More News

Pullmantur reinforces its management team

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 18 January 2016 18 January 2016

Alan Lam reports

After its recent decision to refocus on Spain on account of the deteriorating economic situation in South America, Pullmantur Cruises, the Spanish subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., has announced the strengthening of its management team by bringing in two new, experienced members.

Jurgen Bailon and José Blanco have been appointed vice-presidents of the group, reporting directly to President and CEO of Pullmantur, Jorge Vilches. They will be responsible for operations and commercial activities, respectively, on the global level.

Jorge Vilches has described the impending arrivals of the two in the company’s management team as “fundamental” to implementing its recently launched “Movidos x Ti” scheme (Cruise Business 14 December 2015 new item), which focused more than ever before on passengers and the quality of its products.

Jurgen Bailon will be the new vice-President of Operations and will be responsible for global strategy in relation to onboard revenue generation, hotel and supply chain management. He has already had a rich experience in the cruise sector, mainly accrued from his roles in the Royal Caribbean group where he assumed various management positions within Pullmantur since 1991, such as Fleet Hotel Director/GM, Food & Beverage Director and Vacation Experience Director/GM. He was also a vice-President of Island Cruises in Brazil and, prior to this appointment, he was the Ship Management Services Corporate Director for Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity.

José Blanco González will assume the role of vice-President Commercial from 8 February. He will be responsible for commercial strategy and activities of the group on the global level. He has a proven track record in the holiday and tourism sector, having fulfilled various key roles in the industry, including the Commercial Director of Parque Isla Magica, Marketing & Sales Director of PortAventura Resort, and being Europcar’s General Manager of Sales & Marketing for Spain immediately prior to his current appointment.

“I am convinced that their experience will contribute significantly to the consolidation of the group as a leader in the cruise industry and help continue and increase our global success," said Jorge Vilches.

Crystal Cruises cancels 2016 calls to Turkey

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 January 2016 15 January 2016

In response to ongoing security concerns for travel within Istanbul, Crystal Cruises announced today that it will reroute two of its upcoming voyages set to call in Turkish ports. The cruise line has revised the itineraries for Crystal Symphony’s April 24 and May 1 sailings, previously planned to include visits to Istanbul and Kuşadasi, replacing those ports with Greek destinations.

“The safety and peace of mind of our guests are our primary concerns, and we do not take any risks with either,” says Crystal CEO & President, Edie Rodriguez. “The itinerary changes will allow our guests to continue with their planned vacations in the same standard of excellence and luxury, without the added worry of security in a particular destination.”

Turkish ports of call scheduled for April and November aboard Crystal’s new luxury yacht, Crystal Esprit, will also be changed, though the new itineraries have yet to be finalized. Effective immediately, the voyages will reflect the following itinerary changes (*=newly changed destination):

– April 24 (7 days) – Athens/Piraeus, Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, *Souda Bay/Chaina, *Navplion (overnight), *Hydra and *Athens/Piraeus (overnight), Greece.
– May 1 (12 days) – *Athens/Piraeus (overnight), *Patmos, *Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, Navplion and Argostolios, Greece; Crotone, Sorrento and Rome/Civitavecchia, Italy.

As the annual President’s Cruise, the April 24 sailing will also boast the distinction of being one of Crystal’s few voyages to focus solely in Greece. For both sailings, pre-reserved Crystal Adventures will automatically be canceled, while the line is in the process of developing a host of new excursions ashore, which will be available in the online Guest Check-In/Priority Check-In & Planning Center (PCPC) at crystalcruises.com.

Meyer Turku celebrates the float-out of Mein Schiff 5

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 January 2016 15 January 2016

On Friday 15 January, Meyer Turku Shipyard floated out the first ship being contracted and built totally under the ownership of the Meyer family. Mein Schiff 5 is a sister ship of Mein Schiff 4, which was handed over to its owner last spring. Building of Mein Schiff 5 has advanced as planned and on schedule. The float-out and transfer of the vessel from the dry dock to the outfitting pier marks a shift from the construction phase of the ship hull to the outfitting phase. Ferdinand Strohmeyer, Vice President Operations of TUI Cruises and Jan Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku, were among the people participating in the opening of the dry dock valves.

"Step by step the good work of our team is coming together and the ship starts to look like a ship. Mein Schiff 4, the sister ship is well received by its guest – yet we cannot stand still and are implementing multiple improvements, big and small, on Mein Schiff 5 to further improve the guest experience. I'm confident that, once again, we will be able to deliver TUI Cruises a wonderful new cruise ship on time," said Jan Meyer.

TUI Cruises has also been satisfied with how the work has progressed and with its continued good cooperation with Meyer Turku.
"Although this is meanwhile TUI Cruises’ third new build, it is still a long way from becoming routine. It’s always a great feeling the first time we see the ship afloat,” said Ferdinand Strohmeier.

When completed, the technically highly advanced Mein Schiff 5 will be 295 metres long and 36 metres wide. Special attention in its design and construction was paid to energy efficiency. The cruise ship will have 1,267 cabins, of which approximately 90 per cent will be outer cabins and 82 per cent will have their own balcony. The ship will accommodate about 1,000 crew members. In accordance with the wishes of today's cruise passengers, Mein Schiff 5 will feature for example a high-quality theatre, outdoor pool area, extensive sports facilities, and a wide and varied range of restaurants. Mein Schiff 5 will be completed in the summer of 2016.

Carnival Inspiration to undergo multi-million-dollar refit

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 14 January 2016 14 January 2016

The 2,052-passenger Carnival Inspiration will undergo a multi-million-dollar makeover that will add a wide range of new dining and bar innovations next month.

The new features will be incorporated during a three-week dry dock taking place in Portland, Ore., Jan. 18 to Feb. 5, 2016. Following the renovation, the ship will resume its year-round schedule of 3- and 4-night Baja cruises from Long Beach, Calif.

Here’s a look at the exciting new options that will be added to Carnival Inspiration:

– Guy’s Burger Joint, a free-of-charge poolside venue developed in partnership with Food Network personality Guy Fieri serving hand-crafted burgers and fresh-cut fries enjoyed amidst a décor that celebrates the chef’s California roots and love of car culture
– BlueIguana Cantina, a complimentary poolside Mexican eatery where guests can enjoy authentic, freshly made burritos and tacos on homemade tortillas, as well as an elaborate toppings and salsa bar
– RedFrog Rum Bar, a poolside watering hole offering the quintessential Caribbean vacation vibe with refreshing Caribbean rum-based frozen drinks and beers, including Carnival’s own private label draught brew, ThirstyFrog Red
– Alchemy Bar, a vintage-themed “cocktail pharmacy”-themed lounge with mixologists who “prescribe” concoctions from different elixirs and ingredients with creative monikers like Forty is the New Twenty and The Restorative Basil Drop
– BlueIguana Tequila Bar, a fun and festive outdoor bar offering a laid-back Mexican-themed atmosphere and tequila-based frozen drinks and beers, perfect for chillin’ by the pool
– Cherry On Top, the “sweetest spot on board” which celebrates the joys of simple indulgences with bins of bulk candy, fun fanciful gifts and novelties, custom apparel and more

In addition to these new spaces, guests sailing aboard Carnival Inspiration can check out the ship’s massive WaterWorks aqua park featuring a 300-foot-long Twister slide and a kiddie splash zone, a 24-hour pizzeria, full casino gambling, a luxurious 12,000-square-foot Spa Carnival health and wellness center, and the Serenity adults-only retreat.

On its year-round short cruise program from Long Beach, Carnival Inspiration departs every Friday on 3-night cruises to Ensenada and every Monday on 4-night cruises to Ensenada and Catalina Island.

Carnival Corporation & plc appoints Roger Chen as Chairman in China

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 14 January 2016 14 January 2016

Alan Lam reports

Carnival Corporation & plc has just announced that, from 1 January 2016, Roger Chen would be its chairman in China. Based in Shanghai and as a native of China, Chen will lead all government relations and port development liaisons, as well as supporting the group’s joint ventures in China. In his new role, Mr. Chen will be responsible for representing all of Carnival Corporation’s brands in China, enabling them to continue expanding in the region.

He reports directly to Alan Buckelew, the COO of Carnival Corporation, who will continue to provide strategic leadership to drive the company’s long-term growth plans in Asia, while Michael Ungerer, COO-Shared Services for Carnival Asia, continues in his strategic role to support growth across the brands in Asia, reporting to Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Group, with a dotted line to Chen.

"Roger comes to us with over 25 years of experience working for major global companies that have significant operations in China, as well as time spent working within the Chinese government, all of which will be invaluable to our growth strategy in China and Asia as a whole," said Alan Buckelew. "We look forward to Roger’s leadership and deep knowledge of government affairs as he oversees Carnival Corporation’s strategic initiatives across all our brands in China, where we expect continued growth and expansion as the leading cruise operator in what has quickly become one of the fastest growing markets in the world.”

Chen’s background includes expertise in corporate and government affairs, and an in-depth knowledge of the Chinese government’s policies and operations. His experience includes several senior positions in major multi-national corporations - where he led strategic efforts in China - including General Electric, Microsoft and Alcatel. Most recently, he served as the president for Volvo Group in China.

In addition, the company has also recently announced plans to operate two additional cruise brands in China in 2017. Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises will join Costa Cruises and Princess Cruises in the Chinese market from 2017, making it the first company to operate four cruise brands in China.