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Royal Caribbean announces inaugural season for Quantum of the Seas

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 May 2013 22 May 2013

With more game-changing “firsts at sea” being introduced on Royal Caribbean International’s new Quantum class of ships, vacationers will be hard pressed to find another experience that delivers the “WOWs” like Quantum of the Seas. The cruise line known for introducing incredible signature onboard offerings, such as the rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink, FlowRider surf simulator, zip-lining and a park with more than 12,000 plants and trees, today unveiled Quantum of the Seas’ first 18 Caribbean sailings, ranging from seven to twelve nights, with the official inaugural voyage set for November 23, 2014. Bookings will be available to Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program members beginning May 28, 2013 before opening to the general public on June 4.

Vacationers in the New York-metropolitan area and around the world can choose among seven- and eight-night Bahamas, eight- to 11-night Eastern Caribbean, and 11- and 12-night Southern Caribbean itineraries aboard Quantum of the Seas. The groundbreaking new ship will sail roundtrip from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, N.J. to the most popular Caribbean destinations through April 2015, and debut new unprecedented features, such as a skydiving experience; a thrilling adventure that transports guests more than 300 feet in the air on a breathtaking journey; cutting-edge transformative venues including the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with bumper cars, roller skating and more; and the cruise line’s largest and most advanced staterooms ever. To see the reveal film which introduces Quantum of the Seas’ innovative at-sea “firsts,” please see http://tinyurl.com/pyhh6ff.

“Royal Caribbean is proud to partner with some of the Caribbean’s premier destinations for the inaugural season of Quantum of the Seas,” said Adam Goldstein, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “The Quantum class of ships will combine a new set of truly exciting and first-at-sea innovations that can only be found on Royal Caribbean, with some of the most incredible destinations in the region. We can’t wait to WOW vacationers with Quantum cruising.”

On the Bahamas cruises, guests call at Port Canaveral, Fla., Nassau and CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private tropical island paradise. The Eastern Caribbean cruises will include ports of call among San Juan, Puerto Rico; Samana, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas; St. Kitts; and St. Maarten. Guests on the Southern Caribbean cruises will call at San Juan, St. Maarten, Martinique, Barbados and St. Kitts. On most Caribbean sailings, Quantum of the Seas also will visit Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s very own highly-rated private beach paradise on the north coast of Haiti.

Building on a legacy of more than 40 years of innovation and creative design, Royal Caribbean’s Quantum class of ships will take a dramatic leap forward, introducing more game-changing “firsts at sea,” such as RipCord by iFly (http://tinyurl.com/af3o2qf), the first skydiving experience at sea, which allows everyone from first-time flyers to seasoned skydivers to enjoy the sheer thrill and exhilaration of skydiving in a safe, controlled and simulated environment. North Star (http://tinyurl.com/bp22mwy), an engineering marvel, will take guests to new heights – literally – with a jewel-shaped, glass capsule, transporting them on a spectacular journey more than 300 feet above the ocean and over the sides of the ship to deliver awe-inspiring 360-degree views.

The new Quantum class also will introduce new cutting-edge, transformative venues, including Two70° (http://tinyurl.com/b99ob8n), a multi-level great room aptly named for its magnificent 270-degree panoramic sea views through three-deck high, floor-to-ceiling glass walls at the stern of the ship; SeaPlex (http://tinyurl.com/cwpmlvg), the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with bumper cars, roller skating and circus school with trapeze; and Music Hall (http://tinyurl.com/bdw3myd), a two-story performance hall, inspired by the spirit of rock and roll, and the hottest live music venue on Quantum class.

Quantum class also will offer Royal Caribbean’s largest and most advanced staterooms ever, including the industry’s first interior staterooms with Virtual Balconies, ensuring that every stateroom on Quantum of the Seas will have a view. For multi-generational families, Family-Connected staterooms deliver more flexibility, using three different stateroom categories that connect to form a special layout that provides separate bedrooms and bathrooms for all. Royal Caribbean also will introduce new Studio staterooms – some featuring balconies – for single travelers, three new Junior Suite categories, and larger Loft Suites. For an informative overview of Quantum of the Seas’ new stateroom concepts, please see http://tinyurl.com/a2obdob.

Quantum class will debut in fall 2014 with Quantum of the Seas, followed by her sister-ship Anthem of the Seas in spring 2015. Quantum ships span 16 decks, encompass 167,800 gross registered tons, carry 4,180 guests at double occupancy and feature 2,090 staterooms. More information on Quantum of the Seas is available at RoyalCaribbean.com/Quantum.

DFDS to upgrade Copenhagen-Oslo cruise ferries for DKK120 million

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 May 2013 22 May 2013

DFDS, the Copenhagen based ferry company, has decided to invest a total of DKK120 million to upgrade its two cruise ferries that operate on the overnight service between Oslo and Copenhagen.

Pearl Seaways will have the work carried out in January and Crown Seaways three months later. Following the completion of their respective refits, both ships will feature five berth cabins for families and they will also feature Adventure Club, a children’s play zone with a pool. Catering facilities for adults will be built in this area as well. A pizza and pasta restaurant will be added on both vessels to complement a steakhouse.

Both ships will receive 50 additional cabins, including more luxury cabins that will offer a view forward. The conference facilities will be upgraded and made more flexible to cater for various sizes of conference groups. The audiovisual equipment will also be modernised.

Bars on board the ships will also receive attention and the popular outdoor bars will be improved so that they can also be used outside the summer season or when the weather is not good.

The company asked a total of 70,000 existing and potential customers what they would like to have on board a cruise ferry on the said service to find out what the market needs. In addition, the company’s staff gave the management valuable insights with regards of the same, DFDS said.

Maltese Prime Minister gives support to cruise industry

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 May 2013 22 May 2013

Yesterday Maltese Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muscat hosted a meeting with CLIA Europe and Valletta Cruise Port to discuss how to facilitate the continued success of the cruise industry, maximizing the benefits both to Malta and to Europe as a whole.

The audience with the Prime Minister was held in the context of European Maritime Day Conference, which seeks to unlock the potential of Europe's maritime assets and took place in Malta for the first time.

The Maltese Prime Minister, Dr. Joseph Muscat, said: Malta invested heavily in the cruise industry, creating direct and indirect job opportunities for the island. Throughout recent years, Malta has experienced continuous growth in this sector and the investment is now bearing its fruit. The Maltese government is committed to continue investing in the industry in line with its policy for economic growth.

The cruise industry, which is acknowledged to be a major driver of growth and jobs, has more than doubled in size in Europe in a decade and now generates over EUR 36 Billion in output a year and employs over 315,000 people. Malta has shared in this success thanks to its strategic location and unique appeal. Between 2006 and 2011 direct cruise expenditure in Malta was estimated at around EUR 372 million.

The discussions with the Prime Minister focused on how the industry could work with the Maltese Government to build on this success and facilitate long-term sustainable growth and job creation.

Robert Ashdown, Secretary General of CLIA Europe, representing the European cruise industry said: As the new Secretary General of CLIA Europe I am committed to working with the Port of Valletta and the Prime Minister of Malta, Dr. Joseph Muscat, to finding ways to maximize the potential of Europe's maritime heritage. We agreed to work together to facilitate the sustainable growth of the cruise industry in Europe, which will boost cruising in the Mediterranean and bring further benefits to Malta.

The CEO of Valletta Cruise Port, John Portelli, stated that the cruise sector is an important contributor to the Maltese Tourism industry. Between 2000 and 2012, over 5 million passengers transited Valletta Cruise Port.

He added: These results were possible thanks to the continued support of the Maltese Government, with whom Valletta Cruise port cooperates in a spirit of public private partnership. He expressed his appreciation to the Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muscat and the Minister of Tourism, Karmenu Vella for their unfailing support.

He concluded by expressing his hope that Valletta Cruise Port and CLIA Europe continue to work closely together in the future.

Volatile Carnival shares extend losses in London

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 May 2013 22 May 2013

Shares in Carnival plc, the British holding company in the Carnival Corp & plc group, continued to fall in early London trade today after a volatile session on Tuesday, following a profit warming by group that is the largest cruise shipping company in the world.

At 1100 am local time, Carnival plc shares traded at 2.4% lower at £22.13.

Last night, cruise industry analyst Robin Farley at UBS in New York downgraded Carnival to neutral from buy after the profit warning, mainly triggered by problems at its Carnival Cruise Lines mass market unit in the US.

Yesterday, Carnival plc closed 5.9% down at £22.67 after hitting session’s low of £20.17.

In New York, Carnival Corporation, which is the Panama domiciled but US headquartered constituent of the Carnival group, fell 4.2% to $33.82 in New York. Again, the closing price was off a session’s low at $32.92.

Trading was very heavy in both shares on Tuesday.

Norwegian says half of UK First Engage and Reward event agents obtained maximum bonus

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 May 2013 22 May 2013

Norwegian Cruise Line has announced the results of its Partners First Engage and Reward programme introduced during the UK inaugural of its latest ship, Norwegian Breakaway. “The programme encouraged travel partners to attend various information points and presentations throughout the day in order to earn up to 4% bonus commission for their agency,” the company said in a statement.

Norwegian has revealed that out of the approximately 2,500 travel agent partners on board Norwegian Breakaway, around 75% achieved between 1% and 4% bonus commission. 50% of the attendees achieved the maximum amount of 4% bonus commission.

Nick Wilkinson, Director Business Development, Norwegian Cruise Line said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the success of this innovative way to engage with our travel partners. The launch of Norwegian Breakaway was the perfect platform to introduce the programme and with the Partners First one year anniversary this month, it is a great way to celebrate.

“The figures speak for themselves and the feedback received from our partners has been really positive. Not only did agents have an opportunity to experience our unique Freestyle Cruising product first hand but they now have the opportunity to sell Norwegian and earn a little extra at the same time.

“At Norwegian we are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to reward our valued travel partners for selling Norwegian and we are continuing this commitment with more initiatives happening this year – watch this space. “ The bonus commission will be valid for eligible travel partners on all new Norwegian Cruise Line bookings made between 15 May and 14 June 2013 for sailings departing between 15 May and 31 December 2013.