"Costa's strategy for the next few years is based on sustainable development while meeting the increasing trends in demand.  This announcement is in line with that strategy, our aim being to exceed our guests' expectations.  For this reason, we are working to further enhance our presence in the Mediterranean, making it more than ever our home region, with a range of itineraries suiting all needs, in terms of both duration and destinations covered."

“MSC Cruises has since its inception embraced a commitment to environmental stewardship and ways to minimise and continuously reduce our environmental footprint both at sea and ashore with the use of innovative, leading-edge and effective technologies across our entire fleet. With each new ship, we raise the bar of environmental performance and our ultimate goal is zero emissions operations. MSC Grandiosa moves us another significant step forward in that genuine ambition.

The numbers also show that cruising is becoming a more popular choice amongst solo travellers, with the company finding that cruisers in their 30s are more likely to travel to exotic destinations.

Norwegian Cruise Line has received the delivery of its latest cruise ship Norwegian Encore in Bremerhaven, Germany. Part of the line’s Breakaway Plus class of vessels, Encore is 1,100ft-long and weighs 170,000 gross tonnes. It has the capacity to accommodate approximately 4,000 passengers. The ship offers a race track, laser tag arena with augmented reality and theatre experiences in the Galaxy Pavilion. Passengers can also visit an Italian restaurant Onda by Scarpetta and watch a number of musicals on board, including the Kinky Boots, The Choir of Man, Happy Hour Prohibition: The Musical and also the Beatles cover band The Cavern Club.

Source: Ship Technology

UAE-based Abu Dhabi Ports’ subsidiary Maqta Gateway has partnered with UAE telecom company Etisalat to support digital innovation and connectivity in ports. The partners will explore different technologies such as cloud computing, the Internet of things (IoT) and big data. The partnership will focus on knowledge sharing, shared electronic project and network development, as well as operational risk management. Both companies will also work to secure fixed and wireless telecommunications coverage and streamline procedures.

Source: Ship Technology

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has delivered the Vista-class Carnival Panorama cruise ship to Carnival Cruise Line. The ceremony was held at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Venice. The Italian Minister of Infrastructures and Transport Paola De Micheli, Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy, Fincantieri chairman Giampiero Massolo and Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono have attended the ceremony. The construction of Carnival Panorama began in July 2017. The ship is 323m-long and weighs 133,500 gross tonnes. The cruise ship has the capacity to accommodate over 6,500 passengers, including crew members. The ship features 2,004 passenger cabins and 770 cabins for the crew.

Source: Ship Technology

Finnish shipping company Viking Line will launch its new cruise ship Viking Glory, which is considered to be one of the most eco-friendly ships in the world. In June, the cruise liner held a keel-laying ceremony for the new passenger ship at the Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Shipyard in China. Viking Line will launch the new vessel in 2021. The ship will be fitted with Wartsila 31DF dual-fuel engines, facilitating operations using sulphur-free liquefied natural gas (LNG).  The ship will also be able to operate on biogas. Due to fuel-efficient engines, Viking Glory will use up to 10% less fuel compared to its sister ship Viking Grace.

Source: Ship Technology