• CruiseBusiness.com CruiseBusiness.com REVIEWING CRUISE BUSINESS GLOBALLY Magazine Magazine SUMMER 2022 ULTRA-LUXURY REDEFINED Silversea Cruises, which is fully part of Royal Caribbean Group, has not rested on its laurels during the pandemic. Since the end of 2020, it has taken delivery of three ultra-luxury newbuilds. It recently acquired the former Crystal Endeavor, billed as the most expensive expedition ship ever built per berth, and renamed it the Silver Endeavour. The company also launched an immersive S.A.L.T. culinary program and introduced an innovative Otium wellness program on its newest vessels. Next year, it will introduce the first Nova-class newbuild ordered from Meyer Werft. kansi summer2022.indd 1 kansi summer2022.indd 1 17.8.2022 7.31 17.8.2022 7.31
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• THE PORT AUTHORITY OF JAMAICA Adversity is inevitable but our passion pushes us forward. Resilience. grit. fortitude. THE PORT AUTHORITY OF JAMAICA 5 Ports of Call. 5 Unique Experiences: Montego Bay | Falmouth | Ocho Rios | Port Antonio | Port Royal @cruisejamaica 3-4.indd 1 3-4.indd 1 22.8.2022 7.47 22.8.2022 7.47
• S W E D E N • P O L A N D • U S A • S I N G A P O R E • T I L L B E R G D E S I G N . C O M Design to enhance your business CruiseBusiness arbetsfil.indd 7 CruiseBusiness arbetsfil.indd 7 2022-08-02 14:01 2022-08-02 14:01 3-4.indd 2 3-4.indd 2 22.8.2022 7.47 22.8.2022 7.47
• CONTENTS – SUMMER 2022 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2022 5 Ph oto cre dit : Te ijo Ni em elä 8 Editor’s Commentary 12 Upfront 16 Alaska builds for the future 20 Private equity drives growth 26 Disney makes a Wish 32 Shipyards work to produce greener designs 36 Silver Wind transitions to expedition service 40 Beyond the Edge 42 Viking Glory embodies Nordic timelessness 46 Prima starts new era for NCL Seabourn Venture – Seabourn’s brand new expedition ship – and Star Pride, Windstar stretched luxury ship recently met in Iceland. Star Pride, originally Seabourn Pride, was the company’s first ship ever. contents.indd 3 contents.indd 3 26.8.2022 6.44 26.8.2022 6.44
• WHEN YOU ARE NAMED #1 ON RIVERS… AND #1 ON OCEANS, WHERE DO YOU GO NEXT? Viking-Cruise-Business-Spread.indd 1 Viking-Cruise-Business-Spread.indd 1 8/15/22 12:38 PM 8/15/22 12:38 PM 6-7.indd 2 6-7.indd 2 19.8.2022 13.25 19.8.2022 13.25
• WHEN YOU ARE NAMED #1 ON RIVERS… AND #1 ON OCEANS, WHERE DO YOU GO NEXT? Viking-Cruise-Business-Spread.indd 1 Viking-Cruise-Business-Spread.indd 1 8/15/22 12:38 PM 8/15/22 12:38 PM 6-7.indd 3 6-7.indd 3 19.8.2022 13.25 19.8.2022 13.25
• T he cruise business has gradually returned back to normal. Cruise operations have resumed in most regions such as North America, Europe, Australia and South America. International travel has resumed as well. More and more people have flown this summer from North America to Europe for their long-awaited river and ocean cruises, and more Europeans have been able to travel to the U.S. after major travel restrictions were lifted, including mandatory Covid-19 tests. As cruise travelers are again filling ships and traveling to long-haul destinations after a two-year absence, new roadblocks have emerged. Airports and airlines are almost bursting at the seams as travel demand has exceeded initial projections. Although travel has not reached pre-Covid-19 levels, transportation infrastructure has showed its vulnerability. The summer season is always the busiest time for transatlantic flying, and summer 2022 will go into the history books for a laundry list of disruptions: Airports have reported record waiting times to check-in, especially in getting through security; there have been mountains of delayed luggage; airlines have canceled a huge amount of flights; and customers have struggled to get to their final destinations. On top of this, strikes have hit major airlines serving the cruise lines, such as Scandinavian Airlines’ (SAS) two-week pilot strike or Lufthansa’s ground-staff strike, both in July. Nor did it help when London-Heathrow and Frankfurt – both major transit airports – anEditor Teijo Niemelä Publisher Cruise Media LLC Chief Content Officer Carolyn Spencer Brown Copy Editor M.T. Schwartzman Sales and Production Christer Gorschelnik Art Director Julle Järvinen, Julle Oy COMPANY ADDRESS Cruise Media LLC 209 N Queen Street Chestertown, MD 21620 USA Telephone +1-609-751-2344 E-mail cruisemediallc[a]gmail.com SALES OFFICE FINLAND ChrisGo Consulting Pahtankatu 10 as 10 FIN-21200 Raisio, Finland Telephone +358-440-159 554 E-mail christer.gorschelnik[a]kolumbus.fi SALES OFFICE USA Teijo Niemelä 209 N Queen Street Chestertown, MD 21620 USA Telephone +1-609-751-2344 cruisemediallc[a]gmail.com FEATURED CONTRIBUTOR M.T. Schwartzman has covered Alaska tourism and the cruise industry since 1988. He has written hundreds of articles on the state for consumer, trade and business publications. He also is the Copy Editor of CruiseBusiness.com Magazine. PRINTED IN FINLAND – PUNAMUSTA OY, HELSINKI EDITOR’S COMMENTARY nounced they would limit the number of daily passengers, forcing airlines to cancel reservations for thousands of travelers on a daily basis. S o, why am I concerned about airports and airlines? The airline industry is a vital partner to the cruise lines – both for its crew and its passengers. As a lot of crew live in countries far from their workplaces, reliable airline services are important to minimize disruptions. For passengers, missing a segment of their flight itinerary could mean a chain-reaction: missing the departure of their cruise and having to make a difficult re-routing to their ship’s next destination. But the airline industry is complex. During the Covid-19 pandemic, airlines and their support industries such as airports and ground operators let go a lot of their workforce. As travel has increased, many of these people have chosen different careers. A lot of airlines were already suffering pre-Covid, resulting in pay cuts, so in many cases aviation is not a sought after career path anymore. It also requires a lot of specific training and background security checks, so manpower cannot be immediately available. As an example, one of the most iconic European airlines is in need of extra capacity. It still has a lot of grounded aircraft, including Airbus A380 super jumbos; however, to get such a plane back to being airworthy requires a lot of maintenance. The company made a decision this past June to bring back six of these double-deckers, but they will not be available until summer 2023 due to the complexity of returning them to service. A great piece of advice for travelers has always been to use a reputable travel agent for travel planning and to fly at least a day early to the port of embarkation. This seems to be even truer today. Teijo Niemelä HOW TO FOLLOW US Twitter.com/cruisebusiness n facebook.com/CruiseBusinessUSA n Instagram.com/niemelateijo CruiseBusiness.com Magazine 8 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 AIRLINE WOES C M Y CM MY CY CMY K CRUISE_Cruise_Business_Review_210x297_ESE.pdf 1 12/03/21 09:41 8-9 .indd 2 8-9 .indd 2 17.8.2022 7.43 17.8.2022 7.43
• C M Y CM MY CY CMY K CRUISE_Cruise_Business_Review_210x297_ESE.pdf 1 12/03/21 09:41 8-9 .indd 3 8-9 .indd 3 17.8.2022 7.44 17.8.2022 7.44
• UPFRONT 10 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Holland America Line officially named its latest addition, the Rotterdam, in its namesake city in Holland during Dutch Heritage Day on May 30. Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands served as godmother and officially named the ship in front of invited dignitaries and guests. At 99,500 gross tons, the Rotterdam is the third Pinnacleclass vessel and has a double-occupancy capacity of 2,668 guests. Costa Cruises celebrated the christening of its second LNG-powered newbuild, the Costa Toscana, in a pier-side event at the Port of Barcelona on June 16. The godmother of the ship is Chanel, the artist who represented Spain in the last edition of Eurovision. Attending the ceremony were, among others, Bernard Meyer, Tim Meyer, Mario Zanetti, Arnold Donald, Micky Arison and Michael Thamm. Carnival Cruise Line brought some Texas flair to Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, for the keel-laying of the brand’s third Excelclass vessel, the Carnival Jubilee. Wearing cowboy-shaped hard hats, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy was joined by Meyer Werft Managing Director Bernard Meyer and Carnival’s Senior Vice President of Newbuilds Ben Clement (pictured from left), among others, to celebrate the construction milestone by placing coins under a 375-ton keel block. The Carnival Jubilee will begin sailing from Galveston in November of 2023 on 7-night Western Caribbean itineraries. 10-15.indd 2 10-15.indd 2 24.8.2022 6.55 24.8.2022 6.55
• UPFRONT UPFRONT CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 11 Norwegian Cruise Line took delivery of the Norwegian Prima – the first of six 142,500 gross ton and 3,100-passenger Prima-class newbuilds – from Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard. Pictured are Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager Merchant Ships Division of Fincantieri and Harry Sommer, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. Steel cutting for the first of two 160,000 gross ton, LNG-powered newbuilds for TUI Cruises – a joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Group – took place in the presence of Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises, and Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager Merchant Ship Division of Fincantieri, in San Giorgio di Nogaro (Udine) at Centro Servizi Navali, a company specializing in logistics and production of sheet metal for the Fincantieri yards in northeastern Italy. The new units will be built at the Monfalcone shipyard and delivered in 2024 and 2026, respectively. Royal Caribbean International’s upcoming Utopia of the Seas – the first LNG-powered unit in the industry-defining Oasis class – reached a major milestone with the keellaying ceremony at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, on July 1. The event celebrated the official start of the Utopia’s physical construction ahead of the ship’s introduction in spring 2024. 10-15.indd 3 10-15.indd 3 24.8.2022 6.55 24.8.2022 6.55
• UPFRONT 12 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 River cruise line AmaWaterways celebrated the christening of its newest ship, the AmaLucia, with a ceremony in Rüdesheim, Germany, on July 31. Pictured from left are Rudi Schreiner, President and co-founder of AmaWaterways; Jackie Friedman, President of Nexion Travel Group and godmother of the AmaViola; Gerrie van Tiem, TeamCo Shipyard B.V; Marcel Zweers, TeamCo Shipyard B.V.; Kristin Karst, Executive Vice President and co-founder of AmaWaterways; Will Farmer, co-godparent of AmaLucia; Colin Farmer, Senior Managing Director of Certares; Riley Farmer, co-godparent of AmaLucia; Captain Arjan; Patty Farmer, grandmother of Will and Riley Farmer; Wine Princess Franciska; Mayor Klaus Zapp; Wine Princess Mazi; and Wine Princess Isabel. AmaWaterways operates 26 river cruise ships. Viking named its newest identical ocean ship, the Viking Mars, during a private ceremony in Valletta, Malta, on May 17. As part of the event, the ship’s ceremonial godmother Lady Fiona Carnarvon, Countess of Carnarvon of Highclere Castle, offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the ship – a naval tradition that dates back thousands of years. 10-15.indd 4 10-15.indd 4 24.8.2022 6.55 24.8.2022 6.55
• The second of three Vega-class ships under construction in Helsinki for Swan Hellenic’s heritage brand was named at Helsinki Shipyard. The naming ceremony was held on July 11 with. Patrizia Passalacqua as the godmother of the vessel. From left, Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito, Godmother Patrizia Passalacqua and Helsinki Shipyard BoD member Carl-Gustaf Rotkirch The Viking Saturn, the newest ocean cruise ship that Fincantieri is building for Viking, was floated out at the Ancona shipyard in the presence of Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking, and Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri, on June 23. Godmother for the ceremony was Elena Del Mastro, a shipyard employee. As with its sister ships, the Viking Saturn registers 47,800 gross tons and has 465 cabins with accommodations for 930 passengers. CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 13 10-15.indd 5 10-15.indd 5 24.8.2022 6.55 24.8.2022 6.55
• Hear from industry leaders at the State of the Mediterranean Cruise Industry Keynote Under the umbrella Steering Change Together, this session will hear from a panel of cruise leaders to explore the return to cruise in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas. As the Med maintains its strong position as the world’s second cruise destination, what is driving deployment decisions in this region? This discussion will explore the industry’s commitment to a carbon zero future, the work of the industry as a trailblazer for modelling responsible tourism practices, as well as its dedication to deliver world-class passenger experience that makes cruising the superior way to travel the world. Join us for a thought-provoking conversation that will explore how the industry can work together to continue to steer this change towards a stronger future for cruise. Junta de Andalucía Consejería de Turismo, Regeneración, Justicia y Administración Local Hosted by 10-15.indd 6 10-15.indd 6 24.8.2022 6.55 24.8.2022 6.55
• Hear from industry leaders at the State of the Mediterranean Cruise Industry Keynote Under the umbrella Steering Change Together, this session will hear from a panel of cruise leaders to explore the return to cruise in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas. As the Med maintains its strong position as the world’s second cruise destination, what is driving deployment decisions in this region? This discussion will explore the industry’s commitment to a carbon zero future, the work of the industry as a trailblazer for modelling responsible tourism practices, as well as its dedication to deliver world-class passenger experience that makes cruising the superior way to travel the world. Join us for a thought-provoking conversation that will explore how the industry can work together to continue to steer this change towards a stronger future for cruise. Junta de Andalucía Consejería de Turismo, Regeneración, Justicia y Administración Local Hosted by 10-15.indd 7 10-15.indd 7 24.8.2022 6.55 24.8.2022 6.55
• 16 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 C ruise lines are bullish on Alaska, as evidenced by the growing number of infrastructure projects either newly built or in the planning stages. From Ketchikan at the southern gateway of the Inside Passage to Whittier at the head of Prince PORT DEVELOPMENT ALASKA BUILDS FOR THE FUTURE Despite the pandemic and a two-year disruption of its cruise business – or maybe because of it – there has been a flurry of cruise infrastructure development in Alaska. Some of these projects have already come online; others are under construction, and still more are in the planning stages. By M.T. Schwartzman William Sound – and at Klawock, Sitka, Hoonah, Juneau and Seward in-between – major cruise lines and their destination partners are building new docks and related facilities to handle the increasing number of cruise passengers that visit Alaska – forecast to be 1.6 million in 2023 if ships sail at full capacity. (At the time of writing, ships arriving in Ketchikan and Juneau were averaging about 70% capacity.) Two cruise companies in particular – Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. – have been instrumental in moving these projects forward. Their partners on the destination side include Huna Totem Corporation, Ward Cove Dock Group, LLC and Halibut Point Marine Services. Easing ‘pinch points’ “The cruise industry has long viewed Alaska as one of its strongest markets. The pandemic did not change that and, if anything, may have strengthened it,” said Lalanya Downs, Senior Director of Community Relations & Public Affairs for CLIA Alaska. Aerial view of Ward Cove cruise facility 16-19 alaska.indd 2 16-19 alaska.indd 2 22.8.2022 7.46 22.8.2022 7.46
• CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 17 ? ALASKA BUILDS FOR THE FUTURE “With the growth Alaska was experiencing pre-pandemic and projected future growth, cruise lines were and are seeking projects and opportunities to keep providing a highquality product and an amazing customer experience,” she said, adding. “As part of long-term and ‘big picture’ thinking, cruise lines also seek partnerships and ways to positively impact the ports and communities they visit. You aren’t only seeing investment in infrastructure, but investment in communities. When you see investments like these, you know the cruise lines are dedicated to Alaska long-term.” One objective of these infrastructure projects is to relieve “pinch points,” she continued, which have sometimes resulted in congestion at Alaska’s somewhat small port communities. “These pinch points could be limited dock availability in certain ports, or Panorama picture of the Ward Cove dock, near Ketchikan Ph oto cre dit : Te ijo Ni em elä Indoors at the Ward Cove cruise terminal Numerous excursions are offered from the Ward Cove 16-19 alaska.indd 3 16-19 alaska.indd 3 22.8.2022 7.46 22.8.2022 7.46
• oversaturation in others. It is important to maintain a strong product, while finding ways to expand that product and options for visitors.” Echoing those comments was John Binkley, former president of CLIA Alaska and one of the principals of Ward Cove Dock Group. “In order for the cruise industry to grow in Alaska, we must do it in a way that reduces the impact on the resources that make Alaska so special. Those resources are the environment, the wildlife and the people,” Binkley said. “Small Alaska communities can be overwhelmed by the large number of guests that arrive by ship. In Ward Cove we have over 250 acres of land that is set apart from the downtown core. Developing Ward Cove as a destination allows people to experience the area without negatively impacting the quality of life for the people who live in Ketchikan,” he concluded. Seven capital projects Altogether, there are at least seven of these capital improvement developments to talk about. Here’s a rundown of their main features and operational or construction status. Projects are listed in geographical order from south to north: WARD COVE (KETCHIKAN:) Officially known as The Mill at Ward Cove, this twoberth Welcome Center and Passenger Transfer Facility was built by Ward Cove Dock Group, LLC in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings seven miles north of Ketchikan at the location of a former pulp mill and Superfund site. Ward Cove had its soft opening on August 12, 2021, when the Norwegian Encore docked with the first revenue passengers aboard. Norwegian has preferential berthing rights for the next 30 years at the new docking facility, which can accommodate two Breakaway Plus-class vessels at once. Billing itself as a “cruise destination,” Ward Cove offers a variety of shore excursions designed to get passengers out into the wilderness. Complimentary shuttle service takes passengers to downtown Ketchikan and back. There’s also a museum, restaurant and retail shops on-site inside 57,000 square feet of the historic Ketchikan Pulp Mill building, with even more offerings planned for next season. For 2022, Ward Cove expects 162 calls and approximately 370,000 passengers in its first full season. Besides NCL, other callers this year include America Queen Voyages, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Royal Caribbean International. KLAWOCK: The latest addition to Alaska’s cruise ports will be a new destination on the Inside Passage in the small Native community of Klawock. Developed jointly by Klawock Heenya Corporation and NaDena` (itself a joint venture of Huna Totem Corporation and Doyon, Limited), the new facility will be modeled on HTC’s highly successful Icy Strait Point (see below). Located on 16 acres of Klawock Island, the port will sit on the Pacific coast side of Prince of Wales Island along Klawock Inlet and be ideally positioned for both north and southbound Alaska itineraries, according to the 18 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Marella Cruises decided to retire Marella Celebration last year Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal 16-19 alaska.indd 4 16-19 alaska.indd 4 22.8.2022 7.46 22.8.2022 7.46
• CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 19 developers. The guest experience will emphasize the area’s Native culture – including its rich totem-carving tradition – and will feature an Alaska-only retail program. The first ship scheduled to call will be a vessel from Oceania Cruises in May 2023. SITKA: Long a tender port, Sitka finally has a proper passenger facility – the privately owned Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, located six miles north of downtown Sitka. The dock is majority owned by Halibut Point Marine Services, a Sitka family-owned business, with financing support and minority ownership by Royal Caribbean Group and Ceres Terminals Inc. It was originally built in 2011 to handle a single vessel – with the first ship to dock being the Celebrity Century in September 2012 – but can now accommodate two neo-Panamax ships simultaneously thanks to a two-phase upgrade initiated during the pandemic. Phase 1 was unveiled on August 17, 2021, when Royal Caribbean International’s Ovation of the Seas docked at the newly extended pier. Phase 2, a 40,000-square-foot cruise terminal, made its official debut this year on May 7 when the Ovation of the Seas and Royal Princess arrived on the same day. The terminal features six retail shops and two restaurants (all locally owned), an outdoor covered terrace and a staging area for shore excursions. In 2022, up to 424,000 passengers are expected on 205 calls from 11 cruise lines including Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Viking and Windstar Cruises. ICY STRAIT POINT (Hoonah): Since opening in 2004, when the Celebrity Mercury made its inaugural call, Huna Totem’s Icy Strait Point has won accolades for its design and passenger experience. The Native owned and operated destination now has two cruise ship docks, including the original Adventure Landing and the new Wilderness Landing – a vehicle-free zone opened last year featuring the Transporter Gondola, a high-speed tram designed to carry passengers between the two piers. A second high-speed gondola named the Sky Glider opened this spring, bringing travelers to the top of Hoonah Mountain for hiking trails and panoramic views from 1,600 feet above sea level. Visitors can choose from over 30 shore excursions, including whale-watching, helicopter flightseeing, bear-viewing, ATV and Jeep expeditions or a ride on the world’s largest ZipRider. In 2022, Icy Strait expects 400,000 passengers on 235 calls by 13 cruise lines including Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Seabourn Cruise Line, Viking and Windstar Cruises. JUNEAU: With two city owned piers and two privately owned piers already in operation, Juneau may soon have a fifth pier for cruise ships under plans put forth by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Most recently, the Juneau Assembly in March approved an amendment to the city’s Long Range Waterfront Plan that would allow for construction of a dock on the proposed site – a three-acre parcel of land along Egan Drive, which was purchased by NCLH in September of 2019. According to plans developed by MRV Architects and available online, the facility known as Auke Landing would incorporate open community park space and a pedestrian bridge linking the terminal to downtown shops and restaurants. It would also provide public access to the waterfront by extending the existing pedestrian Seawalk. Shore power is under consideration as well. Juneau has 682 calls scheduled for 2022, according to the CLIA Alaska website, representing just about every cruise line sailing in Alaska. SEWARD: Long a mainstay of Gulf of Alaska crossings to and from Vancouver, Seward recently got a lift when the Alaska Railroad Corporation announced plans to replace its aging cruise passenger facilities with a new dock and terminal. The railroad will issue bonds to finance the project, estimated to cost about $80 million. At the same time, the railroad and Royal Caribbean Group announced plans for a multi-year berthing agreement that will continue to bring the Group’s three brands sailing in Alaska (RCI, Celebrity and Silversea) to Seward. Under the current construction timeline, the new passenger dock will be operational for the 2024 season. The terminal facility would be operational by 2025. Seward has 82 calls with several overnights scheduled in 2022, according to CLIA Alaska. Besides the brands of Royal Caribbean Group, cruise lines visiting Seward this year include Hurtigruten, Lindblad Expeditions, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Scenic, Viking and Windstar Cruises. WHITTIER: The original turnaround point for Gulf cruises has since 2004 had only one pier frequented by Princess Cruises. Joining Princess in Whittier this summer is sister brand Holland America Line. (Crystal Cruises was scheduled to call here, too, until the line suspended operations a few months before the start of the 2022 Alaska cruise season.) Come next year, Huna Totem Corporation hopes to have a rival pier in operation that will be utilized by the vessels from the three brands of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises). This marks the second joint development project between the NCLH and HTC; the two previously partnered to develop the second cruise pier and other facilities in Icy Strait Point. A test run of the new Whittier facility is planned for the end of the 2023 season and a full season expected for 2024. n Klawock 16-19 alaska.indd 5 16-19 alaska.indd 5 22.8.2022 7.47 22.8.2022 7.47
• 20 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 FINANCE PRIVATE EQUITY DRIVES GROWTH Private equity has played a role in transforming cruise shipping companies and thereby the industry. These investors remain very much involved in financing companies at different stages of their development, but private equity may also come to play a role in the cruise industry’s efforts to rebuild its balance sheets in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. By Kari Reinikainen Azamara added fourth vessel to its fleet this spring, thanks to an investment made by Sycamore Partners Ph oto cre dit : Te ijo Ni em elä 20-25.indd 2 20-25.indd 2 22.8.2022 7.45 22.8.2022 7.45
• ? CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 21 E vents of the past may act as a guide to what can happen in the future. A major step was taken in 2007, when Apollo Management acquired a 37.5% and TPG Capital a 12.5% stake in Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) from Genting Hong Kong for a total of $1.0 billion. The investment took place at a time when NCL had gone through a remarkable transformation, but needed additional funding to be able to build larger vessels. Subsequent events mark perhaps the biggest footprint of private equity on the cruise industry, and they also demonstrate various steps of its involvement, including an exit. Star Cruises, later renamed Genting Hong Kong, had acquired NCL in 2000 as part of its drive to become a global cruise operator. At that time, NCL had two major challenges: Its fleet was an eccentric collection of largely dated vessels, and its product lacked sparkle. However, with the introduction of “Freestyle Cruising” that followed and did away with regimentation and formality which was still commonplace even in the contemporary market segment, the company was quickly transformed from a laggard to a leader that others had to follow. The next challenge was to renew the NCL fleet. Its core consisted of a sevenstrong series of successful vessels of roughly 90,000 gross tons that had started with the Norwegian Star in 2001 and had all been delivered by 2007. These ships had been designed with Freestyle Cruising in mind. However, they were still smaller than the latest newcomers of competitors like Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Line, and NCL needed more economies of scale. The equity injection from the two private equity investors helped management to order larger vessels: a total of six Breakaway and Breakaway Plus-class ships whose deliveries ran from 2013 to 2019, produced the economies of scale needed, and these ships made the company highly profitable. Meanwhile, in 2008 Apollo had bought Prestige Cruise Holdings that comprised Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises for $1.0 billion and announced a newbuilding order – the future Seven Seas Explorer. In 2011, NCL’s owners formed Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) with an aim to take it public, which happened on the Nasdaq two years later. The company was valued at $3.8 billion at the IPO, almost twice the figure implied by the $1.0 billion valuation of the 50% stake the two private equity investors had acquired six years earlier. At the time of the flotation, only 13.3% of the shares in the company were in public hands, but by 2018, Genting Hong Kong, Apollo and TPG Capital had all exited NCLH. Before that, however, in 2014 NCLH had acquired Prestige for $3.025 billion – significantly increasing the value of the group that was now the third largest cruise shipping company in the world. Private equity had played a significant role as an enabler of these developments. More recent events More recently, the pandemic has brought private equity into the picture as a source of capital for the cruise industry – apparently for various durations of time. On May 5, 2020, NCLH announced that the consumer-industries-focused growth investor L Catterton would inject $400 million in the company. This would be in the form of Private Exchangeable Notes that would accrue payment-in-kind interest at a rate of 7.0% per annum for the first year postissuance, 4.5% per annum payment-in-kind interest plus 3.0% per annum cash interest for the following four years post issuance and 7.5% in cash for the final year prior to maturity that was to be in 2026. Frank Del Rio, President and Chief Executive Officer of NCLH, said at the time that the company would look forward to working with L Catterton’s highly experienced team and broad collection of portfolio companies to identify and capture additional value across a range of strategic and operational levers. Scott Dahnke, Global co-CEO of L Catterton, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to support the team at Norwegian as they work through this suspension of travel and begin to commence operations after their voluntary suspension of voyages.” However, a mere 10 months later, on March, 10, 2021, NCLH bought back the bonds it had sold to L Catterton, whose partners include the French luxury brand owner LVMH (which owns Ponant, the expedition cruise line) after raising some $1.4 billion in new equity. A more long-lasting event took place in the spring of 2020, when the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia bought 43.5 million shares in Carnival Corporation & plc for $369.3 million that gave it a stake of 8.2% in the world’s largest cruise shipping company. PIF, which also has a stake in the ride-hailing company Uber, retains its holding as of the summer of 2022, and its name has surfaced in recent rumors as a potential buyer of Seabourn Cruise Line, the Carnival group’s luxury market unit. Celestyal could get first newbuildings At the end of November, the New Yorkbased private equity investor Searchlight Capital Partners acquired an undisclosed stake in Celestyal Cruises in Greece, which Certares Holdings has invested in Mystic, which has recently expanded with newbuilds 20-25.indd 3 20-25.indd 3 22.8.2022 7.45 22.8.2022 7.45
• 22 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 has so far been part of the Cyprus-based Louis Group. Technically, this meant that Searchlight would make an investment into a new holding company, Celestyal Holdings. “This will enable Celestyal Cruises to amplify its brand globally, build upon its success to date and expand its operational footprint whilst growing and renewing its fleet,” Searchlight said at the time. Celestyal Cruises would continue to operate its fleet of two ships from offices in Piraeus with its current global management team leading the business. The Louis Group would also continue as a shareholder in the new holding company. The Celestyal Cruises brand is well known, as it has operated since 1986. Its itineraries focus on the Eastern Mediterranean and most of its cruises are of three, four and seven nights’ duration. While it has obvious strengths, Celestyal Cruises also faces at least one major challenge: The Celestyal Olympia, the largest of its two ships, was built in 1982. The Celestyal Crystal dates back to 1992 – or at least most of it. The lower parts of the hull, including the engines, were actually built in 1980, but a major fire a decade later meant that the rest of the ship had to be rebuilt completely. Consequently, the technology in the engine room is of the same vintage as on the Celestyal Olympia. With new environmental legislation on its way, it is questionable whether it is worthwhile to invest large amounts of money to keep the existing ships running much longer. As the Covid-19 pandemic led to a purge in the largest cruise fleets in the world, there are good-quality second hand ships waiting for buyers, which could be interesting options for Celestyal Cruises. What’s more, the well-known Danish consultant naval architects Knud E. Hansen has produced a newbuilding design for Celestyal. This entails an 800passenger capacity ship capable of transiting the Corinth Canal. “The machinery arrangement is a diesel-electric hybrid system comprising six medium-speed diesel generator sets combined with an energy-storage battery system providing propulsion power and all remaining electric load requirements,” the Danish company said in a statement, adding that 97% of the cabins on the ship would be outside. With Searchlight’s capital injection in place, Celestyal Cruises might pursue this avenue instead and for the first time order newbuildings of its own. The plural may well be justified, as Knud E. Hansen has also produced a design for a 2,000passenger vessel for the Greek company with the same type of engine configuration. “The layout of the vessel includes 65% outside passenger cabins and a high capacity of loading/unloading passengers via tender boats,” Knud E. Hansen said in describing the design. The reference to tendering suggests that the islands of the Eastern Mediterranean might be the designated operational area for the larger design as well, although it could also be employed in other parts of the world where off-the-beaten-track destinations have no infrastructure to handle cruise calls. Azamara will need newbuldings Late last year, the Royal Caribbean Group sold its destination-focused premium market unit Azamara to Sycamore Partners for $201 million. The deal included Azamara’s three turn-of-the-millenniumbuilt ships of about 30,000 gross tons, which Searchlight soon increased to four by acquiring the 1999-built Pacific Princess that is a sister ship of the three. Azamara had become expendable to Royal Caribbean Group after its acquisition of Silversea Cruises, which operates in the luxury and expedition markets and has several newbuildings on order. With four ships, Azamara now has a harmonious fleet and some critical mass in operations plus the ability to offer cruises in various parts of the world. However, the ships are ageing, and, for Sycamore to make money out of its investment, it seems inevitable that newbuildings will have to be contracted in the near future. Competitors such as Viking and NCLH group member Oceania Cruises have more modern fleets and continue to add newbuildings, so Azamara can hardly stay still. Furthermore, the only way for private equity investors to benefit from their investments is by ordering newbuildings for these fleets, a cruise industry source told CruiseBusiness.com Magazine, adding that more cruise companies could come up for sale – Windstar Cruises being an example. Sycamore, meanwhile, could add other cruise assets to its shopping bag. “The three former Seabourn ships [of Windstar] are as good as new [after recent lengthening, new engines and a general upgrade], but the sailing vessels are ageing,” the source said. Windstar’s owners have very solid finances, but the question is whether they are willing to pump more money into the company to replace the three sailing vessels that all date back to the 1980s. Hurtigruten invests to upgrade existing tonnage Private equity money can also be used to transform a company and existing ships, in addition to acquiring additional capacity. Hurtigruten, the Norwegian coastal express and expedition cruise operator, has undergone significant changes since its acquisition by TDR Capital, the UK-based private equity investor, in 2014 – perhaps the most significant being separating the two businesses in their respective divisions within the group. “We undertook a considerable capital expenditure program refurbishing six Norwegian Coast ships, thereby enhancing Hurtigruten’s product offering and customer experience onboard The Expedition division has been transformed, positioning the business strongly to take advantage of the significant growth in global demand for adventure travel,” TDR said in on its website. New capacity has been added to the expedition fleet, expanding it from one ship at acquisition to eight today, including the building of two new state-of-the-art hybrid ships. “Furthermore, the division has significantly expanded its routes and global marketing outreach with sailings in the Arctic, the Antarctic, as well as North and South America,” TDR continued. What makes Hurtigruten stand out is that the company has spent large amounts of money to bring several existing ships close to or in line with its newbuildings as far as green technology is concerned. Seven of these are Norwegian Coast division ships. The Richard Witt, Nordlys and Kong Harald will be converted into hybrid vessels, which includes fitting of new engines. Meanwhile, the Nordnorge, Nordkapp and Polarlys will be fitted with selective catalytic converters. Vesterålen, the latest ship in the fleet, was modernized with new engines as well as SCR facilities in 2019. A further three ships were converted to battery hybrid power, renamed and turned into full-time expedition cruise ships. The Trollfjord was renamed the Maud; the Finnmarken became the Otto Sverdrup, and the Midanatsol’s new name is the Eirik Raude. Hurtigruten has also added two newbuildings – the Fritdjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen – to its expedition fleet, while two ships—the Spitsbergen and Santa Cruz II – were secondhand acquisitions. Funds help Mystic and Viking with organic growth In Hurtigruten’s case, a large part of recent investment has gone to upgrade and repurpose existing ships. However, private equity is frequently funding organic growth of cruise lines that want to add newbuildings to their fleets. In late 2019, the Ferreira family reportedly sold a 40% stake in river and expedition operator Mystic Invest for € 250 million to At presstime Virgin Voyages secured $550 million capital from BlackRock, Bain and Virgin Group 20-25.indd 4 20-25.indd 4 22.8.2022 7.45 22.8.2022 7.45
• CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 23 Certares Holdings. The New York-based investor, which has holdings in the car rental group Hertz, LATAM Airlines and various hotels plus river cruise operator AMA Waterways, is reportedly looking for interesting niche companies as well, and it is also looking at businesses at various stages of their life cycles. A classic example of private equity funding organic growth is Mystic Cruises, a newcomer to the rapidly growing expedition cruise sector. It has two 9,300 gross ton vessels in service under its Atlas Ocean Voyages brand name and a further four newbuildings on order at the West Sea Shipyard in Portugal that is also part of the Mystic Invest group. Nicko Tours, the German cruise operator, is part of the group as well, and it operates the deep-sea cruise ship Vasco da Gama. The position of a cruise line in its chosen segment of the market can play a role in attracting private equity, as becomes evident in comments regarding the rapidly expanding river and ocean cruise operator Viking. In 2016, the company announced a combined investment of $500 million by TPG Capital and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) that equates to a combined stake of 17%. “Our investment in Viking is an attractive opportunity to invest in a marketleading business with an impressive track record and substantial room for expansion. Viking’s business is exposed to a number of long-term growth drivers that our Thematic Investing group looks for and believes will deliver strong risk-adjusted returns for the Fund,” said Pierre Lavallée, Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Investment Partnerships for CPPIB. “Having been a long-time investor in the cruise industry, we see Viking as a market innovator that has reimagined how people explore the world, with an iconic brand and strong product offering that has significant growth potential,” Paul Hackwell, Principal at TPG, said in a statement at the time of the investment. Newcomers gain traction with private equity Two significant newcomers have entered the cruise scene recently thanks to private equity backing. Virgin Voyages, which was set up by Sir Richard Branson and has taken delivery of two of four ships ordered from Fincantieri, has Bain Capital in the U.S. as its biggest shareholder. “We’ve got an amazing equity story, and I think a lot of people are going to be keen to participate in that. I think the public markets are a really viable option for us,” Bain consumer and retail head Ryan Cotton told CNBC in September 2021, when the line’s first ship entered service. “In some ways, it’s a pure play on new ships, and you don’t have to buy all the legacy fleet.” As is well known, Virgin Voyages has had its fair share of headwinds due to the pandemic. The company took delivery of the Scarlet Lady, its first ship, only a few weeks before Covid-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions brought the travel industry to a standstill. While the Valiant Lady, the line’s second ship, is now also in service, the debut of the third vessel, to be called the Resilient Lady, has been postponed from August 2022 to May 2023 due to crewing problems. This means that Virgin Voyages will not be able to operate a series of cruises from Australia as it had intended to do, and it will also miss a planned series of Mediterranean cruises this summer. The start of Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection that has Oaktree Capital Management and a private individual as investors, in addition to the Marriott-owned hotel company itself, has also faced an uphill struggle to start operations. The line originally had two 24,000 gross ton luxury cruise yachts on order at Barreras in Spain, but for various reasons deliveries have fallen significantly behind original schedule. The Evrima, the first ship, was intended to enter service in early 2020, but this had to be postponed several times and the latest date at the time of writing was October 15, 2022. Earlier this year, the company contracted two more 46,750 gross ton vessels from Chantiers de l’Atlantique in France and, unlike the two first two ships, these will use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel. In addition, The Yacht Portfolio (the name of the investment vehicle behind Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection) in early 2022 acquired Sea Cloud Cruises, the Hamburg-based operator of three highend of the market sailing ships. Douglas Prothero, CEO of The Yacht Portfolio, said in a statement at the time that the move was part of efforts to build a strong portfolio of niche cruise brands. This could be interpreted to mean scaling up the portfolio – but keeping its brands separate – to monetize it at some point. Ten-year investment horizon needed While starting a new cruise line always has its challenges, current times perhaps require even more patience than before to ensure that new operations become profit making – with the pandemic and its aftermath, economic uncertainty, high inflation, plus geopolitical events all casting their long and dark shadows. In a broader context, the currently existing orderbook means that the cruise industry is poised for growth, at least in terms of supply of berths. However, the industry will need to deleverage its balance sheets after a sharp increase in debt levels following the Covid-19 pandemic. A notable exception may be MSC Cruises, part of a group which includes a huge container shipping line – a boom industry at the moment – according to the U.S.-based cruise industry source that CruiseBusiness.com spoke to said. Private equity usually works on a fiveyear horizon, but the pandemic means that this now has to stretch to 10 years. Many of the calculations and assumptions made before 2020 are no longer valid in their original form, and recovery of the industry to full profitability will inevitably take time. “In 2022, the industry as a whole will make a small loss or a small profit; 2023 should see it return to normal levels of profitability,” the source said. What kind of role private equity will have in the deleveraging of the cruise industry will depend on the appetite on both sides: “Private equity capital is expensive, and for the PE [private equity] players, they’ll have to have an appetite for a longer term on the return,” the source concluded. n Hurtigruten has invested heavily to upgrade its existing tonnage, but also for two newbuilds 20-25.indd 5 20-25.indd 5 22.8.2022 7.45 22.8.2022 7.45
• Your cruise destination all year round Turismo da Maderia Cabo Verde Tourism Cruises in the Canary Islands By Teijo Niemela Azamara, a destination-focused premium cruise line, introduced its fourth ship – the Azamara Onward – in April, when the company had fully returned to service. Originally founded by Royal Caribbean Group in 2007, the cruise brand operates second-hand acquisitions first built for Renaissance Cruises, which entered bankruptcy in 2001. Azamara’s fleet now comprises four nearly identical vessels: the Azamara Journey, Azamara Quest, Azamara Pursuit and Azamara Onward. With a gross tonnage of 30,277, these sister ships vary in capacity – ranging from 684 to 704 guests – making for a total double occupancy for the brand of 2,796 lower berths. After the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Azamara was the first cruise brand from a major operator to change hands. Royal Caribbean sold the company to Sycamore Partners for $201 million, but Royal Caribbean has continued to provide some back-house functions such as reservations and IT, while fleet operations were moved to V.Ships in Monaco. Meanwhile, Azamara’s headquarters were relocated to new premises apart from Royal Caribbean’s headquarters on Miami’s Dodge Island. Prospects for growth While owned by Royal Caribbean (and then called Azamara Club Cruises), the brand had little opportunity for growth. It was excluded from newbuilding orders, and, with just two vessels, had a limited number of destinations to offer. Royal Caribbean did, however, purchase the Azamara Pursuit from Carnival Corporation & plc just before the pandemic, and new owners Sycamore Partners were able to buy the last remaining R-class ship, the Pacific Princess, also from Carnival. COMPANY UPDATE However, all eight R-class ships built now have just two homes: four with Azamara and four with Oceania Cruises. Both brands operate in the same segment, so Azamara has to look for other ways to expand. During a press conference on the Azamara Onward’s shakedown cruise, President Carol Cabezas said there was no news on this front to report. With the current fleet, Azamara is able to call in 362 ports-of-call in 92 countries. Extensive refit at Damen shipyard Beginning in August 2021, the 180-meter passenger Azamara Onward was berthed alongside at Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam to be brought up to the standards of its fleetmates. All cabins and suites were refurbished, and new spa suites and balconied cabins were added. Public spaces such as restaurants were upgraded, and a new bar – Atlas Bar – was created. Just recently, Atlas Bar was added fleet wide. From mid-March through April 2022, the vessel was in Damen’s largest dry dock, where technical and maritime conversion was performed. Steel work was added for deck rearrangements and balcony structures, which allowed for the creation of new luxury suites – some of them with their own Jacuzzi baths. This steel work was performed on decks 8 and 9, where the onboard spa is also located. Steel reinforcements were put in place to support the spa pools and installations. Technical work Tanks for ballast water and fuel oil were restructured to accommodate the bunkering of larger volumes of marine-grade diesel. The work included running piping throughout the vessel and the engine room. Grey water tanks as well as the tank top were replaced. Stabilizers both starboard and port were overhauled, and the shaft seals were replaced. Thrusters were upgraded to allow for the use of environmentally acceptable lubricants. The tail shaft and the propeller seals were replaced. The hull was completely cleaned and painted to match the appearance of the Azamara fleet. The existing steel logo was taken off and replaced with a new Azamara Onward sign. Performing all of these interior, exterior and technical upgrades in limited time required complicated logistical planning and strict schedules. “It was challenging to organize all the operations to be performed in time and in a manner that steel work does not interfere with decorative jobs,” says Project Manager Colin Husslage from Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam. “We managed to deliver the ship to its proud new owner at the date agreed, so Azamara can have it in full service during the 2022 season.” Nico Corbijn, Head of Marine Operations for Azamara, says, “Azamara selected Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam to complete the revitalization of the Azamara Onward following an extensive comparative analysis of shipyards in Europe. With an estimated investment of approximately $55 million, it was very important for us to identify a yard that could provide not only the technical expertise and know-how for this large project, but also offer logistical support for the outfitting companies and their teams that would be attending the ship daily. Despite the supply chain and labor challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Damen delivered beyond our expectations. The yard team’s collaborative spirit and can-do attitude made this refit a technical success, and a reason for us to return to Amsterdam for future engagements.” n AZAMARA FLEET STANDS AT FOUR – WHAT’S NEXT? 24 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Azamara Onward at the Damen shipyard 20-25.indd 6 20-25.indd 6 22.8.2022 7.45 22.8.2022 7.45
• Your cruise destination all year round Turismo da Maderia Cabo Verde Tourism Cruises in the Canary Islands 20-25.indd 7 20-25.indd 7 22.8.2022 7.45 22.8.2022 7.45
• SHIP REVIEW DISNEY MAKES A WISH DISNEY MAKES A WISH The 4,000-passenger Disney Wish, which debuted in July, is part of Disney Cruise Line’s largest-ever expansion and represents a multibillion-dollar investment by The Walt Disney Company that dramatically increases its stake in the cruise industry. By Fran Golden 26 ww CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Ph oto cre dit , all ph oto s: Di sn ey Cr uis e Li ne Grand Hall is a focal point of Disney Wish xx-xx.indd 2 xx-xx.indd 2 22.8.2022 8.21 22.8.2022 8.21
• CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 27 ? T he Disney Wish is the fifth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet and its first new ship in 10 years. Two sister ships will follow in 2024 and 2025, all built at Meyer Werft in Germany. Onboard the Disney Wish during a 3-night preview christening cruise out of Port Canaveral was Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, which includes the cruise line. He left no Werft-built Disney Dream (2011) and Disney Fantasy (2012), both registering 129,690 tons. The guest capacity is the same, although the Disney Wish, with 1,254 staterooms, has four more cabins than the earlier ships. There are significant changes in design, beginning with The Grand Hall – an extravagant three-deck entertainment space themed on Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World Resort. While the line’s earlier ships went with an Art Deco or Art Nouveau grand hotel ambience in their atriums, The Grand Hall – with its giant chandelier themed on the Fairy Godmother’s hat, Cinderella statue, grand staircase, stage and balconies – is pure fantasyland. That ambience is enhanced by both character appearances and more fiber optics than ever installed on a cruise ship, according to D’Amaro. The lights are used to create Disney “magical moments” such as appearances by Tinkerbell. For better passenger flow, the Disney Wish eliminates the midship elevator bank and staircases – now found forward and aft. That allows for changes such as the new location of the Oceaneer Club for children ages 3-12 on Deck 2, right below The Grand Hall and accessible to kids via a one-deck tube slide (adults walk down the stairs). Adult bars are a deck above on Deck 3. The Senses Spa is in a new location on Deck 5 forward and has the addition of an outdoor relaxation area and snow room. “Our industrial engineers really studied not just human behavior – people behavior – but traffic patterns,” says Thomas Mazloum, President of Disney Signature Experiences, which includes the cruise line. “That’s why we relocated the adult-only areas so there is no cross traffic.” Altogether, the Disney Wish has 25 entertainment venues, more than 4,000 pieces of art and 70,000 garments for casts and crew. Rapunzel, decorating the aft of the ship, has hair close to 60 feet long. Behind the scenes, this is Disney’s first ship that operates on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Disney also has left space for a 1-megawatt prototype fuel cell to be added in 2023. In other technical updates, the propellers are azimuth thruster pods for easier maneuverability. Enchanting spaces The Disney Imagineers and designers working on the new ship were inspired by the overall theme of “enchantment.” What really stands out is the ship’s branding. While the earlier ships certainly had plenty of references to characters in Disney’s vast portfolio of stories, this ship is all-in in terms of the Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel brands. Storytelling is everywhere. The idea is to thrill guests of all ages who want, for instance, to belly up to a Star Wars bar or eat dinner with characters from Frozen or Marvel’s Avengers. “Everything onboard is really inspired by how we tell stories,” Mazloum says, adding that stories are what the new-to-cruise family market is looking for. “Think about today – how many more franchises we have than we had 10 years ago, when we launched the last ship,” Mazloum says. doubt that Disney is serious about the cruise business. “We have not spared any expense,” D’Amaro tells CruiseBusiness. com Magazine. “It’s an investment that we feel good about.” His confidence, he says, comes from the company’s carefully measured guest reaction to all the Disney Cruise Line ships. “It’s very high, and, not only that, but the ships perform very well,” D’Amaro explains. “A lot of families want to come and join us. At the thought of having a fleet of seven ships, I am so bullish and confident on delivering on that front.” The Wish difference The Disney Wish at 144,000 gross tons is only slightly larger than the Meyer Concierge cabin One of the funnels houses a two-deck suite Aqua Mouse xx-xx.indd 3 xx-xx.indd 3 22.8.2022 8.21 22.8.2022 8.21
• 28 ww CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 FREEDOM OF DESIGN WITH PROVEN SOLUTIONS INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DECORATIVE SOLUTIONS Seamless, durable and flexible artificial PUR deck system, the new Sikafloor® Marine Deco Comfort and Teak. Contact us now Sika Services AG, Tueffenwies 16, 8048 Zurich Tel. +41 (0)58 436 58 01, www.sika.com/marine Sikafloor® Marine Deco Teak Sikafloor® Marine Deco Comfort “We found ourselves in a great situation with the right franchises for the audience that we cater to.” On the Disney Wish there is storytelling even when you go to sleep at night under a gilded mural of a scene from a Disney fairytale. Big spenders may stay in a 1,966-square-foot, two-level suite uniquely built into the ship’s forward funnel and themed on Moana, complete with beating heart sculpture in the living room. Most cabins feature Disney’s splitbathroom design and a verandah. The Disney Wish has more concierge rooms and suites than the other ships in the fleet – 76 in total – with the perk of an exclusive lounge and sundeck. Star Wars, Mickey and more Some of the branded additions on this ship are more subtle than others. In the in-your-face category is my personal favorite, the upscale, intimate Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge, where passengers “board” their “spaceship” through a whooshing door, order $20 drinks that smoke or are in day-glow colors and watch high-definition screens behind the bar that simulate jumping through hyperspace. It’s a kick. Children ages 3-12 get their own Star Wars attraction in a new playroom done up as a spaceship cargo bay featuring space animals from the movies. The kids can also hang out in Marvel and princess-themed areas. The ship’s much-touted 760foot AquaMouse is a one-of-a-kind water ride that’s billed as the “firstever Disney attraction at sea” complete with special effects, 65 water jets and animated scenes featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse. It’s two-and-a-half minutes of nostalgia and thrills. Disney’s rotational dining system, which takes passengers to a different restaurant each night but with the same servers, is enhanced with updated branding. Another exciting attraction taps into the metaverse with a multi-day adventure game played via an app that unlocks hidden games, animation and physical spaces around the ship. Impressive dining options Disney continues to impress in the culinary realm. Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure is a child-friendly dinner theater experience in a Nordic palace featuring human versions of Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and an animatronic Olaf. Worlds of Marvel “Avengers: Quantum Encounter” is a fun dining and movie experience starring Ant-Man and The Wasp projected onto screens placed around the room. Adults-only dining takes place at the Palo Steakhouse, an over-the-top alternative restaurant starring Wagyu beef, while the new French/international Enchanté features menus by Chef Arnaud Lallement, who has earned three Michelin ? Arendelle Dining Room Enchante Restaurant Polo – an adults-only restaurant xx-xx.indd 4 xx-xx.indd 4 22.8.2022 8.21 22.8.2022 8.21
• Ph oto cre dit : Jo hn Pa gn i FREEDOM OF DESIGN WITH PROVEN SOLUTIONS INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DECORATIVE SOLUTIONS Seamless, durable and flexible artificial PUR deck system, the new Sikafloor® Marine Deco Comfort and Teak. Contact us now Sika Services AG, Tueffenwies 16, 8048 Zurich Tel. +41 (0)58 436 58 01, www.sika.com/marine Sikafloor® Marine Deco Teak Sikafloor® Marine Deco Comfort xx-xx.indd 5 xx-xx.indd 5 22.8.2022 8.21 22.8.2022 8.21
• 30 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 It looks like a classy ship door, but beneath the surface there’s a huge amount of intelligence, experience, best practices, and certified solutions. If you have a new project, contact Antti already in the beginning. Depending on your goals, we can develop your doors’ cost-effectiveness, design, sustainability, and connectivity. Our doors are open for contact: anttimarine.fi Costa Toscana You’ll see the difference THERE IS MORE TO DOOR THAN MEETS THE EYE MEET US at SMM 2022 in Hamburg! Hall B5, stand 311 Quiet Cove Pool Disney Wish docked at the Castaway Cay The Rose The Rose xx-xx.indd 6 xx-xx.indd 6 22.8.2022 8.21 22.8.2022 8.21
• CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020 45 Operate with total control. Use the online tool Roxtec Transit Operate™ to ensure long-term safety. It helps you control, document and keep track of all cable and pipe transits onboard. roxtec.com/softwaresuite Welcome to our Booth no. 317 in Hall B6 at SMM It looks like a classy ship door, but beneath the surface there’s a huge amount of intelligence, experience, best practices, and certified solutions. If you have a new project, contact Antti already in the beginning. Depending on your goals, we can develop your doors’ cost-effectiveness, design, sustainability, and connectivity. Our doors are open for contact: anttimarine.fi Costa Toscana You’ll see the difference THERE IS MORE TO DOOR THAN MEETS THE EYE MEET US at SMM 2022 in Hamburg! Hall B5, stand 311 stars for his restaurant in France. Both venues and the bar in between are themed on Beauty and the Beast. New and enhanced spaces Added spaces on the Disney Wish include Luna, a doubleheight room that doubles as a family games area and adultsonly nightclub. There’s also a new indoor sports space, Hero Zone, with basketball court and, at times, the addition of a large inflatable obstacle course for family competition. In a smart move, this ship eliminates a big main pool in favor of six small pools of varying depths, tiered on decks 11 and 12, surrounded by lounge chairs and overlooking a giant LED screen that shows Disney movies and TV shows. Lifeguards are on duty. If you want a quieter spot, there’s also a family pool hidden on Deck 14. The adults-only Quiet Cove area has been greatly enhanced with cushy lounge chairs, a bar and an aft-facing infinity pool. Away from the families, it seems more like an amenity that would be found aboard a luxury ship. The Walt Disney Theatre is themed on Fantasia and home to Broadway-style shows such as a new version of The Little Mermaid with a big cast, puppets, elaborate sets and costumes and cool special effects. Nearby are two movie theaters, themed on Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, respectively, and showing both classic and recent Disney movies. The Disney Wish took six years to create and build since the contract was signed with Meyer Werft in 2016. The Covid-19 pandemic only slightly delayed delivery. The results are impressive. As for the future and where the cruise line is headed, D’Amaro says: “I think we’re just getting started here.” The ship sails 3and 4-night Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral that call at Nassau and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.n xx-xx.indd 7 xx-xx.indd 7 22.8.2022 8.21 22.8.2022 8.21
• The need to decarbonize has encouraged several builders to explore ways to take the industry forward on this road that appears to have many challenges. The work has already produced some bold results – at least in terms of concept designs – and once plans transform to reality, the industrial landscape and the ships themselves may have changed quite a bit from how they are today. By Kari Reinikainen ENVIRONMENT SHIPYARDS WORK TO PRODUCE GREENER DESIGNS T he lack of infrastructure to supply green fuels in remote parts of the world in general is an often cited challenge when it comes to decarbonizing the cruise industry in general and the expedition segment in particular. Ulstein, the Norwegian shipbuilding group, has tackled this problem with two designs. The first is called “Thor,” and it entails a 149-meter-long Replenishment, Research and Rescue (3R) vessel. This would be powered by a Thorium Molten Salt Reactor, which would provide vast amounts of clean and safe green energy. Among its other functions, Thor could operate as a mobile charging station to provide electricity for a new breed of battery-driven expedition cruise vessels. Ulstein SIF, which is the second design, would make use of power provided by Thor. It is 100 meters long and has accommodations for 160 passengers. “This Ice Class 1C vessel will run on next-generation batteries, utilizing Thor to recharge while at sea,” Ulstein says on its website. Ulstein CEO Cathrine Kristiseter Marti is quoted as saying: “We have the goals, ambition and environmental imperative to switch to zero-emission operations, but, until now, we haven’t had the solution. We believe Thor might be the answer we’ve been looking for. Thor is essentially a floating, multi-purpose power station that will enable a new battery revolution.” Green fuels take up more space While battery power may be an interesting solution for smaller vessels, the time when it can be used on large ships perhaps lies far in the future. So the shipbuilding industry is actively looking for clean fuels that could be used on large ships as well. “The volume required by some fuels is significant, and therefore bigger tanks, etc., will be needed,” noted Marjo Keiramo, Head of RDI programs at Meyer Turku in Finland. “This will take up space from other operational activities, but you will also have to bear safety in mind when deciding where and how everything is located,” she continued. “All this will pose a challenge to the conventional lines of thinking when it comes to the general arrangement and safety regulations. On the other hand, it also offers a way to turn the business around to make it greener. Eventually, the need to rethink the general arrangement plan radiates to every part of the design work, and it has implications also when it comes to the 32 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 32-35 .indd 2 32-35 .indd 2 24.8.2022 6.58 24.8.2022 6.58
• ? SHIPYARDS WORK TO PRODUCE GREENER DESIGNS design work from a theoretical point of view,” she summarized. In June, Meyer Turku said that a program called “NEcOLEAP,” which develops climate-neutral and sustainable solutions for the cruise industry, had received more suggestions from partners in the network than what the shipbuilder had expected. Business Finland is partially funding the program, which has a total budget €160 million. The aim is for Meyer Turku to win an order for a cruise ship in which these solutions could be employed. Ilkka Rytkölä, who leads the program, said in a statement that the target is to attract 1,500 partners to the venture. A concept design should be ready in 2025. Decentralization of power supply may be possible A cruise ship of the future that is powered by a green fuel may not look vastly different from the outside, but the effect on the design inside the ship could offer exciting possibilities. “Technology normally is not the driver of the exterior design. We therefore do not expect that different technology is forcing design changes in the exterior without any other design options. However, different technologies like e.g. fuel cells have the potential of decentralization of the power supply and bringing the supply closer to the power user,” said Gijs Streppel, Program Manager Sustainability at Meyer Group. “This could give the interior designers higher flexibility in the design of the general layout, depending on the type of technology and its integration possibilities in the ship. Our case study ‘Helix’ published last year was showcasing such a potential within the public space design,” he continued. The industrial landscape that is required to build a cruise ship of the future may also change from what it looks like today. “We do expect that new partnerships with different suppliers will be necessary. As a shipyard specialized on the construction and production of cruise vessels, we are the general contractor to our customers,” Streppel noted. “Good partnerships with our suppliers is the key to success to be able to deliver a cruise vessel while being a general contractor. New technologies will also be developed by partners entering the cruise industry with such technologies for the first time. It is our daily business to integrate new partners potentially with new technologies into our ecosystem,” he pointed out. In the past, Meyer has shown itself to be capable of innovation within the industry. For example, in 2018 it delivered the industry’s first LNG-powered cruise vessel, the AIDAnova. It will continue to lead, Streppel added, with the forthcoming delivery of the first cruise vessel whose full hotel load is powered by fuel cells only, the Silver Nova, in 2023. Fuel cells could reduce noise and vibration A week before last Christmas, the French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlanqique (CdA), fuel cell manufacturer Bloom Energy and MSC Cruises announced plans to launch the first cruise ship operating on solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology. “The MSC World Europa, a new state-of the-art cruise liner currently under construction at the CdA shipyard, will be fitted with 150 kilowatts of Bloom fuel cells. Bloom will provide auxiliary power to the ship through liquefied natural gas [LNG], one of the cleanest marine fuels available,” the three said in a joint statement. Bloom Energy said its fuel-flexible platform is designed to generate electricity 20% to 30% more efficiently through a non-combustion electrochemical process when utilizing LNG compared to traditional marine combustion-based propulsion and auxiliary engines. “When running on LNG, Bloom Energy’s technology reduces carbon equivalent emissions up to 60% compared to incumbent propulsion sources, such as dual fuel diesel-electric, and emits virtually zero harmful air pollutants like sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter,” the company said in the statement. It also noted that noise and vibration could be significantly reduced by the use of fuel cells as a power source. CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 33 Ulstein’s Thor -concept vessel 32-35 .indd 3 32-35 .indd 3 24.8.2022 6.58 24.8.2022 6.58
• 34 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Five months earlier, on July 26, 2021, the Cruise Division of MSC Group, the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and the energy group Snam signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly determine the conditions for the design and construction of what would become the world’s first oceangoing hydrogenpowered cruise ship. “As per the terms of the MoU, during the next 12 months the three companies will study key factors related to the development of oceangoing hydrogen-powered cruise ships. These include arranging ship spaces to accommodate H2 technologies and fuel cells, technical parameters of onboard systems, calculating the potential greenhouse gas emissions savings and a technical and economic analysis of hydrogen supply and infrastructure,” the three companies said in a joint statement. When contacted by CruiseBusiness.com Magazine a few weeks before the expiration of the 12month period, Fincantieri said it would not disclose any details about the outcome of the work at this time. Liquid hydrogen attractive Meanwhile, Viking Cruises, which is a major customer of Fincantieri, said earlier this year that it would build a cruise ship which would use liquid hydrogen as fuel. Its plans called for the use of the stretched version of the 47,800 gross ton, 230-meter-long vessels it is building at Fincantieri as the platform for the envisaged vessel. Interestingly, although Fincantieri did not disclose any details about the 12-month pilot project, it appears that Viking was on the same track a few years ago as the trio of companies including Fincantieri has found themselves following today. This was clearly expressed by MSC Cruises’ Senior Vice President of Cost Optimization and Process Improvement Michele Francioni, who said: “One outcome has been that the only feasible option for hydrogen for cruise ships is in liquid form, rather than as compressed gaseous hydrogen. The latter would require onboard storage in heavy bottles due to the high pressure requirements. We see the use of fuel cells as having great potential, using liquefied natural gas [LNG] initially and then liquid hydrogen as it becomes available as an effective feedstock. This would be a major contributor to decarbonizing our industry,” he concluded. Many shipbuilding experts have said that in the future, there would be no dominant marine fuel such as oil is today, but that the region where each ship operates and the time it spends at sea would determine which fuel it should use. The drive to decarbonize the cruise industry appears to have caused shipbuilders to devote more resources to concept design than what was the case in the recent past, when full orderbooks meant that efforts were targeted at increasing the efficiency of the building work itself. n I know it has been some time. We have been through a lot but we are still here, together. There is so much I want to tell you, so much I want to share. So much more that is yet undiscovered So much more to explore! I can’t wait for you to feel my rhythms; hear my voice For you to look into my soul and lose yourself in me So escape for a while... Escape to me XOXO, The Caribbean Hi you, Going farther together P.S. Visit us at Booth #220, Seatrade Cruise Med, Málaga, Spain MSC World Europa Gijs Streppel 32-35 .indd 4 32-35 .indd 4 24.8.2022 6.58 24.8.2022 6.58
• I know it has been some time. We have been through a lot but we are still here, together. There is so much I want to tell you, so much I want to share. So much more that is yet undiscovered So much more to explore! I can’t wait for you to feel my rhythms; hear my voice For you to look into my soul and lose yourself in me So escape for a while... Escape to me XOXO, The Caribbean Hi you, Going farther together P.S. Visit us at Booth #220, Seatrade Cruise Med, Málaga, Spain 32-35 .indd 5 32-35 .indd 5 24.8.2022 6.58 24.8.2022 6.58
• 36 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 I n August, CruiseBusiness.com Magazine’s David Swanson became the first journalist to see the results of Silversea Cruises’ Silver Wind conversion on a cruise out of Kangerlussuq, Greenland. Although this was his first time sailing on the ship (or aboard any Silversea expedition vessel), he found the Silver Wind’s design and décor to be classic without feeling stodgy or dated, the cabins to be spacious and quite comfortable, and the amenities – whether feasting at the ship’s French fine dining restaurant La Dame or embarking on adventures on foot, by kayak, and Zodiac – to be exciting and fulfilling. His report follows: Conrad Combrink can afford to laugh today about the reactions to Silversea’s announcement in 2007 that the company was entering the expedition business. The Monaco-based cruise line catered to an upscale audience that enjoyed a dish of caviar alongside their Champagne or Cognac and was not particularly known for roughing it. “When we launched Silversea Expeditions, there were a lot of companies out there that said, what are they doing?” recalls Combrink, Silversea’s Senior Vice President for Expeditions, Destination and Itinerary Management. “I remember Sven-Olof Lindblad releasing a press release saying, luxury has got no place in expedition.” Today, with the line’s two original ships the Silver Cloud and Silver Wind recently converted to expedition cruisers and the recently acquired Silver Endeavour (formerly Crystal Endeavor) coming into the fleet in November 2022, Combrink can afford to have the last laugh. Of course, it probably doesn’t hurt to be sitting comfortably in a seat that overlooks what is EXPEDITION MARKET likely the largest collection of cabins serving the expedition cruise sector. Suggested by Prince of Monaco It may have taken 15 years, but Silversea’s expedition niche has evolved into a major portion of the line’s operation, which I’m told was started at the urging of the Prince of Monaco, Albert II. The prince encouraged Silversea to acquire the 144-passenger World Discoverer and convert it into a luxury expedition vessel. The ship was taken from Singapore to a Trieste shipyard and upgraded with luxe amenities and expedition equipment. It reemerged with the name Prince Albert II (changed to the Silver Explorer a few years later), and Combrink was hired to develop the expedition product. SILVER WIND TRANSITIONS TO EXPEDITION SERVICE Conrad Combrink Silver Wind is the second of original Silversea twins transformed for expedition use Ph oto cre dit , all ph oto s ex ce pt Co nr ad Co mb rin k: Da vid Sw an so n 36-39 silver .indd 2 36-39 silver .indd 2 22.8.2022 8.26 22.8.2022 8.26
• CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 37 “Before 2007, there was no luxury expedition product – expedition cruising was almost like a rite of passage,” says Combrink. “To see remote places you had to suffer in a bunk bed, with bad food, and in many of the ships there were shared toilets. So Silversea came in and we said, there’s no need for people to sacrifice on luxury.” In contrast to the industry naysayers Silversea initially encountered, the Silver Explorer did quite well. Silversea’s clientele were well-heeled travelers who were already familiar with the world’s premiere destinations in Europe and Asia, so adding the Silver Explorer meant they could go further, to such places as Antarctica, Svalbard, the Seychelles, Australia’s Kimberly region and other places ignored by the luxury cruise industry. If the expedition industry once undervalued the upscale market, these days Silversea’s competition is spending to upgrade existing fleets, while new players are coming into the market with flashy ships. All of which brought Silversea to develop its first purpose-built expedition ship, the Silver Origin, designed specifically to sail in the Galapagos Islands starting in 2021, and to take its two original vessels, the Silver Cloud and Silver Wind, and give them a new mission: to serve as ultra-luxury expedition ships. While the two ships had long journeyed to far-flung places such as the Amazon Basin and unusual African ports, the conversion would allow them to go even deeper into places like the Arctic. The project would involve more than a remodel – it would upgrade and equip these ships with the tools to further enrich the experience for guests. Silver Cloud up first The Silver Cloud was first up, settling into Malta’s Palumbo Shipyards for conversion in 2017. The $40 million project required two months in dry dock for technical enhancements including replacing the bulbous bow with a reinforced ice-class bulb designed for polar waters, installing new sonars for underwater detection and fitting new windows that are resistant to polar temperatures. The team also reinforced the ship’s steel structures to improve its strength, stability and maneuverability. Interventions were also performed to bring the Silver Cloud up to today’s environmental standards, which are much stricter than when the ship was built in 1994. In addition to updating the ship’s technical capabilities, other adaptations were done that improved the guest experience: A mud room was added for changing into gear for travel off the ship; the casino was converted into a photo studio; and passenger capacity was reduced by 42 guests while accommodations for a crew of expedition guides were incorporated. The Silver Cloud returned to service in its new role in November 2017. Although the Silver Cloud and Silver Wind were essentially twins when they debuted in 1994-95, when the time came to convert the Silver Wind, differing interventions that had transpired through the years meant they were no longer identical. In particular, in 2008 a renovation Silver Wind carries 24 zodiacs… 36-39 silver .indd 3 36-39 silver .indd 3 22.8.2022 8.26 22.8.2022 8.26
• 38 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 of the Silver Wind added four Medallion Suites to Deck 8 (the pool deck), and the spa was relocated to Deck 9, along with a forward-facing Observation Lounge and library. On the Silver Cloud, the fleet of 24 Zodiacs is stored on Deck 9 forward and aft, an option that wouldn’t work on the Silver Wind. The conversion needed to be adapted. Finding a shipyard The first task was to identify a shipyard that could tackle the project. “Pre-pandemic, it was very difficult to find good shipyard availability,” explains Roberto Bruzzone, Silversea’s Senior Vice President of Marine Operations. “We were very interested to open up a partnership with a player that was not in the field before. Fortunately, because of the pandemic, we had a bit more time because there was no urgency of deploying the vessel immediately.” Silversea put the project out to bid with various shipyards, weighing reliability and value, and wound up selecting the Remontowa shipyard in Gda?sk, Poland. “Remontowa was not particularly famous for work on passenger vessels, but they gave us a lot of confidence in their steelwork,” adds Bruzzone. “Considering that this conversion was mainly around steelwork, we gave priority to the capabilities of Remontowa, which was a very strong selling point.” The Silver Wind moved to Poland in June 2021 and was kept in wet dock until September, when the shipyard’s dry dock became available and the steelwork began. The strengthening was focused on a 4-meter swath of the ship’s hull – above and (mostly) below the water line, the zone where an ice strike is most likely. With the added steel, the hull’s thickness went from 13 millimeters to 21 millimeters, all along the ice belt. A new, heavy-duty bulbous bow designed for ice conditions was added. Storage for Zodiacs necessitated two other additions: On decks 5 and 6 aft, behind the Show Lounge, platforms were added to securely store crafts, along with cranes for lifting them into and out of the water. Finally, a new ducktail was added, to improve the ship’s stability and performance. In all, the new steel added 400 tons to the Silver Wind, bringing its gross tonnage to 17,800. Interior improvements Inside, the ship was also refurbished. The upper suites received new furniture, carpets and walk-in showers, and the Vista and Veranda suites (which represent the bulk of the cabins) were also updated, including the addition of new walk-in showers. Several of the ship’s public areas were renovated, with repainted walls and ceilings in La Dame, La Terrazza, the Observation Lounge, the Panorama Lounge and the Reception area. A mud room was added, for changing into gear for shore expeditions, and the casino was converted into a dedicated photo studio to ensure that guests disembarked with images worth framing when returning home. Some guest quarters were converted into crew cabins, bringing the Silver Wind’s capacity down from 296 to 274 guests. The bridge also received new equipment. “There are three additional navigation tools,” says Bruzzone. “There is an infrared camera that will allow the vessel to see during nighttime, and we now have a FarSounder, which provides horizontal sonar for ice detection. There’s also an echo-sounder that is able to scan the sea bottom and rebuild how the bottom of the sea looks like. It’s an instrument used in remote areas where maps are not available.” Below deck, Bruzzone says the Silver Wind received environmental improvements such as new reverse osmosis system for producing potable water, an advanced wastewater treatment plant, new food waste treatment technology and fuel-saving boilers. On my August cruise, Captain Mino Pontillo, who started his career with Silversea in 1994 and has captained the Silver Cloud and Silver Wind on many voyages, said the two ships were quite advanced for their time when they entered service. “They were really very sophisticated,” explains Pontillo. “They had autopilot, track pilot, speed pilot – all of the devices to make the vessel completely automatic; so technically, they were very advanced.” They had powerful engines and were able to operate at very high speed, and the Silver Cloud and Silver Wind were among the first vessels to have all-suite accommodations, most of them with balconies. “At the time, the cabins of Seabourn were all windows – no one was willing to cut a few meters off the suite to give guests a balcony. But Silversea implemented something better, and it was real luxury.” Benefits of the ducktail Pontillo suggests that the weight of the deck extensions for the Zodiacs necessitated the ducktail, and the new aft has provided other benefits. “When you are at good speed the ducktail gives you a lot of extra stability, better than we had before,” says Pontillo, who adds that the ducktail also provides a layer of protec…and a fleet of kayaks 36-39 silver .indd 4 36-39 silver .indd 4 22.8.2022 8.26 22.8.2022 8.26
• CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 39 tion for the propellers when sailing in ice. However, Pontillo believes that the ducktail may not have improved the Silver Wind’s performance in one area, and that’s speed. “Our naval engineer and everyone is curious to see what benefits we have. I told them the steady-on-course is improved, the rolling has diminished a lot. But they were expecting the speed would be a little faster, and I don’t really see that – it seems to be the same speed as before. But it’s definitely more stable, especially at high speed.” And, there is one other important upgrade: Pontillo says that the Silver Wind is the first Silversea vessel to earn a Tier 3 certificate for smog emissions. “We have no restrictions where we go, whatsoever, in terms of smog emissions,” says Pontillo. “We are using urea, a chemical sprayed into the exhaust, and it reduces the NOx content by 80%, making it more environmentally friendly.” Earlier in the afternoon, we had spent a couple of memorable hours sailing through the iceberg-studded fjords of Uummannaq. I commented on the Silver Wind’s (and Captain Pontillo’s) ability to weave effortlessly between the buildingsized bergs. “We plan a route, but on ice water you cannot follow it exactly because there’s lots of ice along the way,” notes Pontillo. “So you drive with a zigzag to avoid the ice. When you have a nice vessel like this, one that responds with no effort, it makes everything easier.” And, Pontillo adds: “Today was a perfect day. We gave a great experience to everybody. I am very happy when we are able to do that.” n Silver Wind received also a ducktail Unlike many other expedition vessels, Silver Wind features an extensive and sheltered pool area 36-39 silver .indd 5 36-39 silver .indd 5 22.8.2022 8.26 22.8.2022 8.26
• 40 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 SHIP REVIEW BEYOND THE EDGE Celebrity Cruises introduced its third Edge-class newbuilding this past spring. The Celebrity Beyond – as the name suggests – has transformed the Edge-class design with some tweaks and innovations thanks to its expanded size. W hen Celebrity Cruises introduced the Edge class in 2018, there were many innovations that took the Royal Caribbean Group brand further. It had been six years since the cruise brand had introduced its previous newbuild, the Celebrity Reflection. Among the improvements in the new series were, among others, Infinite cabins, the Magic Carpet, and Eden – a multi-deck, multifunction area at the aft of the ship with expansive views over the wake. Royal Caribbean Group contracted the Edge-class ships from French yard Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The first vessel in the series – the 129,500 gross ton and 2,918-guest Celebrity Edge – sailed its maiden voyage in November 2018. The second vessel, the nearly identical Celebrity Apex, was delivered in winter 2020, but the pandemic delayed the ship’s official introduction until the following year. The third and stretched unit, the 140,600 gross ton Celebrity Beyond, entered service this spring. Transformative design The Celebrity Beyond is 20 meters longer (326 meters/1,071 feet) than the original, namesake Edge-class vessel, and it is also taller with a sleeker profile. The redesign reconfigured some of the ship’s outdoor deck spaces including The Retreat, giving it a 40% larger sun deck. Meanwhile, the Sunset Bar on the ship’s aft area is now 180% bigger than on the Edge. The Resort Deck, which accommodates the ship’s main pool – known for its asymmetrical design – is also now larger with more open-air spaces. By the numbers, the Celebrity Beyond features 32 district food and beverage experiences; 14 cafes, bars and lounges; 8 specialty restaurants; 4 main dining rooms; 4 complimentary casual dining venues and 2 private restaurants. One noteworthy new dining venue is Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud, who is Celebrity’s Global Culinary Ambassador. This is his first signature restaurant at sea. Private dining venues include Luminae – reserved for the guests residing at The Retreat – and Blu – reserved for guests staying in Aqua Class cabins. In addition to chef Boulud, Celebrity teamed up with names like designer Nate Berkus; Kelly Hoppen, CBE; interior architect and designer Jouin Manku; interior designer Simeone Deary; architectural designer Scott Butler; and architect and designer Tom Wright. Celebrity Beyond began its inaugural season on April 27, 2022 with a 10-night sailing from Southampton, England, to Barcelona, Spain, and has now spent the summer sailing 9-to-10-night itineraries in the Mediterranean. In November, Celebrity Beyond will make its way to Port Everglades for the official naming ceremony and a winter season of 5-to-9-night Caribbean sailings. n At the core of Celebrity Beyond’s vision of luxury is the Grand Plaza, a transformational place at the center of the ship designed by Jouin Manku Celebrity Beyond Sunset Bar designed by Nate Berkus The groundbreaking Infinite Veranda staterooms introduced on Celebrity Edge have been upgraded on Celebrity Beyond and now feature new color schemes and decor carefully selected by world class designer Kelly Hoppen CBE 40-41 .indd 2 40-41 .indd 2 26.8.2022 7.05 26.8.2022 7.05
• CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 41 Learn more about our solutions for the marine industry at www.aqg.se/en/trafotek FACT. vessels around the world are equipped with Trafotek transformers. O V E R 1200 TRAFOTEK Trafotec.indd 1 20.7.2020 6.51 Welcome to our booth no.216 in hall B6 at SMM WE SET THE STANDARD! Better and lighter quality onboard! B-0 JMC 4 wall panel; only 16 mm thick A-60 BOX; wall & ceiling A-60 lightweight bulkhead panel 50 mm and 25 kg/m 2 B-15 JMC 1 wall panel B-15 JMC 1 Inspection Door B-15 Extension Screen USPH galley panel Floating Floor Pullman Bed; B-0/B-15 ceiling Pullman passenger and crew cabins. Engineering NEW! Steel sheet printing! New factory address: SBA Interior Ltd Hangontie 940 10300 Karjaa Finland Meet us at SMM2022 Stand B1.OG.303 The Resort Deck is an asymmetrical space featuring a 24-yard lap pool with in-pool loungers and surrounded by a terraced pool deck 40-41 .indd 3 40-41 .indd 3 26.8.2022 7.05 26.8.2022 7.05
• 42 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 F rom the very beginning, the Viking Glory was an original that required unique solutions, as it was built in China by a shipyard that had never built a passenger ship before. So while the shipbuilding basics were familiar (see CruiseBusiness.com Magazine Spring 2022 issue for report), creating and then turning drawings into reality on the hotel side was a voyage into the unknown. The issue was solved pragmatically by securing the services of Weston, Floridabased Tomas Tillberg Design International to oversee the work carried out by the four main contractors chosen by the well-known design bureau. “We had had some experience before working in PASSENGER EXPERIENCE VIKING GLORY EMBODIES NORDIC TIMELESSNESS Building the Viking Glory was a tough commission requiring a lot of creative input to design and install the cruise ferry’s interiors – all in the middle of the pandemic and in China. But the dedication of the participants has paid off with a spectacular series of public areas and cabins that give panoramic views of the scenery outside. John Pagni details the herculean efforts made. Asia, firstly on the Tanit for Tunisian ferry operator COTUNAV in 2012 in Korea, then the SunStone Ocean Victory expedition vessel,” explains Tomas Tillberg, TTDI’s Managing Partner. It helped that the Tillberg family has worked with Viking Line on many ships for decades, so both sides know each other. “Viking Line was looking for a yard, and we helped facilitate negotiations with Xiamen Shipbuilding Industries [XMI]. But we were on the yard’s side the whole time and ended up being recruited to act as interface between contractors, XMI, Viking Line and the main design office, Koncept of Sweden [formerly known as Koncept Stockholm]. We selected the contractors: Almaco [Finland], ICF [Singapore], TSI [Italy], Scenso [China/Finland] – all of which were new for XMI and almost overwhelming due to its inexperience. The contractors were known quantities to us, however, with good track records. We set up a team at the yard with all sides working together and holding continuous meetings. Then the pandemic hit, and China went into lockdown.” Koncept was another newcomer to ship design and implementation, although it has a vast portfolio of land-based projects in hospitality, commercial buildings and urban renewal. “If there was a gap between Koncept’s drawings and the yard, we provided the bridge. It was an interesting consultancy role working for the yard Ph oto cre dit , all ph oto s: Ko ns ep t Torget 42-45.indd 2 42-45.indd 2 25.8.2022 7.21 25.8.2022 7.21
• ? CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 43 and not Viking Line. But we had to listen to what Viking and Koncept said to achieve the goals. It was a learning process for all of us!” laughs Tillberg knowingly. “For the yard, the pandemic and its restrictive effect was huge, but everyone did their jobs, and, in the end, the Viking Glory is a great ship – l think it is the nicest in the Baltic, and Viking Line is very happy with the product.” Koncept: ‘A fresh pair of eyes’ These were the exact words used by Viking Line CEO Jan Hanses, as to why the Stockholm interior architect firm was chosen. It was the same when then unknown (to the maritime world) dSign Vertti Kivi & Co was picked to handle the Viking Grace. For Niclas Makowsky, Koncept Principle Architect and head of the Viking Glory project, the challenge was met with tried and trusted methods. “We like to find out about our target group and design accordingly to get it precise. So working with Viking Line to understand its customers, we quickly found the important theme was to be welcoming and not too fancy so passengers would be comfortable in all aspects.” In this case, having worked on hotels such as Helsinki’s Scandic Marski and the Haymarket in Stockholm helped. But “a ship has more restrictions due to stricter fire and safety regulations plus weight considerations, otherwise it is similar,” he quickly learned. Makowsky and his team came up with three core values for the next-generation ship: Nordic Maritime, Timelessness and Down-to-Earth with a Luxury Touch. The first was inspired by the archipelagos – the ship will sail through three of them between Turku in Finland to Mariehamn in Åland and the long Stockholm chain. “So it must be as open as possible with very large windows going above the ceilings – from 2.8 meters [over 9 feet] to 4 meters [13-plus feet] in the Club – giving an open feeling with views outside everywhere.” Timelessness was a factor due to the ship’s working life of at least thirty years. Market Buffet restaurant Kobba 42-45.indd 3 42-45.indd 3 25.8.2022 7.21 25.8.2022 7.21
• “This ruled out contemporary supercool now design obviously. And yet, all areas had to be welcoming but still different, so the change is noticeable immediately while retaining the ‘red thread’.” Makowsky refers to Viking Line’s livery where the vessels’ hulls are cloaked in a distinct red paint with white superstructure. For example, the stairwells are integrated into the interior to give a more hotel-like feel, yet, at the same time, they are different from each other, so passengers know where they are. Individual areas with their own milieu The heart of the ship is Torget (The Square in English) which comprises a café, restaurant and bar. It is huge – to put it mildly – similar in size to the main restaurant on a cruise ship. Despite being a cruise ferry, the Viking Glory has impressively cruise-ship-like credentials: 65,000 gross tons and 225 meters long, carrying 2,800 passengers in 922 cabins and suites including crew quarters. Taking center stage, literally, is a huge LED screen (15×110 meters or 16×11 yards). “We wanted to create something special there,” Makowsky says, and this centerpiece certainly does that with all the graphics chosen and specially designed by Makowsky so “it is more a design piece than movie screen,” with the main themes being water, cliffs and forest. Torget is split-level, with the surroundings derived from pine trees, branches, spars and plants. A highlight is the large round mirror in the ceiling giving the impression of more height. The upper floor 44 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 Fyren – rotating private dining room Archipelago Spa Vista Room – day and night club 42-45.indd 4 42-45.indd 4 25.8.2022 7.21 25.8.2022 7.21
• with different graphics is connected by a spectacular staircase, while the LED edifice contains an elevator well too. Although there are multiple eating venues, Market houses eight eating options in one area with all the furniture created by Koncept. Lighting and décor highlight the cuisine changes. Appropriate lighting is a feature as – despite 24-hour daylight around midsummer – endless night characterizes northern Europe. The Vista Room is intended to be similar to an archipelago lighthouse with its rainbow light beams. “That helps people find their way to the bars with one central and another satellite at the exterior. The dispensing counter is circular with an upper covering that can be lowered like a lid on a teapot when closed and can still be used as a large flattop surface,” explains Makowsky. The main dining area, Buffet – located at the bow – has capacity for 485 at a sitting and is brightly lit with nautical flag patterns on the floor, walls and counters. A noticeable feature is that patrons are seated separately from the self-service food islands, which are hidden by partition walls. “Diners can then see the splendid views, but not those fetching their next dish and associated hustle and bustle,” Makowsky explains. The Viking Glory introduces a new idea on Baltic ferry services: casual fine dining that still retains excellent cuisine, but with a more relaxed atmosphere. Kobba gets its name from Kobba Klintar – a well-known landmark in the Åland archipelago that used a giant foghorn in its roof to warn vessels in misty weather. This gave birth to Fyrén – a small round observation lounge accessed by a spiral staircase where a dozen or so patrons sit with a 270-degree view as they slowly revolve, which is why its name means The Lighthouse. The main floor below is home to an eclectic scene of a baby grand piano, a bar with high stools and bench, a more formal arrangement of tables to the right and a gathering of various capacity ones forward. The eyecatcher are the hanging fishnets and tables inside lobster pots. For hamburger, steak, fish and similar fried food fare, Mimmi’s bistro is the destination in an open stylish service setting adjacent to the Buffet. As it occupies a starboard location, views are guaranteed – unlike most shore-based outlets. For the curious, the name is again taken from the maritime world, in this case of a famous female seafarer who eventually became master of her own vessel. Algoth’s is the last of the local characters pressed into service. This pub bearing the first name of an infamous 1930s Finnish bootlegger serves a range of craft beers and spirits among other beverages. The smuggler concept is cleverly represented by the low-lit bar and its contents being hidden behind a wooden wall panel to avoid the sharp eye of any customs inspectors! CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 45 Enlarged spa and wellness center Due to sheer demand, the Viking Glory has an expanded spa and wellness area compared to the Viking Grace, plus a gym too. The Archipelago spa and wellness area is semi-crescent-shaped with three pools of differing sizes including a Jacuzzi overlooking the sea – a splendid spot for relaxation when the sun shines and mysteriously good at night. Wood and stone are dominant in the decorative theme, while the saunas are located around a fountain with directions in the simulated forest walls for steam room and snow cave options. Treatment rooms can take more than one client, for those who wish to chat while being pampering, and offer window views to stimulate conversation. The Conference area, meanwhile, is void of such distractions, except for a few smaller meeting rooms. Partitions tailor the space according to participant numbers. Lastly are the outside facilities – not attractive in the bitterly freezing northern winters where the mercury can drop to -40C (40F). The Vista Room astern is partially covered with an open bar and seating islands arranged to replicate a campsite fire with people sitting around its light. The Viking Terrace on the uppermost deck around the funnel has a long fish sculpture hanging over the bar with suitable open-air furniture on the woodlike deck. As it pays homage to Viking Line, it is entirely red and white and appropriately the end of the red thread. In creating the interior layout, for Makowsky two things had to be clear. “The stairways are all designed differently as per their location to facilitate navigation around the ship. I experienced being lost on some ships as l did not know where l was or which way we were moving.” The carpets were all designed to help, too, with their maritime patterns imitating the sea, seafloor, charts and waves. In addition, a small ship indicates the direction of the bow and stern. Elevators and restrooms have flags indicating where they are or can be found as well. The interior lighting – of which Koncept is proud – is signally low-key in some areas and decidedly bright in others. A good example is the main bar in the Vista Room, where “lighthouse beams” emanate outward to act as a towpath for customers. In Shopping World, lights are used to indicate the change of product group starting with clothes, then cosmetics and on to alcohol and tobacco products and finishing with confectionery. All the while the red thread remains unbroken. Behind the scenes For the contractors who turned drawings into reality, it was an unusual experience mainly due to Covid-19. Almaco fulfilled its turnkey contract to design, build and deliver all the catering and cabins (except for the four suites, which are by Koncept). The package included quarters for the crew, who have their own comfortable berths, a gym and sauna plus off-duty areas. “Viking Line has tens of years of experience in how to operate the ferry on this route, and thus the accommodation concept itself was crystal clear for them from the beginning,” says Almaco CEO Björn Stenwall. “Almaco’s role was to support the owner with the optimal material selection, bearing in mind the demand to use local Chinese content, and to do value engineering, where Almaco could present cost savings without compromising quality. We also believe that Almaco’s long experience of working in China was of value to the shipowner. Our long-established advanced modular cabin concept – in combination with the mobile cabin factory concept as well as Almaco’s Chinese operations – were all together benefiting both the shipyard and the shipowner.” A lot of local produce is used in the buffet menu designed by the National Culinary Team of Sweden. Deck 10 was the responsibility of well-known cruise contractor ICF. It managed to cover 4,826 square meters (5,772 square yards or nearly 52,000 square feet) despite pandemic hold-ups. Scenso, the partnership between Finland’s Sance and North Sea Offshore China, was involved in Torget, Conference, Shopping World, Vista Room, Algoth’s and Vista Deck. All in all, the reference list for the Viking Glory represents a truly a cosmopolitan combination of companies suitable for an international cruise ferry that is world class. n Shopping World 42-45.indd 5 42-45.indd 5 25.8.2022 7.21 25.8.2022 7.21
• 46 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 ? GREAT GUYS. GREAT WORK. GREAT CLIENTS. We are Studio DADO. We design more than unforgettable places. We build meaningful relationships. And that makes all the di? erence. DADO is proud of our recent work on Norwegian Cruise Line’s trailblazing Prima—six dining venues, staterooms and suites, and the magni? cent Penrose Atrium. Follow our story @studiodado www.studiodado.com L to R: Yohandel Ruiz, Jorge Mesa, Greg Walton, Enzo, Javier Calle GREAT GUYS. GREAT WORK. GREAT CLIENTS. We are Studio DADO. We design more than unforgettable places. We build meaningful relationships. And that makes all the di? erence. DADO is proud of our recent work on Norwegian Cruise Line’s trailblazing Prima—six dining venues, staterooms and suites, and the magni? cent Penrose Atrium. Follow our story @studiodado www.studiodado.com L to R: Yohandel Ruiz, Jorge Mesa, Greg Walton, Enzo, Javier Calle T he 143,500 gross ton and 3,100passenger Norwegian Prima represents the first completely new class of ships from Norwegian Cruise Line in almost ten years. In 2013, NCL introduced the Norwegian Breakaway; the Breakaway and larger Breakaway Plus classes ultimately numbered six ships, all built at Germany’s Meyer Werft yard in Papenburg. The parent of NCL, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., selected Fincantieri for its new Prima class, as the company’s sister brands Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises have been longtime customers of the Italian shipbuilder. At the Prima’s delivery in Italy on July 29, Harry Sommer, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, said: “Today we usher in a thrilling new era in cruising as we celebrate the delivery of NorSHIP PREVIEW PRIMA INAUGURATES NEW ERA FOR NORWEGIAN Norwegian Cruise Line took delivery of the first of six units in its new Prima class at the end of July from Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard. At presstime, the ship was preparing to welcome its first guests aboard in Reykjavik, Iceland, for a cruise to Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We will publish a complete Passenger Experience Review in our Winter 2022/2023 issue in January wegian Prima, the long-anticipated first ship in our extraordinary new Prima class. She is a true testament to our ‘Guest First’ philosophy as well as our commitment to deliver unforgettable experiences that exceed expectations. We thank our wonderful partners at Fincantieri, whose coveted craftsmanship, expertise, and dedication helped bring Norwegian Prima to life. We cannot wait to welcome our guests onboard.” Among the designers and interior architects of the Norwegian Prima are Studio DADO, SMC Design, Piero Lissoni and Rockwell Group. Frank Del Rio, NCLH President and CEO, gave a special thanks to Studio DADO’s Greg Walton and Yohandel Ruiz. According to Seatrade Cruise News, Del Rio said: “They are the primary reason we are in awe; our jaws are dropping.” Harry Sommer, President and CEO, NCL and Captain Roger Gustavsen Atrium evokes a sense of wonder One of the most striking venues aboard the Norwegian Prima is its multi-deck Penrose Atrium. Designed by Miamibased Studio DADO to evoke the sense of wonder felt by the ocean's earliest explorers, NCL’s first three-story, glass-walled Penrose Atrium – spanning decks 6, 7 and 8 – is one of the focal points on the Norwegian Prima. The grand space boasts futuristic architecture including a largescale chandelier custom built by the renowned Czech lighting design firm Lasvit. The installation was inspired by constellations and features moving light fixtures weighing more than 7,300 pounds (3,311 kilograms). Lining the Penrose Atrium is 46-51 .indd 2 46-51 .indd 2 26.8.2022 7.20 26.8.2022 7.20
• GREAT GUYS. GREAT WORK. GREAT CLIENTS. We are Studio DADO. We design more than unforgettable places. We build meaningful relationships. And that makes all the di? erence. DADO is proud of our recent work on Norwegian Cruise Line’s trailblazing Prima—six dining venues, staterooms and suites, and the magni? cent Penrose Atrium. Follow our story @studiodado www.studiodado.com L to R: Yohandel Ruiz, Jorge Mesa, Greg Walton, Enzo, Javier Calle GREAT GUYS. GREAT WORK. GREAT CLIENTS. We are Studio DADO. We design more than unforgettable places. We build meaningful relationships. And that makes all the di? erence. DADO is proud of our recent work on Norwegian Cruise Line’s trailblazing Prima—six dining venues, staterooms and suites, and the magni? cent Penrose Atrium. Follow our story @studiodado www.studiodado.com L to R: Yohandel Ruiz, Jorge Mesa, Greg Walton, Enzo, Javier Calle 46-51 .indd 3 46-51 .indd 3 26.8.2022 7.20 26.8.2022 7.20
• 48 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 a three-deck-high light feature that conveys the feeling of the sun rising on the horizon and surrounds a three-level piece of wall art that resembles a topographic map. Retail spaces and high-end luxury shops are located throughout the Penrose Atrium’s three levels, including the brand’s newest Starbucks coffee. Penrose is also home to the decanter-inspired Whiskey Bar, offering guests a curated selection of drinks, and the Prima Casino and The Penrose Bar featuring video poker machines. Insights on creating the Penrose Atrium We asked for some insights on designing this area from Studio DADO’s Greg Walton: “In designing the atrium on NCL’s Prima, we were so methodical about researching great public spaces and presenting our findings that the client called us ‘The Professors.’ But it was time well spent. We wanted to define what made a great space great – scale, enclosure, sight lines and so on – and infuse the atrium with those attributes. In the end, it was part science, part design poetry and part technical wizardry. And kudos to Zack Niphatkosalsilp, who led the design charge for Studio DADO,” Walton said. “Removing decks and pillars, dealing with the incessant vibration – not to mention integrating a grand sculptural stair – potentially compromises the structural integrity of the vessel exactly where it is needed most. Why would anyone attempt that? Well, that was exactly the point. The opening is actually asymmetrical, which creates overlapping planes and adds even more complexity to an already complex composition. The result, though, is a space that has places to see and be seen, points of vantage and intimacy. And this is where the technical prowess of Fincantieri and the solid management of IMA, who kept the whole process on the straight and narrow, blends with the design alchemy of DADO. It’s a compelling cocktail of innovation, aesthetics and technology,” he continued. “You can start your day in the atrium watching the sun rise and then come back at sunset or for a pleasant night cap before you make your way to your stateroom. In between, life’s rich pageant unfolds and this is the perfect place to soak it in. We see it as the Piazza San Marco of the ship,” Walton concluded. n n Penrose Atrium 46-51 .indd 4 46-51 .indd 4 26.8.2022 7.20 26.8.2022 7.20
• CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 49 Norwegian Viva will follow next year, but is delayed few weeks 46-51 .indd 5 46-51 .indd 5 26.8.2022 7.20 26.8.2022 7.20
• 15 th & 16 th November Madrid Hotel Meliá Castilla www.internationalcruisesummit.com 2022 The present and future of the worldwide c r u i s e industry The International Cruise Summit is a registered brand and product of Anuncio ICS 2022 v4.indd 1 Anuncio ICS 2022 v4.indd 1 9/2/22 17:53 9/2/22 17:53 T he first two of six vessels within the Prima class have pushed the boundaries of traditional cruise cuisine with the debut of nine new dining and beverage venues including the Metropolitan Bar, the brand’s first sustainably-focused bar. Other major food and beverage updates include the launch of a revamped main dining menu set to rollout on the Norwegian Prima, as well as enhancements to Norwegian’s guest-favorite culinary staples Le Bistro, Cagney’s Steakhouse, Food Republic and the popular Observation Lounge. “We’ve been innovators in the food and beverage space for more than three decades, becoming the first cruise line to offer specialty dining and the first to introduce our ‘Freestyle Cruising’ concept that allows our guests to vacation their way by giving them the choice to decide when and where they dine,” said President Harry Sommer in the spring. “Our latest food and beverage offerings take our Norwegian Prima food and beverage experience to another level, one that travels well beyond the guest expectation to provide elevated gastronomical experiences featuring sophisticated design, masterful mixology and cuisine that delivers full-throttle flavor.” Seven new dining venues are being introduced onboard the Norwegian Prima and forthcoming Norwegian Viva. Making its debut on Norwegian Prima, the all-new Mediterranean seafood specialty restaurant Palomar, set in a relaxing atmosphere, features Mediterranean cuisine made with simple yet sophisticated ingredients. Hasuki – NCL’s new take on traditional hibachi-style dining – boasts an intimate space featuring design elements that invite guests into the artisanship of Japanese influence through minimalist decor, handcrafted pottery and featured Japanese artwork. NCL’s new contemporary sushi house Nama offers guests sushi dishes prepared by master chefs. The venue is set among a whimsical Japanese backdrop inspired by the restaurant’s menu items, including a marble sushi bar meant to be reflective of the marbling in the high-quality sashimi, while subtle orange ambient lighting represents the color of masago (fish roe). Located at the aft of the ship, dining venues with 270-degree views overlooking the stern include the new main dining room Hudson’s and the comfortable yet refined surroundings of The Commodore Room. Both locations feature revamped, extensive fixed menus offering global dishes from Spanish paella and Italian mussels prepared in a white wine sauce to fully vegetarian options such as mushroom risotto and cauliflower piccata. In addition, the new menu boasts a build-your-own-pasta section allowing guests to request a tailormade, classic Italian pasta dish by selecting their choice of pasta, sauce, and topping, providing more than 24 meal combinations. The menu also includes a Specialties section offering dishes from one of the ship’s specialty restaurants. Meanwhile, the Surfside Café and Surfside Grill located on Deck 17 feature a diverse menu with self-serve casual dining and items prepared “a la minute” upon guest request. Sustainably focused and handcrafted libations The Metropolitan Bar premieres under the line’s Sail and Sustain program, serving up responsibly crafted, zero-waste cocktails prepared with surplus ingredients and a fully sustainable spirits menu and biodynamic wines. Created in consultation with The Drinks Business Green Awards 2020 recipient Gerard Bertrand, NCL’s Metropolitan Bar showcases more than 20 biodynamic wines produced using organic farming methods, such as employing compost as fertilizer and avoiding most pesticides. Norwegian has once again partnered with James Beard Award-nominee and Bar-Lab founder Gabe Orta to pair top-notch libations with sustainably focused practices. The Metropolitan Bar’s signature sustainably made cocktail – the “Primadonna” – represents NCL’s twist on an old fashioned and is crafted using surplus banana peels with Flor De Cana rum that is produced with 100% renewable energy. Norwegian collaborated with Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana to introduce and produce responsibly sourced botanical gins distilled specifically for NCL and made using 100% recyclable glass and wood in the bottle’s design. Other new bar and lounge options on the Norwegian Prima and Viva include The Belvedere Bar – a contemporary cocktail lounge featuring crafted cocktails with a modern, fresh take on classic drinks. n NORWEGIAN PRIMA’S ELEVATED DINING NORWEGIAN PRIMA Technical information Length overall: 293.4 m Moulded breadth: 40.50 m Design draught: 8.49 m Service Speed: 20.5 kn Gross tonnage: 143,500 Propulsion: 2 Pods x 16.5 MW DD-GG: 2 x 12V + 3x8L Hudson’s main dining room 50 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 46-51 .indd 6 46-51 .indd 6 26.8.2022 7.20 26.8.2022 7.20
• 15 th & 16 th November Madrid Hotel Meliá Castilla www.internationalcruisesummit.com 2022 The present and future of the worldwide c r u i s e industry The International Cruise Summit is a registered brand and product of Anuncio ICS 2022 v4.indd 1 Anuncio ICS 2022 v4.indd 1 9/2/22 17:53 9/2/22 17:53 46-51 .indd 7 46-51 .indd 7 26.8.2022 7.20 26.8.2022 7.20
• 52 takakansi.indd 1 52 takakansi.indd 1 26.8.2022 6.45 26.8.2022 6.45