Ryndam Won't Be “Nieuw”

Another dam ship is on the way. Fincantieri laid the keel for Ryndam at their Marghera yard today and announced they will reuse the name “Ryndam” for it, the previous ship by that name having left the fleet in 2015. This ship will be the third in the Pinnacle-class series and a sister to Koningsdam and to Nieuw Statendam which was delivered last year. Ryndam is scheduled to be delivered in May 2021.

The first block that was lowered into the dry dock at the ceremony today will be a 500-ton part of the ship's midsection that measured 14 meters long by 35 meters wide. There will be a total of 85 blocks that make up the ship.

The complete story appeared in the November 21 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

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

The Restaurant Where Your Food Can Look Back at You

When choosing the dining experiences for Mardi Gras which will debut next summer, Carnival wanted something new and different for their customers that would be as sophisticated as their steakhouses, and that's when they settled on a seafood restaurant.

Since Carnival is all about fun, who better to create the restaurant, they reasoned, than master chef Rudi Sodamin whose most recent cookbook (the latest of a dozen) is “Food Faces,” which is about making your food into edible “portraits” (faces)?

Details appeared in the November 21 issue of Cruise News Daily.

NCL Adds Silver Cove to GSC

Norwegian Cruise Line was the first to have a private island (Great Stirrup Cay). Then they were one of the first to embrace the ship-within-a-ship concept. Now they seem to be taking that concept one step further by having a private-island-within-a-private-island.

The line, this week, unveiled their new Silver Cove resort area of Great Stirrup Cay. In addition to an exclusive 1,500-foot beach, its main feature is 38 beachfront villas in addition to a Mandera spa, a new Moet Bar and the Silver Cove Restaurant and Bar.

The video below takes a look at the entire upgraded Great Stirrup Cay.

Mardi Gras Will Be a Real Roller Coaster Ride

Carnival revealed more details today about Bolt, the first roller coaster at sea. It will debut aboard Mardi Gras next August. Carnival made the reveal, appropriately enough, at annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Conference in Orlando, because with the addition of Bolt to rest of their outdoor recreation attractions, cruise ships have become something of seagoing amusement parks.

Details appeared in the November 19 edition of Cruise News Daily.