Now we are six – Oceania adds another ship to its fleet

Name-changer: Ocean Princess, soon to become Oceania Cruises' Sirena

Oceania Cruises is to grow again – with the addition of a ship bought from Princess Cruises for $82 million (£52 million). The vessel, currently sailing as Ocean Princess, is virtually identical to Oceania’s Insignia, Nautica, and Regatta – all were originally built for the now-defunct Renaissance Cruises.

The 684-passenger ship joins Oceania in March 2016 when it will be given a $40m (£25.5 million) refurbishment in dry dock at Marseille before being re-named Sirena.

The work includes fitting Oceania’s trademark speciality restaurants, Toscana and the Polo Grill, along with a coffee shop and cook-to-order grill at the Gerrace Café.

Sirena is expected to carry her first Oceania passengers in late April 2016.

The announcement of the deal came from Oceania’s new owners, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, who completed the takeover just days ago. Kevin Sheehan, president and CEO of Norwegian, said it was his company’s belief in the Oceania brand and its commitment to the “growing base of loyal guests” that were the rationale behind the decision.

Kunal S Kamlamni, president of Oceania, said Sirena “opens up an entire array of new itinerary options.”

In addition to the former Renaissance ships, Oceania also operates two larger newbuilds, Riviera and Marina, carrying 1,250 passengers each. The line’s total capacity will grow to 5,236. The newly-enlarged Norwegian group, which also includes Regent Seven Seas, now totals 21 ships with a combined capacity of approximately 40,000.

Princess still operates another ex-Renaissance ship, Pacific Princess, which is also believed to be for sale. P&O’s Adonia is almost identical, and the other two – all built between 1998 and 2001 at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique yard in France – are sailing as Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey.

Azamara is likely to be making its own announcement about expansion very soon, but insiders believe the line – owned by Royal Caribbean International – is going for a newbuild rather than buying a “pre-owned” vessel.

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Tobacco Road bar escapes to a cruise ship

Miami’s oldest and most legendary bar, Tobacco Road, will find a new home aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest and largest ship, Norwegian Escape.

The bar, which was issued Miami’s very first alcohol licence, closed its original location last month after 102 years in business. Located within 678 Ocean Place, the new location of the celebrated tavern will incorporate elements of the original bar, including the iconic neon sign, memorabilia and photographs. 

Norwegian Escape will begin weekly seven-night cruises from her year-round homeport of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean on 14 November 2015. The ship will be the largest to be based year-round in Miami, carrying 4,200 guests to Caribbean destinations including St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.

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Mouth-watering selection of restaurant venues set to return on Norwegian Escape

The publicity machine for the next Norwegian Cruise Line ship is getting into gear. Between now and its launch in just over 12 months’ time, there will be no escape from announcements about … Norwegian Escape.

But truth be told, there’s little new in this week’s  news about some of the restaurants on the new ship – which adds one more deck than little sisters Breakaway and Getaway, to provide more cabins.

The venues and the layout will be very much the same as before, with many of them opening out onto al fresco dining areas on The Waterfront, and others gathered around the three-deck atrium known as 678 Ocean Place (because it occupies space on Decks 6, 7 and 8).

It’s almost inconceivable that there would not be another O’Sheehan’s Bar on this ship – as long as the likeable Kevin Sheehan is chief executive of the company at least – and Escape will also feature Norwegian regulars such as Cagney’s Steakhouse and Le Bistro.

One innovation is a “private” group dining area carved out of part of the Taste restaurant – if a space seating 100 people can be described as private.

For now, at least, there’s no word on whether Geoffrey Zakarian’s upscale restaurant Ocean Blue – a feature of both Breakaway and Getaway – will return on Escape. We’ll have to see whether he or another chef will create dishes for the most expensive extra-cost dinner venue on the ship.

The Waterfront (above), a wide promenade deck running three-quarters the length of the ship, provides outdoor tables for  the Moderno Churrascarie, Cagney’s, and La Cucina.

The concept is in complete contrast to the design of Royal and Regal Princess – and P&O’s soon-to-be-launched Britannia  - all of which have limited open deck space apart from the higher sundecks.

Outdoor space on Deck 7 of these ships is provided only outside the bar area and shops of the central piazza, and alongside the Vista Lounge – but not extending around the stern.

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First steps for new cruise ships Ovation of the Seas and Norwegian Escape

It’s been an exceptionally busy week at the German shipyard of Meyer-Werft. No sooner had they completed a ceremony to mark the first steel-cutting on the third Quantum-class cruise ship for Royal Caribbean, than they were laying the first block in dry-dock for Norwegian Cruise Line's newest vessel.

The name of the Royal Caribbean ship was announced as Ovation of the Seas; it is scheduled for delivery in autumn 2016. Sister ship Quantum is in the final stages of construction and, weather permitting, will travel down the River Ems to the sea within the next few days. It will visit Southampton for three days at the end of October before crossing to the United States to spend the winter cruising from New York to the Caribbean. In the spring it will relocate to Shanghai, China.

Next in line will be Anthem of the Seas, still being assembled in Meyer-Werft’s giant construction shed; it will arrive in Southampton in the spring for a season of European cruises. Each vessel measures 167,800 tons and will carry almost 4,200 passengers.

Norwegian Escape (above) will have about the same passenger capacity but is marginally smaller at 164,600 gross tons (a measure of volume, not weight). Based on the design of Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway, it has an extra deck to provide more cabins and room for extra public spaces.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s CEO, Kevin Sheehan was on hand as a crane lifted block 35/41 - the first of 86 in total - into the dock. When it enters service in November next year, Escape will operate seven-day cruises from Miami to the eastern Caribbean.

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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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