Two more new ships ordered for Carnival and Holland America

New Carnival president Christine Duffy

The Christmas presents are arriving thick and fast as two more cruise ship newbuilds are announced.

Even before the full details of what is planned for Carnival Vista are revealed at a press conference scheduled for January 22 in New York, a second ship of the same design has been ordered.

Vista 2, measuring 133,500 tons and with capacity for 3,954 passengers, is due to enter service in spring 2018 as the 26^th vessel in Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet.

Holland America Line is to get another ship, to the same design as Pinnacle-class Koningsdam, at 99,500 tons and carrying 2,650 passengers. It’s due to debut in autumn 2018. Both orders have gone to Italian shipbuilders Fincantieri, whose order books also include P&O’s Britannia (delivery March 2015), Koningsdam (February 2016), two Seabourn ships (2016 and 2018), Carnival Vista (2016), and a third Royal-class ship for Princess (due in 2017).

The total passenger capacity of the new ships Carnival Corporation has on order with Fincantieri amounts to almost 22,000.

The announcement of Carnival’s Vista 2 follows on the heels of the news that Christine Duffy is to take over as president of Carnival Cruise Line in February.

She replaces Gerry Cahill, who has retired. Duffy is currently president of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and will commence her new role on February 1.

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Carnival and Fincantieri explore building cruise ships in China

American based Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, and Fincantieri, an Italian company with the accolade of the world’s largest shipbuilder, have been reported to be considering building cruise ships in China for the Chinese and Asian cruise markets.

A Carnival Cruise Line vessel sailing the ocean

Both companies have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support cruise industry growth in China.

The intention of this Memorandum is to explore opportunities for the two companies to explore the construction of cruise ships especially for the booming Chinese market.

Carnival Corporation had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China's largest shipyard, China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), in mid-October 2014 to work together on a potential collaborative joint venture focused in shipbuilding in China.

Both of these Memorandums point to Carnival Corporation investigating building cruise ships in Cina for the Chinese market. The American-Italian-Chinese collaboration could see China’s first world-class cruise ships constructed in the country.

It is understood that Carnival Corporation are calling on the expertise of China State Shipbuilding Corporation and Fincantieri for ship-building design and expertise to create the vision, definition and overall specifications. After all, this project is about building a Chinese cruise ship for the booming Chinese cruise market. Whilst China State Shipbuilding Corporation has a reputation for delivering quality industrial vessels Fincantieri’s role is to help adjust their practices and processes to deliver quality passenger cruise ships.

Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation is quoted as saying "This new agreement with Fincantieri gives us the opportunity to work with our long-time partner to further explore a formal joint venture that could forever change the landscape of shipbuilding in China".

It doesn’t take much to see why this is a sensible strategic move by Carnival Corporation. The Chinese Ministry of Transport projects China to be the second largest global cruise market after the United States of America in the next several years based on economic growth, increased spending power of Chinese consumers and growing demand for cruise vacations.

By 2020 the Chinese Ministry of Transport projects the country could see 4.5 million cruise passengers and ultimately it could quickly become the world's largest cruise market. Many existing cruise lines will want to be a part of this boom as early as possible.

(Photo credit to Carnival Cruise Line)

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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]

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First pictures of P&O's newest cruise ship, Britannia, in her red, white and blue Union Flag livery

It’s been a long time coming, from the first unveiling of the artist’s impressions, to the start of painting initiated by two of the most senior executives in the cruise world - from both sides of the Atlantic. But the dramatic Union Jack bow of P&O’s Britannia is finally complete and ready to be shown off in all its red, white and blue glory.

At 94 metres long, it is the world’s largest contemporary version of the Union Flag and it has taken 420 litres of paint to complete - 320 litres of red and 180 litres of blue. Plus another 160 litres to create the bold P&O logo at the very front of the ship.

Florida’s richest man, Micky Arison - chairman of P&O’s parent company, Carnival Corporation - and David Dingle, chairman of Carnival UK, started the paint job three weeks ago. A team of workers finally completed the job yesterday while the vessel was back in dry-dock for a few finishing touches.

The £500 million ship, under construction at a shipyard in north-east Italy, will arrive in Southampton in March, ready for a spectacular christening ceremony and a sold-out 14-night maiden voyage to the Mediterranean.

Pictures by James Morgan

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Work starts on second of Viking's three new ocean ships

A ceremonial steel-cutting in an Italian shipyard this week marked the start of construction on Viking Cruises’ second ocean-going vessel. Viking Sea is due to be completed in spring 2016. It will be the sister ship to Viking Star, already being built in the same Fincantieri yard near Venice, and Viking Sky which will be built in Ancona for delivery in summer 2016. Star is scheduled for a christening ceremony in Bergen, Norway, on May 17 next year. The virtually identical ships – the first venture into ocean cruising for river cruise giant Viking -  measure 47,800 tons and will each carry 928 passengers.

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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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