Ports & destinations

Galveston ranked 4th busiest U.S. cruise port

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 30 September 2014 30 September 2014

The Port of Galveston ranks as the fourth busiest cruise port in the U.S. based upon embarkation according to a recent study prepared by Business Research and Economic Advisors (BREA) for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). In 2013, the Port of Galveston, Texas’ premiere cruise port, welcomed 901,000 passenger and crew, which is a 4.4 percent increase from 2012.

With over $1.2 billion in direct spending and 20,271 jobs paying $1.16 billion in total income, Texas accounted for 6.3 percent of the industry’s direct expenditures, 5.6 percent of the industry’s total employment impact and 6.3 percent of the income impact. The state ranking remains third following behind Florida and California. The Port of Galveston embarked approximately 605,000 passengers last year.

“The Port of Galveston is committed to remaining in the top 20 cruise home-ports worldwide. We are dedicated to strengthening our existing relationship with the cruise industry and increasing the economic impact to the local and regional communities.” said Mike Mierzwa, Port of Galveston Executive Director.

Next year will prove to be even better for Galveston’s cruise business. Carnival Cruise Line will add a third year round cruise ship, Carnival Freedom to its Texas fleet starting in Feb. 2015, marking the first time a cruise line has deployed three year round ships in the state of Texas. Together with the Carnival Magic and Carnival Triumph the three ships will operate 170 four- to seven-day to the Western Caribbean and two 21-day voyages to the Eastern Caribbean from the Port of Galveston in 2015, providing consumers with an array of cruise lengths, departure days, and itineraries for “Fun Ship” cruising from Texas.

"Galveston is already one of our most popular embarkation ports and with Carnival Freedom we're not only dramatically expanding capacity in the market but also providing consumers with yet another exciting opportunity to experience our spectacular Fun Ship 2.0 innovations on a Texas-based ship," said Gerry Cahill Carnival president and CEO. "In partnership with the Port of Galveston and the local community we have been able to increase our passenger counts five-fold since we first launched service from Galveston in 2000. Additionally, we are extremely grateful for the support of our travel agent partners who have played a key role in the growth of our Texas cruise program," he added.

In the summer 2015 Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas will complete two consecutive years of homeporting at the Port of Galveston. In November 2015, the Liberty of the Seas will be taking over year-round offering vacationers weekly Caribbean sailings from Galveston on a new and larger ship. The Liberty of the Seas will offer 7-night Western Caribbean cruise itineraries, including Isla Roatan, Honduras; Belize City Belize; Cozumel, Mexico; Falmouth, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Costa Maya, Mexico as ports of call.

In addition, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder will return offering Texas vacationers holiday sailings beginning November 2015. Disney Cruise Line will offer a seven-night itinerary on the Disney Wonder to the Bahamas, which will include stops in Key West, Florida; Nassau, Bahamas; and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.

Cruise ship arrivals to Puerto Vallarta increased by 43% in 2014

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 30 September 2014 30 September 2014

The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board announced that the Pacific seaport city of Puerto Vallarta will see 118 cruises call on its shores this year, 43 % over 2013 when 81 cruises called the port.

Puerto Vallarta will welcome 52 cruises from September through December of this year, which added to the 64 already touched Vallarta waters will reach a total of 116, 81 more than the received arrivals last year.

International cruise ships calling on Puerto Vallarta this year will leave an economic impact of $25.6, representing an increase of 43% percent compared to 2013.

The four cruise lines that most often call on Puerto Vallarta are Norwegian, Princess, Carnival and Holland America, in that order. As for passengers, Puerto Vallarta is estimated to end the year with the arrival of about 266,800. For the rest of the year will be two arrivals triples, eight double and three overnights.

A total of 141 cruises have already confirmed stations to Puerto Vallarta for 2015, including Carnival Cruises will call on the destination throughout the year with the Coral Princess being the first on September 26. Carnival represents 34% of arrivals; Princess 20%; Norwegian 19% and Holland American 16%.

Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico’s leading tourism destinations popular with North American visitors for its picturesque Banderas Bay, colonial center and lush Sierra Madre mountains that surround the port of call. Today this world-class destination is a top choice among cruise lines for its wide array of activities, great weather year round and the calm and protected waters of its bay, one of the largest bays in Mexico extending over 62 miles of pristine coastline.

Coral Princess’ passenger will be challenged with choosing amongst the many offshore excursions on offer upon their arrival in Puerto Vallarta– from shopping at Galerias Vallarta across the street from the Marina or strolling around the historic downtown area bordered by a 6-mile long Malecon (boardwalk) home to hundreds of fine art galleries, jewelry shops, arts and crafts markets, tequila stores and over 360 restaurants. International visitors can receive a tax refund for certain goods they purchase in Puerto Vallarta before they board the ship with Moneyback.

Those with a more adventurous spirit will find that Puerto Vallarta has it all, from paddle boarding, scuba diving to rappelling down a waterfall and tequila tasting. Tour Operators such as Canopy River offer unique opportunities to Zipline or raft across rivers, hike or ride mules down the Sierra Madre Mountain range. At Dolphin Discovery visitors can swim with dolphins and sea lions while others can opt for exploring the country side on ATVs with Wild Treks Adventure. Vallarta Adventures incorporates cultural, adventure and ecological activities in its tours which range from visiting a ghost mining town in the middle of the jungle to all-inclusive beach day and even the fastest zip-line in Mexico. Go Gay!PV also offers numerous outdoor adventures for LGBT visitors.

Passengers who prefer to keep their heart rate at rest and looking for a relaxing day by the beach can opt for the many luxurious offerings at Puerto Vallarta’s adult-only Beach Clubs, including Sapphire Beach, Mantamar Beach Club and Casa Velas’ Ocean Club. Spa treatments are also a big favorite with CasaMagna Marriott Ohtli and Villa Premire’s Spa one of the most frequented. Passengers can also get a day pass to enjoy a day lazing by the pool and other facilities at the many hotels in Puerto Vallarta including Secrets, Westin or Fiesta Americana, among others.

Valletta Cruise Port hosts five cruise ships in one day

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 24 September 2014 24 September 2014

Tuesday 23rd September was a busy day for the Mediterranean port of Valletta as it hosted a total of five cruise liners. Early in the afternoon four chartered AIDA cruise liners: AIDAaura, AIDAblu, AIDAdiva and AIDAvita berthed along Pinto Quays, bringing with them a total of 7,000 guests for an event marking the 40th anniversary of German company Deutsche Vermögensberatung (DVAG).

The ships were greeted with a full gun salute from the saluting battery at the Barrakka Gardens and a water display by tug boats. Valletta Waterfront hosted the event on an exclusive basis, featuring a grand light and pyrotechnic show. A special stage was built over the water at Laguna Marina for the performances of several renowned artists including Gloria Gaynor, Kim Wilde, Sarah Connor, Captain Jack and David Garrett. The historic Valletta Waterfront buildings and bastions provided the ideal canvas for this event.

This is believed to be one of the biggest ever private events to be held in Malta. Preparations started three years in advance and included no less than 900 workers.

The event was the result of a successful collaboration between a number of stakeholders including On Site Malta - the local Destination Management Company responsible for the overall organisation, Valletta Cruise Port, Valletta Waterfront and local authorities.

Paul Selis, Director, On Site Malta commented that, "On Site Malta has done it, once again. After three years of meticulous preparation by my dedicated team in close collaboration with local and overseas suppliers, we delivered not only the largest ever private event held in Malta, but also the most complex one. We thank DVAG for giving us and Malta this opportunity to showcase our know-how and capabilities."

Stephen Xuereb, CEO, Valletta Cruise Port said, "We are proud to have hosted this event which puts our magnificent port, facilities and the Maltese Islands in the limelight. This event follows a similar event organised by DVAG some 10 years ago in the same location. It reaffirms Valletta Waterfront as a prime destination for large scale events. We hope that we will have the opportunity to welcome similar events in the future. Finally, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the personnel at Valletta Cruise Port, who once again punched above their weight to make this event a successful one."

Mein Schiff 2 was also in port on the day.

This was an eventful week for Valletta Cruise Port, where earlier in the week, during a visit to Malta, Prince William crossed Valletta's Grand Harbour on a typical Maltese boat, passing beneath Cunard's Queen Victoria.

Hong Kong's Kai Tak Cruise Terminal celebrates simultaneous berthing of Sapphire Princess and Voyager of the Seas

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 29 September 2014 29 September 2014

The Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, operated by Worldwide Cruise Terminals (WCT), celebrates its first successful simultaneous berthing. The two ships, the Sapphire Princess and Voyager of Seas, have a combined passenger capacity of more than 6,000 passengers in total. The calls heralded the first use of the terminal’s second berth, and marked a significant step forward in Hong Kong’s position as a leading cruise hub of Asia. Since KTCT came into operation in June last year, the terminal has received 28 cruise vessels and over 100,000 passengers. The number of cruise ship calls for calendar 2014 is currently estimated at 28, and 55 calls are already booked for 2015. Kai Tak Cruise Terminal alone is expected to handle more cruise passengers in 2015 than all of Hong Kong’s cruise facilities together handled in 2013, and is further poised to enhance Hong Kong’s position as a major cruise homeport.

In the past year, the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal has successfully welcomed a host of cruise ships to Hong Kong from multiple lines including Royal Caribbean, Cunard, Costa Cruises, Princess Cruises, Star Cruises, Fred Olsen, Voyages of Discovery, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Celebrity Cruises.

With advice and assistance from Worldwide Cruise Terminals, cruise lines are actively developing new itineraries which transit or originate from Hong Kong. Royal Caribbean Cruises announced earlier that its Voyager of the Seas would homeport at the KTCT for over 20 sailings between June and October 2015. The itineraries of these sailings will include ports in China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, and Voyager of the Seas will become the largest cruise ship ever homeported in Hong Kong.

The KTCT is provided with ancillary commercial areas of about 5,600 square metres. The commercial areas at both ends of the second floor have been leased and commenced operations in stages from August. HK Cruise Plaza features retail shops with in-store counters for various high-end brands and light F&B, and Federal Restaurant Group operates a Chinese banquet venue, Western restaurant, and Hong Kong-style café. An additional shop at the rooftop park has been leased to a marriage registration service company. The rooftop park has been open to public since mid-October last year and gained immense popularity among local visitors and tour groups. A considerable number of organizations have hosted community activities at the park, including a community planting activity, school picnics, an inter-school drawing competition, and more.

Jeff Bent, managing director of WCT, said: "We are pleased with the successful simultaneous berthing of Sapphire Princess and Voyager of Seas at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. Looking ahead, we expect to see further growth in the number of ship calls at the terminal as we work more closely with the cruise lines. As expected, cruise lines generally plan two years out, starting from the time the building was commissioned in mid-2013. We have been steadily receiving new berth bookings for next year and 2016, including from cruise lines new to Kai Tak such as Holland America Line and Seabourn Cruise Lines, and from AIDA, which is new to Hong Kong. We will continue to work closely with the Hong Kong Tourism Commission, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and other industry participants to encourage cruise lines to build their businesses in Asia. The Kai Tak Cruise Terminal will continue to contribute to the long term development of cruise travel in Hong Kong and Asia through its world-class facilities."

Aside from ship call operations, Kai Tak Cruise Terminal plays host to product launches, family events, brand promotional activities, cocktail parties, and sporting events. Recent MICE event sponsors include Tesla, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Hamburg-Sud, the Cruise Holiday Expo, Hennessy VSOP, the AXA Hong Kong Streetathon, Audemars Piguet Hong Kong Jockey Club, Logos Hope Library Ship, From Darkness to Sunrise City Orienteering Competition, Vocational Training Council (VTC) and Construction Industry Council. The terminal has also been used for filming a number of local film and television productions.

St. Kitts to reach a new milestone

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 24 September 2014 24 September 2014

St. Kitts continues to grow its cruise tourism sector at an impressive rate, with a projected rise in cruise passenger arrivals for the 2014/2015 season to more than one million for the first time in the island's history. This represents a 31.5% increase over the 2013/2014 season and a total growth over the past eight years of more than 500%.

"The fact that we will be welcoming this record number of cruise passengers to St. Kitts is a testament to the high quality of our tourism infrastructure and to the partnerships that our destination has forged with industry stakeholders," said Senator Ricky Skerritt, Minister of Tourism & International Transport. "Our performance must be examined against the backdrop of the development of a wealth of onshore activities based on our nature, rich history, and friendly people who help provide an authentic Caribbean experience for all of our visitors."

This season's phenomenal growth is partly because the island will receive six calls from the Royal Caribbean International's Quantum of the Seas, in its inaugural 2014/2015 season. St. Kitts will also see the return of Disney Cruise Line for the first time since 2009, with the Disney Magic scheduled to make a total of four port calls to the island in 2014/2015. Inaugural calls are also being made in 2014/2015 by Oceania Cruises' Insignia and Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Gem and Norwegian Pearl, which together will make seventeen calls.

Commenting on the island's exceptional growth, Federico Gonzalez-Denton - Director of Government Relations for Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises - said, "The Royal Caribbean family would like to express our most sincere and heartfelt congratulations to the people of St. Kitts for reaching one million cruise guests for the first time in their history. Clearly this memorable milestone would not have occurred without the friendly smiles and hard work of the Kittitians themselves, the unique and breathtaking beauty of the island, and the positive cruise initiatives and policies established by the Government. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. feels extremely proud of our contribution to this historic achievement."

In addition to increasing passenger arrivals from traditional ports of origin of the USA and UK, the geographic markets from which the cruise passengers originate have also been expanding to include Germany, Italy, France and Spain. The cruise lines that are scheduled to make calls to St. Kitts in the 2014/2015 cruise ship season include Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, P & O, Cunard, Oceania, Seabourn, Aida, Silver Sea, Windstar, Thompson and TUI Cruises.