Departments

MedCruise and its member ports lead discussion on best strategies for the Adriatic

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

MedCruise was, once more, among the leading organisations shaping discussions on the potentials of cruising in the Adriatic, and the best strategies for cruise ports and destinations, during the Adriatic Sea Forum.

Kristijan Pavic, MedCruise President and President of the Dubrovnik Port Authority, stressed among others the needs for a stronger cooperation among countries, as well as at local level, the further enhancement of cruise port services to satisfy the needs of cruise companies and the clientele, as well as the dedication of MedCruise to continue facilitating the Adriatic to achieve the well deserved recognition at international level.

During a keynote address, Joan Gual de Torrella, President of the MedCruise member Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, detailed how to manage (cruise and ferry) passenger traffic, ensure efficient activities of shipping liners and further the development of tourism in areas impacted by such phenomena, while Carla Salvado, MedCruise Honorary President and Director of Cruise Marketing of Antalya, Bodrum and Kusadasi, addressed a discussion dedicated to planning Adriatic cruise routes.

Α number of MedCruise ports representatives were also active – with Emil Bilic, General Manager of the Port of Zadar, Rodolfo Giampieri, President of the Central Adriatic Port Authority and Andrea Ntais, President and Managing Director, Igoumenitsa Port Authority, leading a round-table discussion on the benefits present at respective Adriatic destinations, as well as the consistent efforts of Med cruise ports to enhance the port services offered in the area in order to reduce operative costs of cruise companies.

The Forum concluded with a round-table of representatives of associations, public organisations and international bodies operating in the sector of maritime tourism, where Thanos Pallis, Secretary General of MedCruise, emphasised among others that the debate that has taken place during this edition of the Forum underscores the need and desire to continue the path towards further collaboration and joint promotion for the benefit of all parties.

The third edition of the Adriatic Sea Forum held on the 27th and 28th of April in Budva, Montenegro and was attended by all key stakeholders who operate partly or exclusively in the Adriatic with MedCruise being a supporting organisation.

Port of Seattle kicks off its biggest cruise season ever in 2017

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 30 April 2017 30 April 2017

The Port of Seattle kicked off its biggest cruise season yet with over one million revenue passengers on 218 vessels, making Seattle the biggest cruise port on the West Coast. The cruise industry in Seattle 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.

“A record number of cruise passengers this season means local agriculture and food companies, among others across our region, benefit from these provisioning ships,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Stephanie Bowman. “We are also inviting these passengers to stay longer and spend more time and money locally, which also boosts economic impact and job growth across our region and state.”

To further these efforts, the Port of Seattle is introducing a complimentary cruise luggage valet program this season that will allow passengers to spend time in Seattle to see the sights and spend some dollars at great restaurants and attractions. Seattle cruise passengers will be able to get their airline boarding pass and check their bags on board so they can check out Seattle before flying home. The program is still being finalized, but is expected to be up and running in the next several weeks. More details will be available soon.

Also new this year will be the opening of the renovated Pier 66 cruise facility homeport for Norwegian Cruise Line. This historic and unprecedented 15-year lease 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.

Indonesia to cut cost port charges to reverse cruise call decline - report

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 18 April 2017 18 April 2017

Indonesia is planning to cut port charges in order to revert a sharp fall in the number of cruise ship calls, government ministers said, according to the Jakarta Post newspaper.

“We’ll readjust the port fees with Singapore as the benchmark. We’ll issue regulations and adopt the National Cruise Tourism Strategy to prevent such a problem from happening again in the future,” Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, was quoted by Jakarta Post as saying.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya and Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumad the number of cruise calls in Indonesia had decreased from 400 in 2015 to 350 calls in 2016. However, the number of passengers had increased from 200,000 in 2015 to 260,000 in 2016. “That shows that the cruise ships coming to Indonesia have increased in size,” he added.

“We’re going to build a cruise terminal that meets international standards in Benoa. That is part of the preparations for the IMF – World Bank Annual Meeting in October 2018, which will be attended by 13,000-18,000 people from 189 countries,” Luhut added.

Port of Vancouver expects a record cruise season

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 15 April 2017 15 April 2017

The 2017 cruise season officially kicked off on April 11 at the Port of Vancouver with the arrival of the Star Princess at Canada Place cruise terminal. Approximately 840,000 cruise passengers on 237 vessel visits are expected in Vancouver this year, a 2% increase in passenger volume over 2016.

“Vancouver cruise passenger volumes have been strong and steady since 2013. This year, we are forecasting our highest passenger volumes since 2010,” said Robin Silvester, President and CEO of Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. “We are thrilled to welcome even more visitors this year to our cruise terminal at Canada Place.”

The Vancouver cruise industry stimulates on average nearly $3 million in direct economic activity for each vessel that visits Canada Place, and the 2016 cruise season directly generated nearly 7,000 jobs across Canada, $300 million in wages, and contributed $840 million to national GDP.

As a top global destination, Vancouver continues to attract a wide spectrum of cruise lines and passengers from around the world. This year, 33 different vessels from 15 cruise lines will be visiting Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver ranging from luxury and smaller expedition style ships designed to carry small groups of passengers, to some of the largest vessels in the Alaska cruise market.

Highlights for 2017

– The Port of Vancouver’s Canada Place cruise terminal welcomes the return of Holland America, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Regent, Disney Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Crystal Cruises and Silversea Cruises. These cruise lines all have vessels that use the Port of Vancouver as a home port, which is where the cruise begins and ends its journey.
– More than 840,000 passengers are expected on 237 vessel visits in Vancouver in 2017. This represents a two per cent increase in passenger volumes compared to the 2016 season. Each cruise ship that docks at the Port of Vancouver contributes, on average, $2.85 million to the local economy.
– Golden Princess will be overnighting in Vancouver on July 1 to enjoy the Canada Day celebrations at Canada Place at the Port of Vancouver and fireworks for Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation.
– The World, the largest private residential ship, will visit the Port of Vancouver during three stops on its world-wide itinerary.
– Some of the largest vessels that visit the Port of Vancouver include the Ruby Princess, Emerald Princess, Crown Princess and the Celebrity Solstice.

British Virgin Islands waives visa requirements for cruise passengers

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 12 April 2017 12 April 2017

Persons who previously required a visa to enter the BVI can now benefit from the newly enacted law which allows visa exemptions for cruise ship passengers.

The Cabinet of the British Virgin Islands made a decision on 8th March, 2017 in accordance with section 37 (4) of the Immigration and Passport Act (Cap. 130), to exempt the visa requirements where applicable, for persons arriving to the Territory on a cruise ship and who will remain in the Territory for a period of 24 hours or less.

“The addition of the new Tortola Pier Park cruise and shopping facility has been a game changer for the BVI in the cruise sector catapulting the Territory to the forefront with other regional destinations. As such, in efforts to remain competitive we have to continue to adapt to the changes in the cruise sector to ensure that we continue to meet and exceed the needs of our industry partners. This is why we found it important to provide ease of access to the BVI for cruise passengers, which will assist to increase bookings and in turn encourage more cruise vessels to include the BVI on their cruise itinerary,” said Alfred Henley, Managing Director (Ag) of BVI Ports Authority.

“Recent conversations at the 2017 Seatrade Cruise Global has indicated that this initiative was positively received by the cruise industry,” added Henley.

Tortola Pier Park is a full service facility that offers a variety of shopping and dining experiences via their over Sixty (60) businesses, as well as must have services such as banking, medical, car rentals, tours, internet cafe and business centers.