Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 Adds More Hamburg Sailings in 2013.

Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 Adds More Hamburg Sailings in 2013.

Cunard Line is adding 65% more transatlantic cruises in 2013 which include Hamburg, Germany. These cruises will either leave New York or Hamburg, Germany and stop in Southampton England. The number of cruises departing or arriving from Hamburg in 2013 will increase to 10 from 6 in 2012.

The Queen Mary 2 will also sail a number of Round-Trip sailings from Hamburg to Northern Europe, including a 2 day cruise to Southampton England.

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Nick's Cruise Corner Blog

German Cruise Operator AIDA To Utilize Shoreside Power in Hamburg

The leading German cruise company AIDA Cruises is looking for the best solution for shoreside power supply for cruise ships together with the City of Hamburg.

We will provide all our know-how and will offer active support with the development and the application of especially environment-friendly power supply for cruise ships in ports, says AIDA President Michael Thamm.

The fleet of the Rostock based cruise company is already prepared for retrofitting with shoreside power supplies. For the environment-friendly supply with shoreside power it is imminent, that the power is generated more efficient and cleaner than with the top-modern facilities onboard the AIDA ships. AIDA Cruises offers experts from their company that will advise the City of Hamburg in all technical matters free of charge and to see the project through to operability. The port of Hamburg can become a role model for the development of the best shoreside power concepts in Europe, says Michael Thamm.

AIDA Cruises leads the way and plans the installation of dual fuel motors

Sustainability determines all daily operations of AIDA Cruises. As the German market leader in the cruise segment, we very much feel obliged to the sustainable protection of the environment, says Thamm. Although the eight AIDA ships already are the most modern and youngest worldwide, the ship engineers in Rostock were able to further reduce the energy consumption from year to year. Since 2007, the fuel consumption per guest and day could be reduced by 18.2 per cent.

The market leader intends to stay on top of future technical developments. AIDA is involved in research projects as the initiative from the German governmente4ships for the development of fuel cells on cruise ships.

In the next generation of ships, AIDA is planning to install dual fuel motors which can be operated with both marine diesel and liquid gas.

All environmental actions of the cruise company are documented in the annually published sustainability report AIDA cares, which can be downloaded from the internet at www.aida.de/nachhaltigkeit.

Rostock, 27th September 2011

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Plantour To Operare the Columbus C in May 2012

Starting in May 2012, the German tour operator Plantours will take delivery of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ chartered Columbus. The ship, which has been on charter to Hapag-lloyd for the last 10 years will be renamed MS Hamburg, during a christening ceremony in June (in Hamburg).

The 400-passenger vessel is scheduled to sail in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean before repositioning to the Canary Islands and the Caribbean for the winter. The Hamburg will replace Plantour’s current ship, the Vistamar.

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Celebrity Cruise New Celebrity Silhouette to Be Named in Hamburg

Celebrity Silhouette, the newest addition to Celebrity Cruises Solstice class family, will make history this summer when it is officially named in Hamburg, Germany. When it comes to automobiles and cruise ships, “made in Germany” is often the mark of high quality, innovative design and precision. Celebrity Cruises’ award-winning Solstice Class ships are no exception, and their German heritage is coming full circle with the German locale of Celebrity Silhouette’s official naming festivities, with all their pomp and circumstance.

Built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg Germany, the 2,886-guest Celebrity Silhouette will be introduced to the world on July 1, 2011, with formal naming ceremonies that will kick off a two-night preview cruise for invited travel agents, press and other dignitaries. Celebrity Silhouette is the fourth Solstice Class ship in a series of five built at the sixth-generation, family-owned German yard renowned for its commitment to excellence, and the first in its class to be officially named in Germany.

“We are so honored that Germany will be the first country outside of the United States or the United Kingdom to host the naming of a Solstice Class ship,” said Tom Fecke, General Manager, RCL Cruises Ltd., Germany. “This is a clear commitment not only to the German cruise market, but also to the growing interest in the Celebrity Cruises brand, which continues to evolve and attract affluent vacationers. Hamburg, with its strong cruising tradition and appeal, provides an ideal setting, and we are very much looking forward to the celebration of the launch of this stunningly beautiful new ship.”

Vacationers eager to experience Celebrity Silhouette can book its inaugural cruise of July 23, a seven-night cruise to Rome. Following a Rome-focused two-night preview cruise for invited members of the travel industry and the media, the ship will introduce a series of 12- and 13-night Holy Land sailings roundtrip from Rome. Beginning this November, Celebrity Silhouette will be the first Solstice Class ship to present cruises from Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey, bringing the Solstice Class’s award-winning style and design to the greater New York City area.

Celebrity Silhouette will offer significantly expanded onboard opportunities for vacationers to enjoy their precious vacation time. New venues that will debut on Celebrity Silhouette will highlight some of the premium brand’s most compelling characteristics, offering unique experiences focused on the culinary arts, ways to relax and enjoy stylish surroundings at sea, and engaging, enriching onboard activities. These venues include:

• The Lawn Club Grill, the industry’s first outdoor, interactive grill restaurant
• The Porch, offering quick, simple, casual and complimentary breakfasts and lunches against a backdrop of views of the lawn and sea
• The Art Studio, a space within The Lawn Club where guests can participate in intimate, hands-on instruction from experts in drawing, painting and beading, as well as the art of food, with plating, tastings, mixology and other culinary-themed classes
• The Alcoves, a private retreat overlooking the lawn, ocean and coastlines, featuring eight exclusive, cabana-style settings, each designed for two to four guests
• The Hideaway, a high-tech, avant-garde treehouse-like spot for vacationers relaxing with their Apple iPads or perhaps reading a good book within cozy, intimate lounging “nests”

In addition to the innovative new venues and experiences, Celebrity Silhouette will offer iconic Solstice Class attributes, including:

• The hip “Celebrity iLounge” that made Celebrity Cruises the industry’s first Authorized Apple Reseller
• Uniquely unordinary “Qsine,” the first seagoing restaurant to feature a menu and wine list on an iPad®, and an engaging food-as-theater dining experience
• Ten unrivaled restaurants – in addition to “The Lawn Club Grill” and “The Porch”
• Modern, stylish interiors designed by some of the world’s best architects and designers, including Adam Tihany
• Cool nightclubs and lounges, including CellarMasters, complete with the industry’s first installation of the innovative Enomatic wine serving system
• One of the broadest and best wine offerings in the industry, served by one of the world’s largest staffs of certified sommeliers

* One of the world’s largest permanent collections of original contemporary art, and the industry’s first self-guided art tours to be presented on an iPad®
* Top-tier entertainment, including custom aerial production shows and live music

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Maxim Gorki, Oceanic, Regal Empress

This month brought about a number of changes for Vintage Cruise Ships.

Perhaps the saddest of all is the beaching, in Alang India, of the Maxim Gorki, ex Hamburg of German Atlantic Line. The futuristic ship, which enjoyed a long career under Russian ownership, was no longer economical with her fuel hungry steam engines and the slow down of the economy. Looking almost new, it is sad to see the ship grounded on the beach with her bulbous bow almost fully exposed. Within the next few weeks, work will begin to haphazardly dismantle the ship and chop away at her classic profile until she is all but a memory.

On a happier note, the Oceanic of Pullmantur (Formerly the Oceanic of Home Lines / StarShip Oceanic of Premier Cruises), has been sold for use as the Peaceboat for the Peaceboat Organization. The ship will sail worldwide itineraries on Japanese good will missions. It appears that this great ship will have an extended life for years to come.

On March 6th, 2009, the Bahamas Celebration began sailing for Celebration Cruise Line. Celebration Cruise Line is the new name for Imperial Majesty Cruise Line.

With the change of name, came the retirement of the Regal Empress. The Regal Empress, was originally built in 1953 as the Olympia for Greek Line. In 1982, she underwent a major refurbishing and had her engines replaced with modern diesel engines.

Although further plans for the Regal Empress have not been announced, the ship remains laid-up in Fort Lauderdale. There was interest in returning the ship to Greek waters as a national monument and there are rumours circulating that she has been sold to Indian breakers for $3 Million dollars

Both the Maxim Gorki/Hamburg and Regal Empress are covered in additional articles within this blog.

Maxim Gorki Arrives Off Alang India for Scrapping

It is with a saddened heart, that I report the Maxim Gorki has arrived in Alang, India. Earlier reports which stated the ship was still anchored off Egypt, appear to be false. There were rumours that due to the lack of demand for steel, the ship breakers in Alang, were no longer buying ships and that the Maxim Gorki would probably not be sold to scrappers. This does not appear to be the case.

There have been several attempts by private investors to bring the ship back to Germany as a tourist center, hotel and museum, but it appears that it may be too late.

Reports state that the ship was originally slated to be intentionally beached on February 24th. for the scrapping process to commence, but due to tidal conditions, the beaching has now been delayed until February 26th.

The Maxim Gorki, with her unique funnel design, originally entered service in 1969 as the Hamburg for German Atlantic Line. Deemed the "Space Ship" for her large cabins and vast passenger space, life under German ownership was short. In 1974, she was sold to the Black Sea Shipping Company/Scomflot and sailed from New York on economical cruises to the Caribbean. In her life, she was damaged by a bomb, was star of the film "Juggernaut" and actually struck an iceberg on a North Cape Cruise and began sinking. She was later repaired and was deloyed on worldwide cruises under charter to Germany's Phoenix Seereisen. She sailed for Phoenix until November 2008.

Her Russian owners had found further employment for the ship. A new cruise operator, in Florida was formed, which intended to re-introduce the Orient Lines brand name and market the Maxim Gorki under the name Marco Polo II. The Marco Polo II was to undergo a brief refit which would update furnishings and complete the final touches on making the ship SOLAS 2010 compliant. Due to the slump in the economy, Orient Lines ceased operation, before sailing their first cruise. The refit never took place.

The following message appeared on their website: " November 19, 2008 - Orient Lines has announced that due to the current world economic climate, it shall delay the launch of its cruises currently scheduled to commence in April 2009."

With her fuel hungry steam engines, lack of immediate employment and a reduced interest in cruising, the Maxim Gorki made her way to the breakers on January 28, 2009, after a short lay-up in Piraeus.

The number of classic ship is quickly dwindling and with the slump in the economy, any older ship which is laid-up, will probably go to breakers quickly.

Her futuristic design hides her age -at 40 years old - shes definitely does not look her age. I hope that the Maxim Gorki finds a last minute reprieve from the breaker's torch and will continue to sail but I am not aware of any ship to date, which arrived at Alang and at the 11th hour had her fate changed. Let's hope this is the first.