruise line said. 

The Costa Smeralda, which will enter service in October 2019, will exceed 180,000 gross tons and offer more than 2,600 passenger cabins, the company said.

A second ship, sister to Costa Smeralda, will be delivered by Meyer Turku in 2021.

“These ships will strengthen the leadership position for the Costa Group, which is already the market leader in all the major continental Europe markets,” said Michael Thamm, CEO of the Costa Group and Carnival Asia. “The multibillion dollar contract with Meyer, which also includes two new LNG-powered ships to be built for our German brand, AIDA Cruises, reflects our strategy of constantly innovating our vacation offerings and providing our guests with an unmatched cruise experience.”

“The two new Costa Cruises ships are a true global innovation and set new standards for the entire sector,” added Neil Palomba, president of Costa Cruises. “They will be among the first cruise ships powered by LNG, spurring the development of this green technology, especially in the Mediterranean area, and they will be the world’s first LNG-powered ships that will be marketed to consumers from multiple countries, including Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Switzerland. The new ships will also offer unique services and present a state-of-the-art interior design, serving as the perfect expression of our Italy's Finest concept, which is a distinguishing feature of the Costa Cruises brand around the world for providing guests with a truly immersive Italian experience.”

“In the last two years, we have had a very intense design collaboration with our customer and the outcome is a really fresh and new design fused with the latest of technology. We are happy to bring our experience with building LNG powered passenger ships to bear. Today is a very special moment in shipbuilding, when all the ideas, creativity, technology and signature design that is going into Costa’s new ships, are finally starting to become reality," stated Jan Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku.

The Costa Smeralda will be offering cruises in Western Mediterranean, sales open early 2018. 

Steel Cut for New Costa Smeralda LNG Ship

Steel Cut for New Costa Smeralda LNG Ship

Construction work began today on the Costa Smeralda, including her steel-cutting ceremony held at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland.

The new Costa Cruises ship will be the brand’s first ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the world’s first cruise ship to be broadly marketed to consumers from multiple countries throughout Europe, the Italian cruise line said. 

The Costa Smeralda, which will enter service in October 2019, will exceed 180,000 gross tons and offer more than 2,600 passenger cabins, the company said.

A second ship, sister to Costa Smeralda, will be delivered by Meyer Turku in 2021.

“These ships will strengthen the leadership position for the Costa Group, which is already the market leader in all the major continental Europe markets,” said Michael Thamm, CEO of the Costa Group and Carnival Asia. “The multibillion dollar contract with Meyer, which also includes two new LNG-powered ships to be built for our German brand, AIDA Cruises, reflects our strategy of constantly innovating our vacation offerings and providing our guests with an unmatched cruise experience.”

“The two new Costa Cruises ships are a true global innovation and set new standards for the entire sector,” added Neil Palomba, president of Costa Cruises. “They will be among the first cruise ships powered by LNG, spurring the development of this green technology, especially in the Mediterranean area, and they will be the world’s first LNG-powered ships that will be marketed to consumers from multiple countries, including Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Switzerland. The new ships will also offer unique services and present a state-of-the-art interior design, serving as the perfect expression of our Italy's Finest concept, which is a distinguishing feature of the Costa Cruises brand around the world for providing guests with a truly immersive Italian experience.”

“In the last two years, we have had a very intense design collaboration with our customer and the outcome is a really fresh and new design fused with the latest of technology. We are happy to bring our experience with building LNG powered passenger ships to bear. Today is a very special moment in shipbuilding, when all the ideas, creativity, technology and signature design that is going into Costa’s new ships, are finally starting to become reality," stated Jan Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku.

The Costa Smeralda will be offering cruises in Western Mediterranean, sales open early 2018. 

Is a shipbuilding duopoly good for the cruise industry?

In the modern facilities, the most technologically sophisticated cruise ships are being built.

Before the end of 2017, it looks like there will be a worldwide duopoly in the business of building cruise ships. Can this be good for cruise lines, their customers or travel agents?

It would come about if Italy's Fincantieri buys the French shipyard in Saint-Nazaire where Royal Caribbean International's Harmony of the Seas, and a string of other ships, have been built. (Fincantieri won't buy all of the Saint-Nazaire yard. The French government will hold onto a one-third stake.)

The yard is currently operating under the name STX France, but the STX parent company, based in Korea, has been trying to sell it to consolidate its way out of financial trouble.

A South Korean court recently approved Fincantieri as the approved bidder.

STX already sold its yard in Turku, Finland, to Germany's Meyer Werft, the other big name in cruise ship building. Together, Fincantieri and Meyer Werft would dominate cruise shipbuilding the way Boeing and Airbus control the world's output of commercial jetliners. (Fincantieri has built almost all of the recent Carnival Corp. brand vessels while Meyer Werft has delivered most of Norwegian Cruise Line's latest ships, among others). 

The business of building jets and cruise ships is similar. Both are capital intensive businesses, with a need for specialized labor and a network of subcontractors. Both are subject to wicked swings in the business cycle that can leave them with either more work than they can handle or none at all.

Big cruise lines spend billions of dollars annually on new ships. Yet it is telling that there were no bidders other than Fincantieri for the French yard. It is a very specialized and risky business.

Does it matter to the cruise lines that there are only two suppliers left to do business with?  It doesn't seem to matter much to the airlines, who haven't been cornered by the Airbus-Boeing duopoly. One difference may be that there are dozens of customers for the plane makers, but less than a dozen for cruise yards. 

Fincantieri's yard in Trieste. Credit: Fincantieri

One well-informed source in the industry rated Fincantieri's takeover of STX France as "neutral to slightly negative" for cruise operators. The reduction in negotiating partners is a negative, while the stability of having the yard in the hands of a familiar, known entity somewhat offsets that.

There are some other players in the shipbuilding game. Genting Hong Kong bought several German yards, which will build the future ocean and river ships for Crystal Cruises, the line Genting acquired in 2015, and the Chinese government, which has partnered with Fincantieri to begin building ships in China.

Neither poses much of a current threat to the duopoly. So for the foreseeable future, if you want to build a big cruise ship, the choices are Meyer Werft or Fincantieri.

Let's hope it doesn't mean anything negative for the cruise lines or their travel partners.

Costa Cruises orders two 6,600-passenger LNG-powered cruise ships

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Costa Cruises orders two 6,600-passenger LNG-powered cruise ships

Report Thanks to http://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/

In June Carnival Corporation announced it had ordered four of the largest cruise ships ever built based on maximum passenger capacity. 

Two will be heading to AIDA Cruises and now it has been revealed the remaining pair will be joining the Costa Cruises fleet.

The ships on order form part of the previously announced Memorandum of Understanding with shipbuilders Meyer Werft and Fincantieri S.p.A for nine new ships between 2019 and 2022.

The four ships on order (for AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises) will feature a revolutionary “green design” and will be the first in the cruise industry to be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel.

The two ships destined for Costa Cruises will be built by Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland, with delivery expected in 2019 and 2020. Each ship will exceed 180,000 gross tons and will include more than 2,600 passenger cabins, accommodating approximately 5,200 passengers based on double occupancy with a maximum capacity of 6,600 passengers.

Michael Thamm, CEO of the Costa Group said “These ships will expand the leadership position for the Costa Group, the market leader in all the major continental European markets. The multi-billion dollar contract with Meyer mirrors our strategy to constantly innovate our vacation offers and to deliver an unmatched cruise experience to our guests.”

Neil Palomba, President of Costa Cruises  said “The two Costa ships are a real innovation for the market, setting new standards for the whole industry: they will be the first green ships powered with LNG and they will offer an extensive number of guest-friendly features. Furthermore they will be an expression of the new positioning, Italy’s finest. The order also confirms that the Costa brand will continue to grow, becoming even stronger and keep on generating a positive economic impact in the main countries where it operates, including Italy”.

According to Costa Cruises’ forecast, approximately 750 Italian crew members are expected to be hired to work on the two ships. Furthermore Italy will be featured strongly in the on-board experience with thousands of international guests experiencing the Italian décor, hospitality, gastronomy and entertainment.

STX Finland shipyard to be sold

By Jerry Limone

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft and the Finnish government have agreed to acquire STX Finland from South Korea-based STX Corp.

Meyer Werft will buy a 70% stake, the Finnish government 30%. The acquisition is subject to clearance by antitrust authorities and banks.

STX Finland has a shipyard in Turku; a shipyard in Rauma was sold to the Finnish town earlier this year. The plan is to rename the company Meyer Turku Shipyard.

The Turku yard built the Mein Schiff 3, a TUI Cruises ship that entered service in June. STX Finland is currently constructing the Mein Schiff 4, and TUI Cruises this week reached a deal for two more ships of the same class to be constructed at the Turku yard.

STX also has built many ships for the North American market, including Royal Caribbean's Oasis and Allure of the Seas.

Meyer Werft’s Papenburg yard built Celebrity’s Solstice-class and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway-class ships. The yard is constructing Norwegian’s Breakaway Plus and Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class vessels.

Meyer Werft combines forces with STX Finland - and confirms my ship 5 and 6

Meyer Werft combines forces with STX Finland - and confirms my ship 5 and 6

The Meyer Werft is combining forces with STX Finland: After numerous talks on closer cooperation with the cruise shipyard STX Finland in Turku now a stake in Papenburg shipbuilders agreed.

 

With its 70% share the Meyer Werft takes over the operational management of the Finnish shipyard. In Finland, currently about 1300 directly employed people work at the cruise ship Mein Schiff 4 for the German shipping company TUI Cruises.

 

The Hamburg shipping company TUI Cruises, a joint venture between TUI and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. (RCCL), now announced two more ships of this class also has to be ordered (My ship 5 & 6) in Turku. STX Finland is a proven specialist for cruise ships and a shipyard with very high technological know-how. 
Positive effects are given by a higher flexibility to the customers.

 

Even with a future even stronger, common approach in the area of ​​research and development in the cruise market, and mutual learning among the workflows positive synergies are possible. "We are strengthening all sites equally.Positive effects are given by a higher flexibility to the customers.

 

Even with a future even stronger common approach in the area of ​​research and development in the cruise market, and mutual learning among the workflows positive synergies are possible. A staff reduction in Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania or in Finland are not an issue, "says CEO Dr. Jan Meyer.

 

With the Land a contract to secure sites in Papenburg is even being discussed. This makes it very clear that it is not about a shift from capacity, but to a significant strengthening of the bundled competence in the European cruise industry. The acquisition is currently subject to confirmation by the participating financial institutions as well as the approval of the Federal Cartel Office.