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Viking Line's first half loss deepens by almost a third

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 August 2012 17 August 2012

Viking Line, the listed Finnish cruise ferry group, has reported a net loss of €14.2 million for rthe first half of the year, a 31.7% increase compared to the sanme period last year. Group net sales remained largely changed at €233.1 million.

"The strengthening of the Swedish krona had a positive impact on revenue but also contributed to a heightened cost situation in the Group. The net effect was positive for the Group," Viking Line said in a statement.

The number of passengers on Viking Line’s vessels totalled 2,928,132 (2,937,115 in first half of 2011). Viking Line’s cargo volume amounted to 61,494 cargo units (56,656). During the first six months of the financial year 2012, Viking Line strengthened its market share on the Helsinki (Finland)–Tallinn (Estonia) route by 0.6 percentage points to 25.2% and on the Helsinki–Mariehamn (Åland Islands, Finland)–Stockholm (Sweden) route by 0.8 percentage points to 45.6%.

Market share on the Turku (Finland)−Mariehamn/Långnäs (Åland)−Stockholm route was at the year-earlier level, 49.9%. In cruise services between Stockholm and Mariehamn, Viking Line’s market share decreased by an estimated 2.9 percentage points to 50.3% due to a smaller number of days in service. Its market share on the short route over the Sea of Åland increased by 3.3 percentage points to 45.5%due to a larger number of days in service.

The Group thus had a total market share in its service area of an estimated 34.2% (34.5%. Viking Line achieved a cargo market share of an estimated 20.6% (19.7% in the first six months of 2011).

Tallink interim profit rises on higher market shares

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 August 2012 17 August 2012

Tallink Group, the listed Estonian cruise ferry company whose brands comprise Tallink and Silja Line, has reported a rise in second quarter net profit to €19.9 million from €18.1 million in the same period last year, while revenues rose 6.9% to €224.8 million.

The company said its fleet carried 2.4 million passengers in the review period, which was almost 2% more than a year earlier. In addition, it benefitted from the absence of a €4.5 million one off cost element that burdened the figures last year due to closure of a service between Finland and Germany.

Ticket prices fell on average by 4.4%, but on board sales revenue increased by 3.6%, while market share improved overal

Birka Cruises' Managing Director to leave company

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 August 2012 17 August 2012

Lars Naslund, Managing Director of Birka Cruises, has decided to leave the Stockholm bazsed company, a report on the website of travelnews.se says.

Birka Cruises operates the 34,758 gross ton Birka Paradise on the short cruise market from the Swedish capital. The company is part of the Eckero group, a Finnish company headquartered on the autonomous Aland Islands.

Naslund oversaw the flagging of Birka Paradise from Finland to Sweden and the transfer of all commercial activities of Birka Cruises from the Eckero group head office in Mariehamn to Stockholm. Chairman Bjorn Blomqvist will assume the duties of Managing Director after Naslund's departure, which will take place on 15 Sep.

P&O Cruises to sponsor Downton Abbey

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 August 2012 17 August 2012

P&O Cruises says it will be the new sponsor of the third series of the UK's most popular drama, Downton Abbey.

"Idents (short films) featuring P&O Cruises will be shown at the beginning of each episode and either side of commercial breaks. They will be filmed on a P&O Cruises holiday and will show different aspects of the holiday that newcomers particularly enjoy".

"Viewers will be encouraged to look on the P&O Cruises website for further insight into the range of holidays available and to have the opportunity to win a cruise. The fully integrated sponsorship package will include broadcast, online and mobile elements as well as social media," the company said in a statement.

P&O Cruises managing director Carol Marlow said: “We are delighted to sponsor such a celebrated programme as Downton Abbey. We know that many of our passengers and potential passengers watch Downton Abbey and we are excited to bring P&O Cruises to life for this vast audience.”

The most recent series of Downton Abbey averaged 11.8 million viewers and a 38% share of the audience, peaking with 12.4 million viewers and a 41% share of the audience on 6^th November 2011. Downton Abbey’s Christmas special was also rated as the most-watched Christmas Day show, achieving a consolidated audience of 11.6 million viewers.

ITV Account Sales Manager, Mike Barrett said: "Downton Abbey was the most watched drama of 2011 and has achieved a fantastic 16 nominations for the upcoming Emmy awards. It is with great pleasure that we are able to announce that P&O Cruises will be the new sponsor of this drama phenomenon, and we look forward to working with them to deliver an engaging multi-platform partnership for the coming series."

P&O Cruises, which is part of Carnival Corp & plc group, has a fleet of seven ships and an eight unit, a 141,000 gross ton newbuilding due to enter service in 2015, is on order at Fincantieri in Italy.

Royal Princess, Celebrity Reflection floated out

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 16 August 2012 16 August 2012

Two major cruise liner newbuildings have been floated out in the past few days.

Royal Princess, the first in a series of two similar ships for Princess Cruises, has entered he water for the first time at Fincantier's shipyard in Monfalcone in Italy. A further unit of the 141,000 gross ton desgn is on order for P&O Cruises, which is a sister company of Princess Cruises and part of the Carnival group.

Meyer Werft in Germany has floated out the 122,000 gross ton Celebrity Reflection, which the final unit of the Solstice class of five ships that was started in 2008. Celebrity s part of the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd group.