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Qatar's cruise season starts with the arrival of Boudicca

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 10 October 2018 10 October 2018

The 2018/19 cruise season kicked off in Qatar with the Boudicca docking at Doha Port last week. The season, which continues until April 2019, is expected to see nearly double the number of cruise ships that arrived in the 2017/18 season.

Of the 43 ships scheduled to call in Doha Port, 10 ships will be making their maiden calls to Qatar. And, with the majority of calls being megaships, this season is set to be the biggest yet for Qatar, bringing 140,000 visitors to Qatar's shores – nearly triple those that arrived last year.

In addition to being the biggest yet, this season will witness a significant first for Qatar: the arrival of two megaships at Doha Port at the same time – an occurrence that is due to happen a total of five times throughout this season.

Hassan Al Ibrahim, Acting Chairman at QTA commented, "It continues to be an exciting period of rapid growth for Qatar’s cruise tourism sector, which will witness more firsts this season. We are pleased to see our local partners join in our efforts to develop services and products specifically for cruise visitors. They are an ideal complement to our partnerships with leading international agencies and we look forward to drawing a growing number of visitors to Qatar's shores to enjoy the country's pleasant winter weather." He added, "These developments highlight the opportunities for investors to develop authentic and memorable experiences that reinforce Qatar’s position as a hub to discover."

QTA and Qatar's major transport services provider, Mowasalat recently signed an MoU to further develop tourist transport services, ensuring the growth in cruise tourism demand is matched with flexible and reliable transportation. QTA also continues to work with local and international partners to carefully plan, develop and manage the cruise terminal facilities, infrastructure and operations needed to achieve sustainable growth. Qatar is expecting to receive 200,000 cruise visitors by the 2019/20 season and has plans to turn Doha to a turnaround port.

QTA recently signed an agreement with the German AIDA Cruises and the Italian Costa Cruises to place Qatar on the two companies' winter itineraries as well as to cooperate in designing special promotion packages for their passengers. As part of the agreements, luxury ship AIDAprima and Costa Mediterranean are expected make their maiden trips to Doha Port this season. Between them, the two cruise lines will bring up to a quarter of this season's passengers to Doha.

Costa Cruises enters second tripartite partnership with Singapore Tourism Board and Changi Airport Group to grow the fly & cruise market in Asia

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 07 October 2018 07 October 2018

Costa Cruises has announced that it has entered its second tripartite partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Changi Airport Group (CAG). The three-year tripartite partnership will leverage Costa’s global presence, Singapore’s cruise hub status and Changi Airport’s air hub connectivity to further enhance Southeast Asia’s appeal as a cruise destination.

The partnership will see joint-marketing initiatives rolled out in different countries where Costa operates worldwide, and includes creating attractive packages especially for Costa’s guests. It is expected to bring in over 100,000 international fly & cruise visitors to Singapore over three years.

Costa Cruises was the first cruise company in the world to start regular cruises in Asia back in 2006. Currently 4 ships out of the 14 total of the Costa fleet are based in Asia year round. The Costa Fortuna is a ship with a total capacity of 3,470 guests, and currently deployed in the Far East will be homeported at Singapore from mid November 2018 to March 2019.

“Costa Cruises is a pioneering company in the cruise market, constantly innovating its product offer in order to deliver guests an unforgettable cruise holiday experience. We are thrilled to strengthen the opportunity to further develop such an exotic destination like Singapore, where Costa has a longstanding presence and which offer a big potential for the cruise holiday market thanks also to the presence of the international Changi Airport," said Neil Palomba, President of Costa Cruises.

Singapore is a popular gateway to the Southeast Asian region for cruise visitors, due to its strategic location, dynamic tourism landscape, and leading air and cruise infrastructure. In 2017, Singapore welcomed 421 ship calls and logged a passenger throughput of 1.38 million. This represents an increase of 3% and 17% respectively over 2016 figures.

“STB is delighted to enter into another partnership with Costa Cruises and Changi Airport Group. Costa Cruises is a valued partner that has homeported out of Singapore for over 10 years. This latest collaboration will leverage Costa’s strong brand in key long-haul markets in Europe to further diversify our cruise visitor source markets, and strengthen Singapore’s position as the region’s homeport of choice,” said Yap Chin Siang, Assistant Chief Executive, Policy & Planning Group of STB.

Changi Airport Group’s Managing Director for Air Hub Development, Lim Ching Kiat said, “With Changi Airport’s strong air connectivity to more than 400 cities worldwide, Singapore is well-positioned to serve as a cruise hub for the region. We are excited to enter a second tripartite partnership with Costa Cruises and Singapore Tourism Board, as this will provide greater opportunity to grow the fly & cruise segment – part of our strategy to provide sustained growth for our partners and the Changi air hub.”

Port Tampa Bay marks more than one million cruise passengers in one year for the first time ever

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 30 September 2018 30 September 2018

Port Tampa Bay welcomed its millionth cruise ship passenger for the fiscal year 2018. It is the first time the Port hit this milestone in its history.

On Monday, September 17, 2018, Port Tampa Bay surpassed the million cruise passenger mark when 1,000,524 passengers came through the Port. This past weekend, thousands more passengers continued to enjoy the Tampa area as three more ships called at port.

Business Research & Economic Advisors estimated that a 3,000 passenger ship generates an average of $403,000 in passenger and crew onshore spending per call in a homeport city. As Tampa continues to develop in the months and years ahead, including the impact of Sparkman Wharf, Water Street and other projects, that number is expected to dramatically grow, as cruise passengers will have many more opportunities for dining, shopping, and entertainment. Cruise passengers have long enjoyed the convenience of our nearby nationally top-ranked airport, next-door secure parking garages from all three cruise terminals – not to mention the draw of our stunning beaches and local attractions like Busch Gardens, the Florida Aquarium, and Ybor City.

"This is fantastic moment for Port Tampa Bay and our cruise line partners," said Port Tampa Bay President/CEO Paul Anderson. "This milestone shows that Tampa is truly a world class destination for cruise passengers."

As FY18 winds down, Port Tampa Bay is celebrating several cruise records and cruise business developments. Earlier this year, Port Tampa Bay saw two all-time record cruise passenger weekends, the highest traffic weekend being Easter weekend: March 31 - April 1st when 29,167 passengers were in and out of the Port. Additionally, Carnival Cruise Line added 20 more cruises to Cuba, completed a makeover of the Carnival Paradise, and doubled the Carnival's capacity in Tampa with the addition of the Carnival Miracle's only year-long program with seven day cruises from Port Tampa Bay. Royal Caribbean put a larger ship in rotation (Majesty of the Seas) with cruises to Cuba to accommodate a strong customer demand in Tampa.

There are numerous options for cruise vacationers to choose when boarding a cruise in Tampa. Whether it’s a 4-day cruise to Cozumel, or a 5-day excursion to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Mahogany Bay, or Cuba, or 7 day to multiple western Caribbean destinations. Veteran cruisers can opt for 14-day Panama Canal cruises that include stops in Central America and North Coast of South America. There are a wide range of itinerary choices from entry-level cruisers to experienced cruisers.

All of the major cruise lines serve Port Tampa Bay: Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Holland America Line. Port Tampa Bay thanks all of our cruise line partners for their continued support.

Disney Cruise Line to sail from Port of New Orleans for first time in early 2020

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 28 September 2018 28 September 2018

Disney Cruise Line announced it will sail from the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) in early 2020. The 2,700-passenger Disney Wonder will embark on a variety of Caribbean and Bahamian cruises from New Orleans – marking the first time Disney Cruise Line will have a homeport in Louisiana.

The Disney Wonder, which will homeport at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal, is scheduled for six cruises during this limited-time season from New Orleans, including: 4-, 6- and 7-night Western Caribbean itineraries; a 7-night Bahamian cruise; and a special 14-night Panama Canal voyage, Feb. 7 through March 6.

“We are thrilled Disney Cruise Line has chosen the Port of New Orleans as a homeport for their distinctive cruise experience,” said Brandy D. Christian, Port NOLA President and CEO. “With Port NOLA’s commitment to high-level service and the Crescent City’s many attractions, we are confident that Disney travelers will enjoy the excitement and convenience of launching their vacation from our unique city. We are also proud to bring the iconic cruise home to Louisiana Disney fans.”

Disney made the announcement during a live video direct from Walt Disney World Resort with the reveal of their 2020 cruise lineup. Princess Tiana herself, from Disney’s New Orleans-inspired animated film, “The Princess and the Frog,” was on hand to help break the news.

“Disney has long celebrated the rich stories of New Orleans – from themed experiences in our parks and resorts to films capturing the city’s vibrant music, flavors and culture,” said Jeff Vahle, president of Disney Signature Experiences. “Now we’ll extend that tradition by casting off from the Crescent City aboard the Disney Wonder, fusing the unmistakable character of one of America’s most beloved locales with the magic of Disney Cruise Line.”

Disney Wonder guests will experience “The Princess and the Frog” story while on board at Tiana’s Place restaurant, a celebration of New Orleans dining and entertainment that is exclusive to this ship.

There is something for everyone aboard the Disney Wonder, with dedicated spaces for kids, adults and families. The vessel features age-specific areas and customized, interactive programs for children up to age 17. Adults can enjoy areas designed just for them, including an elegant adults-only specialty restaurant, the adults-only Quiet Cove pool area, the upscale spa and salon, and an entire district of bars and lounges. For families, the Disney Wonder offers signature Disney entertainment and storytelling, including original theatrical productions, spectacular deck parties, and fireworks.

The Disney Cruise Line announcement is the latest milestone achieved by Port NOLA’s thriving cruise sector. The sixth-largest cruise port in the United States, Port NOLA surpassed the one-million-passenger mark for the fourth straight year in 2017 with 1.15 million passenger movements, and is on pace to set a new cruise passenger record in 2018.

In 2017, 17.74 million people visited New Orleans and Port NOLA’s cruise sector is key contributor to the tourism and hospitality industries – 90 percent of passengers travel from out-of-state, and 73 percent of passengers spend one or two nights in the region either before or after their cruise.

“The future is bright for New Orleans tourism and the arrival of Disney Cruise Line endorses the draw of our city as an in-demand destination for the entire family,” said Stephen Perry, President and CEO of New Orleans & Company, the city’s destination marketing group. “The Disney Wonder will provide discerning cruise enthusiasts with a wonderful opportunity to experience a magical vacation on the seas as well as in our beloved American city. We are so proud of Brandy Christian and her team for their extraordinary work on this project and we cannot wait to partner with travel agents and fill these wonderful cruises.”

Turkish Airlines joins the CruiseFly service at Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 28 September 2018 28 September 2018

Turkish airlines has recently joined the CruiseFly service at MBCCS and any of cruise line's guests flying back home with TK after their cruise vacation ending at MBCCS will be able to enjoy the seamless trip to Changi airport.

"Any cruise passenger arriving at MBCCS and taking a flight back home in the next 24 hours, can check-in their luggage at the cruise centre (luggage hall) and get their boarding pass. Guests can book online the service to enjoy a 10% and we can also discuss to have the service booked on board before their arrival into Singapore," MBCCS said in a statement.

At this moment partner airlines are: Singapore Airlines, Silk Air, Qantas, Scoot, Turkish Airlines, Eva Air, Air China, China Eastern and China Southern. "We will continue to work to increase the number of airlines to offer a better service to all cruise passengers."