Costa Serena to restart in Asia in June 2023

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 02 February 2023 02 February 2023

Costa Cruises has announced the return to service in Asia of Costa Serena. From June to September 2023, the Italian company's ship will be operating a program of charter cruises, in cooperation with local Asian partners.

The signing of the commercial agreements took place in Dubai, on board Costa Toscana, flagship of the fleet deployed in the Arabian Gulf throughout the winter of 2022/23. The ceremony was attended by Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Cruises, Roberto Alberti, SVP & Chief Commercial Officer of Costa Cruises, and representatives of the ten local partners supporting Costa Serena's new program in Asia.

"The restart of Costa Serena, ahead of her original schedule, is further confirmation of the growing appreciation of Costa cruises in all the global markets where we operate. In particular, the new cruises announced today are an important signal for the recovery of the industry in Asia. We achieved this significant result thanks to our historic presence in Asia and established relationship with local partners, as well as the recent reopening to cruising of some countries in the area," said Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Cruises.

The total number of cruises Costa Serena will offer in Asia in 2023 is 30. Six cruises, in June 2023, will be dedicated the South Korean market; from July to September 2023 another 24 cruises are planned for the Taiwan market.

The itineraries, lasting from 4 to 7 days, include some of the most beautiful destinations in East Asia, particularly Japan, such as Sasebo, Kagoshima, Otaru, Hakodate, Naha, Miyakojima, and Ishigaki. Departures are scheduled from the ports of Busan, Sokcho and Pohang in South Korea, and Keelung, Taiwan.

Costa Serena is an Italian-flagged ship built by Fincantieri and entered service in 2007. She has a gross tonnage of 114,000 tons and can accommodate up to 3,780 guests. Before the pause in operations, which began in late January 2020, the ship offered cruises In East Asia, with departures from China.

Viking to expand river cruise fleet in France

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 02 February 2023 02 February 2023

Viking has announced it will take a delivery a new Viking Longship, purpose-built for the Seine River, to its fleet in 2025. Sailing the company’s popular 8-day Paris and the Heart of Normandy itinerary, the new sister ship will join four Viking Longships that were officially named in 2022, the Viking Fjorgyn, the Viking Kari, the Viking Radgrid and the Viking Skaga. All five ships are designed specifically to navigate the Seine River and bring guests to the heart of Paris, just a short walk from the Eiffel Tower.

“France continues to be among the most popular destinations for our guests, and we are pleased to expand our fleet on the Seine River to meet that demand,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “With our exclusive docking location at Port de Grenelle, even more guests will soon be able to explore the ‘City of Light’ in the Viking way.”

Hosting 168 guests in 84 staterooms, the Viking Longships on the Seine River feature an Aquavit Terrace and a wide variety of stateroom choices, as well as Viking’s signature Scandinavian design aesthetic. The vessels feature a hybrid propulsion system with batteries and are also equipped for shore power to reduce reliance on fuel while in port. Onboard solar panels further contribute to the ships’ energy efficiency.

Sailing roundtrip from Paris, guests on Viking’s Paris & the Heart of Normandy itinerary explore Giverny and visit the beautiful gardens and charming farmhouse where Claude Monet lived and worked; trace the footsteps of Joan of Arc in Rouen; walk hallowed ground at Normandy’s American Military Cemetery and World War II beaches; and savor the cuisine of Normandy. This eight-day voyage along the Seine River celebrates history, art, food and customs in the country’s most dazzling urban and pastoral settings.

Luxury cruise market holds much promise for Greek, East Med hidden gem destinations

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 01 February 2023 01 February 2023

The appeal of Greece and the East Mediterranean as an ideal region for luxury cruising will be one of the main highlights of the 7th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum (PSTF), scheduled to take place in Thessaloniki on the 25th and 26th of April, 2023.   

Luxury and niche cruise brands that have already confirmed participation for the two-day event to be held at Thessaloniki’s landmark five-star hotel Makedonia Palace include Azamara Cruises, Compagnie du Ponant, Scenic Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, Variety Cruises and recently re-launched Crystal Cruises. 

Delegates and exhibitors from around the world will have the chance to attend a panel discussion titled: ‘The Appeal of Venturing to Non-Mainstream Destinations: Luxury & Expedition Cruising leading the Way’ that will examine the increasing importance of lesser-known destinations for this specific market segment, in conjunction with infrastructure challenges and the role of sustainability and authenticity as desirability factors.

“Our decision to move the Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum away from Athens for the first time in the event’s 12-year-long history was in sync with emerging trends in an industry that wishes to constructively address growing criticism for its contribution to over-tourism in many cruise hotspots around the world,” said Theodore Vokos, Managing Director of Posidonia Exhibitions S.A. 
 
“Thessaloniki was chosen as the host of this year’s event to signify the need for more port alternatives and new destinations to dilute impact and optimise cruise traffic management in the East Mediterranean region. Also, Thessaloniki is a natural gateway for emerging Balkan markets, which is another important topic to be addressed during the Forum.” 

With more than 400 inhabited islands and coastal cities across Italy, Croatia, Greece, Albania and Turkey, the East Mediterranean and Adriatic seas collectively offer one of the highest densities of destination alternatives in the world. There are countless potential new ports-of-call, as well as main and regional homeporting options beyond the well-established marquee destinations.
 
Diverting some traffic from over-frequented destinations will enrich the itinerary design menu, as well as act as a tool that can protect the natural, cultural and tourism values needed for a sustainable future.

Mark Robinson, Senior Vice President Operations, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, said: “The luxury cruise segment represents 3.7% of the industry’s total market share worldwide, with the Mediterranean Sea owning over a third of that with 37.01%. One of the main drivers for the region’s appeal is the East Med archipelago which offers unique, famous worldwide destinations and hidden gems which offer ultimate customisation destination services. With our Scenic and Emerald Cruise luxury yachts we have many calls in the region, and we are happy to announce that in 2023 our new ultra-luxury expedition yacht Scenic Eclipse II, due to be launched in April, and our new Emerald Sakara yacht will debut in the East Med Region in July. Scenic Cruises is always looking for new destinations for our luxury cruises, and the East Med has many hidden gems for us to tap into with its rich heritage, friendly locals and not to mention the excellent cuisine and turquoise blue seas.”

Some 85 luxury vessels totalling 36,184 berths will be operating cruises this year. This represents an annual capacity of 1,050,000 passengers and the prediction for 2027 is up to 94 ships totalling 44,764 berths and 1,378,000 passengers. 

“According to the Allied Market Research Report, Greece’s luxury tourism offering is expected to yield an annual revenue of USD 2,7 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 11.5% from 2021 to 2030. A significant part of this revenue will come from luxury cruise activity and on-shore spending from this segment’s high-income passengers,” added Vokos.

Luxury cruise passengers seek a wide range of unusual, often specialized and certainly more immersive destination
experiences and are prepared to pay a premium to satisfy their expectations. Greece and the East Mediterranean are gifted with a level of destination diversity that can satisfy even the most highly demanding expectations of today’s discerning travellers.

Other interesting topics to be discussed during PSTF 2023 will include the long-term prospects for the cruise industry as an important sector of the leisure travel market and the necessity for regions and cruise lines to cooperate on the enhancement of destination offerings, on the upgrading of infrastructures, on the popularization of alternative ports  of call and finally, on improvements of cruise traffic management aimed at defusing over-tourism. 

The 2023 PSTF is sponsored by Diamond Sponsor Thessaloniki Port Authority S.A., Silver Sponsor Piraeus Port Authority SA, Bronze Sponsors Celestyal Cruises, Global Ports Holding and Kyvernitis Travel. It is organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy and the Ministry of Tourism and supported by the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports (MedCruise) and the Union of Cruise Ship Owners & Associated Members. 

New Norwegian consortium sets sights on developing complete hydrogen value chain for maritime sector

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 31 January 2023 31 January 2023

The multidisciplinary collaboration, for which a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed last week, has the ambitious goal to develop a complete hydrogen value chain for Northern Xplorer AS (NX) first zero-emission cruise ship featuring fuel cells and electric propulsion, as well as making pollution-free hydrogen available to the wider maritime market at a time of urgent pressure to reduce emissions.

The partners comprise zero-emission cruise venture Northern Xplorer AS, hydrogen provider and owner of infrastructure Norwegian Hydrogen AS, high-capacity hydrogen transfer system supplier HYON AS, ship designers Multi Maritime AS, and hydrogen storage system provider Hexagon Purus Maritime AS.

Preparing for zero-carbon era

NX CEO Rolf A Sandvik says using hydrogen as the energy carrier will enable cruise ships to continue to access vulnerable regions such as Norway’s world heritage fjords, which by government regulation will be closed to ships burning fossil fuels from 2026. Other regions both in Norway and elsewhere will likely follow suit in future.

“This is a very exciting project and a milestone in the development of the clean maritime economy as the green shift takes root. We are delighted to be working with strong partners with deep competence in all the touch points required to develop the infrastructure for hydrogen-powered ships of the future, not only cruise but also commercial shipping,” he added.

“Northern Xplorer has a very exciting concept with a spectacular, sustainable and future-oriented ship design that is truly pleasing to the eye. We are very pleased we have been selected to assist in developing the necessary infrastructure for these ships to run on zero-emission hydrogen when they come into operation,” said Norwegian Hydrogen CEO Jens Berge.

Holistic approach

“We are excited to be part of a consortium consisting of industry leaders within the hydrogen value chain. Together we cover the full value chain, making this an important milestone in establishing hydrogen infrastructure for the maritime sector. Time is of the essence,” added HYON CEO Jørn Kristian Lindtvedt.

“This MOU strengthens our existing relationship with NX and expert partners, and facilitates the alignment of technologies between us. We look forward to seeing the first zero-emission cruise ship running on compressed hydrogen,” said Hexagon Purus Maritime MD Robert Haugen.

“We have been working for three years to create an eye-catching design that will incorporate the latest propulsion technology and vessel systems. It’s great to be part of this ground-breaking project and as a collaboration partner we are eager to bring this vessel and the associated hydrogen infrastructure to reality,” said Multi Maritime CEO Mikael Johansen.

NX signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Portuguese shipbuilder West Sea for the construction of its maiden vessel with delivery slated for the start of the 2025/2026 cruise season.