Cruise Ship Trends News

American Cruise Lines announced its line-up for 2025, including more new ships, 8 new itineraries, and the longest river cruise in the country, the 51-Day Great United States. 2025 offerings also feature an array of exclusive U.S. cruises, including bucket-list adventures exploring U.S. National Parks from Alaska to Wyoming to the Smoky Mountains. Next year, the world’s only 100% U.S.-flagged fleet of riverboats and small cruise ships, will sail over 50 different itineraries, including brand new cruises on the Mississippi River…

American Cruise Lines announced that American Legend sets sail today, along its first cruise.The newest small ship in the country, is sailing American’s 8-Day Florida Gulf Coast & Keys itinerary, roundtrip from St. Petersburg Florida. The fully domestic cruise visits: St. Petersburg, FL; Marco Island, FL; Key West, FL; Punta Gorda, FL; and offers an optional pre-cruise hotel stay in Tampa, Florida. The cruise explores the Sunshine State’s Gulf Coast, offering many shoreside excursions…

The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) today celebrated a record-breaking passenger count at Flynn Cruiseport Boston this year with just over 480,000 passengers, a 29 percent passenger increase over last year.Flynn Cruiseport welcomed a total 167 cruise ships this season –18 more ships and a 12 percent increase over 2023. The Authority also announced a $100 million investment in the Cruiseport, including $60 million for shore power, a significant step forward for sustainable maritime practices at the Port of Boston…

Preliminary fiscal year-end figures show Port Everglades enjoying healthy increases in cruise, cargo and petroleum volumes resulting in record revenues."Port Everglades is one of Broward County's vital economic engines, which supports more than 11,000 local jobs. That is a direct result of the success of the amazing leadership at Port Everglades and diverse array of companies served by our port," said Broward County Mayor Nan Rich.Port Everglades is a self-supporting enterprise fund of Broward County government and does not use local property taxes to operate.

Port Everglades bested its own cruise passenger record with a preliminary count of 4,010,919 guests embarking and disembarking during Fiscal Year 2024, which ended September 30, 2024. The new record is expected to be short lived, however, as 4.4 million guests are anticipated during FY2025.In just one year, from FY2023 to FY2024, cruise passenger counts grew 39% and cruise ship calls rose 23% as the cruise lines fully recovered from the pandemic. The turnaround port's original record was set in FY2014 with 3,880,033 guests.

Maritime Protection, a brand of Survitec, won an order for a set of nitrogen systems for installation on an LNG-powered cruise ship. The scope of supply is for two nitrogen generators, feed-air compressors, valves, and control cabinets. Scheduled for delivery in 2025, the 51,950-gt newbuild is the first cruise ship for this Japanese owner to be built in Europe. There is an option for a second vessel. About ten LNG-fuelled cruise ships are currently in operation, with a further 25 set to join the global fleet over the next five years.Engines operating on LNG…

Sunstone Ships reports that its president Ulrik Hegelund, 52, has, for family reasons, decided to move back to Denmark. As of January 1, 2023, Hegelund will take the position as CFO of SunStone Maritime with overall responsibility for the group’s accounting, budgeting, cash flow, reporting, legal, and IT matters.As of January 1, Christian Lund, 40, will take over the position as President of SunStone Ships Inc., Miami. Lund has been working within the Sunstone group companies in Miami for the past 14 years.

SunStone Maritime Group A/S took delivery of two Infinity class ships -- Sylvia Earle and Ocean Odyssey -- from the CMHI Shipyard in Haimen, China. The pair are the fourth and the fifth of the Infinity class delivered from China Merchant Heavy Industries, and both will be on long-term, year-round charter: the SYLVIA EARLE with Aurora Expeditions, and the OCEAN ODYSSEY with Vantage Deluxe World Travel.The Infinity series of ships represents a collaboration between European design and technology and Chinese shipbuilding.Infinity class ships measure 104 x 18m with a 5.1m draft.

TUI Cruises said a second vessel in its cruise ship fleet has successfully tested the use of shore power in port.Earlier this week, the German cruise ship operator's Mein Schiff 6 received shore power for the first time in SEEHAFEN KIEL Cruise GmbH & Co. KG (Port of Kiel), making it the second TUI Cruises ship behind Mein Schiff 4 to have made a shore power connection.Technicians and engineers carried out various tests of the shore power system before connecting the plugs of the Kiel shore power system to the sockets of Mein Schiff 6.

American Cruise Lines announced it will begin offering California cruises starting in 2023.The U.S. river and small ship coastal cruise line will offer a new eight-day round tris from San Francisco exploring the San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, the Napa River and the San Joaquin River, with stops in San Francisco, Napa, Vallejo, Stockton and Sacramento.“American continues to expand the possibilities for exceptional domestic small ship cruises across the country. Exploring this…

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has floated out the Viking Saturn, the latest cruise ship Fincantieri is building for the shipowner Viking, at the shipyard in Ancona, Italy.Present at the ceremony were Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking, and Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri. The godmother of the ceremony was Elena Del Mastro, the shipyard employee.The Viking Saturn will be placed in the small cruise ship segment.

Carnival Cruise Line, also known as America’s Cruise Line, is teaming up with Italy's cruise line Costa Cruises, its sister company, to create a new concept for Carnival’s North American guests when Costa Venezia cruise ship joins the Carnival fleet sailing from New York in the spring of 2023. Costa Venezia will be followed by Costa Firenze arriving in the spring of 2024 to sail from Long Beach.Under the concept called "COSTA by CARNIVAL" Carnival will operate the ships, which…

The first steel cutting ceremony was held for the first of two LNG-powered ships for the cruise ship operator TUI Cruises.Shipbuilder Fincantieri said Wednesday that the construction start-up ceremony had taken place in the presence of Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI, and Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager Merchant Ship Division of Fincantieri, in San Giorgio di Nogaro (Udine) at Centro Servizi Navali, a company specialized in logistics and production of sheet metal for the Fincantieri yards located in northeastern Italy.

Italian cruise line Costa Cruises on Thursday held a christening ceremony for its new flagship, the Costa Toscana, in the port of Barcelona, Spain.The LNG-powered, Italian-flagged ship sailed away from Civitavecchia, Italy on Monday, making a stop in Naples on Thursday, before arriving in Barcelona on Thursday for the christening ceremony. The 337-meter ship is one of the largest ocean liners and can accommodate 6,554 passengers. Chanel, a Cuban-Spanish singer, dancer, and actress…

Global Ports Holding PLC, the world's largest cruise port operator, said on Wednesday it had received an approach about a potential cash offer from Swiss-based MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.Shares of the London-listed company closed up 19% at 109 pence and marked their best day in two years after Global Ports confirmed a Bloomberg report that MSC was considering taking a controlling stake in Global Ports.Global Ports, owned by Turkish businessman Mehmet Kutman, said the talks were ongoing and the deadline for the container group to make a firm offer or walk away is July 13.Global Ports, w

The European cruise company, Costa Group, with its Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises brands, which is part of Carnival Corporation, has created a dedicated decarbonization department within its Carnival Maritime unit based in Hamburg, Germany.The new department will be responsible for developing and implementing the strategy for achieving the decarbonization ambitions of the Costa and AIDA fleets by 2050. The effort will have a strong focus on research and development, energy management…

Norwegian technology provider HAV Group ASA has received preliminary approval from DNV for its hydrogen-based energy system for cruise ships.The system uses liquefied hydrogen storage and fuel cells and was created as part of the FreeCO2ast project, which is currently developing a high-capacity hydrogen energy system that can be retrofitted onboard two coastal cruise vessels owned by the Norwegian operator Havila  Kystruten.The preliminary approval through DNV means that HAV Group…

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri on Monday announce the float out of EXPLORA I, the first of four luxury cruise ships ordered by the Cruises Division of MSC Group for its new luxury brand Explora Journeys. The float out took place at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.The vessel construction began in June 2021, and the ship is expected to enter service at the end of May 2023. At the same time, the construction of EXPLORA II, the second ship of the new brand, is proceeding with delivery expected in summer 2024.The float-out ceremony was attended…

Expedition cruising company Lindblad Expeditions will deploy Marine Learning Systems’ online training platform, MarineLMS, fleetwide, following a successful pilot period. According to Marine Learning Systems, online training at sea has always been a challenge for operators due to the unique and challenging maritime operating and training context, especially in the remote locations where Lindblad Expeditions often operates. The Vancouver, B.C. based company has developed its training…

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has delivered the ocean cruise ship Viking Mars to the shipowner Viking. The ship was delivered on Thursday at the shipyard in Ancona.The 227 meters long Viking Mars will be placed in the small cruise ship segment. Like its sister ships, the Viking Mars is about 47,800 tons, 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers."Viking Mars”, the eighth of this class, has been designed by experienced naval architects and engineers, including an interior design team of Los Angeles-based Rottet Studios and London-based SMC Design…

Royal Caribbean Group on Thursday flagged slow summer demand for European cruises due to the Ukraine crisis, after a dull first quarter as it reeled under a resurgence in COVID infections in some parts of the world.Shares of the cruise operator fell about 5% to $73.87 after Royal Caribbean Group said higher fuel and food costs, spurred by inflationary and supply chain-related challenges, are expected to weigh on 2022 earnings.The company said while bookings for Europe sailings improved throughout the first quarter, they slowed following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in late February.

Cruise line Azamara has officially added Azamara Onward vessel to its now four-ship fleet on Tuesday, following a festive naming ceremony in Monte Carlo. The christening ceremony was led by the President of Azamara, Carol Cabezas, and Azamara Onward Godmother, Beth Santos, founder and CEO of global community and lifestyle brand Wanderful."We are thrilled to introduce Azamara Onward and share this special moment with our loyal guests," said Carol Cabezas, President of Azamara.

Finland-based cruise shipbuilder Meyer Turku saw its full-year 2021 net loss widen, despite a somewhat higher turnover compared to 2020. Still, the company said it was a "satisfactory result in the midst of a protracted pandemic."The company's turnover was EUR 1.08 billion. It is somewhat higher than in the previous year, but the result for the financial year was a loss of EUR 17.0 million, Meyer Turku said.Tim Meyer, CEO said: “Exceptional times lasted longer than expected. The global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, such as labor and material mobility, affected our operations as well.