Carnival News

AIDA Cruises to Trial Fuel Cells

The  American/British-owned German cruise line AIDA Cruises announced that it is planning the first practical trial of fuel cells (battery power) aboard an AIDA ship by 2021.The trial will take place in cooperation with Meyer Werft within the scope of the ‘Pa-X-ell 2’ project promoted by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure.The German brand of Carnival Corporation said in a press note that it has been focusing for many years in research into and the…

AIDA Orders 2 More LNG-Fueled Ships

AIDA Cruises, the German brand of Carnival Corporation & plc, informed that it is planning to commission two more LNG-powered ships with low-emission propulsion by 2023.AIDA has already been engaging in research into and development of the use of LNG in the cruise industry for over 10 years.With AIDAnova's launch at the end of 2018, the company commissioned the world's first cruise ship that can be operated entirely with low-emission LNG both at sea and in port.Two more of these innovative AIDA ships will be commissioned in 2021 and 2023 respectively."Thanks to the use of LNG…

Carnival Installs STM

Carnival Corp has implemented Sea Traffic Management (STM) into its fleet management and operations software to share voyage data with ports and other shipping companies. EU's STM Validation project has now been added to entire Carnival Corporation fleet, following a successful trial with Carnival's Costa and Aida-brand ships.Costa Crociere developed STM support as part of their Fleet Operation Center software Neptune. This new functionality in Neptune allows Carnival to interact with other STM services…

Costa Cruise Unveils First LNG Cruise Ship

Costa Smeralda will enter service in October 2019 and will be the first Costa ship fuelled by LNG, the "cleanest" fossil fuel in the world.Featuring over 2,600 staterooms, the upcoming Costa flagship will take its guests on a veritable “tour of Italy,” with lots of areas devoted to fun, flavours and festivity.Costa Cruises, the Italian brand of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world’s largest leisure travel company and cruise operator, will be awaiting the arrival of Costa Smeralda in October 2019…

Boskalis Floating Dock to Fix Carnival Vista

Florida-headquartered Carnival Cruise Line has contracted the Dutch marine engineering company Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. to lift its cruise ship Carnival Vista out of the water onto the world’s largest heavy lift ship, Boka Vanguard, and transport it to Grand Bahama shipyard for a dry docking operation.The operation, the first of its kind in the world, will take place in the coming weeks in Freeport, Bahamas. The BOKA Vanguard is the world’s largest semi-submersible ship…

Cruise Shipping: Work starts on Carnival Mardi Gras

The hull assembly phase of the 180,000-gt Carnival Mardi Gras was celebrated in Finland with a traditional coin ceremony at Meyer Turku shipyard. In the case of Carnival Mardi Gras, the assembly of the ship hull had already began few weeks before by the arrival of floating engine room unit from another Meyer shipyard, Neptun Werft, in Rostock, Germany.Mardi Gras is the second LNG powered cruise ship being built at Meyer Turku, and this ship will benefit from some of the investments of Meyer Turku’s $224 million  investment program.

Cruise Ships Emits More Pollution into Europe

Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest luxury cruise operator, emitted nearly 10 times more sulphur oxide (SOX) around European coasts than did all  260 million European cars in 2017,  said Transport & Environment.Royal Caribbean Cruises, the world’s second largest, is second, yet four times worse than the European car fleet, revealed a new analysis by sustainable transport group.SOX emissions form sulphate (SO4) aerosols that increase human health risks and contribute to acidification in terrestrial and aquatic environments.In absolute terms…

DNV GL: Shipping Safety More Vital than Ever

At its Nor-Shipping press conference in Oslo, DNV GL - Maritime CEO Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen emphasized the classification society’s dedication to maritime safety. Although shipping losses have declined over the last decade, challenging markets, demanding environmental regulations, and new technologies threatened to pull the industry’s focus away from marine safety, he said.“In a time when shipping is rapidly transforming, I believe it is crucial to put our primary focus on safety…

Cruise Interior Expo Draws Leaders

Cruise Ship Interiors Expo, a focused event dedicated exclusively to interior design, architecture, and outfitting for the cruise industry,  announced its first conference session to kick off the inaugural two-day event. Professionals at the forefront of the industry will share their expertise in ‘Cruise Industry Outlook: Leaders Debate’, on Wednesday, June 19, 2019.This conference session will focus on the newbuild order book, discussing how shipyards can respond to capacity issues, challenges around recruiting staff, economical concerns, and growth in the expedition market.

China to Build Huge Luxury Cruise Ship

The China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), the nation's largest shipbuilder, will build China’s first luxury cruise ship, which is expected to begin operations as early as 2021, said a report in SCMP.China's first domestically built luxury cruise liner, designed to be bigger than the ill-fated Titanic, will be 323.6 meters long and 37.2 meters wide, will have 3,921 beds and accommodate 4,980 passengers.CSSC has signed an agreement to build the 135,000-metric-tonne cruise ship in partnership with British-American cruise operator Carnival Corporation…

First LNG Cruise Ship Docks at Barcelona

Carnival Corporation’s AIDAnova, operated by its Germany-based AIDA Cruises brand, has become the first LNG fueled cruise to visit Barcelona, Spain - and the first to be fueled with LNG in the Mediterranean.Upon arrival in Europe's biggest cruise port, AIDAnova – the newest vessel from AIDA Cruises, Germany's leader in cruising – was fueled for the first time in the Mediterranean with LNG, the world's cleanest burning fossil fuel.Currently, alongside Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona…

New Concept Guides the Way to Emission-Free Cruises

The cruise industry is facing more stringent requirements and regulations to emissions. In partnership with leading cruise lines, Norwegian technology suppliers have now developed a concept for zero-emission cruising.The concept has been developed in cooperation with Eker Design, cruise giants Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, technology suppliers in the industry cluster NCE Maritime CleanTech and various interest organisations.Norwegian companies are world-leading in the development of maritime environmental technology.

Shipbuilding: Meyer Turku Growth Continues

Meyer Turku Group reported a turnover of €969.7 million for 2018, up from €808.2 million the year prior. The Finnish shipbuilder, which recorded €29 million in profits for 2018, said its financial figures indicate a good, steady company growth.“We are on a good path to meet the goals we have set,” said Meyer Turku CEO, Jan Meyer. “We need to, however, double our production in the next four years to meet the demands in our order book.”In 2018 Meyer Turku delivered one ship, New Mein Schiff 1, to German TUI Cruises, and New Mein Schiff 2 was handed over to the same owner in January 2019.

Scrubber Safe for Environment: Carnival

Carnival Corporation has released the results of an independent, two-year scientific scrubber wash-water study.The study shows the company’s advanced air quality systems (i.e. scrubbers) are in compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2020 requirements, which include regulations for cleaner air emissions and strict wash-water quality standards.The study also concluded that the wash-water samples from scrubbers were below the limits set by several major national and international water quality and land-based water discharge standards…

Cruising: Small is Beautiful

Cruise shipping, at the intersection of maritime and hospitality industries, continues to be vibrant. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the industry’s major trade association, forecasts that the ocean cruise segment will draw 30 million passengers in 2019, up from 28.2 million in 2018. At the start of the decade, in 2010, the comparable count was 19.1 million passengers. CLIA members will have 272 vessels operating in 2019- with 18 ocean going vessels set to begin service.

Seafarers’ House to Honor AMO's Doell

Paul Doell, National President of the American Maritime Officers (AMO), has been selected as the recipient of Seafarers’ House International Golden Compass Award for 2019.The award is given each year to those who have achieved distinction in the maritime world, those whose vocation or avocation has been the sea, or those who have ministered to or otherwise assisted seafarers.Doell, who heads the nation’s largest union of licensed seagoing professionals, has served the organization for 47 years.

Fincantieri Delivers Costa Venezia

Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard handed over Costa Venezia - built specially for Chinese guests - to Costa Cruises, the Italian brand of Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise company.The handover took place yesterday in the presence of Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Edoardo Rixi, as well as Carnival Corp. & plc and Costa Group officials.With a gross tonnage of 135,500 tonnes, the 323-meter-long Costa Venezia offers 2…

Mariner Assessment: "There's an App for That"

Carnival Corporation partnered with Marine Learning Systems to develop an App for mariner skills assessment.Dubbed SkillGrader, the App was designed to help standardize Carnival Corporation’s training and assessment across the company’s fleet of 105 ships and 9 brands. Prior to its development, there were numerous different approaches to training, with hundreds of programs, and a variety of fleet trainers and external training providers.“We wanted to align and standardize our approach.” says John Allen, Carnival Corporation’s Director of Maritime Professional Development.

Inside Cruising’s LNG Plunge

Back when most owners were still debating how to handle the 2020 sulfur cap, or whether the deadline would even stick, Carnival forged ahead with a massive bet on LNG for cruise-ship propulsion. That early move is now starting to pay off.AIDAnova, the first cruise ship to ever be powered at sea by LNG, set sail on its maiden voyage from Tenerife in the Canary Islands on December 19, 2018. Speaking with Maritime Logistics Professional six weeks later, Carnival Corporation senior vice-president of maritime affairs Tom Strang gave his early verdict: LNG works.“It’s good news.

Cruise Building: Growing, Cleaner and Not Always Bigger

2019 will be the biggest year ever for new ship introductions.The ships are coming. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) suggests that in the coming year 18 new ships are on order for CLIA cruise lines. The next few years will see the arrival of new cruise giants at PortMiami and Port Canaveral. But first they will need giant terminals.The Global Impact of Cruise LinesCLIA estimates 30 million travelers will cruise next year, up six percent from 28.2 million in 2018;…

INSIGHTS: Kristen DeMarco, JAXPORT Chief Commercial Officer

Kristen DeMarco is JAXPORT’s Chief Commercial Officer. She is responsible for leading JAXPORT’s international cargo sales and marketing initiatives as well as tracking trends and issues related to maximizing the port’s business potential. DeMarco has nearly two decades of business development experience in the logistics industry, with a track record of successfully negotiating multi-million dollar deals and building relationships with decision-makers from some of the world’s largest companies.

Port NOLA Sets Cruise Passenger Record

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) set a new record in 2018 with 1,182,111 cruise passenger movements, up 2.3 percent compared to a year ago. A 23 percent surge in guests taking Mississippi River cruises helped buoy the total, with new and larger ships set to sail from New Orleans both in the Caribbean and on the River in 2019.A recent economic impact study conducted by LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business determined cruise passengers and ship crews spend an estimated $129.1 million annually in the local economy.In 2018…

LNG REPORT: 143 LNG-Powered Vessels in Operation, 270 to Come

Currently, the liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered fleet has grown globally from 118 LNG-powered vessels in operation in 2017, to 143 LNG-powered vessels in operation – with a further 135 on order and 135 LNG-ready ships either in operation or on order.According to the LNG bunkering coalition SEA\LNG, Orders for LNG-powered vessels span a variety of vessel types including tankers, cruise ships, container ships, car carriers, and Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOC)s.A press note issued by Peter Keller…

Port Canaveral Moves Ahead with Cruise Terminal 3

Florida's Canaveral Port Authority has awarded a $108.5m contract to Ivey’s Construction for building its new Cruise Terminal 3 project.The contract agreement has been approved by the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners.Ivey’s was the low bidder to build a two-story, 188,000-square-foot terminal as part of the Port’s largest single construction project in its 65-year history – a $163 million complex that will become the homeport for Carnival Cruise Line’s biggest and largest cruise ship…

Canaveral Port Authority: $108.5M Contracts Awarded for New Cruise Terminal

At a special meeting on Tuesday, the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners unanimously approved awarding Merritt Island-based Ivey’s Construction Inc. a $78.98 million contract for the Port’s Cruise Terminal 3 project and a $29.53 million contract for the adjacent 1,800-vehicle parking garage.Ivey’s was the low bidder to build a two-story, 188,000-square-foot terminal as part of the Port’s largest single construction project in its 65-year history – a $163 million complex that will become the homeport for Carnival Cruise Line’s biggest and largest cruise ship…

For JAXPORT, LNG Spells Success

‘A thousand firsts’ and a constantly growing list of players underscores the rapid development of LNG as a fuel – especially along the East Coast of the United States.Click on the headlines for the phrase “LNG Bunkering” and you immediately learn that it is an industry of a thousand firsts and a constantly growing list of players.“Russia's Novatek ships first LNG cargo to China via Arctic; Yamal LNG ships first LNG cargo to Spain; Qatar ships first LNG to Japan, signs accord; Japan orders its first LNG bunker vessel…