Icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot – Other Cruise News: Norwegian Cruise Line Orders Two – TUI Cruises Orders Two
by Kevin Griffin
Last week saw the christening of Ponant’s latest expedition ship Le Lapérouse in Reyjkjavik, along with the annoucement that the line’s new PolarClass 2 icebreaker would be called Le Commandant Charcot.
THIS WEEK’S STORY
Icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot
Ponant announced the name of its icebreaker during the christening ceremony of its sixth expedition ship Le Lapérouse, in Iceland last week.
Ponant’s Le Lapérouse (Photo credit Philip Plisson, Ponant)
The new icebreaker will be called Le Commandant Charcot, after a French explorer of Antarctica, Rockall, Greenland and Svalbard.
Le Lapérouse, meanwhile, is the first in the new Explorer series of ships for Ponant. At a time when other luxury cruise lines are building ever larger vessels, the Explorer series is different. Each vessel will offer guests the ultimate, intimate expedition cruise.
OTHER CRUISE NEWS
Norwegian Cruise Line Orders Two
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has firmed up options for a further pair of “Leonardo” class cruise ships, which are to be built for them by Fincantieri. For delivery in 2026 and 2027.
These options are for the fifth and sixth units of this class, the first of which has not yet been delivered.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has seven ships on order for Norwegian Cruise Line and one for Regent Seven Seas Cruises for a total of eight vessels for delivery through 2027.
The Leonardo Project (Artist impression courtesy NCL – Fincantieri)
The Company will take delivery of its next ship, the Norwegian Encore, in the autumn of 2019.
TUI Cruises Orders Two
TUI Cruises is reported to have placed an order for a pair of LNG-powered ships. Whilst past TUI ships have come from Meyer Turku this new order goes to Fincantieri.
The 161,000-ton ships are said to be the largest ever built in Italy and will be delivered in 2024 and 2026.
These ships will form the backbone of the future TUI Cruises’ fleet. The order is based on a prototype project developed by Fincantieri that enhances the well-established features of modernity and sustainability of TUI Cruises.
(Kevin Griffin is managing director of specialist cruise agency The Cruise People Ltd in London, England. For further information concerning cruises mentioned in this article readers can visit his blog)
