Departments
Galveston Wharves signs agreement with Lyft to operate at Port of Galveston
- Details
- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations
- Published: 25 September 2020 25 September 2020
The Galveston Wharves and Transportation Network Company (TNC) Lyft recently signed an agreement to formalize its operation at the port. The contract specifies the terms and conditions for operating at the port for one year.
“We are excited to announce that we are partnering with Lyft. This is the first time the port has entered into an agreement with a ride sharing service,” said CEO and Port Director Rodger Rees. “Now we have an additional ground transportation option to offer cruise passengers.”
According to the agreement, Lyft drivers will be provided with an area inside one of the port’s parking lots that will serve as a staging area while drivers wait for passengers to hail a ride using the phone app. Providing a separate staging area will help to alleviate traffic congestion in front of the cruise terminals. Additionally, there will be a new TNC curbside pick-up area easily visible and located in front of each cruise terminal for an improved cruise passenger experience. Lyft will pay a $2.00 access fee when picking up and dropping off passengers within the port’s property.
“This agreement enhances the ground transportation operations at the port and it creates a new revenue stream that helps off-set infrastructure and operational improvement projects” said Mobility Director, Julio De Leon.
Lyft adds to the existing ground transportation partnerships that the port has established with cab companies, private shuttles, limo services and other passenger transportation companies.
"Lyft's mission is to improve people's lives with the world's best transportation and that's why we're eager to work collaboratively with communities to improve transportation options for residents. Lyft is proud to work with the Galveston Wharves in a new partnership that will help cruise passengers access reliable ground transportation, and offer an additional earning opportunity for local drivers. We look forward to continuing to partner with the Galveston Wharves in our ongoing effort to provide access to convenient and affordable transportation for Texans,” said Lyft Regional Director Max Loosen.
Port of Cork Company appoints new Chief Executive
- Details
- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations
- Published: 18 September 2020 18 September 2020
The Port of Cork Company has appointed Eoin McGettigan to the role of Chief Executive of the company. Eoin replaces Brendan Keating who retired recently after 18 years of service as CEO.
The Chairman of the Port of Cork Company, John Mullins stated that ‘Brendan Keating made an outstanding contribution to the Port as Chief Executive since 2002. Brendan has seen the Port’s Strategic Development Plan fully recognised: the acquisition of Belvelly Port Facility (formerly Marino Point), the Inner Harbour Development at Bantry Bay Port Company, the marked increase in cruise business and the commencement of construction of the €86 million Cork Container Terminal in Ringaskiddy which will future proof the port. I have no doubt that Eoin will now take these projects and the business forward to further enable our growing economy.’
Eoin has spent the last decade providing strategic advice to a wide variety of companies. He has thirty years’ experience as a Senior Executive in Retail, Wholesale and Property businesses. He has held senior board positions in Musgrave PLC as Chief Executive of Supervalu Centra, Director of Dunnes Stores and Director of Reox Holdings PLC. Eoin and his family have lived in Cork for over 30 years.
John Mullins said: ‘Eoin brings with him a wealth of Senior Executive experience, excellent leadership skills and an integral knowledge of modern supply chains and logistics. He joins the Port at a strategic and exciting time for the company and the Southern region. The board and all in the Port company wish him every success.’
He added “Eoin will steward the company from the River to the Sea through the commissioning of key infrastructure in the lower harbour whilst making available former assets for critical residential and commercial development. Eoin’s property experience will be instrumental in ensuring that Tivoli will be one of the most exciting projects in the future for the company and for the City of Cork.’
Eoin McGettigan takes up the position as Chief Executive on 1st October 2020 for a term of five years.
Southampton’s fifth cruise terminal gets public funding
- Details
- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations
- Published: 12 August 2020 12 August 2020
Fifth cruise terminal in Southampton is among the projects that has received public funding from a UK government programme to stimulate the constrction industry in the aftermath of the Civid-19 pandemic.
“In Southampton, one of Europe's leading cruise markets, investment is being made in the development of a new fifth cruise terminal that will deliver an iconic wave inspired building with solar generation and shore power ensuring a world leading zero emissions facility for cruise vessels in port,” Solent Local Enterprise Partnership said in a statement.
The organisation said that a total of £15.9 million of the £900 million that the government has earmarked for shovel ready projects are located in the areas in and around Southampton.
Regional Director Alastair Welch from Associated British Ports that owns the Port of Southampton commented: “We are pleased to hear of the announcement by MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) today confirming the government’s continued support for the cruise sector, which is crucial to our economy.’
“We look forward to confirming the details linked to this announcement to ensure we are able to support the resumption and future growth of cruise as soon as possible,” he said in a statement.
Southampton is the most important cruise port in the UK and handles roughly 2.0 million passengers per year prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
First ship-to-ship LNG bunkering in Columbus Cruise Center
- Details
- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations
- Published: 28 July 2020 28 July 2020
On June 18, 2020 there was a premiere at Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven. The tanker Kairo belonging to the Hamburg-based company Nauticor, conducted the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering in a Bremerhaven The bunker vessel had transported the liquid gas to the Columbus Quay from Bremerhaven’s twin-town Pori in Finland. The total volume was about 1,300 cubic metres of liquefied natural gas. For fifteen hours it was pumped from the Kairo to P&O Cruises' Iona using a cryogenic hose capable of withstanding temperatures as low as minus 160 degrees Celsius.
The cruise vessel Iona was built by the Meyer yard in Papenburg and is currently undergoing its final outfitting at Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven. It is one of the first cruise vessels worldwide to be equipped with LNG engines. During the bunkering operation at CCCB, the LNG-tanks on board the Iona were filled for the first time, allowing the LNG propelling system to commence.
Over €2m invested in revamping the outdoor area at Valletta Waterfront
- Details
- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations
- Published: 09 July 2020 09 July 2020
The months during which Valletta Waterfront was devoid of any business due to COVID-19 served as a time for Valletta Cruise Port to further invest in projects with the aim of further enhancing the appearance of this iconic Maltese destination.
Of note is the inauguration of a €2m investment in bespoke canopy structures respecting the historic fabric of the Valletta Waterfront promenade with its nineteen historical 270-year-old warehouses, built by Grand Master Pinto at the height of Malta’s baroque period where the Knights of St John and European merchants used to unload their wares.
Minister Farrugia Portelli accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Tourism Authority Johann Buttigieg, visited the businesses along the Valletta Waterfront which like other outlets have started operating again in the last weeks with new systems and protocols in place. The Minister praised the way in which the management of the destination has turned a period of downtime into one which further strengthens the same business, whilst further improving the tourism product.
“The determination shown in the situation created by COVID-19 has prompted everyone involved to take up this challenge. A determination which is not new in nature as regards the Valletta Waterfront: suffice to say that since the location passed into the hands of Valletta Cruise Port in 2002, around € 30 million has been invested so that today the destination, together with the fantastic appearance of the Grand Harbour, offers a welcoming first impression to the thousands of tourists who visit us on cruise ships. This €2 million investment will surely have an impact on tourists as soon as they arrive here and find this new look. We hope that we will welcome cruise ship visits again during August,” commented Minister Farrugia Portelli.
The canopy project enhances the atmosphere and comfort of the outdoor areas of this iconic destination. The new structures present an interplay between old and new, between function and context, with positive feedback about the simple lines and lightness that the new canopies afford in the venue’s historical setting, whilst being practical for the everyday activities of a multipurpose destination.
Stephen Xuereb, CEO of Valletta Cruise Port and COO of Global Ports Holding, commented, “Over the last years, together with our projects team, our architects and our catering tenants, we have worked on developing a solution which addresses the practical needs of an outdoor destination, whilst respecting the historic and aesthetic values of our destination. Our focus remains to deliver a quality experience for all our patrons.”
2019 was a record year for the local cruise industry with 900,000 passenger movements and a growth of 27% over the previous year. The cruise industry has been hard-hit by COVID-19 but Valletta Cruise Port is expecting cruise calls starting in the next weeks.
More Articles ...
