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Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas begins short cruises from Port Canaveral

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 29 October 2023 29 October 2023

Port Canaveral has welcomed home Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas, the first of the game-changing Oasis-class ships to sail 3- and 4-night getaways to The Bahamas and the cruise line’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

"We’re proud to be Royal Caribbean’s partner in this industry first offering,” stated Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray. “Our partners see a strong demand in our market for shorter itineraries on an Oasis Class ship. We are thrilled to welcome home the Allure of the Seas and look forward to delivering exceptional customer service experiences to their cruise guests.”

Over the past half-year, Port Canaveral has prepared for the arrival of Allure by expanding the parking capacity with approximately one thousand new spaces near Cruise Terminal 1 to cater to cruise guests arriving by car.

In maritime tradition Port Canaveral CEO, Capt. John Murray, extended a warm welcome to Allure’s Capt. Tobias Oster and Hotel Director Adriana Tibaudo upon their arrival to the port.

Allure, now a distinguished part of Port Canaveral's homeported fleet, stands alongside a lineup of Royal Caribbean ships – Wonder of the Seas as well as Mariner and Adventure of the Seas. Notably, Allure holds the title of the world's fifth-largest cruise ship, making Port Canaveral the proud home of two of the five largest cruise ships globally.

The ship boasts seven distinct neighborhoods, offering an array of amenities, including a thrilling nine-story zip line and two exhilarating FlowRider surf simulators. Additionally, vacationers can enjoy twin rock-climbing walls, mini-golf, ice skating, and a Sports Court.

Entertainment options on board are equally impressive, featuring full-scale productions spanning four stages – air, ice, water and theater. Guests can take in a performance of “Mamma Mia!” at the Royal Theater, witness daring high divers, aerialists, and slackliners at the AquaTheater, and even enjoy a spectacular performance by Olympic-level skaters at the Studio B ice-skating arena.

Allure also serves up a variety of dining and nightlife experiences, with over 30 restaurants, bars, and lounges like family-style Italian classics at Giovanni’s Table, sushi and hibachi at Izumi, American steakhouse Chops Grille, Starbucks and Vintages wine bar.

Families have ample opportunities to cool off, from the adults-only Solarium to the H2O Zone kids aqua park. The ship also boasts the Central Park neighborhood, featuring thousands of real plants, inviting walking paths, live music, and charming spots to dine and unwind.

Measuring an impressive 1,187 feet in length and 215 feet in width, Allure boasts a grand total of 18 decks and 2,748 staterooms. The ship registers 225,282 gross tons and comfortably accommodates approximately 5,496 guests in double occupancy.

Allure was constructed at the shipyard formerly known as STX Europe in Turku, Finland.

Photo: Captains Tobias Oster and John Murray. Credit: Port Canaveral

PortMiami welcomes eight new cruise ships for the 2023-24 cruise season

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 27 October 2023 27 October 2023

PortMiami has announced, that it will welcome eight new cruise ships to the “Cruise Capital of the World” for the 2023-24 cruise season.

Among the new lineup of ships that will be departing from PortMiami beginning October 2023 are the Oceania's Vista, Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Venezia, and Scenic Eclipse II. In November 2023, Crystal Cruises' Serenity, Explora Journeys' Explora I, and Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Viva; and in December 2023, Regent’s Seven Seas Grandeur will begin sailing from PortMiami. In January 2024, Royal Caribbean Group's Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, will set sail from the Port.

“We are grateful for the longstanding partnerships with all of our cruise partners and their commitment to providing a world-class experience to our passengers,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “These new ships, and their improved amenities and customer experience, are helping to keep Miami-Dade and PortMiami on the cutting edge of the cruise industry.”

As PortMiami returns to regular cruise schedules and operations, the Port has already celebrated its two busiest cruise passenger days in history. On Sunday, April 9, 2023, the Port welcomed 67,594 guests, which surpassed the 58,984 guests on Sunday, February 12, 2023, a 12.7% increase.

Additionally, the port is finalizing its Shore Power Program, a partnership between PortMiami, its cruise partners (Carnival Corporation, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Group, and Virgin Voyages) and Florida Power and Light Company. Upon completion, shore power capability will be available at five cruise terminals with the ability to plug in three ships at a time. Shore power will allow a cruise ship to turn off their primary engines while docked, resulting in reduced air emissions.

Photo: PortMiami has several new cruise terminals, including this NCL facility: Credit: Teijo Niemela

Record year for cruise at Port of Vancouver

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 23 October 2023 23 October 2023

The final cruise ship of the 2023 season, Holland America Line's Koningsdam, will depart from the Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver tomorrow, marking the end of a robust year for the local cruise industry.

The Port of Vancouver is expected to have welcomed an estimated 1.25 million passengers in 2023, a new record and a 54% increase compared to 2022. This includes 15 of Canada Place's 20 busiest days ever for cruise passengers, all occurring in the past six months. There were 332 cruise ship calls between April and October 2023, a new record for the Canada Place cruise terminal and an increase of 9% compared to 307 visits in 2022.

"Cruise returned to Vancouver emphatically this year after several seasons impacted by the global pandemic-with 2023 seeing record passenger numbers, near-record cruise ship visits and the Canada Place terminal getting further international recognition as a world-class cruise facility," said Peter Xotta, vice president of operations and supply chain at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the federal agency mandated to enable Canada's trade through the Port of Vancouver.

Cruise ship occupancy rates, which are a measure of how full each visiting ship is-averaged 95% for the season and peaked at an average of 96% over the summer, as occupancy rates returned to pre pandemic levels. This year was the first full season without any COVID-19 related restrictions, following the gradual easing of federal travel restrictions in 2022.

"The cruise sector's strong performance this year has been a critical catalyst for the local tourism and hospitality industries-supporting countless local jobs and businesses. I'd like to thank our partners, including Ceres Terminals Canada, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and cruise lines for their hard work in ensuring that this busy season-which included an incredible 15 of Canada Place's 20 busiest days ever-went smoothly," said Xotta.

Holland America Line will join the port authority tomorrow, October 24, to celebrate the Koningsdam's departure and mark the end of a successful cruise season.

"We are honoured to have been part of the Port of Vancouver's biggest cruise season ever, with 25% of guests sailing on five Holland America Line ships," said Beth Bodensteiner, chief commercial officer for Holland America Line. "We see this as further evidence that the cruise industry has rebounded in a remarkable way. We're proud to call Vancouver a homeport and look forward to another great season in 2024."

The Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver was recently recognized as North America's Leading Cruise Port 2023 by World Travel Awards and North America's Best Cruise Terminal in the World Cruise Awards.

"Indications based on preliminary bookings are that the 2024 cruise season will see a similar number of cruise ship visits, demonstrating the underlying strength and popularity of the cruise industry in Vancouver and its unique access to B.C.'s prestigious Inside Passage," said Xotta.

The port authority continues to work alongside the broader port and cruise communities to achieve its goal for the Port of Vancouver to be the world's most sustainable port and commends the cruise industry's focus on shore power and environmental sustainability.

Highlights for 2023 cruise season

– The last cruise ship of the season, the Koningsdam, is scheduled to depart Canada Place on October 24, 2023
– This season's first cruise ship at the Port of Vancouver was the Sapphire Princess
– Overall, the average cruise ship passenger occupancy rate for 2023 was 95%, compared to 69% in 2022. Pre-pandemic occupancy rates typically ranged between 93% and 99%, including 98% in 2019.
– In 2023, nearly 75% of cruise calls were shore power enabled, compared to 70% in 2022 and 50% in 2019. Demand for shore power has steadily increased since 2009, when the Port of Vancouver became the first port in Canada and the third in the world to introduce shore power for cruise. Shore power enables ships to shut down their diesel-powered auxiliary engines and plug into land-based electrical power. At the Port of Vancouver, this has helped reduce port-related greenhouse gas emissions by more than 38,000 tonnes since 2009.
– Six inaugural vessels docked at Canada Place in 2023, including the Norwegian Encore, Brilliance of the Seas, Silver Whisper, Hanseatic Nature, Fridtjof Nansen and Seabourn Venture

Photo: Koningsdam departing Vancouver in 2022. Photo credit: Teijo Niemela

Okinawa welcomes Resort World One

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 18 October 2023 18 October 2023

Resorts World Cruises continued its expansion of new itineraries this week with the Resorts World One’s inaugural 5-Night cruise from Hong Kong to Okinawa, which include Naha and Miyakojima. Departing from Hong Kong on 15 October 2023, Resorts World One arrives in Naha and Miyakojima on 17 and 18 October 2023 respectively, offering monthly departures from Hong Kong to Okinawa on selected Sundays. Voted as one of the Top 10 Best Islands in Asia for the Conde Nast Traveller Reader’s Choice Awards 2023, Okinawa is an all-time favourite paradise destination for many travellers. Getting there will be a breeze aboard the Resorts World One with cruise fares starting from HK$ 3,520 per guest based on twin sharing.

To commemorate this milestone and joyous occasion, a special welcome event was held in Naha to celebrate Resorts World One’s first arrival into the capital city of Okinawa. As part of the ceremony, Hiroshi Teruya, Executive Vice President, Naha Port Authority; Yukimasa Adaniya, Managing Director, Agricultural Cooperative Association of Okinawa Prefecture (JA Okinawa); Hiroki Matori, Senior Executive Director, Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB), together with Michael Goh, President of Resorts World Cruises officiated the ship’s inaugural arrival. In addition, the Okinawa tourism bureau also made special arrangements to welcome disembarking guests in Naha with a dazzling cultural performance.

“We are excited to expand our itineraries with Okinawa as our new destination for our 5-Night cruises aboard the Resorts World One from Hong Kong. Okinawa has so much to offer and we look forward to visiting beyond Naha and Miyakojima in the near future,” said Michael Goh, President of Resorts World Cruises. “As we will be calling monthly to Okinawa, we thank the local authorities for their ongoing support as we continue to work closely together to grow the inbound tourism for Japan and for the overall regional cruise tourism industry,” he added.

Taking a cruise vacation to Okinawa offers a new experience altogether, which promises to be fun, unique and memorable. It’s really one of the best ways to get an overall feel of Okinawa and to visit the different destinations within the Okinawa islands, minus the hassle of taking different modes of transportation, checking-in and out of hotels, packing and unpacking at each destination. Hop on aboard the Resorts World One from Hong Kong, one of the world’s best-connected cities and enjoy a seamless 5-Night Naha – Miyakojima cruise vacation departing from Hong Kong on selected Sundays* every month.

In conjunction with the cruise to Okinawa, Resorts World Cruises further collaborated with Japan Agriculture (JA) Okinawa to bring some of its renowned Wagyu beef for the Resorts World One, as well as for the Genting Dream cruise ship. Between 15 November and 15 December 2023, guests will get the opportunity to participate in the JA Okinawa Wagyu Beef Cooking Demonstrations, as well as savour authentic Okinawan cuisine prepared using fresh farm-to-table Okinawa local products at selected onboard specialty restaurants.

With the city of Naha as the main gateway to Okinawa, guests may explore various hallmark attractions. These include immersing yourself in the bustling festivals, bars and cafes at Kokusai Street, amazing duty-free shopping at T-Galleria Okinawa and also enjoying the water activities at Naminoue Beach, while admiring the shrines. Discover more beautiful spots at your next destination in Miyakojima with the country’s best beaches, filled with exciting water-related activities at Yonaha Maehama beach, Sunayama beach and Painagama Beach. Not to be missed are also the unique designed bridges, traditional architectures and colourful festivals.

Nassau Cruise Port on track to set a new annual passenger record

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 17 October 2023 17 October 2023

Nassau Cruise Port has announced that, after comparing its total passenger numbers year over year, the total number of passengers that visited the port this year (as of September 2023) was over 11,000 passengers higher than the overall passenger count for 2022.

By September 24, 2023, the port team had welcomed 3,224,210 cruise passengers for the year. By comparison, 3,212,603 passengers visited the port between January and December 2022.

Company executives estimate that they will welcome 4.2 million passengers for the year by December 2023, which, if achieved, will mark a new total annual passenger record for the leading cruise port in the region.

"We are thrilled to have reached this milestone and to do so just in time to celebrate our fourth anniversary makes the achievement extraordinarily special," said chief executive officer, Mike Maura Jr. "Our success reflects the resilience and commitment of the cruise industry and is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the entire Nassau Cruise Port team, the Bahamian government, our community, and our industry partners. Together, we have transformed the Bahamian cruise tourism product and brand, quickly turning Nassau into a premier destination for cruisers around the world. The best is yet to come," he concluded.

NCP began operations in October 2019 as part of a consortium comprising Global Ports Holding Plc, the Bahamas Investment Fund (BIF) and the Yes Foundation.