#abpsouthampton – Cruise Ship Profiles

Celebrity Edge makes her Southampton debut

Anyone that knows me well is fully aware that I am an avid shipspotter and photographer always with camera in hand and living in Southampton gives me some great opportunities to see the ships up close. However this love does come with a down side as it often means a early start in order to watch them arrive and the 05:30 arrival of Celebrity Edge meant another one of those!

Celebrity Edge arriving with fire tug escort

I was especially keen to get quayside early as I was photographing her arrival for Southampton port operator ABP and they wanted arrival photos to share in their press release and on social media channels early that morning.

Welcome Celebrity Edge

In what is one of the most anticipated cruise calls of the year Celebrity Cruises newest and most technologically advanced ship made her Southampton debut early on 13th May. The visit follows a transatlantic crossing as the ship heads for the summer season in the mediterranean.

Delivered in October 2018 Celebrity Edge was constructed by STX France in Saint Nazaire which is the same shipyard as MSC Bellissima which was named in the port in March this year.

During her first visit nearly 2,000 VIP’s and specially invited guests boarded the ship ahead of a two day taster cruise which will allow the guests to get an exclusive first glimpse of the new ship, including the rooftop garden, plunge pools and Eden a stunning three-deck dining and entertaining space.

Other unique features are the Magic Carpet, a striking orange platform cantilevered from the side of the ship acts as a tender platform when in smaller ports and an outside dining venue 13 stories above the water. Celebrity Edge also has 1,500 suites designed by renowned British interior designer Kelly Hoppen MBE.

Commenting on the maiden call to Southampton, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, Lisa Lutoff Perlo, said “Edge is redefining the cruise experience and today she makes her exciting debut in the UK, a really significant market for us‘ We can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction when she arrives in Southampton. Edge is changing how people view a cruise vacation, especially for those who are new to cruise/first-timers,’ she added.

Jo Rzymowska, vice president and managing director, Celebrity Cruises UK, Ireland and Asia, commented: ‘This is a ship that defies expectations, elevating cruise luxury to a whole new level. There are four more of these Edge-class ships on order and the next, Celebrity Apex, will be based in the UK when it launches in Southampton next year. This visit is the perfect preview of what’s in store.’

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Following the two night cruise Celebrity Edge arrived back in Southampton early this morning and will depart later today on a 10 night Iberian cruise.

While in Southampton today Celebrity Edge together with MSC Preziosa are the backdrop to the first day of the Cruise Lines Association (CLIA) 2019 conference with this year’s theme being the Next Generation.

I am excited to be attending the three day conference and visiting Celebrity Edge today, so be sure to follow me on twitter & instagram for live updates when possible.

Celebrity Edge’s unique profile overlooking City Cruise Terminal

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

Royal Caribbean redeploys Independence of the Seas in 2020 away from UK

Sailing from Southampton May 2018 © Andrew McAlpine

Royal Caribbean have announced that the UK’s favorite ship Independence of the Seas will not be sailing from Southampton in 2020 and a deployment change will instead see her stay in Port Everglades, Florida.

With new itineraries to the Caribbean, Independence of the Seas will be making calls to the newly relaunched private island, Perfect Day at Coco Bay.

On Royal Caribbean’s UK website, the cruise line explained the change:

“Your sailing is being cancelled because we’re making changes to our 2020 season that require the Independence of the Seas to remain in the Caribbean, instead of sailing to Southampton.

Our goal is to provide our guests with the best itineraries that take you to exclusive parts of the world and have decided to make these changes for the 2020 season to maximise our capacity in the Caribbean. We are terribly sorry. We know this news is disappointing. We do hope you find an alternate vacation option with us.”

The company also issued a statement on its twitter channel:

Royal Caribbean UK also apologized for canceling sailings some guests have booked, “Our goal is provide our guests with the best itineraries that take you to exclusive parts of the world and have decided to make these changes for the 2020 season to maximize our capacity in the Caribbean. We are terribly sorry. We know this news is disappointing.”

Booked guests will receive a full refund and a future cruise credit, which is valued at 25% of their Independence of the Seas cruise fare, as a result of their cruises being cancelled and will be notified as soon as possible by the cruise line or their travel agents.

In 2020 both Explorer of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas will still be operating from Southampton.

Anthem of the Seas Maiden Call — Anthem of the Seas seen on her maiden call to Southampton April 2015 © Andrew McAlpine

For further information or help on the changes click on the following link

https://help.royalcaribbean.co.uk/hc/en-gb/sections/360004499552-Independence-of-the-Seas-2020-changes-to-sailings

As always thank you for taking the time to read my blog

Princess Cruises announces the arrival of UK-based ship

Crown Princess has arrived in Southampton to begin its spring and summer season in the UK and will be sailing around the British Isles on a series of 12-night voyages.

The 3,080-guest vessel has over 1,500 cabins, including nearly 900 balconies, and four swimming pools. It has 19 decks; 18 restaurants, cafes and bars; and at a length of over 950 feet is around the size of three football pitches.

Crown Princess will feature the multi award-winning Ocean Medallion technology from July 24, the first UK-based ship to do so.

The Medallion is intended to make every guest feel like a VIP and helps them relax and enjoy their cruise from the moment they are ready to step onboard. The device is the same size as a 10p piece and replaces more traditional cruise cards.

The Medallion’s instant technology makes it quicker and easier to get on and off the ship. Once onboard it opens guests’ doors when they approach, which is ideal for anyone who already has their hands full or is with small children.

The Medallion’s ‘compass’ feature means guests can find and stay connected with friends and family onboard, as well as navigate their way around the ship. It also allows guests to order drinks and snacks, plus holiday essentials such as suntan lotion and swimming goggles, to most parts of the ship.

Three ships to date have been Medallion-activated: Caribbean Princess, Regal Princess and Royal Princess.

In September, Crown Princess will make her way to Fort Lauderdale for roundtrip Caribbean sailings. The ship will return to the UK from May-November 2020, where she will sail from Southampton on a series of voyages to the Mediterranean, Canary Islands and northern Europe.

Princess Cruises is offering a 12-night British Isles cruise, departing August 17, 2019 on Crown Princess. Sailing roundtrip from Southampton, ports of call include Guernsey (St. Peter Port), Cork, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Invergordon, Edinburgh (South Queensferry) and Paris/Normandy (Le Havre). Prices from £1,099 per person.

Princess Cruises is offering a 17-night Mediterranean and Greek Isles Cruise, departing November 6, 2020 on Crown Princess. Sailing roundtrip from Southampton, ports of call include Seville (Cadiz), Valletta, Mykonos, Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Santorini and Cartagena. Prices from £1,799 per person.

UK’s first dedicated LNG cruise terminal opens in Southampton

The first phase of a multi-million-pound upgrade to the Ocean Cruise Terminal in the Port of Southampton has now been completed. The XL-ready programme will see the terminal transformed to become the UK’s first dedicated LNG cruise terminal.

The terminal re-opened on 22nd March with the arrival of P&O Cruises Azura. Her arrival marked the start of Southampton’s busy cruise season.

The newly refurbished terminal now boasts a specious lobby area, a new escalator and stairs to allow for the increased guest flow to the upper level. The mezzanine floor has been extended to provide additional seating ready to accommodate an increase in passenger capacity.

This first phase has also included quayside infrastructure upgrades with 18 new 150 tonne bollards replacing the old 50 tonne bollards together with a new stores receiving area.

Phase 2 will see the installation of two new air bridges together with a further 2,000 roof-mounted solar panels. The project is due for completion early in 2020, in readiness for the arrival of P&O Cruise’s new 5,200-Guest flagship Iona due in May.

This £12 million project is in partnership with P&O Cruises and began in October last year.

Alastair Welch, Director at the Port of Southampton, said: “Cruise is a growing industry and we continue to make these significant investments which are crucial to ensuring we are in a good position to welcome the larger ships and the increase in passenger numbers.”

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: Azura is be the first ship to berth at the newly renovated Ocean Cruise Terminal, which, when all the work is complete, will give our guests a much smoother, faster and more efficient boarding experience and will also prepare us for the arrival of our two LNG-powered ships.”

The Port of Southampton is Europe’s leading cruise turnaround port and currently welcomes over 2 million passengers each year. Each ship visit to the port generates around £2 million for the local economy.

Iona, which will homeport in Southampton, is the first of two new ships of the XL-class for P&O Cruises, with the next ship on order to be delivered in 2022. She is the first British cruise ship to be powered by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).

LNG is steadily becoming the fuel of choice for the cruise industry with a number of cruise lines including AIDA, Carnival, Costa, P&O, MSC, all choosing LNG power for future ships.

Carnival Corps current LNG order book:

Costa Cruises (Costa Smeralda); delivery October 2019.

Carnival Cruise Line (Mardi Gras); delivery 2020.

P&O Cruises UK (IONA); delivery 2020.

AIDA Cruises; delivery 2021.

Costa Cruises; delivery 2021.

Carnival Cruise Line; delivery 2022.