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Port of Seattle and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings open renovated cruise terminal at Pier 66

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 24 May 2017 24 May 2017

The Port of Seattle and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) showcased the new Bell Street Cruise Terminal at the Port’s Pier 66 building in a grand celebration yesterday. The newly renovated terminal features three times the square footage within the same walls of the prior facility, and is custom designed to handle the 4,000 passenger Norwegian Bliss, which will be the largest cruise vessel on the West Coast, arriving in time for the 2018 cruise season.

An estimated $30 million dollars in improvements were made to the Bell Street Cruise Terminal as part of a joint agreement between Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and the Port of Seattle. The enhancements have significantly expanded and improved operations and the guest experience for cruise passengers at Pier 66.

In August 2015, the Port of Seattle signed a historic 15-year lease with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The deal secures berth space for NCLH ships in Seattle for the full term of the lease and provides passenger volume guarantees estimated to bring $73 million dollars of revenue to the Port. Under the new lease Norwegian will manage the cruise operations at Pier 66 and will have priority rights to the cruise vessel berth during the cruise season. The Port will operate the facilities outside the cruise season.

“We have a long history with Norwegian from when we first started in the Alaska cruise market over 15 years ago, and we are thrilled with their unprecedented investment today,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Stephanie Bowman. “Opening Bell Street Cruise Terminal today is the celebration of a community partnership for success.”

“We couldn’t be more pleased to have had the opportunity to work with our partners at the Port of Seattle to enhance the guest experience at the Bell Street Cruise Terminal,” said Howard Sherman, executive vice-president of Onboard Revenue and Destination Development for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “Together, we have increased usage capacity by more than 300 percent, created a plush new lounge for suites guests, enlarged the space for all guests awaiting embarkation and much more, allowing for the vacation experience to begin as soon as our guests step foot inside the terminal by providing a seamless, comfortable and stylish ship-to-shore experience.”

The design of the new terminal repurposes existing areas to enhance the passenger experience

The new and expanded VIP lounge and passenger check-in area will have exterior views of the ship and Elliott Bay. Other terminal improvements include a modified elevated passenger boarding bridge and a new gangway that will arrive early next year. The brand new state-of-the-art 140-foot gangway will feature incredible floor-to-ceiling transparent walls, immediately connecting guests to stunning views of Elliot Bay.

The capital investment to complete the terminal improvements was shared between the Port and NCLH. The 15-year business commitment is estimated to generate $2.3 billion in total business revenue for the region, nearly 900 jobs, and over $65 million in state and local taxes.

Seattle’s cruise business—currently leading all cruise homeports on the U.S. west coast in passenger volume—is responsible for over $500 million in economic impact to the region, providing more than 4,000 jobs and $18.9 million in state and local taxes, with each homeported vessel generating $2.7 million to the local economy.

Liverpool City Council chooses cruise terminal design team

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 12 May 2017 12 May 2017

Plans to build a cruise terminal able to handle turnaround calls of ships up to 3,600 passenger capacity in Liverpool in the north west of England has taken a step forward as the city council has appointed a team to design the facility, Place North West, an online publication, said on its website.

Engineering consultancy Ramboll will lead a team that comprises architect Stride Treglown, cost manager Gardiner & Theobald, JLL as planning consultant, and landscape architect Hyland Edgar Driver, the report said.

“The team will initially work up detailed designs before submitting a planning application for the former Princes Jetty, off Princes Parade, later this year. Ramboll would then project manage and assist with ongoing monitoring of construction, as well as assisting with contractor procurement,” the report said.

“Supplementary elements at the facility could include a 200-room hotel and 1,100-space car park. However, the car park may yet be located further north, to support projects such as Ten Streets and Everton’s proposed Bramley Moore Dock stadium,” it continued.

The present cruise terminal facility, which opened in 2007, is able to handle large ships on calls, but its inadequate luggage, passenger and other handling facilities prevent it from performing turn around calls by vessels larger than 1,200 passenger capacity.

Warnemunde expects 190 cruise calls and 800,000 passengers as season starts

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 10 May 2017 10 May 2017

The cruise season has started a the Warnemunde Cruise Centre of the Baltic coast of Germany with a call of AIDAdiva of AIDA Cruises, the port said in a statement.

The port expects more than 800,000 cruise passengers embarking and disembarking this year, which is slightly more passengers than in 2016.

In all, there will be 190 port by 36 cruise liners. Five vessels will be heading for the mouth of river Warnow for the first time: Viking Sky on 28th April, MSC Magnifica on 13th May, Norwegian Getaway on 17th May, Seven Seas Explorer on 2nd July and Columbus on 26th July, the port said.

Helsinki to welcome 270 cruise ships this summer

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 03 May 2017 03 May 2017

The 2017 cruise season begins on Wednesday 3 May with the arrival of Astor to the Katajanokka Quay next to the Allas Sea Pool in the centre of Helsinki. The upcoming cruise season is expected to even busier than last summer. On the basis of advance bookings, Helsinki expects to welcome 270 international cruise ships. They will carry with them an estimated 440,000 visitors, who will get to enjoy the cultural activities and services on offer this summer in the Finnish capital.

The busiest day this summer will be Wednesday 31 May, when no less than five cruise ships arrive in Helsinki: Norwegian Getaway at the Melkki Quay, the German cruise ship AIDAmar and the Italian cruise ship MSC Magnifica in Hernesaari, and the luxury cruise ships Le Soleal and Ocean Dream in the South Harbour. Altogether these five cruise ships will bring over 11,000 cruise visitors to Helsinki in a single day.

Santa Claus in Hernesaari

Cruise ships will arrive at four different harbours in Helsinki: Katajanokka, the South Harbour, Hernesaari and the West Harbour (Melkki Quay). Hernesaari and the West

Harbour will serve over 80 percent of cruise visitors, and Santa Claus will be on hand to welcome them this summer in Hernesaari.

A new digital sign system is introducing in Hernesaari. The system is designed to further improve the visitor experience and to make it easier for cruise visitors to find their way around. The project is being carried out together with Samsung and the Cruise Baltic network.

Altogether six cruise ships will be visiting Helsinki for the first time this summer:

– 4 May: Viking Sky
– 20 May: MSC Magnifica
– 22 May: Norwegian Getaway
– 25 June: Seven Seas Explorer
– 28 July: Columbus
– 31 July: Mein Schiff 6

The last visit of the 2017 cruise season will be made by AIDAvita on 20 October.

Growing number of cruise visitors from Asia

Last year the biggest incoming markets for cruise passengers were Germany, the USA and Great Britain. This year the biggest growth is expected to come in the number of visitors from Asia. Already last year the number of cruise visitors from China increased by 24 percent.

Cruise Baltic expects the number of cruise visitors to the Baltic Sea region to increase by 13 percent and the number of cruise ship visits by 15 percent this year.

Carnival Corporation unveils artistic renderings for second cruise terminal at Port of Barcelona

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 02 May 2017 02 May 2017

Carnival Corporation & plc has released artist renderings of its second cruise terminal at the Port of Barcelona – which will be Europe’s newest passenger cruise terminal when it opens in 2018. The terminal is designed to accommodate Carnival Corporation’s new class of “next-generation” green cruise ships that will be fully operated by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel.

As part of an agreement signed in July 2015, Carnival Corporation will construct and operate the new 12,500 square meter terminal. The company is investing more than 30 million euros in the state-of-the-art terminal, which paired with its existing terminal at the port represents its largest combined terminal investment in Europe.

Designed by Catalan architecture firm Battle I Roig, the plans for the company’s upcoming cruise terminal reflect today’s modern architectural style with straight lines and a minimalist concept that will create a contemporary and comfortable guest environment.

“Our goal is to make travel for our guests as convenient, pleasant and easy as possible, and this new terminal is designed to meet and exceed guest expectations,” said Giora Israel, senior vice president of global port and destination development for Carnival Corporation. “The local architecture firm has done great work in designing a beautiful facility that will make Europe’s largest cruise port even better.”

‘’This terminal marks the culmination of years of partnership,” said Sixte Cambra, president of the Port of Barcelona Port Authority. “Since the beginning of our relationship, Carnival Corporation has shown strong success in our port and city, and 10 years after the opening of the first terminal, this has materialized in a new facility for their cruise brands. Carnival Corporation has been a loyal partner to the Port of Barcelona, bringing passengers of different nationalities and generating a strong financial impact to our local economy.”

Construction on the project officially began in July 2016, and once complete it will enhance the embarkation and disembarkation process for cruise guests visiting Catalonia and its surrounding areas on one of Carnival Corporation’s ships.

The new terminal, on the port’s Adossat wharf, will increase Carnival Corporation’s passenger capacity at the port, which is used by eight of the company’s 10 global cruise line brands as both a destination and home port. Carnival Corporation is expecting to accommodate over one million passengers at the Port of Barcelona once its second cruise terminal is open in 2018.

Eight brands from Carnival Corporation – AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn and P&O Cruises (UK) – visit Barcelona throughout the year. Carnival Corporation guests who visit Catalonia can take advantage of a variety of excursions, such as strolling the Girona historic quarter or visiting the multi-peaked rocky range of Montserrat and its Benedictine abbey, and exploring attractions within Barcelona, such as touring Gaudi’s famed Sagrada Familia Cathedral.

Beginning April 2018, the terminal facilities will host inaugural sailings of Carnival Horizon, Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship, which includes attractions such as SkyRide, IMAX Theatre and Water Works, as well as AIDA Cruises’ newest ship AIDAperla featuring attractions such as the Beach Club under a UV-permeable dome and an above-water skywalk. AIDAperla is one of the world's first cruise ships to feature dual-fuel engines, which, depending on availability at the port, can also be operated with virtually zero-emission liquefied natural gas (LNG).