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Hornblower Group to re-structure

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 February 2024 21 February 2024

Hornblower Group, the parent of American Queen Voyages, which shut down yesterday, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with its investors that will strengthen the Company's financial foundation and position Hornblower for a successful future. Under the terms of the agreement, funds managed by Strategic Value Partners, LLC and its affiliates, a global alternative investment firm, will acquire majority ownership of Hornblower and provide a significant equity investment in the business. Crestview Partners will retain a significant minority position in Hornblower and become the sole owner of Journey Beyond, a stand-alone operating unit of Hornblower and the leading experiential travel provider in Australia. The agreement also provides for Hornblower to receive $121 million in new-money financing from SVP-managed funds and Crestview, and the Company's total debt will be reduced by approximately $720 million.

In connection with the agreement, Hornblower's overnight cruising business American Queen Voyages will be sold or, if a sale cannot be achieved, its operations will be wound down. Hornblower is taking this action because of the underperformance of AQV, which has not rebounded from the pandemic.

These collective actions will enable Hornblower to move ahead with a more focused portfolio, stronger balance sheet and additional financial flexibility, well-positioned to continue driving growth in its core land- and water-based experiences businesses. These core businesses are delivering excellent results and serving thousands of guests every day.

"Building on our commitment to deliver amazing experiences for our guests, Hornblower has grown to become a global leader in world-class experiences and transportation," said Kevin Rabbitt, Chief Executive Officer, Hornblower Group. "We have strong relationships with our government agency and business partners, and our core businesses are performing well with robust and growing demand."

Rabbitt added, "The steps we are taking today will enable us to address AQV and strengthen our financial foundation as we continue serving our guests and commuters around the world. With the support of our financial stakeholders, we will continue to advance our business initiatives and drive growth. We thank the entire Hornblower team for their hard work and dedication, as well as our vendors and partners across our businesses for their continued support."

David Geenberg, Co-Head of the North American Investment Team at SVP, said, "Hornblower is an outstanding company and a market leader in water-based transportation, tours and experiences, with complementary businesses and long-term contracts in attractive markets. With substantial growth potential in travel and tourism, we see significant opportunities ahead for Hornblower to further expand its leadership position. We look forward to working closely with the leadership team to help support the Company's strong operating staff, excellent service and exceptional guest experiences as we usher in Hornblower's next era of success."

Brian Cassidy, President of Crestview, added, "This transaction is an important step in ensuring Hornblower's future success, and we are enthusiastic about partnering with SVP on the Company's next growth chapter post-COVID. We are also excited about being the sole owner of Journey Beyond, which has incredible growth opportunities ahead."

Outside of AQV, Hornblower's current services will not be impacted in any way by the transaction.

Implementing the agreement

To efficiently implement the agreement and ensure an orderly sale or wind-down of AQV, Hornblower and certain of its affiliates have initiated a voluntary court-supervised and pre-arranged process under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Due to the overwhelming support of its investors, Hornblower expects to move through this process on an accelerated basis and emerge from Chapter 11 in approximately four months.

In connection with this process, Hornblower has received a commitment for $300 million in debtor-in-possession ("DIP") financing from Deutsche Bank Private Credit & Infrastructure to refinance the Company's existing superpriority term loan, in addition to the $121 million in new-money financing from SVP-managed funds and Crestview. Following court approval, this new financing, combined with cash generated from ongoing operations, is expected to support the business during the court-supervised process.

Separately, the Company is commencing ancillary proceedings in Canada under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) seeking recognition of the U.S. Chapter 11 proceedings in Canada.

Journey Beyond is not included in the court-supervised process.

Cunard reveals new voyages from September 2025 through January 2027

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 20 February 2024 20 February 2024

Cunard has announced new voyages sailing from September 2025 to January 2027 across its iconic fleet of four Queens.

With more than 300 new voyages, Cunard’s ships – flagship Queen Mary 2, its newest vessel Queen Anne, as well as Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth – will call at 184 destinations around the globe, including 70 countries and 108 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The new program also includes 37 overnight port calls and 66 late-evening departures. There will be five maiden calls for the fleet in Kona, Hawaii; Roatan, Honduras; Dakar, Senegal; Miami, FL; and Molde, Norway.

Queen Anne and Queen Mary 2 will simultaneously sail World Voyages beginning in January 2026, visiting cultural capitals such as New York, Buenos Aires, Dubai, and Melbourne.

Queen Elizabeth will introduce a new program in the Caribbean, sailing 33 voyages roundtrip from Miami, visiting island towns of San Juan, Puerto Rico; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Roatan, Honduras; as well as Tortola, Antigua, Barbados, and St Lucia.

Katie McAlister, President of Cunard, said: “We are incredibly excited to have both Queen Anne and Queen Mary 2 offer full World Voyages in 2026. We are so thrilled that our guests will, for the first time ever, have the opportunity to transit the Panama Canal on Queen Mary 2.

“Queen Elizabeth will also take in a new program to the Caribbean, sailing roundtrip from Miami, giving guests expanded opportunities to delve into this tropical region while experiencing the unparalleled luxury of sailing aboard a Cunard ship.”

MOL Cruises signs with V.Ships Leisure

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 19 February 2024 19 February 2024

MOL Cruises, Ltd. has signed an agreement with V.Ships Leisure for the technical management of cruise ship Mitsui Ocean Fuji, which will join the Mitsui Ocean Cruises fleet in December 2024. This was revealed in V.Ships' Facebook page.

Per Bjornsen, CEO of V.Ships Leisure, commented: “We are proud to be part of the Mitsui Ocean Cruises team, delivering Mitsui Ocean Fuji on her inaugural voyage for Mitsui, and then working to ensure her safe passage as she takes passengers on their luxury cruises around the world.

“V.Ships has worked with MOL for many years and this ship newly under our management is testament to the recognition of our industry leading operations. We are looking forward to working with Mitsui Ocean Cruises and to being part of a truly unique cruise product in a fascinating part of the world.”

New Jakarta homeport for Resorts World One

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 19 February 2024 19 February 2024

Resorts World Cruises will reach another milestone as the first international cruise line to homeport in Jakarta, Indonesia during the local school holiday from 16 June – 1 July 2024, offering four round-trip 5-night cruises from Jakarta to vibrant cities of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (via Port Klang). Cruise fares start from IDR 10 million per guest based on twin sharing and subject to availability, free third and fourth passenger in the same cabin.

“As an international cruise line that is homegrown in Asia, Resorts World Cruises is excited and proud to pioneer the first-ever homeport deployment in Indonesia. Indonesians are familiar with the Resorts World Cruises brand sailing out of Singapore and now they can sail with a round-trip cruise from Jakarta to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur on the Resorts World One,” said Michael Goh, President of Resorts World Cruises. “We would also like to express our sincere thanks to the local government, authorities and our travel partners for their support in helping us realise this dream of ours to cruise from Indonesia. We look forward to developing the country’s and regional cruise tourism industry together,” he added.

Vacationers can embark Resorts World One from the port of Tanjung Priok in Jakarta with the maiden voyage on 16 June 2024 (Sunday) followed by departures on 21 June (Friday), 26 June (Wednesday) and 1 July (Monday). The 5-night cruise itineraries are specially designed to provide vacationers from Indonesia with a perfect blend of holiday experience of visiting two countries, Singapore and Malaysia. Guests will also have ample time to relax, discover the ship itself and enjoy a variety of Muslim-friendly cuisine, including authentic and popular Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine, as well as a wide spread of international selection during the days at sea.

Cruise fares are also inclusive of complimentary dining at selected onboard venues with Muslim-friendly cuisines and offerings, as well as free access to LIVE international stage shows and entertainment, as well as usage of recreational activities. Within your cruise package, guests may choose a variety of accommodations from Interior Staterooms to Oceanview, Balcony staterooms and the luxury suites, “The Palace” – ‘a luxury ship-within-a ship’ private all-suite enclave with exclusive restaurant, sundeck, gym and other facilities, including its own 24-hour European style butler service.

AIDA Cruises begins its largest refit program ever

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 19 February 2024 19 February 2024

AIDA Cruises has launched the largest modernization program in its fleet with AIDA Evolution. It is the most extensive in the company's history. In a first step, AIDAdiva, AIDAbella and AIDAluna from the Sphinx series will be fundamentally revised in 2025 and 2026. The focus is on a completely new interior design of the ships. Technology and systems are also being overhauled.

All guest cabins will have a completely new look. In addition, the range of suites is being expanded. For the first time on this class of ship, exclusive areas and services will be created from which suite guests, among others, will benefit. From a culinary point of view, guests can look forward to an even greater variety of restaurants, selected signature bars and more service offerings. The heart of the Sphinx ships beats right in the middle - in the light-flooded theater. This style-defining area is being further developed with inviting seating and a harmonious color concept. New activity areas will be created especially for families with children.

Felix Eichhorn, President AIDA Cruises, says: “As the market leader and pioneer in the industry, our aim is to constantly rethink cruises. The ships in the Sphinx series have written cruise history with their innovative spatial concept and colorful design. We want to build on this with our AIDA Evolution program.”

Future-proof and sustainable cruise

As part of its decarbonization strategy, AIDA Cruises has been investing in a future-proof and sustainable cruise market for many years and is implementing innovative solutions in practice. Since 2004, when the first Sphinx-class ship was commissioned, the company has been considering the use of shore power in the ports to reduce local emissions. In recent years, AIDA Cruises has not only invested in the latest propulsion and environmental technology for its new buildings, but has also continuously implemented a wide range of efficiency measures in ship operations and retrofitted new technologies on the ships in the existing fleet. As part of the upcoming shipyard stays, further investments are planned, e.g. in measures to reduce fuel consumption, increase energy efficiency and conserve resources. As part of Carnival Corporation & plc's family of cruise brands, the company has set a goal of reducing carbon intensity by 20 percent by 2026 compared to 2019.

New standards in ship design

The ships in the Sphinx series were put into service between 2007 and 2013. With their innovative, open room concept and their colorful design, they have decisively shaped the unique AIDA feeling. AIDAdiva will be the first ship to be modernized in spring 2025 during her six-week stay at the shipyard. AIDAbella and AIDAluna will follow in autumn 2025 and spring 2026.