Cruise Liners – CELESTYAL OLYMPIA – 27.10.2023
One of the Finnish built cruise liners still trading is the 1981 built liner CELESTYAL OLYMPIA. She was built at Wartsila Hietalahti Shipyard at Helsinki, Finland with yard number 431 for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) as SONG OF AMERICA at the cost of $ 140 million. She was laid down on 17th February, 1981, […]
Cruise Liner News – Fred Olsen Cruise Lines to sell BRAEMAR – November 2022.
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines (FOCL) announced the sale of one of the cruise liners, BRAEMAR since its is rationalizing its fleet to concentrate on modern tonnage. “While BRAEMAR’s smaller size brings many benefits, her size also brings constraints that are not aligned with where we now want to be as a business,” the company said in a […]
Cruise Liner News – First cruise liner to dock at Wellington, New Zealand over 2 Years has active Covid-19 aboard on 25.10.2022
The first cruise liner in 2½ years to disembark passengers in Wellington at New Zealand had active Covid-19 aboard. The 2016 built 348 metre liner OVATION OF THE SEAS became the first cruise ship back into Wellington after 953 days on Tuesday 25th October, 2022 which has not been following current Covid isolation guidelines and […]
Breaking Up – Cruise Liner MARELLA CELEBRATION as MARE – September 2022
One of the French built liners, the 1984 built liner MARELLA CELEBRATION left Eleusis, Greece on 14th September, 2022 as MARE bound to Aliaga, Turkey for breakers towed by the 2008 built tug VERNICOS SIFNOS. Berthed at Valletta Cruise Port back to 21st August, 2018. She was built in 1984 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, France […]
Cruise Liner News – COSTA LUMINOSA transferred to Carnival Cruise Line – 08.09.2022
Last Thursday 8th September , the 2009 built 294 metre long cruise liner COSTA LUMINOSA officially joined the Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) renamed as CARNIVAL LUMINOSA flying a PRT flag at Palermo, Sicily, Italy. In Palermo, Costa Capt. Nicolantonio Palombella handed over the ship to Carnival Capt. Adriano Binacchi, with additional leadership team members from […]
Port Closure – Grand Harbour, Marsamxett & Marsaxlokk Harbour Closed due to fog and no visibility – 17.05.2022
On Tuesday 17th May, 2022 early morning from around 0500 hrs Valletta VTS decided to close Grand Harbour, Marsamxett & Marsaxlokk Harbour due to heavy fog with no visibility. This resulted with the grounding of the workboat RUSAND for few minutes with no injuries and very slight damage at Taqtiegha ta Delimara, few metres away […]
Cruise Liner News – MSC LIRICA to homeport in Piraeus, Greece in Summer 2022
The 2003 built liner MSC LIRICA will use Piraeus, Greece as homeport during Summer 2022. She was originally scheduled to sail from Venice but now she will offer a newly designed 7 night itinerary with 28 sailings between April and October 2022 calling Kusadasi at Turkey; Haifa at Israel; Limassol at Cyprus and the Greek […]
Cruise Liner News – 2021 built Cruise Liner SILVER DAWN at Malta – 18-19.11.2021
On Thursday 18th November, 2021 the newly cruise liner SILVER DAWN entered Grand Harbour, Malta at 1304 hrs coming from the Fincantieri Shipyard at Ancona, Italy. during her maiden call. She was handed over to Silversea Cruises 6 days before with Executives from the company and Fincantieri attended an intimate delivery ceremony to welcome the […]
Valletta Cruise Port – Cruise Liner MSC VIRTUOSA maiden call – 10.11.2021
On Wednesday 10th November, 2021 the 2021 built liner MSC VIRTUOSA entered Grand Harbour, Malta during her maiden call on a dull day passing breakwaters at 0702 hrs berthing at Valletta Cruise Port. MSC VIRTUOSA is a Meraviglia-Plus built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France. She is the second ship in the Meraviglia-Plus class and sister ship to MSC […]
Valletta Cruise Port – Cruise Liner BOREALIS maiden call – 08.11.2021
The second former Holland America Line cruise liner to call at Malta within 3 days was the 1997 built liner BOREALIS that passed Grand Harbour breakwaters at 0804 hrs coming from Alicante Spain during her maiden call on Monday 8th November in South Easterly weather. She’s the second ship to be named in the Fred […]