Norwegian Getaway Delivered

Norwegian Getaway Courtesy MEYER WERFT

 "First New Cruise Ship 

for 2014" 

Honors goes to Norwegian Cruise Line as it took delivery of Norwegian Getaway from MEYER WERFT in Bremerhaven, Germany today.  The 145,655 gross ton cruise ship, second in the Breakaway Class ships, took only 15 months to be built by the German shipbuilder.

Norwegian Getaway Delivery  Courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Getaway is now sailing to Rotterdam for the start of inaugural festivities which will continue in Southampton before the ship departs for her transatlantic cruise to New York, where she will meet her sister for the first time. The ship will be christened in Miami, her home port, on February 7.

Dimension	146.600 BRZ
Length overall	325,70 m
Moulded breadth	39,7 m
Number of decks	18
Draught	8,30 m
Engine output	62.400 kW in total
Propulsion power	35.000 kW
Speed	21,5 kn
Number of passengers	4,028
Number of passenger cabins	2,014
Number of outside cabins (including suites)	1,506
Number of inside cabins	508
Crew	ca. 1.640
Number of theatre seats	815
Number of dining options	27
Total weight of applied paint	ca. 300 t
Total length of laid cables	2.154 km
Total length of laid pipes	ca. 400 km
Flag	Bahamas
Classification	DNV

In a joint press release, Norwegian Cruise Line and MEYER WERFT commented on the achievements of this new ship build:

 “The team at MEYER WERFT, along with our new build team, has done an amazing job on Norwegian Getaway and we are thrilled with how spectacular the ship looks,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s chief executive officer. “Norwegian Breakaway revolutionized cruising with its Waterfront and strong connection to New York. Norwegian Getaway will do the same as Miami’s ultimate ship, offering the only way to cruise the Caribbean from Miami with a plethora of incredible features.” 

“We are more than thrilled to deliver the second Breakaway class vessel to Norwegian Cruise Line ahead of her original schedule,” said Bernard Meyer, managing partner with MEYER WERFT. “Norwegian Getaway is the newest and most advanced cruise vessel on the seas and we are proud of the team that worked diligently to design and build her.” 

Congratulations Norwegian Cruise Line and MEYER WERFT on an amazing new vessel.  Having sailed on Norwegian Breakaway last year, we are certain this will be an excellent addition to the fleet.

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

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

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Hasbro The Game Show Coming Soon to Sea

Introducing Fun Ship 2.0 

Carnival Corp. Places Orders With Fincantieri Shipbuilders

Welcome to Carnival Breeze - the 24th Ship in the Carnival Cruise Line Fun Ship Fleet

Carnival Corp. Takes Delivery of Carnival Magic

Carnival Magic Becomes 100th Ship for Carnival Corporation

Carnival Corporation took delivery of their newest ship, Carnival Magic, from Italian shipbuilders, Fincantieri.  Carnival's fleet of ships encompasses highly-recognizable brands, including: Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Costa Cruises, Holland America Line, P & O Cruises, AIDA Cruises, Cunard Line, Ibero Cruises, Ocean Village, P & O Cruises Australia and the Yachts of Seabourn.

Carnival Magic is the sister ship of 130,000 ton Carnival Dream which entered into service for Carnival Cruise Lines in 2009.  These ships are the largest passenger ships in the history of Italian shipbuilding. Carnival Magic has more cabins than it's sister ship - 1,845 - plus 746 cabins for the crew, providing accommodation for over 6,000 passengers and crew. 60% of the cabins have a sea view or private balcony.

With the delivery of Carnival Magic, the corporation now has it's 100th vessel at sea, 23 of which are for the brand Carnival Cruise Line.   This is quite an accomplishment for the corporation that started operations with just a single ship, the 27,250-ton Mardi Gras, in 1972.  

Micky Arison, who now runs Carnival Corp. made the following remarks:

"It is particularly meaningful that delivery of (Carnival Corp.'s) 100th ship is for the Carnival Cruise Lines brand, which provided the foundation upon which (the company) was established and, ultimately, grew into the largest cruise operator in the world." 

  
Celebrating a Milestone

Planning a ship building, delivery, and inaugural events takes years of preparation.   Carnival Corp. planned a special celebration for this cruise industry milestone.

Friday, April 29, 2011 will go down in history as a momentous occasion, however, Carnival Corp. will not be the center of attention as they might have hoped.   As you all know, there is a Royal Wedding taking place in London, England, which will undoubtedly overshadow Carnival's celebration.

Nevertheless, Carnival is proceeding with their plans to celebrate the arrival of its 100th ship on Friday with a champagne toast at dinner on every one of its vessels. The company says it estimates more than 227,000 customers will take part in the celebration in what it believes will be the largest event of its kind ever at sea.

Congratulations Carnival Corp. on this major cruise industry accomplishment.  We look forward to sending many guests on magical cruise vacations in the future.

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Learn more about Carnival Magic: Ship Profile | Itineraries & Pricing | Deck Plans | Dining Menus   Wine Lists | Kids Programs | Ship Reviews | Photos

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RCI Has the Keys to the Allure of the Seas

Juha Heikinheimo, President, STX Finland and Richard Fain, Chairman and
CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. at the delivery of Allure of the Seas
Photo Courtesy Royal Caribbean International

Today on 28 October 2010, the world's largest and most innovative cruise ship, the Allure of the Seas, was delivered by STX's Turku Shipyard to the American shipowners Royal Caribbean International.  Allure of the Seas is the sister ship of  Oasis of the Seas delivered a year ago. 

What's it like to sign a piece of paper authorizing the payment of One Billion USD (that's with a "B")?  Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD., Richard Fain, can tell you.

In an official closing ceremony there were only two documents signed of the hundreds that were done behind the scenes.   In his blog post, She’s Ours!, he indicated that it was both anti-climatic and an awesome responsibility:

"The closing created conflicting emotions for me. On the one hand, it was anti-climactic. After millions of man hours, years of effort, endless argumentation and consideration, and tons of sweat and tears, a simple one page document saying it was complete didn’t seem momentous enough. On the other hand, signing a one page sheet of paper transferring a billion dollars (that billion with a B) is an awesome responsibility. Actually having to sign your name brings home the implications in a very strong way. Before signing, I obviously checked with Harri Kulovaara that all the technical elements of the ship were up to snuff and checked with Adam Goldstein that all the operational aspects were ready. Nevertheless, I have to admit that my hand hesitated a bit before actually signing that paper."

Sister Ship of Oasis of the Seas

The Allure of the Seas and the Oasis of the Seas can be termed the most powerful and
sophisticated ships in the world for a reason. They also are the culmination of more than 40
years of product development cooperation between the cruise line, the shipyard and the
maritime cluster. The Oasis class vessels are 361 metres in length, and their cross tonnage is
225,000. The Allure of the Seas can accommodate 6,360 passengers at maximum. In
comparison, the Song of Norway delivered to the same customer in 1970 was 168 metres long
with a gross tonnage of 18,400; in other words, the Allure of the Seas is some 12 times as
large.

An Amazing Collaborative Effort

The building contract was signed on 2 April 2007, and production was launched on 4 February
2008. The keel laying of the Allure of the Seas started on 2 December 2008, and the vessel was
launched for the first time on 20 November 2009.

At closing time, there were only 230 comments outstanding on the Allure contrasted to 6,000 at the same time for the Oasis.   STX Finland should be quite proud of their accomplishments with both vessels.  Millions of man hours later, we have the second Oasis-class ship delivered on-time and with fewer outstanding items remaining to be corrected.

VIDEO: Signed, Sealed and Delivered: Allure Joins the Royal Fleet

Allure of the Seas is officially a part of the Royal Caribbean fleet, following months of construction and preparation this is a moment marked with celebration!

Allure of the Seas is currently sailing the Atlantic Ocean on its way to the home port of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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.