by Kevin Griffin
The Dominican Republic was one of the early participants in the Caribbean cruise market and today it is returning to the forefront once more. Elsewhere in the news Holland America Line announced that its next Pinnacle Class ship will be called Ryndam.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
by Kevin Griffin
For more than a decade now, The Cruise Examiner has been taking an interest in cruises that are different from the norm. Columnist Kevin Griffin is now pleased to announce the formation of a new organisation to deal exclusively with small ship cruising, river cruises and expedition cruising. The new company will concentrate on special interest cruises and will go by the name of Culture Cruises Limited.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
by Kevin Griffin
Last week saw the announcement of the name SeaDream Innovation as the line’s third yacht, and first expedition yacht. Able to travel the globe, she is for delivery in 2021. Elsewhere, Dublin surprised the whole world when it announced that it was going to cut the number of cruise calls at its port in half, in favour of cargo. And finally, Viking Cruises’ Viking Sky managed to escape a more serious fate when she managed top recover power on the night of Saturday and Sunday off the west coast of Norway.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
by Kevin Griffin
Last week saw the announcement of the name Seabourn Venture for the first Seabourn expedition ship, as well as the news that she would be built solely by Mariotti. Original joint venture building partner Damen is meanwhile proceeding on its own with an expedition ship order for another operator. From MSC Cruises came new last week of a firm order for four new luxury ships from Fincantieri. And news from Cunard of a July crossing from Liverpool to New York renews an old Cunard connection at Liverpool.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
by Kevin Griffin
This weekend saw the stormy christening of MSC Cruises’ new MSC Bellissima in Southampton, from where she had just departed when this column was completed. Elsewhere in the news, Saga has announced that its new Spirit of Discovery will become an all-inclusive ship earlier than thought, while Holland’s Oceanco have introduced a new expedition yacht design at the Dubai Boat Show.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
by Kevin Griffin
Last week we wrote about world cruises on Silversea’s Silver Cloud and Silver Whisper and Oceania’s Insignia. Now we write about a fourth, leaving from Liverpool and Southampton in January 2021. Elsewhere, the Saga Sapphire will be making her last Canada cruise this year while the Scenic Eclipse will be making her first. And Alaska’s state ferries are threatened with a winter shutdown that will reduce their summer season to just three months.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
by Kevin Griffin
This week we look at three world cruises: the year 2021 year will see the introduction of the world’s first expedition world cruise, when Silversea’s Silver Clould sails between Antarctica and Norway in the months between February and July. At the same time Oceania’s Insignia will be back for another of her extra-long cruises in 2021 and finally, since the Rickmers Round-the-World service ended in 2011, CMA CGM has been the only service available for offering a full circumnavigation by cargo ship.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
by Kevin Griffin
This week look back at some of the more recent expedition ship designs, several of which have seen no orders despite the recent boom in expedition ship orders. And Friday saw the 2,770-berth Scarlet Lady launched in Italy as the third member of a new highly innovative cruise ships for the next generation. Meanwhile, the former supply ship St Helena has evidently found a new life.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
by Kevin Griffin
Last week came news of Virgin Voyages’ planned 4- and 5-night itineraries for its first ship, the Scarlet Lady. One of the itineraries will call on a planned new terminal for Puerto Plata. In Europe, meawhile, a new €8 head tax in Amsterdam has lost the port calls from MSC Cruises and Cruise & Maritime Voyages. And Japan’s NYK, which sold Crystal Cruises to Genting Hong Kong in 2015, is to sell off half its remaining cruise holding.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
by Kevin Griffin
This year sees the introduction into service of Hurtigruten’s new Roald Amundsen and 2020 will see her undertake her first Northwest Passage, which has been delayed a year by her late completion. Elsewhere, Aranui Cruises is ordering a new cruise ship for the South Pacific, for 2022 delivery, and Scylla Cruises of Switzerland has annouced that it will acquire Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Bremen in 2021.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
by Kevin Griffin
When Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth left Southampton on January 3, she began a long series of voyages that will help lay future plans for Cunard’s fourth Queen, a 113,000-ton ship now under construction at Fincantieri. Oceania Cruises, meanwhile, has ordered two more ships not much different in size from the existing Marina and Riviera. And TUI Cruises newest ship, Mein Schiff 2, has now arrived in Germany for completion.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
by Kevin Griffin
With Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam going up against Celebrity Cruises’ new Celebrity Edge from the US, a member of one of the Internet’s many shipping groups has released an interesting comparison of 7-night fares for several popular cruise ships out of Florida in February. Elsewhere, Seattle cointinues to break its own records and together with Vancouver now serves more than two million cruise passengers a year. Finally, we look at a summary of new ships on order for Genting’s various cruise brands – Star, Dream and Crystal.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
by Kevin Griffin
Hurtigruten announced this weekend that it would be adding Alaska to its expanding list of worldwide destinations in 2020, with a program of cruises that will turn at Vancouver and Seward, as well as one that finishes at Nome in preparation for its 2020 Northwest Passage transit. Down in Chile, meanwhile, progress continues on Antarctica 21’s new Magellan Explorer. And in New York, there is talk about bringing the former North Atlantic speed queen United States into a project that Google are involved in as a tenant.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
by Kevin Griffin
Every once in a while a hotel opens somewhere that might appeal to travellers by sea. This week we examine Oslo’s The Amerikalinja, once the headquarters of the Norwegian America Line. Elsewhere, christenening ceremonies have been scheduled for the new Chinese-based Costa Venezia for Trieste in early March. And next month sees the introduction by Pampa Cruises of Argentina of its 510-berth Arrecife, which has just been acquired from owners in Cyprus.
Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner
