Holland America has announced that their newest flagship will be named Koningsdam. Full press release at the bottom of this post if you’re curious about the naming choice. Externally, she’s definitely still a vista class. This class is the base…
MSC Armonia is currently in two pieces as the new center piece is floated into place. The process is called Stretching a ship. She is split into two and then a new [usually 75-150ft long] midsection is welded together. NCL…
After much speculation, the Celebrity Century will leave the fleet in 2015 and sail for China’s Ctrip. She will actually be sold to Exquisite Marine Ltd. which will act as a holding company for Ctrip. The transfer of ownership will occur in April…
Official Statement from NCL: Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., a leading global cruise operator, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Prestige Cruises International, Inc. (“Prestige”), the market leader in the upscale cruise segment and parent…
UPDATE: If anyone is interested in learning more about Prestige, here is their website. via Reuters: Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd NCHL.O, the world’s third largest cruise operator, is in advanced talks to acquire peer Prestige Cruises International Inc for…
A minority of residents in Venice have long been opposed to the cruise industry’s operations in their city. The Concordia accident on the other side of Italy in 2012 didn’t help. Last November the city council announced a ban on…
from Carnival: Beginning in March 2015, the Carnival Liberty and Carnival Valor will swap homeports with the Carnival Liberty shifting to San Juan to operate year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises, a program currently operated by Carnival Valor. At the same time,…
Holland America Line recently celebrated the keel laying of its newest vessel. HAL’s newest flagship is being constructed at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy. A 680-ton block was lowered into the drydock by a crane. The various parts will be now…
Peter Knego of MaritimeMatters has a great story about a trip he is currently on. While cruising along the Norwegian coast, the Norwegian coastal ship he was on received a distress call from a nearby vessel. The 1964-built MV Lofoten…
from Princess: A new, cool nighttime experience will debut on Regal Princess in November, enabling guests to enjoy a chic and contemporary outdoor nightclub under the stars. The new nightclub, Night Sky Lounge, will debut in November when the ship…