Cruise Industry News Feature Articles
Winter 2011-2012: Marine Ops: 'Safely, Reliably and in Compliance’
At Royal Caribbean International, the mantra for marine operations is to sail “safely, reliably and in compliance,” according to Captain William Wright, senior vice president of marine operations. While the overriding focus is on safety, the company continues to work to gain further energy efficiencies. With fuel prices not trending in a positive direction, Wright said, efforts to minimize energy usage are 24/7 across the fleet.
Fall 2011: Next Generation: Optimizing Ship Designs
The next generation of ships needs to be of flexible design, according to Giuseppe Torrente, head of the design department at Fincantieri’s Merchant Ship Business Unit. He said they need to be energy efficient and economical to operate. “Already more hydrodynamic hull forms require less propulsion power,” he explained.
“The starting point is the speed. By designing hulls for the most frequent speed, we can optimize the hull for that speed and save fuel and energy. A hull optimized for 20 knots will be different from a hull optimized for 22 knots.”
Fall 2011: Shipbuilding: Yards Battle for Orders
There were 22 ships on the orderbooks at press time, including options and memoranda of agreement, for deliveries from 2012 through 2016.
While all the new ships are trending larger, they are not going anywhere near the size of the Oasis class. Instead, Royal Caribbean International’s new so-called Sunshine class is the largest among the next generation of ships at 158,000 tons with a double-occupancy passenger capacity of 4,100. They are slated for deliveries in 2014 and 2015.
Fall 2011: Azamara: Flaunt Your Stuff!
Why is Azamara Club Cruises such a carefully kept secret in this industry? It is perplexing that this excellent product has to work so hard to rise above the marketing noise and clutter. Word of mouth still counts, however, particularly now with instant user internet reviews. We hope and feel strongly that Azamara will hold its own and thrive despite the constant reminders of “economies of scale” that tell us in the industry that bigger is better (more profitable).
Fall 2011: Disney: Legacy of Storytelling
Fall 2011: Green: Environmental Society on Explorer
Onboard Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, the eco-culture extends from a recently advanced wastewater purification(AWP) system installation to garbage processing, recycling, fuel savings, education and more, as showed by Richard Pruitt, Royal Caribbean Cruises’ associate vice president of environmental programs, and Explorer of the Seas Environmental Officer Bridget Sullivan, on an exclusive ship visit with Cruise Industry News (CIN).





