Carnival extends three credit facilities totalling $2.35 billion by one year

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 28 April 2015 28 April 2015

Carnival Corporation, the Panama domiciled holding company in the Carnival Corp & plc group, and Carnival plc that is the group's UK domiciled holding company, and their lenders have agreed to extend the maturities of three credit facilities by one year to June 2020.

"On April 23, 2015, in respect of all of the facilities provided under our $1.7 billion, 500 million and 150 million multi-currency revolving credit agreement, as amended and restated on June 16, 2014, by and among Carnival Corporation, Carnival plc, and certain of Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc subsidiaries, Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, as Facilities Agent, Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Barclays Bank PLC, BNP Paribas, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A., J.P. Morgan Limited, Lloyds Bank plc, Mizuho Bank, Ltd and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, as mandated lead arrangers, and each of the other banks or other institutions party thereto (the "Facility Agreement"), the termination date was extended from June 16, 2019 to June 16, 2020 pursuant to the extension request procedures set forth in the Facility Agreement. A description of the Facility Agreement was disclosed in Item 2.03 of the Form 8-K filed by Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc on June 17, 2014 and is hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 2.03 except with reference to the expiration date of the Facility Agreement," Carnival group said in a statement."

"Some of the lenders under the Facility Agreement and their affiliates have various relationships with Carnival Corporation, Carnival plc and certain of their subsidiaries involving the provision of financial services, including cash management, investment banking and trust services. In addition, Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc have entered into other loan arrangements as well as fuel, interest rate swap and foreign currency exchange derivative arrangements with certain of the lenders and their affiliates," Carnival said.

Australians, New Zealanders commemorate Gallipoli centenary on Queen Elizabeth

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 27 April 2015 27 April 2015

Almost 500 Australians and New Zealanders have joined their fellow passengers on the decks of Queen Elizabeth for a very special memorial service as the ship sailed the waters off the Gallipoli Peninsula this morning.

Marking Cunard Line’s long-standing association with Australian and New Zealand wartime campaigns, including Gallipoli, the emotional ceremony saw the ship’s crew and guests lay wreaths in the water in remembrance of the heroic soldiers who fought in the World War One campaign, Carnival Australia said in a statement.

"A two-metre high poppy wall floral tribute, shaped as ‘100’ to mark the Anzac centenary, formed the centrepiece for the ceremony. The wall was filled with 11,500 red poppies donated by Australians and New Zealanders during Queen Elizabeth’s calls to Auckland and Sydney as part of her current world cruise, with the flowers representing the number of Anzacs killed during the campaign."

Visitors to the poppy wall in Auckland and Sydney also wrote personal messages in a special remembrance book, with a selection of those read at this morning’s service. The book will be placed in the ship’s library where it will remain in memory of the heroes of Gallipoli.

Carrying 2000 guests, Queen Elizabeth’s visit to the waters of Gallipoli on Anzac Day eve, comes during her 112-night world voyage. The ship will arrive into Istanbul early on Anzac Day when some guests will disembark to continue their journey to Gallipoli.

Captain Inger Klein Thorhauge said she was honoured to bring Queen Elizabeth’s guests to the waters of Gallipoli for such a significant occasion. “The Anzac story resonates for all of us at Cunard,” Captain Klein Thorhauge said. “Our connection with the armed forces of Britain, New Zealand and Australia runs very deep. Cunard has supported the services going back to the Crimean War. In World War One, 20 Cunard ships and many of their crew were lost. It is a legacy of service of which we at Cunard are very proud.”

Guests of honour at the service included Herb Christophers from New Zealand and Mark Keys from Australia, both descendants of Anzac soldiers, who travelled onboard Queen Elizabeth as custodians for the poppies on their journey to Gallipoli.

The Gallipoli landings were an attempt of the Entente Powers to force the straits of Bosphorus and seize Constantinople - today known as Istanbul - that was the capital of the Ottoman Empire, which was fighting on the side of the Central Powers. The attempt failed, partly due to stalwart efforts by a general by the name of Mustafa Kemal, who became the first Turkish president in 1924.

CMV to charter Azores to Rivages du Monde in expansion to France

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 27 April 2015 27 April 2015

Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV), the UK based destinational cruise shipping company, said it is to sub-charter of the 16,144 gross ton, 550 passenger Azores from summer 2016 onwards to Rivages du Monde, the Paris based specialist cruise and tour operator.

"Cruise & Maritime Voyages also confirm that Azores will be re-named Astoria when she completes her UK summer 2015 season. Prior to the start of the 2016 French North European, Adriatic and Mediterranean summer season, Astoria will operate a two month ex-UK spring season," CMV said in a statement. Azores is currently on charter to CMV from Portuscale Cruises in Lisbon.

Christian Verhounig, CEO and Chairman of CMV commented, “We are committed to developing our international market presence and are delighted to have forged a business partnership with one of France’s most established and respected travel companies."

"We believe that by changing the name to Astoria the product presentation will be simpler and more in line with our smaller ship offering alongside the similarly named 600 passenger Astor in contrast to our larger mid-sized vessels; the Marco Polo and Magellan, adopting the explorer theme”.

In 2016 Astoria will commence her French business on 11 May under the Rivages du Monde brand as a home market product operating 14 North European, Greenland, Adriatic and Mediterranean sailings from Le Havre, Dunkirk, Ostend, Bordeaux and Marseille.

Chris Coates, Commercial Director added, “We have been experiencing strong demand for Azores 2015 ex-UK regional summer programme. The introduction of Magellan to the fleet, which in 2016, will be operating year round, will enable Marco Polo to also be deployed regionally for part of the 2016 programme bolstering capacity and supporting Astoria’s spring season. This will increase year on year UK market capacity close to 70,000 annual carryings”.

CMV already has foothold on the German and Australian markets as well as the UK. It has a fleet of four ocean going and three river cruise ships, all of which are operated on charter.

Riccardo Casalino appointed MSC Cruises' Chief Marketing Officer

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 27 April 2015 27 April 2015

MSC Cruises, the world’s fourth largest cruise shipping company, said in a statement that Riccardo Casalino had joined the its executive leadership at its global headquarters, in Geneva, Switzerland, as the new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).