Ports & destinations

Trasmediterranea to provide port handling services in Balearic Islands

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 27 July 2014 27 July 2014

The Spanish ferry operator Acciona Trasmediterranea has been granted two-year licences by Balearic Port Authority to operate passenger handling services in all major ports in Mallorca, Ibiza, and Mahón, Alan Lam reports.

It is the first commercial company to be granted such licences in the Balearic Islands, covering both cruise and ferry calls.

Trasmediterranea has already commenced services in Ibiza on 21 July under these licences; in the coming days they will be extended to Mahón, Palma de Mallorca and Alcúdia.

The port authorities wanted a commercially viable company with experience to provide these services. In order for these licences to be issued, potential bidders needed to prove that they had sufficient manpower and other resources to fulfill this role. The specified conditions included the ability to supervise embarkation, baggage handling, and provisions for disabled passengers, among others.

Cruise Business comment – For years Trasmediterranea, as well as operating ferries, has been aggressively expanding its business to include the theoretically lucrative port side services, particularly to cruise ships and passengers. This latest development represents a huge stride in its effort in this direction and a significant contribution to the group’s overall revenue for the next two years.

Construction of Hamburg's third cruise terminal commences

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 11 July 2014 11 July 2014

Surface construction work on the site of Hamburg’s third cruise terminal at the Kronprinzkai quay in Steinwerder officially commenced last Friday, 4th of July with a symbolic ground breaking ceremony. In recent years the city has become one of Europe’s most popular cruise ship destinations. In order to benefit from this potential for growth Hamburg plans to expand its status as a cruise location and has commissioned the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) to build a third cruise terminal (Cruise Center 3, CC3 for short) in cooperation with Hamburg Airport.

In addition to construction of the terminal building the project also includes the provision of parking spaces and access roads; the strengthening of quay walls and operation of the third terminal as well as of the existing terminals in Altona and the Hafencity.

The new terminal at the Kronprinzkai quay, in the port’s Mittlerer Freihafen area, is being constructed on a site equivalent to two football pitches. Following completion it will be able to process 8 000 passengers at any one time. There will be separate embarkation and disembarkation areas to ensure the smooth handling of the corresponding amounts of baggage. Disembarkation will take place in the east building, while new guests are able to simultaneously board their vessel via the west building.

The intersection to the new CC3 terminal will also be modified and equipped with traffic lights. In addition to land access it will also be possible to reach the new terminal by ferry. A public jetty is being built in the eastern area of the terminal complex for this purpose. The existing quay walls will be retrofitted with fenders, bollards, and pile moorings to enable even the largest cruise liners to dock in future. The costs of the overall project, including transport connections and future investment in the CC1 terminal, are some 80 million euros. The CC3 third cruise terminal is designed to be used for an initial period of 15 years.

How busy the port can be during a single month, demonstrates the upcoming August. For the first time May will not be the busiest month but rather August 2014. “With a total of 43 ship’s calls; the 2014 Hamburg Cruise Days and a corresponding passenger volume of approx. 125 000 August will be the absolute high point of the year,” said Gerd Drossel, managing director Hamburg Cruise Center. The 2014 Hamburg Cruise Days from 1 – 3 August will see a total of seven cruise ships in the city. The first ships – the “Delphin” and the “Europa” – will arrive on 1 August. On Saturday, 2 August the “Gann”, “AIDAstella”, “Deutschland”, “Europa”, and “MSC Magnifica” will be mooring in the city. The last ships to arrive will be the “Deutschland” and the “AIDAluna” on 3 August, all together turning the port into Europe’s cruise hot spot as well as presenting themselves at a spectacular parade. In addition to this, the “Blue Port” light installation will bathe the port in a magical light.

This year the organisers will once again be focusing on the concept of bringing the cruise world onto the landside. The four kilometre-long portside event area will extend from the HafenCity Hamburg district to Altona. Twelve thematic ‘islands’ with live music stages; premium gastronomy; sport and spa facilities; maritime shopping offerings and cruise line promotion areas will be devoted to any- and everything to do with cruises. The heart of the event will be the “Cruise Village” in the HafenCity.

Mein Schiff 3 will inaugurate the lengthened pier in La Gomera

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 22 July 2014 22 July 2014

The Port of San Sebastián de La Gomera in the Canary Islands will have for the next high season a lengthened cruise pier.

Currently the port has a 302m cruise pier for ships up to 275m length, but after the works to increase the pier, the port will offer a 340m berthing line.

In 2010 the Mein Schiff 1 inaugurated the actual length of the pier that the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has projected to improve the cruise facilities in La Gomera.

The recently named Mein Schiff 3 will inaugurate the new extension of the pier on November, the 28th during her itinerary of 7 or 14 days in the Canary & Madeira Islands with Agadir in Morocco.

The lengthening works will boost a 43% La Gomera cruise passengers statistics.

This increase will not be only for TUI Cruises but also for P&O Cruises, Thomson Cruises, AIDA Cruises, Fred Olsen Cruise Line, Azamara Cruises.

According to the last cruise passengers satisfaction report, La Gomera is one of the most valued calls in the Canary Islands thank to the history of the islands and the outstanding experience where nature and tradition meet cruise passengers. La Gomera was the last call in Christopher Columbus discovered voyage.  It is said that with La Gomera water, Christopher Columbus christened America. Otherwise during centuries, English and Dutch pirates raided the port of the island to achieve the gold and goods from America.

The whole island is a Biosphere Reserve and the National Park of Garajonay, in the heart of the island, is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Cruise companies offer different shore excursions in the island: trekking through quaternary laurel forests,  local products tasting, whales and dolphins watching, traditional handicraft, the Christopher Columbus footsteps, scuba diving, golf, fishing, bike tours through amazing ravines… La Gomera has another UNESCO distinction, the whistle, a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity which ancient people of La Gomera communicated through ravines to all the island.

Denmark's Fredericia receives its first cruise ship call

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 10 July 2014 10 July 2014

On august 7th 2014 the Royal Caribbean vessel Legend of the Seas visited Fredericia. It was the first cruise call to this new Danish cruise destination which already has six calls booked for 2015. The ADP cruise team has only visited the Cruise Shipping Miami convention twice, but the international cruise industry has already noted the unique location and attractions of this destination.

The port of Fredericia is Denmarks largest industrial port and is owned by ADP A/S which also owns two other industrial Danish ports. Fredericia Port has three dedicated cruise quays, of which the main quay has a water depth of 12 mtr. and an overall length of 350 mtr. The quays are easy to navigate, as sufficient deepwater turning basin with no restrictions allows the big cruise ships to turn and dock safely.

Cruise Business Manager in ADP, Gry Klok Thomsen, has worked hard the past year to develop this exiting new destination. The ship will dock only a few hundred meters for the city center, and the cruise guests will meet an authentic, historic town built originally as an extensive fortification in 1650, still with Northern Europe’s best- preserved ramparts. When calling Fredericia, Legend of the Seas was met with canon salut, live music, market square and many activities at the quay and a guide team will ensure that the guests have a very pleasant and eventful stay.

But not only ADP works hard on developing Destination Fredericia. The cooperation with the city of Fredericia ensures that the cruise guests will visit an openminded and friendly city and the cooperation with the surrounding attractions has resulted in a perfect variety of tours. The attractions also welcome cruise guests. Martin Aadal Nielsen, Sales Manager at LEGOLAND states "We are very happy that now also cruise guests have the opportunity to visit LEGOLAND in Billund. We are sure that many will take the short trip from Fredericia in order to have a fun and pleasant day in our amusement park."

When Legend of the Seas called on Fredericia, tours were organised for Royal Jelling (UNESCO), the original LEGOLAND in Billund, the house and museum of Hans Christian Andersen in Odense, the Renaissance castle Egeskov on the idyllic South Funen, which is announced by CNN to have one of the 12 best gardens in the world, the Royal castle Koldinghus and Ribe Vikings. These attractions lies within only an hours drive from Fredericia.

Only this summer the Wadden Sea National Park on the West Coast of Jutland was added to the UNESCO heritage list, Ribe also on the West Coast of southern Jutland has won the tittle of Europa’s Best Big-Time Small Destination 2014, and from 2015 the new attraction Bridge Walking will open only 10 minutes drive from Fredericia and here the guests can walk 57 metres above the water of Lillebælt on top of the old bridge between Jutland and Funen.

Cruise Fredericia is a brand new destination – find more information on www.cruisefredericia.com.