Ports & destinations

Port of Yokohama and Var Chamber of Commerce sign Cruise Friendly licensing agreement

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 17 October 2019 17 October 2019

The Port of Yokohama in Japan and Var Chamber of Commerce in France have signed an agreement whereby the Japanese port and businesses in the city are licensed to use the Cruise Friendly label developed by the French organisation and whereby they commit themselves to certain service standards in a move to enhance the experience of cruise passengers.

The objective of this label is to build customer loyalty by delivering an extraordinary experience to cruise guests, in order to make a great impression and to increase their desire to return once again for a sojourn in the city where the label is implemented, the two said in a joint statement.

Businesses displaying the Cruise Friendly label guarantee to stay open during cruise calls, agree to offer a discount or a gift after any purchase to cruise passengers, to speak English and to accept the visit of a mystery shopper who will control the quality of service.

"We are proud to be part of the" Cruise Friendly "family in the hope that more cruise passengers will discover the main sights and the atmosphere of our city, as this project fits perfectly with our motto Inspire your soul,” said the Mayor of Yokohama, Fumiko Hayashi in the statement.

“For us all, it is a question of reaching excellence by a personalised welcome, helping to optimize the experience of the cruise guests, and to leave them an unforgettable memory of their call in the Var and at the same time helping local businesses and shops, restaurant keepers to attract new customers and to benefit of the economic impact of the cruise activity,” Jacques Bianchi, President of the Var Chamber of Commerce said.

This label is today acclaimed by other Var Provence ports reaching a total of more than 400 shops in seven cities: Bandol, Sanary, Toulon, La Seyne-sur-Mer, Hyères, Le Lavandou, St-Raphaël, with two new cities to join the network in 2020: Fréjus and Le Castellet.

Bremerhaven wraps up record season but volume growth slowed down from previous year

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 14 October 2019 14 October 2019

Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven (CCCB) in Germany enjoyed a record season this year, but the pace of volume growth slowed down significantly from the previous year, the terminal operator said in a statement.

CCCB handled about 250,000 passenger in the season that just ended, an increase of 10,000 from 2018. Last year, the facility had enjoyed a leap in volumes as it handled 70,000 passengers more than in 2017.

Two ships were named at CCCB during the season, Vasco da Gama of Transocean Cruises and Amera of Phoenix Seereisen.

Carnival Corporation breaks ground on new cruise terminal in Sasebo, Japan

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 09 October 2019 09 October 2019

Carnival Corporation & plc has officially began construction of the cruise industry's first cruise terminal in Japan, located at the port of Sasebo, with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by government, business and community representatives. In attendance for Carnival Corporation were Remco Buis, senior vice president port operations and development, and Paul Chong, vice president of business development for Carnival Asia, as well as representatives from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), and the city of Sasebo.

As part of a strategic partnership agreement signed in March 2018 with the city of Sasebo and MLIT Japan, Carnival Corporation will construct and operate the new terminal, expected to open in summer 2020. The partners in the Sasebo development project are working together on an efficient, contemporary design for the terminal to accommodate the corporation's existing and newest ships. Under the 20-year agreement, Carnival Corporation and its cruise line brands will be granted berthing preference, enabling them to provide guests with optimized cruise itineraries when visiting the port.

"As the cruise industry's first terminal in Japan, this groundbreaking is a historic day for all of us at Carnival Corporation and for our partners in this exciting project," said Michael Thamm, group CEO, Costa Group and Carnival Asia. "This new terminal will complement our strong presence in the Asia-Pacific region and furthers our commitment to help facilitate the rising demand for cruise vacations in the region, enabling even more people from around the world to discover why Japan is such an extraordinary destination, one that many of our guests have long enjoyed. And as our company's first cruise terminal investment in Japan, we are excited to mark the start of our long-term relationship. We are actively working on future investment opportunities to help further support growth and expand the Japanese cruise industry for years to come."

Japan's ports have witnessed exceptional growth over the past few years, and cruising continues to increase in popularity in Asia. The company will continue to work with Japan's government and MLIT to identify potential additional port development opportunities and future investments in the country.

Japan is a popular destination for seven of Carnival Corporation's cruise line brands, including AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises and Seabourn. Overall, Carnival Corporation is expecting to accommodate an estimated 2 million passenger movements in the market in 2019, with nearly 800 calls from 15 ships from the company's cruise line brands to over 50 ports in Japan.

Kiel passenger count rises by third to 800,000

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 11 October 2019 11 October 2019

The number of cruise passengers at the German port of Kiel has risen by a third to about 800,000 in this season and thus exceeded the expectations of the management, the port said in a statement.

“The Cruise Season 2019 went very well for the port of Kiel. The shipping companies and the port cooperated excellently.” This was all the more important as the new construction of the second terminal building as well as the festivities marking the Anniversary of German Unification required a temporary adaption of handling processes at the northern Ostseekai berth,” said Dr. Dirk Claus, Managing director of the port.

Furthermore, the expanded cruise terminal in the Ostuferhafen area which had been inaugurated last April proved successful to increase the capacity and flexibility of the port. “Very big ships with more than 4,000 passengers can be handled smoothly at the Ostuferhafen Terminal. The customer satisfaction confirms the facility’s high quality and efficiency,” Claus said.

Port of Cannes presents the Four Environmental Commitments for Cruise Lines at the MedCruise GA

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 06 October 2019 06 October 2019

MedCruise General Assemblies have established themselves as major cruise events in the Mediterranean and adjoining seas. The latest edition of the MedCruise General Assembly has been hosted by the MedCruise member French Riviere – CCI Côte d’Azur, composed by Ports of Cannes, Antibes, Nice and Villefranche.

Nearly nine hundred B2B meetings took place between MedCruise members and cruise lines executives as well as international cruise press representatives during two very busy days. Moreover, up to six Plenary Sessions, made up of quality cruise experts, have provided interesting discussions about the industry and opportunities to learn more about trends in the Mediterranean in terms of the cruise market.

One of the plenary sessions was focused on Environmental Issues, with the Director of the Port of Cannes, Mr. Eric Barrat, being among the speakers. Barrat presented he Four Environmental Commitments for Cruise Lines in the bay of Cannes, being the sustainable commitments as follows:

– Reduction of pollutant emissions in the air; by using 0.1% sulfur content fuel when sailing and maneuvering at the bay.
– Reduction of pollution at sea; by no rejecting treated water in pilotage nor berthing areas.
– Protection of biodiversity; by bypassing Posidonia meadows during maneuvers and anchoring.
– Implementation of a globalized environmental approach; by promoting environmental-friendly initiatives.

Finally, Barrat announced that this agreement is about to be signed with different cruise lines, which will enjoy a financial bonus per passenger and call.

“MedCruise Association fully supports any environmental initiative and green action promoted by any of the ports in the region and encourages all its members to work together for a greener industry and a sustainable growth," said MedCruise President right after the Plenary Session on Environmental Issues.