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Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific names speakers for on-board localization and air-cruise master classes

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 September 2012 11 September 2012

The second annual http://www.cruiseshippingevents.com/asia conference and exhibition will feature two master classes on the topics of localizing the shipboard product to different markets and cruise line/airline cooperation. The event is scheduled for Sept. 17-18, 2012, at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore.

Scheduled to participate in the "Localizing the On-Board Experience and Revenues" master class are Naohiko Yamaguchi, director, group leader Onboard Service Management Group, for Mitsui OSK Passenger Line; Ole-Kristian Sivertsen, senior vice president, business development & chief evangelist, for Maritime Communications Partner, and Lisa Vogt, director, global brand business partner (Asia Pacific), for Royal Caribbean International.

In describing the content of his master class, Yamaguchi points out differences in Japanese passenger behavior.

"Japanese cruise guest behavior on board may be different from other nationalities in many ways," said Yamaguchi. "They are relatively quiet on board and pleased with what is included in the cruise fare. However, they do not hesitate to pay for optional tours and local souvenirs, as they think destinations are more important. Cruise operators must understand 'sense of fairness' to cater to Japanese guests."

Sivertsen says that new mobile technology is driving the passenger experience.

"Smartphones is the fastest spreading technology in human history, and a revolutionary shift in how people consume digital content, connect and communicate," said Sivertsen. "How can cruise lines tap into the opportunities of this mobile revolution in order to connect with existing and new customers, enhance passenger experience and increase onboard revenue?

"This session will explore revenue opportunities represented by mobile devices, mobile social media and mobile marketing," Sivertsen continued. "References and success stories will be shared to deliver key takeaways that can immediately translate into action and powerful results in the cruise industry."

Vogt points out that Royal Caribbean has been successfully operating in the Asia-Pacific region for years, and has adjusted its product to meet guest expectations.

"Royal Caribbean International is committed to the Asia Pacific region and has focused on customizing the onboard experience and vessel hardware to maximize guest satisfaction," said Vogt. "These efforts have been met with strong regional growth, industry recognition and customer loyalty to further strengthen our dedication to this market."

The second master class session, "Partnering with Airlines to Develop the Air-Cruise Model," examines the necessity for airlines and cruise lines to work together -- along with hotels and trains -- to integrate operations.

Participating in that session are Buhdy Bok, vice president Asia Pacific and China, for Costa Crociere, and Sheldon Hee, head of marketing communications and development, for Singapore Airlines.

Hee suggests that it is essential for cruise lines and airlines to focus on strategic partnerships.

"We must find synergies beyond tactical promotions by studying opportunities to expand the air-cruise partnership," said Hee. "We must seek to create an integrated value proposition for the customer, while leveraging the natural strengths and advantages of each partner."

Also slated to speak at Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific are Christine Duffy, president and chief executive officer of Cruise Lines International Association; Ann Sherry, chief executive officer of Carnival Australia; Gianni Onorato, president of Costa Crociere; Roberto Giorgi, president of V.Ships, and Dr. Zinan Liu managing director China and Asia for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Azamara Club Cruises to refurbish Journey and Quest

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 09 September 2012 09 September 2012

Azamara Club Cruises, the cruise line that has set the bar for delivering destination immersive experiences to up-market travelers, today announced plans for the renovation of its two European boutique hotel-style ships, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest. Both ships are scheduled separately to enter drydock in 2012 and 2013, respectively, where each will receive a shipwide facelift and a new profile with a new dark-blue hull. Guests will delight in the beautifully refreshed ships, along with Azamara’s signature exceptional personal service from every staff and crew member, exciting destinations around the world where larger ships cannot reach, and more late night and overnight stays in port to be immersed in the nightlife of the destinations.

“Azamara Club Cruises is offering up-market travelers more of what they love about our brand,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises. “Our distinctive destination-immersion proposition and the warm and authentic personal service from every staff and crew member have really resonated with up-market travelers. Guest satisfaction has consistently pushed 100 percent, and we are going to continue to deliver travel in a way that will surmount all guest expectations – on land and on board.”

Shipwide renovations will include new carpets, upholstery, and a new color palette in public spaces reflecting the cruise line’s inviting atmosphere; new mattresses and upgraded veranda furniture for suites and staterooms; and a resurfaced pool, and new sun loungers and pool towels on the outer decks. The Casino Bar also will be expanded and enhanced with new furniture, while the Spa and fitness center will be refreshed with a new steam room, showers, and state-of-the-art Life Fitness cardio equipment. Furthermore, a range of enhancements will be made behind the scenes in the staff and crew area to add to the comfort of the cruise line’s most valuable asset.

On the culinary front, guests onboard will soon enjoy a new caviar and champagne bar within Aqualina, one of the ships’ two specialty dining venues, as well as a new Chef’s Table concept featuring three wine degustation menus – Italian, French and Californian. At Mosaic Café, the ships’ central gathering spot, guests will be able to purchase a freshly brewed cup of bespoke coffee.

Azamara Quest will spend eight nights in drydock at Navantia Shipyard in Cadiz, Spain, starting Nov. 7, 2012. With renovations complete, Azamara Quest will then sail a 13-night Madeira and Canary Islands voyage, beginning November 15, followed by a four-night Spanish and Northern Africa voyage on November 28. The ship then departs on December 2, to embark on a 16-night, trans-Atlantic voyage to Rio De Janeiro for its South America season.

Following, Azamara Journey will enter Singapore’s Sembawang Shipyard (a subsidiary of Sembcorp Marine Ltd.) on Jan. 6, 2013, for a seven-night renovation drydock. Azamara Journey will then continue its Asia season with a 13-night Indonesia voyage round-trip from Singapore on January 13

In addition to receiving exceptional scores from guest surveys, the cruise line has continuously been recognized with some of the industry’s most coveted accolades since its rebranding more than two years ago. Among the many honors, Azamara Club Cruises has catapulted to rank among the World’s Top 10 Cruise Lines in the Conde Nast Traveler: World’s Best List for the past two consecutive years, and in Travel + Leisure Magazine’s annual “World’s Best” Readers Poll for the latest four consecutive years. Furthermore, four Azamara voyages have been named among travel expert, Wendy Perrin’s, Ten Dream Cruises in 2012 and 2013, and both Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest garnered the No. 1 and No. 2 Best Overall spot in the Cruise Critic’s 2012 U.S. Cruisers Choice Awards.

Guests aboard Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest enjoy more inclusive amenities, such as included gratuities for housekeeping, dining and bar staff; complimentary bottled water, sodas, specialty coffee, and teas, as well as complimentary red and white boutique wines to accompany lunch and dinner; complimentary self-service laundry; English Butler service for suite guests; and shuttle transportation to city centers in ports, where available.

Azamara Club Cruises is a destination-immersive cruise line for up-market travelers who want to not only see the places and cultures they visit, but to live them. Azamara’s two intimate, 694-guest ships, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, with a combination of 347 suites and staterooms, offer a European-boutique hotel ambience with extraordinary service, fine cuisine and wines from around the world, and wellness and vitality programs, all while sailing to a host of destinations larger ships cannot reach. Azamara Club Cruises sails European destinations, including the Baltic and Scandinavia, British Isles, Western Europe, French and Italian Rivieras, Greek Isles, Croatia, Holy Land and Black Sea, as well as Asia, South America and lesser-traveled islands of the West Indies, with more overnight and late-night stays in every region. Travelers also can choose even more immersive experiences with Azamara cruisetours in eight of the world’s most exciting destinations, including Buenos Aires, Istanbul, India and China.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines introduces future cruise deposit instalment scheme

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 06 September 2012 06 September 2012

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the UK based operator of four medium sized ships, says it introduces a scheme whereby passengers can pay a non-refundable deposit of £100 while on a cruise towards their next cruise with the line, to be booked over the next 12 months, and receive on board credit as an additional inducement.

"Many guests take advantage of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ future cruise booking service on board its four cruise ships – Balmoral,Braemar, Boudicca and Black Watch – and decide to secure their next cruise before they return home," the company said in a statement.

"However, for those guests who cannot choose which cruise they would like to take next, Fred. Olsen is launching the ‘Future Cruise Deposit Instalment Scheme’, so that guests can still be rewarded for booking whilst on board. By paying a non-refundable deposit instalment of £100 per cabin whilst on board (to be charged to guests’ onboard cabin accounts), guests can benefit from onboard spending credit of up to £300 per cabin on their next Fred. Olsen cruise, depending upon the length of their cruise."

Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “We know that, with so many tempting Fred. Olsen cruises to choose from, it is often hard for our guests to pick their next one whilst enjoying their current holiday with us. That is why we have introduced the new ‘Future Cruise Deposit Instalment Scheme’, so that guests can pay a deposit of £100 to secure their future Fred. Olsen cruise, and have the convenience of deciding which exciting itinerary is right for them at a later date, together with the added bonus of up to £300 of onboard spending credit once they book.”

Guests will have up to 12 months from the date of making the deposit instalment payment to decide which cruise they wish to book. When guests are ready, they simply contact Fred. Olsen’s Reservations Department or their preferred travel agent and confirm their next Fred. Olsen cruise. The cruise line will then add the free onboard spend to guests’ bookings – and the deposit they have paid onboard will form part of the deposit for their chosen cruise.

If guests would like to take advantage of this exclusive offer available only whilst on board a Fred. Olsen cruise, they should speak to the Future Cruise Sales Manager, who will be happy to help them and highlight the wide range of enticing itineraries and destinations on offer across the Fred. Olsen fleet of smaller, more traditional cruise ships.

AIDA Cruises to open simulator training centre in Rostock

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 05 September 2012 05 September 2012

AIDA Cruises will officially open the first maritime simulator training centre in Germany in the form of CSMART Rostock at the AIDA Academy, a centre specifically geared to the quality requirements in the area of officer training and, consequently, for the safety of the cruise shipping sector, the company said in a statement.

"We are investing a great deal in the initial and further training of our nautical and technical management personnel. Well trained personnel are an important guarantee for the safety of our guests and crews", said Michael Ungerer, President of AIDA Cruises, on the occasion of the official opening in Rostock.

"We expect our nautical and technical officers on board to have, in particular, mental strength and a sense of team spirit in addition to top-class specialist training. Each of them must be able to identify possible emergency situations extremely quickly and take the right decisions promptly. For this reason, the latest scientific findings from the aviation industry and other safety-sensitive sectors have also been incorporated into our training content", added Michael Ungerer.

CSMART stands for Centre for Simulator Maritime Training and is a globally renowned centre of expertise for the initial and further training of nautical and technical management personnel. CSMART Rostock at the AIDA Academy is, with CSMART Almere in the Netherlands, the second Simulator Training Center in Europe.

The Full Mission Bridge Simulator is a precise reproduction of the bridge on AIDAblu, which was commissioned in 2010. The ship handling simulator was produced by Rheinmetall Defense Electronic Bremen.

The integral safety concept of the Maritime Simulator Training Center also includes engine room simulation based on the SIEMENS control system on board the AIDA cruise ships.

Maneuvers taking account of influencing factors such as swell, wind, current, various lighting conditions and precipitation can be simulated 1:1 on the 220 degree panoramic screens. Training is carried out in the shipping areas visited by AIDA Cruises around the world, including the ports of Hamburg, Bangkok and New York, as well as busy areas like the Kadet Trench, the Dover Strait and the Bosporus.

Voyages of Discovery joins Price Promise ranks

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 September 2012 03 September 2012

Voyages of Discovery, the destinational cruise brand in the All Leisure group in the UK, says it has today introduced a new ‘Price Promise’ – a pledge to customers and agents that if the cost of their cruise goes down in price at a later date, they will be offered an equivalent benefit in value, the company said in a statement.

The company joins Carnival brands Cunard and P&O Cruises plus Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in launching this format of pricing, which is hoped to encourage people to book early rather than to wait for last-minute discounts.

The new Price Promise applies to standard fares on all summer 2013 and winter 2013/14 sailings from 29 April 2013, and means that, should the standard fare on a cruise reduce prior to departure, Voyages of Discovery will refund the difference in the form of on board credit or a cabin upgrade to any passengers already booked.

Coinciding with the launch of the summer 2013 2^nd edition brochure and the new Winter 2013/14 preview brochure, the Price Promise encourages passengers to book their cruise early and be assured of receiving the best value fare. Standard fares also feature a range of benefits including on board gratuities, service charges and coach transfer or free car parking at UK ports for no-fly cruises. Plus, all passengers booking a higher grade cabin on cruises from summer 2013 onwards will receive a complimentary chauffeur service (within 75 miles) to the port or airport.

Sales and Marketing Director, Voyages of Discovery, Geoff Lawrence, says: “We have always been committed to providing excellent value for our passengers and want to ensure that those who book early get a great deal. The Price Promise means that customers who book next year’s cruise today won’t miss out on a better deal coming along at a later date, and also allows agents to assure their customers that prices won’t be undercut.

“While we may opt to introduce saver fares further down the line on specific cruises, early bookers can still be confident that they have received the best value for money as the saver fares will not include all the benefits available on our standard fares, nor will passengers be able to choose their preferred cabin and the fare will be payable in full at the time of booking.”

The Price Promise applies to all standard fares on cruises departing from 29 April 2013, the start of Voyager’s first summer season. The ship will sail a series of no-fly cruises from its home port of Portsmouth (UK) followed by fly cruises to the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

The new Winter 2013/14 season sees Voyager heading to the Far East with 21 new ports of call for the brand including Dubai, Tokyo and San Remo through to itineraries in India, China, Myanmar, South Korea and Japan. Voyager will also call at the bustling port of Bangkok (Thailand) and berth right in the heart of the city - a completely new venture for Voyages of Discovery, made possible due to the small size of Voyager.

Voyages of Discovery is offering a 5% early booking discount on all Winter 2013/14 bookings made by 31st October 2012. Highlights of the Winter 2013/14 programme include:

Asian Capitals and the Magic of Vietnam – A 19-day cruise from £2,399 per person. Passengers can explore Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Singapore and Hong Kong (China) before taking in the scenery of UNESCO listed beauty spot, Ha Long Bay (Vietnam). Price is based on a 2 January 2014 UK departure.

Treasures of Asia – A 16-day cruise from £1,999 per person. Guests can discover the nature and wildlife in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. Highlights include a visit to Thailand’s bustling capital of Bangkok, Mount Kinabalu National Park (Malaysia), the Angkor Wat temple (Cambodia). Price is based on a 17 February 2014 UK departure.

Ancient Worlds and Modern Masterpieces – A 15-day cruise from £1,599 per person where passengers can experience the Suez and Corinth Canals. Price is based on a 7 April 2014 UK departure.

Guests can enjoy Voyager’s newly enhanced features including three restaurants offering a range of dining options and al fresco dining and flexible seating, the refreshed library area and the Lookout Lounge which provides panoramic views from the front of the ship. Almost 90% of the cabins are outside cabins and 30 have balconies. All of the public areas on board Voyager will benefit from a light refurbishment including new art work and soft furnishings.