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Silversea reveals line-up of experts for the inaugural sailing of Silver Endeavour

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 September 2022 21 September 2022

Silversea Cruises, the leading ultra-luxury and expedition cruise line, has named its line-up of experts for the inaugural voyage of new ship Silver Endeavour℠, the world’s most luxurious expedition ship. Departing round-trip from King George Island on November 21, 2022, Silver Endeavour will host qualified historians, marine biologists, anthropologists, naturalists, filmmakers, and more on her maiden voyage, enriching guests’ experiences with informative lectures, workshops, and excursions as they journey deep into the White Continent. In celebration of the milestone occasion, Conrad Combrink – Silversea’s SVP Expedition, Destination and Itinerary Management – will accompany travellers on the seven-day fly-cruise sailing.

“The world’s most luxurious expedition vessel, Silver Endeavour has broadened Silversea’s polar offering – the most diverse in ultra-luxury expedition cruising – to unlock all-new experiences for guests,” said Conrad Combrink. “Marking my 78th journey to the continent, I am excited to accompany our guests as we fly on an exclusive, Silversea-curated, chartered DAP Antarctic Airways flight directly into Antarctica, embarking Silver Endeavour at King George Island, before spending seven days discovering this frozen world. Our industry-leading expedition team will design an exceptional line-up of experiences to showcase the very best of the continent’s icy landscapes and captivating wildlife during Silver Endeavour’s inaugural season, while Captain Niklas Peterstam and his crew will ensure an exceptional service throughout—having served aboard the ship since September 2021.”

The White Continent via Antarctica Bridge

For the inaugural voyage of Silver Endeavour, Silversea’s guests will fly directly to Antarctica in European business-class comfort through Antarctica Bridge, the cruise line’s fly-cruise offering, embarking the ship on King George Island on November 21, 2022. Some of the destinations that guests might experience include the Antarctic Sound, where travellers may be greeted by towering ice formations as they approach the northernmost point of the Antarctic Peninsula. They will have the opportunity to explore the landscape, with hiking excursions, Zodiac tours, and kayaking, hosted by the expedition team. Days will be spent exploring the Antarctic Peninsula, with sightings of vast penguin colonies and other wildlife species, including whales, various other bird species, and seals. Following in the footsteps of famous explorers, Silversea plans to call in the South Shetland Islands, before returning to King George Island where guests will board a flight back to Punta Arenas.

An industry leading team

Captain Niklas Peterstam, who has served aboard Silver Endeavour since September 2021, will welcome guests as the ship’s Master for her inaugural season – together with his Senior Officers and an experienced crew. Strengthening Silversea’s destination leadership, the cruise line’s industry-leading expedition team will enrich the voyage with topical workshops, lectures, and guided tours. Led by Expedition Leader Marieke Egan, the team will embark the ship ahead of her maiden sailing and will remain on board for the duration of her inaugural Antarctica season. As well as benefitting from the presence of Silversea executive Conrad Combrink, guests travelling aboard Silver Endeavour’s inaugural sailing will also enjoy lectures on Ernest Shackleton and the HMS Endeavour from Nicholas Crane, the former President of the Royal Geographical Society.

Royal Caribbean Group extends term loan maturity

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 20 September 2022 20 September 2022

Royal Caribbean Group, the world’s second largest cruise shipping group, said it had extended the maturity of a term loan agreement with Bank of America.

“On September 19, 2022, we amended our unsecured term loan agreement with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent (the “BofA Term Loan”) to, among other things, extend the maturity date of advances held by consenting lenders by twelve months to October 2024,” the company said in a statement.

“Consenting lenders received a prepayment equal to 10% of their respective outstanding advances,” the company said.

Following this amendment, the aggregate outstanding principal balance of advances under the BofA Term Loan is $501.6 million, with $30.0 million maturing in October 2023 and $471.6 million maturing in October 2024, Royal Caribbean said.

TUI says cruise recovery continues as expected

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 20 September 2022 20 September 2022

Recovery of the cruise operations of TUI AG, the German tour operator, continues in line with the company’s expectations, it said in a statement.

“Cruises has continued to recover into Q4, with occupancies building strongly and rates in line with 2019 levels. Winter 2022/23 occupancies are developing in line with our expectations at rates above 2019 levels,” the company said.

TUI AG’s financial year ends on 30 September.

"We continue to see strong demand for our unique cruise brands which offer a strong value proposition for customers in the current inflationary environment. Short-term bookings continue to represent a large share of overall bookings, however, the proportion of mid- term bookings is increasing as customer confidence returns,” the company said.

Mein Schiff and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which are parts of TUI Cruises that is jointly owned with the Royal Caribbean Group, are currently operating all their 12 ships, offering itineraries in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and around the world, with Asia itineraries resuming in Winter 2022/23.

Marella Cruises, which focuses on the UK market and is fully owned by TUI AG, with its fleet of four ships, currently operates itineraries across the Mediterranean and in Winter 2022/23 with one ship in the Canaries and three ships in the Caribbean.

Photo: Marella Voyager will join Marella Cruises' fleet in June 2023. The ship currently operates as main Schiff Herz for Mein Schiff

Havila Kystruten refinances fleet, walks away from GTLK

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 20 September 2022 20 September 2022

Havila Kystruten, which is in the process of introducing four ships on the Norwegian coastal express route, said it has signed term sheets with lenders for refinancing of the fleet and has set dates for start of operations in route for Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux, the third and fourth of the ships.

The financing totals to €370 million and covers payment to Tersan on delivery of Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux as well as redemption of existing debt related to all ships.

“It is with great relief to have the refinancing of our ships in place It has been a demanding period with a lot of uncertainty for the company, employees and not least our guests. We are happy to have found a solution”, says CEO Bent Martini in Havila Kystruten.

Redemption of debts to GTLK, a Russian controlled company, will take place by further agreement with the new lenders in accordance with permission obtained from the Norwegian authorities and in compliance with international sanctions regulations.

Soon in full operation

New plans for the delivery of Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux from the Tersan shipyard mean that the scheduled start-up on route for Havila Polaris is set at the latest 29 December 2022 and Havila Pollux at the latest on 22 March 2023.

“Delivery challenges for critical components on the next two ships and thus some further delays, is of course very regrettable, especially for everyone who has booked a trip with us and not least for the coastal population”, says Martini.

“It is also very important for us to get the next two ships into operation, and we are very much looking forward to have a full operation with four ships along the Norwegian coast soon”, he concludes.

The company will accordingly contact passengers affected by the changes and offer similar voyages with Havila Capella and Havila Castor, alternatively voyages with the newest ships later.

Lindblad appoints John Delaney as Senior Vice President, Global Sales

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 September 2022 15 September 2022

Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc., a global leader of small ship expedition cruises and adventure travel experiences, has named John Delaney as Senior Vice President, Global Sales, effective immediately.

Delaney’s inspiring career includes thirty+ years in leadership roles in the hospitality and cruise industry. Most recently he served as President of Windstar Cruises, with management oversight for all aspects of worldwide operations for the line. He also served as Senior Vice President of Global Marketing & Sales for Seabourn Cruise Line; Vice President of Revenue Marketing for Holland America Line, and Director of Special Projects for Carnival Corporation.

Prior to his cruise experience, Delaney held senior roles at The Walt Disney Company and The Cheesecake Factory Restaurant Group. He has served on various non-profit Board of Directors and currently serves on the board of The Seattle Aquarium and New York based Reach the World. He also serves on the College of Hospitality Advisory Board for California State University at Long Beach.

In his role with Lindblad Expeditions, Delaney will lead their travel advisor, group, charter, and wholesale sales efforts, as well as develop new capabilities in revenue management. He will also be leading the company’s international sales growth, working to expand Lindblad’s reach around the globe.

“John’s appointment underscores our commitment to building a world class team as we continue to grow our fleet and adventure travel experiences around the world,” stated Dolf Berle CEO of Lindblad Expeditions. “His proven leadership, industry expertise and business acumen will add immeasurably in building the sales platform globally as we execute on our growth strategy.”

“I have been fortunate in my career to work for some of the world's best brands and I am incredibly honored to be joining Lindblad, the undisputed leader in authentic expedition travel,” said John Delaney. “It is an exciting time for the company, and I look forward to helping them achieve their vision and growth plans.”