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Vanilla Islands making their voices heard

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 September 2019 12 September 2019

Alan Lam reporting from Hamburg

The group of islands in the Indian Ocean, comprised of Seychelles, Madagascar, Réunion, Mauritius, Comoros, and Mayotte are collectively making their cruise business voices heard through the Vanilla Islands brand at the bi-annual Seatrade Europe 2019 Cruise & River Cruise Convention. Vanilla Island is an official sponsor of the event.

Much of the cruise activities in these territories are centred on the island state of Mauritius, where 43 cruise calls were recorded in 2018 and around 50 are expected this year. Other islands are equally within the radar of the cruise lines and their passengers.

The Indian Ocean islands are still minor league players in the cruise world and they are likely to remain so for the foreseeable future, though steady year-on-year traffic growths are envisaged. “At the moment, Asia is sucking away all the available capacities. We are still trying to find our niche in the industry,” Pascal Viroleau, CEO of Vanilla Islands, told CruiseBusiness.com Magazine.

Having said that, the islands are far from being undiscovered or neglected by the cruise world. Several mainly Europe-based cruise lines have been their regular callers for years; among them are the likes of AIDA Cruises, Costa Crociere, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, and Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten. As the industry’s capacity continues to expand, these islands can expect to see more and more cruise ships come calling.

In preparation for future demands, the island of Mauritius has a substantial dedicated cruise terminal under construction. When completed in 2020, the facility will have a 300-metre berthing line and capable of processing up to 4,000 passengers a day. That’s not all. “We will be launching a new marketing strategy this month, aiming at finding a way forward,” said Viroleau. “We need to decide what kind of business model we want to pursuit, what type of ships to attract, where do we go from here, and what will be our objectives.”

These tropical mountainous islands are wooing potential cruise visitors with their white sandy beaches, creole culture, blue lagoons, rain forests, spices, and much more. They are making their voices heard.

Arabian Gulf targets the landmark one million cruise passengers in 2020

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 September 2019 11 September 2019

Alan Lam reporting from Hamburg

The drive to grow cruise tourism in the Arabian Gulf has never relented in recent years. Once again, a large contingent of representatives from the region’s ports and tourism authorities are showcasing their facilities, hospitality, and attractions at Seatrade Europe 2019 Cruise & River Cruise Convention in Hamburg.

CruiseBusiness.com Magazine correspondent spoke to Jamal Humaid AL Falasi, Dubai’s Director of Cruise Tourism about the recent development in the region.

He told us that Dubai was continuing to upgrade its world-class cruise facilities. It already has a state-of-the-art cruise facility that is capable of handling six large cruise ships simultaneously. This, it seems, is not quite enough to meet the ambitious requirement forecast. Its current “Dubai Harbour” project on a different location aims to add another terminal to host two more ships, bringing its total capacity to being able to host eight ships at any one time.

This aspirational move is not without a solid foundation. The prognosis for the region’s cruise business is a bright one. In 2018, for instance, Dubai attracted 157 calls, bringing in a total of 725,000 passengers. This year, it expects 199 calls and 850,000 passengers. 2020 will be a landmark year for Dubai’s cruise tourism, as it targets one million passengers for the first time.

In the coming season, the port has attracted two new homeporting clients: Crystal Cruises and the return of Royal Caribbean International.

It does not end there. Apart from the traditional European and American source markets, the Arabian Gulf region is now also looking at the source markets in the East and, at the same time, seeking to prolong its cruise season. “The Chinese and the Indians love coming to Dubai. We also would love to see them coming on cruise ships,” Al Falasi told us.

The recent start-up Jalesh Cruises of India has just had its first summer of operations in the Arabian Gulf. “All of its cruises were sold out. They’ve had a very successful season,” said Al Falasi. The presence of Jalesh during the summer has already turned the Gulf into a year-round cruise destination.

The region is keen to further develop cruise itineraries eastward. “We speak to cruise lines all the time about the business potentials and homeporting opportunities in our region,” continued Al Falasi, “We can, for example, suggest 7- and 14-night itineraries from the Gulf to three Indian ports: Mumbai, Goa, and Cochin.”

The success of Jalesh is a good indication of a strong business case for going down this road. “There is much more we can do,” he went on. “There is now a study being carried out by a company on the feasibility of cruising to Singapore from Dubai.”

Evidently, the cruise business development efforts of Arabian Gulf region are multifaceted: they include the continuing drives to increase capacity, enlarge the source market base, envisaging pioneering itineraries, and lengthening its cruise season. Its success is measured by year-on-year growths in calls and passenger numbers, which is on course to hit the one million mark next year.

Sky Princess completes sea trials

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 September 2019 11 September 2019

International premium cruise line Princess Cruise has accomplished another major milestone in preparation for the debut of its newest ship, Sky Princess, with the completion of sea trials. The new cruise ship set out to sea from the construction dock at Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy and was put through a series of maneuvers to test the propulsion, steering and navigational equipment.

After a successful six days of trials, Sky Princess is now back in the shipyard for further exterior and interior finishing to prepare for the maiden Oct. 20, 2019 seven-day Mediterranean & Adriatic cruise from Athens to Barcelona. The ship will sail a series of Mediterranean voyages before debuting in North America on Dec. 1, 2019 for sailing a season of Caribbean cruises from Port Everglades.

The 3,660-guest Sky Princess shares all of the spectacular style and luxury of her sister ships – Regal Princess, Royal Princess and Majestic Princess. The ship also will feature new Sky Suites, with expansive views from the largest balconies at sea. In addition, two entertainment experiences have been announced for Sky Princess – Phantom Bridge, a world’s first game combining digital and physical elements for the ultimate immersive escape room, and Take 5, the only jazz theater at sea, celebrating the iconic sounds, culture and history of jazz.

In addition, guests can make the most of their vacation time with the Princess MedallionClass experience, featuring the complimentary OceanMedallion wearable device that delivers an entirely new level of service and creates a vacation that is more simple, effortless and personalized.

The Princess Cruises fleet continues to expand with Enchanted Princess in June 2020, and three additional ships arriving in 2021, 2023 and 2025.

Genting Hong Kong commences construction of Dream Cruises’ second Global Class ship at MV Werften

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 September 2019 11 September 2019

Production of Dream Cruises’ second Global Class ship commenced at MV Werften in Rostock-Warnemünde today, almost exactly a year after the keel laying of the flagship of the series. Genting Hong Kong’s Chairman and CEO Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay initiated at the press of a button the first steel cutting for the 342m long, 46m wide, 208,000 gross ton cruise vessel.

“We are delighted that our comprehensive investments at the three shipyard locations are bearing fruits and we can already celebrate today the first steel cutting for another technologically advanced vessel for our shipping company Dream Cruises,” Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay stated. “Also thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, Dream Cruises’ second Global Class ship will offer our guests a very interesting, modern and highly comfortable travel experience.”

Dream Cruises’ second Global Class ship is identical in construction to her ship sister ship, which is due to enter operation under the name Global Dream in 2021. Production work on the vessel with the yard number 126 is also being divided up among all three locations of MV Werften. For example, up to 30 large sections are being built in Stralsund for subsequent final assembly in Wismar, where a 125m high crane, purchased specially for the Global project, is currently being installed at the outfitting quay. The keel laying of the ship is planned already for 9 December 2019, with delivery scheduled for 2022.

MV Werften’s CEO Peter Fetten said: “Building these sophisticated high-tech ships is a challenge, but above all an enormous opportunity for us. We would like to thank all colleagues and partners for their great work during the planning and design phase, and we are glad to start now with production.”

Like her sister ship, Dream Cruises’ second Global Class ship is also intended for the fast-growing Asian market. With 2,500 passenger cabins accommodating over 9,000 passengers and a crew of 2,200, Dream Cruises’ Global Dream and the second Global Class ship are the first vessels worldwide capable of carrying more than 10,000 persons. In terms of passenger capacity, they are the largest ships ever built in Germany. They are well equipped with state-of-the-art digital technologies, such as face and speech recognition or climate control, mood lighting etc via app, and are thus optimally designed to meet the advanced digital requirements of the Asian cruise market. The standard cabins are the most spacious in the sector – at 20 m² about 15% larger than those offered on other cruise ships.

With 2,500 passenger cabins and 836 crew cabins for the new ship are being produced as completely prefabricated modules at MV Werften Fertigmodule in Wismar. A total of over 600 firms are involved in the construction of the second Global Class ship. Over half of the partner companies come from Germany, a fifth from the Federal State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, contributing to the growth of the local economy.

Norwegian Cruise Line names Kelly Clarkson godmother to Norwegian Encore

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 10 September 2019 10 September 2019

Norwegian Cruise Line announced today on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” that GRAMMY Award-winning artist and superstar Kelly Clarkson will serve as the godmother to its newest ship, Norwegian Encore, debuting in Miami in November.

The cruise line’s President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Stuart appeared on Clarkson’s new nationally syndicated daytime show produced and distributed by NBCUniversal, to invite her to join the Norwegian Cruise Line family as godmother to Norwegian Encore.

As godmother, she will perform at the christening ceremony in Miami on Thursday, Nov. 21, as well as fulfill the longstanding maritime tradition of blessing and officially naming the beautiful Norwegian Encore.

“We knew we wanted someone who represents our core values,” said Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer. “Kelly is a role model who is passionate about family and community, as well as music and entertainment. These are our passions too! We are honored to have her join our family of godparents and look forward to celebrating Norwegian Encore’s debut in Miami with her, this November.”

To celebrate her new title as godmother to Norwegian Encore, Clarkson and Norwegian Cruise Line recognized and awarded 20 deserving music educators on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” with a seven-day cruise, showcasing the mutual appreciation for education and travel as a powerful tool that connects people and promotes awareness and understanding around the world.

“I am so honored to be named the godmother to Norwegian Encore, and to get to be a part of such a special ceremony to christen the new ship in Miami,” said Kelly Clarkson. “I believe that surrounding yourself with the ones you love and taking time for them is important while having the most amazing and unforgettable vacation, which is what Norwegian Cruise Line stands for and provides for its guests.”

Taking the brand’s exclusive, stand-out attractions to the next level, Norwegian Encore will feature the world’s longest race track at sea at 1,100 feet with four high-speed curves extending up to 13 feet over the side of the ship; the largest outdoor laser tag arena at nearly 10,000 square feet with the addition of augmented reality elements; and new immersive escape room and interactive theatre experiences in the 10,000-square-foot Galaxy Pavilion.

In addition to featuring many of the highly rated restaurants and lounges that have made the Breakaway Plus class one of the most innovative and successful in the company’s history, Norwegian Encore will debut a new elevated Italian dining experience, Onda by Scarpetta, in collaboration with LDV Hospitality. The Tony Award®-winning musical, “Kinky Boots” will headline the world-class entertainment on board, with returning guest favorites “The Choir of Man,” “Happy Hour Prohibition: The Musical” and the rocking Beatles cover band of The Cavern Club.

Launching this fall, Norwegian Encore will offer seven-day voyages to the Eastern Caribbean from Miami beginning Nov. 24, 2019; Bermuda, and Canada and New England itineraries from New York City beginning Apr. 22, 2020; voyages to the Western Caribbean from Miami beginning Dec. 12, 2020; and in the spring of 2021 will make her West Coast debut and sail to Alaska from Seattle.