Ports & destinations

Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven invests in improving service to meet bigger volumes

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 14 March 2016 14 March 2016

Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven (CCCB) prepares itself for bigger vessels by offering a range of improved services for passengers, which include work on the Terminal's internal infrastructure to make baggage reclaim faster and easier.

“The old conveyor belts have been removed, and by using new openings to the quayside it is now possible to reduce considerably the distance which has to be covered by the baggage,” the company said in a statement

In 2016, Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven (CCCB) will handle approximately 35% more passengers than in the previous year, with a further in- crease of at least 25% expected for 2017. Veit Hürdler, CCCB Managing Director, said: "With this growth in mind, we have taken a very close look at our passenger handling processes. CCCB has always placed great importance on professional service, and for many years it has been well-equipped to deal with the turnarounds of several cruise vessels at one time. And this winter we were able to implement optimisation measures for handling very large vessels.“

As part of a conveying system developed specifically by CCCB, ships' own luggage trolleys can now be transported directly to and from the Terminal in an environmentally-friendly and material-saving way. Information boards and passenger direction displays have been adapted and further simplified.

A new concept has been developed in co-operation with the local municipal bus operator, who for many years has been responsible for getting railway users to and from CCCB. In the past, passengers' luggage was also taken from the train station directly to the cabin, but by means of technical innovations, this service has now been optimised and made much more convenient for the cruise passenger.

The Columbus Cruise Café has launched a mobile catering service which benefits cruise passengers as well as bus and taxi drivers. Within the Terminal premises, CCCB now provides free WiFi. This will be particularly appreciated by ships' crew members.

A service quality certification process has been embarked upon which should be completed by June 2016. This will lead to even more improvements in quality of service and internal processes. These measures will safeguard and maintain the existing high quality standards as well as their continuous im- provement.

In conclusion, Veit Hürdler reports that, "Our next major project will focus on our parking facilities directly at CCCB. In the past, we have always been able to offer our guests in Bremerhaven sufficient parking space right in front of the Terminal - at very reasonable prices and with no advance booking necessary." To ensure that this will continue, a study will be carried out in 2016. Based on the results, the possibility of extending the parking area or building a multi- storey car park will be looked into. The valet parking service provided by third- party partners will, of course, continue.

Port of Cork to promote Cork region at global cruise event

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 13 March 2016 13 March 2016

The Port of Cork is set to attend Seatrade Cruise Global, the Cruise Industry’s Premier Global event next week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Seatrade Cruise Global is one of the key events in the cruise calendar and guarantees to bring together every facet of the business including cruise lines, suppliers, travel agents and partners. The Port of Cork will attend as an exhibitor on the Cruise Ireland and Cruise Europe stand, increasing the profile of the Port of Cork and the Cork region.

Captain Michael McCarthy, Port of Cork Commercial Manager, who will attend the global event said: ‘This event is without doubt the epicentre of the cruise industry and so maintaining recognition at this event is key to Cork’s future cruise strategy. Some of the industry’s most knowledgeable delegates will attend and speak at the conference, so networking opportunities are substantial.’

He continued: ‘The Port of Cork’s cruise strategy for the next five years will focus on promoting the region and all it has to offer to potential cruise passengers, as well as expanding our business. Our relationship with the cruise lines is excellent and they are very aware of what the port can handle in terms of ship size. Our challenge now is to make sure the cruise companies know exactly what there is to see and do for their passengers while visiting Cork and that is why we will be marketing the Cork City and County region at Seatrade Cruise Global.’

In 2016 the Port of Cork will welcome 58 cruise liners to Cobh and over the next five years aims to increase these calls to 75. The Port of Cork is currently exploring the feasibility of a second cruise berth in Cobh, which would greatly enhance Cork’s cruise offering. This global cruise event is a key opportunity to further sell Cork as a cruise destination and to interact and liaise with the key decision makers within cruise companies.

Captain McCarthy is also the current chairman of Cruise Europe and says having a presence at these trade events is vital to sell your business.

He said: ‘The cruise industry is a difficult industry to enter, but once you do you must work hard at maintaining relationships and keeping informed of the opportunities and threats to the industry. It’s important for any port to ensure their cruise offering is kept alive and fresh, as with many cruise companies some passengers are repeat passengers who want to experience something different and new on every cruise.’

One of the main topics at the conference this year at which Captain McCarthy is a speaker is “Seasonality and Deployment” and he will be emphasising the opportunities of expanding the cruise season in northern Europe. The topics covered will relate to ship design and suitability, climate and weather and port and regional tourism products over the winter period. The session will debate the tourism offering in winter versus summer and include topics such as Christmas markets and winter sports and events throughout our region.

The Port of Cork will take the opportunity at Seatrade Cruise Global to launch their new cruise brochure aimed at marketing the Cork region.

Greater Fort Lauderdale targets pre- and post-cruise options from Port Everglades

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 05 March 2016 05 March 2016

Traditionally a world-favorite homeport, a recent study identifies Broward County's Port Everglades as an evolving tourism magnet for the Greater Fort Lauderdale area.

Sixty-two percent of the cruise passengers surveyed for the study stayed at least one night prior to their cruise vacation, staying an average of 3.4 nights, and 21 percent planned to stay an average of 2.6 nights after their cruise.

"This study validates what we have long known - that our local economy benefits from the cruise industry. But, we are seeing that hoteliers are taking advantage of the opportunities that having a cruise port in their backyard offers," said Chief Executive & Port Director Steven Cernak. "Just look at the number of new hotels that have opened around Port Everglades in recent years and the creative pre- and post-cruise vacation packages offered on Sunny.org in the Cruise & Play section."

Expenditures before and after the cruise were nearly identical. However, guests planned to spend more money on land tours after the cruise than before the cruise – $80 spent on land tours before the cruise and $133 to be spent on land tours after the cruise.

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau encourages pre- and post-cruise vacation stays through its "Cruise & Play" section on the sunny.org website. The "Cruise & Play" section features as list of hotels offering shuttle service to and from the cruise port and airport, as well as deals on hotels, attractions and special discounts available just by showing your cruise card or cruise documents. In addition, travel agents have the opportunity to become certified Greater Fort Lauderdale experts with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Specialist program, offered in conjunction with Travel Agent Academy.

Another benefit to cruising from Port Everglades includes the Port's proximity to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). More than 21 percent of the cruise guests surveyed said that they came directly from FLL, and an overwhelming majority (66 percent) said they selected FLL based on its close proximity to the Port.

FLL is located within two miles of Port Everglades and is accessible by taxi, shuttle or bus transfer from the cruise line. The Port is also within 30 miles of Miami International Airport (MIA), which is an approximate 40-minute drive.

The baseline study, conducted by Port consultants AECOM and Dickey Consulting Agency, can be found on the Port's website at porteverglades.net/about-us and select STATISTICS in the left navigation.

Located in the second largest county in Florida, Broward County's Port Everglades is consistently ranked as one of the three busiest cruise ports in the world, with more than 3.7 million passengers in 2015. Nine cruise lines, one ferry and more than 40 cruise ships sail from the South Florida seaport including: Balearia's Bahamas Express (ferry), Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Seabourn and Silversea Cruises. The Port's wide-ranging fleet of cruise ships provides guests with an array of cruise vacation choices from the sunny Greater Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Dania Beach area.

Half-a-million cruise passengers heading for Scotland

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 10 March 2016 10 March 2016

Cruise passengers arriving in Scotland this year are set to top over 500,000 for the first time following another record-breaking season in 2015 when 460,546 visitors sailed into ports around the country.

Numbers increased for the sixth successive year – by 14.8% on 2014 – while cruise ship visits rose 9.6% to 501 calls, generating an estimated £54.6 million for the Scottish economy through passenger spend alone, up by around £5.5 million on the previous year.

A number of ports recorded their best cruise seasons yet in 2015, with Greenock Ocean Terminal the first Scottish port to welcome over 100,000 passengers in a season, at 108,866, and Kirkwall exceeding previous records, with 81,401 passengers.
The ongoing trend towards larger vessels is set to see records continue to tumble at a number of ports in 2016, when 644 vessels are expected.

Victor Sandison, Chairman of marketing association, Cruise Scotland, said: “The continuing growth shows the increasing popularity of Scotland as a destination in a highly-competitive global market. This year’s estimated passenger count of over 525,000 will take us around halfway to the annual target of 1.1 million by 2029 – a figure identified in a study carried out in 2010 when there were just over 268,000 cruise visitors.

“Breaking half-a-million passengers will be a great achievement for all involved in marketing, port services and providing a great welcome, from harbours and shops to visitor attractions. However, it is vital that we continue to promote Scotland’s many attractions and keep delivering a first-class product to maximise future opportunities.”

Viking Ocean Cruises will visit Scotland for the first time in 2016, with Viking Sea and Viking Star due to call at Kirkwall, Lerwick and Rosyth, and a first-time round-Britain voyage by Disney Cruise Line will see multiple calls by Disney Magic, including Greenock, Kirkwall and Invergordon.

Cruise Scotland is looking to expand its ongoing efforts to increase participation by cruise executives on familiarisation visits to Scotland to enhance their awareness of what is on offer.

Icy Strait Point completes new dock, adventure center and restaurant for 2016 season

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 05 March 2016 05 March 2016

For the first time this May, cruise ship passengers will arrive at a newly built floating dock, Adventure Center and Duck Point Smokehouse restaurant at Icy Strait Point, an Alaska Native-owned cruise destination set amidst the wilderness of Chichagof Island near Hoonah, Alaska.

Constructed in partnership with the City of Hoonah, the 400-foot floating dock is 99% complete and will be finished well in advance of the first cruise ship call on May 11. It was built to accommodate the next generation of larger ships anticipated to call on the Alaska market in the coming years.

The 7,000-square-foot Adventure Center is located in front of the dock’s covered trestle. This wood-beam, Tlingit-style building will serve as a welcome center, departure lounge and tour booking center for the more than 20 shore excursions, including whale watching, bear viewing and the world’s largest ZipRider.

Sitting on the waterfront adjacent to the Adventure Center, Duck Point Smokehouse offers outdoor seating on a covered patio, where guests can enjoy the views of Port Frederick and search for marine wildlife from their seats. The menu will feature house-made smoked salmon, fresh Alaska seafood dishes, specialty pizzas and fresh crab tater tots.

“With these new investments, we are confident that Icy Strait Point will offer guests the best arrival experience of anywhere in the world,” said Tyler Hickman, Icy Strait Point’s vice president of operations. “Having eliminated the need to tender, more guests will have more time to experience our shore excursions, delicious dining options and the historic cannery site surrounded by unspoiled Alaska wilderness.”

Icy Strait Point’s restored 1912 salmon cannery is a short walk down the trail or boardwalk along the shore. It is home to a local history museum,Alaskan-owned shops and two other restaurants — the Crab Station and the Cookhouse Restaurant, the cannery’s original dining hall.

This year, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Crystal Cruises will make 78 ship calls on Icy Strait Point between May and September, bringing nearly 160,000 passengers over the course of the season.

Icy Strait Point is located approximately 35 miles west of Juneau and 25 miles south of Glacier Bay National Park. Alaska Native-owned and operated, Icy Strait Point is also the United States’ only private large-ship cruise destination. With approximately 85% local hire, Icy Strait Point is a certified sustainable responsible tourism venture that holds true to the mission of advancing the economic aspirations and culture of the ”Xúna Kaawu” (the people of Hoonah).