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Fattening the fleet: Eight new ships for 2008

BY ARLINE AND SAM BLEECKER | Chicago Tribune

April 20, 2008

Apparently cruisers can't get enough of the new and, consequently, cruise lines don't plan to stop the parade of new ships any time soon.

In fact, they are upping the ante.

Last year, for example, 12 new ships and a new cruise brand were launched by the lines affiliated with Cruise Lines International Association, the North American marketing arm of two dozen cruise companies and nearly 16,000 travel agents in the United States and Canada.

This year, eight new ships will get Champagne broken across their bows. Between now and 2012, 35 more ships will be launched and, by that time, 122 new ships will have entered service since 2000. In all, CLIA's fleet will have expanded to 203 vessels by 2012.

And, for the most part, those ships are putting on weight.

The smallest ships to be built will be two as-yet-unnamed 8,700-ton vessels by Pearl Seas Cruises in 2008 and 2009 and the largest, two 220,000-ton goliaths from Royal Caribbean International in the fall of 2009 and August 2010. The majority of ships in the new fleet (20) will weigh more than 100,000 tons, with most around 120,000 tons. The smaller vessels will be the creations of the more upscale boutique lines such as Silversea Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises.

Surprisingly, some of the larger lines, such as Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Cunard Line and Costa Cruises, will launch vessels under 100,000 tons, though admittedly not by much.

From 2008 through 2012, more than $21 billion will be invested in these 35 new vessels.

Collectively, the eight new vessels will add a total of nearly 21,000 berths and five will be so broad of beam that they will not fit through the Panama Canal.

While most lines are keeping the latest hardware innovations under wraps until closer to their debuts, Celebrity is bragging about one new twist in cruising - a top deck with real grass and a country club atmosphere.

"We want our guests to experience the unexpected, like the thrill of sinking a putt on a freshly manicured lawn in the middle of the ocean," says Celebrity president and chief executive Dan Hanrahan.

Celebrity Solstice will be the first ship to sport a half-acre of live, growing grass on a seafaring vessel. The half-acre Lawn Club makes it possible to play bocce ball and croquet or practice putting, as well as have a picnic with a basket of wine and cheese.

This year's newbies include:

Royal Caribbean International's Independence of the Seas (160,000 tons) holds 3,643 passengers and will launch in May

MSC Cruises' 2,550- passenger Poesia (90,000 tons) - May

Carnival's 3,006-passenger Splendor (113,500 tons) - July

Holland America's 2,104-passenger Eurodam (86,000 tons) - July

Pearl Seas Cruises' 165-passenger unnamed ship (5,000 tons) - July

Princess Cruises' 3,100-passenger Ruby Princess (113,000 tons) - November

Celebrity's 2,850 passengers Solstice (122,000 tons) - December

MSC Cruises' 3,300-passenger Fantasia (133,500 tons) - December