2001 New Ship Preview - ship-launchings, trends and innovations in cruise vessel design

Cruise Travel, Jan, 2001 by M.T. Schwartzman

Building Boom Ushers In New Class System

There was a time, not too long ago, when building sister ships was a cause for celebration. Today, we talk in "classes," which may include four, six, or eight ships built from the same basic blueprint. There's the "Destiny Class," "Voyager Class," and so on. So it's only appropriate that the 2001 cruise season will open with the debut of two new classes, Carnival Cruise Lines' "Spirit Class" and Royal Caribbean International's "Radiance Class."

Overall, 17 new ships big and small will make their debut in 2001. That's equal to last year's pace, and slightly ahead of next year's projected output of 13 new ships. All-in-all, 50 new cruise vessels are slated to come out between now and 2004.

The first new class to make its debut will be Royal Caribbean's "Radiance Class," represented by the first in what eventually could be six ships: the 88,000-gross-register-ton/2,100-passenger Radiance of the Seas, which sets sail on April 7. Itineraries will include the Panama Canal, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Southern Caribbean.

The "Radiance Class" has been designed to provide abundant views of the sea, from exterior glass elevators rising 12 decks high to a plethora of cabins with private verandas (577). Trendy public spaces will include a bookstore/coffee shop, like a seagoing Barnes & Nobles, and two alternative restaurants--one for steaks, the other for Italian food. The ship's propulsion system will employ cleaner-burning gas-turbine engines for reduced smokestack emissions.

One more Royal Caribbean ship, the 142,000-grt/3,114-passenger Adventure of the Seas, will debut in 2001. The vessel will be the third installment in RCI's "Voyager Class," which remain the biggest cruise ships ever built and will eventually number five vessels.

Carnival's 86,000-grt/2,124-passenger Carnival Spirit welcomes her first passengers aboard on April 29. The ship will have more balconied staterooms than any previous Carnival vessel (682). An unusual alternative restaurant will operate as a genuine supper club, with dinner and dancing to live music. Even the location is unique: tucked inside an extension of the funnel under a canopy of red-tinted glass.

Like RCI's latest venture, the Carnival Spirit will be equipped with the newest technology for protecting the environment. The power plant will employ "highly efficient" diesel-electric engines, as well as new waste-water treatment and food-waste processing systems. Carnival is currently working with Finnish engine manufacturer Wartsila NSD to develop a "smokeless" diesel-electric system, which when ready will be installed in future Carnival Corporation vessels.

The Carnival Spirit's inaugural year will include cruises of the Panama Canal, Hawaii, Alaska, and Caribbean. A sister ship to the Carnival Spirit, the Carnival Pride, is scheduled to follow in late 2001, with yet another sister, the Carnival Legend, slated for 2002.

Other cruise lines will add to existing classes. Celebrity Cruises will unveil the 91,000-grt/1,950-passenger Infinity on February 3, the second in the company's lineup of "Millennium Class" ships, followed by a third "Millennium" ship, the Summit, in September. The "Millennium Class" features exterior glass elevators, a 25,000-square-foot AquaSpa, and gas-turbine engines.

Princess Cruises will add to its "Grand Class" with the 109,000-grt/2,600-passenger Golden Princess, sister ship to the Grand Princess. The Golden Princess, which makes her debut in Europe on May 16, will be a mirror image of her sister, from the unique profile and myriad public rooms to the "Personal Choice Dining," which allows passengers to choose between open- or assigned-seating dining. The Golden Princess will follow her Mediterranean season by spending the fall and winter in the Eastern Caribbean.

Norwegian Cruise Line will introduce the second ship in its "Sky Class," the 77,000-grt/2,000-passenger Norwegian Sun, scheduled to enter service with a trans-Atlantic crossing in September, leading to a series of Canada/New England cruises, followed by a winter season of cruises to the Western Caribbean. The Norwegian Sun will be the first ship specifically designed to offer the line's "Freestyle Cruising." Among her design features are nine restaurants serving 10 distinct menus every evening, which according to the line, will enable passengers to eat in a different restaurant on every night of a weeklong cruise.

Star Cruises, NCL's Malaysia-based parent company, will unveil the first ship in its "Libra Class" in fall 2001, when the 91,000-grt/2,300 passenger SuperStar Libra is launched. The second ship in the "Libra Class," unnamed at press time, is designated for delivery to NCL in 2002.

A couple of eagerly awaited small ships will hit the water in 2001. American Classic Voyages will launch the first two vessels in its brand-new "Coastal Queen" series, under the banner of Delta Queen Coastal Voyages. The 1,580-grt/226-passenger Cape May Light will make her debut on May 5, with the Cape Cod Light to follow on August 4.