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Cruise shares still to recover from fall triggered by NCLH interims

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 18 May 2017 18 May 2017

Shares in the listed three major cruise shipping groups still have not recovered from fall that started with the weaker than forecast interims of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) on 09 May.

NCLH reported earnings per share of $0.27, well below its own forecast of $0.36 when it published its final quarter and full year 2016 results. The fresh figure was also below the $0.29 the company had reached in the first quarter of 2016.

Shares in NCLH set a recent high at about $56 on 9 May, they closed at $48.07 in New York on 17 May, when the overall market had suffered deep losses. However, the wider market performed well prior to the turmoil on Wednesday.

Carnival plc in London closed at £46.74, well below its recent high at £48.29 on 9 May. The FTSE100 share index of leading shares set record highs earlier in the week. meanwhile, Carnival Corporation finished at $59.75 in New York on 17 May after a recent high at $63.22 eight days earlier.

Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd (RCCL) had hit a recent high of about $110 on 1 May; it closed at $103.65 in New York on 17 May.

NCLH warned about challenges in China due to political tension between that country and South Korea. However, it raised its earnings guidance for the full year, citing strong demand elsewhere as the reason.

The three months to the end of may interims of Carnival Corporation & plc – its financial year runs to 30 November –should cast some light on development of the industry and give investors guidance regarding how to value cruise shipping shares.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to charter river cruise ship 2018

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 18 May 2017 18 May 2017

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the UK based destinational cruise operator, said it has introduced a European river cruise programme that will run from early April to early November 2018.

The 156 passenger capacity Brabant, 110 metres in length and built in 2006 and which the company will charter, will operate a series of cruises on the Danube, Rhine, Main and Moselle – on a total of 30 departures in 2018, on durations ranging from five to 25 nights, complemented by a selection of shore excursions, designed to enhance guests’ experience of the destination.

“Fred. Olsen will be bringing its unique style of ‘destination exploration’ to the river cruise market, with exciting itineraries visiting some of Europe’s most stunning rivers, canals and valleys,” the company said in a statement.

Justin Stanton, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “At Fred. Olsen, we specialise in creating a ‘home-from-home’ atmosphere on our ocean cruises, and we are proud to be bringing our many decades of expertise and rich sailing heritage to the river cruise market for the very first time. In fact, the name Brabant harks back to Fred. Olsen’s historic passenger ship of the same name from the 1920s.”

Over half of the Alaska visitors arrived by a cruise ship in 2016

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 May 2017 17 May 2017

A total of 1,857,500 million out-of-state visitors came to Alaska from May to September 2016, according to the Alaska Visitor Statistics Program 7 (AVSP 7), the most recently released report by the Alaska Tourism Industry Association (ATIA) and Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED). This sets the record for visitor volume since the AVSP began in 1985, and it marks a 4 percent increase from the same period in 2015.

In summer 2016, Alaska visitors spent an average of $1,057 per person on their trip, which shows a 4 percent increase in spending from the previous year. Spending a total of $1.97 billion in the state last summer, tourist spending was up 31 percent from 2011. The significant economic growth is representative of an increase in per-person spending as well as the growth in visitor volume.

A large portion of the bump can be attributed to an increase in air volume, which went up by 6 percent. Cruise ship passengers still make up the majority of Alaska’s visitors, however. Those arriving by cruise ship accounted for 55 percent of visitors, totaling 1,025,900 people in summer 2016. The highway/ferry market saw the biggest jump, going up 10 percent over the past year and now accounting for 5 percent of total summer visitor volume.

AmaWaterways to launch next-generation, wider river ship AmaMagna next year

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 May 2017 15 May 2017

AmaWaterways has announced plans for AmaMagna, its biggest ship ever to be launched in 2019. AmaMagna represents a new concept specifically designed to elevate the modern luxury market. Twice the width of traditional European river ships, the latest AmaWaterways innovation welcomes only 194 guests and affords luxurious living spaces, multiple dining options including an al fresco glass-enclosed restaurant, more onboard activities and enhanced evening entertainment. The ship will debut a quieter and more fuel-efficient engine and – a first for Ama – open-water sports platform, complete with zodiac boats, canoes and recreational equipment. Construction for the new vessel, destined to sail Danube itineraries, began March 6, 2017.

“As the luxury river cruise market continues to grow, we want to carry on as the leader in industry innovation. While this new double-width concept has been on the table for some time, we believe, given the unique demand that exists, that now is the perfect moment to introduce this style of ship,” said Rudi Schreiner, president and co-owner of AmaWaterways. “AmaMagna will provide guests with generous personal space, the freedom of multiple dining choices and exceptional stateroom comfort. Combining this with our award-winning cuisine, noteworthy shore excursions and remarkable onboard service, we feel this ship is a game-changer.”

In total, AmaMagna will feature 97 staterooms – the majority of which will be over 300 square feet, some of the largest in river cruising. Additional amenities include a large heated sundeck swimming pool with whirlpool and sky bar, a spacious spa area with new treatments, a fitness room large enough for small group classes and generous common areas designed to accommodate a variety of onboard events.

“We’ve expanded the options for our guests by incorporating exceptional epicurean adventures, and new wellness offerings. Our guests deserve the very best and we are always thinking about new opportunities that will give them the vacation of a lifetime,” said Schreiner. “Now is the perfect time for us to introduce a new concept of luxurious European river cruising.”

Thomson Cruises starts to operate the TUI Discovery 2

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 May 2017 12 May 2017

Thomson Cruises has today revealed that it has seen an almost 40 per cent increase in passengers on cruise holidays in the last five years, with numbers in the last year alone rise by nearly 20 per cent. This follows information released in a recent CLIA report that revealed that one in nine package holidays booked in 2015 was a cruise.

With demand for cruise holidays high, Thomson Cruises has invested significantly in its fleet, adding All Inclusive ship TUI Discovery last year, announcing TUI Explorer for summer 2018 and preparing to launch its latest ship, TUI Discovery 2, this weekend (14 May) in Malaga, Spain.

This new ship, which boasts 915 cabins, 40% of which offer balconies, offers All Inclusive drinks as standard with customers able to enjoy the wide range of restaurants and bars onboard alongside a selection of premium drinks and pour-yourself beer and wine taps in Islands, all included in the price of their holiday. From gourmet cuisine to laid-back street food, families and couples alike will all be able to get the most from their holiday whilst enjoying activities and entertainment including an outdoor poolside movie screen, a rock-climbing wall, a mini-golf course and an indoor swimming pool and spa.

In addition to the wide range of facilities, TUI Discovery 2 is introducing innovative new technologies onboard to further enhance customer experience. Launching on TUI Discovery 2’s maiden voyage, new onboard app ‘Navigate’ will enable customers to view their onboard account, information about facilities and entertainment schedules, and book onboard extras such as spa treatments, excursions and tables in the stunning a la carte restaurants. The app, which is free to use, will be hosted on the ship’s network and will open on any browser, meaning passengers aren’t required to download it or purchase wi-fi packages.

Also brand new for TUI Discovery 2 is Virtual Reality Experience, where guests can use HTC Vive headsets to transport themselves into a virtual reality experience where they can play games, make 3D paintings or explore universes; and Green Screen Room, an onboard photobooth that allows passengers to take a picture with a background of their choice. New shows as part of the onboard entertainment include Brexfactor, Chaplin, Festival Live and Steel City.

Based in Malaga this summer, TUI Discovery 2 will visit some of the Mediterranean’s most iconic destinations such as Barcelona, Valencia, Ibiza, Porto, Lisbon and Marseille before repositioning to Tenerife in September, visiting ports in the Canaries, Morocco and Madeira. Come December, TUI Discovery 2 will make its way to Montego Bay, Jamaica where it will begin its winter season in the vibrant Caribbean visiting Central American highlights such as Cuba, Belize, Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia on itineraries such as Cuban Fusion and Pride of Panama.

Managing Director of Thomson Cruises, Richard Sofer, said: “We’re delighted to be launching TUI Discovery 2, the second in our pipeline of four new additions to our fleet. At Thomson Cruises we’re committed to delivering unforgettable holidays that are personalised for each of our customers and TUI Discovery 2 will play a key role in that for us. There is so much for our guests to do onboard and our brand new app ‘Navigate’ makes it all even easier, whilst they spend their time sailing between some of the world’s most exciting and exotic destinations.”

TUI Discovery 2 is the second ship to join the Thomson Cruises fleet in the last twelve months, following the arrival of TUI Discovery in June 2016. The move to name this latest addition to the fleet TUI Discovery 2 is part of the re-brand which will see the whole of Thomson transition to TUI later this year. Also joining the fleet from May 2018 is the newly announced TUI Explorer.

TUI Discovery 2 and its crew members will set sail on its maiden customer voyage on 14th May, sailing the Continental Coasts itinerary, visiting ports including Barcelona, Valencia and Marseille.