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Italian unions, politicians concerned over future of Costa in Genoa

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 14 February 2015 14 February 2015

Italian trade union leaders and politicans have raised concerns over the future of Costa Crociere, the Genoa based part of Carnival Corp & plc, after it had decided to relocate its marine operations to Hamburg.

"What worries us is that they are transferring the heart of the company to another country, and that will lead to a progressive emptying out of headquarters," Mauro Scognamillo, leader of the Fit-Cisl union, told the Associated Press (AP) news agency..

After a meeting, Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Crociere, reassured the Italian government that "Italy remains a market with a huge potential." Transport Minister Maurizio Lupi said Costa would present to the government an industrial plan that confirms Genoa as a strategic asset, AP reported .

On 29 January, Costa Crociere unveiled establishment of a central Marine Operations Center in Hamburg, Germany. Under the name Carnival Maritime, Costa Group is creating, with the support of Lufthansa Technik, a highly modern, digitalised unit for the operation of its fleet, currently numbering 25 ships. Carnival Maritime will be led by Jens Lassen, current Senior Vice President Marine Operations AIDA Cruises, who will also report directly to the CEO of Costa Group.

"The Hamburg location offers us excellent access to technology and expertise in the maritime sector. We are certain that the close cooperation with Lufthansa Technik will enable us to transfer airline know-how to improve continuously the quality of our fleet’s operations,” Thamm said in a statement.

Carnival Vista to operate from Miami

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 13 February 2015 13 February 2015

PortMiami will be the year-round homeport for Carnival Cruise Line’s largest ship to date, the 133,500-ton Carnival Vista, when it launches six- to eight-day Caribbean cruises beginning in December 2016, the company said in a statement.

Currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, Carnival Vista will take cruising to new heights, introducing groundbreaking features such as SkyRide, a suspended open-air cycling experience; the world’s first IMAX® Theatre on a ship; Kaleid-O-Slide, the line’s first water tube slide; and RedFrog Pub, including the line’s first onboard brewery.

Carnival will further bolster its leadership position in Galveston, repositioning Carnival Breeze and Carnival Liberty to Texas in 2016, joining Carnival Freedom which arrives in Galveston this Saturday. Carnival Breeze and Carnival Liberty will replace Carnival Magic and Carnival Triumph, respectively, in Galveston. Details on new homeports for Carnival Magic and Carnival Triumph, as well as year-round departures from San Juan, will be provided over the coming weeks.

With Carnival Breeze, Carnival Liberty and Carnival Freedom, Galveston will be home to three of the line’s most innovative ships offering the widest array of cruise durations and itineraries to top destinations in Mexico, Belize, Isla Roatan and The Bahamas. These three ships will carry 600,000 passengers annually from Galveston – more than any other cruise operator.

“Miami and Galveston are among our most popular points of embarkation and deploying our newest, most innovative ships to these homeports speaks volumes about our confidence in growing these markets,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president. “These ships not only offer our guests incredible on-board experiences but also provide our valued travel agent partners with exciting new choices to market to their clients,” she added.

MSC Cruises named official partner of Expo 2015 in Milan

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 February 2015 12 February 2015

MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise company, said that it has been named Official Cruise Carrier of Expo 2015, the Universal Exposition that since 1851 has celebrated human achievement and debated the big questions facing humanity.

"Under the partnership, MSC Cruises, the market leader in the Mediterranean, South Africa and Brazil, will proudly display the Expo Milano 2015 logo on the hull of MSC Fantasia, which will sail in the Med throughout 2015," MSC Cruises said in a statement.

MSC Cruises will also be an official vendor, so that guests can buy Expo tickets on board and attend the event by joining special shore excursions when calling at Genoa and La Spezia. Between May and October MSC Cruises will bring nearly 600,000 cruise passengers through these two ports alone.

This collaboration between MSC Cruises and Expo Milano 2015 will formally kick off at the Borsa Italiana del Turismo 2015 (BIT) tourism trade show, where MSC Cruises will have a presence on the Expo Milano 2015 stand.

This year’s Expo, in Milan from 1 May to 31 October, explores the issue of sustainability in food, under the slogan “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”.

MSC Cruises to launch booking system for theatre performances on its Lirica-class ships

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 February 2015 12 February 2015

MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise shipping company, says it is introducing a system that allows passengers to book a seat at the theatre on its four Lirica class ships.

"The innovative technology will allow guests on board MSC Armonia, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera and MSC Lirica to guarantee a spot to see their favourite evening shows at the performance of their choice, rather than take a chance in the current ‘first-come, first-served’ arrangement," the company said.

Guests will be able to book their seats in the theatre on 10 large touch screens situated around the ships, or by using their smartphones/tablets and tapping in to the shipboard Wi-Fi at no charge. Entry to the theatre will be linked to each guests’ cruise card.

The new technology will be introduced as part of the current £160 million ‘renaissance project’ to lengthen and refit each ship. MSC Armonia has already been completed, with work currently continuing on MSC Sinfonia. MSC Opera and MSC Lirica will begin their transformations in May and August respectively.

MSC Cruises will also tailor the number of performances on board depending on the occupancy level of each sailing – adding extra shows to cater for high demand.

Information about how to book theatre spaces will be available via the Daily Programme distributed to each cabin, while the Guest Relations desk will be available to help with any queries.

Posidonia Forum to host CLIA Europe Executive Committee Meeting

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 February 2015 12 February 2015

The Eastern Mediterranean is gearing to increase its share of the cruise sector’s €40 billion annual contribution to Europe’s economy. "According to industry representatives who will participate in the upcoming Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum, scheduled to be held on May 26-27 in Athens, 2015 brings the first positive news following the industry’s post Arab Spring deployment correction and a capacity increase with the introduction of new and larger vessels," the organisers of the event said in a statement.

Senior executives from the world’s biggest and most prestigious cruise lines will be there to table the challenges the sector is facing in the Eastern Mediterranean, tackle long standing issues and try to turn trends to opportunities for the industry’s key players and the region’s port destinations.
Speakers include senior officials from Azamara Club Cruises, Celestyal Cruises (former Louis Cruises), Crystal Cruises, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises and more, who will gather in the Greek capital for this two-day event to meet industry officials from the region’s private sector, government bodies and regulatory authorities.

As Royal Caribbean Cruises’ representative Andreas Stylianopoulos, President & CEO, Navigator Travel said: “I am confident that the East Mediterranean will continue to recover as a cruising sub-region in spite of the fact that some of its strong destinations are still out of play. One important factor in the renewal of demand for East Mediterranean cruises is that Greece, as a tourist destination, has recently become very much in fashion worldwide. Sustainability in tourism requires a clear vision with farseeing strategies, constant nurturing with great attention to detail and of course, political stability coupled with consistent policy.”

His optimism is shared by Marco Digioia, Government Affairs Director of CLIA Europe. “We plan meetings with senior Greek government officials to discuss the potential for cruise growth in Greece and the East Med, the projected increase of deployment in the East Med for 2016, and to address current barriers to the growth of both cruise calls and home-porting in Greece,” said Digioia. On the occasion of the Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum, CLIA Europe will be holding its biannual Executive Committee Meeting in Athens, thereby showing the importance the region has for the cruise industry.

According to Theodore Vokos, Executive Director of Posidonia Exhibitions, the event’s organiser, Greece continues to enjoy a significant cruise presence with passenger calls reaching a total of 5 million in 2014. “Several Greek cruise ports are among the top ranking in Europe in absolute passenger visits and this, in combination with the emergence of new cruise ports in the region, will continue to provide cruise lines with a significant choice of exciting and lucrative destination options.”