Cruise Industry News Briefs

Radiance Of The Seas Departs Building Dock

Following extensive dock trials, Royal Caribbean's 88,000-gt Radiance of the Seas departed the covered building dock at Meyer Werft's Papenburg shipyard. The vessel was then towed to the fitting-out quay for further completion of the interior, precedent to its sea trials, which are scheduled for January.

The first of a four-part vessel series built by Meyer Werft for RCCL, Radiance of the Seas measures 962 ft. (293.2 m) with a breadth of 106 ft. (32.2 m). With its top service speed of more than 24 knots, the vessel can accommodate up to 2,500 passengers in 1,050 cabins; 850 crewmembers. Propelled via two 20 MW azipods, the vessel is the first of its kind to house a combination gas and steam turbine power package.

The vessel is scheduled for a spring 2001 delivery.

Crystal Cruises Finalizes Letter Of Intent

NYK, Crystal Cruises' parent company, has signed a Letter of Intent with Chantiers de l' Atlantique for the construction of a new 68,000-ton, 1,800 passenger cruise ship to be completed in 2003.

The vessel, which is yet to be named, is expected to increase Crystal's capacity by approximately 60 percent. It will boast environmentally safe diesel engines with azimuthing podded propulsion system for greater maneuverability.

GE Marine Engines' Gas Turbines To Be Used On Princess Newbuilds

GE Marine Engines will install LM2500+ aeroderivative gas turbines in Combined Diesel And Gas (CODAG) turbine configurations on four Grand Princess-class cruise ships currently on order from Princess Cruises.

One LM2500+ gas turbine will be used on each vessel in conjunction with medium-speed diesel engine-driven alternators.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) will construct two 113,000-ton cruise ships at its Nagasaki, Japan shipyard. Each ship will use four diesel engine-drive alternators. Chantiers de l'Atlantique will build two 88,000-ton vessels at its facilities in Saint Nazaire, France, each of which will use two diesel engine-driven alternators.

The Mitsubishi-constructed vessels are the largest cruise ships ever ordered by Princess and the first to be commissioned from MHI. All four Grand Princess-class ships are part of a five-year expansion program that will see the Princess fleet grow to include 14 ships carrying more than 1.5 million passengers annually.

According to Princess Cruises, the diesel and gas turbine propulsion arrangement employs environmentally sound technology that supports their ongoing commitment to this important issue. At the same time, this design incorporates better space usage through installation of the gas turbine in the funnel area of the ships, thereby enabling an even wider range of public rooms and onboard facilities to be introduced.

French Yard Tapped To Build $780M Queen Mary 2

Carnival Corp. has finalized a contract with France's Alstom Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard for the construction of the Queen Mary 2, a new 150,000-ton "liner-style" vessel for its Cunard Line unit.

The largest ocean liner ever constructed, Queen Mary 2 will have a basis-two capacity of 2,620 and will be built at a cost of approximately $780 million. Expected to enter service in late 2003, the Queen Mary 2 represents the first new ocean liner constructed in more than three decades.

At 1,132 ft. (345 m) and 17 decks high, the vessel will stretch nearly four football fields in length with a height equal to a 23-story building.

Queen Mary 2 will also have a beam of 135 ft. (41.1 m), making it the longest and widest passenger ship ever constructed. Its unprecedented size provides for the widest variety of modern amenities and facilities aboard any ocean-going vessel.

The vessel's numerous technological advancements will include a Mermaid podded propulsion system comprised of two fixed and two rotating units allowing for easy maneuverability, along with a diesel and gas turbine power plant capable of creating 157,000-hp, which will enable the ship to sail at 30 knots, significantly faster than other cruise ships.

Queen Mary 2 will have 1,310 staterooms, nearly three-quarters of which will feature a private balcony. More than 90 suites, including six penthouses offering private butler and concierge service, and five 1,650-square-foot “duplex apartments.”