Laying Tracks in Finland

The first 800 feet of track were laid for the BOLT roller coaster aboard Carnival's Mardi Gras. The first roller coaster at sea will take riders around the upper deck of the new ship being completed in Finland at Meyer-Turku.

Photos courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

Chantiers Lays Keel for MSC World Europa

The cruise industry may not be sailing, but it is continuing to build for the day when it will be back as robust as it was. Chantiers de l'Atlantique laid the keel for a giant World-class ship for MSC Cruises today at their Saint-Nazaire yard.

The 200,000+-ton MSC World Europa will be more than just a huge ship. It will utilize some of the latest green technology as well as testing some cutting-edge concepts for the future.

The complete story appeared in the June 29 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Photos courtesy of MSC Cruises. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Ocean to Ocean in 90 Minutes

In an unusual operation, nearly 100 crew members aboard Carnival Miracle, which was in the Pacific Ocean, transferred to Carnival Glory, which was in the Gulf of Mexico, in order to continue their trips home.

What's so unusual was that to get between the two ships, Carnival chartered buses to go on the 90-minute trip from one side of the country to the other, and consequently from the Pacific Ocean all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Details appeared in the June 15 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Photos courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Virgin Ladies Seen Floating Around Genoa

Over the weekend, Fincantieri floated out the 110,000-ton Valiant Lady from their dry dock near Genoa at their Sestri Ponente yard. The ship was towed to a finishing dock where interior work will be completed. Delivery is currently scheduled for May 2021.

No sooner did Valiant Lady leave the building dock, than a portion of the hull of Virgin's third ship was towed in. It is scheduled for delivery in 2022 and has yet to be given a name.

Valiant Lady is towed out of the dry dock for the first time.

The first section of the Virgin's as-yet-unnamed third ship is towed toward the dry dock at Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente yard.

Photos courtesy of

Fincantieri Floats Viking Venus

Fincantieri floated out Viking Venus yesterday at their Ancona yard. Viking Venus is the seventh in the series the Italian yard is building for Viking Ocean Cruises.

In today's ceremony, a cord was pulled which started the water filling the dry dock where the ship was built. At the end of the two-day filling process, the ship will be towed to the outfitting dock, and the yard will be ready to begin fitting out the interior of the ship with delivery planned for 2021.

The complete story appeared in the June 12 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Photos courtesy of Fincantieri. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.