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Carnival Cruise Line to treble Long Beach terminal to 142,000 sq ft

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 17 October 2016 17 October 2016

Carnival Cruise Line, the US focused contemporary market unit in the Carnival Corporation & plc group, said it has signed an agreement with landlord Urban Commons and the City of Long Beach, Calif., to expand the Long Beach Cruise Terminal facility to accommodate larger ships in the future and enhance its terminal operations.

The deal will nearly triple the size of Carnival’s current terminal facility from approximately 66,000 square feet to 142,000 square feet.

Carnival has operated the Long Beach Cruise Terminal since 2003 using a partial area of the Geodesic Dome that was the former museum housing Howard Hughes’ “Spruce Goose” attraction. The agreement gives Carnival 100 percent use of the Dome, allowing for larger ships and providing additional space needed to accommodate two-way operations, enabling embarking guests to access the terminal prior to completion of disembarkation.

Construction is slated to be completed in late 2017. During the construction period, measures will be taken to ensure a continued smooth operational flow and high standard of customer service for cruise guests.

MedCruise attended Cruise & Ferry Port Network meeting

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 14 October 2016 14 October 2016

MedCruise, which promotes ports the Mediterranean region towards the cruise industry, said participated at the fourth meeting of the Cruise and Ferry Port Network, organised within European Sea Ports’ Organisation (ESPO), discussing the next steps of the network uniting cruise ports from all over Europe and the adjoining seas.

Following meetings in Brussels, Copenhagen and Rotterdam, the meetings was held in Venice, Italy, under the Presidency of Stavros Hatzakos, General Manager of the Port of Piraeus and MedCruise Honorary President, MedCruise said in a statemen.

Participants were updated on the latest developments, following discussions of cruise ports associations with DG MARE as regards the future of the Pan-European Cruise Dialogue.

Other key issues discussed included the feedback received by the members of the port associations participating at the network; the study on the security of cruise port installations, and the way that the Network should react on the relevant study that was commissioned by DG MARE; the enhancing of relationships with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA); the debate that is in progress regarding the revision of the Port Reception Facilities (PRF) EU Directive; and the last the PIANC study on cruise terminals investment, planning and design – already discussed in detailed by MedCruise members.

MedCruise continues actively contributing in the Network of European Cruise and Ferry Ports set within ESPO, providing input and disseminating the Network’s advancement on the mentioned issues in due time.

Columbus Cruise Centre Bremerhaven expects leap to 150,000 turnaround passengers 2017

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 14 October 2016 14 October 2016

Columbus Cruise Centre Bremerhaven (CCCB) in Germany expects a marked rise in the number of turnaround passengers next year, when Bremerhaven will also host the annual convention of Cruise Europe.

CCCB says it is expecting more than 150,000 passengers in turnaround and are pleased to be able to offer our guests a new 8,000 square metre car park within walking distance of the terminal." In 2016, a total of 68 cruise vessels with a total of 96,500 passengers were welcomed at CCCB.

From 25 to 27 April 2017, Bremerhaven will play host to the annual Cruise Europe Convention. Guests will include delegates from many international cruise operators and ports as well as representatives of numerous German shipping lines.

As commented by Andrea Kamjunke-Weber, the CCCB manager responsible for Cruise Europe, "In cooperation with Cruise Europe, it's our aim to take into consideration the fact that this traditional event is taking place for the first time at such a great source market for cruise passengers."

Singapore Cruise Centre is one of the first cruise terminal operators in Asia to meet new ISO standards

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 11 October 2016 11 October 2016

Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC) has announced that it is one of the first cruise and ferry terminal operators in Asia to have met the new and more stringent International Standards Organisation (ISO) quality management standards.

Having passed the assessment for the ISO Quality Management Systems, SCC has successfully transitioned its management standards from ISO 9001:2008 to the new ISO 9001:2015 standards. The ISO 9001 is the world’s leading quality management standards and is awarded to businesses which are consistently able to provide products or services that meet both customer needs as well as statutory and regulatory requirements. It is updated every five years to be compatible with the latest management trends and systems.

After a three-day recertification audit by inspection company SGS in August, SCC was certified to follow the enhanced standards which places more emphasis on a company’s leadership engagement, organisational risks and supply chain management. The means that the company has met the performance indicators for excellent customer service in line with the various stakeholders’ and government agencies’ requirements.

The new ISO 9001:2015 standards replaces the previous version which was last updated in 2008. It now follows the same overall structure as other ISO management system standards, making it easier for companies using multiple management systems. The new standards also emphasises more risk-based thinking and strengthened leadership capabilities.

SCC’s CEO Christina Siaw said: “SCC is always keeping ahead to meet our customers’ needs. We started preparing for the transition to the new standards since it was first announced in May last year before our successful certification this year.

“At the heart of our efforts to meet ISO’s higher standards whether in operations or management, is the customer experience. At SCC, we are always striving to ensure that our customers are well pleased with our service and facilities, and towards that end, we invest considerable amount of resources in training and development, and infrastructure upgrade.”

SCC has a proven track record of managing cruise and ferry terminals in Singapore, augmented by its 24 international awards for most efficient turnaround port, operational excellence and customer service since it was first established in 1991.

Ms Siaw added that as one of Asia’s most established and intensively-used cruise ports, SCC will not rest on their laurels and will continue to work hard to serve its customers and their passengers.

The company will continue to further enhance infrastructure, tap into new technologies and improve customer touchpoints as part of their commitment to give travellers a seamless experience. In 2012, SCC underwent a $14 million rejuvenation programme of its main cruise and ferry terminal at HarbourFront to expand passenger space, double the number of check-in and immigration counters, increase security lines and improve its baggage handling system.

SCC has also taken steps to refine its passenger hospitality and engagement procedures to value add to the user experience. These include additional training to deepen existing skills and knowledge of staff.

SCC was voted “Asia’s Leading Cruise Port” for the fourth consecutive year in November last year by the World Travel Awards, an established London-based organisation renowned for benchmarking excellence in the global travel industry.

Saint Nikolaos cruise pier inaugurated at Piraeus

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 05 October 2016 05 October 2016

The port authority in Piraeus in Greece has taken into use the Saint Nikolaos cruise pier, the authority said in a statement. “The project was built with caissons and provides an extra cruise berth over 250 m, since it has length 284 m. and a depth of 11 m while the land area is 8,415 sqm, the authority said, adding that up to 11 cruise ships can now dock at Piraeus at the same time.