Compagnie du Ponant’s 2014 Arctic programme includes North West passage
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: More News More News
- Published: 25 June 2013 25 June 2013
Compagnie du Ponant, the French luxury boutique cruise brand, says new additions to the programme for 2014 include the North-West Passage crossing to Alaska and the White Sea, the gateway to Russia’s Far North, as well as the East Fjords of Iceland.
On the edge of the Arctic Circle, beyond the northern point of Norway, L’Austral embarks on a whole new adventure deep into the isolated territories of Russia’s Far North, which were closed to foreigners until 1991. Scheduled for early June when nature awakens after a long hard winter, this exceptional cruise will sail among the North Cape islands and along the shores of the Kola Peninsula. Covering nearly 100,000 km2, this wilderness of tundra, forests, lakes and rivers is austere and yet strikingly beautiful; the perfect spot to see the midnight sun. Passengers will then discover the White Sea coast in the Russian Arctic, including the Solovetsky Islands, a desolate archipelago carpeted in black pine forests which is home to one of the most beautiful Russian Orthodox monasteries, and the city of Arkhangelsk.
A new new itinerary linking Kirkenes to Longyearbyen on L’AUSTRAL will include five whole days in Spitsbergen, final stop before the North Pole. In the heart of this great white desert of rugged peaks where the omnipresent light blurs the boundaries between day and night, days at sea are interspersed with Zodiac® outings to explore this polar universe and sneak a peek at polar bears, reindeer and seals at dawn.
A cruise on Le Boreal to the heart of the Great Canadian North is a chance to explore all aspects of this magnificent region of protected natural areas and to see the northern lights – plus, whale watching in the Baffin Sea and Saint Lawrence, discovering Akpatok Island (home to polar bears) and Percé Rock (gannet colony), as well as visiting the colourful Greenlandic and Quebecois villages, sailing up the Saguenay fjord, and touring Quebec City’s old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
For this second edition, the North-West Passage crossing will leave from Greenland on a voyage that has fired the imaginations of generations of sailors and adventurers over the centuries. The last section of this legendary itinerary is along the Alaskan coast to Nome.
From Nome in Alaska, L’Austral sets sail for the wild landscapes of the almost forgotten Kamtchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East. This volcanic region is spectacular and home to a diverse and abundant wildlife, such as Steller’s sea lions. There is much to see, including the Valley of Geysers, the 40 volcanoes at the heart of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Uzon Caldera, not to mention the breath-taking contrasts in colours, from the intense blue of the lake and streams, suspensions of milky sulphur to the emerald green of the algae.
Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific offers exhibitors entry into the staggering growth in ship refurbishment and repair sector
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: More News More News
- Published: 25 June 2013 25 June 2013
The third annual Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific conference and trade show, presented by UBM Live, the organizers of the annual Cruise Shipping Miami event, will be held on Oct. 8-10, 2013 in Singapore.
As cruise lines continue making Asia and Australia the home port for more and more of their ships, the growth opportunity for Australasia-based suppliers in the ship repair, refurbishment and design sectors will be exploding. Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific is leveraging this opportunity and encouraging regional suppliers to capitalize on this boom by exhibiting at Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific, and getting in front of the key stakeholders who manage these projects. “For our third annual show, we’ve partnered with Seatrade in order to offer exhibitors and attendees the most robust and valuable program in the industry” said Daniel Read, Portfolio Director for UBM Live. “As the only show focused on the entire Asia-Pacific region, we are expecting quite an enormous turnout this year.”
Some of the largest shipyards and designers have already signed on to participate at the upcoming conference and tradeshow. Leading the charge is Asia’s premier shipyard for cruise ship vessel repair, refurbishment and revitalization -- Sembawang Shipyard.
Other related industries benefiting from the increase in the number of home ported ships include safety and security, ship services and port infrastructure. Related exhibitors include Aerobytes who provide proven world class systems that monitor the operations of the entire vessel maximizing overall safety, security and efficiencies. Also returning in 2013 will be Latitude 1 Maritime who provides services for cruise line projects at shipyards locally in Asia and around the world. Primary areas of focus include: steel work, pipe fitting, electrical installations, IT networks and surveillance systems.
For information about exhibiting contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.cruiseshippingasia.com
Columbus Day event to bring 400 plus industry leaders to Liverpool
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
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- Published: 24 June 2013 24 June 2013
More than 400 delegates are expected to attend Columbus Day, which is taking place for the first time in Liverpool on Thursday 19 September. The event is designed for directors, senior managers and owner/managers in the cruise industry, who will hear topics ranging from global changes within cruising to how retailing is adapting to reflect a rapidly changing customer. The day will also feature networking opportunities and the CLIA UK & Ireland Cruise Excellence Awards to recognise the contributions made by individuals within the cruise sector.
CLIA UK & Ireland director Andy Harmer: ‘We are delighted to announce such a strong line up of speakers for this year’s Columbus Day. These successful business experts will provide delegates with inspiration and knowledge so that they can continue to drive their business growth and cruise sales.’
Michael Bayley, President & CEO of Celebrity Cruises, is keynote speaker bringing a truly global perspective to recent changes within the industry. He is joined by Steve Odell, President Europe & Asia Pacific for Silversea Cruises who addresses business opportunities within all cruise sectors.
Bringing a different business perspective are entrepreneurs Jo Malone, whose eponymous line of fragrances is still one of the world’s best selling luxury lines, and Mike Southon, best-selling author and business ambassador and mentor for the City of Liverpool. Group Managing Director of Mail Newspapers, Guy Zitter, whose career has included running his own restaurant and nightclubs, also joins the distinguished line up.
Hapag-Lloyd cancels more Hanseatic cruises
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: More News More News
- Published: 24 June 2013 24 June 2013
Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten the German cruise line, has confirmed it has extended the time its 184-expedition cruise ship Hanseatic will be out of action after a fire onboard, media reports say.
The ship, which was undergoing maintenance at Bremerhaven’s Bredo Werft, will now miss two cruises and is not expected to return to service until 16 August 2013.
The fire took place on 9 June during a welding operation of one of the ballast tanks had already caused two cruises to be cancelled: a 17 June voyage from Bremerhaven and a 4 July cruise from Tromso. The line has now called off its 14 July Svalbard and 1 August Kangerlussuaq cruises.
Tallink refinances Isabelle with five year €24 million loan
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
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- Published: 21 June 2013 21 June 2013
Tallink Grupp, the Estonian cruise ferry company, says it is entering into a loan agreement with AS Swedbank to finance the purchase of the 35,000 gross ton cruise ferry Isabelle. "The amount of the new loan is €24 million and the maturity is five years. The loan will be secured with a mortgage on the cruise ferry Isabelle," the company said in a statement.
The purchase of the vessel was initially financed by bank overdrafts that will be refinanced with the mentioned loan. The ship was built in 1989 and Tallink acquired it from Viking Line earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the settlement of the bond issue that took place on 3rd of June has been concluded. The NOK 900 million from the bond issue has been hedged with a cross currency swap until the maturity of the bond. The final interest cost of this bond financing for the company is 3M EURIBOR + 4.88%;
With the proceeds from the bond issue the company prepaid the outstanding loan of EUR 100 million, taken to finance the Superfast vessels in the year 2006. The bank mortgages on the vessels Stena Superfast VII, Stena Superfast VIII and Atlantic Vision (previously Superfast IX) will be released.
After the announced transactions the loan repayment schedules of AS Tallink Grupp have changed and are as follows for the next five years:
2014 €90 million
2015 €90 million
2016 €90 million
2017 €280 million
2018 €207 million
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