Tag Archives: ship

Antarctica Silver Cloud

Silver Cloud Makes Inaugural Expedition to Antarctica

Posted: December 19, 2022

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Have you ever desired to cruise into a world of wonderful stark scenery and a exceptionally huge multitude of wildlife in Antarctica?  Now you can with Silversea’s first hybrid luxury expedition ship Silver Cloud.

She marked her maiden journey to the remote mainland following an AU$52.8 million (US$40 million) refurbishment and transformation into an ice-class polar expedition ship earlier this month.

During her 10-night Antarctic Peninsula expedition roundtrip from Ushuaia, guests were treated with vistas of transcending icebergs, snow-topped mountains, and striking natural wildlife on board the totally refitted ship that incorporates the only Relais and Châteaux restaurant on an Expedition ship.

“We are extremely excited to announce Silver Cloud’s debut in Antarctica,” said Manfredi Lefebvre, Silversea’s Chairman. “As the first ship which launched the Silversea fleet in 1994, it makes sense that she should continue to push the boundaries in innovation, becoming our first vessel to truly bridge the gap between luxury and expedition cruising.”  

Silversea’s first hybrid luxury expedition vessel can accommodate 254 guests in non-polar regions and just 200 when cruising in polar waters to allow all guests to disembark at the same time.

Almost all of Silver Cloud’s all-suite accommodations feature generous private verandas along with luxury touches that include a choice of European bath amenities, butler service for all guests, splendid Pratesi bedding and a nine-option pillow menu.

All through, the reimagined Silver Cloud is the leading luxury expedition vessel. The pristine Tor’s Observation Lounge offers 180-degree perspectives of Antarctica alongside important titles on the historical backdrop of this lovely yet frozen land, while five dining options on-board offer the finest cuisine in polar waters.

The ship additionally incorporates the all-new Zàgara Spa and a devoted Photo Academy, where state-of-the-art equipment and expert photograph photo-editing software can be utilized as a part of classes offered by the ship’s on board consummate photographer.

On-board and ashore, between 20 and 22 Expedition Team members conduct immersive destination experiences, aided by an on-board fleet of 16 Zodiacs and 10 kayaks.

These passionate and insightful professionals offer informative lectures, discussions and recaps in the ship’s two-storey Explorer Lounge, in addition to guiding Zodiac explorations of the coastline and leading hikes and nature walks on-shore – all of which are complimentary.

Silver Cloud will offer 10-day roundtrip luxury expedition voyages to Antarctica through to February, after which she will embark on a thrilling journey from the southernmost tip of South America to the southernmost point of South Africa.

From there, she will wind her way up the overlooked western coast of Africa to the natural beauty of Northern Europe and Arctic Svalbard. Her summers will be spent in the High Arctic, cruising in and out of the ice-filled bays and fjords of Iceland, Greenland, and Arctic Canada in search of polar bears, whales and walruses.

Silver Cloud returns to Antarctica again next November for another series of expedition voyages to the White Continent.

Regent Seven Seas

Regent Seven Seas Cruises Names New Ship To Launch In 2020

Posted: November 21, 2022

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Regent Seven Seas Cruises, The Most Inclusive Luxury Experience™, has divulged the name of its new ship that will be delivered at the beginning of 2020.

The second Explorer-class ship will encapsulate and heighten the grandeur, characteristics and indulgence that delivered the upmarket features and enhancements that have made sister-ship Seven Seas Explorer renowned as The Most Inclusive Luxury Experience™ with her launch in 2016.

 Read our review of Regent Seven Seas Voyager

“The naming of a ship is an important milestone in maritime tradition and it is my pleasure to announce that the name of Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ new ship to launch in 2020 is Seven Seas Splendor,” said Jason Montague, President and Chief Executive Officer of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “The extraordinary demand for Seven Seas Explorer has reinforced our decision to expand our fleet and Seven Seas Splendor will offer guests a fifth option that will provide unforgettable experiences in the world’s most compelling destinations, with the incredibly high standards of luxury and service that lure guests back again and again.”  

As a feature of the naming procedure, Regent Seven Seas Cruises looked for recommendations from its esteemed travel specialists, loyal guests and employees for the ship’s name in a sweepstakes held in September. Seven Seas Splendor was picked among about 2,600 unique names from more than 14,000 entries.

The new all-suite, all-balcony ship will have a gross tonnage of 55,254 and limit of 750 guests. Stay tuned for more insights around Seven Seas Splendor and her energising inaugural season.

MSC_Bellissima_launches

MSC Cruises Divulges Name of First Meraviglia-Plus Ship

Posted: November 16, 2022

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MSC  Cruises’ are pleased to announce the name of the first ship in the new Meraviglia Plus class - MSC Grandiosa.

Announced at STX France in Saint-Nazaire by Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago during two consecutive ceremonies celebrating the coin ceremony for MSC Bellissima, the second ship in the line’s new Meraviglia class, and the steel cutting ceremony for MSC Grandiosa, the first ship in the line’s new Meraviglia Plus class.

At the traditional coin ceremony which symbolises the start of the construction of the vessel and involves placing two newly-minted coins beneath the hull of the ship, that serves as a token of good luck.

MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman, Pierfrancesco Vago, commented: “Today we are celebrating a truly unique moment, as it is the first time that key shipbuilding milestones for two different ships are celebrated on the same day. This is testimony to the strength and ambition of our investment plan.  

“The Meraviglia generation of ships is already setting a new standard for the cruise industry and is just one of the three brand new prototypes that we have designed to bring the cruise guest experience to the next level. MSC Grandiosa is named to signify magnificence and grandeur, a fitting name for this even richer, ultra-modern mega-ship.  

“Additionally, with MSC Grandiosa we also continue to innovate in product development. Just as MSC Cruises “democratised” the luxury cruise experience when we were the first cruise brand to introduce a ship-in-ship luxury concept - the MSC Yacht Club, we are now doing the same for art and culture with the very first fine art museum at sea.”  

Laurent Castaing, General Manager of STX France, commented: “Today as we celebrate a cutting of the first steel and then a keel laying in the same day, we are living an unprecedented experience that marks the beginning of a new era, both for our client and for our yard. For MSC Cruises, it is the realization of an extraordinary investment plan, which will elevate the Company to become one of the three largest players in the global cruise industry; for us, it is the illustration of our very healthy order book, which leads us to deliver two ships a year until 2022. We are partners in the same virtuous circle, where boldness and the performance of each is a benefit to the other.”  

MSC Grandiosa will highlight the first fine art museum at sea and will be the third of just four MSC Cruises ships to exclusively feature Cirque du Soleil at Sea, hosted in the interestingly perplexing, custom-built Carousel Lounge.

Among different innovations the ships will highlight EGCS (hybrid systems), SCR-catalysts, cutting-edge waste management and recycling capabilities, emission-reducing energy and heat recovery systems, and highly advanced wastewater treatment.

Bellissima is scheduled to come into service in March 2019 and Grandiosa in November 2019.

The Meraviglia-Plus ships are 181,000GT and 331 metres long and maximum capacity of 6,334 guests.

spectrum of the seas

Royal Caribbean Celebrates Spectrum of the Seas’ Keel-Laying Ceremony

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At Neptun Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, on Thursday 9th November, the keel of Royal Caribbean’s newest ship Spectrum of the Seas was brought down into place.

During the ceremony, newly minted coins were placed under the keel and will stay in place there until the end of the ship’s construction. Once the ship is near to completion, the coins are retrieved and 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 during its construction process and then to its Captain and crew when she is sailing out at sea.

A 620-ton square measuring 59 feet by 121 feet was lifted into the building dock with a crane.

Spectrum of the Seas which will be specifically designed for guests in China and the Asia-Pacific region, and is set to make her debut in 2019, and will highlight bleeding edge and exceptional experiences and amenities.

The 4,200-passenger ship will be bigger than its Quantum-class sisters, measuring 168,800 gross tons.

Virgin-Voyages-Ship

Virgin Voyages To Introduce Adult-Only Cruise In 2020

Posted: November 7, 2022

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In case you’re thinking about a family holiday on board Virgin Voyages 2,700 cruise ship when it sets sail in 2020, think again! The vessel will be a no child zone, so you can make the most of your time away without the stress of attending to your child’s every need.  The ship will be aiming to the millennial market.

Amid the keel laying ceremony on Tuesday October 31, 2017, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy, president and CEO Tom McAlpin revealed that the ship’s underlying “experience” will have a “Adult by Design” targeted to the young professionals, implying that no one younger than 18 will be allowed on board.

The first Virgin Voyage cruise ship will be adults only

So what is the point of difference with the unnamed Virgin Voyages cruise ship?  Most mainstream cruise ships cabin category start with interior, but 93 per cent of cabins onboard Virgin Voyages will have an ocean view and 86 per cent a balcony which McAlpin is calling sea terraces.

“This is a very big day for Virgin Voyages, as an exciting new holiday option for travelers starts to get ship shape,” Branson said at the event. “She will be the most recognisable ship sailing the seven seas.”  

Virgin Voyages will build three ships at a cost of $2.55 billion,  and will be known as the “Lady Ships”, a play on the term ‘your ladyship’ and a nod to Virgin’s British heritage. The first will take off from Miami in 2020, with a planned 2,700 passengers and 1,150 crew.

The company said the mermaid was inspired by figureheads on historic vessels

McAlpin and Branson unveiled an artist’s drawing of the first Virgin ship’s exterior. It showed a vessel with a silvery-grey hull, smoked glass and distinctive touches of Virgin red.

Also unveiled was a mermaid design that will be at the bow of the ship. The company said the mermaid was inspired by figureheads on historic vessels and was designed by London-based artist Toby Tinsley, who also designed the feminine motif for Branson’s Virgin Galactic spaceflight company.

Virgin Voyages is not the only cruise line to dip their toes in the ocean and pitch cruises to the millennial market. U by Uniworld will launch its first “millennial cruise” in April, refurbishing two river cruise boats to appeal to younger people.