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The Costa Crociere Foundation launches six new social betterment and marine environmental projects

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 23 July 2016 23 July 2016

The Costa Crociere Foundation has concluded the annual selection process reserved for Italian non-profit organizations and has chosen six new social betterment and marine environmental protection projects for funding.

During the period of the call for proposals - from January 18 through February 14 - around 240 projects were submitted by non-profit organizations and associations working in either of the Foundation's areas of interest. The selection criteria used by the Foundation’s Advisory Board and Board of Directors prioritized candidate projects capable of satisfying the individual's basic needs, offering initiatives directed at women and at "NEETs" - young people who are Not (engaged) in Education, Employment or Training - and introducing best practices associated with the "circular economy" applied to the sea.

The projects in question are managed by associations and organizations operating all over Italy. Thanks to the financial support provided by Costa Cruises and its partners, and also to the synergies generated by other projects already in progress, the successful candidates can achieve their aims of offering assistance, providing training for disadvantaged youth, and raising awareness with regard to marine litter and pollution. More specifically:

- "Un dentista per amico" ("A Caring Dentist"): proposed by the Associazione ARKÈ Onlus from the Province of Genoa, this project will provide dental care free of charge to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds living in foster care or shelters and in deprived families.

- "Le vie del Mare" ("A Vocation for the Sea"): presented by the Associazione Non solo vela Onlus, this project is addressed to youth at risk of social exclusion in the Genoa metropolitan area and will provide vocational training for various trades linked to the sea and seafaring; the professionals teaching the courses will include staff members from the Costa Campus. The apprentices taking part will learn how to become galley chefs, skippers, lifesavers and so on and, at the end of their period of instruction, each participant will have a 3-month internship with a business selected on the basis of personal preference and local opportunities. This will give the trainees valuable on-the-job experience while the companies concerned can assess the interns and decide whether to offer them permanent employment.

- "La Bottega dei miracoli" ("The Shop of Miracles Sea"): the aim of this project, submitted by the Cooperativa Sociale Alzaia, is to facilitate social inclusion and employment opportunities for people with Down syndrome and for NEETs, by opening and running a retail outlet selling typical regional products in Pisa’s famous Piazza dei Miracoli. The project will also involve the creation of a permanent training laboratory, with places for at least 4 NEETs and 5 young people with Down syndrome every year; after the course they will be able to take part in internships assigned individually according to each person’s talents and aptitudes.

- "Women In Technology”: this project, based on an idea conceived by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale headquartered in Rome, has the objective of helping young female NEETs enter the world of work by setting up their own ICT entrepreneurial ventures. The pilot phase involves experimentation in three high schools in Campania, Calabria and Sicily, plus provision of project design and development support services for a total of 150 young women.

- "La casa senza violenza" ("A Safe Haven"): this project, presented by Il Cerchio delle relazioni - Cooperativa sociale onlus in Genoa, provides support for women who are victims of domestic violence and who make the crucial decision to leave home. The initiative aims to extend the range of essential services offered in such situations; this includes emergency shelters and medium-to-long term accommodation for battered women and their children.

In the environmental field, the Costa Crociere Foundation is supporting the initiative proposed by the Scuola di Robotica of Genoa, with the goal of recycling plastic to make items using a 3D printing process. More specifically, the plastic waste recovered by Ligurian fishermen selected through their trade associations, from the Marine Protected Areas of Liguria, by the Ligurian Observatory on Fishing & Environment (OLPA) and by the Costa Crociere Foundation itself, for example thanks to the Collavoriamo project run by the Cooperativa "Il Laboratorio" in Genoa, will be recycled to make educational kits enhancing the marine environmental awareness of visually impaired children.

RINA certifies commitment to environment and safety of Carnival Maritime

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 23 July 2016 23 July 2016

RINA Services, a world leader in marine classification and certification, recently awarded Carnival Maritime GmbH ISO 14001 and BS OHSAS 18001 certificates.

Now the Carnival Maritime office in Hamburg as well as 26 ships in Carnival Maritime’s fleet have been awarded environmental management ISO 14001 and occupational health and safety management BS OHSAS 18001 certifications. The certified fleet includes Costa and AIDA ships.

Initially only ships belonging to Costa Crociere were included in RINA Services scope of work. This was then expanded to include AIDA Cruises ships, in order to incorporate best practice across both fleets.

Not only do these new certifications make Costa Group’s fleet greener and safer, but also more cost effective. “RINA Services was invaluable to us during the execution of this project. We were confident that they could easily adapt to certify our newest ships as well. We have an integrated fleet that allows us to put sustainability and safety management at the heart of our business,” said Lars Ljoen, Managing Director Carnival Maritime GmbH.

The certifications were presented by Michele Francioni, CEO, RINA Services to Lars Ljoen, Managing Director Carnival Maritime at a ceremony in July.

“We are very pleased that we were able to help Carnival Maritime with this project. Not only did it build on our relationship with Carnival Maritime, but it also further supported our strategy to become a hub for marine certification services in Eastern and Western Europe” said Michele Francioni, CEO, RINA Services. RINA Services is currently working to support Carnival Maritime across several projects in Germany.

RINA Group, the parent company of RINA Services, opened a new office in Germany, Hamburg earlier this year to support its German clients with new specialist expertise, including Asset Integrity Management and Technology Qualification.

Today, the Group is able to provide enhanced marine services, business assurance certification and consulting engineering to German and North European companies. RINA Group was also recently permitted to certify energy management systems according to the ISO 50001 standard, which makes it easier for organisations to integrate energy management into their strategy to improve quality and environmental management.

Carnival Corporation opens Arison Maritime Center for world-class safety training

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 July 2016 22 July 2016

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest leisure travel company, last week announced the official opening of the Arison Maritime Center, its world-class facility dedicated to providing rigorous safety training for its bridge and engineering officers responsible for the navigation and operation of the world’s largest fleet of cruise ships.

The new 75-million-euro facility in Almere, Netherlands, just outside Amsterdam, was celebrated with a ceremony honoring longtime board chairman Micky Arison and his father Ted, founder of the company, that was attended by the company’s global leaders, board members and government, community and business officials.

The centerpiece of the seven-acre campus is a new and more than two-times-larger Center for Simulator Maritime Training Academy (CSMART), Carnival Corporation’s world-renown maritime training, professional development and research facility that began operations in Almere in 2009. The center will feature bridge and engine room simulators that utilize the most innovative technology and training solutions in the maritime industry, modeled closely after the technology and practices used in the airline and other industries.

“The opening of the new Arison Maritime Center and expansion of our CSMART Academy is a major milestone in our company’s history and an exciting day for all of us at Carnival Corporation,” said David Christie, senior vice president of maritime quality assurance for Carnival Corporation. “The safety and comfort of our guests and crew is our most important priority, and the Arison Maritime Center underscores the depth of our commitment to making sure our ships sail as safely as possible. Our bridge and engineering officers are the heart and soul of our ship operations, and this center takes to a new level our dedication to providing our officers with the maritime industry’s most comprehensive and progressive safety training.”

Added Christie: “With 10 cruise line brands sailing 11 million guests a year to over 700 ports around the world, we take tremendous pride in having a team of highly trained, skilled and prepared officers operating the bridges and engine rooms on our ships. With the new Arison Maritime Center and CSMART Academy officially up and running, our tradition of excellence and continuous improvement in safety training is stronger than ever.”

At 110,000 square feet, the environmentally friendly facility is more than double the size of the company’s current facility, allowing Carnival Corporation to provide annual training to over 6,500 officers and engineers across the company’s 10 cruise line brands. It will also include an advanced medical center and an 11-story, 176-room hotel for Carnival Corporation trainees.

World-class training at CSMART Academy

The CSMART Academy will feature four full-mission bridge simulators and four full-mission engine room simulators designed to provide a wide array of programming and simulated exercises that can recreate an extensive range of maritime scenarios. The new five-story facility will also include 24 part-task engine simulators, eight debriefing rooms and eight part-task bridge simulators -- all designed to provide participants access to the visual elements of 60 ports around the world including Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Singapore and Glacier Bay, Alaska.

The state-of-the-art technology provides high-quality maritime training services that reflect real-world scenarios and sea conditions including ship traffic, aircraft interference, weather events and wildlife circumvention. Modeled after the newly designed bridge of the Koningsdam from the company’s Holland America Line, CSMART Academy’s full-mission bridge simulators provide an authentic shipboard experience for participants to build skills in navigating complex control and automation systems.

Like the bridge simulators, the full-mission engine room simulators are based on actual ship layouts and systems, scaled to size and representing a diesel electric engine room comprising six diesel generators and two propulsion motors, along with ancillary and auxiliary equipment. The simulators allow trainees to navigate their way around the actual engine room of a ship to operate and repair equipment, with the genuine sights, sounds and even temperatures found in a cruise ship’s engine room.

The new facility and team of highly experienced CSMART Academy instructors have developed a curriculum that sets the industry standard for safety and maritime training and keeps pace with advances in ship technology, fostering critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making and confidence.

The CSMART Academy has played a leading role in developing and refining a function- and team-based bridge and engine room management system on a large scale. This approach is based on roles rather than ranks, with officers operating as a coordinated team, with each officer assigned a role for specific functions. It also includes encouraging team members of all ranks and seniority to speak up to challenge or question a decision.

In keeping with the faculty team's leadership, the Arison Maritime Center will provide the additional space needed to implement the industry's first Proficiency Training and Assessment (PTA) program. The week-long course is based on a specially developed curriculum that annually refreshes and then evaluates each of the corporation's maritime officers.

With its scale, technology and equipment, and innovative training approach, the new facility will be the most progressive maritime center of its kind in the world for training and continually improving industry-wide safety and excellence.

Honoring ongoing legacy of the Arison family

Following a speech by Carnival Corporation’s CEO Arnold Donald at the last week's ceremony, the center was dedicated to honor the legacy of the Arisons, the first family of cruising. Micky Arison has been chairman of the board of directors for Carnival Corporation & plc since 1990. He began his career at Carnival Cruise Line in 1972 and was appointed chairman of Carnival Corporation in 1990, a title he still holds today. Considered one of the most respected leaders and experts in the cruise industry, Arison's vision and leadership played the central role in building Carnival Corporation into the world's largest cruise company and helping grow cruising from a niche holiday to one of the most popular vacation experiences available.

His late father, Ted Arison, founded the company in 1972 with one ship with the firm belief that cruising is one of the best ways to enjoy a vacation and a commitment to making cruising available to people from all walks of life. Referred to by The New York Times as "the godfather of the modern cruise industry," he is credited with building cruise operations that give travelers the opportunity to enjoy a cruise vacation with prices that range from affordable to upscale. Today, the company has 101 ships, over 120,000 employees and welcomes 11 million guests annually. About one of every two travelers who go on a cruise vacation do so on a Carnival Corporation ship.

Investing in training through an investment in the Netherlands

The official grand opening of the center was commemorated last week with a ceremony, tours and a celebration at the facility attended by Carnival Corporation’s global leadership team and board members as well as government officials, including Maarten Camps, secretary general of the ministry of economic affairs for the Netherlands, and Franc Weerwind, Mayor of Almere.

Carnival Corporation worked with Dutch property group AMVEST Vastgoed B.V. to purchase the seven-acre plot of land in Almere Poort called the DUIN, a planned business and residential community in Almere, one of Europe's newest and fastest growing cities. The center's campus and buildings were designed by Dutch architect Paul de Ruiter, and the Dutch construction company Dura Vermeer built the CSMART Academy and hotel. The design and construction were built to meet rigorous environmental and sustainability standards that will achieve "LEED Gold" certification, and the campus will fit esthetically into the Duin environment, per AMVEST'S original plan for the development.

Carnival Corporation and the Arison Maritime Center, including the CSMART Academy, produce a significant economic impact in Almere and the greater Amsterdam region. It is estimated that Carnival Corporation and the Arison Maritime Center will generate an annual estimated economic impact of up to 17.5 million euros for the local community and region.

Carnival Corporation & plc names Helen Deeble to board of directors, announces quarterly dividend

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 July 2016 22 July 2016

Carnival Corporation & plc on July 14 announced that on July 13, 2016, Helen Deeble, CEO of P&O Ferries Division Holdings Ltd., has been appointed to the company’s board of directors, effective immediately. The announcement was made following the quarterly meeting of Carnival Corporation’s board of directors held in Amsterdam.

Deeble, a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in retail, shipping, logistics and leisure travel, will serve in a non-executive capacity on Carnival Corporation’s 10-member board of directors. She will also serve on the board-level Health, Environmental, Safety and Security Committee.

"We are very pleased to welcome Helen as an exceptional addition to our board of directors,” said Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation & plc’s chairman. “Helen brings extensive experience from her leadership roles across several industries, including decades of work in the maritime and travel sectors, and valuable time spent in consumer retail. We look forward to working with her closely and gaining insights from her unique perspective as we continue growing demand for our 10 global cruise line brands and delighting our guests with great vacations at an exceptional value.”

Since 2006, Deeble has been CEO of P&O Ferries Division Holdings Ltd., a pan-European shipping and logistics business, following stints as the company’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer starting in 1998. Prior to that, Deeble was chief financial officer for Stena Line UK Ltd., a Swedish-owned ferry operator, and held several financial roles with the retailer Sears plc in the UK. Deeble has served as a non-executive director for the Port of London Authority and The Standard Club since 2014.

There is no other information required to be disclosed pursuant to LR9.6.13R in respect of Deeble.

Following board meeting, Carnival Corporation also announced that it has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share. The company’s board of directors approved a record date for the quarterly dividend of August 24, 2016, and a payment date of September 16, 2016.

Holders of Carnival Corporation common stock and Carnival plc ADSs will receive the dividend payable in U.S. dollars. The dividend for Carnival plc ordinary shares will be payable in U.S. dollars or sterling. In the absence of instructions or elections to the contrary, holders of Carnival plc ordinary shares will automatically receive the dividend in sterling.

Dividends payable in sterling will be converted from U.S. dollars at the exchange rate quoted by the Bank of England in London at 12 noon on September 1, 2016. Holders of Carnival plc ordinary shares wishing to receive their dividend in U.S. dollars or participate in the Carnival plc Dividend Reinvestment Plan must elect to do so by August 24, 2016.

Seven Seas Explorer officially christened in Monte Carlo

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 16 July 2016 16 July 2016

Godmother of Seven Seas Explorer, Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco, cut a red velvet ribbon which sent a Primat bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne smashing against the ship’s hull to officially christen the newest member of the Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleet. The gala christening ceremony took place on July 13 in Monte Carlo, one of the world’s most glamorous cities, and included a special private concert by world-renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco delivered the traditional maritime blessing before the bottle of champagne broke against the ship’s hull, officially christening the vessel. The jubilation of the bottle breaking moment was followed by a spectacular 40-minute private performance from musical maestro Andrea Bocelli, capping an incredible evening for a ship that sets new benchmarks for luxury.

“This is truly a special moment, not only for the Regent Seven Seas Cruises brand, but for the entire Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings family,” shared Frank Del Rio, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings president and chief executive officer. “Tonight we celebrate the realization of our vision. Seven Seas Explorer is not only the world’s most luxurious ship - she sets a new benchmark for luxury vacations and lays the foundation from which Regent Seven Seas Cruises will continue to build. We have already begun a massive $125 million refurbishment effort to ensure every ship in our fleet matches the luxury standard found on Explorer, and will introduce a sister-ship in 2020.”

During his christening remarks, Del Rio reflected upon the humanitarian efforts undertaken by Her Serene Highness as part of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. The Foundation’s mission is to save lives by teaching children and adults basic water safety techniques.

“It is an honor to be the Godmother of this magnificent ship, Seven Seas Explorer. I am also thrilled by the discussions taking place between my Foundation and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to implement my Water Safety program on all their ships. Developing awareness of the risks attached to aquatic environments is, for me, a cause of most importance,” stated Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene.

Seven Seas Explorer delivers an unrivaled luxury cruise experience. The ship features extravagantly designed theaters and lounges, an unparalleled collection of opulent and spacious suites, five lavish gourmet restaurants and an unprecedented level of personalized service. At 55,254 gross-registered tons and carrying only 750 guests, the all-suite, all-balcony ship boasts one of the highest space ratios and lowest crew to guest ratios in the cruise industry, not to mention the largest private verandas in the cruise industry and a new category of luxury suite, the nearly 4,500-square foot Regent Suite. The luxury liner’s maiden voyage will take place July 20, 2016, and will spend its inaugural season in Europe before heading to Miami for a series of Caribbean voyages.

“Seven Seas Explorer is the most luxurious ship ever built, and we are truly grateful and privileged to have Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco serve as the ship’s godmother,” added Jason Montague, president and COO, Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “Our guests have waited patiently for over a decade for a new Regent Seven Seas Cruises ship, and once they sail Seven Seas Explorer I’m confident they will agree it was well worth the wait."