Norwegian Encore Emerges from Shipyard for the First Time

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Norwegian Cruise Line, the innovator in global cruise travel, today announced that its latest ship, Norwegian Encore, successfully completed a major construction milestone, when it emerged for the first time from the Meyer Werft ship building dock in Papenburg, Germany.

Norwegian Encore will remain in the shipyard port for the final phase of construction, before her conveyance up the Ems River and towards the North Sea at the end of September. At nearly 1,100 feet long, with a gross tonnage of almost 170,000 and a guest capacity of 3,998, the ship will be delivered to the cruise line on Oct. 30, 2019. She will be christened in Miami on Nov. 21, 2019 and will commence seven-day voyages to the Caribbean on Nov. 24, 2019.

“To see the ship emerge from the shipyard is always one of the most exciting construction milestones,” said Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “Our partners at Meyer Werft have been committed to our vision for not only Norwegian Encore, but for this industry leading class of ships, supporting our dedication to delivering our guests the best cruise vacation at sea.”

Taking the brand’s exclusive, stand-out attractions to the next level, Norwegian Encore will feature the world’s longest race track at sea at 1,100 feet with four high-speed curves extending up to 13 feet over the side of the ship; the largest outdoor laser tag arena at nearly 10,000 square feet with the addition of augmented reality elements; and new immersive escape room and interactive theatre experiences in the 10,000-square-foot Galaxy Pavilion.

In addition to featuring many of the highly rated restaurants and lounges that have made the Breakaway Plus class one of the most innovative and successful in the company’s history, Norwegian Encore will debut a new elevated Italian dining experience, Onda by Scarpetta, in collaboration with LDV Hospitality. The Tony Award®-winning musical, “Kinky Boots” will headline the world-class entertainment on board, with returning guest favorites “The Choir of Man,” “Happy Hour Prohibition: The Musical” and the rocking Beatles cover band of The Cavern Club.

Launching this fall, Norwegian Encore will offer seven-day voyages to the Eastern Caribbean from Miami beginning Nov. 24, 2019; Bermuda, and Canada and New England itineraries from New York City beginning Apr. 22, 2020; voyages to the Western Caribbean from Miami beginning Dec. 12, 2020; and in the spring of 2021 will make her West Coast debut and sail to Alaska from Seattle.

For more information about Norwegian Cruise Line ships and their itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call +65 31 651 680 or visit www.ncl.com.

For a video of Norwegian Encore’s float out, click here.

BCB Blockchain Powers Payment Infrastructure Of Metro Manila’s Biggest Spa

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Metro Manila’s biggest spa is now starting to accept crypto currency as mode of payment.

Building Cities Beyond Blockchain (BCB Blockchain), the world's first blockchain protocol for the development of smart city solutions, providesits mainnet blockchain technology to support Yatai Spa’s payment infrastructure.

Yatai Spa is a three-floor development of a modern facility with business & commercial center showcasing a relaxation, entertainment and wellness destination located in the transportation hub Newport City, Pasay City. It covers an area of more than 7,000 square meters and operating 24/7. The Yatai Spa possesses a set of variety functions such as entertainment leisure catering business negotiation cultural exchange, party venue, SPA health and private living space

“BCB will enable Yatai Spa to a faster, transparent and more secure payment. This will also allow them to have less infrastructure transaction fees which cost only around 0.06 Chinese Yuan or 0.45 pesos,” Vanessa Koh, BCB Blockchain Chief Technology Officer said.

In addition, using BCB allows the spa to save on outdated servers and the cost of operating multiple software payment solutions.

The cost savings in return, allows Yatai spa to offer 20% discount on all spa services by using BCB.

“As the largest spa in Manila with a huge customer base, this gives BCB an advantage to reach its goal of mass adoption. BCB hopes to have more merchants and businesses onboard as well, ”Koh added.

Aside from providing payment infrastructure, BCB enables creation of smart contracts and Dapps (Decentralised Applications), community voting, and many other auditable services. By providing high liquidity and low transaction costs, BCB holders enjoy transparency and improvement of settlement efficiency of payments and transactions in its supported smart cities and establishments.

Earlier in June, BCB Blockchain signed partnership with Philippine’s leading tech incubators QBO Innovation hub and DLSU Animo for joint projects on incubations, hackathons, and smart city solutions.

Philippines to Host Second High-Level Regional Meeting on MEPSEAS

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Bringing together heads of maritime agencies from participating International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States, the Philippines, through the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), will host the Second High-Level Regional Meeting on Marine Environment Protection of the Southeast Asian Seas (MEPSEAS) in Manila, Philippines on 27 to 29 August 2019.

The IMO and the MEPSEAS International Consultants will lead the session and will provide updates regarding the MEPSEAS Project website, initial steps undertaken to capacitate countries in implementing the provisions and requirement of the Conventions, results of Train the Trainers (TTT) held in Singapore last 28 to 30 May 2019, and initial delivery of the training modules covering the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, Anti-Fouling System (AFS) Convention and MARPOL Annex V.

Delegates from the participating beneficiary countries will likewise present the development and adoption of their respective National Action Plans (NAPs), including successes and challenges in completing the NAP activities related to the accession of the chosen IMO Conventions.

Moreover, the strategic partners will present relevant activities and programs, which support the objectives of the MEPSEAS Project, and will also explore possible areas of collaboration and modalities by which to pursue cooperation.

The Second High-Level Regional Meeting will be attended by delegates from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as strategic partners from the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), Women in Maritime – Asia and Philippines, Tokyo MOU Regional Port State Control Organization, ASEAN Maritime Transport Working Group Chair’s representative, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), and Maritime Technology Cooperation Center (MTCC) Asia.

As host country, the Philippine delegation will be composed of representatives from different departments and agencies that are identified important in giving full and complete effect to the Conventions. They are the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), MARINA, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Cebu Port Authority (CPA), Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environment Management Bureau (DENR – EMB), DENR – Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR – BMB), Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, Office of the President – Presidential Legislative Affairs, Filipino Shipowners Association, and International Maritime Association of the Philippines.

The MEPSEAS Project is a 4-year project (2018-2021) of the IMO in cooperation with the Norwegian Agency for the Development (NORAD) providing assistance to East Asian countries in ratifying and implementing IMO Instruments for the protection of the marine environment. It aims to reduce the risks and impacts of environmental issues related to maritime transport in the ASEAN region. It supports the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 – to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”.