By
Michele Witthaus |
The major cruise lines made full use of the opportunities presented by Seatrade Cruise Global 2016 in Fort Lauderdale to share their news and plans with the assembled cruise world. Several brands announced improvements to the onboard experience. There was also big news on the construction side of the business, with a clear trend towards the booming expedition sector.
French brand Ponant revealed that it will build four new expedition ships, doubling the brand's size in the coming years. The line has signed a letter of intent for the order of four ships from Vard, the Norwegian subsidiary of the Italian Fincantieri group. Ponant said that following a tendering process, conducted by Barry Rogliano Salles and involving several top European shipyards, it chose Vard and expects the first ship to be delivered in 2018. The ship's exterior will be designed by Sterling Design International.
The ever-expanding ultra-luxury brand Crystal Cruises hosted an event in a hangar at Fort Lauderdale Airport, where guests were given the first glimpse of the new Crystal aircraft announced last summer. The company also broke the news of plans to build the world's largest expedition mega yacht, which will be 183 metres long. The 25,000gt newbuild will have 100 guest suites.
The Japanese non-profit, Peace Boat, which offers world cruises with a voluntourism, environmental and humanitarian focus, featured both in the conference programme and in a press conference, where it outlined its ambitious plans for a zero-emission newbuild, the Eco Ship. Based on a structure that emulates the shape of a whale and featuring retractable sails and use of solar energy and heat recovery, the ship is scheduled for delivery in 2020 and a shipyard is expected to be announced by September or October this year. Peace Boat founder Yoshioka Tatsuya also announced the organisation had secured the financial backing of alternative finance company Six Capital for the build. Oliver Design has been appointed to design the new ship.
The onboard experience was addressed by several cruise brands during the Seatrade event. Regent Seven Seas Cruises said it would offer a new range of custom-designed stage spectaculars for its newest ship, Seven Seas Explorer, including Broadway show Peggy Lee and musical Burn the Floor. MSC Cruises, meanwhile, will add daring performances by globally renowned group Cirque du Soleil to its new ship, Seaside.
Cutting-edge culinary expertise is being brought onboard several brands' ships. Seabourn is developing new signature dishes as part of a partnership with American chef Thomas Keller. Seabourn and Keller will also introduce a new signature restaurant, The Grill, onboard Seabourn Quest in Spring 2016 and this concept will be rolled out to the fleet, including newbuilds Seabourn Encore later this year and Seabourn Ovation in 2018. The line has also joined with award-winning mixologist Brian Van Flandern to create exclusive, handcrafted cocktail menus and to train bar staff in new and classic mixology techniques.
Holland America Line (HAL) entertained journalists and other guests onboard its vessel Eurodam on Sunday March 13, introducing dishes crafted by the line's Culinary Council, which comprises seven well-known chefs. HAL also treated guests to brief performances from its Billboard Onboard, Lincoln Center Stage and BB King's Blues Clubs programmes.
MSC Cruises has partnered with Japanese chef Roy Yamaguchi, whose chain of Roy's Restaurants is well known in the US for its pan-Asian menus. Chef Yamaguchi joined MSC's CEO Gianni Onorato to explain how his fine dining, teppanyaki and sushi/sashimi concepts will enhance the experience onboard the brand's ships.
Cunard hosted a lavish press conference to outline its plans for the major upgrade to its flagship, Queen Mary 2, through its 'Remastered' programme. Traditional Cunard attendants served champagne and canapés to guests after they had viewed a series of renderings of the new Art Deco-inspired interiors that guests can expect to enjoy following the redesign.
Windstar Cruises shared its new chef line-up for its James Beard Foundation Collection Voyages, which have a culinary theme. Three of the line's cruises, to Spain, Morocco and France, will follow this theme, hosted by chefs Michel Nischan, Maria Hines, and duo Matt and Kate Jennings.
Reflecting a trend towards outdoor relaxed dining options, Carnival Cruise Line announced that Carnival Magic would feature an open-air barbecue 'eatery' designed by chef Guy Fieri and serving traditional 'smokehouse' specialities.
The four-ship luxury German brand Hapag-Lloyd Cruises treated Seatrade visitors to a preview of its hot-off-the-press 2017-2018 cruise brochure, with details of 22 maiden calls and new pre- and post-cruise programmes. The company also announced that ex-Olympic athlete Maria Hoefl-Reisch would join the line as director of sports and fitness on Europa 2.
Celebrity Cruises trailed its new Luxury Cruises Worldwide 2016-2017 brochure, which features 282 destinations in 76 countries with new ports of call including Monte Carlo (Monaco); Sète (France); Aomori (Japan) and Hiroshima (Japan) as well as 30 double overnight stays.
Princess Cruises indicated a renewed emphasis on its shorex programmes as it introduced its new Industry-First Destination Partnerships, which it hopes will boost the company's mission to create exclusive and authentic shore experiences.
Meanwhile, as part of its 'Growing Europe' campaign, Norwegian Cruise Line said it had changed the departure time of its seven-night cruises on Norwegian Escape to the Eastern Caribbean to 19:00 for cruises from 7 May to 16 July and from 3 September to 31 December 2016. Norwegian Cruise Line announced plans for its resort-style port of call in Belize, Harvest Caye, which which will feature Belize's only pier, a white sand beach, a 15,000 sqft pool, dining venues and easy access to the mainland for excursions. Harvest Caye will open in November 2016.