Disney Adventure Embarks on Sea Trials

Disney Adventure Embarks on Sea Trials

The new Disney Adventure sailed from Germany earlier this week to embark on its first set of sea trials.

Currently in the final stages of construction at the MV Werften shipyard, the vessel is now undergoing a series of assessments and trials in the Baltic and North Seas.

Over 1,400 workers are reportedly on board the ship, which is scheduled to be delivered to Disney Cruise Line in late September.

According to Ostsee Zeitung, the Disney Adventure will see testing of technology and systems while sailing to another German port, Bremerhaven.

The week-long trials are also said to include a technical visit to Rügen, an island on the Baltic coast of Germany.

The Disney Adventure is expected to undergo a second set of sea trials later this month.

The 208,000-ton ship is then set to embark on a delivery voyage to Asia ahead of its maiden cruise, which is scheduled to depart from Singapore on December 15, 2025.

As the largest cruise ship in the company’s fleet, the Adventure will be Disney’s first vessel dedicated to Southeast Asia.

Sailing from the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore on a year-round basis, the 6,000-guest ship will offer three- and four-night cruises to nowhere.

The vessel’s schedule in the region was recently extended with the addition of extra departures through December 2026.

In addition to the Disney Adventure, Disney Cruise Line is also welcoming the Disney Destiny to its fleet this year.

The LNG-powered ship is currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany for delivery in the fourth quarter.

As a sister to the Disney Wish and the Disney Treasure, the 2,500-guest vessel is set to welcome guests for its inaugural voyage in November 2025.

Sailing from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades, the Destiny will spend its maiden season offering four- and five-night cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

MSC World America Completes Second Set of Sea Trials

MSC World America Completes Second Set of Sea Trials

The MSC World America recently returned to St. Nazaire, France, after completing a second set of sea trials.

Set to be delivered to MSC Cruises in late March, the vessel is currently in the final stages of construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard.

After embarking on its first sea trials in December, the World America sailed from St. Nazaire on Jan. 18, 2025, for a new series of tests.

During the trials, various systems and aspects of the ship’s operations are tested, including its manoeuvrability, speed and safety equipment.

As the second ship in the company’s World Class series, the MSC World America is scheduled to enter service for MSC Cruises in April.

After being delivered by the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard, the LNG-powered vessel will cross the Atlantic with no guests onboard.

Following a series of pre-inaugural events in Florida, the 5,400-guest ship is set to welcome its first paying guests on April 12, 2025.

Sailing from Miami, the MSC World America will offer a series of seven-night cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas during its maiden season.

The year-round deployment includes visits to destinations in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Honduras and more.

Carnival Jubilee Successfully Completes Sea Trials

Carnival Jubilee Successfully Completes Sea Trials

Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Carnival Jubilee, has successfully completed its first full round of sea trials.

Now, she’s one more milestone closer to her monumental debut in Galveston, Tex. on Dec. 23, according to a company statement.

The Carnival Jubilee’s sea trials successfully completed on Nov. 14. The trials were led by a full contingent of officers, technicians and engineers onboard who tested the ship’s technical, mechanical and navigational systems.

“Our all-new Carnival Jubilee performed extremely well through each test we put her through this past week. Now shortly, we’ll start cruising and our team is prepared to welcome our guests from Galveston onto this beautiful new ship,” Captain Andrea Catalani said.

Carnival Jubilee is the first Carnival ship to be built in Germany. She will officially join the fleet when she is delivered to Carnival by shipbuilder Meyer Werft in Papenburg on Dec. 4.

Celebrity Ascent Completes Sea Trials

Celebrity Ascent Completes Sea Trials

The Celebrity Ascent has successfully completed its sea trials, according to a statement from the company.

The ship’s captains, brothers Demetrios and Tasos Kafetzis oversaw the tests conducted in the Bay of Biscay near the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, where the Celebrity Ascent has been under construction.

Sailing from Ft. Lauderdale’s Port Everglades, the Celebrity Ascent is offering a four-night Western Caribbean preview voyage on November 22, 2023, followed by a three-night Bahamas preview getaway on November 26, 2023.

A seven-night Eastern Caribbean maiden voyage will depart the South Florida port on December 3, 2023, kicking off the ship’s inaugural Caribbean season, featuring seven-night itineraries rotating between popular Eastern and Western Caribbean destinations such as the Bahamas, Mexico and Grand Cayman; and San Juan, Tortola and St. Kitts, respectively.

Then, the Celebrity Ascent will head to the Mediterranean for a 2024 summer season of sailings, including a nine-night Italian Riviera and France itinerary; and the 12-night Best of Greece and Italy itinerary.

MSC Euribia Completes Sea Trials

MSC Euribia Completes Sea Trials

MSC Cruises’ new ship and second powered by liquefied natural gas, the MSC Euribia has completed a four-day set of sea trials in the Atlantic Ocean, according to a statement.

The trial involved checking the performance of the ship’s engines, fuel consumption and safety systems, and speed and stopping distances.

Following the completion of sea trials, the ship set course for Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France before being delivered to MSC Cruises in May.

MSC Euribia’s official christening ceremony is scheduled for June 8 and will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark before its inaugural season in Northern Europe sailing from its homeport in Kiel, Germany.

Shortly after the christening, starting from June 10, the MSC Euribia will offer seven-night sailings from Kiel to Copenhagen and the Norwegian fjords with calls in Geiranger, Ålesund, and Flam. 

 The MSC Euribia will sail Northern Europe for the winter 2023-24 season offering seven-night sailings from Hamburg to Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Zeebrugge, Belgium; Le Havre, France and Southampton in the UK.

 

Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Has Completed her Sea Trials and She’s Looking Pretty Epic

Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Has Completed her Sea Trials and She’s Looking Pretty Epic

Get a first-look of the new ship, along with behind-the-scenes action with Sir Richard Branson himself here...

She’s set to be one of the most exciting ship launches of 2020 (if not ever), and now finally, Scarlet Lady has completed her sea trials.

The debut ship from Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady, is set to launch in April next year but found her sea legs last month sailing from Genoa to Marseille, and then back again.

Setting sail on 15 November, Scarlet Lady sailed from Genoa to Marseille, before sailing back to Genoa on 27 November, arriving three days later.

Richard Branson joined the Virgin Voyages senior management, team

The man himself, Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson boarded the ship in Marseille, touring the ship with his wife Joan and children Sam and Holly.

CEO Tom McAlpin was also on board, along with Chief Commercial Officer Nirmal Saverimuttu, SVP of Design Dee Cooper and CEO of Virgin Atlantic, Shai Weiss.

During the excitement, Branson ceremoniously painted the outline of the Virgin flag on the hull of the ship where the Virgin Voyages logo will appear.

Sir Richard Branson looks delighted at his new ship

Sea trials show whether a new ship is smooth, stable and quiet, and will provide a comfortable sailing experience to those on board.

“We’re thrilled to have completed such a significant milestone with our Sea Trials and have our amazing crew to thank for their passion and tenacity in this achievement,” said McAlpin.

“We’re one step closer to getting our Sailors on the Scarlet Lady and are grateful for all that have chosen to join us on this adventure.”

Sir Richard even had a go at painting the outline of the Virgin Voyages flag…

Setting sail on her maiden voyage on 1 April 2020, Scarlet Lady is set to change the way non-cruisers view cruising, hoping to attract a younger, new-to-cruise audience.

The first sailing will have special celebrity guest appearances, events and surprises, as she sails around the Caribbean and Bahamian islands.

Virgin Voyages’ second cruise ship was also recently announced, with the line revealing Valiant Lady will sail around the Mediterranean in 2021…

Visit virginvoyages.com for more information.

MSC Grandiosa Completes Sea Trials

MSC Cruises’ first Meraviglia-Plus class ship, the MSC Grandiosa has successfully completed her first intensive systems tests at sea during a three-day trial in the Atlantic Ocean at the end of August.

The ship will next receive her finishing touches at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France before being officially delivered to MSC Cruises on Oct. 31, according to a statement.

The christening for the MSC Grandiosa is set for Nov. 9 in Hamburg ahead of an inaugural season in the Western Mediterranean with from her Genoa homeport to Civitavecchia, Palermo, Valletta, Barcelona and Marseilles.

MSC Bellissima Departs from Chantiers de l’Atlantique For Sea Trials

The MSC Bellissima has left Chantiers de l’Atlantique for her first set of sea trials, with 450 technicians and engineers on board the new vessel, according to a statement from the shipbuilder.

The multi-day testing phase will be a shakedown of sorts by the shipyard to measure the vessel's performance and fully test various systems.

The MSC Bellissima will be delivered early next year. The 4,500-guest ship will debut in Europe before sailing in the Middle East for winter 2019-2020 ahead of her 2020 China program.

Nieuw Statendam Completes Sea Trials

Nieuw Statendam Completes Sea Trials

Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam returned to Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy Wednesday, Aug. 22, after successfully completing two sets of sea trials off the coast, the company said, in a statement.

Nieuw Statendam left Marghera Aug. 10 and performed the first set of sea trials over two days before going into drydock at Fincantieri’s Trieste shipyard, where the trial’s data was reviewed and standard hull maintenance was performed.

The ship sailed its second sea trials Aug. 18, making its way back to Marghera Aug. 22 where the finishing touches will be completed.

“The sea trials are a highly anticipated milestone for any newbuild because it takes us one step closer to delivery, and we’re thrilled that Nieuw Statendam gave a strong performance out in open water,” said Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president. “There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Nieuw Statendam and the innovations we’re introducing on board. The ship is going to have an exciting debut in early December.”

During the sea trials, Nieuw Statendam underwent a series of performance tests on the ship’s systems, machinery and engines. The shipyard’s team of nautical officers, naval architects and builders tested the ship’s manoeuvring characteristics and safety systems.

Celebrity Edge Sea Trials Underway

Celebrity Edge Sea Trials Underway

The first set of sea trials for the new Celebrity Edge started last week as the prototype ship left the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard on a pre-determined sailing program.

The 117,000-ton ship is due to be delivered from the yard later this year, and is the first of a four-ship order from the Miami-based brand, representing a new and highly innovative class of ship.

Sea trials are generally a test-drive of sorts for ships, where the shipyard, class society, key suppliers and the shipowner observe key performance and safety data. Most prototype ships see multiple sets of sea trials, are their performance criteria are confirmed. 

During sea trials, a ship is tested to its limits, from top speed to manoeuvrability, stopping distance and more.  

Photos: Christophe Dedieu 

Symphony of the Seas Completes 80-Hour Sea Trial Run

Symphony of the Seas Completes 80-Hour Sea Trial Run

The first set of sea trials for Royal Caribbean International’s new Symphony of the Seas is complete, according to STX France.

The shipyard said the huge ship completed the 80-hour trial run, which included 1,000 nautical miles of sailing, between Feb. 15 and Feb. 18.

The sea trial was a bit delayed due to poor weather conditions that pushed back the previously scheduled run in January.

STX said all almost all key systems were tested in the single sea trial, with a second test scheduled prior to a late March delivery to finalize the ship’s nautical performance parameters.

Harmony of the Seas Put to the Test

Harmony of the Seas Put to the Test

Harmony of the Seas Photobombs a photo!

Royal Caribbean’s third Oasis-class cruise ship Harmony of the Seas will be put through its paces in the next three days as it is scheduled to depart STX France’s shipyard later today on its first sea trials.

The vessel, currently under construction in Saint-Nazaire, will test its electric power plant and propulsion system, as well as conduct manoeuvrability tests.

Harmony of the Seas, which will bring 500 people on this journey, is expected to return to the shipyard on March 13.

The next sea trials are supposed to be held before the end of April, according to the shipbuilder.
Soon to be one of the world’s largest cruise ships, Harmony of the Seas will be able to accommodate 5,479 guests at double occupancy. Featuring a weight of 227,000 gross registered tons and a length of 1,187 feet, the vessel’s maximum cruising speed will be 23 knots.

Harmony of the Seas will sail the Western Mediterranean from Barcelona, Spain during its inaugural season before arriving at its homeport of Fort Lauderdale, Florida in November 2016 from where it will sail the Caribbean.

The vessel is scheduled to debut in April.

Video: Norwegian Escape Heads to the Sea

Norwegian Escape, soon to be the largest ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet, departed Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany on Friday, September 18, for her approximately 24-hour long conveyance along the Ems River.

Measuring 1,069 feet in length and 136 feet in width, the ship is the first in the line’s Breakaway Plus class, with three additional Breakaways on order at Meyer Werft.

Sailing backwards, Norwegian Escape left Meyer Werft at approximately 2:00 pm local time, and made a narrow passage through the shipyard’s locks, with only 1.2 meters of clearance separating the ship from the “bumpers” that were specially installed along the starboard side of the locks. This maneuver took approximately 2 hours at a maximum speed of 0.2 knots.After passing through the locks, Norwegian Escape continued along the river, stern first. Before reaching her final destination in Eemshaven, Netherlands at approximately 12:30 pm on Saturday, September 19, Norwegian Escape navigated through additional narrow passages including the Weener Bridge in Weener; Jann-Berghaus Bridge in Leer; and Ems-Barrier in Gandersum.Following her arrival in Eemshaven, she will head to the North Sea for sea trials later this month.

Norwegian Escape will sail weekly seven-day cruises from her year-round homeport of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean beginning on November 14, 2015.

The 164,600 gross ton ship will be the largest ever to home port year-round in Miami, carrying 4,200 guests to Caribbean destinations including St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.

Watch below the Video of the Conveyance, this was filmed by HD1080ide in fantastic HD.

Latest Escape News

Norwegian latest Mega-ship berthed for 5 days at Eemshaven to take onboard her life boats, provisions and the final materials required to finish her fit out. Friday 25th September 2015 she steamed out of the port Eemshaven on her own power for her sea trials. Below is the the exact location and mapping of the sea trial which ended on Saturday night, after the trials she made for the port of Bremerhaven, she docked at 22:19 hours for a well earned rest.

P&O's Britannia is put through her paces for the first time

P&O's Britannia is put through her paces for the first time

It might look like a particularly drunken version of Join the Dots, or perhaps it reminds you of the tangle that came out of the box when you started to put up the Christmas tree lights. But this is P&O’s newest ship being put through her paces. 

The images show the track of Britannia in the Gulf of Trieste - in the north-east corner of the Adriatic - where she is on her first sea trials. A captain  from the shipbuilders, Fincantieri, is at the controls while Captain Paul Brown, the P&O skipper who will take command when the vessel is handed over, is keeping a watching brief. He’s probably hoping they’ll give him a little go before the ship is returned to port. 

For now, Britannia is having her engines, propulsion system, steering and stability tested for the first time in a tortuous series of twists and turns. I hope the officers on the bridge keep an eye on their rear view mirrors. [Image captures from marinetraffic.com]

P&O Cruises' Britannia starts sea trials

P&O Cruises' £500 million new ship Britannia took to the ocean for the first time yesterday, starting sea trials off Italy.

The vessel, due to be named and launched in a ceremony in Southampton in a March, is the first British ship to have a cookery school, which will be run by celebrity chef James Martin.

The state-of-the-art ship will carry Britain's biggest art collection at sea, a multi-million pound collection of more than 6000 pieces of original artwork.

The sea trails will continue this week before Britannia returns to its shipyard in Italy for final fitting out.

Regal Princess coming along nicely

Regal Princess coming along nicely

Regal Princess, the newest ship to be developed by Princess Cruises, is well on track to make its debut next month.

According to reports, the new vessel has successfully completed five days of sea trials this week. The trials involve a number of special manoeuvres being carried out at sea in order to test the ship’s propulsion systems ahead of its launch.

The tests are also used to ensure that steering and navigation equipment is all up to standard and at the ready. Following its successful completion of the exercises, the ship returned to the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, where it will receive finishing touches to its exterior and interior.

The 3,600 passenger sister vessel to Royal Princess will be officially launched by the cruise line in May.

Among its most noteworthy features are an opulent new atrium with a truly regal colour scheme (lots of gold), designer ice creams at the Gelato bar and Princess’s largest theatre yet at see. It is also equipped with numerous pools and spas, as well as The Sanctuary, its signature relaxation haven just for adults.

FINCANTIERI: "REGAL PRINCESS" LAUNCHED IN MONFALCONE - The largest ship ever built by the Italian group

"Regal Princess”, the new flagship of the Princess Cruises fleet owned by the Carnival Group, the world's largest cruise ship operator, was launched today at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard. 

Delivery is scheduled for spring 2014, while its sister ship, “Royal Princess”, launched last august, will be delivered in the first half of this year. 
Attending the ceremony for Princess Cruises were Rai Caluori, Executive Vice President Fleet Operations, and Stuart Hawkins, Vice President Newbuilding. Representing Fincantieri were, among others, Enrico Buschi, Chief Operative Officer, and Carlo De Marco, Shipyard Manager. Godmother of the ceremony was Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of Cruise Critic, the most influential cruise industry website and cruise passenger online community. 

The construction of "Regal Princess" consolidates Fincantieri’s primacy in building the largest passenger ships in Italian shipbuilding history. In fact, at 141,000 gross tons, 330 metres long and 38 metres wide, the new ship is the largest ship ever built by Fincantieri. It has 1,780 cabins, of which 1,438 with balconies (81% of the total), and is able to accommodate 3,600 passengers, with total capacity for over 5,600 people including crew.

As an innovative prototypes for a new ground-breaking class of ship, "Regal” and “Royal Princess" stands out for their new "future-proof design", not only in terms of layout and state-of-the-art performance, but also because they comply with the most recent regulations in shipping. These ships are the best proof that innovation and care of a customer like the Carnival Group, the market leader, are essential levers for tackling a crisis like that at present.

 
Among the keystones of this trend are the rational use of space, with the aim of avoiding any wasted tonnage that would otherwise increase operating costs, and energy saving to reduce emissions into the atmosphere and water. The ships will be able to adapt to every possible type of cruise, operating from Alaska to Australia, even in environmentally protected areas where navigation is restricted. 

Fincantieri has built 63 cruise ships since 1990, including 13 only for Princess Cruises. Another 11 ships are being built or about to be built in the Group's yards.