New CTS and COSCO joint venture emerges as buyer of Oriana

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 24 October 2018 24 October 2018

A new joint venture set up by Chins Travel Services (CTS) and China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) have emerged as buyers of P&O Cruises’ 1995 built Oriana, which the Carnival Corporation & plc unit said earlier this year it had sold to an undisclosed buyer.

The owners have appointed V.Ships Leisure as technical and hotel operation managers of the vessel, a press officer for V.Ships told CruiseBusiness.com.

V.Ships Leisure is part of the V.Group, which has its head office in Glasgow in the UK.

Oriana is the oldest ship in the fleet of P&O Cruises and with a gross tonnage of 69,840, also the smallest. The ship will operate on bareboat charter for the British contemporary market unit of the Carnival group until August 2019.

P&O Cruises has two 184,000 gross ton LNG powered newbuildings on order from Meyer Werft in Germany

Cruise industry contributed €10.4 billion to UK economy 2017 - CLIA

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 22 October 2018 22 October 2018

Findings from a report conducted by the Business Research & Economic Advisors (BREA) on behalf of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) concluded that the cruise industry generated €10.4 billion to the UK economy in 2017, representing around 22% of the cruise industry’s ‘total output’ across Europe, CLIA said in a statement.

The report looked at tourism and employment figures during 2017. From the overall figure, €3.85 billion was spent in direct expenditures and the remaining €6.55 billion came from indirect and induced expenditure.

Direct expenditures were principally distributed across cruise line purchases (€2,481 million), passenger and crew spending (€559m), compensation of cruise line employees (€675m) and ship repairs (€135m).

Andy Harmer, CLIA UK & Ireland director, said: “The figures released today bear testament to the cruise industry continuing to make significant contributions to the UK’s economy and the multi-billion valuation shows that cruise is a major player within the travel sector.

“More Brits are choosing a cruise holiday, more cruise passengers are embarking on a cruise from UK ports and the number of ports-of-call visitors continues to increase. This, along with more jobs being created through the cruise industry, translates into great economic benefits for the country.”

A total of 1,094,000 cruise passengers embarked on a cruise from UK ports. More than 80% of departures were from Southampton.

The UK also experienced growth in ports-of-call visits, with 1,415,000 passengers visiting a UK port in 2017. The most visited British port was Invergordon, Scotland, with an estimated 134,000 cruise passengers going ashore.

These port-of-call visits generated an additional €113 million in direct expenditures such as tours and souvenirs. Passengers spent an average of €80 while in port and €180 at their port-of-embarkation.

Together, passengers and crew spent an estimated €559 million at ports-of-embarkation and call, accounting for 15% of total cruise industry expenditures in the UK.

Cruise passengers spent an estimated €431m on airfares, port fees, lodging, food and beverage, excursions and other expenditure in the UK. An estimated €14.8m was spent by crew at ports-of-embarkation and call, averaging €35 per crew member.

There were 37,720 roles generated by cruise-related expenditures; 17,183 Britons worked for cruise lines, either in administrative offices or as crew onboard ships. Other jobs included direct suppliers to the cruise lines and the employees of establishments that provide goods and services to cruise passengers. This paid €1.41billion in employee compensation.

An estimated 44,690 indirect and induced jobs throughout the UK generated by the cruise industry, generating €1.75 billion in employee compensation. Relative to 2015, indirect and induced employment and compensation impacts increased by 13% and 17% respectively.

Harmer added: “The success of the global cruise industry is set to continue with 24 new ships scheduled to launch in 2019 and 107 new ships on order for delivery before 2027, worth close to $60 billion. As the cruise industry’s confidence in the UK increases, so does the number of ships built for the UK market.

 

Virgin Voyages to offer tattoo studio

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 21 October 2018 21 October 2018

Virgin Voyages has announced that the company’s first ship, Scarlet Lady, will bring stylish tattoo artistry to the high seas with Squid Ink. To create this one-of-a-kind experience on board, Virgin Voyages has teamed up with the ink industry legends from World Famous Tattoo Ink.

“Tattooing is a time-honored seafaring tradition, and we’re continuing that legacy with rock and roll style by bringing some of the best ink artists to sea,” said Tom McAlpin, president and chief executive officer for Virgin Voyages. “Our sailors are looking to make lifelong memories, and we think there's no better way to commemorate their first voyage with us than with a souvenir they'll never lose track of.”

When Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady sets sail in 2020, she will have two full time resident tattoo artists on board, handpicked by ink industry legend Lou Rubino Jr., the visionary behind World Famous Tattoo Ink, Soho Ink and Freshly Inked Magazine.

Squid Ink will also feature a star-studded line-up of guest artists including the tattoo industry’s most sought-after trendsetters and celebrity artists. While details and timing are still to come, renowned artists to the likes of Spike TV’s Ink Master star Sarah Miller, surrealist specialist artist Arlo DiCristina and illustrative specialist Jime Litwalk have already committed to a guest artist appearance aboard the Scarlet Lady in 2020. Artists from the World Famous Pro Team have inked celebrities like Nick Cannon, JWoww, Nico Tortorella and Daymond John, among others.

All Squid Ink tattoos will be created with World Famous Tattoo Ink original vegan ink, which is globally recognized to exceed safety standards with no animal by-products or testing. In addition to tattoos, Squid Ink will also offer body piercings as well as permanent makeup treatments using vegan-friendly Perma Blend pigments.

“The World Famous Tattoo Ink family has been working with sailors, pirates and rock stars for more than 50 years,” said Lou Rubino Jr., owner of World Famous Tattoo Ink. “As global acceptance of tattoos and body art continues to grow, partnering with Virgin Voyages gives us the unique opportunity to bring color to places people might have never thought possible before. We couldn’t be more excited to leave our mark on the sea travel industry.”

True to the Virgin Voyages’ brand design ethos, the “Modern Romance of Sailing,” the inspiration behind Squid Ink is steeped in the traditions of sailing; with many historians crediting the expansion of tattooing to British colonial sailors who picked up the concept from aboriginal tribes while exploring the South Pacific. Squid Ink will feature exclusive voyage tattoos designed by the World Famous Tattoo Ink team for those sailors looking to commemorate their voyage.

Virgin Voyages will encourage its crew members to also express themselves freely through tattoos if they wish; in a unique move for the cruise industry, the company has indicated that the hiring of shipboard candidates with visible tattoos is a-okay.

Rauma Marine Constructions wins €250 million Tallink shuttle ferry order

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 18 October 2018 18 October 2018

Rauma Marine Constructions, the privately owned Finnish shipbuilder, said it has signed a letter of intent with Tallink Grupp AS, the listed Estonian ferry company, for a large shuttle ferry to for the company’s Tallinn-Helsinki service.

The €250 million vessel is scheduled for delivery at the end of 2021. It will be able to carry 2,800 passengers and it will be designed with highest energy efficiency and environmental friendliness in mind.

The shipyard, which has recently delivered a ropax ferry called Hammerodde to a Danish owner, has built four ships to Tallink between 2001 and 2009, when it was under a different ownership and had a different name.