The Marella Explorer Class – Norwegian Bliss Becomes Largest Cruise Ship To Transit Panama – This Week’s Voyage: m.v. Sirena

THE CRUISE EXAMINER AT CYBERCRUISES.COMBY KEVIN GRIFFIN

The Cruise Examiner for 14th May 2018

The 1,924-berth Marella Explorer was built as Celebrity’s Galaxy and later became TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 1

As the first of two sister ships delivers this week to TUI UK’s Marella Cruises, we have a look at the original Celebrity Cruises trio of Century, Galaxy and Mercury. Elsewhere, the Norwegian Bliss has today set a record for largest cruise ship to transit the Panama Canal. And Oceania’s Sirena offers an interesting Calfornia itinerary for December 2019

FOR THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                                                                     (See previous columns)

World Dream Christened In Hong Kong – Celebrity Orders 100-berth Galapagos Newbuilding – Celestyal Aegean Itineraries

The Cruise Examiner for 20th November 2017

Celebrity Cruises’ planned 100-berth Galapagos cruiser Celebrity Flora is being built in the Netherlands

Last week, Dream Cruises christened its new 3,352-berth World Dream at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong. Also last week, Celebrity Cruises announced that it would be introducing a newly-built 100-berth cruise ship, the Celebrity Flora, to the Ecuadorean-flag Galapagos Islands fleet in 2019, and that a sister ship was planned to follow. Meanwhile, Athens-based Celestyal Cruises has confirmed that the Thomson Majesty will be joining the Louis-owned Celestyal Cruises fleet as Celestyal Majesty.

FOR THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                                                                     (See previous columns)

Celebrity Edge Will Work From Europe In 2019 – Other Cruise News: The B Debuts For U By Uniworld – Crystal Cruises’ Getaway Cruises

The Cruise Examiner for 23rd October 2017

U By Uniworld’s 361-foot 120-berth Millenial cruiser The B, in her all-black livery, has equivalent décor and artwork on board

Last week, it was announced that the Celebrity Edge, the first of four new 2,900-berth “Edge” class ships, will be based in Europe in 2019. In addition, the existing Celebrity fleet of nine will be refurbished between 2019 and 2023 as the four new ships are delivered. Elsewhere, the world’s first cruise ship designed for Millenials, U by Uniworld’s The B (above), is to enter service on the Seine next spring, to be followed by a second ship, The A, on the Rhine. Finally, Crystal Cruises has added to its selection of short cruises with five 6- to 8-day cruises for 2018 in addition to the seven short cruises that are being sold this year.

FOR THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                                                                     (See previous columns)

Seabourn And Windstar Finally Return To Alaska – Celebrity Cruises Changes UK Ship – Trouble At Falmouth?

The Cruise Examiner for 10th July 2017

Seabourn is reviving the port of Alert Bay, where Canadian Pacific’s Princess Charlotte is seen. She later became Swan Hellenic’s Mediterranean

Seabourn’s first Alaska departure in fifteen years left Vancouver last month when the Seabourn Sojourn sailed north to Seward and went on during her return voyage to add calls at Prince Rupert, Klemtu and Alert Bay in northern British Columbia that will make her itineraries unique. And next year, Windstar Cruises will return to Alaska after an absence of twenty years. In their case they will use the Star Legend, which sailed for many years as Seabourn Legend. In the UK, Celebrity Cruises will be changing from the Celebrity Eclipse to the Celebrity Silhouette in 2018. And trouble seems to be brewing in Falmouth, Jamaica, the six-year-old mega-ship port that was opened by Royal Caribbean in 2011, after complaints from passengers about surly welcomes to Jamaica.

FOR THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                                                                     (See previous columns)

MSC Orders Two “World” Class Cruise Ships – Ups & Downs In World Cruise Markets – Southampton Sets Cruise Ship Record

The Cruise Examiner for 12th June 2017

MSC Meraviglia arriving at Le Havre for her recent naming by Sophia Loren

Last week came confirmation from MSC Cruises that it had ordered two new “World” class cruise ships, among the largest in the world, with an option for two more, from STX France. Seeing that there will soon be 120 cruise ships in the world measuring over 100,000 gross tons,This news is not shocking, but the order will bring the number of ships over 200,000 tons to eight, including five operated by Royal Caribbean International and one by Star Cruises. While vessels grow in size, we also have a look at rising (and in some cases falling) markets in the cruise industry. And finally we note that Southampton last week received a record fifteen cruise ships in three days.

.

FOR THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                                                               (See previous columns)

Fincantieri Takes 66.66% Of STX France – Carnival Maritime Opens Third Centre – European Cruise Market To Grow 60% In A Decade

The Cruise Examiner for 22nd May 2017

Fincantieri has acquired a two-thirds shareholding in the famous STX France shipyard at St Nazaire

Last Friday it was announced that Fincantieri was acquiring a 66.66% shareholding in STX France, a company that will no doubt soon be renamed. The balance of the shares are held by the French State. At the same time, following the opening of Fleet Operations Centres in Hamburg and Seattle, Carnival Maritime has started hiring for a third such centre in Miami to manage the twenty-five ships of original group member Carnival Cruise Line. Meanwhile, Cruise Industry News Annual predicts 60% growth in the European cruise market over the next decade.

.

FOR THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                                                                   (See previous columns)

Bravo: Cruise of the Performing Arts On Board Celebrity Silhouette, 7 Days Southampton, Bilbao, Vigo, Cherbourg – May 19, 2018

For further information on any of these specials please contact The Cruise People Ltd, 88 York Street London W1H 1QT +44 (0)20 7723 2450, UK Freephone: 0800 526 313 or email PassageEnquiry@aol.com.

Celebrate Christmas 2018 On Board The New Celebrity Edge In The Caribbean: Fort Lauderdale To St Maarten, St Thomas And Nassau

Aeriel view of the Resort Deck forward and Roof Garden aft of the Celebrity Edge

Cruise in the new 2,900-berth 117,000-ton Celebrity Edge from Fort Lauderdale to St Maarten, St Thomas and Nassau, departing for 7 nights on December 23, 2018.

Cruise-only fares start from £1,444 person in an inside cabin, £1,804 in an outside or £2,014 in a balcony cabin, and include port charges, government fees and gratuities. Book an Oceanview stateroom or above and be rewarded with a free Classic Drinks Package.

For further details please call The Cruise People Ltd in London on +44 (0)20 7723 2450 or email PassageEnquiry@aol.com

An Ebb In Cruise Ship Size To 3,300 Berths – Cunard and P&O Cruises To Report To Seattle – Costa Chooses Tarragona

The Cruise Examiner for 27th March 2017

Norwegian Cruise Line’s new 140,000-ton ram-bowed “Leonardo” class ships will carry 3,300 in lower berths

As we reported in August 2014, 4,000 lower berths seemed to be developing as the new norm for cruise ships. But things have changed once again. With Norwegian’s reveal of its five new “Leonardo” class ships, today’s target size has come down to 3,300 berths, compared to the 4,000 plus of its previous ships. With the exception of Celebrity, whose exisiting “Solstice” class and planned “Edge” class ships are almost the same size, other lines such as Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises are doing much the same. On the management side, it has been announced today that Carnival UK will have a new boss from May, when Josh Weinstein moves from Miami to Southampton as president. In a significant reorganisation, Carnival UK will now report to group chief executive Stein Kruse in Seattle. Finally, Costa Cruises is adding another Spanish base port, in Tarragona.

FOR THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                                                         (See previous columns)

Celebrity’s “Edge” Class – Sunstone Announces Chinese X-Bows – Arena Buys River Cruise Line – UK Sets New Cruising Record

The Cruise Examiner for 20th March 2017

The first of the 117,000-ton Celebrity “Edge” class ships enters service from Fort Lauderdale in December 2018.

Last week, on the event of Seatrade Cruise Global in Fort Lauderdale, Celebrity Cruises  released the first detailed images of its five new 2,900-berth “Edge” class ships. Also from Miami comes word of orders for four X-Bow expedition cruise ships for Sunstone Ships. On the other side of the Atlantic, meanwhile, the UK’s Arena Travel announced its acquisition of The River Cruise Line and the UK & Ireland hit a new cruise record with 1.9 million cruisers in 2016, although this is still short of Germany’s 2.02 million.

FOR THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                                                (See previous columns)

Bravo UK: A Cruise Of The Performing Arts – Other Cruise News: – Silversea To Issue Bonds – G Adventures Acquires Swan Hellenic

The Cruise Examiner for 6th February 2017

Celebrity Solstice will offer a 7-night Bravo performing arts cruise from Southampton in May 2018

In late January, Cruiseco UK and Choose Your Cruise announced a cruise of the performing arts on board Celebrity Cruises’ chartered “Solstice” class ship Celebrity Silhouette. To be named Bravo, the cruise will sail from Southampton on May 19, 2018. This cruise follows four similar cruises scheduled from Sydney since 2014 in Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas. Topping the bill of twenty-five acts in the UK next year will be Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins OBE and English tenor Alfie Boe. Elsewhere, Silversea has become one of the first cruise lines to issue bonds, in a $550 million refinancing package. And Toronto-based G Adventures is now set to resurrect Swan Hellenic for a second time, in 2018.

FOR THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                                                                    (See previous columns)

Bravo! A Cruise Of The Performing Arts 2018 – 7 Nights On Board Celebrity Silhouette Plus The Guggenheim – A Cruiseco Special

Ship: Celebrity Silhouette
Cruise Line: Celebrity Cruises
Departure: May 19, 2018
Duration: 7 Nights
Ports: Southampton, Bilbao, Vigo, Cherbourg, Southampton

Cruising aboard modern luxury in the Celebrity Silhouette, Bravo! A Cruise of the Performing Arts will be departing Southampton for seven glorious nights, May 19-26, 2018.

The Performers: 

KATHERINE JENKINS	ALFIE BOE
Wynne Evans	Ruthie Henshall
Mirusia	The Celtic Tenors
Julian Lloyd Webber	The Jonathon Welch Choir
The National Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Guy Noble and Anthony Inglis)

Plus more than fifteen other stars who will perform around the ship morning, afternoon and evening.

In Bilbao, passengers will have an exclusive visit to the stunning Guggenheim Museum and each guest on board will receive a private tour of the Galleries followed by a Reception in the stunning atrium designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry included in their fare. In the days leading up to the visit, on board lectures will enhance passengers’ enjoyment and appreciation of the visit.

For further details on this most entertaining of cruise opportunities please click here

For further details please contact The Cruise People Ltd in London on +44 (0)20 7723 2450 or email PassageEnquiry@aol.com.