Top 10 news stories from the month of February, based on Cruise Capital's website pageviews.
1. ROYAL CARIBBEAN ANNOUNCES HARMONY OF THE SEAS (23rd Feb)
Royal Caribbean International officially announced that their third Oasis-class ship, currently being built in France, will be called Harmony of the Seas. Debuting in April 2016, Harmony of the Seas will weigh in at 227,000 GT. She'll be 6 feet longer, 32 feet wider and 2,000 tons larger than her sisters.
2. CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON NEW OASIS CLASS SHIP (3rd Feb)
Construction for Royal Caribbean International's latest ship, officially commenced today. Steel cutting for the cruise line's fourth Oasis class vessel took place at the shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France. The ship, which is still yet to be named will enter service in 2018 and will be slightly larger than her equally huge sisters, Oasis and Allure of the Seas.
3. TRAVEL AGENT GODMOTHER FOR ANTHEM OF THE SEAS (19th Feb)
Royal Caribbean is searching for travel agents to become the godmother for Anthem of the Seas. The new campaign called 'A Godmother Like No Other. Could It Be You?' is in partnership with Travel Weekly and aimed at UK travel agents.
4. TAMPA FOG DELAYS BRILLIANCE OF THE SEAS ARRIVAL (23rd Feb)
Thick fog delayed the arrival of Royal Caribbean International's Brilliance of the Seas into the port of Tampa. The Radiance class vessel was scheduled to arrive into the Florida port during Monday morning, however the dense fog in the Gulf of Mexico, meant that it was unsafe to manoeuvre the 962ft ship through the twisting channel.
5. HOLLAND AMERICA UNVEILS KONINGSDAM CULINARY OPTIONS (11th Feb)
Holland America Line's new Koningsdam, due to launch in February 2016, will feature new, innovative and re-imagined culinary experiences. Holland America Line is known for their magnificent cuisine, but the cruise line's newest and largest ship will give guests the opportunity to embark on a culinary adventure, featuring food from around the world.
6. VIKING STAR COMPLETES SEA TRIALS (5th Feb)
Viking Cruises brand new ocean cruise ship, Viking Star, has successfully completed its sea trials. On board the 745ft Viking Star, engineers tested everything from the speed and maneuverability of the ship, to the noise and vibrations found in passenger areas.
7. HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN TO NAME P&O'S BRITANNIA (27th Feb)
P&O Cruises announced that Her Majesty The Queen will name their newest cruise ship, Britannia. The Queen will be accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke Of Edinburgh for the official naming ceremony taking place on 10th March 2015 at Southampton's Ocean Terminal.
8. MSC CRUISES RELEASES SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEW REVOLUTIONARY SHIPS (25th Feb)
MSC Cruises has released a new video, giving a sneak preview of what to expect from their upcoming revolutionary ships. The Vista and Seaside projects will see seven groundbreaking vessels, launching between 2017 and 2022. The ships will be MSC Cruises most ambitious newbuilds to date, and are set to be some of the largest ships afloat.
9. COSTA CONCORDIA CAPTAIN GETS 16 YEARS IN PRISON (11th Feb)
Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after he was found guilty of manslaughter. He has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for multiple manslaughter, five years for causing a shipwreck, and one year for abandoning the vessel with people still on board.
10. CRUISE & MARITIME VOYAGES TO OFFER A CRUISE OF A LAUGH-TIME (2nd Feb)
Cruise & Maritime Voyages, 750-guest ship Marco Polo, will host a special cruise featuring stars from some of the best comedy series in British television history, including John Challis and Sue Holderness from ’Only Fools And Horses', 'Hi-De-Hi' and 'You Rang M'Lord' star, Jeffrey Holland and Sue Hodge from 'Allo, Allo.'
1. ROYAL CARIBBEAN ANNOUNCES HARMONY OF THE SEAS (23rd Feb)
Royal Caribbean International officially announced that their third Oasis-class ship, currently being built in France, will be called Harmony of the Seas. Debuting in April 2016, Harmony of the Seas will weigh in at 227,000 GT. She'll be 6 feet longer, 32 feet wider and 2,000 tons larger than her sisters.
2. CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON NEW OASIS CLASS SHIP (3rd Feb)
Construction for Royal Caribbean International's latest ship, officially commenced today. Steel cutting for the cruise line's fourth Oasis class vessel took place at the shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France. The ship, which is still yet to be named will enter service in 2018 and will be slightly larger than her equally huge sisters, Oasis and Allure of the Seas.
3. TRAVEL AGENT GODMOTHER FOR ANTHEM OF THE SEAS (19th Feb)
Royal Caribbean is searching for travel agents to become the godmother for Anthem of the Seas. The new campaign called 'A Godmother Like No Other. Could It Be You?' is in partnership with Travel Weekly and aimed at UK travel agents.
4. TAMPA FOG DELAYS BRILLIANCE OF THE SEAS ARRIVAL (23rd Feb)
Thick fog delayed the arrival of Royal Caribbean International's Brilliance of the Seas into the port of Tampa. The Radiance class vessel was scheduled to arrive into the Florida port during Monday morning, however the dense fog in the Gulf of Mexico, meant that it was unsafe to manoeuvre the 962ft ship through the twisting channel.
5. HOLLAND AMERICA UNVEILS KONINGSDAM CULINARY OPTIONS (11th Feb)
Holland America Line's new Koningsdam, due to launch in February 2016, will feature new, innovative and re-imagined culinary experiences. Holland America Line is known for their magnificent cuisine, but the cruise line's newest and largest ship will give guests the opportunity to embark on a culinary adventure, featuring food from around the world.
6. VIKING STAR COMPLETES SEA TRIALS (5th Feb)
Viking Cruises brand new ocean cruise ship, Viking Star, has successfully completed its sea trials. On board the 745ft Viking Star, engineers tested everything from the speed and maneuverability of the ship, to the noise and vibrations found in passenger areas.
7. HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN TO NAME P&O'S BRITANNIA (27th Feb)
P&O Cruises announced that Her Majesty The Queen will name their newest cruise ship, Britannia. The Queen will be accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke Of Edinburgh for the official naming ceremony taking place on 10th March 2015 at Southampton's Ocean Terminal.
8. MSC CRUISES RELEASES SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEW REVOLUTIONARY SHIPS (25th Feb)
MSC Cruises has released a new video, giving a sneak preview of what to expect from their upcoming revolutionary ships. The Vista and Seaside projects will see seven groundbreaking vessels, launching between 2017 and 2022. The ships will be MSC Cruises most ambitious newbuilds to date, and are set to be some of the largest ships afloat.
9. COSTA CONCORDIA CAPTAIN GETS 16 YEARS IN PRISON (11th Feb)
Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after he was found guilty of manslaughter. He has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for multiple manslaughter, five years for causing a shipwreck, and one year for abandoning the vessel with people still on board.
10. CRUISE & MARITIME VOYAGES TO OFFER A CRUISE OF A LAUGH-TIME (2nd Feb)
Cruise & Maritime Voyages, 750-guest ship Marco Polo, will host a special cruise featuring stars from some of the best comedy series in British television history, including John Challis and Sue Holderness from ’Only Fools And Horses', 'Hi-De-Hi' and 'You Rang M'Lord' star, Jeffrey Holland and Sue Hodge from 'Allo, Allo.'