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Princess Cruises releases sixth annual Relaxation Report

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 August 2015 12 August 2015

Americans are hard workers, but when it comes to taking a break, they may need some advice. According to results released today from Princess Cruises’ sixth annual Relaxation Report, over half (54%) of Americans spend their vacation days dealing with personal obligations such as family emergencies, doctor’s or dentist’s appointments and sick days for their children or loved ones rather than actually vacationing. And the mere thought of asking their boss for a few extra days off causes more stress than asking for a pay raise for nearly a quarter (22%) of American workers, according to the recent survey by Wakefield Research for Princess Cruises.

On this National Relaxation Day (Saturday, August 15,) the idea of stress and relaxation is an important discussion to be had with our 24/7 always-on American culture. Stress triggers are on the rise with nearly a one-third of people who get stressed at just the thought of relaxing, up from 28-percent in 2014. And 42-percent frequently feel guilty about relaxing, also up from 38-percent last year. For more than a third of Americans (36%), it’s even more difficult to find time to relax than to live within their budget!

"In the six years that Princess Cruises has commissioned this survey, we’ve continued to see stress levels rise year after year …” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. "We aren’t giving ourselves permission to truly let go and relax, and whether that’s because of the demands on our intense lives or our own guilt, this is an unsustainable trend that can have a genuinely adverse impact on our society as a whole.”

Even summertime brings no reprieve. Despite the sunshine, warm weather and break from school schedules, more than three quarters (77%) of parents are busier during the summer months compared to the rest of the year. That’s due in part to the stress that comes with planning – and taking – an actual vacation for half (50%) of Americans who find things like research and handling travel logistics stressful, and over half (55%) who return feeling the need for a vacation from their vacation.

On the optimistic side however, Americans still believe they can achieve the dream of finding relaxation, with two-thirds (66%) who agree that taking a cruise would be the best way to experience life and relaxation all in one vacation. Proudly, Princess Cruises offers an array of options for any traveler looking to “come back new” aboard its worldwide fleet of ships in exotic destinations.

Ovation of the Seas to make seven night cruise from Southampton in April

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 August 2015 12 August 2015

Ovation of the Seas, the third unit of Royal Caribbean International’s Anthem class, will make a seven night cruise from Southampton to France and Spain in April 2016, a cruise advertisement says.

Cruise118.com, a British online cruise retailer, advertises the cruise that is due to depart on 22 April and include calls at Gijon, Bilbao and St Peter Port.

Royal Caribbean International is the contemporary market unit of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd (RCCL). Ovation of the Seas is under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.

Mitsubishi tells contractors to observe schedule despite AIDAprima delivery delay

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 August 2015 11 August 2015

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the Japanese shipbuilder that is constructing two 124,500 gross ton ships for Carnival Corp & plc’s German brand AIDA Cruises, has written to sub-contractors and suppliers to observe agreed delivery schedule despite a second six month delay in the completion of AIDAprima, the first ship.

“Regardless of the delay in ship delivery, MHI kindly asks all contractors and their sub-contractors to strictly observe and maintain the present delivery schedules and construction schedules except those which need to be adjusted to your own delay. We will appreciate your continuing utmost cooperation and effort to complete this project,” said Hideki Omori, VP General Manager of Procurement Department at MHI’s Commercial Aviation and Transportation Systems in a letter to contractors obtained by Cruise Business Online.

On 4 August, AIDA Cruises said the maiden voyage of AIDAprima would be postponed to April 2016 from October 2015. The postponement is due to the fact that the shipyard will not be able to complete ship as planned. This is the second time the delivery of the ship has been postponed - initially, it was due to enter service in June this year.

Paul Ludlow to head up P&O Cruises "to ensure sustained growth"

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 August 2015 11 August 2015

Following the commercial restructure at Carnival UK, Paul Ludlow has been appointed senior vice-president, sales & marketing for P&O Cruises.

Ludlow, 36, who joins from Princess Cruises where he was managing director UK & Europe, will have full responsibility for the sales, sales support, marketing, guest insight and digital teams across the brand.

Commenting on the appointment, Carnival UK CEO David Noyes said “I am delighted to appoint Paul to this critical role for P&O Cruises. Paul’s 15 years of experience within our company makes him an ideal fit to lead the sales and marketing teams for P&O Cruises to ensure sustained growth of the brand.”

Paul Ludlow said: “Following the launch of Britannia in March, which positioned P&O Cruises at the forefront of the nation’s mind, there has never been a more exciting time for the company. The potential for the industry as a whole is vast and I am determined, through giving a seamless, exemplary guest experience, to put cruising in the spotlight as a mainstream, contemporary holiday choice for all ages.”

The restructure will also include a similar SVP sales & marketing role for Cunard. Recruitment for this position is currently underway.

Princess Cruises will be recruiting for Paul Ludlow’s replacement. During his tenure at Princess Ludlow established separate commercial operations for Princess in the UK, including dedicated teams responsible for revenue management, sales, marketing, reservations, customer relations and PR. He led the team which launched Royal Princess in Southampton, by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge.

He also oversaw the growth of Princess guests from the UK, including the successful introduction of Asia as a key destination for the UK market and launched new travel agent tools, such as Flight Select and OneSource cruises, part of the line’s programme to support and reward its travel agent partners.

Wärtsilä appoints Jaakko Eskola President and CEO as of 1 November 2015

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 August 2015 11 August 2015

Wärtsilä’s Board of Directors has appointed Jaakko Eskola (57) MSc (Eng.), as the new President and CEO of Wärtsilä Corporation. He will assume the position on 1 November 2015, succeeding Björn Rosengren, who will become the CEO of Sandvik, a global engineering group based in Sweden.

Currently Mr Eskola is President of Wärtsilä Marine Solutions, Senior Executive Vice President and Deputy to the CEO. Eskola joined Wärtsilä in 1998 with a background in international project and corporate finance. He has since worked as Managing Director of Wärtsilä Development and Financial Services, Vice President for Sales and Marketing in the Power Plants business and since 2006 as the head of the Marine Solutions business. He is currently based in Shanghai, China.

“I wish to thank Björn Rosengren for steering Wärtsilä towards profitable growth in challenging markets during the past four years. Today the Wärtsilä brand is well positioned and our broad offering gives us competitive edge going forward,” says Mikael Lilius, Chairman of Wärtsilä’s Board of Directors.

“Jaakko Eskola has an outstanding track record from his 17-year long career in Wärtsilä. The Board is confident that his global experience, deep understanding of the market dynamics, open management style and commitment to the Wärtsilä culture will lead us to continued success.”

“With focus on energy efficiency and innovation Wärtsilä is extremely well positioned in its markets. I am thrilled and honoured to lead the company as it shapes the industry with advanced technology and lifecycle solutions. As a global team we will enhance our customers’ business and benefit the environment,” Jaakko Eskola comments his appointment.

Wärtsilä has started a process to appoint a successor for Eskola to head the Marine Solutions business.