Genting Hong Kong Limited held signing ceremony for US$1.6 billion vessel financing facilities

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 05 June 2014 05 June 2014

Genting Hong Kong Limited completed the ceremonial signing of vessel financing facilities in connection with the company’s two new mega cruise ships that are being constructed by Meyer Werft of Papenburg, Germany for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2016 and 2017, respectively. The two term loan facilities provide an aggregate financing of up to the US dollar equivalent of EUR1.2 billion (approximately US$1.6 billion at today’s exchange rate) and each has a term of 12 years from the delivery of the vessel. The financing is backed by export credit insurance issued by the German Federal Government.     

“The two new cruise ships to be purpose-built for the Asian market will reinforce Star Cruises’ leading position in Asia-Pacific and our commitment to develop the region as an international cruise destination. We are pleased to have secured financing from our key banks that share our vision and we are grateful for their staunch support," said Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genting Hong Kong. The signing ceremony was held at Genting Hong Kong’s headquarters.  

The mandated lead arrangers for both vessel financing facilities are, in alphabetical order, Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, DNB Bank ASA (Singapore Branch) and KfW IPEX-Bank. KfW IPEX-Bank has structured the overall financing and also serves as the facility, Hermes and CIRR agent.

P&O Cruises attracts big cheese to culinary line up

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 05 June 2014 05 June 2014

P&O Cruises has enhanced its speciality culinary offering on new ship Britannia with the introduction of international cheese judge and expert Charlie Turnbull.

Turnbull, who runs an award-winning delicatessen and cheese shop in Shaftesbury, Dorset and writes regular magazine columns on the subject, will be consulting on the range of British and artisan cheeses in the atrium Market Café and in the fine dining Epicurean restaurant.  Following the launch of the ship in March next year, Turnbull will also be travelling several times a year to host cheese and beer/ale tastings on board as well as hosting cheese related shore excursions.

P&O Cruises marketing director Christopher Edgington said: “Britannia will have a real emphasis on authenticity across all aspects of the ship, whether that relates to the design, the entertainment or the variety of dining and ingredients. In each of these areas we have consulted and worked with the experts in the field. Even a detail such as cheese is no exception and in Charlie Turnbull we have a recognized master cheesemonger.”

The P&O Cruises Food Heroes concept embraces some of the biggest talent in the British culinary scene. These include James Martin, Eric Lanlard, Marco Pierre White, Atul Kochhar and wine expert Olly Smith.

“The Market Café will be the social hub of the ship with an informal café style atmosphere. Whether it is patisserie from Eric Lanlard, a plate of British charcuterie or a tasting selection of artisan cheeses chosen by Charlie, paired with a local British beer, we will showcase the best of the best from the best.”

Charlie Turnbull said: “I am really very excited about choosing a team of the best British and European cheeses for Britannia.  In this World Cup year Britain would have every chance to win a Cheese World Cup with the cheeses being made here right now.  Britannia is a unique opportunity for them to be seen and enjoyed.

“As Britannia will be the sailing ambassador of the best of British food, I am delighted to be the shepherd of her cheeses as she travels the world.  I will also be taking advantage of ports of call in the Mediterranean to guest some local cheeses, as well as getting on shore with fellow travellers and seeking out local specialities to compare with our own.”    

The Market Café will offer tasting notes for all the cheeses and suggestions to pair with wines and beers while cheese will also be served in the Epicurean restaurant, high up on deck 16. The Epicurean will be the place to go for a stunning, contemporary menu of molecular cooking, home smoking, ingredients with noted provenance and even flaming jellies.

Norwegian launches new travel partner portal

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 05 June 2014 05 June 2014

To further support its commitment to the travel partner community, Norwegian Cruise Line has launched an all new web-based Travel Agent Portal called Norwegian Central, making it simpler than ever for partners to access all of the tools they need to learn about, promote, and sell Norwegian cruises. A key element of Norwegian’s Partners First initiative, the new portal’s main feature is a single sign on, giving partners easy access to Norwegian’s Marketing Headquarters, NCL University, the line’s new booking engine and more, in one centralized, convenient location.

Norwegian Central features a user-friendly interface that is organized into four easy-to-navigate sections: Book Norwegian, Research & Promotional Tools, Cruise Enhancements, and Connect with Us. Under the Book Norwegian section, partners can book new reservations, manage existing reservations, or review weekly promotions and pricing information. The Research and Promotional Tools section offers information such as itineraries, deck plans and ship facts. Within the Cruise Enhancements section, partners can conveniently learn more about Norwegian’s dining options, onboard activities by ship, and details about hotel and transfer programs. Finally, in the Connect with Us section, agents can search for their local Business Development Manager and headquarter-based Business Development Specialist contacts, view a calendar of upcoming webinars, access archived presentations, find information on the Ask Away program, read the latest from Andy Stuart’s blog and much more.

“We want our partners to know that we are listening, and making meaningful changes to help serve them better,” says Andy Stuart, executive vice president of global sales and passenger services. “After talking with our partners and getting their direct feedback, it was clear that a new, centralized source of information is what they need to be successful selling Norwegian. Our travel partners are the key to our success, so it is important for us to continue investing in their success.”

Partners can explore the new portal today by visiting www.norwegiancentral.com and logging in with their existing BookNCL username and password.

Oceania Cruises takes its 1,000,000th booking

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 04 June 2014 04 June 2014

 Oceania Cruises has taken its 1,000,000th booking, just over ten years since the luxury cruise line was founded by cruise industry veterans Frank Del Rio and Bob Binder. The company operates a five ship fleet, offering worldwide cruises from 7 – 180 days on three 684-guest ships, Insignia, Nautica and Regatta, which have just completed a $50m refurbishment programme, and two 1250-guest ships, Marina and Riviera, which debuted in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

The upper-premium line has made a name for itself by offering destination-intensive sailings at a tremendous value, and ongoing partnerships with Bon Appétit and Wine Spectator, as well as a focus on all things culinary have also earned the line the unofficial reputation “The Best Value in Luxury Cruising.”