New Outdoor Movie Screen

Rhapsody of the Seas’ guest can now enjoy a poolside movie with the addition of an outdoor LED screen.

via RoyalCaribbean Flickr

Historically, there was no way to convert the 50 Hz utility power offered on the shores of some countries the 60 Hz usable by cruise ships.  The Cochran Marine Shore Power System converts the standard voltage of any cruise terminal worldwide to match that of the vessel. Sort of like a plug adapter that one might use to plug in U.S. devices in the U.K.

Through a process, it seamlessly transfers electrical power to the ship while it is docked.  By connecting to shore power, cruise ship operators can turn off diesel engines and run entirely on electrical power while in port, which reduces carbon emissions by approximately 87 tons per call.

 

But that still doesn’t fix the main problem of where is that electricity coming from in the first place. The powerplant that generated the shoreside power could be burning coal which would pollute just as much as the ship burining fuel oil.

When Carnival ordered 3 ships for AIDA/Costa back in August, there was a provision for a second ship for Costa. Rumor has it that Carnival my be close to picking up that option.

Here’s what I wrote back in August:

[The deal] calls for one ship for Italian/European brand Costa Crociere. The unnamed vessel will come in at 132,500grt. making her the largest for Costa and 3rd largest in Carnival Corp (QM2 and Royal Princess are larger). Pax numbers are, 3,700 lower berths, 4,928 total guests. Delivery of the USD$794 million vessel will be 2014. She will be constructed in the [Fincanteri] yard.

If true, it signifies that the Costa brand is not going anywhere. After the Concordia disaster, it seemed like everyone in the media was calling for Carnival plc. to dissolve the brand.

More photos below:

Carnival Breeze conducts sea trials as it gets ready for its debut June 3 in Venice.
 

The Carnival Breeze which is currently in the final stages of construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, had a full contingent of officers, technicians, and engineers on board thoroughly testing the ship’s sophisticated navigation, technical and mechanical systems.
 

Carnival Breeze will offer a variety of innovations, including the line’s first Thrill Theater.
 

Following its inaugural 12-day cruise that departs Venice June 3 and arrives in Barcelona June 15, Carnival Breeze will operate a summer schedule of Mediterranean voyages from Barcelona through October 25.
 

Several Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have created the startup Blueseed. They plan on building a ship and having it anchor 12 miles off of California (which is pretty deep water BTW) and having internet start up, well, start up there. The reason is it would allow the “smartest and brightest minds” to come together in a closed environmental. The other reason they state is so that they are outose american laws as the vessel wile be in international waters.

Here’s how they describe themselves:

Imagine a community that gathered one thousand of the boldest, brightest, and most talented tech entrepreneurs from around the world. Now imagine that this community was a part of Silicon Valley, the best place to scale a high-tech company… Well, that dream is becoming a reality.

Now that may sound good and all, but I know most entrepreneurs that start up their own internet company may me mildly insane.  This idea may be the dumbest I’ve ever heard. Its almost like they NEVER consulted a single maritime expert to gauge the validity of the project.

Check out their concept vessels. They say they will start the project in 2014. Good luck trying to find a shipyard that has an empty orderbook!

via The Verge

The Board of Directors of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.(NYSE, OSE: RCL) today declared a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share payable on June 06, 2012, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 22, 2012.

Traditionally, during the ceremony, line officials will take the podium and at this event, they didn’t disappoint!

Costa’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pier Luigi Foschi:

Booking volumes are back to the same levels recorded this time last year….Our share of the market in the main countries where we operate has not been affected.  We were, are, and remain number one in Europe

I would really like to see the actual figures for this. The Concordia disaster single hand-idly brought the industry to a standstill, especially the Costa brand.  Royal Caribbean executives are even warning investors of what could be a rocky Q2 and Q3 as only then will we know the fallout of the summer Med (its peak season).

• Bonsai Sushi – Carnival’s first full-service sushi restaurant, Bonsai Sushi offers a wide variety of Asian-inspired delicacies with a contemporary decor featuring artwork by world-renowned graffiti artist Erni Vales, colorful koi kites flown during impromptu celebrations, and, of course, several Bonsai trees. Located along Promenade Deck, Bonsai Sushi includes a number of varieties of sushi, sashimi, and rolls along with bento boxes and the venue’s own interpretation of a sushi boat – in this case, a sushi “ship” – with prices ranging from $1 for appetizer-sized portions to $15 for a sushi ship for two.
• Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ – Reminiscent of a backyard barbecue, this complimentary open-air dining venue located on Promenade Deck offers a mouth-watering array of grilled favorites, including barbecued chicken breast, kielbasa, Italian sausage, and Fat Jimmy’s signature item, pulled pork sandwiches, along with traditional sides like baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw and mini-corn muffins.
• Guy’s Burger Joint – fresh-made burgers, hand-cut fries and innovative toppings created in partnership with Food Network personality Guy Fieri.
• BlueIguana Cantina – offering authentic tacos and burritos that can be personalized by diners at an extensive salsa and toppings bar.
• The Punchliner Comedy Brunch presented by George Lopez – featuring hilarious comedic performances and an extensive menu of brunch-time favorites.
• “The Comfort Kitchen” – new venue located within Lido Marketplace offering American-style “comfort food.”
• Serenity – salads, sandwiches, wraps and other light fare available at the ship’s exclusive adults-only retreat.
• The Taste Bar – complimentary bite-size offerings inspired by popular Carnival dining venues, along with a signature cocktail tied to that eatery’s particular theme available for purchase.
• Sea Dogs – a hot dog-shaped cart within the SportSquare outdoor recreation area offering all-beef franks and traditional toppings (debuts on Carnival Breeze in November).

It’s little surprise that the company has failed to recapture pre-recession highs, as its key metrics look worse than they did before the crash. Free cash flow, again erratic over the five-year period, is up just more than 4% from 2007, although Carnival spent a lot of time in 2009 and 2010 cash-flow negative. Royal Caribbean, on the other hand, grew revenue at a faster rate and barely managed to eke out positive profit growth after an atrocious 2010.

Since the tragic disaster of the Costa Concordia in January and the subsequent fire on the Allegra, the key factor hasn’t been what Carnival was going to do to get customers back on its cruise ships, but what could be done to improve the image of Carnival CEO Micky Arison.

My primary beef with Mr. Arison was his delayed response (more than one week, according to The Wall Street Journal) to the Costa Concordia tragedy and his lack of response just six weeks later regarding the fire on the Costa Allegra. He seemed concerned more with the Miami Heat, which he owns, than Carnival Cruise Lines, leaving shareholders as an afterthought.

The one disaster that captured attention like the Costa Concordia in recent memory was the BP (NYS: BP) oil spill. The stock plunged, there were boycotts, and it seemed like the world would end for BP. Even the executive incompetence mirrors Carnival. But BP’s stock has rebounded despite the massive costs of the oil spill. I’m afraid shorting Carnival now would be like shorting BP at the bottom, which would have ended in a losing bet.

During the 2013-14 season Grand Princess will sail roundtrip from San Francisco to:

Alaska — Grand Princess’ first Alaska season features 10-day Inside Passage sailings. The ship will offer 13 voyages featuring the stunning scenery of Glacier Bay National Park or Tracy Arm, with calls at Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria. Cruises depart between May 10 and September 7, 2013.

Mexico — Grand Princess will offer two sailings on a new 10-day itinerary to Mexico, featuring two new ports for Princess — Loreto and La Paz, both in Baja California. Passengers will also enjoy calls at Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta. Sailings depart on September 17, 2013 and March 5, 2014.

California Coastal — An increasingly popular Princess itinerary, Grand Princess will take passengers to Santa Barbara, Los Angeles (Long Beach), San Diego, and Ensenada. Four sailings are offered on September 27 and October 19, 2013; plus March 15 and April 6, 2014.

Hawaiian Islands  — Passengers can explore each of the main Hawaiian islands on this 15-day voyage to the Big Island (Hilo), Oahu (Honolulu), Kauai (Nawiliwili), Maui (Lahaina), and Ensenada. Grand Princess will offer 12 departures between October 4, 2013 and April 28, 2014.

Princess will be the first modern day line to base a ship year-round out of the Bay area. This seems strange as the itinerary selection is extremely lacking. Also the fact that other lines, Carnival (Carnival Splendor) and RCCL (Mariner of the Seas) have recently puled ships out of the area due to lack of sales doesn’t help Princess’ case. California has always been a tough region to attract passengers from. On an related unrelated note, Princess HQ is in California.