Ports & destinations

ASEAN countries pledge themselves to develop cruise industry further

Details

Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 29 January 2018 29 January 2018

The joint ASEAN Declaration on Cruise Tourism led by Singapore, the ASEAN lead coordinator for cruise development, was officially endorsed at the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2018 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on 25 January, the organisation said in a statement.

Plans for the Declaration were first laid at the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2017 in Singapore. Its official adoption a year later marks another milestone in ASEAN’s ongoing efforts to transform Southeast Asia into a vibrant cruising destination.

The Declaration also outlines ASEAN’s commitment to further develop cruise tourism in the region by improving the clarity of cruise policies and regulations, efficiency in administration processes, as well as refining business practices to be fairer and more responsible. 

“Singapore is proud to announce that the ASEAN states’ collective efforts to develop the ASEAN Declaration for Cruise Tourism have borne fruit. This builds on our previous work such as the inaugural ATF Cruise Dialogue last year and the launch of the Cruise Southeast Asia brand in 2016,” said Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry

“It also marks the first major economic deliverable undertaken by Singapore since we assumed the ASEAN Chairmanship for 2018. This will deepen regional connectivity and position ASEAN as a region for seamless economic activity and growing opportunities. We look forward to bringing meaningful benefits to ASEAN businesses and citizens,” she added.

 

 

 

 

 

 

South Padre Island takes first step toward becoming the Western Caribbean’s newest cruise port of call

Details

Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 04 January 2018 04 January 2018

The South Padre Island, Texas, City Council recently approved a proposal by SPI Cruise Group — a partnership of cruise port design, maritime operations and marketing professionals — to create a plan to develop the destination into an attractive port of call on western Caribbean cruise itineraries.

With increasing emphasis on tourism sustainability and concerns of over-tourism in some eastern and southern Caribbean ports of call, cruise lines are seeking alternative destinations with existing tourism infrastructure to add to their cruise itineraries. With the rising popularity of western Caribbean cruises from the Port of Galveston, Texas, South Padre Island is well-positioned to provide a fresh new port with attractive shore excursion opportunities that explore the land, sea and sky, as well as some of the most attractive beaches in the region.

"South Padre Island has been a hidden U.S. jewel for many years," said Mayor Dennis Stahl. "We are looking forward to sharing our unique ecotourism sites, like Sea Turtle Inc., a renowned sea turtle rescue center, and the Birding and Nature Center, a world-class birdwatching destination, in addition to our pristine beaches and adventure activities."

SPI Cruise Group is composed of four companies experienced in the port development, cruise and maritime industries:

MarketScope Global brings more than 30 years of combined cruise industry experience to bear on understanding the market forces at work in the travel industry’s most complex and fastest-growing business sector. Project manager Jay Lewis created the cruise industry’s first scannable “comment card” system and its first automated brochure-ordering system. He has served as adjunct professor of marketing at the University of Miami and as a lecturer at Oxford and Cambridge for the Seatrade Academy.

IDEA is a well-known international design and planning firm that conceives conceptual designs and then facilitates production of branded destinations for the cruise, hospitality, entertainment and tourism industries. IDEA currently is working on the design of Port Grand Lucaya on Grand Bahama Island and has completed port-design projects for Falmouth, Jamaica; Harvest Caye, Belize; and Icy Strait Point, Alaska; among others.

Cruise and Port Advisors, led by cruise industry veteran Roger Blum, helps clients in multiple industries tailor their products and services to meet the needs of today’s cruise industry. Clients include destinations, port authorities, shore excursion operators, medical facilities, manning agents and onboard revenue partners. Blum's long-standing close relationships with top cruise executives create marketing opportunities for his clients. One destination client increased its cruise business by over 1,000 percent in just a few years.

NewmanPR has been providing clients in the leisure travel, maritime and cruise industries creative, customized and cost-effective marketing communications services for more than 70 years. Clients include the Florida Keys tourism council, Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line and port-development projects Icy Strait Point, Alaska, and Banana Coast, Honduras.

The initial stage of the project is expected to take four months to complete, and includes an aggressive marketing and communications plan to raise awareness of South Padre Island’s potential among cruise industry executives.

Warnemünde expects 205 port calls by 43 cruise liners over 122 days in 2018

Details

Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 09 January 2018 09 January 2018

The 2018 cruise season starts at Warnemünde cruise port on 8 April with the arrival of the cruise liner Boudicca of the British shipping company Fred Olsen Cruise Lines. All told, 205 port calls by 43 cruise liners are expected next year, more than ever before. 180 times the vessels will berth in Warnemünde and 25 times at the overseas port. Nine vessels will be heading for the mouth of river Warnow for the first time:

Brilliance of the Seas, Britannia, Marella Discovery, MSC Orchestra, Norwegian Breakaway, Sapphire Princess, Seven Seas Navigator, Viking Sun and Zenith. There will be cruise ships calling at the port on river Warnow on 122 days of the year 2018.

Rostock-based shipping company AIDA Cruises will again operate two of its vessels from its Baltic home port of Warnemünde, AIDAdiva and AIDAmar. 43 out of a total of 53 port calls with turnaround of passengers have been notified by AIDA Cruises for 2018. Nine port calls with turnaround of passengers by the vessel Zenith are going to be carried out by the Spanish cruise shipping company Pullmantur at the overseas port and on one occasion the vessel Berlin, operated by FTI, will change its passengers in Warnemünde. Also the Italian shipping companies Costa and MSC Cruises as well as the US-based shipping companies Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises plan to change some of their passengers here during 57 port calls, with predominantly Italian and German passengers embarking or disembarking.

The sailing list for 2018 includes 39 port calls by very large passenger vessels with a length of more than 300 meters: Britannia and Regal Princess are each 330 meters long, Norwegian Breakaway is 324 meters and Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Eclipse are 319 and 317 meters long, respectively. Norwegian Breakaway is the largest vessel of the coming season with a gross register tonnage of 145,655. The Swiss-based shipping company Viking Ocean Cruises has included Warnemünde 24 times in the schedules of its four sister vessels Viking Sea, Viking Sky, Viking Star and Viking Sun.

In the coming year three port calls of the passenger vessel Albatros of Phoenix Reisen have been notified for December (2nd, 9th and 16th December) so that the 2018 cruise shipping season in Warnemünde will end unusually late.

 

NYK Ports appoints Anthony Caputo as Director of Cruise Services

Details

Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 04 January 2018 04 January 2018

NYK Ports has appointed cruise industry veteran, Anthony Caputo, as Director of Cruise Services for Ceres Terminals Incorporated. Caputo will be based at Ceres Corporate Headquarters in East Brunswick, New Jersey, effective immediately.

In his role as Director of Cruise Services, Caputo will focus on new strategies for Ceres’ expanding North America Cruise Business while strengthening management efforts to forge strong customer relationships and delivering an exceptional customer experience to all who deal with Ceres Cruise Services in North America.

Caputo is an industry veteran holding a variety of senior management positions in his 25+ years of experience in stevedoring and terminal operations. In his previous position, Caputo launched operations at the new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong from 2013-2016. Prior to this position, he spent ten years as Director for Royal Caribbean International, initiating operations at Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, NJ and overseeing cruise port operations in the Northeast United States from Charleston, S.C. to Quebec City, Canada. Caputo was responsible for financial profitability and performance in these areas. From 1991-2003, Mr. Caputo held the positions of Terminal Manager, Facilities Security Officer and General Manager for P&O Ports, responsible for all operations and administrative policies, procedures and objectives for the NYC Passenger Ship Terminal (Manhattan Cruise Terminal).

Caputo is a graduate of St. Peter’s College holding a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, minors in Economics/Finance and a Master of Business Administration. He is a former member of the New York Maritime Committee, the New Jersey Department of Homeland Security, the AAPA Security Sub-committee and NY-NJ Harbor Operations Committee, Security and Cruise Subcommittees.

"Anthony’s extensive experience made him the ideal candidate for this position. His operational expertise and wealth of knowledge will allow Ceres Cruise Services to capitalize on new market opportunities and enhance strategic relationships with our existing customers,” commented Bruce Cashon, Senior Vice President, CCO, NYK Ports/Ceres Terminals Incorporated.

Ceres Terminals Incorporated is one of the largest and highest ranked Stevedores, Container/Cargo Handlers/Cruise Ship/Passenger Processing and Terminal Operators in the Transportation Industry. Ceres Cruise Services has built a reputation in the cruise industry on delivering high performance standards from Canada's most prestigious cruise ports in Vancouver, B.C. and throughout major cruise ports in the United States.

Ceres Terminals Incorporated and Yusen Terminals LLC (YTI) are sister companies and part of one of the largest transportation service networks in the world (NYK Group).

NYK Ports LLC is owned jointly by NYK and MacQuarie Infrastructure Partners.