The Big Cruise Podcast

Ep65 – Emma Cruises, Cruise News & Queen Elizabeth

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Ep65 Overview

In Episode 65, Emma from Emma Cruises drops by to update us on her recent Celebrity Silhouette cruise and naming of Saga’s Spirit of Adventure. Chris answers a listener question about Queen Elizabeth and we wrap up with a bumper edition of cruise news.

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Emma Cruises

Emma joins the show this week, be sure to drop by her social pages and follow her on YouTube: 

Maritime History

Listener Ian, asks, Why is the current Cunard ship, Queen Elizabeth, not referred to as QE3?

Image Credit: Queen Elizabeth, Cunard Line

Cruise News

  • Princess Cruises and Holland America Line Kick Off Return to Service in the U.S. from Port of Seattle
    • To kick off their return to service in the U.S., Princess Cruises and Holland America Line held a celebration at the Port of Seattle (23 July 2021). Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises, and Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line, spoke to what the positive multidimensional impact the resumption of cruising means to Seattle, the local community and Alaska.
    • Holland America Line will kicked off its Alaska season with Nieuw Amsterdam setting sail, July 24, and Princess Cruises followed with Majestic Princess sailing on July 25. Each line will operate ten cruises sailing out of Seattle through September. This marks the return to cruising and Alaska for both lines, which combined have more than 125 years of experience bringing cruisers to The Great Land. Historically, one in two guests who cruise to Alaska sail on Princess or Holland America.
    • Both cruise lines have been homeporting out of the Port of Seattle for more than 20 years. Operationally, each ship visit directly contributes more than $364,000 to the local economy in provisioning (fuel, food, flowers, piano tuning, supplies), port taxes, and spending during a full season.
    • Princess Cruises is the world’s leading international premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 14 modern cruise ships to 380 destinations around the globe. Princess celebrates more than 50 years sailing to Alaska, bringing more guests to the Great Land than any other cruise line. 
    • Holland America Line has been exploring the world since 1873 and was the first cruise line to offer adventures to Alaska and the Yukon nearly 75 years ago. Its fleet of premium ships visits more than 400 ports in 98 countries around the world, offering an ideal mid-sized ship experience.
  • Princess Cruises Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Shore Power in Juneau
    • Princess Cruises made history when the cruise line introduced its revolutionary shore power program and began operations in partnership with the City and Borough of Juneau and Alaska Electric Light and Power Company in the summer of 2001. Now, 20 years later when Princess Cruises vessels arrive at the Franklin Dock, ships continue to “plug in” to local surplus hydroelectric power and turn off the diesel engines, reducing the impact of visible air emissions and the cruise line's carbon footprint in an effort applauded by local government officials and the residents of the capital city.
    • The 20th anniversary milestone was recognized as Majestic Princess made her maiden call to the port of Juneau and commissioned to connect to the Juneau electrical grid. Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz, Majestic Princess Captain Dino Sagani, Alaska Electric Light and Power Company President and General Manager Connie Hulbert and Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon and City Manager Rorie Watt were in attendance.
    • “Shore power in Juneau has been a significant win-win situation, not only for Princess but also for the customers of Alaska Electric Light and Power Company and the residents of the City and Borough of Juneau who have been incredible partners over the last 20 years,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. “Our beneficial collaboration has paved the way for the cruise industry to reduce air emissions and allow cruise ships to ‘plug in.'”
    • In addition to this investment, for the past 20 years, every dollar spent by Princess for purchasing electrical energy in Juneau has been credited to a cost of power adjustment, or COPA account. This credit is used to offset any diesel expenses in the next quarter, and any extra funds go back to residents and businesses in Juneau in the form of a rebate on electric bills. To date, this has benefitted the Juneau community by $8.5 million dollars.
    • Each year, Princess ships plug in more than 300 shore power connections. This ground-breaking technology has now grown and is used by various cruise lines in port cities including Seattle (2005), Vancouver (2009), San Diego (2010), San Francisco (2010), Los Angeles (2011), New York (2012) and Halifax (2014), as well as internationally in Shanghai and Kristiansand, Norway, with more and more port cities becoming shore power enabled.
    • The length of time needed to connect a ship to shore power and shut down the vessel's diesel generator is approximately 40 minutes after the ship has been secured at the dock. Once connected, the ship's engines are powered down and the ships relies on the local power system for all ship's services while in port.

 

  • Holland America Line Takes Delivery of Highly Anticipated New Ship Rotterdam from Fincantieri
    • Holland America Line took delivery of Rotterdam today, July 30, 2021, officially making it the 11th ship in the fleet. A handover ceremony took place at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard in Italy
    • The ceremony was attended by the ship's master, Captain Werner Timmers, and Cyril Tatar, Holland America Group's vice president of newbuilding services. Giuseppe Bono, CEO, Fincantieri, and several other executives also attended. Video congratulations were extended by Jan Swartz, president of Holland America Group, and Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line.
    • Upon delivery, Rotterdam will remain in non-guest operations until its transatlantic crossing Oct. 20, 2021, from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where it will then begin its maiden season in the Caribbean. Naming details have not been finalized and will be announced at a later date.
    • The third vessel in the Pinnacle Class series and the seventh ship to bear the name for Holland America Line, Rotterdam will carry 2,668 guests and feature highly successful amenities and innovations introduced with her sister ships.
    • Holland America Line's first ship was Rotterdam, which sailed its maiden voyage from the Netherlands to New York on Oct. 15, 1872, and led to the founding of the company on April 18, 1873. Rotterdam II was built in 1878 for British Ship Owners Co. and purchased by Holland America Line in 1886. Rotterdam III came along in 1897 and was with the company until 1906. The fourth Rotterdam joined the fleet in 1908 and also served as a troop carrier when World War I ended. Following the war it made regular cruises from New York to the Mediterranean.
    • Rotterdam V, also known as “The Grande Dame,” set sail in 1959 and began sailing transatlantic crossings with two classes of service. It later converted to a one-class ship in 1969. She sailed with Holland America Line for 38 years until 1997, including several Grand World Voyages, and currently is a hotel and museum in the city of Rotterdam. Rotterdam VI, the most recent to cruise for Holland America Line, was introduced in 1997 as the first ship in the R Class.
    • Rotterdam VII is the 17th ship constructed for the brand by Italian shipyard Fincantieri.
  • Norwegian Cruise Line returns to cruise
    • Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), officially commemorated its highly-anticipated cruise comeback on 25 July, 2021 with a double debut: Norwegian Jade was not only the first of its 17-ship fleet to welcome guests after 500 days, she also made NCL history as the first vessel to homeport in Athens (Piraeus).
    • Until November 2021, guests sailing aboard Norwegian Jade’s immersive Greek Isles itinerary will wake up in a new destination every day, able to spend eight-to-nine hours exploring some of Greece’s most picturesque islands including luxurious Crete, bustling Mykonos, historical Rhodes and the iconic blue and white Santorini.
    • Norwegian Jade is the first ship to recommence voyages as part NCL’s larger restart efforts. On 7 August, 2021, Norwegian Encore will be the first ship to return to service from the U.S., when she debuts in Seattle for her inaugural season of Alaska cruises. The fleetwide redeployment will continue in partnership with local governments and are guided by the robust protocols of the Company’s Sail Safe health and safety program, which at its cornerstone includes that all crew and guests must be fully vaccinated to embark for voyages through 31 October, 2021. Working with the leading experts of the Sail Safe Global Health and Wellness Council, the robust protocols will regularly be evaluated and modified as needed, making science-based decisions to protect guests, crew and the destinations it visits.
  • MSC Seashore Delivered
  • The Cruise Division of MSC Group has officially taken delivery of its new flagship MSC Seashore – the largest cruise ship to be built in Italy. Sister ship MSC Seascape is currently under construction at the Monfalcone shipyard and is due to come into service in winter 2022.
  • An intimate ceremony was held to mark the occasion as tradition dictates at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone and was attended in person by MSC Cruises Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago, other members of the Aponte and Aponte-Vago families, Giampiero Massolo and Giuseppe Bono, Chairman and CEO of Fincantieri, as well as representatives from MSC’s new builds team along with executives and workers from the shipyard. During the ceremony, which pays tribute to centuries-old maritime traditions, Roberto Olivari, Fincantieri’s shipyard director, presented to Giuseppe Galano, Master of MSC Seashore, an ampoule containing the water that first touched the hull when the ship was floated out earlier this year.
  • MSC Seashore will commence her inaugural season in the Mediterranean offering the popular West Mediterranean itinerary calling the Italian ports of Genoa, Naples, for visits also to Pompeii, and Messina in Sicily; Valletta, Malta; Barcelona, Spain and Marseille, France.
  • On 31 October, the ship will depart Genoa for an epic 18-night cruise as the ship repositions to North America. From 20 November the ship will then offer 7-night cruises in the Caribbean calling San Juan in Puerto Rico, Charlotte Amalie in St Thomas, Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic and then Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in The Bahamas – MSC Cruises’ private island.
  • MSC Seashore Key Specs:
      • Length/beam/height: 339 /41m/76m
      • Gross tonnage: 170,400
      • Guests: 5,877 (max capacity for short international voyage)
      • Cabins: 2,270
      • Crew: 1,648
      • Maximum speed: about 22.4 knots
      • Flagship of MSC Cruises global fleet
      • 19th cruise ship to join MSC Cruises’ flee
  • MSC, FINCANTIERI AND SNAM TO PARTNER FOR WORLD’S FIRST OCEANGOING HYDROGEN-POWERED CRUISE SHIP
    • The Cruise Division of MSC Group, Fincantieri and Snam announced the signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly determine the conditions for the design and construction of what would become the world’s first oceangoing hydrogen-powered cruise ship.
    • The owner of the world’s third largest cruise brand and part of the leading global shipping and logistics conglomerate MSC Group, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups and a leading international energy infrastructure operator, have joined forces to initially carry out a study that will assess the feasibility of designing and building the world’s first oceangoing cruise ship powered by hydrogen, which would allow zero-emissions operations in certain areas, and the development of the related hydrogen bunkering infrastructure.
    • Green hydrogen can be produced without fossil fuels, using renewable energy to split water in a process called electrolysis and can therefore be emissions-free on a full lifecycle basis. It can be used to generate electrical power through a fuel cell, emitting only water vapor and heat. This type of ‘green’ hydrogen holds great potential to contribute to the decarbonisation of the shipping industry, including cruising, whether in its pure form or as a hydrogen-derived fuel.
  • Azamara Quest departs from Glasgow Ahead of the Brand's Return to Service
    • Azamara, today announced that Azamara Quest® was the first of its ships to depart from Glasgow's Peel Port (King George V Dock), on the afternoon of July 26th, following thirteen months docked in the Scottish city.
    • For over a year, Glasgow has been a safe haven for three of Azamara's fleet, Azamara Quest®, Azamara Journey® and Azamara Pursuit®, and in this time the ships and crew have enjoyed fantastic support from the local people and the authorities, businesses, including taxi companies, hotel owners and grocery stores.
    • The ship sails for drydock in Cadiz, Spain to finalize preparations ahead of its return to service in August with five back-to-back Greece Country-Intensive® Voyages®; each seven-nights in length and a total of 18-late nights in port, including Santorini, Rhodes and Heraklion, Greece. Bringing the culture and heritage of destinations onboard, these sailings will debut a brand-new immersive onboard program for guests – Destination Celebration – the adaptation of AzAmazing Evenings®.
  • Celebrity Cruises’ return to service of Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Millennium
    • Celebrity Equinox returned to the water yesterday on Sunday, 25 July, departing from Fort Lauderdale for the Caribbean. The recently ‘revolutionised’ Celebrity Equinox’s first sailing features a seven-night Western Caribbean itinerary visiting the beautiful ports of St. Maarten and St. Thomas, along with Nassau, Bahamas. This sailing marks eight of the 14 ships within the Celebrity Cruises’ fleet returning to sailing in 2021
    • Celebrity Millennium also set sail last week on Friday, 23 July, from Seattle, Washington on a seven-night itinerary exploring the renowned natural beauty of the Last Frontier. Guests will be treated to an experience that is as beautiful as the scenery they will encounter as they sail past Alaska’s breath-taking glaciers and landscapes including Ketchikan and Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier.
  • AIDA Cruises restarts AIDAluna in September from Kiel
    • AIDA Cruises today announced that on Sept. 5 AIDAluna will be the seventh ship in the AIDA fleet to restart guest operations in 2021.
    • Up to and including Oct. 14, 2021, a variety of travel dates for three- and four-day cruises departing from Kiel are now available for booking.
    • On the four-day voyage, AIDAluna will call at the Polish port of Gdynia after a relaxing sea day passing the island of Gotland, among others.
    • “Scenic Cruising” is also the motto on the first day of the three-day cruise from Kiel, which leads to the Swedish metropolis of Gothenburg. Both voyages will be offered alternately.
    • By the end of this year AIDA Cruises plans to have 10 ships sailing, offering travelers a broad range of vacation options — including its highly anticipated new ship, AIDAcosma, to be delivered in December 2021
  • Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines unveils brand new 101-night Around the World Voyage aboard Borealis in 2024
    • Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has today unveiled the first sailing from its 2024 programme – an epic 101-night Around the World adventure taking in the USA, Australasia, Asia and Europe.
    • The cruise, which is setting sail from Southampton in January 2024, offers a wealth of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, from calls into the historic cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, to visits to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the chance to step ashore in the rarely-visited Alotau in Papau New Guinea.
    • Fred. Olsen’s team of Journey Planners has hand-crafted this sailing to allow plenty of time ashore in each port of call, made possible by the faster sailing speeds, with extended overnight stays in Charleston, Aukland, Sydney, Australia and Dubai.
    • Guests will also have the opportunity to venture to the famous Taj Mahal in an extended, three-day overland tour from Mumbai in India.
  • Viking Welcomes Guests Back on Board for River Voyages in France
    • Viking celebrated this week, the official restart of its popular river itineraries in France, marking the latest milestone as the company resumes operations in Europe. Guests are now embarking journeys on the Seine and Rhône rivers for the Paris & the Heart of Normandy, Lyon & Provence and France's Finest itineraries.
    • Viking's voyage in Bordeaux, Chateaux, Rivers and Wine, will resume in August.
    • Along with restarting river operations in France, Viking has launched four new Viking Longships® that are purpose-built specifically to navigate the Seine River. Hosting 168 guests in 84 staterooms, Viking Kari, Viking Radgrid, Viking Skaga and Viking Fjorgyn dock at Viking's exclusive docking location in the center of Paris, just a short walking distance from the Eiffel Tower.
  • Star Cruises Presented with the Special Award for Community Care at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2021
    • Star Cruises was presented with the Special Award for Community Care, by the Guest of Honour, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Gan Kim Yong at this year’s Singapore Tourism Awards 2021 for its pioneering and key role in providing temporary housing for over 8,000 recovered COVID-19 migrant workers aboard it ships, SuperStar Gemini and SuperStar Aquarius last year, from 29 Apr – 30 Sep 2020 (5 months). The only two vessels in the world to be successfully repurposed to provide temporary accommodations for recovered COVID-19 migrant workers, Star Cruises set a new milestone for Singapore and globally, as well as for the cruise industry in its joint-effort to fight against the pandemic.
    • Meeting Singapore’s strict requirements for this first-of-a-kind special initiative last year, Star Cruises was able to participate and effectively contribute towards creating an alternative accommodation option for Singapore to temporarily house its recovered COVID-19 migrant workers in a safe and comfortable environment on board the two ships. From this learning experience, Genting Cruise Lines had created a positive opportunity to implement enhanced safety and preventive measures across its fleet, which formed the initial foundation for many of its current protocols
  • Dream Cruises Celebrates the Inaugural Cruise of Genting Dream in Hong Kong; First Cruise Ship to Restart Service in the City
    • Dream Cruises officially re-started its cruise service in Hong Kong on 30 July with Genting Dream’s maiden voyage of her first “Super Seacation” high seas itinerary. Genting Dream’s new high seas cruises will provide Hong Kong residents with a new “staycation’ option that will truly evoke the sense of a “vacation away” to enhance their holiday experience. Over 1,000 en

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