Ports & destinations

SSA Marine introduces new cruise division with industry veteran Stefano Borzone at the helm

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 15 May 2024 15 May 2024

SSA Marine, one of the world's leading independent marine terminal operators, today announced the launch of a new, dedicated cruise division, as well as the appointment of cruise industry veteran Stefano Borzone as president. The new business unit builds on SSA Marine’s unique service and partnership capabilities and provides a platform for future growth opportunities to meet the growing needs of cruise lines and their customers.

A veteran port operations and development executive, Borzone spent several years in senior vice president roles with Carnival Corporation, as well as 13 years with Metro Cruise Services, where he served as president. In his new role, Borzone will oversee all SSA Marine cruise operations, while collaborating closely with all joint venture partners, customers, and port authorities.

The new division will focus on expanding the company’s long-term partnerships with major cruise lines, as well as developing innovative, value generating solutions for its cruise, port, and destination partners. Safety, labor relations, and sustainability initiatives will remain as key priorities for the division.

“Establishing a standalone cruise division is a unique opportunity to build on the strong foundation that our talented team of terminal operators from SSA Marine and Ceres have established with our cruise line customers and port authorities,” said Uffe Ostergaard, CEO of Carrix, the parent company of SSA Marine. “Adding Stefano’s deep industry experience and leadership to the team will be instrumental as we accelerate the growth of this significant line of business in the years ahead.”

“Joining SSA Marine at this pivotal time is incredibly motivating,” said Borzone, the newly appointed president of SSA Marine’s cruise division. “SSA Marine is well known for their diverse operational network, their decades-long partnerships, and their collaborative approach to the development, investment, and operation of cruise terminal locations. I am looking forward to working alongside our partners to deliver exceptional port operations, and to leading critical sustainability programs in support of the broader goals set by the cruise industry.”

Vancouver expects high numbers of cruise passengers throughout spring and summer

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 09 May 2024 09 May 2024

Anyone visiting Canada Place or nearby areas in downtown Vancouver should prepare for increased crowds and traffic between now and September, with the local cruise industry on course to attract record passenger numbers.

“We are expecting another exciting season for the award-winning Canada Place cruise terminal in 2024, with cruise lines reporting robust bookings and the popularity of the Alaskan cruise market continuing to grow,” said Mandy Chan, cruise services manager at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the federal agency mandated to enable Canada’s trade through the Port of Vancouver. “While record numbers of cruise tourists visiting our region will provide a vital boost for local businesses and tourism providers, it will also mean anyone planning to visit Canada Place or nearby areas downtown should plan ahead and expect increased crowds and traffic.”

About 1.27 million passengers are expected to pass through the Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver this season, with 329 cruise ship visits scheduled between March 11 and October 29. This would represent about 2% more passenger visits than 2023’s record of 1.24 million.

Visitors and locals can expect to see high passenger volumes start at Canada Place this week and continue throughout summer – with only five days between now and the end of September without at least one cruise ship visit. Saturdays and Sundays are expected to be particularly busy, with between 20,000 and 30,000 passengers scheduled to pass through the cruise terminal on weekends over spring and summer.

Most cruise ship passenger arrivals and departures take place between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., which is when people can expect higher than normal pedestrian and vehicle traffic volumes in the downtown core and increased demand for taxis and public transportation. On peak cruise days, Vancouver Police Department’s traffic authority will help manage traffic and pedestrian flows at nearby crosswalks, and the port authority will have additional staff on site to help with passenger enquiries.

The Canada Place cruise terminal is one of North America’s premier homeports for Alaskan cruises, and is the point of origin where many cruise line itineraries start and end and where ships get serviced and provisioned. Each cruise ship visit to Vancouver generates an average of more than $3 million in direct activity to the local economy.

Port Canaveral plans new cruise terminal for summer 2026 debut

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 09 May 2024 09 May 2024

Port Canaveral announced its plan today to build a new cruise terminal to meet the growing demands of the cruise industry. The strategic decision to build a new multi-user cruise terminal at the Port’s existing North 8 berth provides significant cost savings, operational flexibility, and an expedited construction timeline of approximately two years to accommodate the largest ships in the world across a spectrum of brands.

“We have cruise partners with immediate needs to locate assets in Florida and Port Canaveral is where they want to be,” stated Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO. “Our ability to efficiently bring a new cruise terminal online was key to retaining and growing this important business segment that supports many jobs and delivers high value to our regional and state economy.”

Port Canaveral’s existing North 8 berth shares its basin with the Port’s Cruise Terminal 5 on the northside of Port Canaveral. Designed and built in 2018 for multi-purpose flexibility, North 8 berth will require minimal modifications to extend the current 1,020 linear feet bulkhead to 1,344 feet to accommodate large cruise vessels. Additionally, waterside improvements to the northside of the shared basin will also extend and improve the berthing capacity of Cruise Terminal 5.

The new multi-user cruise terminal and parking facility will leverage technology to provide optimal flexibility for multi-users, multi-brands. The North 8 location, current berth configuration and vacant uplands affords the opportunity for minimal disruption to current port and tenant operations during construction.

"A new cruise terminal and the business it will deliver builds on our Board’s commitment to the economic prosperity of our Port community," said Micah Loyd, Chairman of the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners. “This proactive, business-oriented strategy reaffirms our commitment to ensure the State of Florida continues to prosper from cruise tourism and remains the ‘Cruise Capital of the World’.”

Timeline for design, engineering, and construction are in development with target completion for the new facility by summer 2026. The new terminal campus will include a multi-story parking facility to accommodate up to 3,000 vehicles and roadway improvements in and out of the new facility, including turning lanes and a “flyover” ramp directly connecting the site with State Road 401.

Hamburg is Germany’s top cruise port in 2023 with over 1.2 million passengers

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 22 April 2024 22 April 2024

A record 1,204,089 passengers started their cruise trip in Hamburg last year (2022: 785,000 passengers), thus securing the Hanseatic city’s top spot among German cruise ports. All in all, 51 different cruise ships called 278 times at the Port of Hamburg, of which eight were maiden calls. A further 62 calls were made by river cruise ships. The record result shows just how much cruise guests appreciate Hamburg’s wide variety of attractions and offerings.

Dr Melanie Leonhard, Hamburg Minister [Senatorin] for Economy and Innovation, "The arrival and departure of a cruise ship in the Port of Hamburg is always an impressive moment. Last year, more than 1.2 million passengers experienced this. The cruise industry thus makes a significant contribution to value creation and employment in and around our port. I am therefore pleased that from 2025, we will have one of the most modern cruise terminals in the HafenCity, right in the heart of our city. As one of the most popular cruise destinations in Europe and a pioneer in sustainability issues, we also aim to further advance the topic of shore power. Therefore, we are currently massively expanding our shore-side power supply and will in future provide onshore energy supply at all cruise terminals."

Simone Maraschi, Managing Director of Cruise Gate Hamburg GmbH, “The record number of cruise passengers who start their journey from German ports is testament to the growing interest in sea trips of German holidaymakers. We are delighted to see the industry back on course after the coronavirus pandemic. The stronger market benefits the entire north German region. As cruise trips continue to gain in popularity, Germany remains a key player in the worldwide cruise industry that offers a wide range of fascinating routes and unforgettable experiences to travellers of all ages.”
In September 2023 Hamburg received the ‘Destination of the Year’ award at the renowned Seatrade Cruise Awards to honour Hamburg’s rise to the most popular year-round cruise destination that offers trips to anywhere in the world. However, not only does the cruise sector play an important role in tourism in Hamburg, it is also a key pillar of the Hanseatic city’s economy. The fact that it creates gross value added of 420 million euros annually as well as 4,490 full-time jobs makes it a crucial economic factor in Hamburg.

For 2024 the outlook is positive, too. At 270 planned calls in the period from the beginning of January to the end of December and 60 calls by river cruise ships the Port of Hamburg continues to be a major German cruise port and popular starting point for year-round departures. Guests increasingly like cruise trips during the winter months, in particular international passengers who are very fond of Hamburg’s Christmas markets. Guests also more and more like to take longer as well as around-the-world trips. Cruise enthusiasts can look forward to ten maiden calls at Hamburg.

Among others, Cunard will present its newest fleet member in Hamburg, the Queen Anne; Costa Crociere will return to Hamburg with its Costa Favolosa and Disney Cruise Line will make its first call ever at the Hanseatic city, sending its Disney Dream (other maiden calls: Ocean Albatros, Seabourn Quest, Villa Vie Odyssey, Sirena, Azamara Onward, Mein Schiff 7, Sky Princess). Hamburg will celebrate the Harbour’s Birthday from May 9th through 12th, 2024.

The expansion works at the cruise terminal in HafenCity are progressing. From 2025 Cruise Gate Hamburg will have additional berths available at the new cruise centre which is conveniently located close to the city centre. Tourists have easy access to public transportation and the southern Überseequartier with its many high-quality and diverse offerings. The terminal will sport two berths for cruise ships, including facilities to supply shore-based electricity to ships throughout their docking time.