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Resorts World Cruises to restart cruises in Hong Kong

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 14 January 2023 14 January 2023

Resorts World Cruises, a luxury and dynamic lifestyle cruise line with cruise itineraries within Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand by the Genting Dream has announced cruises from Hong Kong with the Resorts World One from 10 March 2023, offering 2 and 3-night high-seas cruises, departing every Friday, Sunday and Wednesday of the week. Resorts World One was formerly the Explorer Dream, a 75,338 gross ton 13-deck cruise ship that features 928 cabins, which can accommodate over 1,856 guests.

The cruise resumption of Resorts World Cruises in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (via Port Klang) with the Genting Dream from June 2022 had propelled the demand for cruise passengers to above pre- Covid-19 levels for the second half of 2022, supporting the revival of the tourism industries in both homeport countries.

“We are pleased that Resorts World Cruises will have the first cruise ship to homeport in Hong Kong after the resumption of normal travel with the Mainland and overseas. We hope to support the growth of the Hong Kong tourism as we had done for both Singapore and Malaysia,” said Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman of Resorts World Cruises.

Resorts World One is chartered by Resorts World Cruises and she will replace Genting Dream’s regular 2 and 3-night itineraries from 17 February until 1 March 2023, as the Genting Dream goes into dry-dock for regular maintenance.

Departing on 3 March, Resorts World One will offer a special 5-night repositioning cruise from Singapore, calling at Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, prior to arriving in Hong Kong on 8 March. Passengers can also embark from Kuala Lumpur (via Port Klang) for this re-positioning cruise on 2 March, making it a 6-night cruise calling at Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang before arriving in Hong Kong on 8 March.

“It’s been an exciting journey so far and we are looking forward to starting our next chapter in 2023 with the introduction of the Resorts World One cruise ship. The ship will increase tourist arrivals and generate economic benefits to the hotels, transport, suppliers and other service sectors in Hong Kong. Resorts World One will berth at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, contributing revenue to the government owned facility,” said Michael Goh, President of Resorts World Cruises.

Resorts World Cruises is a brand extension of Resorts World, a global brand with a combination of over 50 years of experiences in the hospitality and entertainment industry, featuring 46 properties in 8 countries spanning 4 continents – Asia, US, Europe and Africa with specialized expertise in the global cruise sector as well.

Resorts World One will also showcase many of the hallmarks of the brand, including the signature luxury “ship within a ship” - The Palace with exclusive amenities and facilities, including its own 24-hour European style butler service. In addition, Resorts World One also provides many choices of onboard accommodations such as Balcony, Oceanview and inside staterooms, complemented by best-in-class services, cuisine, Live international performances and a myriad of exciting offerings and recreational activities. For the guests’ comfort and peace of mind, Resorts World One will also apply and enforce its enhanced and stringent safety and precautionary measures in accordance with Hong Kong and international guidelines.

In conjunction with this, Resorts World Cruises would also like to extend a goodwill offer to guests impacted by Genting Dream’s cruise cancellation in Hong Kong from January to April 2022. These will include a complimentary cruise (same cabin category, cruise itinerary and duration) with an additional onboard credit of HKD350 per cabin on the Resorts World One sailings before 20 December 2023.

P&O Cruises reports “biggest ever booking day during Wave"

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 January 2023 12 January 2023

P&O Cruises, the UK focused contemporary market unit of Carnival Corporation & plc, has reported its strongest booking day during the Wave period in its history, with four of its five biggest booking days ever falling in Wave 2023.

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said in a statement: “These record-breaking days are testament to the fact that a P&O Cruises holiday provides extraordinary value for money, which is critical at the moment, and also demonstrates how much everyone values a holiday.

“There are so many priorities for our hard-earned or hard-saved money in the current climate and a cruise offers an almost all-inclusive, individual holiday. This is clearly recognised by a new generation of cruisers with the Norwegian fjords perennially popular for those trying a cruise for the first time.”

The most popular itineraries booked were the Caribbean, the Western Mediterranean and the Norwegian fjords, the company said.

Accor to launch world's largest sailing ship

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 January 2023 12 January 2023

Exactly 140 years after the launch of its first luxury trains, the Orient Express legend continues with the unveiling of the world's largest sailing ship, Orient Express Silenseas. "This revolution in maritime history is an ambitious undertaking that pushes the limits of what is possible. The result of a unique French partnership between world leader in hospitality Accor and Chantiers de l'Atlantique, a globally leading shipbuilding company, this extraordinary sailing yacht of the future with spectacular interiors will set sail in 2026," the French hotel group Accor said in a statement.

"With Orient Express Silenseas, we are beginning a new chapter in our history, taking the experience and excellence of luxury travel and transposing it onto the world’s most beautiful seas. This exceptional sailing yacht, with roots in Orient Express’ history, will offer unparalleled service and refined design spaces, reminiscent of the golden age of mythical cruises," said Sebastian Bazin, Chairman and CEO of Accor.

"With a signed letter of intent to order two ships, Chantiers de l'Atlantique is proud to herald a new era in the shipbuilding industry with Silenseas. This concept, born in our design offices in 2018, is the quintessence of our savoir-faire in the fields of naval architecture, the construction of sophisticated hulls, as well as the design of luxurious spaces," said Laurent Castaing, Managing Director of Chantiers de l'Atlantique.

In 1867, Georges Nagelmackers boarded the transatlantic ships connecting Europe to America and set off on a journey of discovery to the United States. Fascinated by the grandeur of these huge boats, the founder of Orient Express trains explored the luxurious travelers' suites, with their rich and sumptuous decor, adorned with exceptional marquetry. He experienced the social scene in the restaurants and the unique ambiance of the lounges, libraries and entertainment venues. This sea travel experience would later inspire the 1883 launch of his now legendary train: the Orient Express,"

Inspired by the Golden Age of the French Riviera, Orient Express Silenseas will echo the glorious era when writers, artists, painters, princesses and movie stars spent time between Monte-Carlo, the beaches of Saint-Tropez, Cap d'Antibes, Cannes and its famous Croisette and discovered a refinement tinged with exquisite insouciance and joie de vivre, inviting them to extreme escapades.

A 220-meter-long ocean treasure with a tonnage of 22,300, Orient Express Silenseas will feature 54 Suites measuring on average 70-square-meters, including a monumental 1,415-square-meter Presidential Suite (including a 530-square-meter private terrace), two swimming pools including a lap pool, two restaurants and a speakeasy bar. The singular cruise ship will celebrate the Art of Travel à la Orient Express: the quintessence of luxury, absolute comfort and dreams.

A tribute to artists and culture, Orient Express Silenseas will invite guests to experience incredible shows in its Amphitheatre-Cabaret and a private recording studio will give a voice to the most beautiful melodies. This unique travel experience, guided by the winds, will feature spa treatments, meditation sessions and stopover explorations to discover cultural treasures that allow guests to completely unplug from reality and stop time.

Capitalizing on the experience of these experts in ocean racing, Orient Express Silenseas will sail with a revolutionary technological design known as 'SolidSail': three rigid sails with a surface area of 1,500 meters each will be hoisted on a balestron rig, with three tilting masts reaching more than 100 meters high, able to ensure up to 100% of the propulsion in suitable weather conditions. This hybrid propulsion formula will combine wind power with a state-of-the-art engine running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and plans to use green hydrogen once the technology is approved for ocean passenger ships, launching a new, more environmentally friendly vision of sea travel.

The latest feat from the Chantiers de l'Atlantique is a true sailing yacht of the future combining the finest French talents. Renowned architect Maxime d'Angeac will design the interior layout and decor and Nantes-based design company Stirling Design International will handle the exterior architecture. Hetland Maritime also assisted Accor in creating the project and in the ongoing discussions with Chantiers de l'Atlantique. The entire project will be financed up to 70-80% by commercial banks, with the remainder provided by Accor and a majority equity partner.

Russia lost £100m cruise ship revenue in 2022

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 January 2023 11 January 2023

The war in Ukraine has led to a boom in tourism to eastern European sea ports as cruise ships find alternative destinations rather than visiting Russian ports.

It means as much as £100m could have been lost from the Russian economy in 2022 with tourists spending their money in Estonia and Latvia instead according to an analysis by luxury cruise retailer Panache Cruises.

Baltic Sea cruises with a stop over in Saint Petersburg have long been popular with British holidaymakers but operators are now choosing alternative itineraries for their cruise tours rather than taking tourists to Russia.

Instead they have added overnight stopovers in many Baltic ports with Tallin in Estonia and Riga in Latvia being the big winners. Thousands of UK tourists have visited these cities for the first time in 2022 aboard cruise ships.

Prior to the pandemic around 650,000 cruise ship tourists visited Tallinn each year with a similar number also stopping at Riga. Experts estimated that they were spending around £50m in each country.

But over the past 12 months the experts from Panache Cruises believe those numbers have approximately doubled to 1.3m with spending in each destination estimated at around £100m from cruise ship tourists alone.

If accurate, the analysis would mean around £100m that would have been spent inside Russia has instead found its way into the coffers of neighbouring states.

The experts believe the trend could be long lasting as cruise ship operators report overwhelmingly positive feedback from their customers on the new destinations.

A spokesman for Panache Cruises said: “The war in Ukraine has had a number of unexpected consequences for Russia and one of them being a loss of tourist revenue as far north as St. Petersburg.

“The Russian city has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the highlights of a Baltic Sea cruise but since the situation in Ukraine began to unfold, cruise companies have been seeking out alternative destinations to take holidaymakers.

“Estonia and Latvia have been the main beneficiaries with the number of cruises to both roughly doubling in number in 2022 compared to before the pandemic.

“Our analysis estimates that numbers of cruises and therefore the number of tourists visiting Estonia and Latvia instead of Russia have doubled so it’s safe to assume spending has approximately doubled also.

“Industry estimates from 2018 had cruise ship tourists spending around £50m in each location so if they have doubled this year it would mean that Russia has missed out on around £100m.

“The feedback we have had from customers on both Tallinn and Riga has been outstanding. They are both beautiful capital cities and largely unspoiled compared to more visited destinations.

“British visitors report that their money goes much further than expected when visiting these cities as costs are still relatively low compared to St. Petersburg so they represent great value for tourists.

“We see this trend continuing as long as the war in Ukraine goes on and even beyond that. It may take many years for St. Petersburg to recover in terms of lost tourist revenue.”

Riverside Luxury Cruises acquires former Crystal Cruises river ships

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 January 2023 11 January 2023

Riverside Luxury Cruises announces yesterday the expansion of its fleet with the acquisition of MS Bach, MS Ravel, MS Mahler and MS Debussy. The additional ships will join the Riverside Mozart, widely hailed as the most luxurious ship on the rivers, and start sailings beginning April 2023 on the Danube.

The Riverside Ravel will include sailings on both the Rhône and Saône, providing guests a chance to indulge in all that Southern France has to offer sailing from Burgundy to Provence. Riverside Debussy will enchant guests as they sail along the Rhine and pass sheer cliffs, fairy-tale castles, ancient princedoms and shining cities from Amsterdam to Switzerland. Itineraries for the Riverside Bach and Riverside Mahler are slated for 2024 and will be announced later this year for booking. These ships were originally designed and operated by Crystal Cruises and represent the pinnacle of luxury on Europe’s rivers.

"We are thrilled by the expansion of our fleet to include these storied vessels," says Gregor Gerlach, who founded Riverside Luxury Cruises. Gerlach continued, "This acquisition allows us to expand our itinerary offerings, showcasing a level of space, personalized service and elegance not found with any other river cruise line."

Riverside Luxury Cruises will be defined not only by its crew-to-guest ratio but by its service culture, which is authentically personal in nature. Nowhere will this be better exemplified than by its butlers, who will go above and beyond to assist guests with any and all needs from reservations and excursions to special requests and one-of-a-kind experiences. Each excursion is organized and designed by a best-in-class- shoreside team, with the goal of providing guests an open door to a world of exclusive experiences. On shore and on board, wellness experiences will be curated to encourage guests to enjoy the river and surrounding countryside with all their senses. From a culinary perspective, Riverside aims to provide the best cuisine and wine cellar on the water and will place an emphasis on the freshness and quality of all ingredients on board. Each ship will have a crew of trained sommeliers and bartenders will have access to special regional and global wines as well as some of the best spirits available, with a wine cellar that is unparalleled even among the best restaurants on land.