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TUI says cruise sales continue to grow

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 27 March 2015 27 March 2015

TUI AG, the world's largest tour operating company, says its cruise business is enjoying a rise in sales on the back of growing capacity and improved performance of its niche brand.

"Winter 2014/15 is closing out as expected, with our Mainstream programme almost fully sold and higher average selling prices in most source markets. We are pleased with Summer 2015 trading, with continued strong demand for our unique holidays and a significant increase in online bookings. Hotels & Resorts are performing well and Cruise sales continue to grow, with the launch of Mein Schiff 4 this June and improved fleet performance by Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten," Peter Long and Friedrich Joussens, joint chief executives, said in a statement.

Mein Schiff 4 is the second of four 99,300 gross ton cruise ships TUI Cruises, a joint venture between TUI and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL), the world's second largest cruise shipping group, has on order at Meyer Turku Shipyard in Finland.

Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten is fully owned by TUI and it focuses on the luxury and expedition segments of the cruise market. TUI has its headquarters in Hannover in GErmanhy and its shares are traded on the Frankfurt and London stock exchanges.

MSC Sinfonia re-enters service after refit

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 27 March 2015 27 March 2015

MSC Cruises, the world’s fourth largest cruise line and largest privately-owned cruise company, said its that MSC Sinfonia has left Genoa, Italy, to resume service following ground-breaking enlargement and enhancement work at Fincantieri’s shipyard, in Palermo, Italy.

The work was part of €200 million Renaissance Programme to refit and extend four ships of the MSC Cruises fleet, and involves bisecting the ship before inserting a new 24-metre section into the space.

MSC Sinfonia entered drydock in January and returns to duty ten weeks later with renewed amenities and enriched onboard spaces for cruise guests. The ship now has even more balcony cabins, more spacious public areas, a greater choice of restaurants and new clubs dedicated to younger guests, including the outdoor Spray Park with exciting waterfalls and water slides.

Thanks to recently agreed partnerships between MSC Cruises and best-in-class childcare and toy brands, MSC Sinfonia also has special kids’ areas equipped with Chicco and LEGO products.

MSC Sinfonia will now set sail first for a mini cruise to Ajaccio, Barcelona and Marseille before heading out of Genoa on March 31 for a series of western Mediterranean cruises, with calls in the Canary Islands, Madeira, mainland Spain and Portugal.

On May 6 the ship will leave Genoa for the seas of northern Europe and a busy summer of seven-night itineraries. Travellers on MSC Sinfonia will be exploring the fjords along the Norwegian coast or the jewels of the Baltic: Copenhagen, Helsinki, Stockholm, Saint Petersburg and Tallinn.

MSC Sinfonia is the second MSC Cruises ship to undergo restyling and extension, after sister ship MSC Armonia, which returned to sea in November 2014. In April, MSC Opera will sail to Fincantieri’s shipyard, in Palermo for her 10-week enhancement work and at the end of August 2015, MSC Lirica will also undergo her Renaissance, with a return to sea scheduled for end of June and end of October respectively.

Carnival group earmarks four ships for 2015 disposal

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 27 March 2015 27 March 2015

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise shipping group, has earmarked four ships for disposal this year, it said in a statement.

"Carnival Corporation & plc's fleet enhancement strategy will add two new ships to its fleet in 2015 and remove four ships from the fleet," the company said in a statement, in which in unveiled a strategic agreement with two shipyards to build a total of nine ships up to 2022.

The company has recently sold Grand Celebration, a mid-1980s built vessel of 47,262 gross tons, to a Florida based buyer to be employed on short cruises to the Bahamas. Late last year, the 1985 built Grand Holiday of 46,052 gross tons was sold for Cruise & Maritime Voyages in the UK.

Carnival group still employs several ships that are more than 20 years old. The oldest units in its fleet are Holland America Line's 1988 built Prinsendam and P&O Cruises Australia's Pacific Pearl, which is of similar vintage. Pacific Dawn and Pacific Jewel, the other two ships of the Australian company are also more than 20 years old. It will receive two Statendam class vessels from the Holland America Line fleet later this year. These early 1990s built ships will undergo a major refit before entering service with the Sydney based company.

The eight strong Fantasy class of Carnival Cruise Line was built in Finland in 1990-98, while the Sun Princess class of Princess Cruises that comprises four ships was built in 1995-2000. P&O Cruises in the UK celebrates the 20th anniversary of its 69,840 gross ton Oriana this year.

On the 2015 addition side, P&O Cruises UK officially launched Britannia, at 143,760 gross tons the largest ship ever designed exclusively for Britain, in a majestic naming ceremony earlier this month. Later this year, the AIDA Cruises fleet will welcome the 124,500 gross ton AIDAprima, which is expected to be one of the most technically advanced and sustainable cruise ships ever built, the Anglo-American company said.

Meyer's newly acquired Turku shipyard to build two Carnival ships

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 27 March 2015 27 March 2015

Meyer Werft, the privately owned German shipbuilder that signed a strategic agreement with Carnival Corp & plc, the world's largest cruise shipping group today, will share the four ships allocated to it between its yards in Papenburg, Germany and Turku, Finland.

"Meyer Werft, a leading global shipbuilder founded in Germany in 1795, will build its four ships at its shipyards in Papenburg, Germany, and Turku, Finland," Carnival said in a statement.

Two of the ships would be built at the Meyer Turku Shipyard, Jan Vapaavuri, minister of employment and the economy in the Finnish government told the Turun Sanomat daily. Consequently, the other two ships would be built in Papenburg.

Meyer acquired a 70% stake in the yard last year, with the Finnish government holding the remaining 30%. Previously owned by the troubled STX Offshore & Shipbuilding group of South Korea, the yard was near closure due to shortage of work.

However, the new owners made it possible for TUI Cruises, the Hamburg based premium market line, to add two firm orders and two options for 99,300 gross ton cruise liners to the yard's orderbook. The second of two similar vessels that had been ordered earlier will enter service in the summer.

Carnival grpup signed a memorandum of understanding to build nine ships, with options for more, with two shipyards today. Meyer Werft was allocated four and Fincantieri in Italy five of the vessels.

Twelve Viking River Cruises' newbuildings named in Europe

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 26 March 2015 26 March 2015

Viking River Cruises, the world's largest river cruise shipping company, has held a simultaneous naming ceremonies in Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Rostock in Germany involving a total of 12 ships, including 10 Viking Longships and two vessels for the River Elbe, the company said in a statement.

The company now has a fleet of 60 river cruise vessels. "All 10 of the new Viking Longships will be deployed on Viking’s itineraries in Europe, including three of the most popular itineraries – Grand European Tour, Romantic Danube and Rhine Discovery. Also, as a result of high consumer demand for the Elegant Elbe itinerary, the two new specially designed ships will double the company’s capacity on the Elbe River for 2015," Viking River Cruises said in the statement.

“We are immensely proud of the response to our new ships that we continue to receive from guests and industry experts,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises. “It is always important that we recognize those who have helped us achieve success, and this year I am especially pleased to honor fellow Vikings as godmothers of our newest river vessels.

Staying true to the naval tradition, Viking named 12 of its longest-serving employees as ceremonial godmothers for the new ships. With representation from Viking’s onboard operations team, as well as from the operational headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, the corporate headquarters in Los Angeles and the London office, each godmother represents a department that has contributed to the consistently high guest satisfaction ratings and the growth and success of the company. The full list of godmothers includes:

Donora Anderson, Senior Director of Operations and godmother of Viking Skirnir
Clare Armitage, Senior Operations Executive and godmother of Viking Eir
Sinemie Bakker, Program Director and godmother of Viking Astrild
Henrieta Balisova, Program Director and godmother of Viking Vili
Adriana Filkaszova, Receptionist and godmother of Viking Beyla
Jana Hudakova, Chief Receptionist and godmother of Viking Mimir
Miriam Kajuchova, Housekeeper and godmother of Viking Ve
Karoline Landa, Controller & Hotel Manager and godmother of Viking Lofn
Kornelia Pfeiffenberger, Hotel Manager and godmother of Viking Vidar
Faye Pirie, Specialist Cruise Consultant and godmother of Viking Modi
Julie Rosoff, Senior Director of Marketing Services and godmother of Viking Mani
Verona Thiele, Concierge and godmother of Viking Gefjon