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French Atlantic coast ports upgrade facilities, capitalise on events and festivals to enhance experience

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 08 September 2019 08 September 2019

Ports on the French Atlantic coast capitalise on the many festivals and events that take place in the region to enhance their offering to the cruise industry.

At Le Havre, which is expecting ocean going ships on 135 calls to bring 350,000 passenger to the port, with 133 river cruise vessels adding 16,700 passengers to the total, the Terminal 12 has been expanded to cover 2,400sqm compared to just 600sqm before the expansion. New security check equipment has been installed and a pedestrian walkway has been built to the centre of the city. The waterfront of the city has undergone a face lift as well to improve the experience of visitors a beach promenade is now linked to the port area.

Among the numerous events and festivals the region, the Normandy Impressionist Festival will from 3 April to 6 September next year, while music lovers will find Dixie Days and an Offenbach Festival on the menu. Christmas markets will also take place in the city.

Le Havre has a dedicated team to work with the cruise industry and the port authority offers incentives to repeat visitors, with a decreasing fee system as soon as a cruise line calls three times a year. This can reduce the port fees up to 90 %. The Cruise Department of Le Havre Etretat Normandy Tourism manages the cruise terminal in Le Havre with an agreement with the Port Authority.

“Besides the organisation of the operations and security, we care for the welcome of cruise passengers in the Cruise Terminal and downtown, at the shuttle arrival, with the Cruise Welcome Team who is easily recognisable thanks to their red jackets marked with our cruise logo. A flyer, Le Havre Highlights is specially adapted to our cruise visitors, the cruise team said in a statement.

Crew members working onboard cruise ships have not been forgotten either: in conjunction with the Seamen’s Club, the Tourist Office pays special attention to providing a welcome for sailors calling at Le Havre and ensuring their welfare.

The emulation around the cruise activity has strengthened since the establishment of the Le Havre Cruise Club in 2012. The Le Havre Cruise Club gathers over 50 members including official entities (the port of Le Havre, the Le Havre Town Council, Urban District Council and Chamber of Commerce) and private partners who decided to become involved in the development of the activity,” the cruise team said.

River cruises are also developing fast on major French rivers - the Seine, the Loire and the Garonne – flowing into the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean, offering cruise guests new experiences of the French Art de Vivre.

Each region of the French Atlantic Ports offers a wide range of excursions, experiences and unique UNESCO sites to visit. Themes to explore are as diverse as culture, World Heritage, nature, history, shopping, traditions, gastronomy, events and leisure.

Normandy is the natural gateway to Paris. It has always been a source of inspiration for painters and the Impressionists made it their homeland. A triennial Normandy Impressionist Festival that will be held again next year is a flag ship event in the region. Meanwhile, the Cherbourg cruise terminal will have its car park modified to better handle vehicles. Other cruise ports in Normandy are Rouen, Honfleur and Caen-Ouistreham.

Brittany that is located further west from Normandy stands apart from the rest of France, with its impressive medieval fortress towns, its beautiful preserved coastlines and its Celtic traditions. It is the location of several festivals, which include Dinard British Film Festival, International Maritime Festival (end of September), Folk festival music of the world (beginning July every year) and Cornwall Festival with its 2 000 dancers and pipers in the heart of the historic city of Quimper that is held each year. And 13 to 19 July 2020 the Brest’s International Maritime Festival that is held every four years will welcome visitors again.

As far as facilities are concerned, Saint Malo will invest €700,000 in a new pedestrian bridge or corridor to access its terminal in Saint Malo at the end of 2019. Brest and Lorien also receive cruise ships in the region.

In the Loire Valley that is home to many UNESCO world heritage sites, another one will join their ranks in September 2019 with the launching of the Heron's tree project: this new site will feature the most beautiful urban gardens in the world. To facilitate calls, a pontoon is being planned at St Nazareth to receive large ships, a city that is a gateway to the castes and vineyards of the Loire Valley.

The South West region of France is homie to a mix of medieval ports, Vauban fortifications, fascinating architecture from the 18th century, castles, or half-timbered houses and towns with narrow streets, as well as gastronomy and worldwide renowned vineyards.

Events in the region include the 2019 Médoc Marathon in the vineyards (the only marathon where you can taste the finest Bordeaux wines), opening of MECA during summer 2019, an iconic building which will host Bordeaux new contemporary art museum and the 2020 Bordeaux Wine Festival.

Right into the beautiful gardens of the city of Cognac alongside the river Charente, the Cognac Blues Passion Festival is a yearly festival - it will run from 7 January to 7 May next year, with internationally renowned artists and also young talented swingers and first-time bands. Bayonne festival (les fêtes de Bayonne in French), with over a million visitors, it is one of the most attractive and popular events in France. Facilities are also being improved for cruise visitors: in Pauillac (one hour from Bordeaux) for large cruise ships under project Destination La Rochelle. Bordeaux and Bayonne are the other cruise ports to South-Western France.

Plans for Liverpool Cruise Terminal approved, facility scheduled to open 2021

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 02 September 2019 02 September 2019

Authorities in the UK city of Liverpool have approved a plan to built a cruise terminal to be able to handle ships with a capacity of up to 3,600 passengers and which is to replace to replace an existing, temporary structure.

The facility, which is due to open in 2021, will be situated within Peel L&P's £5 billion Liverpool Waters urban redevelopment scheme and it will be constructed at the site of the Princes Jetty site, just off the existing structure, in the city centre.

The new facility will comprise a baggage hall on the ground floor, as well as a passenger lounge, café and check-in on the first floor.

The city council is also investing £32 million in upgrading the A565 road to support the cruise facility and North Docklands, and is gearing up to create a £20 million link road to extend Leeds Street to the waterfront to support a £30 million Isle of Man Ferry terminal.

Darran Lawless, development director at Peel L&P for Liverpool Waters, said in a statement: "Planning permission being granted for the new cruise terminal is fantastic news for the city, boosting the economy, creating new jobs and providing an opportunity to welcome tourists from around the world. Peel L&P gifted the land required for the new terminal at Princes Dock to the city council, ensuring Liverpool has the ability to accommodate growth from the cruise leisure industry and high level of interest in Liverpool and the North West from the world's largest cruise ships."

The Peel Group is a major landowner in the Liverpool area and it owns the cargo port in the city plus a canal that links the city of Manchester to the sea.

A charter for sustainable cruise operations in the bay of Cannes

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 30 July 2019 30 July 2019

As part of their commitment to establish sustainable cruise operations in the bay of Cannes, David Lisnard, mayor of Cannes, Jean-Pierre Savarino, president of the CCI Nice Cote d’Azur, and James S. Mitchell, vice president – Marine HSEM- Health, Safety, Environment, Medical from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. participated in the signing ceremony of a Cruise Charter, sponsored by the Municipality of Cannes which allows to recognize cruise operators adhering and participating in the program of incentive measures geared towards the protection of the environment. This significant action is a major step forward for the protection of the environment and is a continuation of the actions undertaken by David Lisnard and the Prime minister to fight against marine pollution of the cruise ships.

The signing ceremony took place on Thursday, July 25 at 11.30 am at the Cannes City Hall under the aegis of the Municipality of Cannes and the CCI Nice Côte d’Azur, manager of the Old Port of Cannes and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., a leading global cruise company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, the first signatory of the Cruise Charter. Intercruises Shoreside & Port Services, international ground handling and cruise port Operation Company, helped to facilitate and sign this charter agreement acting as the port agent of Norwegian Cruise Line in Cannes.

This tripartite agreement sets four environmental commitments to preserve the bay of Cannes and its exceptional ecosystem.The bay of Cannes welcomes every year many cruise ships. In order to preserve the destination, protect the environment and enhance the bay of Cannes, the Municipality of Cannes and CCI Nice Cote d’Azur invite cruise operators to partake in more ecologically sustainable practices by implementing more environmentally-friendly measures within their operations.

By signing of a charter, the cruise companies commit themselves to the Municipality of Cannes and the CCI Nice Côte d’Azur for environmentally friendly stopovers, beyond the national and international regulations.

Cruises are an important link in the economy of Cannes but, for David Lisnard, the protection of the environment is even more, so this is why he plans from 2020 to impose standards of this cruise charter to the totality of the ships anchoring in the bay of Cannes. Their refusal will imply their ban to land in Cannes.

Global Ports Holding invites proposals for Duty Free and Travel Retail operations at Malaga, Zadar, Cagliari and Catania cruise ports

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 18 July 2019 18 July 2019

Global Ports Holding Plc (GPH), the world’s largest cruise port operator, has announces that it is seeking a Duty Free and Travel Retail partner at four of its ports. The company has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for management of the duty free and retail areas in the ports of Malaga, Zadar, Cagliari and Catania. This is part of GPH’s ambition to provide world-class duty free and duty paid retail across its cruise portfolio.

Cagliari Cruise Port, situated at the Sardinia Island, with the Iberian coast to the west, the Italian coast to the east, and North African coast to the South. It has the advantage of being included on a range of regional cruise itineraries and offers unforgettable experiences to cruise passengers.

Catania Cruise Port located along Sicily Island’s northeast coast, is at the crossroads of major cruise itineraries that pass through the Mediterranean. Catania Cruise Terminal offers transit, inter-porting and homeporting operations.

Málaga Cruise Port was established in 2008 and it includes all three cruise terminals of the Port of Málaga. Málaga is located in a strategic area in Southern Europe, connecting with routes to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, which in turn make it a gateway to Andalusia.

Zadar Cruise Port is at the historical centre of Dalmatia. With a modern highway network and proximity to the airport, Zadar Cruise Port is an ideal Adriatic port for both transit and turnaround operations.

GPH welcomes proposals to operate any or all of the Duty Free and associated Travel Retail spaces across Malaga Cruise Terminals A & B, Zadar Cruise Terminal, Cagliari Cruise Terminal and Catania Cruise Terminal, on an exclusive basis. The term of the lease is seven years, which includes a transition and construction period. The winning bidder will be responsible for the build and creation of the new store and concession spaces.

Applicants are encouraged to present ideas and concepts that exceed these stated objectives and propose a unique, creative and customer-focused duty free/duty paid travel retail programme.

All interested and qualified operators are asked to register no later than 01 August 2019 by emailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

British Virgin Islands enhances efforts within the cruise industry

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 09 July 2019 09 July 2019

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) has enhanced their efforts in the cruise sector and is now set to receive an unexpected boost in passenger arrival for the upcoming 2019/2020 tourist season with the addition of 64,022 passengers.

Starting November 2019 Norwegian Cruise Lines will be adding twelve new BVI calls to their 2019/2020 itinerary, which translates to an estimated 50,000 passenger arrivals for the Territory. As an added bonus Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will also be adding seven new BVI calls to their itinerary which brings an additional 14,022 passengers to the destination.

The BVI team led by the Minister of Tourism, Premier Hon. Andrew A. Fahie has put forth extensive efforts to revitalize the BVI cruise sector by restoring and enhancing the cruise product and strengthening the Territory’s relationship with its cruise partners. Through regular progressive communications over the past few months, the BVI has been working with Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises among others to increase calls to the Territory and to create new and exciting activities for passengers, infused with authentic cultural experiences.

As an important partner for the BVI in the cruise arena, Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) continues to play a key role in the development of the BVI’s cruise product through creating opportunities to extensively market the product to key demographics and providing access to relevant resources.

“The cruise industry is an integral aspect of the current and future economy for the Territory. From our cruise partners’ point of view, the industry represents a significant investment of time and money, through which they strive to see returns on their investments. As such, our government remains focused on building and maintaining strong mutually beneficial relationships with our industry partners, and finding new, innovative ways to enhance the visitor experience, as this way we create value for everyone,” said Premier Fahie.

According to Hon. Fahie, “The most important thing is for past visitors and those who are yet to visit the BVI to know that the Territory is welcoming visitors, and we look forward to welcoming you soon. Just locate one of our cruise partners and book your next trip for an unforgettable, authentic BVI experience.”

At the close of the 2018/2019 season the BVI is set to receive just over 500,000 passengers and the arrivals in the upcoming seasons are projected to continue to increase. This is a healthy outlook considering the setback to the industry caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.