Fincantieri lays first keel block for Nieuw Statendam and order a Third Ship

Fincantieri lays first keel block for Nieuw Statendam

Fincantieri laid the first piece of keel for Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam at its Marghera yard in Venice, Italy on 20 March. The 260-ton block, which is 11.3 metres long and 34.8 wide, will form the central section of Nieuw Statendam.

Built as a sister to Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam will be Holland America’s second 99,800gt Pinnacle class ship and will be delivered at the end of 2018. The vessel will be able to accommodate up to 2,650 passengers in more than 1,300 cabins and feature interiors created by two major studios – Tihany Design and YSA Design.

Holland America Line to Build Third Pinnacle Class Ship for Delivery in 2021

Carnival Corporation announced that it has signed a memorandum of agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri S.p.A. to build two new cruise ships with final contracts expected to be executed in early 2017. The two new ships are designated for the company’s Holland America Line and Princess Cruises brands.

Holland America Line’s new ship will be built at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera, Italy, with an expected delivery in 2021.

“We are extremely pleased to formally announce these two new ships and build on the success and popularity of their sister ships already sailing guests around the globe,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “Our goal is to exceed expectations of the 11.5 million guests who sail with us each year, and these new ships will offer more opportunities for our guests to create lifelong vacation memories while generating added excitement around the fast-growing global demand for cruise vacations.”

Holland America Line’s new 99,500-ton, 2,660-guest ship will be its third Pinnacle Class vessel, following the design of the line’s newest and largest ship, ms Koningsdam, and its sister ship, ms Nieuw Statendam, scheduled for delivery in November 2018.

The new ship will combine classic hallmarks of the brand while featuring several of the innovative venues that were introduced on Koningsdam, as well as new concepts that will debut on Nieuw Statendam and additional elements unique to the new vessel.

Each of Carnival Corporation’s new ships will be specifically designed and developed for each brand and the guests and markets it will serve, supporting the corporation’s overall goal of providing extraordinary vacation experiences at an exceptional value for its guests around the world. Specific features and amenities for the ships, along with deployment details, will be revealed in the coming months.

Meyer Werft Lays Keel for Dream Cruises’ New Ship

Meyer Werft Lays Keel for Dream Cruises’ New Ship

Genting Dream at the outfitting pier, Image Courtesy: Meyer Werft

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft officially started the construction of the second new cruise ship for Asian cruise line Dream Cruises, a part of Genting Hong Kong, with a keel laying of World Dream on January 10.

During the ceremony in Papenburg, Germany, block number 3, one of 92 blocks that will eventually complete the 151,000-ton ship, was lifted into the building dock to launch the block assembly for World Dream.

“After the successful debut of Genting Dream last November and the wonderful reception the ship has experienced from our guests, we are excited to start the construction process on World Dream,” Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Genting Hong Kong, said.

Upon completion, the 21-deck World Dream will be able to accommodate over 3,300 guests in nearly 1,700 staterooms.

The new cruise ship is scheduled to make its debut in the Asia Pacific in November of this year.

Meyer Turku Delivers Mein Schiff 5 Ahead of Schedule

Mein Schiff 5 delivery. Credit: Meyer Turku

Thanks to https://gcaptain.com

Finnish shipyard Meyer Turku on Monday delivered the cruise ship Mein Schiff 5 to TUI Cruises a full ten days ahead of schedule. 

Construction of the vessel began in November 2014 shortly after the Turku shipyard, formerly part of STX Finland, was acquired by State of Finland and German shipbuilder Meyer Werft. The order for Mein Schiff 5 – and Mein Schiff 6 – was actually finalized with the completion of the acquisition in September 2014. The vessels are sister ships to Mein Schiff 3 and Mein Schiff 4, completed in May 2014 and May 2015, respectively.

“Although this is already our third new build, it’s still incredibly exciting to see a new ship grow from the first steel cutting to the finishing interior touches. In a good two-year construction period, countless people have dedicated themselves to turning ten million components into our ship. We are looking forward to finally putting Mein Schiff 5 into service in mid-July,” said Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises.

On Tuesday the Mein Schiff 5 and her approximately 1,000 crew members are expected to set sail for Kiel, the first German port of call where the ship will dock on June 23, 2016.

The 99,800 gross ton Mein Schiff 5 measures 295 meters long and will be able to accommodate 2,794 passengers. The vessel features an exhaust gas scrubber system that reduces sulphur emissions by approximately 99 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by around 75 percent. Combined with other eco-friendly technologies, energy consumption of theMein Schiff 5 is estimated to be 4 percent lower than on the sister ship Mein Schiff 3, making the vessel one of the most energy-efficient ships in its class.

“We had the unique opportunity to build on the high standard and success of Mein Schiff 3 andMein Schiff 4 to further perfect this series of ships with Mein Schiff 5. We are immensely proud of the result. This is in no small measure due to the trust and excellent cooperation with TUI Cruises,” Dr. Jan Meyer adds.

The keel for Mein Schiff 6 was laid in April.

Norwegian Escape itinerary eagerness after Keel laying ceremony

The Norwegian Escape Keel laying ceremony took place a few days ago, and as a result has now given people a renewed interest in looking at what itineraries are available for this new Norwegian Cruise Line ship once she enters service in October 2015.

The first of 86 blocks was laid down with a lucky coin being placed beneath this 400-ton block. This is a tradition that has gone on for yeas, and happens each time a new cruise ship has her Keel laid.

Norwegian Escape itinerary eagerness – With the Norwegian Escape progress now set to start ramping up because of hitting this milestone, we suspect that there has now been more people looking to see what the inaugural cruises are for this new ship, and how much they are likely to cost.

This information is available on Norwegian’s official page for their new ship, the Escape, which is the first Breakaway-Plus class vessel. While the choice may not be extensive at this time, you still have the option to sail to the Caribbean from Miami, although if you would rather cruise on her maiden voyage, then that will be from Southampton to Miami, Florida, US.

Keel-laying of Anthem of the Seas

Papenburg, 20November 2013 - The official keel-laying of the new cruise ship Anthem of the Seas was celebrated at MEYER WERFT in Papenburg by putting a block in place in the yard's covered building dock. Jarmo Laakso, Associate Vice President Quantum Class from Royal Caribbean International, put down the lucky penny in the dock before the block of the new ship was lowered by the 800-ts crane.

The first of a total of 74 blocks of the new cruise liner weighs 620 tons. This keel-laying marks the official start of construction of the Anthem of the Seas. For the time being the 167,800-gt Anthem of the Seas is one of the biggest ships the shipyard has built so far.

Delivery of the Anthem of the Seas is scheduled for spring 2015. The sistership of Quantum is under construction in the Building Dock and is scheduled as early as in the autumn of 2014.

Both new ships for Royal Caribbean International will set standards due to their design, a parachuting simulator, bumper cars, virtual balconies and many more innovations.

Each ship can accommodate 4,180 guests at double occupancy and feature 2,090 staterooms

Photo:The first block of the new cruise ship Anthem of the Seas for Royal Caribbean Cruises is put in place in MEYER WERFT's building dock II.

Quantum Class Moves Forward

Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum and Anthem both see milestonesBy: Marilyn Green

Cruise

Royal Caribbean International commemorates two strategic developments at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.  // © 2013 Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean International marked two important milestones in the development of its Quantum-class ships at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, this month.

Quantum of the Seas received its first block, as the keel was officially lowered and put into place, and Anthem of the Seas, Quantum’s sister-ship, had its first piece of steel cut, signaling the first step in the ship’s construction.

“Today is a very special day in the development of our new Quantum class, as we are now two steps closer to delighting guests around the world with Quantum cruising,” said Adam Goldstein, president and CEO. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas coming together so well, and today we not only honor these two very important milestones, but also recognize the years of hard work and dedication from the team developing these ships.”

The keel laying marks the beginning of the ship’s physical construction. During the ceremony, a 430-ton block measuring 59 by 75 feet was lifted into the building dock with an 800-ton crane. Newly minted coins placed under the keel stay in place until the end of construction, when they are presented to the ship’s captain and crew to be placed onboard the ship. According to maritime tradition, the coins are said to bring luck to the ship.

Quantum-class ships will span 16 deck and carry 4,180 guests. The ships will debut new features, including as RipCord by iFLY, the first skydiving experience at sea; the North Star, which transports guests more than 300 feet above the ocean; and The Sea-Plex, the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with bumper cars and a roller skating ring; and more.

The Quantum class will debut in autumn 2014 with Quantum of the Seas, followed by sister-ship Anthem of the Seas in spring 2015.