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Holland America Line's new Koningsdam to debut new design approach

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 13 November 2014 13 November 2014

When Holland America Line welcomes Koningsdam to the fleet in February 2016, the ship will debut a new era in design approach for the line. As the first ship in the Pinnacle class, the 2,650-guest ship will have an interior that blends a fresh, contemporary styling in perfect harmony with the line’s renowned classic elegance.

Future guests, travel agents and ship fans can now get the first look at select interior renderings on Holland America Line’s website, www.hollandamerica.com. The story of the ship will unfold online over the coming months through vibrant renderings, engaging videos, ship facts and more details about the interiors created by Adam D. Tihany and Bjørn Storbraaten.

“When guests come aboard Koningsdam they’ll know they’re on a Holland America Line ship, but they’ll see we’re taking a forward-thinking approach to many of the design elements,” said Stein Kruse, CEO of Holland America Group. “Revealing the first renderings and video of Koningsdam enables us to give future guests an advance look at the stunning interiors and over the coming months will reveal innovative new features along with our classics hallmarks that will create a cruise experience for the travelers of tomorrow.”

At the helm of the interior conceptualization is Tihany, regarded as one of the world’s pre-eminent hospitality designers. A leader in creating luxurious and creative interiors at some of the world’s most iconic properties, Tihany has approached Koningsdam with an eye toward creating public spaces that reflect the tradition and signature elegance for which Holland America Line is known, while elevating the design to strike a more modern balance of past, present and future.

Focusing on fluid curves and graceful lines, light-filled spaces and the natural flow of public areas, Tihany’s metaphorical approach to the interiors of Koningsdam was inspired by the “architecture of music.”

“The idea was to tell a story that guests can connect with throughout their voyage,” said Tihany. “I was inspired by the thought of what you might see from the inside of a musical instrument, what the architecture of the surfaces and the geometry look like.”

Key to his concept is utilizing visual interaction, where guests actively engage with the architecture rather than passively moving through it.

“The design isn’t a literal translation of music, but a conceptual approach where we seek to evoke the feeling and beauty of an instrument with graceful lines, dramatic textures, lighting effects and use of materials,” said Tihany. “My inspirations were not only instruments, but also majestic spaces and exaggerating the feeling of height, so guests feel the grandeur of every room.”

For example, at the heart of the ship Tihany is creating visual drama with the central atrium. Soaring three decks high, the space is graced by an airy stainless-steel sculpture that represents the synthesis of a string quartet. Like music, the experience changes as guests move around and through it, so no two perspectives are the same. The atrium is capped by a ceiling “skylight” that serves as a backdrop for subtly changing high-definition projections. Guests will look up by day and see wispy cirrus clouds floating in an azure sky or perhaps soothing images of light in water. By evening, the atrium takes on dramatic lighting hues or reflects the starlit constellations of the night sky.

Hallmark venues reimagined with a fresh approach

The main Dining Room aboard Koningsdam will span two floors and be framed by views of the sea. A bright interior will be inspired by a modern, global design and sets the stage for the exceptional culinary experience to come. Strong, curved architectural pillars will accentuate the soaring ceiling. Chic, custom furnishings and modern glass lighting are being fabricated especially for the ship. The centerpiece is a curved copper sheath surrounding a two-story wine tower showcasing an impressive selection.

The iconic Queen’s Lounge has been completely reimagined as an elegant theater and entertainment venue that spans two floors. Tihany once again drew inspiration for the space from music, nodding to the sensual curves of a violin and featuring extensive use of wood, fluid waveforms and light. With state-of-the-art technology, the Queen’s Lounge will showcase world-class musicians and the largest dance floor on the ship.

Architect and Designer Bjørn Storbraaten joins Tihany in Blending Contemporary Styling with Brand Hallmarks Architect and designer Bjørn Storbraaten joins Tihany in bringing the ship to life in a familiar yet innovative style. With his previous work on Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam, Storbraaten adds continuity of the brand to ms Koningsdam, while taking elegance to the next level.

“It’s been fascinating to work on Koningsdam where we are introducing design elements never before seen on Holland America Line,” said Storbraaten. “We were tasked with evolving the look and feel of the ship while keeping it true to the brand, making this an exciting and rewarding project.”

Storbraaten’s hand is clearly present in the design of the central pool area. The Magrodome, which typically is a single level on Holland America Line ships, has been expanded to two levels to create a vast glass-enclosed space. The lower level will have more traditional poolside elements, while the mezzanine level will be a new concept for the brand. In addition to other areas, Storbraaten is designing the exotic look of Tamarind, the line’s Pan-Asian restaurant that emphasizes nature’s basic elements: water, wood, fire and earth.

Across the ship, Tihany and Storbraaten are working together to make ms Koningsdam an evolution of the Holland America Line brand.

Over the coming months, even more innovative features and detailed renderings of Koningsdam will be released on the company’s website. Early season premier itineraries will be revealed in the coming weeks, in advance of these first Koningsdam sailings opening for booking on Dec. 1.

MSC Cruises UK to host seven cinema events for agents

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 13 November 2014 13 November 2014

MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise shippingcompany, said it will start its campaign to engage further with the travel trade next week with a series of cinema events.

The seven events, which start Monday 24 November, will take place at various locations around the UK over a three week period. Approximately seventy-five agents are expected to attend each event, which will consist of a short presentation from either MSC Cruises’ Commercial Director Lee Strongitharm or MSC Cruises’ Head of Sales UK & ROI, Janet Parton covering key sales messages, followed by the showing of a latest cinema release with drinks and popcorn all round.

Janet Parton commented: “Getting closer to agents is a central pillar of our expansion plan and these cinema events are a brilliant way to remind the trade that we are here, we have a great product and we want to grow with them."

"We have refreshed our relationships with Thomas Cook and Tui at a head office level, so it is vital we engage with their staff on the frontline. We want this to be the start of a much closer working relationship – and get agents to appreciate how much fun you can have with MSC Cruises.”

The cinema events have been organised in association with 3FOR, a specialist travel marketing agency.

Sanctuary Ananda sets sail on maiden voyage in Myanmar

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 November 2014 12 November 2014

Sanctuary Ananda, the luxurious new boutique river cruiser in Myanmar (Burma) from exclusive travel specialists Sanctuary Retreats, sets sail on its maiden passenger cruise this week (15th November) with a 4-night cruise from Mandalay to Bagan on the Ayeyarwady River.

To mark the inaugural sailing, Sanctuary Retreats is offering 20% off the four cruises on the Chindwin River in 2015 which are part of their longer ‘Exploration Cruises’ programme. These 10 night cruises on the Chindwin exclusively provide access to some of Southeast Asia’s least-visited sites such as Mawleik, Kalewa and the caves of Po Win Taung in Monywa and will begin in July 2015. The offer must be booked before 31st January 2015.

With this offer, a 10-night Exploration Cruise on the Chindwin River is now available from £2,356 per person based on two people sharing, including suite accommodation, meals, soft drinks and local beer throughout the day, wine with dinner, and the full programme of excursions and experiences.

Commenting on the launch of the ship, Marco Rosa, Senior VP of Sanctuary Retreats Hospitality says: “We are excited to introduce a new level of luxury to the rivers of Myanmar with the launch of Sanctuary Ananda. Our beautiful custom built-all suite ship not only offers the largest suites in Myanmar but with floor to ceiling windows and full balconies, our guests really are immersed in the culture and landscape of this fascinating country.”

The ship offers a choice of 6 fascinating itineraries including 3, 4 and 7 night cruises on the Ayeyarwady River with a full choice of excursions and unique cultural experiences. Longer 10 and 11 night itineraries on the Chindwin River to Homalin, the Upper Ayeyarwaddy to Bhamo and sailings between Yangon and Mandalay will begin in 2015.

Named after the Ananda Temple in Bagan, Sanctuary Ananda has been designed by local Myanmar shipbuilders with the utmost attention to detail. Custom-built with just 21 suites, a luxurious, yet authentic feel is reflected in every aspect of the ship. Interiors incorporate local fabrics, lacquerware and even traditional parasols celebrating Myanmar’s rich heritage of arts, crafts and textiles. With one of the highest staff to guest ratios on the rivers, guests will be able to explore this vibrant and culturally rich destination in style.

Portuscale to operate five night fado cruise in August-September

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 November 2014 12 November 2014

Portuscale Cruises, the Lisbon based cruise shipping company, will operate a five night fado cruise in late summer 2015, the company says on its website.

The 9,870 gross ton Funchal will depart the port of Portimao in the southern part of Portugal on 27 August and call at Funchal and Porto Santo, both of which are located in the Madeira archipelago in the Atlantic, before returning to Portimao.

The cruise will feature performances by a leading group of fado artists and workshops etc, Portuscale said.

Indonesia to ease entry requirement for cruise ships

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 November 2014 12 November 2014

Following its earlier announcement of a plan to lift tourist visa requirement for citizens of a selected number of countries, which include China, Indonesia has announced its intention to ease its regulations on entry permits for foreign cruise ships. Alan Lam reports.

In a scramble to attract cruise tourism, and as another clear sign of the growing importance of this business in the region, the Indonesian authorities are working toward reducing the process surrounding the entry requirement of yachts and cruise ships to its territorial waters. Currently this process takes up to three weeks. The aim is to shorten it to just one day - a huge and complicated step for this country’s gigantic bureaucratic machinery.

Under the current regime, cruise ship operators have to apply to 16 institutions in order to obtain an entry permit, another reason Indonesia is lagging behind in the Far Eastern regional cruise business development.

Indonesia is one of a small number of South East Asian countries still operating a visa requirement scheme for nearly all overseas visitors. Recognising the importance of tourism to its economy, it is progressively easing control in this regard. It aims to increase it annual tourist number to between 10 and 20 million during 2015-19.

This latest move will be welcomed by cruise operators, as, within that country, there are a number of destinations that are of immense interest to itinerary planners.Indonesia is also of strategic importance to cruise business of the region.