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Explorer of the Seas to open the cruise season in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 15 May 2016 15 May 2016

President & CEO of the Nanaimo Port Authority, Bernie Dumas anticipates a warm island welcome for the largest cruise ship to date to visit Nanaimo. The 137,000 gross ton Explorer of the Seas will call Nanaimo on Wednesday May 18th.

Dumas comments: “The Explorer of the Seas is one of the largest cruise ships calling in British Columbia with an impressive passenger capacity. If you are anywhere near the Nanaimo Harbour you won’t miss her. As usual, passengers will be enjoying local & regional shore excursions to the Alberni and Cowichan Valleys including the Parksville - Qualicum area. As passengers arrive in the Cruise Ship Terminal, Tourism Nanaimo Travel Counsellors greet passengers with Nanaimo Bar samplings and point the way to photo opportunities with the RCMP in Red Serge, the Big Tub and displays of racing Tubs from the Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society. Cannon Firings at our historic Bastion are scheduled for 11 AM, noon, and 1 PM."

“Passengers can also take in the popular farmer’s market in the Pioneer Waterfront Plaza and a Classic Car Show in Diana Krall Plaza from 10 AM to 2 PM. Complimentary shuttles transport passengers from the cruise terminal through downtown where they engage local volunteers organized by the DNBIA. Contact with local culture include the downtown area, museums, galleries, eateries and walking tours which receive positive passenger feedback on a consistent basis.”

“Economically, each cruise visit has an immediate impact of over $250,000 to the region. Also, passengers seriously consider our destination for a future multi-day visit.”

The Nanaimo Port Authority is one of 18 Port Authorities across Canada, established under the Canada Marine Act, to promote and support the National, Regional and local economy and to ensure a safe and secure harbour for cargo operations.

Wallem Ship Agency Japan handles its first cruise ship call

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 12 May 2016 12 May 2016

Wallem’s agency team in Japan recently welcomed the MSC Lirica on her maiden call to Japan. The vessel arrived in Fukuoka (Hakata) on April 29 with 1,764 passengers and 743 crew onboard before heading back to Shanghai.

This call marks both the first Japanese port for the ship on its inaugural season in Asia and the first cruise call for Wallem’s agency team in Japan.

“Thanks to Wallem’s strong experience in the cruise business, particularly in Asia (handling over 450 calls across Asia this cruise season), the team made sure that every eventuality was prepared and planned for so that this inaugural call went off without a hitch,” the company said in a statement.

Wallem has been providing port agency services for MSC ships calling at Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand since 2015. With this new business, the company will now look after MSC calls throughout the region, including Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan.

Following its maiden call, the MSC Lirica will call at other Japanese ports (Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Beppu, Kobe and Yokohama) in the future and Wallem Japan will handle these regular weekly calls across Japan.

Piraeus Port Authority welcomes Carnival Vista

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 11 May 2016 11 May 2016

Management and executives of PPA headed by the General Manager Stavros Hatzakos welcomed in the port of Piraeus the newly built cruise ship Carnival Vista and handed honorary gifts to the captain Rocco Lubrano and books for the library board. In a formal ceremony attended by Secretary General of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Christos Lampridis, representatives of Customs, Shipowners Union of Cruise & Maritime Institutions, maritime agencies and others, while the Carnival was represented by Vice President Michel Nestour.

The 324 m. long cruise ship with 3,700 passengers and 1,500 crew members, began its maiden voyage from Trieste, during the summer will use Piraeus as a port of arrival and departure of the Mediterranean routes and will reach five times the port with about 50,000 passengers.

The start of cooperation with the Carnival Vista expected to contribute to further development of homeporting, is the result of the Management efforts during Seatrade convention in Miami to attract major cruise companies and reinforce in this way the national effort for development. This agreement, if used properly, can provide enormous potential in the cruise business and to enhance the promotion of the Greek tourist product.

PPA in order to achieve smooth ship and passenger service has implemented a series of measures in areas within and outside the Passenger Terminal Themistocles, essential for the success of the whole project. These interventions relate to improvements of existing infrastructure and equipment and are summarized as follows:

– Create new indoor passenger waiting areas of 1000 seats with air conditioning and the necessary equipment to check in (60 points) for passengers.
– Conversion of the first floor of the departure hall as special waiting room and control (X-RAYS) of the ship's crew.
– Creation of additional posts for passenger screening, suitcases and hand luggage (X-RAYS).

On the occasion of the ship arrival Chairman & CEO of PPA S.A. Ioannis Kouvaris stated: "With great pleasure we welcome the Carnival Vista which marks a new era of homeporting development in Piraeus. The PPA can serve any cruise ship in capable facilities, providing high quality services in accordance with international quality standards ISO 9001: 2008 and environmental ISO 14001: 2004 and is emerging as the most secure and attractive destination in the Eastern Mediterranean."

TUI Cruises to call seven times in Qatar

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 10 May 2016 10 May 2016

Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has announced an agreement with TUI Cruises through which the German cruise liner will be including Qatar in its itineraries for the 2017/18 season, bringing seven cruise ship calls with up to 17,500 visitors to Qatar.

The agreement between QTA and TUI Cruises comes as a result of discussions started at the Seatrade Europe Forum held in Hamburg in 2015 and puts Qatar on track to achieve its target of 250,000 visitors on board cruise ships in 2019.

The Qatar Ports Management Company – ‘Mwani Qatar’ has confirmed the berthing schedule for the cruise ships. QTA is working closely with Mwani Qatar to expand the various elements of the country’s cruise industry, in particular, Doha Port, which will be undergoing redevelopment in the coming months to transform it into a full-time cruise terminal and tourist attraction.

“The cruise tourism sector in Qatar provides huge opportunities for the growth of the country’s overall tourism industry and is central to the realization of the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030,” commented Hassan Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer at QTA. “The commitment of TUI Cruises to include Qatar in its 2017/2018 itineraries is testament to the significant development that the sector is undergoing, and gives us an encouraging boost as we continue to pursue other major cruise liners.”

Al-Ibrahim added that the conversations started in Hamburg and in Fort Lauderdale in March 2016 had continued from those started in Doha, December 2015 during the Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum, which brought together global cruise line executives with regional stakeholders to discuss opportunities for the industry’s growth in the GCC.

He continued, “Qatar is set to receive between 35-40 ships in the upcoming 2016/2017 cruise season, bringing in an expected 55,000 passengers. This provides new and untapped investment opportunities for businesses to develop tourism products and services that cater to cruise visitors.”

TUI Cruises has planned for its Mein Schiff 5 ship to dock in Qatar. The ship is approximately 294 metres long, has 15 decks and the capacity to carry up to 2,506 passengers on two persons per cabin basis. The Mein Schiff 5 is also known for being an energy-efficient ship, consuming around 30 percent less energy than comparable cruise liners thanks to an advanced energy management system. Additionally, the ship is equipped with a modern exhaust cleaning system, which makes it to one of the most environmental-friendly cruise ships worldwide.

“Qatar is a very fascinating destination for TUI Cruises. We are very happy about the development of the harbor which makes it possible to call Qatar in the future. With its vibrant mix of modernity and history Qatar has a lot to experience for our guests. We are looking forward to having a close collaboration with Qatar Tourism Authority”, says Wybcke Meier, CEO TUI Cruises.

The Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030 (QNTSS) identifies the cruise industry as a focus area in coming years, with the outlook for Qatar to become an emerging cruise destination exceptionally bright. The GCC is among the top three cruise destinations worldwide during the winter months, offering tremendous opportunity for Qatar’s tourism sector and overall economy.