CRUISE NEWS:

On this page, additional information will be given on interesting news concerning cruises and cruise ships. The intention is to renew this page on a regular base. The current information consists of the following items. For expired news items please go to page archive.

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*MSC orders 2 Musica class.
* Glorius return of ss.Rotterdam
*Pacific Sun in bad weather again
*Queen Elizabeth-2” the end is near
*Eurodam first visit Rotterdam
*Prince Albert II Silversea new expedition ship
*Central Park on board
* Club Cruise sold Da Vinci (ex.Finnjet) and Astoria.
*Louis Cruises Aquire NCL ships
*Joint venture TUI Cruises and Royal Caribbean (Update)
*Queen Beatrix to christen the Eurodam
*MSC Poesia is the first MSC newbuilds to be christened abroad
*Celebrity orders fith Solstice -class ship
*Pride of Aloha from Hawaii
*Apollo buys Regent and forms holding company
* Queen Victoria the last one in 2007
*Expedition cruise ship Explorer sunk
* Eurodam naming ceremony to be held in Rotterdam
* Dutch Club Cruise aquired New-Flamenco  and Finnjet
*New orders for Fincantieri from Cunard and Costa
*Silversea buys expedition ship World Discoverer
*Second ship for easyCruise.
*Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced a new French cruise brand.
*Apollo invest $ 1 billion in NCL Corp. to take 50% stake.
*QE-2 Retirement
* Bankruptcy after bankruptcy
 

MSC orders 2 Musica class.

Naples aug.14 - 2008 Despite on the economic situation the rapidly expanding Naples based cruise operator MSC Cruises has signed a contract with Aker Yards for the fifth and sixth unit of the 93,500 gross ton Musica class newbuildings.
The vessels will be built at Aker Yards, Saint-Nazaire and delivered in February 2011 and February 2012 respectively. The contract is still subject to financing,” Aker Yards said in a statement. Each ship will have 2,550 lower berths.
MSC Poesia, third unit of the class, was introduced in April and MSC Magnifica, the fourth ships, is due in 2010. The company also has two 133,500 gross ton newbuildings on order at the same builder and MSC Fantasia, the first of them is due to enter service in December this year and MSC Splendida in 2009.

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Glorius return of ss.Rotterdam:

Rotterdam aug.4-2008 Thousands of spectators stood along the New Waterway when the ss. "Rotterdam" return home on Aug.4 - 2008 almost 49 year after her birthday. At about 4 pm. she entered the New Waterway. Towed by four Kotugs tugboats to her final destination at the 3e Katendrechtse Hoofd at Maashaven where she was moored ...................

Please read more and watch many images >>>>

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Pride of Aloha withdraw from Hawaii: 

Miami/Honolulu, Feb 12 - 2008 Lots of people in Hawaii as well as passengers booked on NCL America cruises this summer were surprised  to hear that Pride of Aloha will be leaving the NCLA fleet as early as May, leaving Pride of America to be the only US-flagged ship sailing within Hawaii, and its 7-day itinerary will also be modified in May.Commenting on Pride of Aloha’s withdrawal from Hawaii service – leaving NCL America a one-ship operation for the near future, president and ceo Colin Veitch again blamed foreign-flag competition for driving down pricing. The first ship leaving NCLA fleet was the Pride of Hawaii now sailing for NCL under the name of Norwegian Jade. Pride of Aloha will go to Star Cruises for cruises in the Far East.
 

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Apollo buys Regent and forms holding company:

Minneapolis -dec 11-2007 Private equity investor Apollo Management L.P. is increasing its involvement in the cruise market. It has agreed to acquire the Regent Seven Seas Cruises operations of Carlson Companies, Inc. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2008 subject to normal conditions for a transaction of this type, including regulatory approval The cruise operations will continue as a key part of the global Regent brand. Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises will be placed under the ownership of Prestige Cruise Holdings, Inc. (PCH), a corporation controlled by Apollo which will manage certain cruise portfolio assets of Apollo. NCL Corporation will remain a separate holding outside of PCH. Regent Seven Seas Cruises will remain a wholly independent brand under the guidance of Mark Conroy, president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises,and will continue to operate from its Fort Lauderdale, Florida headquarters, and Oceania Cruises will remain in its Miami headquarters, headed by Bob Binder, president of Oceania Cruises. Both Binder and Conroy will report directly to Frank Del Rio, chairman and CEO of Prestige Cruise Holdings. The transaction is part of a unified strategy undertaken by Apollo and Carlson to expand their respective core cruise and hotel operations, and become the world's pre-eminent operators of luxury hotels, resorts andcruises. Carlson will retain ownership of the master Regent brand, along with the worldwide operations of Regent Hotels & Resorts

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Queen Victoria the last one in 2007:

Southampton - dec. 11-2007 Queen Victoria the last cruiseship deliverd  in 2007. This ship will be more or less similar to HAL's line of Vista-class vessels, but with Cunard's own twists in the design and slightly larger. In September 2004 the design was enlarged as part of an order of four other ships from Fincantieri. It was originally slated for 88,000 tons and a capacity of 1968. Eleven meters were added to the length raising the tonnage to 90,049 and increasing the capacity to 2014, but the ship will still be able to transit the Panama Canal. Cunard takes delivery of the Queen Victoria on Nov.24. The ceremony, take place on board the new vessel at the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard. Queen Victoria is due to leave the shipyard on 30 November, and sail to Southampton. Cunard’s new ocean liner, will be named by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall, in the presence of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, during a spectacular ceremony to be held in Southampton on Monday 10 December. The Maiden Voyage starts on Tuesday 11 December. For more technical info and images please go to: http://www.nedcruise.info/queen_victoria.htm

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Expedition cruise ship Explorer sunk:

Punta Arenas nov.23-2007 The dramatic story of ice-classed expedition cruise ship  EXPLORER sinking off Argentina's coast in the Antarctic Ocean after striking an underwater object likely an iceberg. All 154 passengers and crew have been safely evacuated to 11,386 gt NORDNORGE by life rafts. The Nordnorge was also involved with the rescue, earlier this year, of the stranding of sistership Nordkapp in the same area. The 2,393 gt expedition ship remains at a 30 degree list to starboard in Bransfield Strait off King George Island.  She sunk in about 15 hours time. The weather condition was pretty good for that area because it can change very rapid. The 1969-built Explorer owned by Canadian Gap Shipping, a subsidiary of Gap Adventures and fly the Liberian flag. Antarctica is an unforgiving maritime environment but there is risk to cruising her waters.Lloyd’s List has discovered that the vessel had five deficiencies at its last inspection, including missing search and rescue plans and lifeboat maintenance problems. Watertight doors were described as 'not as required' and the fire safety measures also attracted criticism.

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Eurodam naming ceremony to be held in Rotterdam:

Seattle/Rotterdam nov.5-2007 Holland - America Line will hold the official naming ceremony for the Eurodam on  July 1, 2008, in Rotterdam the city where the 135-year-old Dutch company was founded. The naming will be held near the company’s original headquarters, now the Hotel New York. A number of events and activities are being planned. The name of the ship's godmother is not mentioned yet. The ship arrives June 29 for four days of celebration and departs July 2 on a three-day prelude cruise to Copenhagen - Denmark. To reach Rotterdam the Eurodam will sail from Venice, Italy, to Southampton, England. Events will be held in both cities to showcase the ship. Fincantieri shipyard and Holland America Line will celebrate the ship’s completion in Venice.

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Dutch Club Cruise aquired New-Flamenco and Finnjet:

Veenendaal  nov. 3 - 2007 Dutch Club Cruise has purchased  the New-Flamenco. The fast expanding Dutch company acquired its fifth ship. The New-Flamenco, the former Flamenco of deduct Festival Cruises is currently on charter, sailing  for Spanish Globelia/Travelplan. The owner of the ship was Fulton Shipping Inc.- Panama an affiliated  Ravenscroft Shipmanagement company. The New-Flamenco built in 1972 as Spirit of London meet 17.042 tons. Passenger capacity based on two is 798 persons.The price was not disclosed. Change of ownership will be effected on nov. 6. The New-Flamenco will not be renamed.

The ship will be deployed from january 1 -2008 for the first 6-9 month's as hotelship in New-Caledonia. After this period end 2008 the ship will on charter to Japanese Peaceboat organisation for approx. 5 years.

3 Weeks after the company's acquisition of New-Flamenco Dutch-based Club Cruise has acquired FINNJET. This fast ferry powered by gas-turbines of in total 55.000 kW and a max. speed of 32 knots was owned by Silja Line a Sea Container company. Ferry operations in the Baltic mainly between Finland and Germany was ended sept. 2005. After that time she stint as an accommodation ship at New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina until june 2006. Until the purchase by Club Cruise she has been laid up in the Bahamas. To save fuel consumption 2 diesel electric powerplants of in total 11.400 kW have been added in 1981. Its  reduced the speed to 18.5 knots mostly used in winterperiod sailings. No details have emerged as to what it intends to do with the ship, however to use the Finnjet as a cruise ship an important refurbishment in accommodation as well in powerplants is necessary. Club Cruise owns the van Gogh-Albatros-Astoria-Jules Verne ( in 2008 renamed in Alexander von Humboldt) - New-Flamenco and the Finnjet. All ships are chartered out.

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New orders for Fincantieri:

Italy October 10 and 18 - 2007 First order came from Cunard. Cunard has signed an order with Fincantieri to build a new 2,092–passenger ocean liner, at an all-in cost of approximately €500m. The 92,000gt vessel, to be called Queen Elizabeth, will be the second largest Cunarder ever built and is scheduled to enter service in the autumn of 2010. The Queen has given her blessing to our calling this new Cunarder 'Queen Elizabeth', after our first vessel of that name." The new ship follows a long line of famous Cunard liners stretching back to the company's inception as the first operator of a timetabled transatlantic service 167 years ago.

Second from Costa Crociere. Costa Crociere, the leading cruise line in Italy and Europe, has announced an order for two new 114,200-ton ships to be delivered in 2011 and 2012. Costa Crociere S.p.a,  signed an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of the two new vessels at an all-in cost of approximately €1 billion (€510 million per ship). The two new ships will be built at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard and will be sister ships to the Costa Concordia, Costa Serena and Costa Pacifica, the latter of which is currently being built at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard. The new ships will each be able to accommodate 3,780 passengers in total (including all upper berths) or 3,012 guests based on double occupancy. Both Cunard and Costa are units of Carnival Corporation & plc

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Silversea buys expedition ship World Discoverer:

Monaco September 25 - 2007  Silversea Cruises' parent company, Silversea Cruises Group Ltd., announced today that it has purchased the expedition ship World Discoverer. The company took delivery of the vessel in Singapore on September 17. The ship will undergo a multi-million dollar refurbishment before it begins service in spring 2008.
Acquisition Opens Door to Antarctic Explorations We believe that exploration cruises can combine extremely well with an utterly exclusive product. With the addition of World Discoverer, our current fleet increases to five ships and to six in 2009, offering a more-expansive cruise schedule that encompasses all seven continents.The 6,072-ton vessel also boasts a strengthened hull with the highest Lloyd's Register ice-class notation (1A), appropriate for navigating waters, without an escort, in some of the world's most remote regions, including Antarctica.
New name and more details concerning the refurbishment will given shortly.

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Second ship for easyCruise:

Cyprus Sept.11 - 2007 easyCruise has acquired a second ship, to be named easyCruise Life, which will join the fleet with a new seven-day cruise to the Greek Islands and Turkey starting next spring.
The 1981-built ship, formerly The Jasmine, was sold by Mano Maritime last August and is currently sailing as Farah, operated by International Maritime Investments out of Jordan
easyCruise is due to take delivery in October before undertaking a refurbishment programme. easyCruise Life will have capacity of around 500 lower berths compared to easyCruiseOne’s 232. From April 2008, easyCruise Life will sail to six Greek islands, from Syros and Samos to Kalymnos, Kos, Paros and Mykonos for a 24-hour stay. easyCruise will visit Turkey for the first time with a full day and night in Bodrum. Customers can choose where to join the cruise – in Athens on Saturday or in Bodrum on Monday. The newbuilding programme for up to four new ships is still on the agenda although ‘not far on’ from when originally announced in 2005.

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Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced a new French cruise brand.

Miami, Sept. 12 - 2007 Continuing its expansion in Europe, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced a new French cruise brand.CDF Croisieres de France, committed to the French market. The new brand will begin sailing its first ship, Bleu de France, in May, 2008, after the ship has completed extensive renovations and undergone a cultural transformation wholly adapting the brand experience to French tastes.The onboard experience of Bleu de France's guests will be totally French, from cuisine to entertainment to decor. French will be the language used on the ship as well.The Bleu de France will be the former Holiday Dream of Pullmantur.
The ship will sail a Mediterranean itinerary, departing from Marseille, France, starting in Spring, 2008. It will shift to a Caribbean routing,
sailing out of La Romana, Dominican Republic, beginning in Winter, 2008-2009.

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APOLLO INVEST $ 1 Bn. IN NCL Corp. TO TAKE 50% STAKE:

Miami, August  17 - 2007 NCL Corporation Ltd. (NCLC) parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and NCL America, announced today that private equity group, Apollo Management, has agreed to make a $1 billion cash equity investment in the recapitalised NCLC. Star Cruises is retaining all its existing stock in NCL and will be a 50% owner of the recapitalized company. The company is not being sold. The investment, in the form of common stock alongside NCL’s existing sole shareholder, Star Cruises, is designed to strengthen NCL’s balance sheet and its continued growth, NCL said in a statement.
Today's news follows the Star's suspension of its share trading in HongKong and Singaporeon Monday, pending the release of price-sensitive information. Following the transaction, expected to be closed in 4Q07, Apollo will have three members on the NCL board, and Star Cruises will have two, giving Apollo effective control (although Star will retain "certain consent rights with respect to expenditures, acquisitions and divestitures, indebtedness, etc."). Proceeds will be used to pay down debt and increase liquidity for NCL's newbuilding programme. Also, Apollo and Star will enter into a sub-agreement related to NCL's US-flag Hawaii operations, providing for "deferred consideration to be paid to Star by NCL in the future". That agreement is designed to support NCL-America  business in the near term and permit NCL America time to realise the benefits of various measures to raise yields and lower turnover.
Apollo and Star also agreed to allow time to see if recently implemented actions can turn around the struggling U.S.-flag operations. Meanwhile, Star will continue to underwrite NCL America’s losses, up to $50m, after which the losses will be split by Star and NCL. Should the operation be discontinued, plans include the transfer of one ship to Star and one ship to NCL’s international fleet.
Apollo acquired last February an unspecified controlling in interest in Oceania Cruises that valued the company at $850 million.
There will be no change in NCL’s management or day to day operations, according to Steve Martinez, partner of Apollo Management. The company has no immediate plans to increase its stake in NCL nor to combine it with Oceania Cruises, in which Apollo invested $850m earlier this year, he added.

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QE-2 RETIREMENT:

London June 18- 2007- Cunard has set the date for the end of an era. Queen Elizabeth 2 will retire in November 2008, but unlike so many other classic ships, it will certainly live on because Cunard has sold it to Istithmar,the investment arm of Dubai World,who will restore it and pour the funds into it which are necessary to maintain it.The QE2 will be delivered to Dubai World in November 2008, where she will cease her role as an ocean-going passenger vessel and be refurbished and adapted for her new home as a first class tourism destination. From 2009,the vessel will be berthed at a specially-constructed pier at The Palm Jumeirah, the world’s largest man-made island,to create a luxury floating hotel, retail and entertainment destination.The ship, which was delivered in 1969.Is the longest-serving ship in Cunard’s 168-year history, and was their longestserving flagship. She has undertaken 25 world cruises, has crossed the Atlantic more than 800 times and has carried more than 2.5 million passengers. The cost of the deal is said to be worth US $ 100 million.

For shipdetails and images please visit: http://www.nedcruise.info/queen%20elizabeth%202.htm

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BANKRUPTCY AFTER BANKRUPTCY:

Due to the tremendous new-building programs and of course the Sept. 11 tragedy many cruise lines went for chapter 11 protection or bankruptcy. The most of them will never survive in future. Here are the facts who are following?
List is based on situation Sept. 2000 until this moment. Dates are the first date, that financial trouble came into publication. Some of the bankruptcs are described in detail on the page News or Archive.

PREMIER CRUISE LINE - USA:  Sept.19-2000

COMMODORE CRUISE LINE - USA: Dec.30-2000

RENAISSANCE CRUISES - USA :  Sept. 25 - 2001

AMERICAN CLASSIC VOYAGES - USA: October 19 - 2001

REGAL CRUISES Inc. -USA:  April 28 - 2003

SUN BAY - CRUISES -GERMANY:  Sept. - 2003

OCEAN CLUB CRUISES - MARSHALL ISLANDS:  Jan. 10 - 2004

FIRST EUROPEAN/FESTIVAL CRUISES- GREECE/FRANCE;  March 8-2004

SOCIETY EXPEDITIONS - GERMANY: June 26 - 2004

ATW CRUISES -SAFEZONE - AUSTRALIA:  Dec. - 2004

ROYAL OLYMPIA CRUISES - GREECE:  Januari 2005

HOLIDAY KREUZFAHRTEN - GERMANY   Sept. - 2006

WINDJAMMER BAREBOAT CRUISES    Oct. 2007

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