Ports & destinations

Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas spends Christmas in Doha

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 02 January 2020 02 January 2020

Jewel of the Seas, cruise liner operated by Royal Caribbean International, made its maiden call to Doha Port on Christmas Day, 2019. The Radiance-class cruise ship is scheduled to make a total of five calls to Doha Port throughout the 2019-20 cruise season.

Qatari officials H.E. Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Secretary General of QNTC and GCEO of Qatar Airways among others welcomed the ship. A crest exchange ceremony took place between Qatari Officials and the ship’s captain Anders Bjornar Ingebrigtsen, upholding a maritime tradition that celebrates maiden voyages to a new port.

H.E. Mr. Akbar Al Baker said, “The arrival of our first American mega cruise ship marks the beginning of a new chapter in Qatar’s cruise tourism, and positions Qatar as an attractive tourist destination for visitors from around the globe. The extraordinary growth in Qatar’s cruise sector, as evidenced by the number of cruise ships and passengers to Doha Port, is the result of close collaboration between key stakeholders representing Qatar’s tourism and aviation industries, immigration, customs and the Ports Authority, who have all worked together to create a seamless visitor experience.”

Jewel of the Seas first set sail in the spring of 2004 as Royal Caribbean’s fourth Radiance-class ship and comes in at 90,090 gross tons with a total capacity of 3,292 passengers. The ship offers a new level of luxury and entertainment with 12 passenger decks, a poolside movie screen, rock climbing wall, running track, mini-golf course, spa and fitness center, shopping, bars, restaurants, clubs and live Broadway-style entertainment shows.

The 2019/20 cruise season that kicked off on 22 October with the launch of Doha Port’s temporary terminal, is set to be the biggest yet for Qatar, due to bring a total of 248,123 passengers aboard 74 ships, showing a growth of 121% and 66% respectively, over the previous season.

Among the 74 confirmed calls this season, there are 16 turnaround calls and 9 overnight stays in Doha Port. This will give cruise visitors ample time to explore the destination’s travel, hospitality and retail promotions during the winter season, as well as a host of exciting events to choose from such as the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup 2019, the upcoming Shop Qatar festival in January, Doha Jewelry & Watches Exhibition in February and Qatar International Food Festival in March.

Ha Long becomes Global Ports Holding’s second foothold in Asia

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 20 December 2019 20 December 2019

Global Ports Holding Plc (GPH), the world's largest independent cruise port operator has signed a 15-year management service agreement with Ha Long Sun Limited Liability Company for the Ha Long International Cruise Port located in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.

This is the 18^th cruise facility that the Istanbul bassed company that is listed will operate and its second in Asia, after Singapore.

“The (Ha Long) Port, having recently benefitted from a $44m investment, is the first purpose-built cruise port in Vietnam and is capable of handling the world's largest cruise ships. In 2019 the Port is expected to welcome over 75,000 passengers and it is forecasted to grow to over 100,000 passengers in 2020,” GPH said in a statement.

Situated within the Sun World Halong Complex, a 226ha entertainment and recreation complex, the Port's modern infrastructure and geographic position close to China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore means it is well placed to become a leading transit port in Asia.

Furthermore, the Port is less than 200km away from three international airports, Noi Bai International Airport, Van Don International Airport and Cat Bi International Airport, and with Ha Long Bay benefitting from modern hotel infrastructure, the Port has the potential to become a home port for the region.

The Ha Long International Cruise Port is the second port in GPH's portfolio in Asia, a region that has seen high growth in cruise passengers in recent years and has started to attract local and regional investment into cruise port-related assets.

Global Ports Holding, CEO Emre Sayin said: "I am delighted that GPH has signed a management service agreement for the Ha Long International Cruise Port. This agreement marks a truly historic moment for Global Ports Holding and marks an important inflection point in our growth aspirations in Asia.

The GPH team very much look forward to working with our partner, the cruise lines and the people of the Quang Ninh Province to turn this iconic location into a leading cruise port in the region"

Maiden ceremony for MSC Bellissima during maximum capacity ‘triple call’ for Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 10 December 2019 10 December 2019

Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, part of Abu Dhabi Ports, had one of its busiest days of the 2019-2020 winter season so far on Sunday, December 8, when a maiden call ceremony of MSC Bellissima also coincided with a ‘triple call’.

This is one of the occasions when the cruise terminal at Port Zayed is at its maximum capacity of three ships, offering a spectacular sight on the city’s waterfront. An estimated total of 8,000 visitors disembarked on the occasion.

Inaugurated in March this year, MSC Bellissima is owned and operated by Geneva, Switzerland-based MSC Cruises, and spent her first summer on the Mediterranean before redeploying to the Arabian Gulf for the winter season. At around 315 metres long with a 171,598 gross tons, it features a total of 18 decks and has a capacity of 5,686 passengers.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Abu Dhabi Ports Group CEO, said: “The maiden call ceremony of MSC Bellissima is further recognition of the excellent facilities offered at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, adding value to the city and emirate’s growing tourism industry. Abu Dhabi Ports has built a strong and successful partnership with MSC Cruises. To be selected as part of MSC Bellissima’s first winter season is a great honour, reflecting the quality of support we provide for cruise operators and the excellent experience Abu Dhabi offers to visitors.”

To commemorate the maiden call ceremony of MSC Bellissima, Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises was onboard as the vessel arrived at Port Zayed and present for the customary plaque exchange ceremony.

Commenting on the ship’s visit to Abu Dhabi, Gianni Onorato said: “Abu Dhabi is a key destination for our cruise itineraries in the Gulf, and I’m delighted that throughout the winter season the most modern and one of the most environmentally-advanced ships to serve the region, MSC Bellissima, will call Port Zayed on 17 separate occasions to bring thousands of guests to enjoy the culturally-rich, inspiring and remarkable capital city of the United Arab Emirates.”

Also docked at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal were Azamara Quest, operated by Azamara Cruises, and Oceania Cruises’ Nautica. Both vessels are around 181 metres in length and have 11 decks, Azamara Quest able to carry up to 686 passengers and Nautica with a maximum of 824 passengers.

Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal handled 329,000 visitors during the 2017-18 season, with a major expansion of facilities planned to increase capacity. As well as its facilities at Port Zayed, Abu Dhabi Ports also operates Sir Bani Yas Cruise Beach, the UAE’s first dedicated cruise beach stopover, and hosts additional cruise vessels at Fujairah Port.

Valletta Cruise Port celebrates record 900,000 passenger movements

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 16 December 2019 16 December 2019

Valletta Cruise Port, operator of the sea passenger terminals and Valletta Waterfront and a subsidiary of Global Ports Holding has welcomed a record 900,000 cruise passenger movements.

A lucky recipient, who arrived in the Port of Valletta aboard the MSC Grandiosa, was the designated 900,000th passenger and given the opportunity to return to Malta in the near future with a 2-day break in Malta inclusive of flights for two persons, courtesy of the Malta Tourism Authority. Throughout the couple’s stay, accommodation will be provided by The Victoria Hotel situated in the heart of Sliema, a classic hotel that honours the Victorian style but is also modern and sophisticated.

Stephen Xuereb, CEO of Valletta Cruise Port and COO of Global Ports Holding said, “This is indeed a momentous day. We are celebrating an exceptional year for Valletta Cruise Port culminating in a record number of cruise passenger movements, with over 900,000 passenger movements passing through our terminals within year-end. Together with local stakeholders we have worked relentlessly towards achieving this target and to ensure its sustainability in the future. Our focus remains to deliver a quality product and an excellent service coupled with strategic planning.”

“Cruise lines and their passengers often describe Malta's Grand Harbour as one of the most beautiful ports in the world and this is possibly the best introduction that first-time visitors to our Islands can enjoy to Malta's rich history and heritage. The Malta Tourism Authority is very pleased with the results being achieved in the Cruise sector, a sector that is very important to the economy of Valletta especially and also to a wide range of tourism service providers. In addition to the direct benefits of spend by cruise visitors in our Islands, surveys confirm that a high percentage of those that visit Malta for the first time on a cruise ship, often return to our Islands for a holiday within two or three years of first visit.” said Carlo Micallef, Deputy CEO and Chief Marketing Officer of the Malta Tourism Authority.

Valletta Cruise Port, a top port-of-call and a thriving homeport strategically located in the central Mediterranean, is anticipating closing the year 2019 with record passenger movements of approximately 906,000 passenger movements aboard 373 calls. Valletta Cruise Port has become one of the top 14 port of calls in the Mediterranean. Homeporting calls are also on the increase and now comprise circa 31% of its operations in 2019 as compared to 22% in 2018.

2020 will be an important year for Valletta Cruise Port, with plenty of exciting things in store in terms of improving and sustaining core operations. From a maritime perspective, works will be starting on Quays Pinto 4-5 in November 2020. With this development Valletta Cruise Port is looking at a more attractive and secure operation, without the need for the spacer barges currently in use on these quays.

Valletta Cruise Port is also in the process of implementing an Environmental Risk Management System (ERMS). The environmental and conservation policy is in compliance with ISO 14001:2015, a baseline requirement for almost all national and international “green port” accreditations.

Additionally, from a local perspective Valletta Cruise Port shall be enhancing the Valletta Waterfront destination through the embellishment of the waterfront, investing in excess of €2mn to install new outside canopies that will not impact on the visual of the historical vaults and adding other aesthetic touches that should give the area the attractiveness that it merits.

MSC Cruises’ private island destination opens in Caribbean

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 06 December 2019 06 December 2019

MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise shipping company, said it has welcomed the very first guests to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, its new private island destination in The Bahamas.

“The island’s opening is a major milestone for MSC Cruises. As part of a multi-faceted restoration strategy, the Company has transformed the island from what once was an industrial sand excavation site into a stunning tropical destination and has worked with environmental engineers and other experts to revitalize the surrounding ocean beds, marine life and endangered coral,” the company said in a statement.

The environmentally-sound development of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve is a unique feat and it took nearly three years to complete an island destination capable of delivering the best possible Guest experience as well as meeting the company’s uniquely ambitious environmental targets.

In the process, 7,500 tons of scrap metal were removed and throughout the clean-up process, a team of expert divers and marine biologists carefully removed individual hard coral colonies from debris on the ocean bed and relocated them to an approved location outside the construction area. Actions were taken to create a biodiverse and sustainable environment and more than 75,000 plants and shrubs were planted across the island.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, said: “Ocean Cay is founded on a deep commitment to ecological principles – beliefs that shape everything from how venues are built, to how the island is run, to the kinds of activities featured on the island. Having the first guests arrive on the island is a moment of great pride for all of us at MSC Cruises. We wanted to create for our guests something sustainable, with a higher purpose. Ocean Cay is not just a holiday island, it is a unique marine reserve where people and nature thrive in harmony.”