2017 has been an exciting and dramatic year for the global cruise business.
Seatrade Cruise Review's December issue recounts the year's hottest news items as reported on Seatrade Cruise News.
They include Ritz-Carlton's dive into cruising, and the exciting technology breakouts by Carnival Corp. & plc (Ocean Medallion) and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (Excalibur).
Not surprisingly, hurricane-related stories were big, especially Norwegian Sky's Hurricane Irma rescue mission to pick up stranded travelers in St. Thomas and Carnival's announcement of when ships would return to San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten.
As always, fascinating new ship features captured attention. The first reveals of Celebrity Edge with its intriguing Magic Carpet, Norwegian Joy's racetrack and the first look at Virgin Voyages' sleek exterior design were highly engaging.
Readers honed in on the newbuilds that propel the business, including Carnival Corp.'s ambitious plan to build ships in China, in partnership with Fincantieri and China State Shipbuilding Corp., and Royal Caribbean's whopping finance package for Oasis 5 and Edge 3 and 4.
Plus, on the shipyard front, Italy's Fincantieri took a hefty stake in STX France—but it wasn't easy.
Refurbishments continued to be big news, and big bucks, like the $400m 'Celebrity Edge' fleetwide refurbishment plan, and the conversion of Dawn Princess into Pacific Explorer at Sembcorp Marine.
In the booming expedition segment, SunStone Ships' newbuilds in Shanghai made a splash with cruise industry readers, along with Mário Ferreira's ambition to build Mystic Cruises into a 10-strong fleet. And, when it came to expeditions, The World made history by reaching Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf.
Leaders and dynamic personalities often dominated the headlines. This year, especially big stories were Tom Wolber succeeding Edie Rodriguez at the Crystal helm, and a tribute to popular, long-time Carnival Cruise executive Natko Nincevic.
Further top stories included MSC Cruises' groundbreaking at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, a major new destination in the Bahamas, and a recounting of Royal Caribbean's emotional first foray to Cuba.
For a look back at the 'Headliners' of 2017, click here.
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