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Galveston Wharves explores cruise, cargo opportunities with Panama

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 24 June 2022 24 June 2022

Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, recently traveled to Panama with a delegation of Texas port leaders to explore growth opportunities.

The U.S.-Panama Business Council organized the trade mission June 13-14 so that high-level Panamanian government, business and canal leaders could meet with the Texas delegation to discuss current opportunities and the global outlook.

The Panama Canal is a major shipping route for cargo and lay ships that call on the Port of Galveston. Panama also has a growing cruise industry with cruise ports at the Caribbean entrance to the canal in Colon and on the Pacific side near Panama City.

Rees said, “As the only cruise port in Texas, I was interested in learning how Galveston’s cruise industry could benefit from Panama’s growth as a homeport and port of call.

“Some of the major cruise lines that homeport in Galveston already transit through the Panama Canal. With the second cruise terminal in Panama opening this year on the Pacific side, could cruise lines homeporting there consider Galveston as a port of call?”

Of the 946 ships that called on Galveston in 2021, a number were cargo ships and lay ships that traveled through the canal. Shippers that carry wind, roll-on/roll-off, grain and other cargos to and from the Port of Galveston rely on the canal for efficient transport. The Panama Canal recorded 287 million tons of cargo and 13,300 vessel movements in 2021.

The Port of Galveston is a major Texas cargo port, moving almost 5 million tons in 2021. The Galveston Ship Channel ranks in the top 50 U.S. waterways for cargo tonnage. Galveston is one of 11 deep-draft ports in Texas that contribute to the state’s top national ranking for total waterborne tonnage.

“I want to thank the council for organizing the meetings. I came away with a greater understanding of the country and of potential grown opportunities for both Texas ports and Panama,” Rees said.

Nassau Cruise Port welcomes over 20,000 passengers on homeporting anniversary

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 17 June 2022 17 June 2022

On Sunday, June 12, Nassau Cruise Port welcomed 20,210 passengers and celebrated one year since the restart of cruising to Nassau began. Adventure of the Seas, a Voyager-class vessel operated by Royal Caribbean International, was the first cruise ship to call on Nassau after the major cruise lines voluntary shut down the industry in March 2020 due to the spread of Covid-19. The highly anticipated visit, which took place on June 12, 2021, was the second cruise ship call made in North America and the Caribbean since the shutdown.

This year, Nassau Cruise Port welcomed six ships on the same date as the 2021 restart – Norwegian Sky, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Magic, Carnival Freedom, and two Royal Caribbean vessels – Freedom of the Seas and Independence of the Seas.

Mike Maura, Jr., CEO of Nassau Cruise Port Ltd., described his team’s excitement in achieving this milestone. “We could not have asked for a better way to commemorate the restart of cruising than a six-ship day with over 20,000 passengers in port. We have welcomed 553 calls so far this year, which is 145 calls more than we received from June to December 2021. This puts us on a healthy track to finish the year with over 1,100 calls. As of last Sunday, more than 1.8 million passengers have visited Nassau since June 2021 and the numbers continue to climb.”

In 2023, Nassau Cruise Port aims to welcome over four million passengers – 200,000 more than the 3.8 million who visited the port in 2019. “We are extremely grateful to our employees, cruise line partners, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and other government supporters, port stakeholders, and of course, the guests who have helped us get to this point. We have come a long way since March 2020, and we have much to celebrate as we complete the reimagining of the waterfront and bring even more passengers to little Nassau.”

“As those who live and work in the area can see, we are making excellent progress on the construction with the Arrivals Terminal and Junkanoo Museum steadily rising above the port. Our general contractor has already laid the foundations for the new Authentically Bahamian Market boutiques for fifty local small retailers and other parts of the Port Plaza that will feature uniquely Bahamian businesses.

“Downtown Nassau is still recovering from the COVID shut down, but most of the stores have reopened,” he continued. “Hundreds of people are back at work, and on a six-ship day like last Sunday, the downtown core is as busy and vibrant as ever. With the promise of our project and other potential activities for downtown on the horizon, our future remains extremely bright in Nassau.”

Haropa reports a promising start of cruise season

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 31 May 2022 31 May 2022

The fourth edition of the Cruise Trade Show on 21 May 2022 in Le Havre marked the beginning of the 2022 season! Hard hit since the beginning of the pandemic, sea and river cruise operators are now picking up their activities again with a new season that is looking strong. This year the Seine Axis ports will be welcoming some 200 cruise ships, 130 calling at Havre, 51 at Honfleur and 14 at Rouen.

Optimism is the watchword for operators offering sea and river liveaboard cruises. This year, 242 ocean cruise ships are in service out of a total global fleet of nearly 320. This is the highest level of activity recorded since the beginning of the global pandemic and its total shutdown of cruises in the spring of 2020. The new season also promises to be very dynamic for the Seine Axis ports.

In 2022, 130 cruise calls are scheduled for Le Havre. Three new sea cruise lines (Virgin Voyages, Ambassador Cruise Line and Mystic Cruises) are planning to call for the first time in Le Havre and fifteen cruise ships will be making inaugural calls at the port. Out of the 130 scheduled calls, 24 designate Porte Océane as “starting/terminal port”, one example being the prestigious Queen Mary 2 that will be setting sail in September for an ocean crossing to New York.

A new terminal on Le Havre’s Florida Point

The plan for a new cruise terminal due to be built on Florida Point in Le Havre testifies to regional actors’ determination to develop this port activity. The driver for the future infrastructure is a public interest grouping (GIP) notable members of which are the “Le Havre Seine Métropole” city and district federation and HAROPA PORT. The project has been sized to process some 600,000 passengers by 2030, compared with 400,000 currently. It represents investment of just under €90m in public works to be carried out over the next few years. The three quayside berths on Florida Point will be equipped with electricity connection points at the rate of one installation each year, starting in 2023. HAROPA PORT is devoting €20m to making these “zero fumes” calls possible.

51 cruise ships accommodated at Quay no. 3 in Honfleur

The first cruise ship of the season in Honfleur arrived at the port on Thursday, 14 April. The Hanseatic Spirit, operated by Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd line, made its inaugural call at the port. The traditional inaugural tompion was awarded on board. The Hanseatic Spirit entered service in August 2021. She is the most recent addition to the Hapag Llyod Cruises fleet. This expedition cruise ship can accommodate 230 passengers and 175 crew for luxury cruises. She is 138m long with a beam of 22m.

Seven other inaugural calls are expected at Honfleur: Le Dumont d’Urville, Silver Moon, Le Bellot, Sea Cloud Spirit, Ambience, World Navigator and Bolette. Worthy of especial note is the arrival on Saturday of the Bellot, the fifth vessel in the “Explorers” class operated by Ponant, a French company. The Boréal and the Dumont d’Urville, also operated by Ponant, will also be stopping over in Normandy. The Europa 2, a Hapag-Lloyd premium cruise ship, also called at Honfleur on 26 April last. The season’s largest ship will be the Ambience, 245m long with capacity for 1,400 passengers. This ship, operated by Ambassador Cruise Line, will be making three calls at Honfleur.

Four inaugural calls at Rouen

Also on Thursday 14 April, the Rouen Cruise Terminal welcomed the Ocean Nova, its first cruise ship of the season. Built in 1992, this former coastal express from Greenland was designed to cope with icebergs and pack ice. In 2006, she was converted for sea cruises. Her capacity was deliberately limited to 76 passengers. This small Ice Class B1 polar vessel has a 38-strong crew, is 72m long and has a beam of 11m. Three other inaugural calls are scheduled for Rouen: Silver Moon, Volendam and Azamara Pursuit.

Rouen’s Cruise Terminal is currently the site of a major, multiphase programme of works. The first stage involves the rerouting of water and electricity utilities. This will be followed, at the end of 2022, by extensive quay consolidation work to be completed in 2023. This will prepare the way for the installation of connection points for supplying electrical power to cruise ships at berth. The electrification work is expected to be completed in 2025.

Viking River Cruises begins operating four new Seine cruise vessels

The river cruise sector is also seeing a dynamic upturn on the Seine Axis. In Le Havre, booked port calls have virtually doubled, rising from 110 stopovers in 2019 to 219 this year. This represents around 7,500 passengers a year, with a customer base consisting essentially of German, British and American tourists.

Viking Cruises has recently added four new river cruise vessels to its fleet, these having been specifically designed for Seine navigation. They are Viking Fjorgyn, Viking Kari, Viking Radgrid and Viking Skaga. Based in Grenelle port near the Paris regional management offices, the formal ship naming ceremony was conducted on 7 April in the presence of the vessels’ godmothers: Ghislaine Wood, Kari Garmann, Janie Deutscher and Muriel Wilson.

In Rouen, work has begun on the modernisation of the piers of Babin dock in the Saint Gervais basin to the north of the Cruise Terminal. This area of the port currently has two berths mainly used for wintering river cruise ships.

The main objectives of the work now under way is most notably to improve the piers and berthing/mooring conditions for increased capacity (from a maximum of 7 ships to 10). The aim is also to allow the piers to be used for barge convoys (carrying freight) outside the wintering periods. The new infrastructure will enable water and electricity to be supplied (a wintering version for river cruise vessels and possibly one supply point for barge convoys). The latter project should begin this summer for completion in 2023.

Alaska’s next cruise ship destination to open in Klawock in 2023

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 27 May 2022 27 May 2022

Featuring sport fishing, culinary experiences, wildlife viewing and totem carving traditions, Alaska’s next cruise ship destination is being built near the Tlingit village of Klawock. Oceania Cruises will be the first cruise line scheduled to visit on May 24, 2023, with three additional calls in the 2023 season.

Na-Dena`, the joint venture between Alaska Native corporations Doyon, Limited and Huna Totem Corporation, will lean on Huna Totem’s success in sustainable tourism in the development of the port, and work alongside Klawock Heenya Corporation, an Alaska Native village corporation that represents the Tlingit people from Klawock. The award-winning Huna Totem Port Development Model is globally recognized for its ability to create balance in small communities while welcoming larger groups of travelers, as it does in Hoonah and its cruise port, Icy Strait Point. Adopting Na-Dena`’s core development principles, Klawock will share local culture and promote employment of Native and local Alaska workforce and feature an Alaska-only retail program.

Built on 16 acres on Klawock Island, the port sits on the Pacific coast side of Prince of Wales Island. The Port of Klawock is ideally positioned for both north and southbound Alaska itineraries. With two separate fjord entrances, sailing in and out of the port treats cruisers to scenic views of the wildlife-rich archipelagos, dramatic mountains and lush islands. The port island connects by bridge to Prince of Wales’ vast road system to other communities and tour options around the island.

“Tourism is the opportunity we need,” said Klawock Heenya Corporation President Teresa D. Fairbanks. “It’s exciting to now pursue the future for Klawock and our Native shareholders. We know building a tourism-based economy is a process, but we share a similar history of fish canning and timber harvesting with Hoonah. Thanks to the partnership with Na-Dena`, together, we know Klawock Heenya will be successful.”

Na-Dena` will assist Klawock Heenya Corporation to develop a series of guest attractions and tour products, embracing Klawock’s totem carving traditions, the abundance of local wildlife and the area’s renowned sport fishing industry.

“Our vision of tourism, balanced with Alaska’s cruise industry, creates meaning for travelers and our Native communities,” said Huna Totem Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Russell Dick. “Huna Totem’s Icy Strait Point incorporates elements of who we are as Alaska Native people, leaving travelers with a better understanding of our culture and the importance of our lands and surrounding environment. While the experience enhances their Alaska vacation, in turn, it also builds economic stability for all Alaska Native people to practice and share our traditions and history with the world. Na-Dena` looks forward to celebrating Klawock Heenya’s values and traditions in Alaska’s newest port.”

The port of Klawock helps Na-Dena` promote the evolution of the Alaska tourism industry, providing travelers with an increasing number of cultural tour products and sustainable tourism opportunities. The port partnership expects to announce additional cruise line visits for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, meeting the growing demands of the Alaska travel market.

“A port is the next natural step for Na-Dena`,” Doyon President and Chief Executive Officer Aaron M. Schutt said. “We are looking forward to expanding tourism in Southeast Alaska to keep up with the increase in visitor volume and introducing cruise guests to Alaska Native culture.”