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Cruise Ships Interiors Expo 2020 cancelled

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 14 May 2020 14 May 2020

COVID-19 has created a lot of uncertainty around international travel and events in the coming months. As a result Cruise Ship Interiors Expo America and Cruise Ship Hospitality Expo America has been cancelled. As a result, he 2021 event reverts back to the original month of June (June 8 - 9 2021).

"It is no secret the cruise industry has been drastically affected by the current pandemic and we therefore understand that attending a trade show is not a priority at this time. We want to provide the industry with a show which is beneficial for all involved, at a time when there is more positive news to share and it is safe to do so. September does not feel the right time to do this and hence the decision to cancel until June next year," CEO Toby Walters said in a statement.

"We still have a lot of activity going on between now and June to keep the cruise community connected:

– We are busy working on putting together an innovative virtual version of CSI and CSH on 2 - 3 September which will include exclusive conference sessions and a host of networking opportunities through virtual meetings with exhibitors and other attendees. More information on this will follow shortly.

– Voting for the first ever Cruise Ship Interiors Awards is open until 5th June. If you haven't already, be sure to head over to the website and cast your vote. Winners will be announced via video on 15th June.

– Cruise Conversations is our new series of webinars hosting panel discussions with influential members of the cruise community, covering key topics impacting the industry on a daily basis. Be sure to register for these and stay up to date with the latest thoughts, developments and news within the industry. Why not subscribe to our YouTube channel now and catch up on any you have missed.

– Cruise Ship Interiors Expo Europe and Cruise Ship Hospitality Expo Europe is still set to take place 2 - 3 December 2020 at ExCeL London. Registration for this show will open shortly. If you are interested in exhibiting at what is likely to be the only cruise event of the year, then please reply to this email for more information.

– Cruise Ship Interiors Expo America and Cruise Ship Hospitality Expo America will now take place 8 - 9 June 2021 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Carnival group plans layoffs, redundancies to save cash

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 14 May 2020 14 May 2020

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise shipping group, is planning a range of measures to save money on the personnel side, the company said in a statement.

“Last month the company completed a successful financing effort with a heavily oversubscribed offering of senior secured notes, senior convertible notes and common stock, netting $6.4 billion of additional liquidity. To further strengthen liquidity, Carnival Corporation and its brands are announcing a combination of layoffs, furloughs, reduced work weeks and salary reductions across the company, including senior management. These moves will contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in cash conservation on an annualized basis,” Carnival said.

“Since the company paused its guest cruise operations in early March, workforce changes were largely placed on hold, even in the face of no meaningful revenue, to forestall the financial impact on its employees while still meeting its fiscal responsibilities – deferring employee actions beyond that of many others in similar situations during this pandemic. The company continues to support its travel agent partners by paying commissions on canceled cruises and on future cruise credits when guests rebook,” the company stated.

Viking Cruises Ltd announces pricing of private offering of $675 million of Senior Secured Notes

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 13 May 2020 13 May 2020

Viking Cruises Ltd has announced that it has priced its private offering of $675 million aggregate principal amount of 13.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2025. The offering of the Notes is expected to close on May 15, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

Viking intends to use the net proceeds from the Notes, after funding the repayment of $74 million of existing debt and accrued interest on certain river vessels, for general corporate purposes.

The Notes are being offered only to persons reasonably believed to be "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and to certain non-U.S. persons outside the United States under Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold without registration unless pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and all applicable state laws.

TUI says crisis will drive digitalisation, non-profitable activities could be sold

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 13 May 2020 13 May 2020

TUI AG, the German tour operator that also has three cruise brands in its portfolio, says the current crisis will drive further digitalisation of its business.

“We will be less capital intensive, and we will continue our asset-right strategy in our Hotels & Cruise business, which we launched in 2019. We will right-size our airlines and order book, alongside restructuring. We will divest and address non-profitable activities within our business,” the Hannover based company said in its first half financial year 2020 interim report.

“Driving digitalisation - we will accelerate our Group transformation into a digital platform busi-ness. We will expand accommodation only and seat only products as well as increase dynamic packaging options,” TUI AG said.

The group’s cruise operations that comprise the fully owned Marella Cruises unit in the UK and 50% stake in TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd, reported a sharp weakening of results in the three months to 31 March.

Revenues grew slightly, to €243.2 million from €234.2 million in the same period last year, but underlying EBIT became negative by €22.4 million from positive by €59.4 million, year on.

In the six months to 31 march, revenues rose to €481.6 million from €424.6 million, while underlying EBIT narrowed to €24.2 million from €106.4 million.

“As the first half came to a close, many of our cruise fleet had curtailed their itineraries and docked as a result of global COVID-19 measures. A small handful of our ships continued with their planned sailings returning all passengers to home countries by early April,” TUI said.

TUI Cruises and Marella Cruises were more notably impacted by lost contribution, compensation costs from cancelled itineraries and rerouting costs throughout March. BY contrast, the luxury and expedition cruise brand Hapag-Lloyd saw less operational disruption due to itinerary type and saw earnings break even in the first half.

Norwegian Cruise Line to call over 20 new destinations with itineraries into 2023

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 May 2020 12 May 2020

Norwegian Cruise Line yesterday announced that is has opened more than a year of wish-list worthy sailings for 2021 through 2023, with voyages to over 20 new destinations across all seven continents.

Among the notable itineraries are:

– Norwegian Star’s first voyage to Antarctica beginning in 2021 when she sails from Buenos Aires, Argentina for a season of 14-day Extraordinary Journeys, visiting five ports of call across Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and the Falkland Islands, including a majestic sailing by Deception Island and Elephant Island/Cape Lookout.

– Norwegian Star’s March 2022 South America sailing when she will become the first in the fleet to visit Fortaleza and Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, during a 15-day itinerary departing from Rio de Janeiro.

– Norwegian Star’s July 14 and July 25, 2022 Northern European sailings, when she will make the brand’s debut in Greenland with calls to Nuuk, Qaqortoq and Nanortalik during two back-to-back 10-and -11-day sailings from Reykjavik, Iceland.

– Norwegian Jade’s 12-day Extraordinary Journey sailings from December 2021 through January 2022, when she will make Norwegian Cruise Line history as the first ship to offer roundtrip cruises from Cape Town, South Africa. The voyages will include visits to Luderitz and Walvis Bay, Namibia; Durban, and will feature overnight calls in Cape Town and Richard’s Bay, South Africa.

– Norwegian Sun’s November 2021 sailing, when she will make her Asia debut and will become the first in the fleet to visit the exotic destinations of Nagoya, Beppu and Himeji Japan; Manila and Coron, Philippines; Kota Kinabalu and Melaka, Malaysia; Muara, Brunei and Kampot, Cambodia.

“The just-announced itineraries for 2021 through 2023 are designed to provide guests with vacations of a lifetime,” said Harry Sommer, Norwegian Cruise Line president and chief executive officer. “At this moment, we are in our respective corners of the world destination daydreaming. We wanted to use this time to provide our loyal guests with the best-of-the-best itineraries. We’ll set sail to more than 20 new incredible destinations including Antarctica, Greenland and South Africa while also sailing to the over 300 destinations our guests have come to love. This time around, we’re giving our guests more time to plan their long-awaited vacations as well as additional extraordinary ports-of-call. We can’t wait for them to experience these vacations of a lifetime.”

Among the new destinations featured in the itineraries are:

– Elephant Island, Antarctica (No disembarkation) – January 2021 (Norwegian Star)
– Deception Island, Antarctica (No disembarkation) – January 2021 (Norwegian Star)
– Nagoya, Japan – November 2021 (Norwegian Sun)
– Beppu, Japan – November 2021 (Norwegian Sun)
– Durban, South Africa – December 2021 (Norwegian Jade)
– Luderitz, Namibia – December 2021 (Norwegian Jade)
– Walvis Bay, Namibia – December 2021 (Norwegian Jade)
– Timaru, New Zealand – December 2021 (Norwegian Spirit)
– Manila, Philippines – February 2022 (Norwegian Sun)
– Coron, Philippines – February 2022 (Norwegian Sun)
– Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia – February 2022 (Norwegian Sun)
– Muara, Brunei Darussalam – February 2022 (Norwegian Sun)
– Melaka, Malaysia – February 2022 (Norwegian Sun)
– Miyakojima (Okinawa), Japan – March 2022 (Norwegian Sun)
– Himeji, Japan – March 2022 (Norwegian Sun)
– Fortaleza, Brazil – March 2022 (Norwegian Star)
– Salvador de Bahia, Brazil – March 2022 (Norwegian Star)
– Nuuk, Greenland – July 2022 (Norwegian Star)
– Qaqortoq, Greenland – July 2022 (Norwegian Star)
– Nanortalik, Greenland – July 2022 (Norwegian Star)
– Yangon, Myanmar – November 2022 (Norwegian Spirit)
– Maputo, Mozambique – January 2023 (Norwegian Jade)
– Kampot, Cambodia – January 2023 (Norwegian Sun)