A Royal Godmother for New Ship

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge – Royal Princess^®

June 13, 2013 | Southampton, England

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (Catherine Elizabeth "Kate"; née Middleton), the wife of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, has graciously accepted Princess Cruises' invitation to become the Godmother of Royal Princess.

The Duchess is admired around the world for her style and grace, The Duchess has had a major impact on British fashion and was named on of "The 100 Most Influential People in the World" by Time Magazine in 2012. She is a supporter of several British charities including The Art Room, Action on Addiction, East Anglia's Children's Hospice, the National Portrait Gallery and the Scout Association.

Tradition & Royalty

Like her namesake that debuted in 1984, the new Royal Princess is indeed a special ship, inspiring an equally special godmother. The ship will be officially named  in a spectacular ceremony on 13 June 2013 in the port of Southampton, that will combine some nautical traditions, special British elements and contemporary touches.

The ceremony will uphold British ship-naming traditions including the blessing, a performance by the Royal Marines Band and the pipers of the Irish Guards, together with contemporary highlights.

Alan Buckelew, the line’s president and CEO said “It is a great honor for Princess Cruises that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge has accepted our invitation to become the Godmother to Royal Princess. We are delighted that the Duchess will launch our new ship and can think of no better way to celebrate our company’s British heritage and our commitment to the country.”

Inaugural Year

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Royal Princess will arrive at the Ocean Terminal in Southampton on Friday, June 7, where she will commence a series of events for customers and travel agents, including a special naming gala on the evening of Wednesday, June 12. The ship’s inaugural celebrations will conclude with her maiden voyage on June 16.

Two preview cruises will take place (June 9 and June 14). The cruises will sail round-trip from Southampton on a two-night itinerary which calls in St. Peter Port, Guernsey.   Following the inaugural voyage, Royal Princess will sail 12-night cruises out of Barcelona and Venice throughout the summer. A sister ship, Regal Princess, will arrive in spring 2014. 

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"Royal Princess"

 The largest ship ever built by the Italian group 

Earlier this month, Royal Princess completed its sea trials, a major milestone during the construction of a new ship.

The construction of "Royal Princess" consolidates Fincantieri’s primacy in building the largest passenger ships in Italian shipbuilding history. In fact, at 141,000 gross tons, 330 metres long and 38 metres wide, the new ship is the largest ship ever built by Fincantieri.

It has 1,780 cabins, of which 1,438 with balconies (81% of the total), and is able to accommodate 3,600 passengers, with total capacity for over 5,600 people including crew. 

Attending the ceremony for Princess Cruises were Alan Buckelew, President and CEO, Rai Caluori, Vice President Fleet Operations, and Stuart Hawkins, Vice President Newbuilding. 

Representing Fincantieri were, among others, Gabriele Cocco, Executive Senior Vice President Merchant Vessels, and Carlo De Marco, Shipyard Manager.

Godmother of the ceremony was Victoria Nash, Captain Nick Nash’s daughter, who was christened on board of the first Royal Princess.

As an innovative prototype for a new ground-breaking class of ship, "Royal Princess" stands out for its new "future-proof design", not only in terms of layout and state-of-the-art performance, but also because it complies with the most recent regulations in shipping.  

Among the keystones of this trend are the rational use of space, with the aim of avoiding any wasted tonnage that would otherwise increase operating costs, and energy saving to reduce emissions into the atmosphere and water. The ship will be able to adapt to every possible type of cruise, operating from Alaska to Australia, even in environmentally protected areas where navigation is restricted.

A New Princess is Born

WORK BEGINS ON "REGAL PRINCESS" 

New Flagship of 

Princess Cruises Fleet 

The start of construction of the new "Regal Princess" passenger ship was marked with the laying of its keel, weighing approximately 500 tons, during a ceremony held today at the  Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. .
 

Official Start of Construction

We've mentioned on several occasions that the official start of construction of a new ship begins when the first block of steel is laid.   It is known as the laying of the keel.   This tradition includes the laying of a ceremonial coin to bring good fortune.

Regal & Royal Princess

Princess Cruises ordered two ships from Fincantieri shipyard.  "Regal Princess" will be the second of two ships ordered from Fincantieri in 2010, both of which using the same prototype design. It will therefore have the same record-breaking vital statistics as "Royal Princess", the largest ship ever built in Italian shipbuilding history: 141,000 gross tons, with a capacity for 3,600 passengers.

These ships represent a new technological benchmark in Europe and worldwide for their innovative layout, and the outstanding performance and top quality of their state-of-the-art technology.

Regal Princess also takes a name from our past that we think is well suited for this spectacular ship,” said Alan Buckelew, president and CEO of Princess Cruises. “Today’s keel laying is an exciting event as it marks a key milestone in our newbuilding program.”

Following a traditional blessing by a priest, the ship’s keel was moved into position by a huge crane onto the keel blocks. The computer-guided maneuver took only minutes, but is a major accomplishment for Princess Cruises and the shipyard.

Regal Princess will offer many of the same special features as Royal Princess, which debuts in June 2013. Among these are a greatly expanded atrium, the social hub of the ship; a dramatic over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending more than 28 feet beyond the edge of the vessel; plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on the water; the new Princess Live! television studio; a pastry shop; a special Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; and balconies on all outside staterooms.

Carnival Breeze Delivered

Welcome Carnival Breeze

Carnival Cruise Lines, Miami, FL, took delivery of the 130,000-gross ton Carnival Breeze at a traditional maritime handover ceremony held on May 31 at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

Carnival Breeze is a sister ship of the Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic, which were delivered by the Monfalcone shipyard in 2009 and 2011, respectively.

3,690-Passenger 'Fun Ship' Departs Sunday from Venice on Inaugural 12-Day Cruise

Carnival Breeze will depart on its inaugural cruise from Venice this Sunday, June 3, operating a special 12-day Mediterranean cruise that ends in Barcelona June 15. Following a summer schedule of 12-day Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona that runs through October 25, Carnival Breeze will reposition to Miami for year-round six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises beginning November 24, becoming Carnival Cruise Lines' largest South Florida-based ship.

"Carnival Breeze represents the continued evolution of our product, offering a huge array of branded experiences for our guests and inviting public spaces each with its own personality and character, all enhanced by the spirited fun that makes a Carnival cruise so memorable," said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO. 

Carnival Breeze Firsts

• Thrill Theater, an immersive multi-dimensional special effects experience that makes viewers feel as if they're part of the movie
• Bonsai Sushi, a full-service sushi restaurant
• Fat Jimmy's C-Side BBQ, a free open-air barbecue venue
• Comfort Kitchen, a casual poolside spot for American-style comfort food
• Guy's Burger Joint, developed in tandem with Food Network personality Guy Fieri
• BlueIguana Cantina, a Mexican-themed dining venue
• Cucina del Capitano, a family-style Italian restaurant that brings the heritage of Carnival's captains to the table
• "Fun Ship 2.0" , all entertainment elements, including Hasbro, The Game Show

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Breezing Along in the Adriatic

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Important Milestone 

Reached

Less than a month away from its inaugural sailing, Carnival Breeze completed one of the final milestones in the shipbuilding process, sea trials.

A contingent of officials and technicians were onboard Carnival Breeze testing the navigation, technical, and mechanical systems. This aerial photo shows the ship breezing along nicely somewhere in the Adriatic Sea.  Following the successful completion of the sea trials, workers at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, will put the finishing touches on the ship and prepare to turn over the keys to Carnival Corporation PLC.

Carnival Breeze's sister ship, Carnival Magic, is about to complete its inaugural year of sailing as the new ship takes to the waters.   The ships are similar, but not identical.   The inaugural sailing is June 3rd from Venice, Italy.

Carnival Breeze will offer a variety of innovations, including the line’s first Thrill Theater, an immersive multi-dimensional special effects experience that makes viewers feel as if they’re part of the movie, along with popular features such as WaterWorks, with fun water slides and attractions, and SportSquare, an expansive top-deck recreation area with a ropes course, mini-golf, an outdoor fitness area and more.

Exclusive to Carnival Breeze is Bonsai Sushi, the line’s first full-service sushi restaurant, and Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ, an open-air dining venue featuring a variety of grilled barbecue favorites and traditional sides.

Carnival Breeze sets sail for Mediterranean cruises out of Barcelona after completing it's inaugural sailing from Venice.  Those cruises will run through October 25th at which time it will complete a 15-day repositioning cruise to Miami where it will take up its new homeport of Miami.  The ship will sail six and eight day Caribbean cruises on a year-round basis starting November 24th.



Ship Profile | Itineraries & Pricing | Deck Plans | Dining Menus |   Wine Lists | Kids Programs | Ship Reviews | Photos

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Carnival Magic Completes Sea Trials

Carnival Magic                                                     Credit: Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Magic

Carnival Cruise Lines’ newest ship, the 130,000-ton Carnival Magic, is shown here during sea trials in the Adriatic Sea. Following sea trials, Carnival Magic returned to the Fincantieri shipyard to undergo final interior outfitting before its inaugural May 1 cruise.

Completes a Major Milestone

Currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, the 3,690-passenger vessel had a full contingent of officers, technicians and engineers on board who thoroughly tested the Carnival Magic’s sophisticated navigation and mechanical systems.

Click to Start VIDEO:  Fincantieri

Following sea trials, Carnival Magic returned to Monfalcone, where it is undergoing final interior outfitting prior to its delivery late next month. Watch this video to learn more about Fincantieri Shipbuilders, one of the finest in the industry.

Carnival Magic Sea Trials             Credit: Carnival Cruise Lin

Innovations on the Magic

As the line’s newest “Fun Ship,” the 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic will introduce a host of innovations, including the Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub; Cucina del Capitano, a family-style Italian restaurant that brings Carnival’s Italian heritage to the table; and SportSquare, an action-packed top-deck recreation area featuring cruising’s first ropes course and outdoor fitness area.

Carnival Magic is set to debut in Europe with a series of seven- to 12-day Mediterranean cruises operating May 1 – Oct. 16, 2011.  Following a 16-day trans-Atlantic crossing, Carnival Magic will launch seven-day Caribbean service from Galveston, Texas, Nov. 14, 2011, becoming the port’s largest year-round cruise ship.

Cunard Line Takes Delivery of Queen Elizabeth

Pictured: Cunard President Peter Shanks symbolically holds the keys to Queen Elizabeth, which he handed over to
Captain Christopher Wells

Newest Cunard Ocean Liner 

Queen Elizabeth

Cunard Line has taken delivery of Queen Elizabeth  – the second largest Cunarder ever built and the third new liner for the luxury cruise vacation company in six years. 


The Handover Ceremony took place today on board the new 92,400-ton vessel at the Fincantieri Monfalcone shipyard. The event included a speech by Cunard President Peter Shanks. The Italian flag was ceremonially lowered and the Blue Ensign was raised, marking the entry of another magnificent Cunard liner into the Register of British Shipping.

“This ceremony to mark the completion of the Queen Elizabeth and our acceptance of delivery, is just the first of a number of significant events over the next few weeks – including the ship’s official naming by Her Majesty The Queen in Southampton on Monday 11 October,” said Shanks. “I’m certain the British will take this truly magnificent ship to their hearts, as they have all the Cunard Queens.”

Queen Elizabeth is due to leave the shipyard on 30 September and sail to Southampton, where she will berth at the Ocean Cruise Terminal on Friday 8 October.

Queen Elizabeth will depart on her Maiden Voyage at 5:00pm on Tuesday 12 October. She is s one of the largest panamax vessels, i.e. capable of passing through the Panama canal. Mini and luxury suites abound on board the superbly finished “Queen Elizabeth” whose 1,046 cabins can accommodate over 2,500 guests assisted by a crew of 1,097.