Ports & destinations

August 'hat trick' for the island of Gozo

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 02 September 2015 02 September 2015

On the 16th August the island of Gozo welcomed the P&O Oriana. This was a landmark call as not only was it Oriana’s maiden call to Gozo but this was also P&O’s first ever call to Gozo. And furthermore, this was the first time that a cruise ship called exclusively to Gozo. Out of 1,800 passengers on board, more than 1,500 disembarked on shore excursions and independently.

On the 28th August Hapag Lloyd’s flagship, Europa 2 weighed anchor in the same spot just between the island of Gozo and the island of Comino, famous for its magical Blue Lagoon. Guests reported that they thoroughly enjoyed their Gozo experience. In the afternoon the children onboard where treated to banana rides on the ship’s zodiacs, one of which was captained by the Master of the ship himself.

To mark this occasion the Minister for Gozo, the Hon Anton Refalo accompanied by Ms Refalo, Ms Esther Bajada, Director of Tourism & Economic Development (Ministry for Gozo) and his P.R. Assistant Ms Marthese Attard were invited onboard to meet with the Master, Captain Ulf Wolter.

The following day, the Seabourn Sojourn arrived on what was her 5th call of the season and the second in August. Seabourn have been calling on Gozo since April 2006 when Peter Cox, Itinerary Planning Director added Gozo for the first time on a Seabourn itinerary. After more trial calls to monitor passenger feedback which was consistently positive, Seabourn is now Gozo’s most frequent caller.

The Minister for Gozo expressed his satisfaction with the way that Gozo was attracting high-end cruise ships that dovetailed with Gozo strategy of attracting this particular niche market. He also personally thanked Ivan Mifsud, Managing Director of Mifsud Brothers Ltd. for his unrelenting support for Gozo.

Ms Esther Bajada added that “these calls were a huge success thanks to Gozo’s allure and to the holistic approach by stakeholders to make each call special, as well as to the warm welcome offered to disembarking passengers in Gozo.”

BVI Ports Authority reports increased summer cruise arrivals

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 31 August 2015 31 August 2015

Recent figures from the BVI Ports Authority’s (BVIPA) Operations team show an unprecedented increase in summer cruise passenger arrivals.

From 2012 to 2014, cruise passenger arrivals during the summer months (May to September) averaged just over 23,000. On the other hand, preliminary figures for 2015 show a total of 70,705 passengers. It is estimated that by the end of September, cruise passenger arrivals will exceed 90,000.

Commenting on the passenger increase, Managing Director of the BVIPA Mr. Claude O. Skelton Cline said, “We are elated to report the unprecedented growth in cruise passengers, which goes to show that the recent cruise pier expansion has already begun to achieve the Government of the Virgin Islands’ mandate to increase cruise passengers and create a year round cruise tourism calendar.”

He added, “It is important to note that the arrivals are only reflective of arrivals during what is called our slow season, which gives us renewed confidence going into the 2015/ 2016 cruise season.”

The managing director also noted that the cruise pier landside development is progressing well with expected completion before year end.

The BVI Cruise Pier expansion was completed in April. The pier is now 1,312 feet long, 60 feet wide and can accommodate two ships at 180,000 gross registered tonnage.

The cruise pier landside development, to be named Tortola Pier Park, is in line with the BVI Ports Authority’s vision to create a unique and modern cruise pier facility that is environmentally compatible and sustainable, that delivers a memorable and world-class experience.

The BVI Ports Authority is responsible for the Territory’s cruise infrastructure and facilitates port calls.

Port Saint John modernization project to benefit cruise ships with harbour deepening

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 26 August 2015 26 August 2015

Recent funding announcements from the federal and provincial governments and Port Saint John (New Brunswick, Canada) will include a major harbour deepening project.

The seven-year $205 million project, which is a 3-way funding partnership, involves major capital work at the Port’s West Side cargo handling piers and facilities but will also include capital dredging of the main channel.

“We are delighted that our partners in the Provincial and Federal governments have joined Port Saint John with a commitment of funding. We appreciate their recognition of the importance of both cargo and cruise activity at Port Saint John,” said Jim Quinn, President & CEO, Port Saint John.

The main channel will be deepened from 8.4 to 10 meters (chart datum). The deepening extends the operational window for ships and will make Port Saint John more accessible to large vessels, including cruise ships.

A deeper channel will provide cruise vessels the ability to dock at either high or low tide. No longer reliant on the tides, cruise operations will experience an end to schedule challenges due to tidal restrictions and cruise itinerary planners will gain the opportunity to lengthen the day for cruise guests. A longer day means guests will have more time to explore the famous Bay of Fundy region

After more than a quarter century, the cruise industry at Port Saint John is well-established. Recent milestones have included the Port’s 2-millionth cruise guest and 1,000th cruise ship visit. The cruise marketing and operations team at Port Saint John look forward to including a deeper harbour to the roster of benefits available to cruise lines calling at Saint John.

Carnival on track for record year from Port of New Orleans in 2015

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 28 August 2015 28 August 2015

Carnival Cruise Line – New Orleans’ number one cruise operator – continues to expand its presence at the port and expects to carry a record 400,000 passengers from the Crescent City this year. Additionally, the cruise line estimates that next year it will welcome its three millionth passenger at the Port of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

Carnival pioneered year-round cruising from New Orleans in 1994 and over the past two-plus decades has become the port’s largest cruise operator with two ships offering more than 125 4- to 7-night departures on an annual basis.

Following Hurricane Katrina, the cruise line resumed service in New Orleans in October 2006 – just 14 months after the storm – with one year-round ship, Carnival Fantasy carrying less than 16,000 passengers that year. The company gradually increased its capacity from the Big Easy deploying newer and larger ships and next year expects to carry a record 450,000 passengers from New Orleans.

Currently, Carnival’s two New Orleans-based ships include the 3,646-passenger Carnival Dream, offering 7-night Caribbean cruises, and the 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation sailing 4- and 5-night cruises to Mexico. Carnival will increase capacity on short cruises from New Orleans by 34% when the 2,758-passenger Carnival Triumph replaces Carnival Elation next spring.

Carnival and other cruise operators have a significant impact on the Louisiana economy accounting for more than 8,000 jobs and in excess of $400 million in direct purchases each year, according to a study commissioned by the Cruise Lines International Association. Additionally, data collected by the Port of New Orleans indicates that cruise guests on average spend two nights pre- or post-cruise to enjoy the city’s many outstanding restaurants, shops and attractions.

“Carnival has a long and deep history with the city of New Orleans,” said Carlos Torres de Navarra, Carnival’s vice president of commercial port operations. “We not only enjoy a very successful New Orleans-based cruise program but strive to be valuable community partners providing strong economic impact and supporting a variety of philanthropic initiatives.” He added, “We look forward to continuing to grow our operations in New Orleans in partnership with this great city as it thrives and expands in the post-Katrina era.”

Commented Port of New Orleans President and CEO Gary LaGrange, “Carnival Cruise Line is a valuable partner not only to the Port, but to the City of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. Cruising has grown 180 percent since 2001, the year the Port began in earnest marketing itself as a premier cruise destination and we could not have realized such growth without Carnival’s investment in New Orleans.”

Panama City aims to attract homeport business

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 18 August 2015 18 August 2015

Alan Lam reporting

Panama’s tourism authority (Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá or ATP) has initiated new efforts aiming at attracting major cruise lines to consider homeporting in Panama City.

Gustavo Him, who recently replaced Jesús Sierra as the Administrator of ATP, met with executives from both Royal Caribbean y Carnival Cruises aiming at finding a path to increase cruise homeport business in Panama City. “The expansion of Panama Canal and the introduction of new routes by airlines like Copa,” said Gustavo Him, during the meeting, “are clear demonstrations of Panama being a viable homeport for cruise lines.”

The economic case for being a homeport was clear, as the number of tourists arriving in Panama would increase dramatically. It was mentioned that, for example, a cruise ship with the capacity of 2,500 passengers chose to homeport in Panama City, it would generate 125,000 additional visitors per annum; most of these will stay between one and three days before or after the cruise.

The new initiative is aimed largely at the Latin American source market. It is stipulated that one of the principle attractions of Panama for Latin American visitors is shopping, which will benefit the economy of the city enormously. Moreover the city has an array of attractions for cruise tourism, such as the Canal, the Museum of Biodiversity, and the famous Casco Antiguo.

ATP is currently formulating specific strategies in attracting tourism in general to the country; making Panama City a cruise homeport is one of these.