Meyer Delays Quantum Float Out

Meyer Werft said today that Saturday's float out of Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas would not take place as planned. Adverse weather is forecast for Saturday at Papenburg.

The decision will also cancel the rearrangement of the two floating sections of Anthem of the Seas in the building dock. One of those is already floating in the shipyard's harbor.

Meyer said they will make an announcement of a new date for the float out early next week.

Update August 8: The float out has tentatively been rescheduled for Tuesday, August 12 at 4pm (10am Eastern US time). 

Update August 12: Weather is still preventing the float out. The process is now scheduled to begin Tuesday evening at 8:00pm (2:00pm Eastern US time) with the moving of the sections of Anthem of the Seas out of the way, but the actual float out of Quantum of the Seas will now occur around 6:00 am on Wednesday, August 13 (just after midnight Wednesday in the US). It should be docked at the outdoor pier about three hours later. It's all still subject to weather conditions.

Quantum of the Seas sits at the ready to float out of the building dock. Just ahead of her is a section of Anthem of the Seas.

Photo courtesy of Meyer Werft. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without permission.

Hans Hesselberg to Head MSC Hotel Operations

MSC Cruises appoints Hans Hesselberg as new Senior Vice President Hotel Operations


FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (August 7, 2014) – MSC Cruises USA President Richard E. Sasso announced today the appointment of Hans Hesselberg as senior vice president of Hotel Operations.

In this role, Hesselberg will be responsible for overall vessel operation including product delivery and shipboard services on MSC Cruises ships operating in the Caribbean. Sasso noted that this is a particularly strategic hire citing Hesselberg’s role to ensure that the signature service and onboard experiences of MSC Divina, the line’s first ship dedicated to the North American market, continue to evolve to meet the needs of the market as the ship prepares for her first season in the Mediterranean in spring 2015.

“Hans Hesselberg’s distinguished career of more than 40 years in the industry makes him uniquely qualified to contribute to our continued commitment to deliver a product that appeals to the North American market,” said Sasso.

Before joining MSC Cruises, Hesselberg served in a number of senior-level operations roles, most recently as the head of Hotel Operations for Costa Cruise Lines based in the Genoa, Italy, head office. Prior to that, he was vice president, Operations for the Americas for Costa. He joined Costa from American Hawaii Cruises where he served as vice president of Hotel Operations.

Hesselberg and his wife, Mary, are residents of Miami.


Source: MSC Cruises

Cruise News Daily Headlines for August 6, 2014

* The Place to Catch “Falling Stars”
Costa offers passengers aboard their neoCollection ships special experiences of various types, but aboard sailings over the next few days they are outdoing themselves.

* Other Things You’ll Want to Know
CND subscribers also read about Lusitania being remembered ... an unusual situation aboard Costa Concordia ... and Concordia’s captain still stirring things up in Italy.

The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.

Lusitania Exhibit to Sail aboard Cunard's Queen Victoria

Lusitania Exhibition to be Assembled for Commemoration Cruise aboard Queen Victoria
Unique collection to tell the story of the triumph and tragedy of Lusitania


06 August 2014 – Cunard has commissioned historian Eric Sauder to produce a temporary exhibition of Lusitania memorabilia that will be displayed on board Queen Victoria during her 3 May 2015 voyage commemorating the loss of Lusitania 100 years earlier. Eric Sauder has been interested in ocean liners, particularly Lusitania, for more than 30 years, with his first job being a tour guide on Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. He has dived on the wreck of Lusitania and has authored two books on the subject: RMS Lusitania: The Ship and Her Record and The Unseen Lusitania: The Ship in Rare Illustrations, the latter to be released for the 100th anniversary of the sinking.

Lusitania was the first of 22 Cunard ships lost in the First World War. On 7 May 2015 it will be exactly 100 years since the Cunard flagship was torpedoed while en route from New York to Liverpool. The ship sank approximately 11 miles off the old Head of Kinsale in Ireland.

This special seven-night Lusitania Remembered cruise by Queen Victoria will commemorate the loss of Lusitania and the other Cunard ships in World War One. Queen Victoria will call at Cobh (formerly Queenstown) on 7 May 2015. Cobh will forever be associated with the tragedy. The sinking was a human catastrophe on a scale that this small town had not experienced before or since. People there witnessed first-hand the trauma, tragedy and heartbreak that ensued. The dead, the injured and the bereaved were brought among a community that mobilised itself and responded with courage and compassion to their needs.

"The sinking of Lusitania was a tragedy and we intend to mark the anniversary of her sinking on 7 May 2015 in a fitting and respectful way,” said David Dingle, CEO of Cunard Line. “But her story was also one of triumph in the technical achievement of her construction and her glittering career from 1907 until the outbreak of war. We are pleased to be working with Eric Sauder on this exhibition that will recall that triumph and tragedy, and bring an added element on this special Lusitania voyage which the passengers who book this special cruise will experience."

Eric Sauder said, "I have been fascinated will all things Lusitania for many years and am pleased to be working with Cunard on this exhibition that I hope will bring to life the Lusitania story in a unique way.”

All passengers aboard Queen Victoria will be invited to attend a special service ashore as well as witness a number of other tributes occurring that day, and a Commemorative Dinner will be held for them that night on board the ship.

Sailing from and back to Southampton, the Lusitania Remembered voyage will call at St. Peter Port (Guernsey), Le Havre, Cobh and Dublin. Cunard fares start from $1399 per person for an inside cabin and from $2099 for a balcony cabin.

The Lusitania exhibit will feature china, silver, brochures, postcards, memorabilia and souvenirs that will bring to life the story of Cunard's flagship.

Lusitania and her sister Mauretania were the first of the floating palaces and today still conjure up images of power, speed, Palm Courts, Smoking Rooms, afternoon tea and grand staircases.

For more information about Queen Victoria, please visit visit www.cunard.com.

Source: Cunard Line

Cruise News Daily Headlines for August 5, 2014

* P&O Details Plans for Aurora
After the peak summer season, and before its holiday cruise and epic winter trips, P&O will be giving Aurora a three-week 26-million-pound refit in Hamburg. In addition to cosmetics, they will be adding a number of features to the 14-year-old ship as well as updating the functionality of others.
   The most visible change to the 76,000-ton vessel is that Aurora will be the first P&O ship in the new Union Jack livery in which a contemporary version of the flag begins at the bow and streams back down the forward portion of the hull. The stack will take on a striking new dark blue color. At one time the white hull was striking and distinctive, but with the new livery, there now will be no mistaking P&O ships.

* Another Port Fretting about Parking Revenue
It seems another port is realizing they are being cut out parking revenue (by outside lots) and how important the revenue is to them. But while the port management at New Orleans tries to figure things out, it seems they don’t want to go to war with the private lots - for now.

The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.