Newest Cruise Ships

NYCAP123 · 10-01-2009, 04:50 PM

That captain must have had one sick feeling in his gut, but it looked like he did a real good job.

YachtNews · 10-01-2009, 06:50 PM

Wow, the wind was blowing there, looks like "Solemar", "Exelence III" and "Positive Carry" or one of those Trinity's...

YachtNews · 10-04-2009, 01:44 AM

"Oasis of the Seas" has returned to the STX shipyards in Turku, Finland from her second and final seatrials. I have seen some pics onboard and I must say she is really fantastic!! I cannot post a link to the pics as they are on a cruise forums. None-the-less, she is soon ready!

YachtNews · 10-04-2009, 02:38 AM

Here is a report from John Heald's Blog as he was aboard when the incident between the "Carnival Legend" and "Enchantment of the Seas" in Cozumel.

Quote:

I am sure many of you have already read about the incident yesterday as the Carnival Legend left Cozumel …………. and I am sure that one or two of the reports may be a little …………. ummmm ………fictional……..so as I was there from beginning to end…………..I thought you might like to know exactly what happened. So, grab a cup of tea, take a seat and let us begin.

And we start with the only humorous part of this event and it really is true because I got a call from the Cruise Director Jen around 6:10pm and when she called…………….guess what ………… yep……………I was in my cabin…………in my underpants.

Anyway, Jen told me that I should come to the bridge as we were experiencing problems. Luckily my cabin is on deck 8 so I had a short walk and as soon as I arrived I could see what the problem was. The first thing that struck me was how angry the sky was. I had been on my balcony an hour or so ago and the sky was blue and the sun was as hot as Megan Fox’s bottom.

But now…….oh my goodness how things had suddenly and dramatically changed. It was noisy, dark and horrific. I could hear the thumping of rain crashing down against the ship and the wind was howling as though hundreds of wolves were outside baying for our blood. The sky was as dark as an Ed Wood movie and the sea, even within the protection of the harbor looked like it had been given the good news with a huge egg whisk……….. And was full of foreboding swells.

And the result of all this weather was that we were getting closer and closer to the Enchantment of the Seas which was docked in Cozumel on the opposite pier.
The captain was fighting the 50 knot winds with all his might using the thrusters and engines at full power. He was calm……….but at the same time you clearly see the look of concern and anguish in his eyes as he battled the elements. But I think he knew that this was one battle he wasn’t going to win and so he told Jen to make an announcement top have all the guests standing on the port side open decks and balconies to leave the area immediately and head back inside or to the middle or starboard side of the vessel………Jen made this announcement calmly and clearly and it’s a good thing she did………….because moments later we touched……not Jen and I…………I mean the Carnival Legend touched the Enchantment of the Seas.

And it was a touch, a brush, a tickle. The words collision or hit or crash don’t describe what happened at all. There was no bang or jolt, just a ………what’s a good word for it?………I know………a shudder or a shiver. The first thing I noticed was the look of anguish in the captain’s eyes and one repeated on the faces of all the officers on the bridge. But the captain continued the battle against the wind and managed to push us away again from the RCI ship. At this point it was hard to distinguish between the flashes of lightning that shot angrily out of the sky and the flashes of hundreds of cameras as guests on both ships recorded this incident for prosperity, for Facebook, twitter and YouTube.

At this point I wanted to grab the mic and talk to the guests on the PA system but it was not my ship so I gently suggested to Jen that she make another announcement repeating the request for guests to move away from the port side in case we touched again………not Jen and I……….the two ships……….and to just talk to the guests, keep them calm and informed. In moments like this there is no such thing as too many announcements and the one voice they want to hear from is the cruise director, it’s a voice the guests recognize and hopefully trust.

Well, after 20 more minutes of high winds the captain managed to reverse us away from the pier to a distance of maybe 1,000 meters from both the RCI ship and our sister ship Carnival Imagination which was also docked in Cozumel.

There was much relief all around……….and now the inspections began to discover what damage had been done. First of all I suggested to Jen that she make an announcement telling guests that all was well and that we were going to stop here so the ship’s command could assess the situation. She did…….and once again she did so calmly and professionally. I also suggested that she get as many of her Entertainment Staff out and about as possible in case guests had concerns or questions.
During the next 20 minutes the reports began to filter back to us on the bridge. Mr. Guna, the hotel director, had mobilized all of his management superbly and the first news was the best news because after checking a few times with the ship’s medical center there were no serious injuries ………the medical center was quiet.

Well, the damage could have been a lot worse. There is lots of broken glass on deck 3 port side where the ships “met” and we also have a bent railing and one damaged life raft. There is also broken glass in the guest relations back office but amazingly no damage at all to guest cabins or entertainment areas. The life raft has already been replaced as we of course always sail with extras and the ship’s crew is already starting to replace the broken glass.
As for the RCI ship……well…she sailed away from Cozumel on time…….the two captains spoke as did the bearded Safety Managers from both companies and I am sure apologies and fruit baskets were sent by Carnival to RCI.
For about two hours we inspected the damage and a pilot boat from the Cozumel sailed around us looking to see if there was any structural damage to the Carnival Legend. Then, after the inspections were completed and permission given by the Mexican authorities the ship sailed to Belize from where I am writing this blog to you now. Today, we will be joined by a safety team from Carnival Cruise Lines and a Lloyd’s inspector who together will give a thorough inspection of the vessel.

http://johnhealdsblog.com

YachtNews · 10-05-2009, 04:40 PM

New pics of "Oasis of the Seas" when she was leaving the yard for her 2nd and finial trials. The vessel is simply stunning!

http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/image-gallery.php

Of course you can see construction on the 2nd Oasis class ship, "Allure of the Seas" on the site as well.

YachtNews · 10-08-2009, 01:22 PM

Here is news of the brand new small cruise ship (more yacht-like) "Le Boreal". This is the new vessel being built by Fincanteri for French cruise operator, Compagnie du Ponant. A company that operates the "Le Levant", "Le Ponant" and "Le Diamant". In my opinion, Le Levant is the best looking of the three but I think now that Le Boreal is being built, she may have to slip to number 2!

Le Levant is often mistakened for a yacht by many and isnt far off from the size on many large yachts but she is technically a small cruise ship. Aesthetically, the Le Boreal is better looking and seems to, subjectively, takes many of her design cues from the Seabourn newbuilds, "Oddysey" and "Sojourn".

Her is a link to some pictures of the Le Boreal in the dock at Fincanteri...

http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=111332

YachtNews · 10-09-2009, 12:34 PM

Here is the press release on the launching of the "Le Boreal" from Fincanteri shipyards.

“LE BOREAL” LAUNCHED IN ANCONA SUPER LUXURY SHIP FOR COMPAGNIE DU PONANT

Quote:

Today at Ancona shipyard there was the launch of “Le Boreal”, the first of two super luxury cruise ships ordered from Fincantieri by the French owner Compagnie du Ponant. Due to take up service in spring 2010, in terms of size and sophisticated décor in many respects the ship is very similar to a mega yacht.

Present at the ceremony were: Jean-Emmanuel Sauvee, Director General of Compagnie du Ponant, Bertrand Leblond, Technical Director, Jean Philippe Lemaire, the future captain of the vessel which is destined to become the fleet’s new flagship, and, representing Fincantieri, Antonio Quintano, Director of Ancona shipyard. Godmother to the ship was Vèronique Saade.

The new ship, which will fly the French flag, is approximately 10,700 gross tonnes, 142 metres long and 20 wide. Passenger capacity is over 260 guests, accommodated in 132 cabins and suites, all with a sea view, of which 94% with a private balcony.
Equipped with cutting edge technologies to reduce environmental impact, “Le Boreal” will be able to reach ports and destinations which are inaccessible to larger vessels.

Compagnie du Ponant, whose head office is in Marseilles, currently has a fleet of three cruise ships serving a super-luxury customer target. Founded in 1988, the company is a member of CMA-CGM Group, the world’s third ship owning group in the container sector.

Since 1990 Fincantieri, world leader in the sector, has delivered 50 cruise ships. A further 12 vessels, including the “Le Boreal”, are under construction or due to be built within 2012 at the group’s shipyards.

***

http://www.fincantieri.it

YachtNews · 10-24-2009, 04:09 PM

"Oasis of the Seas" is due to leave the STX yard on the 30th of October for her journey to FL.

Quote:

10/28 - RCCL takes delivery of Oasis
10/30 - Oasis leaves Finland
11/03 - Passes under the Storbaelt Bridge
11/11 - Arrives in Ft. Lauderdale about 8am
11/12-13 - Central Park is installed
11/20 - Good Morning America broadcasts from onboard
11/30 - Christening during Make A Wish foundation sailing
12/1 - Labadee Extravaganza
12/5 - "Official" maiden voyage

Amazing video of Oasis and onboard!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8-s6uA2VRU

YachtNews · 10-27-2009, 10:31 AM

"Oasis of the Seas" gets delivered tomorrow, hopefully!

YachtNews · 10-28-2009, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YachtNews

"Oasis of the Seas" gets delivered tomorrow, hopefully!

Oasis has been officially delivered to RCCL!!! I can't want for more pics.

YachtNews · 10-28-2009, 09:59 PM

Here is a new vid just prior to delivery, maybe from a few days ago...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14h_KJu2UtA

There is a recent video on the ship's website as well...

http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/

YachtNews · 10-30-2009, 03:06 PM

You an view pics of "Oasis of the Seas" just prior to her departing the STX Europe yard here. She left early in the morning of the 30th bound for Port Everglades.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/ships/Genesis/Genesis.html

YachtNews · 11-01-2009, 09:39 PM

Some impressive short video of "Oasis of the Seas" transiting the Storbaelt Bridge in Denmark. She looks so nice lit at night.

http://www.sn.dk/webtv?video=617

http://www.sn.dk/webtv?video=616

Video from aboard the ship!! Anyone has a razor blade? 3.5-foot clearence? with the exhausts retracted and squatting in the water? Lets not try that too often!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njOHaQ7V0j4

YachtNews · 11-04-2009, 12:18 PM

The "Oasis of the Seas" is currently in her first storm, North Atlantic Storm, churning 25-30 foot seas and blowing at 60-70 knots. Surprisingly Oasis is riding it pretty well from the video shown around the ship. You can catch up with those daily vids on the ship's official website.

YachtNews · 11-06-2009, 09:56 AM

More heavy weather sailing for "Oasis of the Seas". Captain William Wright talks about day 6 of the crossing as well as Environmental Officers talks about the 'gree' aspects of Oasis. There is also a vid from day 7 featuring the International Ambassadors who are the multilingualist aboard the ship that help close the gap between the language dynamic aboard. You can catch all of this as usual on the official website.