Ports & destinations

Record breaking cruise season for Portland Port

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 07 October 2013 07 October 2013

Portland Port have enjoyed a very eventful year, welcoming a total of 19 cruise calls and over 20,000 cruise passengers to the quay side. The port, recently awarded with the “Most Improved Destination” title by Cruise Insight Magazine, enjoyed a record breaking cruise season, which saw return visits from Cruise Lines such as Phoenix Reisen and Crystal Cruises, along with the hotly anticipated arrival of the cruise line AIDA, with the inaugural calls of their vessel the AIDAstella.

Portland’s biggest cruise season to date ran from the beginning of May and saw the last call on the 30th September by Phoenix Reisen’s Albatros. Passengers from the German cruise liner embarked on excursions to Sherborne and Abbotsbury, whilst others ventured further afield to Stonehenge and Salisbury. Some passengers decided to stay local and enjoyed the sights and attractions of Weymouth and Portland using the courtesy shuttle buses provided by the port authority.

In light of such a fantastic year, Ian McQuade, General Manager (Business Development) of Portland Port, said: "Portland has enjoyed its most successful cruise season to date and next year is set to be better again, with the likes of Holland America, Royal Caribbean and AIDA cruise lines all making return visits to the port."

All cruise calls this year have been welcomed by Stuart Cave, the Portland Town Crier. Stuart welcomes the passengers off the ship as they embark on their tours of the local attractions. The port also recruited local language speakers to assist with Portland’s foreign visitors, offering them tourist information in their native tongue. Ian added: “We would like to thank all those involved in the successful running of the cruise calls, including the Portland town crier, local language speakers, quayside entertainers and the Nothe Fort Artillery Volunteers. All of these people make a massive contribution to the enjoyment of our cruise passengers.”

The cruise season of 2014 will start at the beginning of May next year and with around 20 cruise calls already confirmed its set to be another busy year at Portland Port. Now the port's focus has already moved on to 2015 and trying to continue the growth experienced over the last two years. To this end Mr. McQuade last week attended the Seatrade Europe cruise exhibition and conference in Hamburg. "It was a great opportunity to catch up with friends from the cruise sector, both old and new, to promote the benefits of including Portland Port in their itineraries. Portland has now established itself as an attractive alternative to more traditional cruise ports and I hope that we will be adding new cruise lines to our growing list of customers in 2015," Ian commented.

The Panama Canal cruise season officially begins

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 03 October 2013 03 October 2013

The Panama Canal cruise ship season officially starts today, Wednesday, October 2, with the transit of the Celebrity Millennium. During this season, cruise ships will be transiting the waterway during the year of its 100th anniversary.

The Celebrity Millennium, with a capacity of more than 2,000 passengers, marked the beginning of the season, transiting through the Panama Canal as part of a 15-day trip from San Diego, California to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in the United States.

According to Albano Aguilar, international trade specialist for the Vice Presidency for Planning and Business Development, more than 200 transits are expected this season, an average similar to the past couple of years. The main cruise lines offer itineraries of 10 days or more, which include the experience of transiting the Panama Canal.

Other cruise ships transiting through the Panama Canal include the National Geographic Sea Lion and Wind Spirit, which have shorter itineraries along the west coast of Central America.

During this season, three cruise ships will transit through the Panama Canal for the first time: Carnival Imagination on January 16, Costa Atlantica on May 14 and Carnival Legend on August 22.

Carnival Corp & plc to invest €20 million in second Barcelona terminal

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 27 September 2013 27 September 2013

The Port of Barcelona says it reached an agreement with Carnival Corporation &plc to build and operate a new cruise terminal (Terminal E) on the Port’s Adossat wharf.

The Anglo-American group already operates the Palacruceros terminal, Terminal D, in the port. The company built it in 2005.

“With an estimated investment of over €20 million by the Carnival Group, Terminal E will cover an area of approximately 10,000 square meters and will be able to receive post panamax cruise ships with a capacity for 4,500 passengers in turnaround operations,” the port said in a statement. This investment aims to meet the industry’s future needs to provide service to increasingly large ships that also have Barcelona as their turnaround port for routes around the Mediterranean.

Cunard Building could become Liverpool Cruise Terminal

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 01 October 2013 01 October 2013

Cunard Building, one the three grand buildings on the Pier Head on the waterfront of Liverpool in the UK, could become new cruise terminal facility in the city, Cruise Liverpool said in a statement.

At the moment, turn around calls are handed in a temporary structure near a floating jetty that is located a few hundred yards downstream on the River Mersey. The floating jetty can handle very large ships, such as Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 of 151,400 gross tons, but since it was originally designed for just calls rather than turnarounds, a small temporary structure was built adjacent to the jetty that is poorly suited to handle big ships

“The proposal is part of a cost-saving scheme which will see the city council acquire the leasehold of the Grade II* listed building and dispose of its interest in two other city centre sites,” Cruise Liverpool said.

The building was designed by William Willink and Philip Thicknesse and constructed between 1914 and 1917. It housed the headquarters of the Cunard Line until the 1960s and it was listed by English Heritage in 1965. Passenger facilities included waiting rooms, booking hall, luggage storage and a currency exchange.

Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool , said in the statement: “This is an iconic building on the city’s world famous waterfront and this opportunity to purchase the leasehold will deliver significant benefits and secure the future of the building…. And it will be fitting to return the building to its original function as a place where cruise liner journeys begin and end.”

Cunard Building, together with Royal Liver Building and the head office of Mersey Docks & Harbour Company form the classic part of the Liverpool Pier Head, one of the most famous shipping landmarks. Major redevelopment has taken place in the area in recent years, e.g. through the construction of a modernistic museum building, as part of major urban regeneration investment, totalling at almost £1.0 billion.

Port of Skagen joins Cruise Baltic

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 27 September 2013 27 September 2013

At Seatrade Europe in Hamburg this week, Cruise Baltic has taken the opportunity to announce news of Denmark's Port of Skagen, joining the network, bringing the total cruise destinations to 28.

Geographically, the Port of Skagen is the northernmost cruise port of Denmark, located where the waters of the North Sea and the Kattegat meet. At Grenen, the headland of the Skagen Odde spit, visitors can actually stand with one foot in the Baltic and one in the North Sea.

The decision to join Cruise Baltic comes at a time when a report conducted by Bermello Ajamil & Partners has indicated tremendous potential for future cruise business to Skagen; while Summer 2013 saw the news announced that by Spring 2015 the port facilities will be expanded in order to attract more cruise ships, with a new 450-metre long cruise berth and extending an existing berth from 170 metres to 200.

Says Willy Bent Hansen, Managing Director, Port of Skagen: "This is therefore a significant strategy for us to partner with leading association Cruise Baltic at this time, looking to grow our cruise business. I believe it will also prove invaluable in terms of knowledge sharing with other destinations and provide us with a platform for discussing current and future issues which face us as a region."

In response Cruise Baltic Director, Bo Larsen commented: "We are proud to include such an attractive destination in our portfolio; and with its plans for development over the next 18 months, believe that without doubt the Port of Skagen will add value to the overall cruise product in the Baltic Sea Region."

The Port of Skagen is Denmark's leading fishing harbour and yet retains a charming, elegant atmosphere. The port area also features a remarkable marina with enchanting open-air fish restaurants; and the nearby market town with its boutiques, museums and art galleries contributes to attracting international cruise line passengers and tourists to the area, particularly in the Summer months. Skagen Museum, founded in 1908 by a group of local painters houses hundreds of paintings, drawings and sculptures and is situated in a beautiful garden close to Brøndum’s Hotel, where many of the artists stayed and gathered.

Skagen is renowned for experiencing annually the highest number of sunshine hours in Denmark – ideal for travelling out of town to see the Skagen Odde Nature Centre onBøjlevejen, which is devoted to the effects of sand, water, wind and light; or Grenen, also rich in bird life and ideal for walks along the sandy beaches.