Cruise & Ferry Review - Spring/Summer 2021

9 6 Building for the return As cruise lines look towards the future, Alex Smith highlights the newbuilds that will be crucial to attracting passengers back onboard after sailing resumes W ith the Covid-19 pandemic continuing to inflict damage on all aspects of the industry, cruise lines and shipyards face unprecedented financial and operational challenges, and they are making difficult decisions to survive. Yet, despite this, the cruise industry has not lost sight of the future. Key newbuilds will play a crucial role in attracting and exciting passengers as they return after the crisis has abated, and cruise lines are continuing to trust in their investments as they look to rebuild. Carnival Cruise Line’s new Mardi Gras, which was delivered by Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku in December 2020, is an example of this commitment to the future. At 180,000gt, the ship is now the largest in Carnival’s fleet, with over 2,600 staterooms and 180 suites across 11 categories. Among her features are Bolt, the first rollercoaster to be built on a ship, and a three-storey-high atrium with floor-to-ceiling windows and movable LED screens. She is scheduled to enter service in May 2021. “Mardi Gras’ technology, venues and accommodations will make this a game- changing vessel in North America,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, when the ship was delivered. “With this delivery, we can now focus our collective efforts on the building of her sister ship, Carnival Celebration, which will arrive from Turku in 2022 in time for our 50th birthday.” Meyer Turku is also working on Costa Cruises’ newest LNG-powered cruise ship, Costa Toscana, which was floated out of the building dock in January. The ship has been designed with the circular economy in mind, with an intelligent energy efficiency system and onboard desalination plants to process seawater directly to meet daily water supply requirements. Some of the onboard highlights will include the Solemio Spa, 16 restaurants, themed bars, an open-air balcony with a crystal floor on the top deck, three outdoor pools, an indoor salt- water pool, a new beach club, and the Colosseo, which spans three decks at the centre of the ship. The ship is scheduled for delivery in December. “We are confident in the recovery of our industry, and we are excited about the arrival of new ships like Costa Toscana, which embody the elements we want to focus on for the future,” said Mario Zanetti, chief commercial officer of Costa Cruises and president of Costa Group Asia. “It is an excellent and innovative ship that will be attractive for new customers, which is going to be fundamental, especially when people will be able to freely travel again and will have a great desire for holidays.” Meanwhile in Norway, Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot is currently being fitted out at Vard’s Søviknes shipyard ahead of her scheduled delivery in April 2021. According to the cruise line, she will be the first hybrid-electric polar exploration ship powered by LNG, with capacity for 270 guests in 135 staterooms and suites. The vessel will also feature a research laboratory onboard, where guests will be able to help onboard scientists set up experiments on the ice or collect water samples. Elsewhere in Norway, Ulstein Verft is constructing National Geographic Resolution, the second polar expedition CRUI SE ORDER BOOK Costa Toscana was floated out at Meyer Turku’s yard in January Photo: Meyer Turku