Products & services

Travel Bound launches cruise itinerary builder to help agents navigate wave season for pre- and post-cruise tours

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 12 February 2016 12 February 2016

Travel Bound, the leading supplier of fully independent travel (FIT) for travel agents, has launched a Cruise Itinerary Builder to give agents added tools to grow their business further during Wave Season. Travel Bound offers agents the opportunity to make even more revenue through sales of shore excursions and extended stays in key port cities throughout this high-volume booking season.

In making the announcement, James Phillips, president, said that Travel Bound’s priority is to help travel agents sell global travel in a changing market with new technology designed specifically to meet their needs.

“The focus of Travel Bound has always been our diverse portfolio of inventory. With more than 50,000 contracted hotels worldwide, from villas to five-star resorts, and 15,000 sightseeing experiences, we offer agents what they need to book a memorable vacation for their clients. And now, this purchasing power can be used to provide focused value to an agent’s sale during key travel periods, such as Wave Season,” continued Phillips.

The mobile-friendly “Cruise Itinerary Builder,” already used by more than 1,200 agents in the first week of its launch, offers top-selling hotels in key port cities, sightseeing tours, suggested experiences and transfers, all of which are fully commissionable. Agents can seamlessly create a pre- or post-cruise itinerary using the Cruise Itinerary Builder to share with clients.

The tool features popular European and Asian port cities for river cruising, cruise ship departures across Europe, and domestic port cities such as Miami and Vancouver.

The “Cruise Itinerary Builder” can be accessed at booktravelbound.cruises.

Travel Bound is also offering a new tool for agents with groups of 10 or more passengers. The Wave Season Navigator digital booklet features suggested group experiences based on travel styles, private pre-packaged tours for pre- and post-cruise stays, and samples of shore excursions in North America, Europe, and Asia. The pre-packaged tours offer net pricing, and can be booked directly online through the booklet. Agents can also request a customizable version of the booklet, which they can brand and share with their own clients.

R&M Ship Technologies USA merges with Sea Level Marine to enhance lifecycle services offering

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 02 February 2016 02 February 2016

R&M Ship Technologies USA, Inc. has merged with Sea Level Marine, LLC. in efforts to increase the range of services offered to its global client base.

“By aligning resources, customers will benefit from the ships` lifecycle services and enhanced portfolio, combining Sea Level's established offerings with R&M Group's portfolio, along an expanded network of resources across the globe,” R&M Ship Technologies USA said in a statement.

The company is part of Reinhold & Mahla International GmbH, the Hamburg based global provider of individual and turnkey solutions for interior outfitting on board all types of maritime applications such a special vessels, cruise ships, ferries, and offshore platforms. The company’s service offering covers the entire value chain, including engineering, consulting, design, planning, implementation and production of small and large projects..

Based in Miami, Sea Level Marine is a leading provider of cruise ship interior outfitting services. Sea Level Marine has established a reputation for delivering high quality, turnkey construction and joinery for leading cruise lines in dry-docks and in service especially for refurbishment around the world.

"Clients will benefit through increased efficiency and cost savings, with the assurance that they are receiving the highest quality of work and dedicated customer service on which Sea Level's reputation was built," states Darelynn Prejean, Chief Operating & Marketing Officer at Sea Level Marine.

Thomas Grunwald, President of R&M Ship Technologies USA, Inc. adds that “by aligning our resources, we can offer clients more in-house fabrication options, combining Sea Level’s established cabinetry shop with R&M Group’s systems and materials services, along with an expanded network of skilled workers across the globe.”

The merger will allow Sea Level Marine to increase its ability to serve clients through R&M's range of resources and the global structure of the company group, while R&M will gain access to Sea Level Marine’s expertise as well as especially for the ships` lifecycle services.

Damen to carry out winter modifications for Viking River Cruises

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 26 January 2016 26 January 2016

Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam (DSAm), part of Damen Shiprepair & Conversion, is currently undertaking a substantial modification and maintenance contract for six inland cruise vessels owned by Viking River Cruises. With this winter service complete, all six vessels – known as Longships – will be ready for the coming river cruise season.

DSAm will carry out the contract one vessel at a time. The Viking Idi was the first of the six to arrive at the yard in late December 2015. Sister ships Viking Idun, Viking Kvasir, Viking Kara, Viking Hlin and Viking Gullveig will follow consecutively. With each vessel spending an average of 10-11 days at the yard, the entire contract will be completed by early March.

The primary scope of work for all six Longships comprises stern frame modifications necessary to prevent propeller damage during turning manoeuvres in canals and other narrow waterways. The solution is to install an additional steel construction reaching from the seawater inlet chest all the way to the stern. To reduce the time spent at the yard, Damen is prefabricating the steel components in advance.

The DSAm team will also carry out any necessary maintenance on the vessels whilst they have them in drydock. For example, the Viking Idi needed a replacement port propeller. Furthermore, the vertical sides of her hull and the seawater inlet chest box coolers were high-pressure washed and cleaned.

Viking’s river and ocean cruise catalogue offers worldwide destinations that include Europe, Russia, China, Southeast Asia and Egypt. Specifically for the European market, Amsterdam is a key location as it is a principal stopping and starting point for the company’s European river cruise itineraries. The DSAm site, almost next to the Amsterdam cruise terminal, is the ideal location to perform routine, as well as priority, dockings for Viking‘s large fleet. The proximity means that the cruise operator can benefit from a minimal deviation period and the associated cost savings that this entails.

“We have got to know Viking’s river cruise vessels quite well over the last couple of years, completing five identical stern modifications to part of their fleet already,“ comments DSAm Project Manager Arnold Bregman. Efficient planning of the docking, as well as the prefabrication work, is essential, he says: “With six vessels one after the other, we will be undocking the completed vessel and docking the next one on the same day. They’ll all be in our number one drydock which is perfect for river cruise vessels. We are right on schedule and proud to be continuing our relationship with Viking River Cruises.”

NIT to supply interiors for two Mein Schiff newbuilds

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 30 January 2016 30 January 2016

NIT and Meyer Turku have signed a new deal to supply the turnkey interior projects for the fifth and sixth ship in the Mein Schiff newbuild series. NIT will design and build five interior areas for each ship, both totaling 5500 square meters. The delivery includes public areas like bars, restaurants and the shore excursion area, as well as crew areas such as stairs, library and day room.

“We have been working with Turku shipyard from the first Finnish-built vessel in the Mein Schiff series, number three,” says NIT’s CEO, Jari Suominen. “We are happy with this continuing relationship, which will produce economical and operational benefits for all, as we are learning together every day.”

NIT’s project manager Torsten Viljamaa has been working to ensure the success of this cruise ship series since Mein Schiff 3. He says that the turnkey delivery by NIT also includes the technical installations (HVAC, piping, electricals and insulation) behind the interior surfaces. In order to complete complex projects on time, Viljamaa has an in-house team comprising experienced design, engineering and procurement professionals working with the installation crew on-site at Meyer Turku and in the workshop (Leo Steel) near the shipyard.

NIT is one of the leading interior suppliers for the world’s maritime industry. The company aims to be the most reliable partner for its customers. NIT has its headquarters in Kaarina, Finland and it employs 100 people. The company’s turnover exceeded 30 million euros in 2015.

Bureau Veritas to class Scenic newbuild

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 26 January 2016 26 January 2016

Classification society Bureau Veritas is to class a new concept luxury expedition cruise vessel to be built for Australia’s Scenic group.

The 165 m LOA vessel will be built at Croatia’s Uljanik shipyard for delivery in summer 2018. It will have lower berth accommodation for 228 passengers and 172 crew and will meet the requirements of the newly adopted Polar Code allowing operation for a certain period of the year in Polar waters.

Philippe Donche-Gay, Executive Vice-President and Managing Director of the Marine & Offshore Division, Bureau Veritas, says, "Bureau Veritas was involved at an early stage of design, working closely with the owners, shipyard and well known design offices for the development of this new concept cruise ship. Our expertise with safety, Polar conditions and comfort on board were all critical elements of the new concept which Scenic presents as a six-star luxury discovery yacht."

Particular attention has been paid to safety, meeting the Safe Return to Port criteria, and to comfort for the whole accommodation, based on the most stringent BV Comfort Class criteria. All guest suites will have a private balcony and the ship will be equipped with a new generation of zero-speed high efficiency stabilizers.

Two helicopters and an observation submarine will provide opportunities for a new approach to exploration cruises.

Scenic Eclipse will be powered by two separate diesel-electric propulsion plants and two pods. The vessel will be granted the highest Bureau Veritas marks and notations, including a new Polar Class and several additional class notations related to pollution prevention such as advanced waste water treatment system, ballast water management system, waste holding capacity and Green Passport.

Says Donche-Gay, "Bureau Veritas has been working for several years now with the Scenic Group on the development of its river cruise fleet, and we are proud to continue our close cooperation for this new challenging project."