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All Leisure appoints Patrick Ryan to lead Swan Hellenic and Voyages of Discovery

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 May 2013 01 May 2013

All Leisure Group, the parent company of Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic, has appointed Patrick Ryan to lead cruise brands Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic, All Leisure said in a statement.

Patrick brings a wealth of cruise industry experience to All Leisure Holidays. He has worked in key leadership roles for Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and most recently for Island Cruises. During his four years as Managing Director at Island Cruises, Patrick significantly increased profitability. Patrick has strong operational, planning and crisis management experience and his appointment forms part of the Company’s long-term strategy to build a highly skilled and professional team to take the Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic brands forward to the next level.

Ryan will report directly into Ian Smith, Group Chief Executive of the All Leisure Group Plc. Ian Smith commenting on Ryan’s appointment said “We are pleased to appoint Patrick to this new role, given his deep knowledge of the cruise industry and we are confident that he will drive the continued growth of the two cruise brands within his portfolio”.

In this new role Patrick will assume overall responsibility for the Swan Hellenic and the Voyages of Discovery Product, Planning and Shore Excursion teams. He is also the Director to whom the Masters of Minerva and Voyager will report.

Following this new appointment Tony Dyson will return to retirement from full time working, although he will remain with the business as a part-time Non-Executive Director. With the closure of the Burgess Hill office Alan Murray chose to step down from his position heading Voyages of Discovery and consequently will leave the business after handing over responsibilities to Patrick.

During his two and a half years at the helm, Alan has put in an incredible amount of hard work and achieved significant progress for Voyages of Discovery, for which the Board are very grateful. Speaking on behalf of the Board Ian Smith said “I would like to take this opportunity to thank both Alan and Tony for their contributions to the business”.

Norwegian product well suited for UK market – Stuart

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 April 2013 30 April 2013

The product of Norwegian Cruise Line is well suited for the British market and due to the fact that the UK is the company’s second largest source market, certain features have been introduced to make it more appealing to British tastes, said Andy Stuart, Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Passenger Services.

“The Freesryle cruise product is well suited for the British market. British people do not want to eat in the same place every night with the same people. We also have English tea and pub food,” he told an audience of travel trade and media representatives on board the new Norwegian Breakaway in Southampton yesterday.

The entertainment offering has also been adjusted to take British tastes into account, he pointed out. Cabins on the new 4,000 passenger ship feature tea making facilities –but the tray has not coffee – and the O’Sheehan’s Pub stocks English beers and lagers plus cider. It also serves fish and chips.

Manager at a major British high street travel shop chain told Cruise Business that the Norwegian product is meeting strong demand. “We sell it all the time…. Perhaps because it is new, British people like new things,” the manager who preferred not be quoted by name said, referring to Norwegian Breakaway.

MSC Cruises says UK bookings rose 90% year on in April

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 April 2013 30 April 2013

MSC Cruises, the Geneva basedd cruise line with 12 ships, says it has recorded a rise in UK bookings with figures up 90% in April compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, CLIA UK is estimating that the UK cruise market will grow by 2% in 2013 on about 1701 million passengers recorded last year. MSC says the increase in bookings this month is due to its successful promotional strategy and the launch of its newest ship, the MSC Preziosa.

However, bookings of many cruise lines were hurt early last year by the sinking of Costa Conconrdia on 13 January 2012.

“MSC Cruises tributes its April 90% success to the Choose and Go promotion, which is focused on a simple pricing structure – the customer decides on a budget and MSC Cruises matches it with a whole host of cruise options. The offer makes it as easy as possible for potential clients to choose the most suitable cruise for their budget with its straightforward pricing. Prices for many 7-8 night 2013 summer Mediterranean cruises start from £399 per person cruise only. This offer has been so successful that it now has been extended until 31 May 2013,” the company said in a statement.

Also the launch of the new ship the MSC Preziosa in March 2013 has generated considerable interest and bookings have so far been strong The MSC Preziosa belongs to the Fantasia class of ships and offers some new and distinct features, including children’s waterpark and Vertigo, MSC Cruises’ longest waterslide to date and the longest single rider body waterslide on the seas, the company said.

Oliviero Morelli Product director said “We are delighted with these fantastic sales figures from the UK. Choosing the right cruise can often be a difficult process, particularly for first timers, as each cruise line offers a different pricing structure. We have tried to keep it as transparent and simple as possible so our guests know exactly what they are getting for their money and can budget accordingly. We have also worked hard to promote our product and more relaxed Mediterranean way of cruising to the UK market, and it is very satisfying to see the demand for our product grow.”

Windstar Cruises announces name of first power yacht as Star Pride

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 April 2013 30 April 2013

Windstar Cruises, a market leader in small ship cruising, has announced the name for the first of its three new, all-suite, power yachts as Star Pride. Star Pride, launching in May of 2014, will spend its first season in Europe offering exciting new voyages which open for bookings on May 14, 2013. The names of the additional two yachts will be announced in the coming weeks.

"Star Pride and the additional two yachts will fit perfectly into Windstar's intimate, yacht-style cruising by offering a small-ship luxury cruise with 300 passengers or less in a casually elegant style going to places bigger ships cannot go," said Hans Birkholz, Windstar Cruises' chief executive officer. "We are thrilled to now be able to offer even more intriguing choices in Europe for the 2014 season."

The addition of the three new yachts is part of Global Windstar, the line's fleet expansion and new product development initiative. Increasing the size of the fleet enables Windstar to cruise a global set of itineraries to new destinations, such as Wind Spirit's much anticipated return to Tahiti and Star Pride's European voyage collection which will include new places in Europe such as a voyage in the Black Sea, to be announced in May. In the future, Global Windstar will provide opportunities to visit Asia and South America.

The new power yachts are identical, with a guest capacity of 212 each in 106 suites. At 10,000 gross tons, each yacht is 440 feet long with a breadth of 63 feet and six passenger decks. As the three yachts enter the fleet, they will all undergo a Windstar branded renovation. The new power yachts will showcase many signature Windstar experiences, including the line's famous deck barbecue, the open Bridge policy, and the celebrated sail-away party.

Earlier this year, Windstar Cruises announced its owner, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, reached an agreement to purchase the three power yachts. The expansion doubles the size of Windstar's fleet, making the company the market leader in small-ship cruising with 300 or fewer passengers, with a total of 1,230 berths.

Following the May 2014 introduction of Star Pride, Windstar Cruises will take possession of the additional two yachts in in April and May 2015. These two yachts are scheduled to start sailing in May of 2015 following their dry-dock period.

CLIA UK and Ireland launches within a new global cruise structure

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 29 April 2013 29 April 2013

The cruise association CLIA UK and Ireland launches on Wednesday May 1 as the two UK trade bodies, the Association of Cruise Experts and the Passenger Shipping Association, merge to create a new national body within the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

In December, CLIA announced 11 cruise organisations from around the world had joined together to become part of an integrated structure to serve as the voice of the cruise industry. The global association has been created to provide increased benefits and a unified voice for travel agents, cruise lines and business partners all of whom contribute to an industry that creates nearly $100 billion in economic impact and more than 753,000 jobs worldwide. Christine Duffy is global president and CEO of the new association. CLIA UK and Ireland will report to CLIA Europe, based in Brussels led by secretary general Robert Ashdown and chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio.

Headquartered in London, CLIA UK and Ireland will focus primarily on travel agency training, marketing and promotion and will be led by Andy Harmer, formerly director of the Association of Cruise Experts. Robert Ashdown will manage government affairs in the UK in close cooperation with the UK Chamber of Shipping. Jo Rzymowska, AVP and general manager UK and Ireland, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises takes on the role of chair for CLIA UK and Ireland.

The new global association, which has 60 cruise line members, will offer travel agents expanded training, shared marketing and promotional activities, greater support and networking opportunities. For cruise lines, the new structure will mean a single, one-stop global resource on technical and regulatory issues and all the benefits associated with a unified global approach.

CLIA UK and Ireland director Andy Harmer said: "The global cruise industry has seen accelerated growth over recent years. In Europe alone the cruise market doubled to a record 6.2 million passengers in the past eight years. The industry's issues, regulators and stakeholders have also evolved and increasingly span international borders, so it's more important than ever to implement an appropriate global structure.

"The new CLIA structure and our association in the UK and Ireland will support a 'One Industry, One Voice' approach to policy development, advocacy and industry-wide promotional activity," Harmer said. "We are confident that cruise lines, the travel industry and new and existing cruise passengers will all feel the benefits of this new arrangement."

CLIA Europe secretary general Robert Ashdown added "While CLIA UK and Ireland will focus primarily on encouraging more people to cruise, the UK remains a powerful maritime influence in both the International Maritime Organisation and in the European Union. It is vital that the UK understands the importance of cruising to the economies of Europe and works to ensure that the UK, and Europe as a whole, remains a good place in which to do cruise business."

"I want to congratulate the PSA and its directors for their efforts in finalising the establishment of CLIA UK and Ireland, a cruise association representing critically important national markets within the new global structure," said CLIA president and CEO Christine Duffy. "I join with the leaders of CLIA UK and Ireland in ensuring continued, robust growth with the support and efficiencies offered by the CLIA global organisation."