Ports & destinations

Cruise visitors are back in Toulon Bay

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 21 September 2021 21 September 2021

On Thursday, September 16, 2021, the Ports of Toulon Bay welcomed the first cruise passengers for more than 18 months, with the welcoming of Mein Schiff 2 from TUI Cruises at La Seyne Cruise Terminal. During the crisis the piers in Toulon Bay did not remain empty however, since the port and local community have kept on welcoming cruise ships for lay-up calls. At a rate of 2 to 3 ships berthed continuously since spring 2020, 15 calls have been accommodated in Toulon Bay, with a duration ranging from a few days to several months. So, September 16 was a very special day marking a milestone in the history of the cruise activity in Toulon Bay, with the return of cruise visitors.

Despite a full halt in receiving of cruise passengers, the Ports of Toulon Bay have continued to refine their strategy of promoting the "slow" marketing positioning of Toulon as a cruise destination. Work has been undertaken to develop the offer ashore, particularly for independent passengers, favoring a "slow" destination positioning, that is, offering "slow-paced tourism, with low CO2 emissions, synonymous with in-depth discoveries, improved knowledge and cultural achievements." A choice that respects the territory, and that also responds to the need of visitors to slow down the pace and enjoy slower times during their cruise.

The launching of brand-new accounts on social networks "@cruisetoulonbay" on both (Facebook and Instagram) aims to develop the awareness of the international B2C target toward this positioning, linked to authenticity, off the beaten track, and far from mass tourism, translated into a new punchline "Toulon, out of the crowds, close to the people...” It seems that this positioning and all the involved work is well appreciated by cruise companies as the schedules for 2022 are promising with an expected average of 90 calls from 16 different companies, for about 200 000 cruise guests (based on full capacity).

Moreover, that is interesting to see that this strategic turn seems to have a real impact on market segmentation in Toulon Bay as 84% of cruise calls scheduled in 2022 are expected from the premium and luxury segments.

Santander receives its first cruise ship since the start of pandemic

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 20 September 2021 20 September 2021

The cruise ship Amera, owned by Phoenix Reisen, an important German tour operator that also operates a fleet of cruise ships, called on Saturday in the Port of Santander with 617 cruise passengers on board, being the first cruise call in Cantabria since cruise activity was halted due to the Covid-19 health crisis.

Of the 617 cruise passengers, most of them Germans, 195 took a panoramic tour of the city to see its main attractions, while 136 enjoyed a twin-destination trip between Santillana del Mar and Santander. A total of 460 crew members also traveled onboard.

The arrival of Amera represented a further step in the return to normality of an important industry for the hotel and catering business and commerce of Santander, which extends through excursions to other parts of the Cantabria Region of Spain.

Both crew and passengers visited the city and its province, under all the health measures established by both the shipping company and the national and local authorities.

This cruise call marked the start of cruise activity, which is expected to increase in the coming months, as cruise ships are becoming more active, and cruise lines continue to plan new itineraries.

The Port Authority, the Cantabrian Government and Santander City Council collaborated, as usual, in the preparation of this cruise call.

First cruise ship with passengers open the season in Kusadasi

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 09 September 2021 09 September 2021

After a long pause, on September 2, Ege Port Kuşadası, part of Global Ports Holding network of ports, welcomed its first cruise vessel Blue Sapphire.

Blue Sapphire operated by Selectum Blu Cruises arrived with its 300 passengers, welcomed with a grand water salute by Ege Port Kuşadası’s Tugboat and an excited crowd at the port. The call of this cruise ship has marked the start of the cruise season in Kuşadası and Turkey.

The cruise passengers were welcomed by Ege Port Kuşadası with a great show of a marching band and folk-dance team courtesy of the Municipality of Kuşadası. All the while Kuşadası Chamber of Commerce presented local souvenirs to the passengers.

“We are delighted to see a cruise ship with passengers after such a long break here in Kuşadası. It has been a tough two years for those in the travel industry of Turkey and today the wait is over. We are finally welcoming our cruise guests with delightful festivities.” commented Aziz Güngör Ege Port Kuşadası General Manager and Global Ports Holding Regional Director for East Med.

“We will be hosting the Blue Sapphire for the next 13 weeks at our port. This is not only a major starting for us but all of Kuşadası. The cruise industry in Turkey creates many economic benefits. It is not only a key part of the travel industry but also a main support to local merchants, both small and large. As Ege Port Kuşadası, we hope to welcome more cruise ships and passengers and continue to represent the city of Kuşadası and Turkey.” Said Güngör.

Ege Port Kuşadası, one of the busiest cruise ports in Eastern Mediterranean, part of the Global Ports Holding network of ports, is the gateway to the world-famous ancient city of Ephesus and the House of Virgin Mary. The Port has been awarded with Safe Travels (WTTC) and Safe Tourism (TÜV) certificates since 2021 and has established protocols to secure the health & safety of all its passengers and visitors.

Le Havre expects busy autumn as cruise calls return

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 09 September 2021 09 September 2021

A maiden call by Marella Explorer 2 of Marella Cruises marked the restart of cruise operations in the Port of Le Havre on the north coast of France.

A total of 13 cruise calls are scheduled to take place between early September and late October, Le Havre Etretat Normandie Tourisme said in a statement, adding that more calls would be announced in due time.

“Le Havre’s people will once again be able to admire the long-awaited cruise ships, with some newcomers on the list."

08 September: Marella Explorer 2 (inaugural call)
13 September: Mein Schiff 6
18 September: Mein Schiff 8
19 September: Artania
20 September: Le Commandant Charcot
23 September: Marina
26 September: Le Champlain

02 October: Le Commandant Charcot
02 October: Le Champlain
15 October: Amera (inaugural call)
20 October: Artania
21 October: Amadea
22 October: Rotterdam

“The tourist office teams in charge of the cruise terminals management have established protocols in order to guarantee full compliance with sanitary regulations."

Cruise passengers delighted to visit Jamaica after two-year wait

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 18 August 2021 18 August 2021

“It’s totally awesome, been waiting two years for this,” admitted Terry Davis as he perused the Jamaican landscape with his partner, Katy Peale who added: “It’s just wonderful to be out, to travel, to see beautiful places again, be together with friends and family; have fun.”

The couple were on their first cruise to Jamaica and enjoying the scenery after disembarking the Carnival Sunrise at Berth 1 of the Ocho Rios Cruise Shipping Port. It was the first cruise vessel with passengers to be calling at a local port in 17 months since the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

With them were the first couple to set foot on Jamaican soil as part of their Caribbean cruise, starting in Miami. Donna and Anthony Pioli of Miami were very specific about what they wanted most during their time ashore in Ocho Rios, having been to Montego Bay previously. After a 17-month wait, Anthony was looking forward to “the best coffee in the world, Blue Mountain” while for Donna, “I’m looking for some rum punch.”

The exhilaration was shared by Carnival Sunrise’s Captain Isidoro Renda. “Myself, all the crew and the entire Carnival Cruise Line, we are so happy to restart and to have our first call in Jamaica,” he said, pointing to “a very long relationship with Jamaica and Ocho Rios, so we’re extremely happy and pleased to be here.”

Ocho Rios is among the Sunrise’s main ports after 17 months “and we’re going to come here very often,” he shared, calculating the schedule to be “at least three times per month.”

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett was at the port for the occasion and for him: “The return of cruise at this time signals the second critical phase of the reopening of the tourism industry and will aid greatly in bringing back jobs to the industry.”

With Carnival’s schedule of some 16 calls over the next three months and MSC, Royal Caribbean, Disney and other cruise lines preparing for resumption of sailing the Caribbean Sea: “We are going to have cruise back on track by December with pretty much the full fleet,” said Mr. Bartlett. He has projected just under 300,000 cruise passengers to Jamaica by end of year, by which time the Montego Bay and Falmouth ports will also be reactivated with hopes of having calls also at Port Royal and Port Antonio.

On the matter of adhering to Covid-19 protocols, Minister Bartlett said given the stipulations of the respective local and international public health agencies: “It has been a very long and difficult process of building out protocols, changing and making adjustments, trying to respond to variations of the virus itself and its mutations, and then to deal with attitude, behavior and mindset.”

The 3,000 passengers and crew of Carnival Sunrise had to meet strict measures governing the restart of cruise shipping, requiring approximately 95% to be fully vaccinated and for all passengers to provide evidence of negative results from a Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of sailing. In the case of unvaccinated passengers, such as children, a PCR test is mandated, and all passengers are also screened and tested (antigen) on disembarkation.

Also, the port of call has met protocols laid down by the Ministry of Health and the cruise companies, with the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) also monitoring conformity to the rules.

Jamaica was rated highly for having lived up to expectations. “I’d really like to take this opportunity to thank the Ministry of Tourism the Port Authority of Jamaica, and most definitely the Ministry of Health; your entire health team has been very engaged in the process to get the ship here today and it’s beyond our expectations,” said Marie McKenzie, Carnival’s Vice President of Global Ports and Caribbean Government Relations. Ms. McKenzie, who is Jamaican, has responsibility for 27 countries in the region, and has been working with local officials on the restarting process for Carnival.