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A&K Travel Group confirms first Crystal appointments, provides a new vision

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 26 July 2022 26 July 2022

Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, Co-Chairman of the A&K Travel Group, Cristina Levis, CEO of A&K Travel Group, and executives from shipbuilder Fincantieri welcomed the arrival of the recently acquired Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity to Trieste, Italy, where the ships are being refurbished.

Lefebvre took the opportunity to formally announce, on behalf of himself and Co-Chairman Geoffrey Kent, the appointments of Jack Anderson as President of Crystal Cruises and Bernie Leypold as Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations.

"Geoffrey Kent and Manfredi Lefebvre are icons and innovators in luxury travel," Anderson said. "With their ownership, leadership and vision for these ships and the award-winning Crystal Cruises brand, we are embarking on a new and exciting chapter. We and the entire Crystal Cruises family look forward to welcoming guests again soon."

"It is an honor to join the new Crystal Cruises with a commitment to not only recreate, but enhance the sophisticated luxury service, cuisine, entertainment, and shore experiences in collaboration with our sister company, Abercrombie & Kent," Bernie Leypold added.

"We welcome the return of members of our loyal and well-trained Crystal crew to our family and they will be given priority in the hiring process."

"There are extensive refurbishments planned for both Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity that will elevate the customer experience. Some staterooms will be combined, creating more butler suites and reducing overall guest capacity," explained Cristina Levis. "This will bring a gracious new feeling of spaciousness to the restaurants and public areas."

The CrystalCruises.com website will soon provide further updates on appointments, ship enhancements, new itineraries and employment opportunities.

New data shows cruise travel will sustain a strong rebound

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 July 2022 25 July 2022

According to recent analysis from HundredX, an innovative real-time market share strategy platform, the cruise industry is projected to sustain a stronger rebound than other travel segments, such as airlines, car rental and hotels. Despite the strain of a looming recession, HundredX’s insights show a significant uptick of the industry’s recovery as of March 2022 while other travel segments display a decline. With vacationers reporting an intention to cruise again before the end of 2022, the industry is expected to sustain its upward trajectory.

HundredX collected double-blind feedback from more than 35,000 cruisers by asking a series of curated questions using its proprietary listening tools. The data revealed strong consumer intent to book future cruise travel as early as 2021 and that interest is remaining steady. Cruise consumers also indicated their top booking drivers (in order of priority): food and beverage, price, ship cleanliness, entertainment, staff service and staterooms. See below chart.

Dallas-based HundredX leverages millions of pieces of real-time feedback from a diverse group of consumers from across the US. to help executives, investors and consultants make key competitive decisions in real-time.

American Cruise Lines to sail in California

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 July 2022 25 July 2022

American Cruise Lines announced today their first-ever California cruise. Beginning in 2023, the country’s largest small ship cruise line will offer a brand new 8-Day San Francisco Bay cruise which explores the City on the Bay, Napa Valley, and the San Joaquin Valley. Operating round trip from San Francisco, American’s new small ships will transport guests from San Francisco into the heart of wine country along the Napa River. The new itinerary stops in San Francisco, Napa, Vallejo, Stockton, and Sacramento, and cruises San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, the Napa River, and the San Joaquin River.

“American continues to expand the possibilities for exceptional domestic small ship cruises across the country. Exploring this beautiful region of Northern California by riverboat will provide a new opportunity for our guests to discover the Bay area and the Napa Valley in an exceptional way…many have driven there, but not many can say they have actually cruised through wine country,” said Charles B. Robertson, President & CEO of American Cruise Lines.

American’s new San Francisco Bay itinerary highlights the region’s historical, cultural, and geographical influences that gave rise to the stunning seaside city of San Francisco, as well as the lush vineyards and flourishing agricultural communities present throughout the Bay area and its surrounding valleys today.

8-Day San Francisco Bay cruises will encompass a wide range of experiences, including a scenic sail of magnificent San Francisco Bay passing by the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Treasure Island. Local San Francisco experiences include visits to Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square and Alcatraz. Special experiences include a Napa Valley Winery experience, and a NASCAR-style driving experience at the Stockton 99 Speedway. The cruise also offers a guided tour of Old Sacramento’s underground city and port, and a visit to the California Railroad Museum, home to 5 full-size steam locomotives including Central Pacific No. 1 Governor Stanford, as well as many exhibits including one honoring the Chinese contribution to the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, and the infamous Golden Spike which commemorated the completion of the celebrated railroad in 1869.

On board throughout the cruise, guests will enjoy daily Sunrise Yoga and unique Wine Country experiences. Special wine presentations will offer guests opportunities to learn, sip, and savor regional varietals. American’s culinary team will also give onboard cooking demonstrations on local Northern Californian cuisine and each guest will receive a local cookbook to take home.

American’s new 2023 San Francisco Bay cruise is a first for the company in California and further represents the continued growth of the domestic small ship cruise market and the extensive possibilities for exceptional 100% U.S. cruise itineraries. In just the past few years, American’s portfolio of domestic river cruise itineraries and fleet of small ships has continued to proliferate. In 2022, the company is operating 6 small ships in the Pacific Northwest with multiple all-domestic itineraries available on the Columbia & Snake Rivers, in Puget Sound & the San Juan Islands, and Alaska. Overall, American operates 15 small ships in 34 states – also cruising close to home from convenient ports along the entire East Coast, the length of Mississippi River, and the Hudson River from NYC.

AIDA Cruises vessel bunkered with GoodFuels' sustainable biofuels

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 23 July 2022 23 July 2022

GoodFuels, the leading biofuels provider for the global transport industry, has successfully completed its first bio-bunkering for a large passenger ship in partnership with Carnival Corporation’s AIDA Cruises brand, marking an important step forward to achieving sustainability in the cruise industry.

AIDAprima, a Hyperion-class cruise ship, was refuelled with GoodFuels’ sustainable biofuels during a port visit to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. The trial took place while the vessel was on a 7-night cruise, visiting Hamburg, Southampton, Le Havre, and Zeebrugge.

GoodFuels’ next-generation sustainable biofuel is derived from feedstocks that are certified as 100% waste or residue, with no land-use issues and no competition with food production or deforestation. It enables a well-to-exhaust CO2 reduction of 80 to 90% when compared to fossil fuels. Thanks to its “drop in” properties, AIDAprima was bunkered with biofuel without requiring any modifications to the engine or tanks.

The successful bio-bunkering demonstrates AIDA Cruises’ commitment to investing in new low carbon emissions technologies as part of their long-term decarbonisation strategy. It also provides a blueprint for the wider cruise sector on how to accelerate the adoption of alternative fuels in large-scale passenger ships. Following the first bio-bunkering, follow-up deliveries are envisioned by AIDA Cruises, as well as a potential for expansion to other brands under the Carnival Corporation banner.

Commenting on the partnership, Dirk Kronemeijer, CEO of GoodFuels, said: “This first bio-bunkering with AIDA Cruises marks an exciting step forward on the cruise industry’s decarbonisation pathway, demonstrating that our sustainable biofuels are a safe, technically viable and convenient option to drastically cut down emissions from passenger vessels. As the effects of climate change are felt acutely in several parts of the world, the time for action is now, and biofuels are one of the few options that can already make a difference today. We are delighted to have worked alongside the trail-blazers at AIDA Cruises in the past few months to make this milestone a reality, and we look forward to collaborating again in the future.”

Felix Eichhorn, President AIDA Cruises, emphasizes: "We continue to actively explore all opportunities to decarbonize our fleet while advancing efficiency in line with international carbon intensity reduction targets. With the successful start of biofuel usage, we have proven that gradual decarbonization is possible even on ships already in service. An important prerequisite for us as a cruise line to be able to use it is that it becomes widely available on an industrial scale and at marketable prices."

MSC Cruises USA names Names Koreen McNutt as new Senior Vice President & Commercial Sales Officer

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 July 2022 22 July 2022

MSC Cruises USA has announced Koreen McNutt will join the cruise line as Senior Vice President & Commercial Sales Officer on August 1, 2022. McNutt will lead trade sales and relations efforts, collaborating with the commercial and leadership teams to continue building these important relationships. Reporting to Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer Lynn Torrent, McNutt’s new role is part of a broader organizational realignment to integrate commercial functions and support rapid growth in the U.S. market.

McNutt’s career includes 16 years at Expedia Group, where she most recently served as Senior Director of Global Supply. Prior to that, she spent 13 years at Holland America Line/Windstar Cruises leading complex product and project management. Known as a well-respected cruise industry leader, McNutt has also served on several cruise line Travel Agent Advisory Boards, including MSC Cruises.

Rubén A. Rodríguez, President, MSC Cruises USA, said: “We are thrilled for Koreen to join the MSC Cruises family and bring her deep knowledge and expertise to our ambitious growth plans for the U.S. market. I’m confident Koreen’s history as an accomplished leader in global sales, operations and account management makes her the right person to support and grow our valued relationships with travel advisors and sales partners.”