Costa Cruises' Costa Diadema to begin roundtrip departures from Rome this winter

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 18 August 2015 18 August 2015

Beginning in December, travelers can get a double dose of the "Eternal City" with roundtrip itineraries departing from Civitavecchia, Italy, the port for Rome, aboard Costa Cruises' newest ship, Costa Diadema. The Italian-flagged cruise line crafted the seven-night cruises to give guests the opportunity to explore the western Mediterranean while cruising roundtrip from one of the world's most popular destinations.

Having Rome as the embarkation and disembarkation port gives travelers more time to visit the city's many famous attractions such as the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Vatican City, Pantheon and more.

"This roundtrip-Rome itinerary is an exciting addition to our options because many North American gateways offer direct flights to the city, making it easier for guests to access Costa's award-winning Mediterranean cruises," said Scott Knutson, vice president, sales and marketing, for Costa Cruises North America. "The strong American and Canadian dollars and the low price of international airfare make this dream vacation not only convenient, but also affordable."

Beginning on Dec. 3, 2015, Costa Diadema's weekly roundtrip Rome voyages will call at La Spezia and Savona, Italy; Marseille, France; and Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Fares start at $499 per person, double occupancy.

Launched less than a year ago, the 132,500-ton, 3,693-passenger "Queen of the Mediterranean," Costa Diadema offers guests a true Italian getaway. The ship -- the world's largest Italian-flagged vessel -- features a 1,640-foot promenade on Deck 5 that provides guests with a new way to experience the Med: split-level public rooms overlooking the sea are interconnected to create the atmosphere of a lively seaside resort.

Guests will savor some of Italy's best flavors with new regional menus created by Costa's Michelin-star chef Fabio Cuccheli. In addition, they will find some of the country's best wines at the Vinoteca Gran Duca di Toscana -- a bar that boasts a menu of 80 labels from more than 50 Italian wineries selected in collaboration with the Italian Sommeliers Association.

More new shipboard dining venues include Tavola Teppanyaki, a Japanese, hibachi-style restaurant; Birreria Dresden Green, a München-style beer garden; and Gelateria Amarillo featuring a variety of homemade gelato flavors and crepes.

Guests also will enjoy Costa's entertainment offerings that feature Italy's best traditions. Themed parties on the lido deck such as La Notte in Maschera and La Notte Bianca celebrate two Italian traditions: the masked Venetian carnival and a white night festival. In Costa Diadema's onboard theater, guests will find Italian-style shows like "Sapori d'Italia" -- or "Flavors of Italy" -- that highlight Italian music, art, opera, cinema and style.

Cruise-only fares are per person, double occupancy, and do not include government taxes and fees. Departures from alternate embarkation ports are available on select itineraries.

Royal Caribbean International to bring largest number of fly-cruise passengers to Singapore over three years

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 16 August 2015 16 August 2015

Royal Caribbean International has signed a first-ever multi-million dollar marketing collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) to promote cruising out of Singapore and, in turn, attract the cruise line's largest number of overseas fly-cruise guests here.

The tripartite collaboration – which runs between 2015 and 2018 – is estimated to pull in over 170,000 overseas visitors to Singapore to sail on Royal Caribbean’s cruises over that period, resulting in a projected growth of over 50 per cent.

This will be done via a series of marketing campaigns, research studies and channel development activities, such as partnerships with the media and trade, in markets not only within Asia such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, but also beyond the region in Australia, Europe and North America.

Royal Caribbean also plans to increase its number of sailings from Singapore during this period to over 40 a year. Currently, the cruise line’s 3,807-guest Mariner of the Seas makes around 30 voyages annually. Her next Singapore season which will be the largest ever starting from this October, will feature more long cruises of seven to 15 nights, aimed at attracting more overseas fly-cruise guests.

Sean Treacy, Managing Director, Singapore and Southeast Asia of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said: “Having deployed ships here regularly for the last seven years, Royal Caribbean now looks forward to its next phase of significant growth in Singapore. Our three-year deployment plan is our strongest commitment ever to this market and we see great potential in Singapore as a source market and regional cruise hub. We highly appreciate this collaboration which will be a tremendous support for our business goals in Singapore and Southeast Asia, as well as the strong efforts of the Singapore Government for being so proactive in driving the cruise business in the country.”

Projected to generate over $100 million in tourism receipts, the collaboration with Royal Caribbean contributes substantially to Singapore’s cruise industry, with an estimated compounded annual growth of 5 to 8 per cent in throughput over the next three to four years. With the cruise industry already generating more than $500 million in direct spending in 2013, this development promises a further injection of significant economic impact into Singapore.

What is equally important is the growing interest in cruising in Southeast Asia. With more than 25,000 islands, Southeast Asia is an ideal cruising destination for travellers seeking to discover multiple cultures and new experiences in a warm, tropical year-round climate. The region appeals particularly strongly to Asian travellers due to its close proximity to home, with eight in 10 who have never cruised before expressing interest to embark on a cruise vacation within Southeast Asia.

Said Ms Neeta Lachmandas, Assistant Chief Executive (Business Development Group), Singapore Tourism Board: “The tripartite collaboration is a significant development not just for Singapore but also for Southeast Asia. We hope Royal Caribbean’s commitment will inspire new cruise itineraries around the region to offer more reasons for travellers to take to cruising, and also motivate our neighbouring ports and destinations to invest and realise fully the tremendous potential of the Asian cruise industry.”

Providing a link between Royal Caribbean International, Singapore and its regional neighbours is Changi Airport’s strong connectivity to 320 cities worldwide, along with some 6,700 weekly flights, giving Singapore a strategic advantage to effectively tap fly-cruise traffic from across the globe and serve as a cruise hub for Asia.

CAG’s Senior Vice President for Market Development, Mr Lim Ching Kiat, said: “This collaboration represents the synergistic efforts by CAG, Royal Caribbean and STB to effectively tap fly-cruise traffic from across the globe and serve as a cruise hub for Asia. Changi Airport will continue to leverage on its network and work with airlines and travel agents to promote fly-cruise packages through Singapore.”

Jeju celebrates 3rd Asia Cruise Forum

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 15 August 2015 15 August 2015

Alan Lam reporting

Global and regional captains of the cruise industry will gather in Jeju from the 26th to the 28th of August for the 3rd Asia Cruise Forum.

The event, co-hosted by Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, will build on the success of the previous two editions.

About 1,000 delegates are expected to attend this year’s gathering; among them are cruise line executives, such as those from Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean, Costa Crociere, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, SkySea Cruise, Taishan Cruise, and MSC Cruises. Organisations such as China Cruise & Yacht Industry Association, Asia Cruise Terminal Association, Korea Tourism Organization and Japan Waterfront Vitalization and Environment Research Foundation will also be present. Port representatives at the event will include those from Hakata, Busan, Yokohama, Keelung, Shanghai, Qingdao, Incheon, Tianjin, Singapore, and many others.

Notable, high profile speakers at this forum will include Alan Buckelew, Chairman of Carnival Asia/COO of Carnival Corporation & plc, Zinan Liu, Chairman of CLIA North Asia, Buhdy Bok, President of Pacific Asia & China, Costa Crociere S.p.A, Bruce Krumrine, Vice President of Princess Cruises, and a number of other speakers from cruise ports in the Asia Pacific region, as well as academics, shipbuilding experts and cruise business consultants.

According to the organisers, the main purpose of the forum will be, as before, to “generate more communications and interactions for prolonged prosperity of Asia Cruise Tourism”. In practice it will mean networking and building cooperative relationships among industry peers in the context of the fastest growing market.

While the common prosperity will again be the main theme, the forum will focus on strengthening cooperative network within the industry, enhancing the value of the region as the most promising market, and balancing cruise industry development with that of destinations.

Tallink earnings soar on volumes, charters, upgrades and efficiency drive

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 14 August 2015 14 August 2015

AS Tallink Grupp, the listed Estonian cruise ferry company that operates in the Baltic, has reported sa strong recovery in earnings for the second quarter and the first half of 2015, the company said in a statement.

Net profit in the second quarter rose to €28.5 million from €6.1 million in the same period last year, while revenues increased to €253.8 million from €246.9 million.

“The increase in the Group’s results is mainly attributed to the growth in passenger numbers, increased charter revenues and decreased costs related to operations. The increase in the pre-tax profit was affected by higher financial income mainly due to the increase in the fair value of derivative instruments (interest rate swaps) which resulted in €7.3 million lower net finance cost,” Tallink said.

For the first six months of the year, the group reported a net profit of €15.2 million compared to a loss of €17.2 million a year earlier. Revenues rose to €444.0 million from €43.6 million.

“The Group made various changes to the operations during the past year, these changes have continued to positively affect the operating result in the second quarter with increased revenue and profitability,” Tallink said

In the second quarter the Estonia-Finland route revenue increased by 6.2%, driven by 4.8% growth in passenger number and 19.9% increase in cargo units, the cargo growth is supported mainly by added capacity.

The Estonia-Sweden route, where capacity is lower than last year, experienced a 5.1% decrease in passengers and a 12.3% decrease in cargo volumes. The Latvia-Sweden route, operating with one vessel compared to two vessels last year, showed a decline with passenger numbers decreasing by 42.3%, cargo units transported decreased by 59.2%.

Throughout the second quarter price pressure from competition remained visible on all routes. The group was able to keep the total number of passengers on same level despite the total lower capacity from Latvia-Sweden route. The passenger number was supported by growth in Estonia-Finland and Finland-Sweden routes.

The upgrades of the public areas and improvements to restaurant and shop concept throughout the fleet in past year, combined with the operational changes, have resulted in a 2.0% increase in on-board revenue per passenger.

Due to the increased number of chartered vessels compared to the same period last year the revenue from charters increased by €4.8 million or 57.8% to the total of €13.2 million. “Main contribution to the charter revenue growth comes from the Silja Europa charter agreement from August 2014 onwards,” Tallink noted.

In February 2015 AS Tallink Grupp and Meyer Turku Oy signed a contract for the construction of the LNG powered fast ferry for Tallinn-Helsinki route shuttle operations. The ship will cost around €230 million, 20% of the total cost will be paid during the construction period and the rest 80% upon the delivery of the vessel in the beginning of 2017.

AS Tallink Grupp's subsidiary Tallink Line Ltd. and Nordea Bank Finland Plc have signed the loan agreement in June 2015 in amount of €184 million with maturity of twelve years from drawdown to finance the construction of the new fast ferry in Meyer Turku shipyard. Finnish Export Credit Agency “Finnvera” guarantees 95% of this post-delivery buyer credit and the loan bears OECD Commercial Interest Reference Rate (CIRR) based fixed interest rate.

Two of the vessels that were chartered out, Silja Festival and Regina Baltica were sold in the second quarter of the 2015 financial year. The sale of the two vessels generated a positive cash flow of €25 million which was used for the €11.5 million down payment of the new LNG vessel and repayment of loans. Altogether the Group successfully continued the deleveraging strategy and the net debt decreased by €62 million to a total of €614 million in the second quarter resulting in a solid net debt to EBITDA ratio of 3.4.

“In the first half year of 2015 the positive effect from chartering activities has been clearly visible as in the comparable period last year fewer ships were in charter. Looking forward to the second half of the 2015 financial year the chartering revenues will decrease compared to the previous year as Silja Europa charter becomes comparable with the last year and two ships previously in charter were sold in the second quarter of 2015,” Tallink said