Louise (Monfalcone) Langione Keith Langione & his wife Lauren and Andrew Langione & his wife Alyssa Cherished 'Nonni' to many grandchildren Formerly married to Robert Langione.      Family and friends are welcome to come celebrate Louise's life by gathering for visiting hours in the Nardone Funeral Home '#' : location.hash;window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery = location.search === '' && location.href.slice(0 location.href.length - window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash.length).indexOf('?') !== -1 '?' : location.search;if (window.history && window.history.replaceState) {var ogU = location.pathname + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash;history.replaceState(null "\/monfalcone-a-blueprint-for-islamization-of-italy\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=YN3Dm2FkEnvvP4h_rZ.ZCKd8plXYt8Lrj4u8dxg0hmM-1746539596-1.0.1.1-qW8zfhakWMNm.YjWsRBQKcWz.jOmenIN7yNnFR5sYWI" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null ogU);}}document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(cpo);}()); the Monfalcone Tigers cricket team is doing its best to warm up for a training session in Isonzo Park The small town on Italy’s east coast is exposed to a whipping wind from the Adriatic Sea bringing a bitter chill that many of the players This is the first time the team has been able to practise in weeks and captain Sani Bhuiyan but we are making the effort to play it even in winter “They say it’s because cricket doesn’t belong to Italian culture but the truth is that they believe foreigners don’t,” said batsman Masum Ahmed Of the 30,000 people who live in Monfalcone most of whom came to work at the Fincantieri shipyard as Bhuiyan’s father did in 1999 his mother and brothers joined him in 2006.  Ahmed arrived in 2003 and obtained Italian citizenship in 2016.  but many of my Bangladeshi friends in recent years have moved to England hoping not to feel as exposed and discriminated against as they do in Monfalcone,” he said.  At first glance, the town’s immigrant and Italian-born communities appear well integrated. The streets are a mix of Italian restaurants and halal shops; Italians bundled in woollen sweaters and scarves walk side by side with Bangladeshis in sherwanis and hijabs. But with municipal elections due to be called in March Bhuiyan says the atmosphere is increasingly tense Many Muslims here say the mayor has changed their lives for the worse Bhuiyan has decided he’ll run for city councillor alongside the leftwing Democratic Party’s candidate Diego Moretti hoping to bring a change.  “I no longer want to feel like an outsider Cisint did not respond to Hyphen’s request for an interview previously claimed that her mission is to “protect” her town from Islamic fundamentalism and defend Christian values More recently she clarified that the cricket ban is due to a lack of money to build a cricket pitch She claims the sport is too dangerous to play in parks and other public areas.  “We have tried our best to play in places where we don’t bother anyone,” Ahmed said “In Monfalcone there’s a field that has been there for 40 years where Italians play football without problems We even offered to collect money and build ourselves a pitch that the whole town could have access to Bhuiyan is convinced Cisint is not acting in the interests of public safety “Cricket has come to symbolise a cultural threat,” he said.   the team made their informal practice group into an official club registering the Monfalcone Tigers with the Italian National Olympic Committee They are forced to travel to Turriaco to train “Between the fact that we get off from work when it’s already dark and the fact that we have to go to another town we have lost motivation a bit,” Buihyan admitted.   Many in the Bangladeshi community are struggling to remain hopeful who moved to Monfalcone from Bangladesh three years ago “I decided to come to Italy for my daughter she can’t make friends with Italians,” she said with evident frustration explaining that she is mocked because her Italian is not fluent and she wears a veil  — both obstacles to finding work.  those in Monfalcone who are working to encourage multiculturalism Anna Troilo is a retired doctor who volunteers teaching Italian to immigrants at the Monfalcone Interethnic Association which she co-founded in 2018 with several other local women Troilo is convinced that the communities should and can find a way to live happily together.  “I understand that the arrival of a large number of foreigners always has an impact on a town “The Bangladeshis are an evident and easily recognisable presence they have to acquire our habits as we are lucky enough to share theirs If it wasn’t for the contribution of the foreign community “What’s happening in Monfalcone is a reflection of a countrywide shift towards the right and its crackdown on migration,” Bullian said “It’s easier to point at foreigners as scapegoats But that’s not the way to solve our problems.”  Cisint’s centre-left opponent, Diego Moretti, is campaigning on better labour rights at Fincantieri, as well as improving inclusion of the Bangladeshi community in the town’s decision-making. He has been accused by Cisint’s team of “looking to appeal to Islamic voters” but is backed by both Buihyan and Bullian who remain hopeful that the town will choose a message of unity rather than division when it comes to voting for a new mayor.  the Monfalcone Tigers feel it’s more important than ever to play together a way of standing together and showing they’re not afraid it’s a tradition that allows us to keep a piece of home away from home An innocent way to keep a tiny connection to our roots and share it with those who welcomed us,” Buhiyan said cricket will be reinstated in the town’s spring sports festival Monfalcone has suffered too much because of these discriminations Hyphen is the leading media platform on Muslim life in the UK and Europe Sign up to our newsletter to receive our top stories straight to your inbox every week This form may not be visible due to adblockers © 2025 Hyphen® / Link Media Corporation Ltd Wanted in MilanMembership In an unprecedented development for Italian politics has presented its own independent list in the upcoming local elections in Monfalcone a Senegalese-born engineer and former city councillor Monfalcone is a small industrial town with about 30,000 inhabitants but nearly one-third of its population is foreign-born Many residents are employed at the local Fincantieri shipyard which has long attracted labor from Bangladesh Monfalcone has become a microcosm of the challenges—and opportunities—of integration in contemporary Italy The list was born out of frustration with what many in the immigrant community see as exclusionary local policies Konate and his fellow candidates argue that their presence in the elections is not about creating a religious or ethnic bloc and we want to be represented,” Konate said and entrepreneurs from various countries of origin The initiative has stirred significant controversy Former mayor Anna Maria Cisint of the right-wing League party accused the group of trying to “establish an Islamic enclave” and criticized left-wing politicians for allowing what she sees as a threat to Italian identity and values The incident has become a flashpoint in the national debate over multiculturalism and integration Even within the center-left Democratic Party criticized the list for being “ethnically defined,” warning that it could fragment the social fabric rather than unify it Tensions came to a head on election day when a Muslim woman wearing a face veil (niqab) was initially barred from entering a polling station due to regulations requiring visible identification The incident highlighted ongoing legal and cultural frictions surrounding religious practices in public spaces in Italy While Italia Plurale is unlikely to win a majority its very existence marks a new chapter in Italian political life The list’s emergence reflects the growing confidence and political ambition of communities that What happens in Monfalcone could set a precedent for other towns across Italy grappling with similar demographic transformations As Italy continues to reckon with the realities of immigration the Monfalcone case could be remembered as a milestone—or a warning sign Wanted in Milan ™ is member of the Wanted World Wide Ltd network.Click here to find out more about our Network or Follow us on social networks © 2025 / 2026 Wanted World Wide LTD Network your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt The Italian town of Monfalcone is dealing with a spike in friction — and media attention — caused by the political positions of the city's far-right Lega party mayor regarding a high number of legal residents of foreign background Right before the European vote scheduled for 8 and 9 June in Italy the debate reached its peak in the northern municipality with just over 30,000 inhabitants has become one of Italy's municipalities with the greatest concentration of foreigner-born residents comprising around a third of the population More than 5,000 are of Bangladeshi background followed by Romania and the former Yugoslavia Two out of three newborns in Monfalcone are the children of immigrants most of whom are fully integrated into the community and can easily find work thanks to the headquarters of Fincantieri the Italian public company specialising in shipyards and its subcontractors Fincatieri's rising demand for a steady workforce was the main driving force behind many — especially people from Bangladesh — deciding to move to Monfalcone has become one of the key financial centres in the region Those not employed by the Italian giant have started their own businesses with many shops and bars owned by foreign-born residents troubles appeared on the horizon back in 2016 when Anna Maria Cisint was first elected mayor has gone on to cause an ongoing clash with the Bangladeshi community She has accused Fincatieri of "importing bad labour" although the company refuted her statements explaining that it could not satisfy its needs just by hiring local Italian workers the mayor's open letter to the local Muslim community made the news after she wrote that the practice of going to the beach and swimming wearing clothing other than swimsuits should stop effectively introducing a ban on the burkini Cisint has also pushed for further bans on cricket observing the Muslim religious month of Ramadan and Arabic lessons claiming that all foreign-born residents should integrate completely all consistent with the anti-Islam rhetoric of the more radical parts of her party Bangladeshi people do not speak Arabic but might learn it for religious reasons the city council has also adopted controversial measures against the Muslim community including a ban on Friday prayers in two Islamic cultural centres in November of last year attracting the attention of domestic outlets describing it as the "Italian town where Muslims have no place to pray" citing a potential spike in Islamic extremism a shout-out to the anti-immigration of Lega of Matteo Salvini Cisint is hoping to take her policies to Brussels the renewed spike in polarising rhetoric has brought back the tensions to the fore once again Watch the full report in the player above to find out more This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page the second liquefied natural gas (LNG) cruise ship that Fincantieri is building for Princess Cruises was launched at the Monfalcone shipyard in Italy A long list of dignitaries were on hand for the festivities With a gross tonnage of approximately 178,000 tons Star Princess is the sister ship to Sun Princess also built in Monfalcone and delivered earlier this year It is the second-largest ship ever built in Italy and the second LNG-powered cruise ship Fincantieri is building for this ship owner.  Star Princess is the second ship in Princess Cruises' Sphere class The new vessel will accommodate approximately 4,300 passengers and is based on a next-generation platform design.Image courtesy Fincantieri a power electronics provider for the marine industry has won a contract to deliver the single drives for shaft… As inflation starts to slowly ramp up across the world the US is gradually heading for a recession as the American economy shrank through Q1… On April 30, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) together with several original co-sponsors reintroduced the SHIPS for America Act in the U.S Fast-growing energy demand is driving the need for technical support and guidance in new locations we excel in creating stunning illuminated yacht names and logos and cutting-edge LED and fiber optic solutions Maritime Reporter E-News is the maritime industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service delivered to your Email five times per week Fincantieri Monfalcone director; Chiara Del Vecchio Princess Cruises commodore and Star Princess captain Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard yesterday floated out Star Princess the second LNG-fueled cruise ship that the shipbuilder is building for Carnival Corporation’s Princess Cruises brand With a gross tonnage of approximately 178,000 tons, Star Princess is the sister ship to Sun Princess Star Princess is the second ship in Princess Cruises’ Sphere class It will accommodate approximately 4,300 passengers and is based on a next-generation platform design director of the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone executive assistant at the Monfalcone shipyard served as godmothers at the ceremony The new ship will now transfer to the outfitting quay where construction will continue in anticipation of her fall 2025 debut Star Princess is the second ship in our new Sphere class and now as she prepares to take to the water for the first time it is a testament to the incredible dedication and skill of the entire shipyard team,” said Padgett “Fincantieri has again turned vision into reality building on the success of her sister ship – Sun Princess which has already captured the hearts of our guests with its elegance and cutting-edge design we are creating amazing machines that will inspire adventure and deliver unforgettable experiences for all who sail with us for decades to come.” Padgett also announced that Commodore Nick Nash and Captain Gennaro Arma Arma will serve as master of Star Princess when the ship is delivered next fall ahead of Commodore Nash’s turn at the helm April 2025 Marine Log’s Top Women in Maritime Celebration 2025 New ITER Boutique! Purchase ITER-branded merchandise here ITER NewslineKeep in touch with ITER through our main news feed ITER Magazine - French onlyLearn more about the ITER Project by subscribing to this quarterly online magazine (in French) that is geared toward the general public ITER Open Doors Day - NotificationsStay informed about the ITER Open Doors sessions and be among the first to subscribe to the next event The first vacuum vessel sector produced in Europe travelled last week between Monfalcone The 440-tonne component had been protectively wrapped and inserted into oversize metal housing before being loaded onboard at the Port of Monfalcone on 30 September the load was securely latched by way of welded attachments to ensure its immobility during transport sensors were attached to the vacuum vessel frame to capture data about any movement or acceleration experienced by the component during travel Two stages of the journey to ITER remain for vacuum vessel sector #5: crossing the inland sea of Berre l'Étang by barge (a stage that is dependent on good weather and low wind) and travelling along the 104 kilometres of the ITER itinerary over four nights to reach the ITER site (a stage scheduled for the last week of October) The European Domestic Agency, responsible for delivering five sectors to ITER, celebrated the completion of sector #5 with its contractors on 24 September ITER ("The Way" in Latin) is one of the most ambitious energy projects in the world today ITER is charting new territory in fusion research was officially launched at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone on September 26 This is the Fincantieri shipyard’s second LNG cruise ship for Princess Cruises The launching ceremony was attended by the President of Princess Cruises and the Director of the Monfalcone Shipyard The ceremony was graced by the two godmothers of the ship a third engineer aboard the “Sun Princess” and Francesca Maraventano an executive assistant the Monfalcone Shipyard The vessel is the second-largest cruise ship ever built in Italy representing Fincantieri’s continuous commitment to LNG-powered technology It is the second dual ship to join Princess Cruises’ fleet Liquified Natural Gas is the most advanced and commercially viable fuel technology for the maritime industry It reduces greenhouse gas emissions while reducing airborne pollutants and particle matter making it one of the cleanest fossil fuels available Star Princess is part of Princess Cruises’ Sphere class and will be delivered in the fall of 2025 The ship is designed to accommodate around 4,300 people Its next-generation platform focuses on innovation and sustainability which aligns with the cruise line’s commitment to reducing emissions Princess Cruises operates a fleet of 17 modern ships that cater to millions of guests annually and provide access to 330 destinations worldwide Disclaimer : The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct we make no representations or warranties of any kind suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of Do you have info to share with us ? Suggest a correction Marine Insight News Network is a premier source for up-to-date and insightful coverage of the maritime industry Marine Insight News Network prides itself on delivering accurate Signup today and get maritime ebooks submitted to your inbox directly.  © 2010 - 2025 Marine Insight — All Rights Reserved We respect your privacy and take protecting it very seriously the second LNG cruise ship being constructed for Princess Cruises was floated out at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard on 26 September The 178,000gt Star Princess will be the second-largest ship ever built in Italy and a sistership to Sun Princess Able to accommodate around 4,300 passengers the new vessel incorporates sustainable maritime technologies and will primarily powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) The delivery of Star Princess is expected in autumn 2025 Princess Cruises operate a fleet of 17 modern ships serving guests across 330 global destinations Ships monthly is published every month and has a cover price of £4.99 celebrated a major construction milestone of its second Sphere-Class vessel with the traditional maritime float out ceremony at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone The new ship will now transfer to the outfitting quay where construction will continue in anticipation of her fall 2025 debut Honoring the hundreds-year-old seafaring custom the float out celebrates the first time the superstructure of a new ship meets water who currently works aboard sister ship Sun Princess served as the brand’s madrina (blessing the ship) and became the first member of the Princess technical team to hold this time-honored role Star Princess is the second ship in our new Sphere Class as she prepares to take to the water for the first time it is a testament to the incredible dedication and skill of the entire shipyard team,” said John Padgett building on the success of her sister ship Arma will serve as her master when the ship is delivered in fall 2025 ahead of Commodore Nash’s turn at the helm Additional Star Princess senior officers include: Chief Engineer Gaetano Guida who joined Princess Cruises in 2002 and was named chief engineer aboard Royal Princess in 2017 Guida was part of the team that delivered Sun Princess and continues to play an important role in guiding the construction and delivery of Star Princess from the Fincantieri shipyard Chief Engineer Massimiliano Imperiale is a 15-year Princess Cruises veteran having joined the company in 1999 as third engineer with his first appointment as Chief Engineer in 2013 aboard Caribbean Princess Staff Captain Chris King joined Princess in 2010 as a third officer following several years working as a deck cadet on container ships He was named Staff Captain in 2023 and currently serves in this capacity aboard Discovery Princess Hotel General Manager Bosco Pires has been a Princess Cruises hotel general manager since 2019 and has served on a variety of ships throughout the fleet His nearly 25 years of specialized cruise industry experience has provided him with a solid foundation in both business and hospitality operations 178,000-ton Star Princess is the second in the new Sphere Class of ships for Princess and will also be powered by liquefied natural gas debuted in February and is hailed as the next-level “Love Boat” featuring the iconic and elegant structural lines Princess is known for with new eye-catching architectural spectacles the cruise industry’s first geodesic feature on the top deck; The Sphere the suspended glass Sphere Piazza at the center of the cruise ship and The Arena the most technically advanced theater at sea Voyages for the inaugural season of Star Princess are on sale now More information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-Princess (1-800-774-6237) or by visiting www.princess.com You can be the first one to leave a comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Bangladeshi residents and others in Monfalcone say decisions to prohibit worship at cultural centres and banning burkinis at the beach is part of anti-Islam agenda The envelope containing two partially burned pages of the Qur’an came as a shock Muslim residents in the Adriatic port town of Monfalcone had lived relatively peacefully for more than 20 years Addressed to the Darus Salaam Muslim cultural association on Via Duca d’Aosta the envelope was received soon after Monfalcone’s far-right mayor a serious insult we never expected,” said Bou Konate generated by a campaign of hate that has stoked toxicity.” Monfalcone’s population recently passed 30,000. Such a positive demographic trend would ordinarily spell good news in a country grappling with a rapidly declining birthrate where Cisint has been nurturing an anti-Islam agenda since winning her first mandate in 2016 The town’s population growth is mostly attributed to the sprawling shipyard owned by the state-controlled giant Fincantieri, whose policy of outsourcing labour over the past two decades led to a huge inflow of skilled foreign workers, mainly from Bangladesh The cheaper immigrant workforce far outnumbers Italians especially during peak periods in the construction of huge cruise ships Monfalcone’s Bangladeshi community has been further boosted by relatives arriving via a family reunification policy the community makes up 6,600 of Monfalcone’s total 9,400 foreign-born population according to figures provided by Cisint during an interview with the Observer Immigration has altered the makeup of the town There is an array of foreign-owned shops and restaurants and a network of cycle paths mostly used by Bangladeshis whose bikes are their main mode of transport “If it wasn’t for the contribution of the foreign community Monfalcone would become a ghost town,” said Enrico Bullian a leftwing councillor for thewider Friuli-Venezia Giulia region Anna Maria Cisint Photograph: FacebookCisint, a politician backed by Matteo Salvini’s League party, and by Brothers of Italy, the party led by the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni mostly on the anti-immigration ticket that facilitated the rise to power of Italy’s far right One of her first policies was to remove the benches in the main square, allegedly because they were mainly used by immigrants. Cisint attempted to limit the number of foreign children in schools, while cricket, popular among Bangladeshis, was scrapped from the sports festival. Last summer, she banned Muslim women from wearing burkinis at the beach But it was Cisint’s ban on prayers in November which also applies to a second Muslim cultural centre in the town “It has had an enormous impact,” said Konate, an engineer who has lived in Italy for 40 years. “We had been praying peacefully here for over 20 years. But this was not only a place for prayer – people came to meet, chat. Children came for after-school lessons. There are many Islamic cultural centres across Europe where you can pray Cisint claimed the Muslims had flouted urban planning rules because the premises was designated for commercial use and not for worship after citizens sent her photos showing “hundreds of people” entering An estimated 8,000 people have protested against the ban Photograph: Mara Fella“I didn’t say ‘close down and you must not pray’,” Cisint told the Observer “The space was being used in a distorted way – it was a mosque said: “Those who choose to live in Italy must respect Italian norms.” Konate said Monfalcone’s Muslims have always respected the laws proof of which is seen in the town’s extremely low crime rate and that the mayor’s motive was to curtail their Italian constitutional right to pray But after passively living with the antagonism for years he said the ban marked a “watershed” moment an estimated 8,000 people protested against the move and Cisint’s anti-Islam campaign which many believe is being used to raise her profile in the hope of running in June’s European elections The Muslim community is also appealing against the prayer ban through the regional administrative court we said ‘we must defend ourselves’,” said Konate who like many of Monfalcone’s Muslims is an Italian citizen Cisint said the exponential growth in the foreign-born population has put pressure on Monfalcone’s social services But she doesn’t have a problem with the town’s other significant foreign community – Romanians they integrate and they respect Italian norms,” she said Cisint recites a list of stereotypes about Muslims such as women being forced to wear face coverings and walk behind men She claims she has done a lot for the community including building more schools “because they are having so many babies” She accuses Muslims of not wanting to learn Italian and if they do the main objective is to obtain citizenship But at an Italian lesson run by volunteers a Muslim woman said it was hard to find places on the classes run by the authority said: “It seems that everything is done to make life difficult for Bangladeshi residents.” a women’s group made up of native and foreign-born Italians has emerged to bridge the divide caused by Cisint’s policies a 27-year-old student and daughter of a Fincantieri worker who has lived in Monfalcone since she was a child said at a recent meeting: “It’s important to have this group to share ideas and help change the opinion of those who are fixated on the same prejudices.” added: “There has never been an issue with this community … Monfalcone is everyone’s home.” This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed is among the more benign legacies of British imperialism—a sport that unites blazer-wearing English toffs and players who first applied bat to ball in the slums of Kingston or Kolkata This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “No ball” Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents A low-tech fix is delivering high-impact results George Simion will face Nicusor Dan, a mainstream candidate, in a run-off There are five luxuries it can no longer feasibly afford Friedrich Merz’s career is one of unforced errors and puzzling missteps Both Donald Trump and Ukraine’s diplomats will consider it a success Carnival’s newest vessels are slated to join the largest cruise ships in the world Carnival and Fincantieri have signed an agreement to build a new class of liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered vessels Fincantieri categorised the value of the agreement as very important a designation the company says refers to an order of Є2.0Bn (US$2.2Bn) or more engineering and construction of three new cruise ships for the Carnival Cruise Line brand and it represents the largest ships ever built by Fincantieri When launched, the vessels will join the gargantuan Royal Caribbean Oasis-class vessels at the top of the list of the world’s largest cruise ships. Royal Caribbean’s newest mega-ship in the Oasis class, Icon of the Seas tips the scales at nearly 250,000 gross tonnes Carnival’s new ships will be designed with energy efficiency in mind including waste management and emissions-reduction technologies to reduce the vessel’s environmental footprint In addition to the three newly ordered mega cruise ships delivered 75 ships to Carnival Corp and currently has one vessel under construction at its yard in Monfalcone "We are creating a platform with Fincantieri that will innovate across the board offering an unparalleled guest experience and incorporating the latest technological advancements to minimise our environmental footprint,” said Carnival Corp chief executive Josh Weinstein Fincantieri chief executive and managing director Pierroberto Folgiero said "This order is a significant leap forward in our innovation strategy thus reaffirming our commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency."  Sign up for Riviera’s series of technical and operational webinars and conferences: the joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises have celebrated the delivery of “Mein Schiff Relax,” the first of two cutting-edge InTUItion class cruise ships The ceremony took place at the Monfalcone shipyard marking a significant milestone in sustainable cruising with the ship’s dual-fuel capability utilising both Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) and Marine Gas Oil (MGO) Its sister ship is scheduled to set sail in mid-2026 The event was attended by Italy’s Minister for Relations with Parliament alongside Fincantieri’s Chairman Biagio Mazzotta CEO and Managing Director Pierroberto Folgiero and General Manager of the Merchant Ships Division Luigi Matarazzo Representing TUI Cruises were CEO Wybcke Meier “Mein Schiff Relax” introduces an innovative design that strengthens TUI Cruises’ reputation for operating one of the most environmentally advanced fleets The vessel prioritises energy efficiency and sustainability aligning with the latest industry regulations to reduce operational consumption and environmental impact the ship can utilise alternative low-emission fuels such as bio-LNG and e-LNG advancing the goal of climate-neutral cruising more than 3,000 Fincantieri employees and personnel from partner companies have contributed to the ship’s completion “Mein Schiff Relax” is equipped with state-of-the-art technology including catalytic converters that meet Euro 6 standards a generative turbine that captures residual heat from diesel generators This allows for nearly emission-free operations while in port approximately 40% of its operational time the vessel features an innovative waste treatment system that transforms organic materials into recyclable components using a thermal process The delivery of “Mein Schiff Relax” marks a significant step forward in environmentally conscious cruising showcasing Fincantieri’s commitment to innovation and sustainability in maritime engineering The vessel is the first of two that Fincantieri is building for Tui Cruises the first of the planned two InTUItion class newbuild concept cruise ships took place at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard in Gorizia The Italian shipbuilder is building both dual-fuel powered (LNG and Marine Gas Oil) ships for TUI Cruises will constitute the backbone of TUI Cruises’ future fleet The order is based on a prototype project developed by Fincantieri The shipbuilder said energy efficiency sits at the centre of the project with the dual objective of containing operating consumption and minimising environmental impact Both ships will be capable of running on LNG and the vessels will also be able to burn low-emission fuels such as bio- or e-LNG when such fuels become widely available The vessels will be equipped with catalytic converters (compliant with the Euro 6 standard) and with a generative turbine that uses the residual heat of the diesel generators and an electrical shore-power connection from the ground to lower energy consumption The combination of technologies guarantees almost emission-free operation while in port (about 40% of operating time) the ships will be equipped with a waste treatment system capable of transforming organic substances into charcoal through a thermal process.Construction of Mein Schiff Relax began in June 2022 with the first steel cut TUI’s eighth ship will enter service in late 2024 The second ship is expected to follow in 2026 Sign up for Riviera’s series of technical and operational webinars and conferences in 2023: Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times Sun Princess will be Princess Cruises' largest ship yet and its first to be LNG-fueled Carnival Corporation’s Princess Cruises brand has celebrated construction milestone with the float out of its next-generation ship Following the Italian shipyard’s tradition the float out is marked by a special ceremony where a “Madrina” is named to offer blessings and best wishes for the vessel celebrating the flow of water into the ship’s building dock Princess Cruises hotel general manager Simona Stumberger was selected to serve in this special role as an ambassador for Princess “she epitomizes professionalism and always delivers service with a smile.” This is the brand’s third ship to carry the Sun Princess name adding to the legacy of the first ship sailing from 1974 to 1988 and the second ship sailing from 1995 to 2020 That first ship was the setting for the Love Boat TV series and carried just 700 guests The new 175,000 gt ship will be the brand’s largest ship ever and will accommodate 4,300 guests The float out completes the first comprehensive phase of construction for Sun Princess, which now transitions to focus on building the ship’s interiors —which, as we previewed last year 1,133 feet-long Sun Princess will offer guests an array of new dining as well as luxurious staterooms and suites across a broad spectrum of categories The ship will be highlighted by spectacular public spaces such as The Dome a transformational entertainment venue inspired by the terraces of Santorini Sun Princess has been designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions The ship’s sustainability features include: Sun Princess will be the first ship in the Princess fleet to be powered by LNG with an LNG capacity of 4,000 cubic meters sufficient for almost 9 days sailing at service speed The secondary fuel is marine gas-oil so no heavy or intermediate fuel oil will be carried on board on both the port and starboard side of the vessel will enable “cold ironing,” with the cruise ship able to turn off the engines and connect to local electric power to run all onboard services during port calls Sun Princess is outfitted with custom-built electrical connection cabinets that automatically connect the ship’s electrical network to the local electrical network ashore reducing air emissions in the ports that support shore power A micro auto gasification system (MAGS) is installed for waste efficient and environmentally safe technology to convert a variety of combustible materials into thermal energy – energy that can be used in other systems onboard The food waste management system is designed with distributed and centralized bio-digesters and dehydrators as a clean alternative to recycle food waste and reduce use of landfills Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker One worker at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone Italy was seriously injured in an accident at the yard on Friday Trade unions representing the shipyard workers called for an immediate strike as they sought to raise awareness of safety issues Emergency services from Monfalcone in the Trieste region of eastern Italy responded to emergency calls Friday morning Scaffolding and an enclosed hoist used to lift material to the cruise ship Mein Schiff Relax currently under construction in the shipyard had collapsed.  a 23-year-old employee of a contractor working on the cruise ship construction project was discovered pinned under the twisted pile of metal The fire brigade worked for 30 minutes to remove the debris including using a crane to lift sections of the collapsed scaffolding that was on top of the man who is reported to be a citizen of Bangladesh suffered crushing injuries to his head and chest trauma and was removed to the hospital Media reports said he was in guarded condition but that his life was not in danger Scaffolding alongside side the cruise ship under construction collapsed Reports were unclear if the man was on the scaffolding or more likely under it preparing to board the cruise ship when the collapse happened The contractor was reportedly trying to account for all its employees to ensure that no other individuals had been caught in the collapse The Italian fire brigade also brought in divers who made several searches to ensure that no one was in the water while additional searchers were also going on the dock in the area around the ship The Italian authorities ordered the area around the accident sealed off until a full investigation could be performed The Trieste area is exposed to strong winter winds known as boras and according to the media reports the strong winds had been flowing since Thursday night Wind speeds were reported to be reaching approximately 60 mph The scaffolding was to be alongside the ship with some reports saying it was at the deck 16 level A crane needed to be used to free the worker trapped under collapsed scaffolding the victim of the accident is a worker from a contracting company,” the metalworkers' trade unions said in a statement “It is not acceptable to risk your life for work Media reports indicated that the employment practices of contractors working at the Monfalcone shipyard have been the subject of investigations since 2018 Among the issues are reports of low wages and poor training The trade unions called for an immediate one-day work stoppage to raise awareness of the safety issues They are demanding that contracting companies working at the yard must be responsible and demonstrate they can ensure the safety of their workers as required by law They are also calling for adequate safety training while demanding that Fincantieri immediately replace any contracting company defaulting on these responsibilities and deficient in the required safety protocols Rejaul looking on before the half-day prayer in his private parking lot at a construction site in Monfalcone IT’s Friday prayers in the northeastern Italian city of Monfalcone and hundreds of men are on their knees in a concrete parking lot They are just a fraction of the city’s Muslims who have been banned from praying inside their two cultural centres by Monfalcone’s far-right mayor they assemble in this privately owned construction site as they await a court decision to settle a zoning issue they say has barred their constitutional right to prayer who expresses frustration over what he and many other Muslims see as harassment by the city they call home a naturalised Italian citizen who arrived from Bangladesh in 2006 Immigrants make up a third of this city of 30,000 inhabitants outside Trieste most of them Bangladeshi Muslims who began arriving in the late 1990s to build cruise-liners for ship builder Fincantieri whose Monfalcone shipyard is Italy’s largest whether the Bangladeshi men on bicycles peddling to and from work or their grocery stores on street corners was under the spotlight recently for banning Muslims from praying inside their two cultural centres Urban planning regulations tightly limit the establishment of places of worship she says it is not her job to provide them I wouldn’t even waste my time being against anybody but I’m also here to enforce the law,” said Cisint she argues that the number of Muslim immigrants boosted by family reunifications and new births Her warnings about the “social unsustainability” of Monfalcone’s Muslim population have propelled Cisint to national headlines in recent months They have also assured her a spot in upcoming European Parliament elections for Matteo Salvini’s anti-immigrant League party part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition government The League for decades has obstructed mosque openings in its stronghold of northern Italy But the problem is nationwide in Catholic-majority Italy Islam is not among the 13 religions that have official status under Italian law which complicates efforts to build places of worship A veiled woman taking pictures of plants at a market in Monfalcone There are currently fewer than 10 officially recognised mosques said Yahya Zanolo of the Italian Islamic Religious Community one of the country’s main Muslim associations That means that out of Italy’s estimated more than two million Muslims most are relegated to thousands of makeshift places of worship that “feed prejudice and fear in the non-Muslim population” who has been under police protection since receiving online death threats in December complains about a resistance to integration by what she called a “very closed” community She asks why Arabic and not Italian is taught in the community centres and calls “intolerable” wives walking behind husbands or schoolgirls in veils the League has once again seized on illegal immigration to Italy – where nearly 160,000 migrants arrived by boat last year mostly from Muslim countries – as a vote-winner Salvini has called the June vote “a referendum on the future of Europe” to decide “whether Europe will still exist or whether it will be a Sino-Islamic colony” But Monfalcone’s Muslims don’t fit the stereotypes exploited by the League armed as they are with work permits or passports “It’s not like we came here to see the beautiful city of Monfalcone,” jokes Rejaul Many Muslims said they feel a palpable sense of distrust who works at Fincantieri installing panels has mostly prayed at home since the cultural centres have been off-limits Such is the reach of the mayor’s rhetoric that “even I get scared” about Muslims he added: “You feel like you’re in front of a big wall Outside a classroom where volunteers teach Italian to recently immigrated women said the animosity is acutely felt by her young son who was born in Italy An administrative court in Trieste will rule on May 23 whether to uphold or strike down the mayor’s ban on prayer within the cultural centres Rejaul says Monfalcone’s Muslims have “no Plan B” if they lose but worries even if they win the scars from the stand-off will remain Cisint has been actively promoting her book warning that Monfalcone’s situation could be duplicated elsewhere Bangladeshis filled the city’s main square from little girls with unicorn balloons to groups of young men enjoying a day off “The locals won’t ever accept them,” said Pomatico “But ultimately they don’t bother anyone.” — AFP We would love to keep you posted on the latest promotion Fincantieri has cut the first piece of steel for MSC Cruises’ new Seaside-class ship MSC Seaside at its Monfalcone yard in Italy on 22 June MSC Cruises’ executive chairman Pierfrancesco Vago and CEO Gianni Onorato joined Fincantieri’s CEO Giuseppe Bono at the ceremony “MSC Seaside will be the biggest ship ever built in our shipyards as well as the first we have ever constructed for MSC Cruises whose strength - like ours – lies in being a truly global player in its industry,” said Bono “In MSC Seaside we have developed a brand new and highly ambitious project In two years we will celebrate with MSC Cruises a magnificent ship of which we will all be deeply proud.” The most popular stories of the month delivered to your inbox The major exhibition Point Line and Surface has opened at the Municipal Gallery of Contemporary Art in Monfalcone promoted by the Municipality of Monfalcone in collaboration with the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia which will be open to the public until May 2 Dedicated to the master of 20th-century abstractionism the exhibition is curated by Elisabetta Barisoni head of the International Gallery of Modern Art at Ca’ Pesaro "After the first part dedicated to the Birth of Abstraction,“ explains the curator again through the masterpieces of Ca’ Pesaro Along the lines traced by Klee and Kandinsky during the 1920s are the experiments of Surrealism by Joan Miró the abstract sculpture of Arp and Alexander Calder The third part of the exhibition explores the persistence of Abstraction after World War II Kandinsky’s lesson is declined in the English world with Ben Nicholson’s experience in the international experiences of Abstract Expressionism and in Italy of the Fronte Nuovo delle Arti and Signic Abstractionism From Emilio Vedova to Mario Deluigi and Tancredi the forms of abstraction in the second part of the twentieth century lie somewhere between Informal The exhibition closes with a valuable selection of sculpture which completes the itinerary with masterpieces by Mirko Basaldella testifying to the persistence of the dialogue between abstraction and biomorphism towards the 1950s almost ascetic abstraction makes its way with the minimalist experiences of Richard Nonas and Julia Mangold who introduce the visitor to the thinking of the 1970s to the revival of a new life of abstract art and forms."“This exhibition is built with masterpieces from the collections of the International Gallery of Modern Art at Ca’ Pesaro one of our eleven extraordinary Museums,” stresses Gabriella Belli director of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia “to tell the fascinating journey of abstract art from its birth to our contemporary Many of these works have been purchased by the City of Venice in different editions of the Biennale others have been donated to the Gallery by the award-winning artists themselves bearing witness to a long history of esteem and gratitude that binds the Museums to the city and its cultural institutions Ca’ Pesaro is the custodian of the art of its time and here the natural protagonist of a very important cultural action.” the Municipality of Monfalcone wanted to complete the 2021 and early 2022 exhibition season," added Anna Maria Cisint “marking in the best way the redevelopment action of the Municipal Gallery that has been carried out in the last five years The city’s thanks to the institutions curators and experts who have worked for the best success of this great event that confirms Monfalcone and its Municipal Gallery at the national and international summits of major exhibition events as part of a cultural policy aimed at the revitalization and development of our city in this dimension as well.” The exhibition is promoted by the Municipality of Monfalcone in collaboration with the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia with the contribution of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and with the support of several important entities in the area such as the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Gorizia Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Staranzano e Villesse For info: www.galleriacomunaleartemonfalcone.it to 7 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays by reservation only with guided tour (45’ duration) at the following times: 10 a.m. Image: Vasily Kandinsky Galleria Internazionale d’Arte Moderna di Ca’ Pesaro) Wanted in RomeMagazine the mayor of Monfalcone in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region wrote an open letter to the local Muslim community Cisint said that "those who come from different situations than ours are obliged to respect the rules and customs that apply in the Italian and local context." claims that bathers entering the water fully dressed causes "bewilderment" on the popular tourist beach of Marina Julia in the Gorizia area The practice of bathing "in clothing other than swimsuits must cease" adding that "forms of 'Islamisation' of our territory cannot be accepted" Earlier in July a pool party designed exclusively for Muslim women near Monza in northern Italy was cancelled by the owners of the venue after Lega MEP Isabella Tovaglieri slammed the event as "an example of Islamisation" and "the segregation of women" Wanted in Rome ™ is member of the Wanted World Wide Ltd network.Click here to find out more about our Network or Follow us on social networks But how to do that in what will be Princess Cruises' biggest vessel This challenges designers to come up with ways to make what otherwise would be a large And the Sun Princess clocks in at 175,500 gross tons celebrate the views and let the natural light in," said Richard Parker director of newbuild guest experience and product development for Princess Cruises In a walk-through last week of the recently floated-out Sun Princess at the Fincantieri shipyard here Parker showed some of the features that enable that natural light accommodations that open onto a shared Cabana Deck and big expanses of glass The signature Sphere is a convex circle of glass that bows out from the Sun's midship sides; the lowest three decks of this architectural feature give light to the Piazza; the upper part will be cabin balconies This ship, the first of the new LNG-powered Sphere class relaxing by day and entertaining/energetic by night A focal point is the triple-deck LED screen that can move and reconfigure itself and will be a central part of the evening production shows one side of the Piazza holds Coffee Currents while the other side has Bellini's Cocktail Bar Nearby are Crown Grill Steakhouse and two new restaurants one for Signature Collection (aka suite) guests the other for those booking in the Reserve Collection (mini-suites with VIP touches has evolved from a studio into a lounge with great views Good Spirits at Sea and the new O'Malley's Irish Pub are right next door Crooners piano bar and a sushi bar flank the Piazza Sabatini's Italian Trattoria with its open pasta-making kitchen is nearby Around the Piazza on Deck 9 is the new home of the International Café along with Alfredo's Pizzeria with its open kitchen and an oven that reaches 968 degrees flexible space with big wake views and natural light executive director and partner of Tillberg Design of Sweden the coordinating architects for Sun Princess Since the Sun Princess is still under construction it's not surprising that Princess is still holding some areas under wraps while nobody gave anything away during the ship tour Parker said there will be a black door on Deck 8 leading to a new immersive experience but gave no further clues World Fresh Marketplace is relocated from the Lido Deck to Deck 9 with access to the promenade Johansson's favorite space is the Wake View Terrace an infinity pool cantilevered over the side and amazing views -- a stunning spot for pre-dinner cocktails indoor-outdoor pool and a terrace make it all the more enticing with a stage sliding over the pool and images projected on the glass A quick word about the accommodations: The Sun Princess carries 4,300 passengers at double occupancy but there are an unusually high number of upper berths for Princess: 1,000 A company official said Sun Princess would be for families adding it has more than 100 connecting rooms There are 50 Signature Collection suites that also afford access to a double-deck lounge and a private sun deck New Cabana accommodations open to the Cabana Deck with sunken Jacuzzis on both sides of Deck 9 Cove Balcony staterooms are close to the water either by adjustable gangways that move with the tide or new "luxury launches" in tender ports "Instead of feeling like you're in a crew area CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report incorrectly said that the Sphere was only on the Sun Princess' port side; it is on both sides of the ship a photo of the Sun under construction was improperly credited; the photo is courtesy of Princess Cruises the first of two InTUItion class new concept cruise ships dual-fuel powered (Liquid Natural Gas – LNG and Marine Gas Oil – MGO) that Fincantieri is building for TUI Cruises a joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises The godmother of the ship was Elena Sperti these units will constitute the backbone of TUI Cruises’ future fleet The order is based on a prototype project developed by Fincantieri that enhances the consolidated characteristics of modernity and sustainability of TUI Cruises a company with one of the most advanced fleets from an ecological point of view energy efficiency is at the center of the project with the dual objective of containing operating consumption and minimizing environmental impact in line with all the most recent regulations on the matter the cleanest marine fuel currently available at large scale The vessels will be future-proof thanks to their ability to also burn low-emission fuels such as bio- or e-LNG: an important step towards climate-neutral cruising The units will also be equipped with catalytic converters (compliant with the Euro 6 standard) and with a generative turbine that uses the residual heat of the diesel generators and an electrical shore-power connection from the ground All this guarantees almost emission-free operation while in port (about 40% of operating time) the ships will be equipped with an even more efficient innovative waste treatment system capable of transforming organic substances into charcoal through a thermal process TUI Cruises is a joint venture between the TUI Group number one in the world in the tourism sector and the cruise group Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd Since May 2009 it has been offering cruises for the German-speaking market Top News,Greece Greece has approved an international tender for hydrocarbon exploration in four blocks in the Mediterranean Sea Top News,World Top News,Energy World,Word newsletter The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) participated in the 2025 edition of Sea Asia one of the premier maritime industry events in the Asia-Pacific… Leading mental health support provider MHSS is proud to confirm its commitment to diversity and inclusion with the appointment of two psychologists… Design & Development by P.KAN.DESIGNER Design & Development by P.KAN.DESIGNER worked on the second iteration back in 1995) which marks a new class for Princess Cruises -- Sphere class -- has been in the works since 2017 and will be the first of two planned ships It is a ground-up new build and not -- as Parker is at pains to emphasize -- a version of the Excel-class of ships Carnival Corp has been using for many of their latest ships Excel class ships are the same length (1,133 feet) as Sphere class and 6,000 tons bigger (181 vs 175,500) but carry a whopping 1,000 more passengers Sun Princess should feel like a very spacious vessel indeed We got a first glimpse of Sun Princess at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone Princess Cruises Sun Princess at Monfalcone shipyard (Photo: Eithne Williamson) The first thing you notice is the sheer size of Sun Princess, which is 30,000 tons bigger, 50 feet longer and will carry 800 more passengers than the Princess Cruises' previous largest ship class which is similar in look and feel to those two ships' atriums there is nothing on this ship that will offend or alienate the faithful -- no rollercoasters bumper cars or climbing walls for Sun Princess Crooners Bar -- so beloved by Princess cruisers are present and correct just on a larger scale -- and with one or two tweaks there are a number of truly stand out spaces -- the Piazza which gives the ship its class name is not a space but a feature -- a vast glass structure that encases Decks 7 Piazza on Princess Cruises Sun Princess (Princess Cruises) The Piazza (or main atrium) on all Princess ships has long been the beating heart of the ship the triple-height space at the center of all the action -- whether that's Crooners the International Café or where you'll find live music day and night this space can get very crowded and often hard to navigate Which is why it's a welcome relief to see how Princess has taken the essential components of the Piazza and expanded it considerably a vast 3-deck high ever-changing LED screen and with a central space that converts into a raised stage So whereas before you might find a lone harpist or a duo you'll have a full show instead (no intel at this stage on what those might be) So rather than the whole of the central area packed with tables and chairs guests are spread out at the sides with plenty of light flooding in through the Sphere There is also an unmarked black door behind the LED screen which leads to "an immersive experience" which we assumed was the line's new 360 dining concept with outdoor seating and heaters (for the start of its maiden season in the Med in February) -- as well as the nearest a ship is allowed to have to a traditional wood-fired pizza oven (and the pies are still free) Sun Princess Princess Arena (Princess Cruises) and is so called because of its versatility -- it transforms into a theater in the round as well as a "keyhole" shape allowing the audience to get up close and personal with the actors In the center of the room is a movable stage (similar to that in the Piazza) No word yet on what shows we are likely to see here but the ability of the space to transform so significantly will allow the line to move on from the traditional song-and-dance revues that seem outdated when compared to what rival lines are putting on Princess Arena Theater on Sun Princess (Photo: Adam Coulter) This doesn't necessarily have to Broadway or West End shows (which in the main require the typical theater layout) this could be more pioneering in-house shows which lines like Virgin Voyages with its bleacher-style seating MSC Cruises with its in-the-round cabaret-style spaces and Royal Caribbean with its Two70 spaces on Anthem-class ships are putting on Princess has also gotten rid of all columns in the theater Rather than a traditional theater (which takes up a vast amount of real estate) remaining unused for most of the day this multi-configured space will be used throughout the day and evening There are 50 suites on this ship -- another first for Princess in terms of the number -- with their own private sundeck dining room and lounge area -- dotted around the ship known collectively as The Reserve Collection And although the Cabana cabins aren't suites (all are classified as balcony cabins) what stood out for us is their exclusivity and size Most lead directly out onto a key-card only shared private terrace Although this is not a suite complex (like MSC Yacht Club or Celebrity's The Retreat) from what we heard and saw from the renderings this space has the look and feel of a VIP retreat Cabana cabins under construction on Princess Cruises Sun Princess (Photo: Adam Coulter) But it's the cabins themselves which are the real stand out for us they also have an additional space which can be opened to create either a double-space balcony area or enclosed to create a conservatory -- and effectively increasing the size of your room by a third We absolutely love the idea behind these and predict they will be a huge hit particularly for families (though there may well be some jealous looks from the rooms directly above) If you want a taste of luxury at an affordable price point Wake Club on Princess Cruises Sun Princess (Princess Cruises) Here's where things get a little confusing which as its name suggests is at the aft of the ship -- but we couldn't help noticing how different it feels when compared with the rest of the ship Sun Princess starts channelling a Miami Beach-style vibe (even calling this area the Wake Club rather than the rest of the ship's laid-back California-cool-tyle vibe Aft cabins and panoramic elevators on Sun Princess (Photo: Adam Coulter) It's also very similar to MSC Cruises' Seaside class of ships so cabin decks run vertical in a condo-style with two banks of panoramic elevators between them Below here there's a pool that juts right out the back of the ship plenty of lounger space and a large bar on terraced steps above DJs and decks might be a step too far for Princess The Dome on Princess Cruises Sun Princess (Princess Cruises) If there was one word that stood out during this whistle-stop tour it was "evolution" used multiple times by Parker to describe most of the spaces we visited And in our brief tour of a small portion of this ship (we just saw spaces on decks 7-9) there were no spaces that could be described as revolutionary (though arguably some of the technology on display including the Arena and LED screens could be described as such) But that's not what a Princess passenger expects or wants Instead the line has taken the best of the brand and celebrates them by making them bigger and better Princess is clearly keeping back a few surprises in terms of new for-fee dining spots so you never know what might be behind that unmarked black door Published: Invalid Date IT IS the proud port town in northern Italy where some of the world’s most impressive cruise ships are built – but where almost a third of the population is foreign-born have warned of the perils of getting hooked on cheap overseas labour And they tell of culture clashes with more than 6,000 Bangladeshi residents in a small town that is unfamiliar with Islamic culture. says 31 per cent of its 31,000 population are foreign migrants including ­Romanians and people from the ­Balkans who swept to power on the back of anti-immigration sentiment She claims just 1,700 of the 6,600 Bangladeshi residents are in work and only a tiny fraction of these are women but the newcomers are on such low wages they cannot ­afford to shop locally Conservative MP Neil O’Brien said: “This is a good example of the downsides of a high-immigration and low-wage strategy There are aspects of recent UK immigration policy which are too much like this and have led to large numbers coming here, who have not worked, or worked on very low wages, and the overall effect on ­quality of life for people here has been negative. “What happened in this town is a stark warning to the UK.” “We need to compete on the ­quality of our products and to do that we need to invest in training “We are bringing people over to work on illegal contracts for as little as four or five euros an hour In 2021, 9.3million foreign-born people aged 16 and over lived in England and Wales according to the Office for National Statistics It is a huge rise on the 5.3million of all ages the Migration Observatory says lived in the UK in 2004 One in four care workers here were born outside of the UK, as were more than 60 per cent of ­bottlers, packers, canners and fillers — typically low-wage jobs — according to the Office of National Statistics An ONS study showed that bet­ween October and December 2023 4.6 per cent of people on zero-hour contracts were born ­outside the UK An Institute For Fiscal Studies report in 2022 suggested immigration was reducing the hourly rate of the UK-born population’s lowest wage earners by around half of one pence per year Estimates by the World Bank and the EU’s statistics office suggest £7.7billion was sent abroad from Britain through remittances in 2018 much of it likely to have been earned by foreign nationals Mayor Cisint told us: “We are now spending 95 per cent of our welfare budget on foreign nationals We have asked the shipbuilding companies to change their production model "We want them to ­promote direct hiring from the local workforce My message to the UK is that immigration has many consequences The low birthrate in Italy — 1.24 ­children per woman compared to 1.56 in the UK — means big construction firms have had little option but to bring in workers from abroad Provincial secretary Casotto claims 80 per cent of the 8,000 migrants building the £1billion ­Fincantieri cruise ships are exploited and are on illegal ­contracts handled by subcontractors He said: “We are not against ­people moving to Monfalcone “But the salary these migrants receive is always less than they were promised and they can end up working up to 300 hours a month Cisint is part of the Lega right-wing populist party and has brought in policies viewed as an attack on the area’s Muslims They include effectively banning prayers in the local Islamic centres although she insists this is a ­planning issue because the buildings are designated for cultural activities She added: “So many men have been brought over from Bangladesh and our permissive system allows them to bring their dependents “The model has caused wage dumping and reduced the attractiveness of working in the shipyard for the local community There is no will to ­integrate from their side “We see women in full veils and little girls going to Bangladesh to marry “They live in Monfalcone as if they are still in Bangladesh and some of the new arrivals are ­radical in their views “Our country can’t afford to open our doors in this way.” a left-wing ­councillor for the wider Friuli-Venezia Giulia region slams Cisint’s policies as a “campaign to ­criminalise one ethnic group” He said: “Monfalcone without Bangladeshi workers would be a ghost town "The shipyard would not function without them and it generates 50 per cent of our GDP “They help the town to grow as they have many children whereas Italians are slow to give birth.” runs a money-transfer company in the town and is also a community leader He worked as a welder in the shipyards from 2007 to 2013 The Bangladesh-born father of two said: “At first I was paid 12 euros an hour but they kept ­cutting it until it was eight The cost- cutting is a race to the ­bottom “Bangladeshis still want to come here to work because they can earn four times more and this country is safer and more stable "Italy offers the chance of a first-class lifestyle.” said: “I’m proud that we build the most ­beautiful ships in the world “But we never have enough workers so people have always come here to work “The difference now is that ­Bangladeshi workers are from small villages and are poor “They don’t have money to spend at local businesses so we have shops opening selling low-quality and cheap products “This is an issue affecting all of Europe including the UK.” A spokesman for Fincantieri said it operates its supply chain in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations They said: “Whoever is aware of alleged wrongdoing in the behavior of the supply chain has been strongly encouraged - firstly by Fincantieri - to demonstrate and report it to relevant authorities in coherence with its long time adopted Code of Ethics and highest ESG standards Fincantieri is constantly committed to address and mitigate to the maximum extent the unavoidable social impacts of its shipyards to all the territories and communities in which it works "The Group operates in four continents with 18 yards managing 60 different nationalities worldwide and exercises everywhere its social responsibility with full accountability to its workforce and the local communities according to the highest standards in its industry Fincantieri is very proud of its Monfalcone shipyard and of its workers whose relentless efforts generate billions of GDP in Friuli Venezia Giulia and thousands of jobs in the Region through its ecosystems of SME’s.” Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. 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