Skip to main content

Thank You 500,000 readers

P&O CRUISES signed to build the largest cruise ship ever till today for the British market

P&O CRUISES has contracted to build the largest cruise ship ever for its British source market.
by Earl of Cruise
This ship will be a 5,200 passenger (double occupancy) cruise ship. The vessel will be capable for a max capacity of 8,500 people onboard. This would be the largest cruise vessel ever built specifically for the British market. The delivery from MEYER WERFT GRUPPE will be in 2020.
LNG fuel newbuild for P+O pando
Rendering of the P&O CRUISES LNG fuels newbuild - courtesy of MEYER WERFT GRUPPE
This is causing a shifting in delivery for the previously signed vessels for AIDA CRUISES and COSTA CRUISES. The LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) powered ship will top 180,000 GT. It is planed to base the new vessel in Southampton. It will also be family-friendly. The conceptual design of this new class of vessels for the CRANIVAL GROUP subsidiaries is family-friendly.
LNG newbuild for Costa Cruises
Rendering of the COSTA CRUISES LNG newbuild - courtesy of MEYER WERFT GRUPPE
The yet biggest cruise vessel from ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE LINES, of 250,000 GT, has a max passenger capacity of 6,700.
The as-yet-unnamed ship will dwarf P&O CRUISES´ current flagship, the 3,647 passenger, 141,000 GT BRITANNIA, launched in 2015.
P&O CRUISES´ senior vice president Paul Ludlow stated that the ship will be "evolution not revolution" in terms of what features to expect onboard.
"I can confirm that there will be some stand-out features in terms of design. And given the scale of the ship it does give us the chance to come up with features which will be brand new for the brand."
However, Ludlow ruled out any features such as dodgems, climbing walls, simulated skydiving or simulated surfing, as can be found on Royal Caribbean ships. We are P&O CRUISES and we know the tastes of our guests, so we will evolve rather than change."
A statement from P&O Cruises read:
"Through an innovative use of space, the ship will offer an extensive range of dining, entertainment and relaxing features."
It was confirmed by Paul Ludlow, that more details would be released on October 26, at a press event.
According to a spokeswoman of P&O CRUISES - "We are open to suggestions!"
... this will hopefully not ending in another 'Boaty Mcboatface' ...
Paul Ludlow said the decision to order a huge new build for the British market was down to P&O CRUISES having "a really strong last two years", as well as a greater proportion of people in the United Kingdom wanting to cruise. He added:
"We believe the U.K. market can grow even further and as well as our current guests there is a large proportion of people yet to cruise."
The new livery of P&O CRUISES is showing clearly the target market - the United Kingdom.
The ship will be built at the German MEYER WERFT GRUPPE in Turku. It will feature the shipbuilders´ "green cruising" design as one of the first generation of cruise ships to be fully powered by LNG, which will significantly reduce air emissions and will become the most environmentally efficient ship in P&O CRUISES´ history.
This is not the first time for British people, potential cruise guests and those "used to cruise", that there is a German built vessel taking them on a cruise or a crossing - MAJESTIC, HOMERIC, BERANGARIA, etc.
The most interesting part in that construction is the fuel which will be used - LNG. The use of LNG as fuel had to break some barriers. Those in the heads of future cruise passengers, as well in those of the industry captains. The shipping industry is one of the most conservative industries one can imagine. And sticking to the used, sometimes old, is quite common. Despite looking for new markets, freight and cruise guests.
Carnival was back in the 70s the first who did search the new guests in the lower end of the food chain, and revolutionaized the cruise industry with. Now we have a mass market industry.
And this mass market requires the bigger and more efficient vessels for the offers the cruise companies can sell in this highly volatile market.
The average per passenger per day is US $222.00, with US $168.43 ticket price and $53.57 on board spending (average cruise duration 8.0 days, median duration 7.0 days) - source: Cruise Market Watch.
And now Carnival Corp. is ordering for it subsidiaries vessels with the highst passenger density ever till today. In history this "crown" was held by IMPERATOR and CANBERRA as the second.
It was once about effeciency, and it is now all about efficiency ... but the paying cruise vacationer is not an imigrant, or a refugee, who is seeking a new fortune over the seas, or as some in the industry babble: screaming cargo - he is paying customer.
I will not imagine a vessel "packed" with 8,500 passengers entering a port, like St. Thomas ... 8,500 noisy, (over)demanding, sometimes arrogant (I am not bashing or hitting on British passengers! in general!) and / or ignorant people flodding that town.
And for the 8,500 passengers on board is "only" the same amount of crew members to cater, clean and run the vessel. And these are latest now at a point to be overworked and definitely underpayed.
Besides I will not imagine a new COSTA DESATRIA ... or a ruthless Capitano Schettino ... one, two, three and you climb my "tree" ... Where is this blond Moldavian "lady" by the way?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

HISTORY - ts / ss BREMEN and ts / ss EUROPA

Germany’s two luxury liners, BREMEN and EUROPA , have not only played an important part in their country’s mercantile revival, but have added also an immortal chapter to the history of transatlantic travel. Copy from Shipping Wonders of the World   From part 6 , published 17 March 1936 editing by Earl of Cruise ss / ts BREMEN in her early years - Source: Shipping Wonders of the World/Bundespresse Archiv The PRIDE OF A NATION - the NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD quadruple-screw turbine express liner BREMEN . The keel of this ship was laid in June 1927. Her launch took place in August, 1928. In less than a year later, the Bremen made her first voyage to America, when she crossed the Atlantic from Cherbourg to New York in four days seventeen hours forty-two minutes, thus setting up a new record and gaining the coveted “Blue Riband”. During the passage the Bremen attained an average speed of 27.83 knots. ss / ts BREMEN in her early years - Source: W ikipedia For the pop...

Ocean Liners in Movies or Films at Sea (updated Nov 2017)

For liners and the shipping companies movies and films had been a top marketing tool Movies or Films and liners at sea, had been intriguing me since I have read about in my youth in LUXUSLINER - BILDER EINER GROSSEN ZEIT by Lee Server ( THE GOLDEN AGE OF OCEAN LINERS ). But earlier, mot only since my first crossing, I was keen watching movies with liners in it, and disapointed, which was an understatement, when I realized the films have been made in a set ashore in some movie "factory". That was after my first crossing.   by Earl of Cruise an essay in progress `Sabrina´, Humphrey Bogart in the office, while LIBERTÉ is sailing out of New York harbor - screenshot Ocean liners, especially those of the luxury category, had been the location of dramas, love stories, thrillers, suspense and catastrophies sinde film was born, or nearly. In this list, the most descriptions are taken from Wikipedia, as I guess no one can expect having seen all these films ... otherwise I w...

ss NORMANDIE 1935 - 1942 IX

s s / te NORMANDIE starting from cold Owners: COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE BUILDERS: PENH Ö ET, St. Nazaire, France   by Stephen Carey © , editing by Earl of Cruise   This document is almost exclusively about the engineering aspects of NORMANDIE , mainly on how to start her up from cold. If you are looking for photos of the passenger spaces, there is a plethora of them on the web, in Facebook groups - Admirers of the ss Normandie , ss Normandie photographic file , The French Ocean Liners / Les Paquebots Fran ç ais , ss Normandie , GREAT LINERS OF THE PAST & PRESENT , and others, Pinterest and in articles about NORMANDIE here in the blog, please see at the end of the article. Using "ss" for NORMANDIE is quite incorrect, as NORMANDIE was a Turbo Electric vessel and not a steamship, therefore NORMANDIE should be adressed as "te".   by Earl of Cruise te / ss NORMANDIE berthed in Le Havre, Gare Maritime May 29th, 1935 - colouring courtesy ...

HISTORY - The CUNARD - WHITE STAR Liner rms QUEEN ELIZABETH (1938-1972)

Over years, in my early youth, the QUEEN ELIZABETH was shaping my mind for the perfect ocean liner, despite having made my first experiences with a liner onboard the HANSEATIC (1), ex EMPRESS OF SCOTLAND, ex EMPRESS OF JAPAN. When leaning at the rail of HANSEATIC entering the port, my eyes where every where and I wished to by a camera, I took all in. And when seeing the QUEEN ELIZABETH with my own eyes, the nice behaving young boy turned into a tomboy, that my grandmére was no longer able to tame ... I did draw quite a lot of looks, back then. I found, while on research, this article and thought it interesting publishing in my blog: written and published by John Sheperd at liverpoolships.org editing and comments by Earl of Cruise I ( John Shepard ) joined the CUNARD LINE in March 1962 as an Assistant Purser and sailed the QUEEN ELIZABETH throughout that year, before transferring to the Liverpool-based CARINTHIA in November, where I remained as Crew Purser for the next five...

Thank You 500,000 readers

HISTORY - RHEINGOLD the German luxury day express train

Between May 1928 and August 1939 the luxury day express train RHEINGOLD operated between Hoek van Holland and Basel as a FFD Pullman train of DEUTSCHE REICHSBAHN GESELLSCHAFT (DRG) and MITROPA. The name was mystic and elitarian. by Earl of Cruise   RHEINGOLD, the name of the most luxurious train ever of Germany - detail, own photo On May 15th, 1928 the luxury express train RHEINGOLD started for the first time, connecting Hoek von Holland, Netherlands, and Amsterdamn with Basel, Suisse. Name giving was the legendary treasure of the Nibelungen. This special service for most international travelers was an immidiate success. Advertisment for the RHEINGOLD created by Frank Newbould - collection Earl of Cruise For the most travelers in the RHEINGOLD meant the voyage in the luxury train more than being transported in high comfort. From their soft armchairs they could watch the pitoresque Rhine landscape, with wine villages, vine-growing slopes, forteresses and castles, and th...

Deluxe - KUNGSHOLM V (2020+) of SWEDISH AMERICAN LINE

There is the idea of a new KUNGSHOLM, initiated by SWEDISH AMERICAN LINE . The bygone KUNGSHOLM IV was a design icon, really hard missed by shiplovers and those who are design afficionados. And those who just love to see the ship, with its beautiful lines in harmony designed by Claes Feder, the KUNGSHOLM IV . by Earl of Cruise When loosing the HAMBURG to the breakers I did start developing a new HAMBURG, but what it would be today. The very same was done by Johnny Sid - he started developing a new KUNGSHOLM and revived the SVENSKA AMERKA LINIEN as SWEDISH AMERICAN LINE. Theo Anderson created for SWEDISH AMERICAN LINE a design what a new, a KUNGSHOLM V , could be. Potential new KUNGSHOLM V , rendering by Theo Anderson - courtsey Theo Anderson / SWEDISH AMERICAN LINE Potential new KUNGSHOLM V , rendering by Theo Anderson - courtsey Theo Anderson / SWEDISH AMERICAN LINE Potential new KUNGSHOLM V , rendering by Theo Anderson - courtsey Theo Anderson / SWEDISH AMERI...

HISTORY - rms MAJESTIC - Hand in Hand with rms TITANIC

TITANIC and MAJESTIC (1890), both Royal Mail Ships, hand in hand? How so? The review of João Martins will show. by João Martins , editing by Earl of Cruise And WHITE STAR LINE was more than only a shipping line which employed rms TITANIC. WHITE STAR was company with a great heritage and introduced many innovations which became standards. Founded by Thomas Henry Ismay , originally from Maryport, and shareholders amoung whom had been HARLAND&WOLFF . Later the Irish shipbuilder, located in Belfast, built all ships for WHITE STAR. rms MAJESTIC as built by HARLAND&WOLFF - Sour ce: Wikipedia ( original seize ) T he rms MAJESTIC was a 9,965 GRT British ocean liner built by HARLAND & WOLFF for WHITE STAR LINE and completed in 1890. Her career was profoundly intertwined with rms TITANIC. In the late 1880s competition for the Blue Riband, the award for the fastest Atlantic crossing, was fierce amongst the major shipping lines. At the time the prize belonged to CUNA RD...

ss NORMANDIE 1935-1942 XII - The Most Beautiful Ocean Liner Ever Built

For many, or should I say for "a great many" Ocean Liner Lovers, NORMANDIE is the most beautiful liner ever built. Me, I am among those aficionados.   NORMANDIE was technically decades ahead of time. The vessel got implemented technologies that would have been copied by others, who then claimed to be the first to have. Alternative facts are not a modern days invention of a certain chrétien and his backward oriented entourage ... NORMANDIE´s interior was the peak of ART DECO in France, and was, still is, the peak of chic. Never again any liner, or passenger vessel, except NIEUW AMSTERDAM had been designed exterior and interior that strict in the "guide lines" of the ART DECO (Link in German) movement - as ART DECO is "only" a movement and not a school like BAUHAUS . Therefore the style was in a permanent "move" and development. NORMANDIE, the perfect ocean liner, Le Vaisseau de Lumière, Le Deesse de la Mer - courtsey coloured by Dary...

HISTORY - AUSTRO AMERICANA the Austro-Hungary shipping line into the new world

Not many know about the Austro-Hungary shipping line, AUSTRO AMERICANA , which sailed out of Trieste to the Americas. Austro-Hungary and shipping? You may ask ... you may have heard about Vienna Walz, coffe house culture, Hotel Sacher and its famous chocolate cake, the Prater, chateau Schönbrunn, the Fiakers - the famous horse carriages and such things. But passenger shipping lines? There has been AUSTRO AMERICANA and ÖSTERREICHISCHER LLOYD , renamed in LLOYD TRIESTINO after 1918 and after purchased by EVERGREEN renamed in Italia Marittima. The actual company ÖSTERREICHISCHER LLOYD is a new formed management company situated in Austria.   by Earl of Cruise KAISER FRANZ JOSEH I. the biggest liner of AUSTRO AMERICANA - own collextion Parts of my family lived for a long time in the Austro-Hungary empire, which can be qualified as a "United Nations of the Balkan". Having traces into Austria-Hungay, the realm of Hungary in special, it is a pleasure for me making thes...