There is more construction progress on the Odyssey of the Seas as Royal Caribbean International’s latest megaship left the covered building hall at Meyer Werft on Saturday.
This is a key milestone in the construction progress of the Quantum-Ultra class ship, as now the ship will be positioned at the yard’s outfitting pier and most work will now turn to finishing hotel items aboard the ship.
The Odyssey of the Seas is a sister to the China-based Spectrum of the Seas and is due for delivery from Royal Caribbean this coming spring.
Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri has revealed plans to manage a major new shipyard in Mexico’s Yucatan state capable of servicing some of the world’s largest cruise vessels, cargo ships and oil and gas vessels.
Fincantieri this week signed a letter of intent related to the project with the Yucatán Government offering Fincantieri a 40-year concession for the exclusive management of a new ship repair, conversion and maintenance yard at the Port of Progreso, the state’s main port located about 35km from the capital city of Merida. Fincantieri will also take part in the design and construction of the site.
The company said plans are to have two masonry dry docks, said to be “the largest in the Americas,” which will be able to hold ships up to 400 meters in length, “particularly cruise ships, large cargos and Oil & Gas vessels, which need complex operations,” Fincantieri said in a press release. The yard will also have a lifting platform for units up to 150 meters in length, about 1,000 meters docks, cranes, workshops, special equipment, offices, and warehouses, it said.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2021 with completion by 2027 “after various steps,” the company said.
The government is expected to directly manage the initial work through a special purpose company that will handle the dredging and construction of infrastructure. “Fincantieri is to provide advice from the very beginning, to carry out the later stage, also involving other partners, building the advanced facilities, notably workshops and lifting equipment, and installing the equipment and finally starting activities,” the company said.
“Mexico exports close to 400 billion dollars of goods every year, importing around 350 billion dollars. A considerable volume of this import/export is made through shipments by sea. Not to mention, the significant cruise traffic along the coasts of the United States, in the Caribbean and in the Gulf of Mexico, where there are the renowned settlements of the Maya civilization.
“The new Progreso shipyard will be strategically placed to serve the merchant operators of this area, benefiting from the near Yucatán navigation channel, a natural outlet to the Atlantic Ocean. The Gulf is also a region with a strong concentration of Oil & Gas related operations, with offshore exploration, production and storage of oil and natural gas,” Fincantieri said.
MSC Cruises announced it has received a certificate of compliance from Japanese maritime classification society ClassNK for its health and safety protocol and will restart cruising in Japan in April 2021.
The certification now paves the way for the line to open sales in December to local residents for cruises homeporting in Japan and start to work with ports in the country to prepare for the forthcoming season, the company announced.
Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises’ CEO, said, “We are extremely pleased to have received this certification and are now confident that we will be able to restart our Japan operation serving the local market by April 2021.”
Junichi Hirata, ClassNK’s General Manager of Innovation and Sustainability Department, said, “This is the first important step of a longer-term plan for MSC Cruises to resume Japanese cruise operations in the first half of 2021, and we will now work closely with the line towards that goal.”
Hiroya Nakano, Director-General of City of Yokohama’s Port and Harbor Bureau, concurs and said, “It is great news that MSC Cruises has received this certificate of approval from ClassNK for its health and safety guidelines. The Port of Yokohama is committed to cooperating accordingly for the re-starting of international cruises in spring 2021.”
Health and safety operating protocols of port authorities in Japan and MSC Cruises will also follow guidelines established by JOPA, the Japan Oceangoing Passenger Ship Association.
The MSC Bellissima, which was launched in 2019, will be deployed to Japan, homeport in Yokohama to sail six- to nine-night cruises in April, May and June 2021. She is also scheduled to operate in the country during October and November 2021.
Onorato added: “To be the first international cruise line in Japan to be awarded this key certification of compliance is a further testament to our robust and rigorous health and safety protocol which led the way for the entire global industry when in August we became the first major line to resume cruise operation in the Mediterranean.
“We have now safely and responsibly carried more than 30,000 customers in the Mediterranean and can now look forward to offering the same for our guests who live in Japan.
“Our industry-leading protocol, as well as the unique sets of data gathered through the operation of our two ships calling Italy, Greece and Malta during the past few months, is currently being reviewed by authorities in other regions where the Company’ other ships are scheduled to restart.
“We believe, therefore, that this certification – in a country where the industry was at the center of much attention very early in the pandemic – and the confirmation by authorities in Italy through their latest ministerial decree that cruising can continue, will go a long way to demonstrate the trust that we have been able to build with the protocol’s effective measures and their rigorous application for the benefit of guests, crew and the communities we serve.”
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