Iam used to getting up early to capture photos of cruise ships arriving, but with an arrival time of 0430hrs an especially early start was required for the maiden arrival of Carnival Celebration on 6th November.
With rain forecast the weather didn’t deter me from being in position to see her arrive.
Carnival Celebration is the second in the US lines new LNG powered “Excel Class” and she follows the first ship Mardi Gras launched in 2020.
Carnival Celebration had Come direct from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Turku having been officially handed over just 4 days previously.
What is follows is a selection of images and video taken during her visit to Southampton.
Arrival
Arrival Video
AlongsideOcean Cruise Terminal
Sailing
Shortly after 1700hrs Carnival Celebration set sail on her inaugural transatlantic cruise to Miami, en-route she will stop at La Coruna, Vigo, Santa Cruz before crossing the Atlantic to arrive in Miami 20th November where she will homeport and her maiden cruise season will begin.
It’s a great to see that Carnival Cruise Line chose Southampton, the UK’s premier cruise port as the location for Celebration’s UK debut. Now the countdown is on for Carnival Jubilee next year.
I hope you have enjoyed looking at my images, I would love to see your comments below.
Arrival Marks the First New Carnival Ship in the UK in 20 Years
MIAMI, Nov. 6, 2022 – Today marked a special occasion as Carnival Cruise Line’s most anticipated new Excel-class ship, Carnival Celebration, arrived to the Ocean Cruise Terminal in Southampton, UK, for a first-look event and marked Carnival’s first time bringing a new ship to the UK in 20 years.
To warmly welcome the ship, Carnival hosted local officials, travel partners, and members of the media for a day of fun with guided tours and lunch. Southampton port officials and Celebration’s senior officers participated in a traditional plaque and key ceremony, as well.
To commemorate the special day, Carnival President Christine Duffy hosted a “Let’s Celebrate” event in the cruise terminal that included a ceremonial ribbon-cutting welcoming the first guests on board.
Earlier this week, the line took delivery of Carnival Celebration at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, before Captain Vincenzo Alcaras, Hotel Director Pierre Camilleri, Chief Engineer Fabian Gervaise and the ship’s 1,800 team members helped bring her to the UK destination.
“I can’t tell you how exciting this day has been, finally giving our UK travel partners the opportunity to see our new Excel-class ship,” said Christine. “Carnival Celebration is the ultimate 50th Birthday gift and is a key part of a very unique and exciting period of growth for us. It’s been a wonderful 50 years, and we kicked off the next 50 with a bang today! Next up – Miami!”
Later today, Carnival Celebration will depart on her 14-day transatlantic sailing to Miami where the line will soon host her official naming ceremony with Godmother Cassidy Gifford, daughter of longtime Carnival friend Kathie Lee Gifford, who was the Godmother of the original M/S Celebration.
Carnival Celebration features six unique zones, including the new Miami-themed 820 Biscayne, travel-inspired The Gateway, and stunning Celebration Central, as well as the BOLT roller coaster. Carnival Celebration is the second ship in the Carnival fleet to be powered by a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) propulsion system.
Including Carnival Celebration, Carnival is adding five beautiful new ships to its fleet over the next two years in an exciting period of growth unlike any other in Carnival’s 50-year history. Today, a second ship in Australia will be added as Carnival Luminosa begins guest operations in Brisbane, and next year, the third Excel-class ship Carnival Jubilee will debut from Galveston. Carnival will also introduce a new concept, “Carnival Fun Italian Style,” with Carnival Venezia joining next spring from New York City and Carnival Firenze in 2024 from Long Beach.
For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a cruise vacation, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit www.carnival.com, or contact your favorite travel advisor or online travel site.
ABOUT CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE
Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is proud to be known as America’s Cruise Line, for carrying more Americans and serving more U.S. homeports than any other. Since its founding in 1972, Carnival has continually revolutionized the cruise sector, making a cruise vacation an affordable and popular option for millions of guests. Carnival operates from 14 U.S. and two Australian homeports and employs more than 40,000 team members representing 120 nationalities. Carnival currently operates 24 ships and is in an exciting period of growth, with Carnival Celebration and Carnival Luminosa, which began guest operations in November, and three additional ships joining the fleet by 2024.
With the first half of 2019, being busy with 12 new cruise ships delivered to various owners the second half of 2019 looks to be just as busy. According to the latest cruise ship order book there are a another 12 new ships set for delivery in the second half of the year, with an average of two ships being delivered each month..
The remaining order book is valued at around $5.5 billion with an estimated 24,190 new berths entering service. Of the ships yet to be delivered, five are expedition vessels and one is LNG-fuelled ship.
2019 New cruise ships
Take a look at what new ships are due for delivery:
JUNE
Spirit of Discovery
Image: Meyer Werft
$350,000,000
Capacity: 1,000 Guests
Constructed by Meyer Werft in Papenburg Saga’s first-ever new build, the Spirit of Discovery was delivered in mid-June ahead of her inaugural cruise from Dover in July. Departing from Dover on July 10th, the new ship’s first voyage is aptly named British First, circumnavigating the UK and adding calls to Ireland.
All Saga Discovery ship’s 540 staterooms have private balconies, which also means that the ship has no Inside cabins. Cabin categories include Standard Balcony, Deluxe Balcony, Mid-ship Suites and larger Panorama Suites. 100 single cabins are specifically designed for solo travellers (can be booked with single-occupancy rates and without single supplement), which is approx. 20% of ship’s total capacity.
Le Dumont d’Urville will be the fourth in Ponant’s six-ship Explorer-class of expedition vessels. Named after the French explorer and naval officer who explored the south and western Pacific, Australia. The Dumont d’Urville scientific station in Antarctica is named after him.
Featuring innovative and environmentally-friendly equipment, elegantly designed staterooms, spacious suites with large windows, and lounge areas that open onto the outside, this new limited-capacity yacht boasting just 92 staterooms and suites will offer you a truly unique cruising experience. the ship will have reinforced hulls for when sailing in polar regions and an aft marina for when it’s in tropical destinations.
Standout features on Le Dumont d’Urville will be an aft marina and the underwater Blue Eye Lounge. The marina, located at the back of Deck 3, gives cruisers easy access to the ship’s fleet of Zodiacs, as well as for entering the water (conditions permitting) for swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding.
Named after the Australian mountaineer, the “Greg Mortimer” is a modern, purpose-built vessel designed specifically for expedition cruising, and is the first polar expedition vessel in SunStone Ships’ INFINITY series. Being constructed the CMHI yard in Shenzhen China. Four firm contracts have so far been signed, and six options. The INFINITY Class vessels are 104.4 m long and 18.4 m wide. They have a passenger capacity of 130-200, and a crew capacity of 85-115, and are built to the ice standard PC5, Cat B. The most striking feature is the X-BOW®, an inverted bow which results in smoother sailing and increased efficiency. Rather than rising over and then dropping onto waves like a traditional ship, the X-BOW® pierces through them, splitting the wave’s energy.
Constructed by the Uljanik Group in Croatia “Scenic Eclipse” is a six-star, ultra-luxury mega yacht developed by Australian river cruise operator Scenic. It is the first ocean cruise ship for the company, which specialises in luxury river cruises. The yacht will carry 228 guests (restricted to 200 in Polar Regions) in 114 all-veranda suites. It will carry a crew of 172 for normal regions and 182 for Polar Regions.
The Magellan Explorer was constructed in Chile and will be primarily used for fly-in voyages, with a maximum of 100 passengers it will be sail with 73 passengers for the season, which is the exact number of seats the company has on its plane that flies to King George Island. The ship features comfortable and spacious cabins, with twin, queen or king-size beds. The ship also features dedicated single cabins. All cabins except the Porthole category feature a private balcony and separate sitting area.
The 230-passenger cruise ship Hanseatic Inspiration is the second of three identical ships under construction by Norwegian company VARD Holdings Ltd (a subsidiary of Fincantieri) at Tulcea shipyard (Romania). The vessel has ice-class PC6 (highest for passenger ships) and offers 5-star premium hotel service and amenities, gourmet cuisine, large staterooms, and public spaces. The HANSEATIC inspiration will be an international ship, with all cruises conducted in both English and German.
The second of carnivals groups Excellence-Helios class ships is currently under construction at Meyer Werft, Turku shipyard in Finland. Costa Cruises will take delivery its new LNG powered flagship in October. Costa Smeralda’s itinerary program is based on 7-day Western Mediterranean cruises sailing round trip from the Italian homeports Rome-Civitavecchia, Savona, Barcelona, and Marseille. To be able to handle the large cruise liner, Port Savona’s terminal had to be modified. In 2020, two other Carnival brands will take delivery of the same class of ships as Carnival Mardi Gras & Iona enter service.
Sky Princess is the fourth Royal-class vessel all of which have been constructed by the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri at its Monfalcone Shipyard. The class offers a unique glass-enclosed walkway over the ocean known as the SeaWalk. There are 1539 staterooms in 38 categories. 36 are the wheelchair-accessible rooms. The ship will also debut the new and innovative Princess Sky Suites. After a three-day preview cruise from Port Everglades, the new ship launches alternating seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale Dec. 7, 2019 – April 4, 2020.
Norwegian Encore is the fourth and final ship in Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway plus Class. Currently under construction at the Meyer-Werft shipyard in Papenburg, and is the 13th ship built for NCL at Meyer Werft. Norwegian Encore will feature a two-level race track that is larger than the go-“karts at sea” tracks featured on Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy. After her debut in Miami, the Encore will head to Seattle in 2021, sailing seven-day cruises to Alaska.
The first of MSC’s MSC Meraviglia-plus class MSC Grandiosa is under currently construction at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint Nazaire. She is able to accommodate 6334 passengers with 75% of all staterooms featuring private balconies. MSC Grandiosa deck plans feature “cluster cabins” (up to 3 connecting staterooms for families) allowing up to three rooms to be interlinked for max capacity 10 guests. The vessel will spend her inaugural season in the Western Mediterranean. The ship will offer a seven-night sailing calling in Genoa, Civitavecchia, Palermo, Valletta, Barcelona and Marseille, with its first cruise sailing from Genoa on November 16, 2019.
Carnival Panorama
Image: Fincantieri
Cost: $780,000,000
Capacity: 4,000 Guests
The third Vista class ship for Carnival Cruises was originally ordered for P&O Cruises Australia, but in December 2016 was changed to Carnival. She is being constructed by Fincantieri at its Marghera shipyard in Italy. As with the previous sister ships Carnival Panorama features 1965 cabins, of which 48 percent of the staterooms on board have balconies. For the first time in its history, the cruise line announced that the ship would feature a female cruise director with British-born Emma Nixon taking the role. The ship will sail from Long Beach, California, offering seven-day Mexican Riviera itineraries. She will be Carnival’s first new ship homeport on the West Coast in more than 20 years.
Currently under construction at the Brodosplit Shipyard in Croatia, the ‘Flying Clipper’, is 162 meters long and 18.5 meters wide with a deadweight of 2000 tons. The ship will have five masts and sails with an overall surface of 6.347 square meters, making it the largest sailing ship in the world. Flying Clipper has five decks, with accommodation for 450 persons, of which 300 are passengers in 150 luxury cabins, and 74 crew cabins for 150 crewmembers.
In keeping with maritime tradition, a keel-laying ceremony was held yesterday at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, for Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras, which is set to debut in August 2020.
The ceremony, which dates back hundreds of years, was highlighted by the placement of coins placed on top of a 750-ton keel block called 3C signifying good luck for the ship and the official start of construction.
Carnival’s Senior Vice President of Newbuilds Ben Clement and Mardi Gras CaptainGiuseppe Giusa, Chief Engineer Ferdinando Ruocco and Hotel Director Pierre Camilleri joinedMeyer Turku CEO Jan Meyer at the festivities.
Mardi Graswill be a stunning expression of the Carnival holiday experience offering a variety of ground-breaking innovations, including BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea; the first seagoing restaurant by legendary chef Emeril Lagasse; and six themed zones with a wide range of culinary, beverage and activity choices. Mardi Graswill also be the first cruise ship in North America to be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), part of Carnival Corporation’s “green cruising” platform.
“This is a historic day for Carnival – the official start of construction of the spectacular Mardi Gras which will usher in an exciting new chapter for our company and introduce so many guest-pleasing innovations,” said Clement.
“We have been very excited to design and now finally to start assembling Carnival Mardi Gras. All these different features onboard require a lot of engineering and design expertise which we have been happy to provide to our customer,” CEO of Meyer Turku Jan Meyer states.
Mardi Grasis set to debut in Europe on 31st August 2020, then reposition to New York for a series of voyages before shifting to Port Canaveral for year-round Caribbean departures.
Image: Carnival Cruise Line
To learn more about Carnival Cruise Line, visit www.carnival.com. For reservations, call 0808 234 0680. Carnival can also be found on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
About Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is “The World’s Most Popular Cruise Line®” with 26 ships operating three- to 24-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Cuba, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia. The line currently has three new ships scheduled for delivery – Carnival Panorama™ in 2019, Mardi Gras in 2020 and an as-yet-unnamed ship in 2022.
Saga is delighted to announce HRH The Duchess of Cornwall as the Godmother of its newly built boutique cruise ship, Spirit of Discovery. The naming ceremony will take place in Dover, Kent, on 5 July 2019. She will be the first cruise ship to be named at the Port of Dover for over a decade, and the first to be docked at Dover Western Docks following the £250m redevelopment of the area.
Before the naming ceremony, HRH will be given a tour of the ship. In building Spirit of Discovery, classic and contemporary materials and furnishings have been combined to create a luxurious environment. The 1,000 plus pieces of art on board will include 400 original pieces commissioned from British based artists and artisans. Hush Heath, an independent wine producer from Kent, will provide a jeroboam of their sparkling wine for the naming ceremony that has been specially blended for Spirit of Discovery.
The Duchess of Cornwall and Saga share a common link in their support for The Silver Line, a charity founded by TV presenter Dame Esther Rantzen after she experienced intense loneliness following the death of her husband. HRH is the patron of the charity and The Silver Line is Saga’s first national charity partner.
Spirit of Discovery seen during her Ems conveyance image: Saga Cruises
Lance Batchelor, Group CEO of Saga, said: “I am delighted that The Duchess of Cornwall has agreed to be Godmother of the Spirit of Discovery. The launch of our new ship is a key moment in both the history and future of Saga. Carrying fewer than 1,000 passengers, she is a boutique ship that offers our customers and members the highest standards of accommodation, furnishings, cuisine and entertainment. I am immensely proud of what we have created with shipyard Meyer Werft.”
Sophie Andrews, CEO, The Silver Line, said: “Our team is absolutely delighted to see this coming together of our Patron and our charity partner, Saga. The Silver Line helpline receives more than 10,500 calls every week from vulnerable and isolated older people, many of whom have nowhere else to turn which demonstrates the depth of loneliness felt by huge numbers of the UK’s older population.
Saga has shown its firm commitment to Britain as Spirit of Discovery has been registered in the UK and will proudly display London as her port of registry on her stern. Her sister ship, Spirit of Adventure, will also fly the Red Ensign when she launches in 2020.
Saga employed London based design company, SMC Design, to design some of the interiors onboard both new ships. The company has extensive experience with cruise vessel design. SMC Design’s also designed a number of interior’s for other cruise lines including P&O Cruises, (Sindhu / Indian restaurants), Viking ocean cruises (Explorers Lounge), Norwegian cruise Line (Mandara Spa).
One thing I have already fallen in love with is a sneak peak of the series paintings by the UK based artist Kate Jackson. Saga along with SMart Consultancy commissioned UK artist Kate who specializes in urban landscapes. Kate conceived a series of paintings designed to capture the essence of the Spirit of Discovery.
I really like the look of these paintings which although are obviously modern also remind me of the classic liner adverts from the 1930’s and am sure they wil look stunning on board.
Ship Factfile
IMO No: 9802683
Construction start: March 2019
Shipyard: Meyer Weft, Papenburg, Germany
Building Cost: USD 350 million
Overall Length: 236m
Width: 31.2m
Gross Tonnage: 58,250 tonnes
Max Speed; 23 knots
Decks: 10
Decks with Cabins: 6
Passengers: 1000
Crew: 505
Have you booked a cruise of Spirit of Discovery or are you planning to?
Norwegian Cruise Line has announced that from May 2020 Norwegian Star will sail a range of 12 to 14-day cruise itineraries from Southampton. The itineraries will include cruises around the British Isles, to Iceland and Norway. With the ship sailing from the port during the summer season through until October.
A 14-day Scotland, England and Ireland heritage cruise will depart Southampton on 3rd May 2020 and includes ports of call such as Le Havre, Zeebrugge, Amsterdam, Invergordon, Newhaven, Kirkwall, Greenock, Belfast, Dun Laoghaire, Holyhead, Cobh and Portland.
A Majestic Fjords 14-day cruise will visit Iimuiden, Bergen, Alesund, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Akureyri, Reykjavik (overnight), Belfast and Dublin. The cruise departs Southampton on 28 June 2020.
Launched in 2001 the 91,740 gross tonne ship ship can accommodate 2,348-passengers and offers a wide array of dining and entertainment venues. In 2018 the ship underwent a three week dry docking period in Barcelona as part of The Norwegian Edge programme. and underwent extensive enhancements to her staterooms, public spaces, restaurants, bars and lounges, and also unveiled three new venues: Sky High Bar, Bliss Ultra Lounge and Spice H2O.
Replacing Bier Garten, the outdoor bar and lounge Sky High Bar showcases a new design complete with an updated bar and seating for close to 120 guests. Bliss Ultra Lounge replaces Spinnaker Lounge for late-night entertainment and now has a light, neutral colour palette and a fresh carpet, custom loungers, seating, an renovated bar and artwork.
For the first time, Norwegian Star offers an adults-only area, Spice H2O, which features a private pool, hot tubs, full bar and ocean views. During the day, which can be used for sunbathing, while at night, it becomes an open-air lounge with live entertainment, DJs and themed nights.
All 1,174 staterooms and suites were outfitted with USB ports, enhanced with over 1,500 works of art and revitalised with new carpet, headboards and select furniture. The three-bedroom garden villas, which feature private deck areas and can accommodate up to seven people, were also remodelled.
Ship Data
Name: Launched as Superstar Libra (2000), renamed Norwegian Star (2001)
Shipyard: Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany
Yard No.: 648
Flag: Bahamas
Class: Dawn Class
Cost: $400 million
Length; 294.13m
Decks: 15 (Passenger)
Passenger Capacity: 2,348
Crew: 1,031
Speed: 24 knots
Gross Tonnage: 91,740
As always thank you for taking the time to read my blog
ROYAL CARIBBEAN WELCOMESSPECTRUM OF THE SEASTO THE FAMILY
First Quantum Ultra-Class Ship Features New Suite Class,
Innovative Dining and First-to-Brand Experiences
London, UK, April 11, 2019 – Royal Caribbean International, the world’s largest cruise line, officially took delivery of the 26th ship in its fleet, Spectrum of the Seas, in a ceremony held today in Bremerhaven, Germany. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain and President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International Michael Bayley received the new ship from Meyer Werft Yard’s Managing Partner Bernard Meyer at the official handover ceremony. The first in the Quantum Ultra class of ships, Spectrum will homeport from Shanghai starting June 2019.
Michael Bayley signs to except delivery
“We are excited to welcome Spectrum of the Seas, our first Quantum Ultra class ship to the Royal Caribbean family,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “We have once again combined revolutionary ship design with the latest technologies to deliver a ship that will redefine the China cruise market. We are excited for our guests to make amazing family memories.”
Designed and built to deliver an unforgettable vacation experience for all guests, Spectrum will debut the global cruise line’s first private enclave for suite guests, new stateroom categories, and innovative dining concepts, along with stunning features, experiences and technology – many of which have never before been seen at sea.
Spectrum’s highlightsinclude:
Royal Caribbean’s first exclusive suites-only area, which will feature the exquisite Golden and Silver suite accommodations in a private enclave at the forward end of the ship on decks 13 through 16. Vacationers booked in these luxury suites will have special keycard access, a private elevator and a dedicated restaurant and lounge. In addition to a range of exclusive amenities, guests will have access to The Balcony – a private outdoor space for sunbathing and relaxing – that offers the best views on board; and The Boutique, a shopping area where travellers can book private shopping experiences.
The two-level, 2,809-square-foot Ultimate Family Suite, accommodating up to 11 guests. The three-bedroom suite includes a master bedroom and two additional bedrooms for grandparents and other family members. Kids have their own kid-friendly space on the upper level, complete with an in-suite slide that will transport them to the living area below. Everyone in the family can enjoy time together in the recreation room, featuring surround-sound equipment for a night of karaoke, movies or video games.
Innovative dining concepts Sichuan Red– with authentic cuisine from the Sichuan province of China, Wonderland’s Dadong – a new outpost of Chinese chef Dong Zhenxiang, renowned for his much-coveted roast duck, and the Leaf and Bean traditional tea room and café parlour offering a range of authentic Chinese teas, classic coffee drinks as well as freshly baked Chinese and Western desserts and pastries.
A new lively and energetic karaoke venue, Star Moment, where family and friends can belt out and sing like stars. This venue debuts on Spectrum.
An enhanced SeaPlex– the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea where families can enjoy bumper cars, roller skating and basketball – with new augmented realitywalls and floors, providing guests with thrilling, high-tech interactive experiences.
Innovative Spy Pad
The iconic Sky Pad, a virtual reality, bungee trampoline experience located on the aft of the ship, as well as Quantum Class favourites the North Star, a glass capsule that takes guests more than 300 feet above the ocean for incomparable panoramic views; RipCord by iFly, a heart-pounding skydiving simulator experience; and the FlowRider surfing simulator.
Cutting-edge and transformative venues, such as Two70with its expansive floor-to-ceiling windows offering breath-taking 270-degree views of the ocean. Two70 features its signature Vistarama technology, which transforms the panoramic windows into a projection surface more than 100 feet wide and over 20 feet tall showcasing spectacular digital shows. Six agile Roboscreens, measuring over 7 feet tall and controlled by powerful, yet nimble robotic arms, create scenes as they soar and twist solo or as one. Two70 will also feature new room-scale augmented reality experiences that transport vacationers to new worlds of adventure.
Accommodating 4,246 guests at double occupancy and 1,551 international crew members, Spectrum will be the largest and most expensive ship in Asia when she arrives to her new home in Shanghai, China on June 3, 2019. Before Spectrum arrives to her new home this summer, she will sail a 46-night Global Odyssey from Barcelona, Spain to Shanghai, taking guests to an exciting array of ports including Aqaba, Jordan; Dubai, UAE; Muscat; Oman, Cochin, India and Georgetown, Malaysia. In winter 2019, the ship will reposition to Hong Kong to offer special holiday cruises.
Cruise Ship Profiles 