Departments

Santander Cruise Deluxe to sponsor International Cruise Summit in its quest to capture cruise traffic

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 25 November 2020 25 November 2020

The cruise industry will be gathering again at the International Cruise Summit on December 1 and 2, and Santander Cruise Deluxe will have a prominent presence at it as an official sponsor.

The Port, the City council of Santander and the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Tourism of the Government of Cantabria are determined to promote the arrival of cruises to the city as soon as ships start sailing again. The entire global cruise fleet has been virtually paralysed during the pandemic. However, it is slowly beginning to sail again with reinforced health and hygiene protocols including coronavirus testing before boarding for all passengers and crew members, specific assistance insurance and onboard activities adapted to social distancing and relevant sanitary measures.

When cruise ships cross the seas again, Santander wants to become the reference port on the northern point of the Iberian Peninsula. Some 200 cruise ships a year sail through the Bay of Biscay, mostly to or from the port of Southampton, on the south coast of England. Attracting this traffic to Santander is the objective for which the Santander Cruise Deluxe brand has been designed. Its presentation will take place at the International Cruise Summit.

This event, which will hold its tenth edition this year, has great international relevance, and it involves both presidents of American and European shipping companies, as well as the senior executives who make decisions on the itineraries to be planned in the upcoming years. Also registered are port agents, tour operators and other stakeholders in the industry. The sponsorship of Santander Cruise Deluxe will stand out especially in the panel of small luxury cruises, where four managers of shipping companies specialized in that niche market will participate.

Several studies show that each cruise passenger spends more than 60 Euros in the city if he visit on his own, but this amount rises to between 150 and 200 euros if he hires an excursion, which involves the tour operator hiring local buses, official guides, tickets to tourist attractions, etc. Ease of travel through Cantabria is another of the objectives that are sought by cruisers, in order to take advantage of the proximity of the tourist attractions offered by the Region. In addition, the ships themselves contribute to additional revenue for the city in the form of port fees, pilots, moorings, supplies, etc.

Over the past decade, cruise tourism has grown markedly, with a dozen new ships inaugurated every year on average, reaching 30 million passengers annually in 2019 when ten years earlier it was only 17.8 million. But this has also raised controversy regarding this form of travel through being accused of causing tourist overcrowding in cities such as Venice, and of being highly polluting. The truth is that of the 25 million tourists that Venice receives, only 1.4 million are cruise passengers. Furthermore, in the last decade international legislation on atmospheric emissions has hardened so much that shipping companies have had to develop and install gas scrubbers in their funnels that achieve reductions of 97% in sulphur oxides, as well as very significant reductions in nitrogen oxides and particles. But there are even ships already sailing using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as fuel, which does not emit sulphur oxides, reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by 85% and CO2 emissions by 20%. Many of the cruise ships to be built in the coming years will use LNG as fuel. In this regard, it should be noted that the Port of Santander has obtained a grant of 4.3 million Euros from the European Union to design and build an LNG supply terminal that will be operational in March 2023. In addition, the berth area of the ferries will be transferred to the Maliaño Piers, leaving the Admiral Pier and the Maritime Station exclusively for cruise ships.

Not only have the polluting atmospheric emissions by cruise ships been significantly reduced, but shipping companies started a race years ago to save energy on board and emit less CO2. By 2020 many of the large shipping companies had completely removed single-use plastics on board, something that, unfortunately, the pandemic has managed to temporarily reverse.

Alongside the sponsorship of the International Cruise Summit, executives from the cruise industry around the world will be receiving in the near future a series of special newsletters highlighting the many delights that the city and the Autonomous Region of Cantabria can offer them, and the first meetings with shipping managers are already planned.

ABP to build fifth cruise terminal at Southampton

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 25 November 2020 25 November 2020

Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK based port operator, said it is to open a next-generation-ready and open access cruise terminal for the 2021 cruise season in Southampton and entered in a strategic partnership with two companies regarding its use.

“The fifth dedicated cruise terminal at the port will benefit from roof-mounted solar power and will also have Shore Power connectivity installed. This further commitment to sustainable operations at the port will enable cruise ships, with the right onboard technology, to ‘plug in’ while they are alongside,” the company said in a statement.

This investment of more than £55 million into the long-term future of cruise will strengthen the Port of Southampton’s position as Europe’s leading cruise turn-around port and the UK’s number one departure port.

In strategic partnership with MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH), the Port of Southampton’s newest terminal will support a developing industry welcoming the next generation of ships in terms of size, capacity and technology.

The project has received support from the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) through the Government's Getting Building Fund with an £8 million grant.

Alastair Welch, Director of ABP Southampton, said: “We’re very pleased to announce this major advance in our cruise infrastructure at the port, delivering further access to Southampton for the industry, whilst supporting our commitment to accelerate improvements in local air quality.”

“This investment is a huge vote of confidence in the future of cruise in Southampton and we’re excited to be at the forefront of a growing industry.”

Photo: Projected fifth cruise terminal at Southampton

Papachristou appointed as new MedCruise Secretary General

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 20 November 2020 20 November 2020

MedCruise, the Association representing cruise ports in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas, has announced the appointment of Aimilia Papachristou as its new Secretary General.

The new MedCruise Secretary General, Aimilia Papachristou was Senior Project Manager at MedCruise, from 2013 until 2018. Before that, she had been advisor to the Secretary General of Ports and Port Policy, at the Ministry of Development Competitiveness and Shipping of the Hellenic Republic. A founding member of PortEconomics.eu, she is currently finalising a PhD thesis examining cruise ports governance. She holds a BSc and a MSc in Shipping, Trade and Transport, University of the Aegean, and is a maritime economist with significant experience in port economics, management and policy. Aimilia’s appointment has seen her stepping down as Business Consultant on cruise-rail integration of the railway company of Greece, TRAINOSE S.A.

Aimilia Papachristou replaces Jordi Caballé who has served MedCruise as Secretary General, since February 2018.
MedCruise President, Aris Batsoulis, stated: “We are confident that the Association will benefit from Aimilia’s expertise and, along with the continuation of the excellent work of the Secretariat, she will advance further in benefiting our members. We would like to thank Jordi for his professionalism and excellent work during the three years that served the Association. We wish him every success to his future plans."

GPH in agreement to operate Taranto port, subsidiary plans to issue rouble bonds

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 16 November 2020 16 November 2020

Global Ports Holding (GPH), the Istanbul based company that is the world’s largest cruise port operator, has signed an agreement in principle to operate the nascent cruise port of Taranto in Italy, while a fully owned subsidiary company has filed a shelf registration programme in Moscow allowing it to issue rouble denominated bonds.

The agreement to operate cruise facilities in Taranto, which is perhaps best known for its naval base, will run for 20 years. “The cruise port infrastructure in Taranto is currently undergoing a state funded, c€28m investment program, including the building of a new cruise terminal. The construction of these new facilities is expected to be completed by the end of 2020,” the company said in a statement.

GPH and the port authority will now work towards agreeing the terms of a concession agreement. “Following the successful execution of the concession agreement, GPH will use its global expertise and operating model to manage the cruise port operations in Taranto. The concession is expected to start in Q1 2021,” the company said. In 2019, the Taranto Cruise Port welcomed about 9,000 cruise passengers

Meanwhile, GPH has announced that Vostochnaya Stevedoring Limited Liability Company (VSC) that is 100% owned by GPH, has registered a Rouble-denominated Bond Programme with the Moscow Exchange. “The Programme, which will be commenced only if market conditions present a suitable opportunity for such a step, provides VSC with the potential to issue bonds, over an unlimited period of time, for a total amount of up to RUB 30 billion with a maturity of up to 10 years,” GPH said.

Smart terminals for Valencia Cruise Port

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 14 November 2020 14 November 2020

Global Ports Holding Plc, the world's largest independent cruise port operator, has announced that, its partner Baleària Group has been awarded a 35-year concession agreement for the ferry and cruise port of Valencia, with a 15-year extension option. As part of this agreement, GPH will operate and manage Valencia Cruise Port throughout the period of the concession. All parties will now work together to conclude the agreement, full closure and commencement of the agreement is expected in Q1 2021.

Under the terms of the agreement, Baleària will invest up to $37 million into the port infrastructure, including two new state of the art smart terminals, as well as investment into ferry piers, car parking and retail and F&B areas. Operating 19 cruise ports in 13 countries, GPH will bring its expertise to the project and its commitment to a more sustainable cruise offer with less environmental impact. The concession is expected to start in Q1 2021, with the expected two-year investment phase starting at the same time.

The new terminals will set a new benchmark for sustainability in the passenger transport industry, producing 100% of their electricity needs from their own renewable energy source’s (photovoltaic, wind, renewable hydrogen and biofuel), with all waste generated being recycled.

In 2019, the port of Valencia received 203 cruise calls and welcomed 435,000 cruise passengers, with a pre Covid-19 forecast of over 500,000 passengers in 2020.

Emre Sayin, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are very grateful to Valencia Port Authority for placing their trust in GPH as the operator of Valencia Cruise Port. The project presented by our partners, Baleària Group, in collaboration with GPH, will set a new benchmark for excellence and sustainability in the passenger transport industry.

Valencia Cruise Port is an important addition to our cruise port network, further strengthening our presence and capabilities in Iberia and the West Med. We very much look forward to growing cruise passenger volumes in Valencia in a sustainable and responsible way.”