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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Holland America Start Work On Their Biggest Ship

Holland America have started work on their biggest ship to date with the ceremonial steel-cutting occasion for their as-yet unnamed new-build that will launch in February 2016.

The event was held at Italian ship-builder Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard (above), with the first steel being cut on Tuesday for the 99,500-ton Pinnacle-class vessel, under the gaze of Holland America Group chief executive Stein Kruse and yard director Antonio Quintano.

The ship is a completely new design and the largest for the line, following a four-year gap since Marghera handed over the Nieuw Amsterdam in 2010, and is the 15th ship Fincantieri has constructed for the Seattle-based line.

The newcomer will have 2,660 lower berths and be able to accommodate up to 3,152 passengers, with an overall length of 299.8 meters.

Holland America have cagily disclosed few details of their latest vessel but it boasts some
promising design concepts that have never been seen on their ships before.

The interior design team will be Adam Tihany and Bjørn Storbraaten. The latter, of prolific ship architects Yran & Storbraaten, worked on Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam while Tihany, a noted hotel and restaurant designer, made his first foray into cruise design with Celebrity Solstice, creating the two-level Grand Epernay dining room, the Tuscan Grille steak house and the casual Oceanview Café and Grill on the Lido Deck.

More info: visit www.hollandamerica.com.

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Work Begins On Costa Fascinosa

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Work is underway at Fincantieri’s Marghera (Venice) yard on the construction of the Costa Fascinosa. This continues Costa Cruises’ fleet expansion programme with the laying of the keel on the newest addition. The ship is the 16th fleet member for Costa, the largest Italian travel group and one of Europe’s most popular cruise companies, and is due to enter service in spring 2012.

The keel-laying took place on September 3 and the first full section of the hull, a block 12 metres long and 295 tonnes in weight, was also laid. The Fascinosa, sister ship of the Costa Favolosa, will be able to accommodate up to 3,780 guests and will be 114,500 gross tonnage.

Fascinosa is actually one of two new Costa ships currently under construction in the Fincantieri shipyard. In addition, work is also proceeding on the Favolosa, which underwent a technical launch on August 6 and is set for a debut in July 2011. The construction of each new ship involves the labour of around 3,000 people, comprising both Fincantieri’s own employees and about 500 contracted suppliers, most of which are Italian firms.

Costa has a total of 14 ships, which offer the chance to visit some 250 separate destinations in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea, Caribbean, South America, the United Arab Emirates, the Far East and the Indian Ocean.

For further information, look up http://www.costacruises.co.uk/

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