On the EDGE: Celebrity orders two new cruise ships

Celebrity Cruises has ordered two new ships to be built by the STX yard in France and scheduled for delivery in autumn 2018 and spring 2020.

According to last night’s announcement, the vessels, designated Project EDGE, will provide “small ship itineraries with large ship amenities” – although how this feat will be achieved remains to be seen.

Michael Bayley, president and CEO, said: “Our new class of ship will set the standard  for premium world travel and deliver the next generation of modern luxury experiences that our guests know and love.”

STX France is currently building Royal Caribbean’s Oasis 3 and has been contracted to build a new class of cruise ship for MSC Cruises. It built Norwegian Epic and Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. Bayley added: “STX designs and builds some of the most innovative and stylish cruise ships in the world. Project EDGE offers them the opportunity to set a new standard for modern iconic architecture.”

Celebrity said the vessels also represent a step forward in eco-friendly ship design, with improved fuel efficiency and extensive use of sustainable materials.

At 117,000 tons and carrying 2,900 passengers the new design is slightly smaller than the recent Solstice class. Four of the five Solstice ships are around 122,000 tons each and carry about 2,880 passengers. The most recent, Reflection (above), is 125,000 tons and can carry 3,050 passengers.

Celebrity, a division of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, also operates four Millennium-class ships built between 2000 and 2002, and carrying about 1,950 passengers each, plus a much smaller vessel, Celebrity Xpedition, carrying 90 passengers on cruises in the Galapagos islands.

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MSC Cruises and LEGO build the fun at sea

                               

MSC Cruises and the LEGO Group have joined forces to create the first-ever LEGO-themed playrooms at sea. The new play areas will debut aboard MSC Armonia, which is currently being lengthened and refitted as part of the cruise line’s £160 million Renaissance Programme.

Further – and larger – LEGO play areas will be included in two vessels (different classes) now being built for MSC Cruises by Fincantieri and STX France, both scheduled for delivery in 2017.  All three ships featured in the LEGO tie-up will have two kids’ clubs – the Mini Club (3-6 years) and Junior Club (7-11 years) - fitted out in the much-loved building brick style.

Guests will get their first chance to see the LEGO play areas when MSC Armonia returns to service on November 19 with an inaugural cruise from Genoa  to the Canary Islands. This winter the ship will operate two alternating seven-night itineraries from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria (Canaries and Madeira & Canaries and Morocco).

Full details of all LEGO-related activity on board MSC Armonia will be included in the event programme delivered to guests each day.

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Adventure Cruising blog

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Latest deals from MSC Cruises

Last-minute deals from MSC Cruises for December –  do something different this festive season.

Mediterranean: For a pre-Christmas boost try an 11-night eastern Med sailing aboard MSC Sinfonia. Departing December 8 2014 from Genoa, the ship visits Civitavecchia, Heraklion, Istanbul, Valletta, Messina, and Genoa. Prices start at £599 per person, including return flights from London with British Airways and transfers.

Caribbean: Guests can indulge themselves on a two-week trip around the Caribbean aboard MSC Divina – and grab a free upgrade to a balcony cabin. Operating out of Miami the 14-night Caribbean itinerary, departing December 13 2014, calls at Falmouth, George Town, Cozumel, Great Stirrup Cay, Philipsburg, and San Juan. With free upgrade a balcony cabin starts at £1,339 per person including return flights to Miami with British Airways from London, transfers, plus Fantastica onboard experience (free room service and option of breakfast in cabin).

Dubai: MSC Orchestra (above) heads to Dubai for the first time this winter for seven-night cruises of the UAE. Departing December 20 2014, the sailing calls at Abu Dhabi, Khor Al Fakkan, Muscat, Khasab, and Dubai. Prices start at £1,149 per person, including return flights from London, Manchester or Glasgow with Emirates and transfers.

All prices are per person and, unless stated, are based on two sharing. Remember that kids cruise free with MSC Cruises (paying only flights and port taxes).

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MSC wish you a Merry Cruisemas

MSC Cruises is giving families the opportunity to make the most of the festive season this year with sailings available throughout the Christmas and New Year period. Itineraries include:

Western Mediterranean: Seven-night western Med sailing aboard MSC Splendida, departing Genoa, Italy. The ship calls at Civitavecchia, Palermo, Tunis, Barcelona, Marseille, and Genoa. Prices start at £679 per person (21 December departure), including transfers and return flights with British Airways from London. New Year cruise (departs 28 December)  starts at £849 per person.

Eastern Mediterranean: For a longer break, consider this 11-night sailing aboard MSC Fantasia. The ship visits Katakolon (Olympia), Heraklion, Rhodes, Izmir (Ephesus), Piraeus Valletta, Messina, Civitavecchia, and Genoa. Prices start at £969 per person (based on 16 December departure) including return flights with British Airways from London and transfers.

Dubai, the Emirates and Oman: MSC Orchestra offers a seven-night Arabian Sea sailing this winter departing Dubai, UAE. The itinerary features calls at Abu Dhabi, Khor Al Fakkan, Muscat and Khasab and starts at £1,149 per person including return flights with Emirates from London, Manchester or Glasgow and transfers (based on 20 December departure). New Year cruise (departing 27 December)  starts at £1,299 per person.

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MSC Cruises to relaunch the ‘stretched’ MSC Armonia

MSCCruises will relaunch the ‘stretched’ MSC Armonia with a 10-day repositioning cruise.

The ship is currently undergoing a £40 million refit at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Sicily – the first of the cruise line’s four Lirica-class vessels (along with MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera and MSC Lirica) being lengthened and refitted over the next 14 months.

MSC Armonia’s comeback cruise will depart from Genoa, Italy, on 19 November, heading to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Over 10 days she will call at Marseille, Cartagena, Gibraltar, Cadiz, Funchal, Santa Cruz de La Palma and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

The sailing includes a programme of in-port entertainment, which will include dancers and musicians, gifts for guests and fireworks displays in Marseille and Tenerife. To continue the celebratory theme, MSC Armonia will also host a gala dinner, along with theatre performances.

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Latest pictures of planned MSC Cruises new builds for 2017 and 2019

Here are the latest advance images of two MSC ships being designed for construction at the STX yard in France. The vessels, due to be dlivered in 2017 and 2019, will each have 2,550 guest cabins – accommodating up to 5,700 passengers at maximum capacity – and  a further 820 cabins for 1,536 members of crew. The ships, as yet un-named, will have 12 restaurants, three venues for evening entertainment, and an extended Yacht Club for suite guests. The ships will measure about 167,600 gross tons, be 315 m long, and 43 m wide, they will be just larger than, for example, Norwegian Epic.

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Cruise ship sliced in two at start of £160 million Renaissance Project for MSC

Clean cut: MSC Armonia is sliced in two

Work has started on MSC Cruises’ €200 million (£160 million) project to stretch four of the line’s ships. The first, MSC Armonia, was cut in two in a dry dock in Palermo, Sicily, today; over the next few weeks a pre-fabricated 24 metre mid-section will be welded in place, adding extra cabins, public rooms, and crew space.

The Renaissance Project will then repeat the procedure on sister ships MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera, and MSC Lirica, all built between 2003 and 2005.  They are each 251 metres long, measuring 60,000 gross tons, and carrying 2,199 passengers.

After the lengthening, they will be 275 metres long, 65,000 gross tons, and with an extra 193 cabins, a total passenger capacity of 2,679.  The work involves each ship being cut in two just forward of the funnel, and then separated to make way for the new section.

Lift and separate: The two sections of the ship are slowly dragged apart

The modifications include installation of passenger cabins in place of a public lounge on Deck 7; installation of balconies for cabins on Deck 9; new lounge, library and teen club on Deck 6; children’s clubs and improvements to the buffet on Deck 11; and a refit of the pool area with a children’s water park on Deck 12.

Each ship will take approximately nine weeks to lengthen and refit. The new-look Armonia is scheduled to leave the dockyard on November 17. Work will start on Sinfonia in January, Opera in May and Lirica in August.

Ready to roll: the new 24-metre mid section 

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