Cruise Radio: Long before Carnival Cruise Line thought about putting a roller coaster on top of a ship, they toyed with the idea of a monorail. Although the Carnival Pinnacle never came to pass, elements of the ship clearly influenced the direction in which the company — and indeed, the industry itself — would soon be heading.
Tag: shipbuilding
Port Canaveral cutting 40 percent of staff due to COVID-19 impact
Maritime Executive: Port Canaveral, central Florida’s seaport and the second largest cruise homeport, is implementing austerity measures due to the impact of COVID-19 on its operations and the shutdown in the cruise industry. News of these moves comes just a week after the Port Canaveral joined with a broad coalition representing U.S. ports urging the U.S. Congress to provide emergency relief for America’s ports that have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carnival Cruise Line to unveil new ship for 50th anniversary celebrations
World of Cruising: 2022 may seem like a long way off, but with the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic having put a stop to the majority of cruises in 2020 and beyond due to the global suspension of sailings, Carnival Cruise Line has taken this opportunity to plan ahead for its 50th birthday. To mark this impressive milestone, the US-based cruise line, which has become well-known for its playful and fun-loving spirit, is planning a series of events and commemorative sailings featuring special entertainment and itineraries.
Major cruise shipyard is temporarily shutting down
Cruise Hive: The Meyer Werft shipyard, which is an important shipbuilder for the cruise industry, is temporarily shut down due to the impact on cruise lines and the global health crisis. According to Spiegel, the shipyard is struggling and will need to shut down for six weeks to help ride out these difficult times. The yard apparently needs to save 1.2 billion Euros over the next five years. The shutdown is set to begin from Monday, July 20, 2020, and be more like an extended summer break for workers.
Carnival provides shipyard update for new 5,282-passenger Mardi Gras
Travel Agent Central: In new photos released today, Carnival Cruise Line showed that construction on its new 5,282-passenger Mardi Gras is progressing at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. The 180,000-ton ship is scheduled for a February 2021 debut. Carnival said workers have installed nearly 800 feet of suspended track for BOLT, the cruise industry’s first roller coaster at sea.
Hanseatic Spirit takes to the water
CIN: The new Hanseatic Spirit was launched earlier this week at a VARD facility in Romania. With major technical and steel work done, the ship will now make the 4,000-mile trip for her final outfitting in Norway, prior to an on schedule 2021 delivery, according to Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.
Costa Firenze set to stay in Europe 2021 before heading to China
CIN: The new Costa Firenze was set to debut later this year in the Chinese market, but that plan may be changing according to the latest plans to resume operations at Costa Cruises. The new ship, under construction at Fincantieri, will now most likely be redeployed in Europe for the balance of 2021, taking over the Western Mediterranean seven-day program that was set to be sailed by the new Costa Toscana, according to a presentation on the company’s plans to resume cruising.
Royal Caribbean’s next new cruise ship delayed by 6 months
Cruise Fever: Royal Caribbean has announced that their next new cruise ship, Odyssey of the Seas, will debut six months later than expected. The cruise line also announced a few changes to two activities on the ship.
Latest construction photos of Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas
Cruise Hive: It’s time to stop thinking about the suspension of cruises and the grim outlook of the industry for the remainder of the year. Instead, take a look at what will become the largest cruise ship in the world, currently under construction in France. A number of photos have been posted recently showcasing the much-anticipated Wonder of the Seas which will be the fifth Oasis-class cruise ship. She’s being constructed at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Viking Venus floated out at Fincantieri
The Viking Venus, the seventh ship for Viking’s ocean-ship series, was floated out today at Fincantieri’s facility in Ancona, according to Cruise Industry News.
The ship will now move to the yard’s wetdock for interior outfitting prior to her delivery in 2021.