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Strongest ever UK second quarter fuels hope 2022 volumes will exceed 2019 for MSC Cruises - report

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 18 July 2022 18 July 2022

The second quarter of this year was the strongest ever for MSC Cruises in the UK and full year volumes were likely to exceed those f 2019, the lines’ UK and Ireland Managing Director Antonio Paradiso reportedly said.

“The second quarter was the strongest booking period ever for us in the UK, maybe we need to build more ships...The domestic market is booming for us… We’ve seen last minute demand which is very strong and we’ve seen some amazing itineraries for MSC Grandiosa next year,” he was quoted by Travel Weekly as saying.

After the first six months of the year, MSC Cruises had reached 85% of the sales made in 2019 and bookings for the full year 2022 were likely to exceed the levels three years ago, before the pandemic.

The UK was likely to be one of the first source markets to reach the pre-pandemic levels of bookings for the Geneva based company, he said.

Fly cruises improve slowly

This summer and autumn, MSC Cruises operates a series of 23 cruises on the 181,504 gross ton MSC Grandiosa from Southampton for a second season in a row, while before the pandemic it used MSC Magnifica, which has a gross tonnage of 91,528.

However, Paradiso was also cited to say that fly cruises were “also slowly improving,” which would indicate that the ongoing problems with air travel reflect negatively in bookings of cruises that require flights.

Paradiso's comments would also indicate that the introduction of the larger and more modern MSC Grandiosa has fuelled the line’s success on the British market, where it is the second largest vessel currently cruising out of a UK port after P&O Cruises’ 184,089 gross ton Iona.

Global Ports Holding board terminate takeover talks with MSC Group

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 14 July 2022 14 July 2022

The board of Global Ports Holding (GPH), the Istanbul based company that is the world’s biggest cruise port operator, has terminated talks with a company that is part of the MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company Holdings group regarding a possible takeover of GPH.

On 15 June, GPH received an approach regarding a potential cash offer for all of the shares in the Company by SAS Shipping Agencies Services Sarl, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company Holdings S.A (MSC), and discussions were ongoing. “GPH’s board of directors has now terminated these talks with SAS,” the port operator said in a statement.

“GPH’s board of directors remains confident in GPH’s strategic direction as an independent port operator with open access cruise port concessions and arm’s length treatment of berthing rights for all its customers. The GPH board continues to be focussed on delivery of our strategic goals and long-term value creation, that reflects the strategic strength of GPH and its growing network of cruise ports, for the benefit of all shareholders,” the company said.

Rhine water levels plummet as heat wave hits northern Europe

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 13 July 2022 13 July 2022

Hot and dry weather in northern Europe has resulted in a sharp fall of water levels on the River Rhine, Independent Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS) in London report on their website.

This is a matter of concern not just for the freight traffic on the waterway that runs from Switzerland via Germany to the Netherlands, but also for cruise operators on the waterway.

Water levels on the River Rhine continue to fall amid hot, dry weather in northwestern Europe, with water height at points expected to fall below 80 cm by the weekend.

To put this in a context, Neptun Werft that is part of Meyer Werft group and which has built a long series of river cruise vessels for Viking says on its website that the 135 metre “long ships” of the cruise operator have a draught of 160 cm.

“Water levels at the Kaub measuring point, located above Frankfurt, fell below 110 cm at midday local time on Tuesday, according to projections from Germany’s Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV), ICIS said.

“Levels below 120 cm at Kaub – a key chokepoint for water-borne freight – are when shipping along the river starts to be affected, and the declines projected through the rest of the week are likely to substantially reduce the loads that tankers can carry,” it continued.

“Water levels at Kaub are expected to fall close to 100 cm before the end of the day, according to WSV forecasts, dwindling further to 96 cm by Wednesday night, and to 78 cm by the morning of 16 July. More normal water levels would be around 200 cm,” ICIS concluded.

Princess Cruises to sail year-round from Los Angeles

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 July 2022 12 July 2022

Princess Cruises - the destination leader based on the west coast and the cruise line with the longest history sailing from the Port of Los Angeles – is offering a brand-new summer season of cruises roundtrip from Los Angeles in 2023. This will mark the line's first-ever summer season to Mexico, Hawaii, and the California Coast, with Emerald Princess sailing on a series of voyages ranging from 5- to 16-nights between May and August 2023.

"The summer sailings, on sale today, are perfect for those looking for convenient cruise vacations for the whole family. The 3,080-guest Princess MedallionClass cruise ship features nearly 700 balconies, world-class dining, and dazzling entertainment. Plus, guests can choose from a variety of curated shore excursions in every port to soak up the local sights, culture, and cuisine," the company said in a statement.

Emerald Princess itineraries include:

– Mexican Riviera with La Paz – seven-day cruises with stops in Cabo San Lucas, La Paz and Ensenada. Departure dates: June 24, 2023, and July 29, 2023
– Hawaiian Islands – 16-day cruises with stops in Hilo, Honolulu, Maui (Lahaina), Kauai (Nawiliwili), and Ensenada. Departure dates: May 4, 2023, June 1, 2023, July 6, 2023, and August 5, 2023.
– Classic California Coast – seven-day cruises including an overnight in San Francisco with San Diego and Ensenada. Departure dates: May 20, 2023, June 17, 2023, and July 22, 2023.
– Cabo San Lucas Getaway – five-day cruise with an overnight in Cabo San Lucas. Departure date: May 27, 2023.
– West Coast Getaway with San Francisco – five-day cruise featuring San Francisco and Ensenada. Departure date: July 1, 2023.

A special launch-week offer includes $1 deposits and $50 onboard spending money per person when booked by July 19, 2022 (Offer is valid in United States, Canada and Puerto Rico).

Fincantieri lays the keel of Seven Seas Grandeur

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 July 2022 12 July 2022

The keel laying ceremony was held today at the Ancona shipyard for Seven Seas Grandeur, the third luxury cruise ship that Fincantieri is building for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, brand of the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. The delivery is scheduled for 2023.

During the ceremony three custom-minted coins have been placed onto the keel of the ship, each one representing one of the sister ships: Seven Seas Explorer, Seven Seas Splendor and Seven Seas Grandeur. The coins for the two vessels, delivered at the Sestri Ponente (Genova) shipyard in 2016 and Ancona shipyard in 2020, are replicas of those that were placed on respective vessels, while the new coin includes the cruise line’s 30th anniversary logo.

Like the first two vessels of her class Seven Seas Grandeur will be 55,500 gross tons with accommodation for only 732 passengers, with among the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the industry. She will be built using the very latest in environmental protection technologies, while the interiors will be particularly sophisticated, with every attention paid to passenger comfort.