This news came as a surprise today considering that it's about a ship that was only a few months away from launching...
Oceania has announced that Riviera, the new sister to Marina, will not be launched as scheduled due to the strike at the Fincantieri Shipyards, near Genoa, Italy.
It was scheduled for April 24. The delay has pushed that date back to May 16. If you're booked on the April 24 sailing, expect Oceania to call...or contact either your agent or the cruise line.
"We know that sophisticated international travellers are anxious to welcome Riviera and we regret that labor strikes have caused this delay,” said Giuseppe Bono, Fincantieri's CEO. “All of us at Fincantieri are committed to producing a superior quality ship and we will deliver a truly magnificent vessel to Oceania Cruises without further delays.”
The new maiden voyage is a 10-day “Pearls of the Aegean” cruise that includes an overnight aboard ship in Venice before visiting Dubrovnik, Kotor, Corfu, Monemvasia, Crete, Santorini, Kusadasi (gateway to Ephesus), Delos, Mykonos and Athens.
It will be interesting to see if there are any other reasons for the delay.
All for now.