WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.520 Welcome to Cruise News, your daily update on 00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:05.379 everything happening at sea. Visit CruiseNews 00:00:05.379 --> 00:00:08.179 .io to see today's stories and sign up for email 00:00:08.179 --> 00:00:12.820 alerts. It is really great to be back for this 00:00:12.820 --> 00:00:14.939 deep dive. And today we're actually doing something 00:00:14.939 --> 00:00:16.640 a little different. Usually when we talk about 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:18.579 cruising, we focus on the finished product, right? 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:21.469 Right, the glitz. The glamour. Exactly. We talk 00:00:21.469 --> 00:00:24.010 about the buffet spreads or the pool deck parties. 00:00:24.309 --> 00:00:26.530 Yeah. The shore excursions. The drink with the 00:00:26.530 --> 00:00:28.309 little umbrella in it. Right. That's what we 00:00:28.309 --> 00:00:30.969 buy. That's the vacation. It is. But today, we're 00:00:30.969 --> 00:00:34.090 going to kind of peel back the carpet and look 00:00:34.090 --> 00:00:36.229 at the massive industrial machine that actually 00:00:36.229 --> 00:00:39.130 makes all of that possible. Because sometimes, 00:00:39.750 --> 00:00:41.869 you know, sometimes that machine breaks. Yeah, 00:00:41.869 --> 00:00:44.469 it does. And sometimes it gets a complete overhaul 00:00:44.469 --> 00:00:47.130 in a shipyard. And sometimes it creates entirely 00:00:47.130 --> 00:00:50.210 new markets literally out of thin air. I love 00:00:50.210 --> 00:00:52.850 this angle for today's deep dive because you 00:00:52.850 --> 00:00:54.710 forget when you're floating on a luxury hotel 00:00:54.710 --> 00:00:57.210 that you're actually on a massive piece of engineering. 00:00:57.429 --> 00:00:59.469 Oh, absolutely. And it's floating in a really 00:00:59.469 --> 00:01:02.130 hostile environment. I mean, salt water, wind 00:01:02.130 --> 00:01:05.090 waves, it's not exactly a gentle setting for 00:01:05.090 --> 00:01:07.310 a resort. No, you really are at the mercy of 00:01:07.310 --> 00:01:10.060 the hardware. And we have three stories in our 00:01:10.060 --> 00:01:12.659 sources today that perfectly illustrate the life 00:01:12.659 --> 00:01:14.579 cycle of these vessels. Three very different 00:01:14.579 --> 00:01:17.299 stages of life, too. Exactly. We're going to 00:01:17.299 --> 00:01:20.159 look at a major emergency repair situation down 00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:22.799 in Australia involving a Royal Caribbean giant. 00:01:22.859 --> 00:01:25.700 I'm a messy one. Very. Then we'll head to the 00:01:25.700 --> 00:01:29.859 UK for a look at a planned, really detailed revitalization 00:01:29.859 --> 00:01:32.739 of a smaller classic ship. And finally, we'll 00:01:32.739 --> 00:01:35.379 look at a massive milestone in the Chinese market 00:01:35.379 --> 00:01:38.359 involving a ship that's only been in service 00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:40.819 for two years. So our mission today is really 00:01:40.819 --> 00:01:43.239 to understand the nuts and bolts, like literally 00:01:43.239 --> 00:01:45.280 the propellers and the dry docks. The physical 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:47.879 stuff. Right. And how those things directly dictate 00:01:47.879 --> 00:01:49.780 whether you as a passenger have the time of your 00:01:49.780 --> 00:01:51.920 life or whether you end up stuck in a port you 00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:54.180 didn't plan on visiting. That's the plan. It's 00:01:54.180 --> 00:01:56.859 about friction, mechanical friction, operational 00:01:56.859 --> 00:01:59.079 friction, and how cruise lines try to smooth 00:01:59.079 --> 00:02:02.670 it out for you. OK. Let's unpack this first story 00:02:02.670 --> 00:02:06.030 because this is the one that every single cruiser 00:02:06.030 --> 00:02:09.449 fears. We are talking about Royal Caribbean's 00:02:09.449 --> 00:02:12.830 anthem of the seas. A massive ship, a quantum 00:02:12.830 --> 00:02:17.289 class vessel. We are talking over 4 ,000 passengers 00:02:17.289 --> 00:02:20.210 on board. It is a floating city. And it's been 00:02:20.210 --> 00:02:22.770 in the news because things did not go according 00:02:22.770 --> 00:02:25.849 to plan. This is a situation where the machine 00:02:25.849 --> 00:02:28.689 definitely broke. It did. This happened down 00:02:28.689 --> 00:02:31.669 in Australia. The anthem had to cancel a scheduled 00:02:31.669 --> 00:02:34.349 sailing. It was a 10 -night New Zealand trip 00:02:34.349 --> 00:02:36.830 that was supposed to leave Sydney on January 00:02:36.830 --> 00:02:40.129 27, 2026. So instead of taking passengers to 00:02:40.129 --> 00:02:42.229 the breathtaking fjords. Right. Instead of that, 00:02:42.310 --> 00:02:44.310 the ship spent about 10 days sitting in Eden, 00:02:45.009 --> 00:02:46.669 Australia undergoing emergency maintenance. And 00:02:46.669 --> 00:02:48.310 for anyone who hasn't tracked this closely in 00:02:48.310 --> 00:02:50.289 the sources, this wasn't just a sudden oops, 00:02:50.370 --> 00:02:52.409 the morning of departure, right? There were signs. 00:02:52.449 --> 00:02:54.349 Yeah, it was building up. That's right. The trouble 00:02:54.349 --> 00:02:56.669 actually started on the previous voyage. The 00:02:56.669 --> 00:02:58.830 ship was sailing to New Caledonia and Venera. 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:02.740 to in mid -January. And guests on board started 00:03:02.740 --> 00:03:04.659 noticing that the ship just wasn't moving as 00:03:04.659 --> 00:03:07.159 fast as it should. The line officially called 00:03:07.159 --> 00:03:10.199 it a technical issue. Which is the standard industry 00:03:10.199 --> 00:03:12.719 phrase for literally anything. Whenever anything 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:14.680 isn't working right, it's a technical issue. 00:03:14.939 --> 00:03:17.199 Right. It covers a lot of sins. It could be the 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:19.780 dishwasher or it could be the engine. Exactly. 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:23.430 But in this case, passengers on board were reporting 00:03:23.430 --> 00:03:26.409 that it was propulsion related, specifically 00:03:26.409 --> 00:03:28.710 regarding the Azapods. OK, let's pause there, 00:03:28.750 --> 00:03:31.469 because for those who don't speak ship, an Azapod 00:03:31.469 --> 00:03:34.289 is a podded propulsion unit. Right. Instead of 00:03:34.289 --> 00:03:36.169 a traditional propeller shaft running through 00:03:36.169 --> 00:03:38.729 the hull with a rudder behind it, the electric 00:03:38.729 --> 00:03:41.870 motor is actually inside a pod outside the ship. 00:03:42.060 --> 00:03:45.120 Underwater. Underwater, yes. And the whole pod 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:48.759 rotates 360 degrees. Which is why these huge 00:03:48.759 --> 00:03:51.319 ships can spin in circles in parallel park, basically. 00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:54.240 Direct. It's incredible technology. But because 00:03:54.240 --> 00:03:57.259 the motor is underwater in a sealed unit when 00:03:57.259 --> 00:03:59.340 you have an issue. Like a seal or a bearing. 00:03:59.500 --> 00:04:01.159 Right, maybe an electrical fault. You can't just 00:04:01.159 --> 00:04:03.060 send a guy down to the engine room with a wrench. 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:05.840 No, you need divers. You often need divers or 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:08.219 heavy equipment. Or you need a full dry dock. 00:04:08.819 --> 00:04:11.460 So that previous cruise limped back to Sydney. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:14.840 Arriving late, by the way. And Royal Caribbean 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:16.939 realized they couldn't fix it in time to turn 00:04:16.939 --> 00:04:19.560 the ship around for the next voyage. Just imagine 00:04:19.560 --> 00:04:22.339 being one of those 4 ,000 people waiting at the 00:04:22.339 --> 00:04:24.180 terminal. Or maybe you even flew into Sydney 00:04:24.180 --> 00:04:27.120 for this. It's a nightmare scenario. It really 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:29.420 is. And this is where I really want to dive into 00:04:29.420 --> 00:04:32.160 the customer service side based on our sources. 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:36.160 Because when the hardware fails, the guest relations 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:39.319 has to step up. So let's talk numbers. Because 00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:41.060 they didn't just say sorry. What did the passengers 00:04:41.060 --> 00:04:43.560 actually get? Well first obviously a full refund. 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:46.300 Sure. That is table stakes. You get back your 00:04:46.300 --> 00:04:48.680 cruise fare, taxes, fees, any prepaid packages. 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:51.139 That brings you back to zero financially. But 00:04:51.139 --> 00:04:52.839 you still lost your vacation. You're sitting 00:04:52.839 --> 00:04:56.100 in Sydney with nowhere to go. Exactly. So they 00:04:56.100 --> 00:05:00.459 also offered a 25 % future cruise credit in FCC. 00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:03.240 Basically a discount on your next trip. 25 % 00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:06.579 seems standard. It is fairly typical for a full 00:05:06.579 --> 00:05:10.399 cancellation. close to departure. But here is 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:13.459 where it gets interesting and where some friction 00:05:13.459 --> 00:05:16.040 occurred based on the reports we're seeing. The 00:05:16.040 --> 00:05:19.339 fine print. Always the fine print. That credit 00:05:19.339 --> 00:05:23.019 came with a condition. It has to be used for 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:25.579 assailing departing within one year. One year. 00:05:25.899 --> 00:05:28.259 That feels incredibly tight. It is tight. And 00:05:28.259 --> 00:05:29.839 the sources mentioned this specifically. Some 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:33.089 guests felt that was logistically Very difficult. 00:05:33.269 --> 00:05:35.189 I mean think about it if you're an international 00:05:35.189 --> 00:05:37.649 traveler who flew all the way to Australia for 00:05:37.649 --> 00:05:41.050 this specific trip You might not have the vacation 00:05:41.050 --> 00:05:43.769 time or the budget right or the budget to plan 00:05:43.769 --> 00:05:46.329 another major cruise within 12 months Yeah, if 00:05:46.329 --> 00:05:48.610 you are planning a trip to New Zealand from say 00:05:48.610 --> 00:05:52.230 the US or Europe that is a bucket list trip It 00:05:52.230 --> 00:05:55.029 takes a year just to save up the vacation days. 00:05:55.149 --> 00:05:56.970 You can't just reschedule that for next Tuesday. 00:05:57.170 --> 00:05:59.610 Exactly. And there was some confusion too. Some 00:05:59.610 --> 00:06:02.490 guests were reportedly told two years, but the 00:06:02.490 --> 00:06:05.850 official policy seemed to be one. Wow. It just 00:06:05.850 --> 00:06:07.750 highlights how these terms and conditions really 00:06:07.750 --> 00:06:10.790 matter when things go wrong. A credit you can't 00:06:10.790 --> 00:06:13.230 use is effectively worth zero dollars. What about 00:06:13.230 --> 00:06:15.389 the out -of -pocket stuff? You mentioned people 00:06:15.389 --> 00:06:17.930 flying in. Did Royal Caribbean cover the flights? 00:06:18.310 --> 00:06:21.250 They offered reimbursements, but with significant 00:06:21.250 --> 00:06:23.959 caps. And these numbers are really important 00:06:23.959 --> 00:06:26.040 to understand if you are a traveler. Let's tier 00:06:26.040 --> 00:06:28.819 them. Because they show the limits of the cruise 00:06:28.819 --> 00:06:31.769 lines liability. For flight change fees, they 00:06:31.769 --> 00:06:35.129 offered up to $200 for domestic flights and $400 00:06:35.129 --> 00:06:37.829 for international. $400 for international. If 00:06:37.829 --> 00:06:40.050 I'm stuck in Sydney and I need to change my flight 00:06:40.050 --> 00:06:43.089 back to New York or London last minute, $400 00:06:43.089 --> 00:06:45.410 might not touch the change fee, let alone the 00:06:45.410 --> 00:06:47.209 fare difference. It likely wouldn't even come 00:06:47.209 --> 00:06:49.769 close. Last minute international fare differences 00:06:49.769 --> 00:06:52.970 can run into the thousands. Ouch. And for hotels, 00:06:53.129 --> 00:06:56.310 they capped it at $250 per state room for up 00:06:56.310 --> 00:06:58.939 to two nights. Again, in a major city like Sydney 00:06:58.939 --> 00:07:03.019 during peak season, $250 gets you a room, but 00:07:03.019 --> 00:07:05.399 maybe not the luxury experience you're expecting 00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:07.939 on the ship. Right. And they offered $100 per 00:07:07.939 --> 00:07:11.000 person per day for incidentals. So they are putting 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:13.680 some money on the table. But it's a stark reminder 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:16.180 that travel insurance is probably a really good 00:07:16.180 --> 00:07:18.720 idea. Because the cruise line isn't insuring 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:21.379 your whole life, just the part they control. 00:07:21.500 --> 00:07:24.819 It's a financial reality check. The ship is a 00:07:24.819 --> 00:07:27.160 machine, machines break. and the compensation 00:07:27.160 --> 00:07:30.439 is structured to limit their losses, not necessarily 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:32.899 to make you whole for every inconvenience. Well, 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:35.160 the good news is the ship is back, right? It 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:39.000 is. It resumes sailing from Sydney, just recently 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:41.639 heading up to Queensland. It's finishing out 00:07:41.639 --> 00:07:44.740 its Australia season until mid -April. So whatever 00:07:44.740 --> 00:07:47.310 happened in that pod? They fixed it while they 00:07:47.310 --> 00:07:49.389 were sitting in Eden. They did. And then it's 00:07:49.389 --> 00:07:52.990 on the move after April. Yes. Quite a busy schedule, 00:07:52.990 --> 00:07:55.610 actually. After Australia, it repositions to 00:07:55.610 --> 00:07:58.870 Seattle for the summer 2026 Alaska season. OK. 00:07:59.329 --> 00:08:01.910 Then it heads back to Sydney in November. So 00:08:01.910 --> 00:08:03.930 if you are booked on those Alaska cruises, you 00:08:03.930 --> 00:08:06.149 can rest easy knowing the repairs were done. 00:08:06.569 --> 00:08:08.350 The ship should be running at full speed again. 00:08:08.610 --> 00:08:10.649 Good to know. So that's the emergency side of 00:08:10.649 --> 00:08:12.649 operations. The oh, no, fix it right now side. 00:08:12.949 --> 00:08:14.589 Distress. Let's pivot to the other side of the 00:08:14.589 --> 00:08:17.850 coin. planned perfection. The art of the refit. 00:08:17.990 --> 00:08:20.029 This is when we take the ship apart on purpose. 00:08:20.490 --> 00:08:23.970 Yes. We're moving from a giant Royal Caribbean 00:08:23.970 --> 00:08:27.209 ship to a smaller, much more classic vessel, 00:08:27.550 --> 00:08:30.769 Fred. Olsen's a bullet. A lovely ship. And the 00:08:30.769 --> 00:08:33.470 flagship of their fleet. It just finished a 16 00:08:33.470 --> 00:08:36.929 -day stay at a shipyard in Fulmouth, UK. And 00:08:36.929 --> 00:08:39.529 this wasn't an emergency. This was a spa day 00:08:39.529 --> 00:08:42.190 for the ship. A very intensive spa day. And before 00:08:42.190 --> 00:08:43.769 we get into the carpets and the paint, I want 00:08:43.769 --> 00:08:45.250 to highlight something the source has brought 00:08:45.250 --> 00:08:47.889 up that we usually ignore. What's that? The economic 00:08:47.889 --> 00:08:50.570 ecosystem of these refits. Right, because a ship 00:08:50.570 --> 00:08:52.690 in dry dock isn't making money for the cruise 00:08:52.690 --> 00:08:54.590 line, but it's generating a lot of money for 00:08:54.590 --> 00:08:57.230 someone else. Huge amounts. This was Belette's 00:08:57.230 --> 00:09:01.330 second refit at the APCL AMP Fulmouth Yard. The 00:09:01.330 --> 00:09:05.370 project involved a team of 350 people. Wow. 350. 00:09:05.690 --> 00:09:07.370 Yeah, and specifically the reports mentioned 00:09:07.370 --> 00:09:10.129 over 40 apprentices were involved. That is so 00:09:10.129 --> 00:09:12.090 cool. So your cruise fair is actually helping 00:09:12.090 --> 00:09:14.570 train the next generation of welders and marine 00:09:14.570 --> 00:09:16.990 engineers and outfitters in the southwest of 00:09:16.990 --> 00:09:19.389 England. It really is. It sustains that local 00:09:19.389 --> 00:09:21.470 skilled labor. We often think of the cruise economy 00:09:21.470 --> 00:09:24.049 as just waiters and cabin stewards. Places the 00:09:24.049 --> 00:09:26.090 hospitality side. But it's also pipe fitters 00:09:26.090 --> 00:09:28.169 and naval architects in places like Cornwall. 00:09:28.819 --> 00:09:31.279 Without these regular refits, those shipyards 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:33.059 would really struggle to keep that talent pool 00:09:33.059 --> 00:09:36.259 active. So what did those 350 people actually 00:09:36.259 --> 00:09:38.320 do? Because if I'm booking Belette for the summer, 00:09:39.340 --> 00:09:41.600 what am I going to notice? Well, let's start 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:44.080 with the things you will see. The visible upgrades, 00:09:44.539 --> 00:09:46.720 they did a lot of work on the interiors. The 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:49.519 big one for me, over 50 cabin bathrooms were 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:51.820 renovated. Oh, that's huge. There is nothing 00:09:51.820 --> 00:09:54.419 that dates a ship faster than a tired bathroom. 00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:57.860 Pink tiles, rusty grout. It totally kills the 00:09:57.860 --> 00:10:00.269 vibe. It's the number one complaint on older 00:10:00.269 --> 00:10:02.990 ships, so that is a direct quality of life upgrade. 00:10:03.629 --> 00:10:05.470 They also put new carpets in the main dining 00:10:05.470 --> 00:10:08.110 room and refresh the observatory and the ocean 00:10:08.110 --> 00:10:11.149 bar. Fresh carpet feels like a small thing, but 00:10:11.149 --> 00:10:13.470 it changes the smell and the acoustic feel of 00:10:13.470 --> 00:10:15.750 the whole room. Completely. And I saw in the 00:10:15.750 --> 00:10:18.250 source material they completely redid one of 00:10:18.250 --> 00:10:21.230 the restaurants. Yes. colors and tastes. It's 00:10:21.230 --> 00:10:24.049 their specialty dining venue. It was fully redesigned 00:10:24.049 --> 00:10:26.649 with warm tones, new art, and interestingly, 00:10:27.129 --> 00:10:30.309 the menu is going to shift in 2026 to rotating 00:10:30.309 --> 00:10:33.700 international themes. Italian -Asian Grill. So 00:10:33.700 --> 00:10:36.399 they are updating the hardware now to match a 00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:38.860 software change coming later. Smart. And what 00:10:38.860 --> 00:10:41.159 about entertainment? Did they touch the lounges? 00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:44.779 The Neptune Lounge got a major tech boost. New 00:10:44.779 --> 00:10:47.519 LED walls and aerial performance structures. 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:49.840 Aerial structures. So we're talking people flying 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:52.120 over the audience. Exactly. It allows them to 00:10:52.120 --> 00:10:55.179 stage much more modern dynamic shows starting 00:10:55.179 --> 00:10:58.019 this June. That's a great way to keep a classic 00:10:58.019 --> 00:11:00.379 ship feeling contemporary without losing its 00:11:00.379 --> 00:11:03.139 charm. It is. OK, but you're the expert. You 00:11:03.139 --> 00:11:05.720 care about the stuff passengers don't see. What 00:11:05.720 --> 00:11:08.299 happened below the water line? Because those 00:11:08.299 --> 00:11:10.480 40 apprentices weren't just laying carpet. No, 00:11:10.539 --> 00:11:12.759 they weren't. This is where it gets fascinating. 00:11:13.179 --> 00:11:15.580 They did the standard hull blasting and painting. 00:11:15.720 --> 00:11:18.419 Which sounds boring. It sounds boring, but biofouling, 00:11:18.860 --> 00:11:21.620 which is barnacles and slime, creates huge drag. 00:11:21.870 --> 00:11:24.490 A clean hull is basically free fuel efficiency. 00:11:24.629 --> 00:11:26.929 It just slides through the water better. Exactly. 00:11:27.269 --> 00:11:29.049 But they went a step further. They installed 00:11:29.049 --> 00:11:31.950 new, more efficient propeller blades. New propellers. 00:11:32.389 --> 00:11:35.950 Just for efficiency. Yes. Propeller technology 00:11:35.950 --> 00:11:39.009 improves. Just like phone technology. A better 00:11:39.009 --> 00:11:41.529 blade design means less cavitation. Cavitation? 00:11:41.570 --> 00:11:43.190 That's the bubbling water, right? Right. The 00:11:43.190 --> 00:11:44.970 bubbling water that causes noise and vibration 00:11:44.970 --> 00:11:46.929 at the back of the ship. Oh, I hate that shaking 00:11:46.929 --> 00:11:49.230 when you're trying to sleep. Exactly. So for 00:11:49.230 --> 00:11:52.100 the guest... The ship feels smoother and quieter. 00:11:52.740 --> 00:11:55.419 But for the cruise line, it means less fuel burn 00:11:55.419 --> 00:11:58.139 to go the exact same speed. So it links directly 00:11:58.139 --> 00:12:00.899 to their environmental targets. It does. Smooth 00:12:00.899 --> 00:12:03.460 sailing, a smaller carbon footprint. Yeah. And 00:12:03.460 --> 00:12:06.639 less shaking in your martini glass. It's an invisible 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:09.059 upgrade. But if those propellers work right, 00:12:09.620 --> 00:12:11.620 the passengers just feel nothing. Which is the 00:12:11.620 --> 00:12:14.120 whole goal. Precisely. And where's Bullette off 00:12:14.120 --> 00:12:16.379 to now? She's back in Liverpool. She's got a 00:12:16.379 --> 00:12:19.279 lovely spring and summer season planned. Sailing 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:21.799 to the Azores, doing the Norwegian Fjords, including 00:12:21.799 --> 00:12:24.860 the Rama Railway, and some French and Spanish 00:12:24.860 --> 00:12:27.200 river cruises. Sounds delightful. And honestly, 00:12:27.720 --> 00:12:29.960 right after a dry dock is the best time to book. 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:32.519 Everything is fresh. It really is. It's like 00:12:32.519 --> 00:12:34.460 buying a car right after it's been detailed. 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:37.059 So we've had the emergency repair. We've had 00:12:37.059 --> 00:12:41.159 the plan refit. Now I want to zoom way out because 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:43.100 while we're fixing ships in Australia and the 00:12:43.100 --> 00:12:46.259 UK, there is a massive boom happening in China. 00:12:46.419 --> 00:12:49.200 This is the third leg of our stool today. We're 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:52.519 looking at Adora Cruises and specifically a ship 00:12:52.519 --> 00:12:55.340 called Adora Magic City, which is a great name, 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:58.220 by the way. Very whimsical. It is. This is China's 00:12:58.220 --> 00:13:01.679 first large domestically built cruise ship. And 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:04.559 the news from our sources is that it just hit 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:07.889 a massive milestone. one million passengers. 00:13:07.889 --> 00:13:10.289 In how long? In about two years of commercial 00:13:10.289 --> 00:13:13.100 service. Wow. That is a lot of people moving 00:13:13.100 --> 00:13:15.100 across the gangway in just two years. That ship 00:13:15.100 --> 00:13:17.700 must be running constantly. It's incredible volume. 00:13:17.820 --> 00:13:19.539 And it's not just a lucky number. We have to 00:13:19.539 --> 00:13:22.100 understand this is a policy outcome. OK, let's 00:13:22.100 --> 00:13:23.980 unpack that. What do you mean by policy outcome? 00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:26.440 The Chinese government, specifically the Ministry 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:29.720 of Transport, has been explicitly pushing to 00:13:29.720 --> 00:13:32.340 expand domestic travel and services consumption. 00:13:32.519 --> 00:13:34.539 They want people spending money on experiences 00:13:34.539 --> 00:13:36.860 at home. Right, rather than flying to Paris or 00:13:36.860 --> 00:13:40.600 Tokyo. Adora is positioning itself as the Chinese 00:13:40.600 --> 00:13:43.659 benchmark to rival the global brands like Royal 00:13:43.659 --> 00:13:46.600 Caribbean or Carnival. So it's cruise plus culture. 00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:48.960 That's the branding they're pushing. Exactly. 00:13:50.039 --> 00:13:52.000 They're trying to create a product that feels 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:55.600 like home for Chinese travelers. The food, the 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:58.320 entertainment, the language, it's all tailored. 00:13:58.659 --> 00:14:00.919 And with this one million passenger milestone, 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:03.679 they've announced something called the 2026 Adora 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:06.019 Service Year. Which sounds like a corporate slogan. 00:14:06.259 --> 00:14:08.580 It does. But what does it actually mean for the 00:14:08.580 --> 00:14:10.740 guest? They've broken it down into three parts. 00:14:11.259 --> 00:14:13.899 First, professional empowerment, which is basically 00:14:13.899 --> 00:14:17.059 better staff training. OK. Second, detail -oriented 00:14:17.059 --> 00:14:19.519 refinements focusing on execution and consistency. 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:22.940 And third, personalized responses. It sounds 00:14:22.940 --> 00:14:24.759 like they've proved they can build the hardware. 00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:27.259 The ship works it, safely carries a million people. 00:14:27.539 --> 00:14:29.980 Now they're focusing on the software, the service 00:14:29.980 --> 00:14:32.279 side. That is the classic evolution of a new 00:14:32.279 --> 00:14:34.870 cruise market. First get the ships in the water, 00:14:35.169 --> 00:14:37.230 prove the industrial capability. Right, build 00:14:37.230 --> 00:14:40.490 the massive floating city. Then refine the experience. 00:14:40.950 --> 00:14:43.490 They want to compete on quality now, not just 00:14:43.490 --> 00:14:47.009 novelty. And personalized responses is fascinating 00:14:47.009 --> 00:14:50.350 because scaling personalization to 5 ,000 guests 00:14:50.350 --> 00:14:51.970 a week is the hardest thing in the industry. 00:14:52.129 --> 00:14:54.330 It really is. Anyone can build a nice cabin. 00:14:54.570 --> 00:14:56.970 Not everyone can remember your drink order or 00:14:56.970 --> 00:14:59.389 your dining preferences. Exactly. And speaking 00:14:59.389 --> 00:15:02.100 of hardware... There is a second ship coming, 00:15:02.360 --> 00:15:05.259 right? Adora Flora City. Yes. And this is where 00:15:05.259 --> 00:15:07.940 our sources get a little tricky. We have some 00:15:07.940 --> 00:15:10.759 conflicting intel on the timeline. Oh, how so? 00:15:10.860 --> 00:15:12.840 Well, we know the ship is structurally complete. 00:15:12.980 --> 00:15:15.500 It's over 90 % done. OK, so it's sitting in the 00:15:15.500 --> 00:15:18.240 shipyard, basically built. Right. But regarding 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:20.840 when you can actually get on it and sail, that's 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:23.120 a bit confused. What are the conflicting reports 00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:25.679 saying? One update says delivery is scheduled 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:29.429 for this year. meaning 2026, but a separate press 00:15:29.429 --> 00:15:32.490 release mentioned the end of 2026. That's a pretty 00:15:32.490 --> 00:15:34.929 big window. That can mean any time from next 00:15:34.929 --> 00:15:37.990 month to December. It is. My guess is it's the 00:15:37.990 --> 00:15:40.690 interior fitting. Supply chains for things like 00:15:40.690 --> 00:15:43.529 custom furniture and galley equipment can delay 00:15:43.529 --> 00:15:45.769 a ship, even if the hull is completely done. 00:15:46.009 --> 00:15:48.110 That makes sense. But either way, it is coming 00:15:48.110 --> 00:15:50.990 soon. And the plan is for it to sail international 00:15:50.990 --> 00:15:53.460 routes out of Guangzhou. So they are expanding 00:15:53.460 --> 00:15:56.759 from just domestic cruising to taking Chinese 00:15:56.759 --> 00:15:59.179 passengers abroad. It really feels like we're 00:15:59.179 --> 00:16:02.279 watching the birth of a new giant in the industry. 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:05.639 And the government support is key here. The Ministry 00:16:05.639 --> 00:16:08.200 of Transport is backing the development of cruise 00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:10.879 home ports. They see cruising not just as a vacation, 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:14.179 but as a major economic driver. Exactly. It connects 00:16:14.179 --> 00:16:16.340 back to the shipyard story in Falmouth, doesn't 00:16:16.340 --> 00:16:19.519 it? Cruising is heavy industry disguised as leisure. 00:16:20.179 --> 00:16:22.460 Whether it's building a new ship in China or 00:16:22.460 --> 00:16:25.539 refitting an old one in the UK, it's about jobs 00:16:25.539 --> 00:16:27.779 and infrastructure. That is the perfect way to 00:16:27.779 --> 00:16:30.259 put it. It's an industrial ecosystem. So we've 00:16:30.259 --> 00:16:33.259 looked at Anthem Ballet and Adora, three very 00:16:33.259 --> 00:16:35.500 different ships in three very different stages 00:16:35.500 --> 00:16:37.740 of life. What does this all mean for you listening 00:16:37.740 --> 00:16:40.340 to this deep dive today? I think the synthesis 00:16:40.340 --> 00:16:43.519 here is that The passenger experience, the thing 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:46.720 you actually pay for is entirely dependent on 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:48.759 these operational investments. Right. Whether 00:16:48.759 --> 00:16:50.860 it's Royal Caribbean spending millions to fix 00:16:50.860 --> 00:16:52.879 a propulsion unit so you can get to New Zealand, 00:16:53.659 --> 00:16:56.980 or Fred Olsen installing new carpets so the dining 00:16:56.980 --> 00:17:01.139 room feels lux, or Adora training staff to handle 00:17:01.139 --> 00:17:04.440 personalized requests. It all looks effortless 00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:07.150 to the guest. The ship just floats. The food 00:17:07.150 --> 00:17:10.470 just appears. Right. But it requires constant 00:17:10.470 --> 00:17:12.990 heavy industrial intervention to keep that magic 00:17:12.990 --> 00:17:16.470 floating. If the azopod breaks, the magic breaks. 00:17:16.809 --> 00:17:19.309 If the carpets are threadbare, the magic fades. 00:17:19.410 --> 00:17:21.490 It makes you appreciate the crew and the engineers 00:17:21.490 --> 00:17:24.309 a bit more. It definitely should. And it raises 00:17:24.309 --> 00:17:26.470 a provocative thought for me as we wrap up. Let's 00:17:26.470 --> 00:17:28.809 hear it. We often judge a cruise by the food 00:17:28.809 --> 00:17:30.910 or the entertainment or the size of the water 00:17:30.910 --> 00:17:34.650 slide. We look at the itinerary first. But maybe 00:17:34.650 --> 00:17:36.269 we should be paying more attention to the age 00:17:36.269 --> 00:17:38.630 and stage of the hardware. Meaning what exactly? 00:17:38.970 --> 00:17:41.009 Does a ship that's fresh out of dry dock like 00:17:41.009 --> 00:17:43.869 Ballet offer a fundamentally different value 00:17:43.869 --> 00:17:45.930 proposition than one that's been running hard 00:17:45.930 --> 00:17:47.990 for five years without a break? Oh, that's interesting. 00:17:48.049 --> 00:17:50.250 When you're booking, maybe you shouldn't just 00:17:50.250 --> 00:17:53.089 look at the destination. Maybe you should check 00:17:53.089 --> 00:17:55.490 when the ship was last painted. or when the bathrooms 00:17:55.490 --> 00:17:58.369 were updated. That is a great tip. A freshly 00:17:58.369 --> 00:18:00.470 refitted ship is almost like a brand new ship, 00:18:00.569 --> 00:18:02.970 but usually at a much better price point. It's 00:18:02.970 --> 00:18:05.289 all about timing the life cycle. Exactly. If 00:18:05.289 --> 00:18:07.450 you can catch a ship right after it's spa day, 00:18:07.809 --> 00:18:09.930 you're winning. Well, on that note, I think I'm 00:18:09.930 --> 00:18:12.150 going to go check the dry dock schedules for 00:18:12.150 --> 00:18:14.289 my next vacation. I want those fresh carpets. 00:18:14.390 --> 00:18:16.950 Always a wise move. Thanks for listening to Cruise 00:18:16.950 --> 00:18:19.849 News. Visit CruiseNews .io to catch up on the 00:18:19.849 --> 00:18:22.430 latest updates and sign up for free email alerts.