Ports & destinations

First cruise ship arrives into Port of Cork on April 1st with another 57 to call

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 31 March 2016 31 March 2016

Fred Olsen Cruise Line will open the Port of Cork’s cruise liner season with the arrival of Balmoral and her 1,800 passengers and crew to Cobh Cruise Terminal on Friday 1st April. This is the first of 58 liners scheduled to call in 2016. In total over 100,000 passengers and crew will arrive in the region between April and December, with some liners calling for the first time to Cobh and others on repeat visits. Princess Cruises’, Caribbean Princess will make ten visits to Cobh in 2016.

In 2015 the Port of Cork invested €1.5 million in upgrading the current facilities at Cobh Cruise Terminal, Ireland’s only dedicated cruise berth. The investment included installation of a number of high load mooring bollards at the east and west end of the Cobh Cruise Berth which will enable larger ships to be berthed.

Commercial Manager at the Port of Cork, Captain Michael McCarthy said: “We are pleased with the number of calls for 2016 and the fact that we have some new customers this year, shows more and more cruise companies are considering Cobh as part of their cruising route."

He continued: “Following the investment last year, the Port of Cork can now accommodate the larger liners or Quantum class ships without any restrictions. It is our ambition as a port company to attract these ships and increase our cruise calls to 75 per year over the next three years."

The cruise business in Cork contributes over €4million annually to the local economy, which is a welcome boost for business in Cork City, Cork County, East Cork and West Cork.

In 2016 Bantry Bay Port Company will welcome three cruise liners to the area, one of which, Albatross, will call to Bantry followed by Cobh. This shows the connection between the ports and the joined up promotion of both regions to the cruise companies.

Cruise Baltic Award goes to Bruce Krumrine, Holland America Group

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 17 March 2016 17 March 2016

At Seatrade Cruise Global yesterday, network Cruise Baltic announced that the recipient of the ‘2016 Cruise Baltic Crown Award’ is Bruce Krumrine, Vice President of Shore Excursions and Asia Port Operations for Holland America Group.

Speaking at the annual Award Reception, in front of invited industry guests and Cruise Baltic partners, Claus Bødker, Cruise Baltic Director said: “This year we wanted to recognise Bruce in his important role for the Holland America Group, which incorporates responsibility for Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn and P&O Australia. Bruce has enjoyed a long and prestigious career in the cruise industry and has been actively involved with Cruise Baltic. Late last year Bruce proposed that we embark on an unprecedented destination partnership program with Princess Cruises. We look forward to the coming season and the launching of an innovative program of joint and ongoing initiatives that will ensure cruise passengers enjoy an enhanced guest experience in the Baltic Sea region.”

On receiving his award - presented by Claus Bødker – Bruce Krumrine commented: “I am incredibly proud to accept the distinguished Crown Award. I am also incredibly proud of the close relationship and collaboration we have enjoyed for many, many years with the Cruise Baltic team. Our pioneering Global Partners – Local Experts program, which we are now launching worldwide, began with Cruise Baltic. The very inspiration for this program was the passion, pride and expertise of the Cruise Baltic members. So I would like to share this award with my many good friends at Cruise Baltic. I thank you for inspiring us and helping us provide more authentic, meaningful, personal and exclusive experiences for our guests.”

Background: The Cruise Baltic Crown Award scheme was first launched in 2011. Each year the award is given to either an individual from the cruise industry - or an organisation – whose efforts have made a significant contribution towards making a significant difference to growing the Baltic Sea Region as a cruise destination.

The Baltic Sea Region’s considerable growth within the cruise industry can partly be contributed to the fascinating and unique history shared among the 10 countries surrounding the Baltic Sea. The word ‘crown’ illustrates strong bonds of royalty and acknowledges prestigious governing powers held, whether by Tsars and Regents, Kings and Queens, or heads of empires or states; and appropriately represents an emblem of victory, nobility, achievement and royal status.

Cruise Baltic is a network of cruise destinations in the Baltic Sea offering easy access to 10 countries on a string with an ‘ocean of adventures’. The network - founded in 2004 with 12 destinations - has now grown in 2016 to 29 destinations.

Liverpool City Council commissions cruise terminal design

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 30 March 2016 30 March 2016

The Liverpool City Council in the UK has decided to commission a design for a permanent cruise terminal able to handle turnaround calls by vessels of 3,600 passenger capacity and to replace the current, temporary and much smaller structure.

“The city council has appointed an international consultancy team led by Arup and including KKA Architects, Royal Haskoning DHV Engineering and cost consultants Turner and Townsend to produce a concept design,” Cruise Liverpool, which promotes the city as a cruise port, said in a statement.

“They will come up with a robust, fully costed plan for a terminal capable of handling 3,600 embarking and disembarking passengers with baggage – three times as many as the existing facility. The site would include passport control, passenger lounge, café, toilets, taxi rank, vehicle pick up point, coach layover area and a car park.”

The former Princes Jetty at Princes Parade, close to the landing stage, is preferred location and a potentially suitable site. The decision to replace the temporary structure follows a doubling in the number of vessels visiting Liverpool since it became a turnaround facility in 2012 – up from 31 to 61. Passenger numbers are up from 38,656 four years ago to an expected 86,365 this year.

The council previously planned to convert Cunard Building, formerly headquarters of the famous shipping company, to a cruise terminal, but closer inspection revealed that the project would not be feasible due to cost and hence a new building will have to be erected instead.

SCH secures exclusive agreement to handle cruise ships in Liverpool

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 14 March 2016 14 March 2016

Cruise handling specialists SCH have been awarded a contract for up to three years to provide stevedore services to all cruise ships calling at Liverpool Cruise Terminal.

SCH will handle around 60 cruise ships per year calling at Liverpool Cruise Terminal following the award of the contract by Liverpool City Council, initially for two years and with an option for a further year. Sister company Cruise and Passenger Services (CPS) already provides valet car parking services for passengers joining cruise ships in Liverpool.

Angie Redhead, Liverpool Cruise and Operations Manager, said: “We were impressed by SCH’s range of capabilities and their extensive network of cruise operations spread throughout the UK. Liverpool is growing fast as a turnaround and day call cruise port and we need a reliable, efficient port handling operator. We are confident that SCH can provide us with that service based on observations in other UK ports, as well as the experience we already have working with CPS in valet car parking.”

SCH and its sister companies are recognised as the UK’s most extensive cruise ship handling specialists, with operations in Portsmouth, Oban and Southampton. The company, which has been established for 25 years, currently handles more than 200 calls a year by cruise ships at ports throughout the UK, with the emphasis on recruiting specialist labour locally through its personnel company Pathfinder Personnel.

The company plans to utilise a total of up to 50 personnel for stevedoring and valet car parking operations at Liverpool.

Director Kevin Hulme commented: “We are delighted to be awarded the contract and are committed to helping Liverpool grow as a cruise port, both for turnaround operations and as a cruise destination. We will be employing locally-based workers to supplement the workforce we already manage in Liverpool as part of our CPS business.”

SCH will provide baggage handling, stores loading and mooring services for the increasing number of cruise ships calling in Liverpool, with the contract becoming fully operational ready for the start of the 2016 season in May.

“We have a strong relationship with the major cruise lines calling in the UK who rely on CPS and its sister companies to provide passengers with a first class experience in the ports where we operate. As cruise ship handlers, we provide services for more than 300,000 passengers a year and we look forward to helping Liverpool continue to build its reputation as a leading force in the UK cruise business,” added Hulme.