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Oceania Cruises to offer free internet

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 September 2014 15 September 2014

Last week Oceania Cruises announced plans to provide complimentary Internet access to guests booked in either a suite or Concierge Level stateroom on any of its five mid-size ships. This is the first time the upper-premium cruise line has offered a free Internet program, with the new benefit commencing during the 2015 winter season.

As part of the program, guests booked in Owner’s, Vista and Oceania suites will receive unlimited complimentary Internet access to enjoy throughout their voyage. Guests booked in Penthouse suites or Concierge Level staterooms will receive blocks of complimentary Internet time based on cruise length, starting with 200 minutes for a seven-night cruise and extending to 500 minutes for voyages over 16 nights.

Being an upper-premium brand, Oceania Cruises ships feature a larger number of Concierge Level and above accommodations, which means this free Internet program will cover more than 55 percent of all guests sailing on Marina and Riviera, and nearly half of all guests sailing on Regatta, Insignia and Nautica. Guests will be able to take advantage of the free Internet either through the ship’s Wi-Fi system or at the Oceania@Sea Internet café. Oceania Cruises recently upgraded the Wi-Fi system across the fleet to increase bandwidth and provide connectivity throughout the entire ship, including all public spaces, outdoor decks and all suites and staterooms.

“Oceania Cruises is committed to providing our guests with an extraordinary cruise vacation for an incomparable value, so we’re excited to add free Internet to an already long list of included amenities such as free roundtrip airfare and complimentary dining experiences at our exquisite specialty restaurants,” said Kunal S. Kamlani, president of Oceania Cruises. “We know our guests want to stay connected with friends and family while exploring the world with Oceania Cruises. Now, as guests are enjoying the Olife onboard, they will be able to freely share cherished vacation memories with loved ones back home from the comfort of the ship.”

The complimentary Internet rollout will be staggered across the fleet, tied to the official start of each ship’s winter schedule. The first sailings will be Nautica on Oct. 25, 2015, followed by Marina on Nov. 3, Regatta on Nov. 4, Riviera on Dec. 2, and Insignia on Jan. 4, 2016, when it begins its third 180-day Around the World voyage. Complete itinerary details for the winter schedule will be released and available to book at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 17, 2014.

Oceania Cruises’ signature 2-for-1 cruise fares include an abundance of complimentary amenities such as unlimited soft drinks, coffee beverages, juices and bottled water. Guests can savor the finest cuisine at sea at any of the ships’ specialty restaurants without any supplemental dining charges. Oceania Cruises also eliminates the hassle of searching for flights by including free roundtrip air service from major U.S. and Canadian gateways.

Work begins for Viking Sea at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 13 September 2014 13 September 2014

Fincantieri has announced that the steel-cutting ceremony for Viking Sea was held at its Marghera shipyard. Viking Sea is the second ship in order of acquisition that Fincantieri is building for Viking Ocean Cruises. Fincantieri is also building Viking Star, with delivery scheduled in Marghera in spring 2015, and Viking Sky, which will be delivered in Ancona in summer 2016.

Like its two sister ships, Viking Sea will measure approximately 47,800 gross tons and will have 465 staterooms, accommodating 930 guests. Also like its sister ships, the ship was designed by experienced nautical architects and engineers, including London-based SMC Design and Los Angeles-based Rottet Studios.

Maiden voyage itineraries for Viking Ocean Cruises start in April 2015, with cruising in Scandinavia and the Baltic; and the Western and Eastern Mediterranean. Guests on Viking’s ships will experience cruising with destination as the focus, maximum time in port and an onboard cultural enrichment program ideal for an experienced traveler with interests in history, art and culture.

The relationship with Viking adds a major new brand to Fincantieri’s list of cruise ship customers.

Sea Cloud Cruises appoints Daniel Schäfer as Managing Director

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 September 2014 12 September 2014

Daniel Schäfer (35) has been appointed to the Management Board of Sea Cloud Cruises GmbH by the company's General Meeting with immediate effect.

Daniel Schäfer has been employed by the HANSA TREUHAND Group since 2005. Having graduated with a degree in business administration, his first position within the group was as Assistant to Chairman of the Board Hermann Ebel. Since 2009, he has been an authorised representative of HANSA TREUHAND Holding AG. In November 2010, he joined the management of Sea Cloud Cruises GmbH as Sales Director and Vice President Sales.

Hermann Ebel and Klaus Gerken have expressed their gratitude to Daniel Schäfer for his accomplishments to date in his former role. His appointment as Managing Director is recognition of his personal commitment by the company´s Shareholders.

The Management Board of Sea Cloud Cruises GmbH now is formed by Hermann Ebel, Klaus Gerken and Daniel Schäfer.

Since 1979, Sea Cloud Cruises remains one of the top names in the world of cruising. The 83-year-old four-masted barque Sea Cloud is with her high quality the model for the other passenger ships belonging to the cruise line. Recently, Sea Cloud und Sea Cloud ii were re-elected by the Berlitz Cruise Guide to the top five boutique ships. Sea Cloud Cruises is a member of 'Feine Privathotels'.

Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific to provide travel agent training in Hong Kong convention

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 September 2014 12 September 2014

In an ongoing effort to impart the value and revenue potential of the global cruise market to the callow Asian travel agent community, Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific will once again host a comprehensive travel agent training program, presented by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

Presented by cruise industry veteran Peter Kollar from CLIA Australasia, this comprehensive education program will help agents better understand the cruise industry's value and revenue potential, and ensure the development of the retail cruise business moving forward in Asia.

CLIA’s renowned education program was designed to teach agents best sales practices, help them monitor emerging trends, and discover new destinations, essentially in an effort to help them increase their business. “Travel agents in the Asia-Pacific region will be elated with the amount of tangible and practical knowledge they will receive during these training sessions,” said Brett Jardine, General Manager of CLIA Australasia. “This is really a wonderful opportunity to help agents explore the benefits of selling cruises.”

Following is the current line-up of training sessions:

November 20:
Building Your Cruise Business
This 2-part session is a must for any small business owner or travel agent that wants to succeed in cruise retail. Whether an online retailer, store agency, or individual seller, you will learn the proven methods of small business success and apply it to the cruise market. By the end of the sessions you will be able to:

–    Increase your sales by recognizing the current trends and future direction of the cruise industry.
–    Grow your business by learning to statistically analyse cruise data to evaluate and plan your cruise business future.
–    Improve your marketing by working with the cruise lines and understanding the importance of developing a loyal cruise community through social media.

November 21
Selling Cruise Destinations
One of the most underestimated tools used in selling cruise holidays is the ability to use the cruise itinerary and destination. This training session will excite you and engage you, delivered by one of the most well-travelled cruise experts in the industry. By the end of the session you will be able to:

–    Learn the main strategy for converting your customers to clients.
–    Understand that each cruise region around the world has a different appeal.
–    Learn how to change your selling dialogue for each situation and destination.

Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific will take place November 20-21, 2014 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. For information about exhibiting or attending Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific visit www.cruiseshippingasia.com.

Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific is organized by UBM plc and is exclusively supported by Cruise Lines International Association and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association. Official Event Partner: Hong Kong Tourism Board.

New German venture reported to plan eco cruise ships

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 September 2014 12 September 2014

Green Sailing, a new German cruise shipping venture, is reported to plan to build eco friendly cruse ships that would use Flettner rotor technology to provide wind power and use LNG as fuel.

The ships would take 350 passengers each and cost between €100 million and €150 million each to build, a report on tradewindsnews.com says. An order is planned to be placed next year and the company plans to invest a total of €750 million in the fleet.