Top Headlines

Michael Giresi named Senior Vice President and CIO for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 31 August 2015 31 August 2015

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced today that Michael Giresi has been named senior vice president and chief information officer. Giresi joins Royal Caribbean with more than 20 years of experience in implementing technology initiatives for leading brands including Tory Burch, LLC, Direct Brands, Inc., Godiva Chocolatier and The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. Giresi will report directly to Adam Goldstein, president and COO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

"Michael's background and experience implementing leading edge technology, combined with the skills of our seasoned management team, will be vital as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. continues to innovate and accelerate its global expansion,” said Goldstein. "His broad experience and proven leadership will provide the company with the necessary tools to marry technology solutions that will continue to differentiate us."

Giresi most recently served as senior vice president and CIO for Tory Burch, where he was responsible for the implementation of new infrastructure and technology initiatives for one of the fastest growing fashion brands in the world. Prior to that, Giresi was executive vice president and CIO at Direct Brands, Inc. Throughout his career, he has held various management positions, including CIO for Godiva Chocolatier and director of information technology for the Campbell Soup Company.

“I am looking forward for the opportunity to join Royal Caribbean, a company that stands for excellence in the travel industry,” said Giresi. “Working with the IT team, we will create the infrastructure necessary to move the company to the next level.”

Giresi graduated from Saint Joseph’s University’s Erivan K. Haub School of Business with a MBA, and from Seton Hall University with a B.A. in English.

Genting Hong Kong interim profit soars on sale gains

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 24 August 2015 24 August 2015

Gains from the previously published sales of shares in Norwegian Cruise Line Holding (NCLH) group helped Genting Hong Kong, the cruise and leisure industry group, to report a huge increase in net profit in the first half the year, the company said in a statement.

Net profit reached $2.16 billion compare to $216.7 million in the same period last year. Sale gains soared to $2.17 billion from $167.0 million. Revenues contracted slightly, to $275.0 million from $281.6 million.

The number of capacity days rose to 1.37 million from 1.29 million as a result of the acquisition of Crystal Cruises, the Los Angeles based luxury market operator, which was completed on 15 May.

Occupancy ratio rose to 69.4% from 68.7%, but gross yield fell to $193.2 from $200.5. Net yield, however, remained largely stable at $158.9 compared to $158.7 in the first six months of last year. Net cruise costs fell to $162.8 per capacity day from $179.4

“The stable Net Yield was mainly due to higher passenger ticket revenue as a result of the acquisition of Crystal Cruises, offset by lower onboard revenue attributable to lower gaming revenue,” Genting said.

Crystal in 2025: six ships, 10 river yachts, five ocean yachts, four aircraft - Rodriguez

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 22 August 2015 22 August 2015

Crystal Cruises, the luxury cruise company in the Genting Hong Kong group, plans to continue its expansion by investing in new vessels and aircraft, Edie Rodriguez, CEO and President of the company told Cruise Business.

Asked how Crystal would like in 2025, she said: "The fleet has six ships, five yachts, 10 river (yachts) and four aircraft." In addition, the company plans to expand into further new areas of which Rodriguez declined to discuss. "There will be investment in organic growth, the demand is there, so why not," she added.

Crystal currently has two cruise ships in the water and it plans to build three more at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Germany from 2017 onwards. In addition, it will introduce a 62 passenger yacht called Crystal Esprit, which will enter service later this year after a major refit.

The company will also introduce two river yachts, one in the Rhine-Main-Danube river system and the other one on the Seine in 2017. A second luxury plane has been ordered following an earlier decision to enter the luxury air travel sector with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The second plane will be smaller, however, and offer 14 night tours compared to 28 night ones on the Dreamliner.

Rodriguez said that when she took up her current position two and a half years ago, her motto was "Seven ships to the seven seas and seven continents." However, since Crystal Cruises was acquired by Genting Hong Kong earlier this year, the chairman of the group had told her that ther Los Angeles based cruise shipping company could grow further than that.

Crystal currently generates slightly more than 50% of its business in North America, but the figure is likely to decrease as the company expands. "As far as English is your first or second language, you will be comfortable with Crystal," she said. However, as the company continues to generate healthy business in Japan, the home country of its previous owner, it makes special arrangements for Japanese passengers

Expanding Crystal Cruises plans to open UK, Hong Kong offices

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 21 August 2015 21 August 2015

Crystal Cruises, the luxury market cruise operator in the Genting Hong Kong group, plans to open offices in the UK and Hong Kong to meet the requirements resulting from the expansion of its business.

Crystal, which has its headquarters in Los Angeles, recently opened an office in Miami. The company mainly sources its passengers from the US, Canada, the UK and Japan. "As we start to grow, we need to get closer to our customers," said Paul Garcia, director of public relations at Crystal Cruises.

He told Cruise Business that the introduction of three 100,000 gross ton ocean going cruise ships, two river yachts and a Boeing Dreamliner passenger jet, which would be fitted out to first class specifications, mean that the company will also have to look at its operations bases. At least the river yachts would be operated from the planned office in the UK, he said.

The ocean going vessels, which will be built at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Germany and which are due for delivery from 2017 onwards, will feature all suite accommodation. The minimum size of the suites will be about 400 sq.ft., which is close to twice the figure on the line's existing two ships.

Asked if the large size of the accommodations involves the risk that passengers will spend more time in their private quarters than what they do on the existing ships, with the unwanted consequence that public rooms would be under utilised, Garcia said they would have to work hard to make the bars and restaurants etc. appealing, so that they will have the desired utilisation levels and atmosphere.

MSC Cruises to offer 60-night 'Grand Voyage' from Brazil to Shanghai

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 20 August 2015 20 August 2015

MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately-owned cruise line, today revealed plans to make its first sailing to China, with the newly-renovated MSC Lirica calling in Shanghai on May 1, 2016 after having traveled across continents. The 65,000 gross ton ship will make the company’s maiden call in China’s biggest megalopolis after a 60-day round-the-world Grand Voyage which departs on March 3, 2016 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“We are delighted to once more be able to offer our guests a brand new itinerary – from Brazil to China via Europe – which offers the chance to visit some of the most appealing places on earth, certainly across a huge array of people and cultures,” said MSC Cruises CEO, Gianni Onorato.

Onorato added: “This new Grand Voyage offering is proof of our steadfast commitment to offer our guests innovative and sought-after destinations. As MSC Cruises continues to expand the destinations it calls – such as Cuba which we recently announced – we are further enhancing our global offering while providing travelers best-in-class experiences and service.”

MSC Cruises is offering travelers the opportunity to choose from three different versions of the Grand Voyage, with the ability to embark in either Rio de Janeiro in Brazil (60 nights), Genoa in Italy (41 nights) or Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (26 nights), before arriving in Shanghai.

Before setting sail, MSC Lirica will be fully renovated and enlarged under MSC Cruises’ Renaissance Program, which entails a comprehensive overhaul of the ship due to be completed in November 2015.

Prices for the full 60-day Grand Voyage on MSC Lirica will start at $4,799 per person. Included in the price are beverage and laundry packages as well as 8 shore excursions.

Brazil to Shanghai Grand Voyage itinerary details

During the first leg of MSC Lirica’s 60-day journey, the ship will depart on March 3, 2016 from Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro and sail north along the coast of Brazil – with calls in Buzios, Salvador, Maceio and Fortaleza. The ship will then cross the Atlantic on a northeast course towards the Canary Islands – with a stop in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife – before reaching mainland Europe and visiting Cadiz, Spain.

From there, MSC Lirica will call the three largest ports in the Mediterranean – Barcelona, Spain; Marseille, France; and Genoa, Italy – providing travelers an opportunity to embark in any of these ports in Europe and providing maximum flexibility as guests journey towards Asia.

After leaving Genoa, MSC Lirica will call Naples, Italy and the island of Crete with Heraklion in Greece. The ship then heads south to Aqaba in Jordan; Muscat, Oman; and Khor Al Fakhan and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The ship is scheduled to stay in Dubai overnight and travelers interested in sailing from Dubai to Shanghai will have the ability to embark.

During the last leg of the journey, MSC Lirica sets sail towards the East and the Indian cities of Goa and Cochin, prior to calling Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka. She then heads to Phuket, Thailand, and Penang and Port Kelang/Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, before reaching Singapore.

After an overnight stay in Singapore, the ship will bring its guests to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and then to visit Hong Kong. Shanghai is the next call and includes an overnight stay before sailing across the China sea to Fukuoka in Japan. From the Land of the Rising Sun, MSC Lirica heads back to the high seas one more time, returning to Shanghai on May 1, 2016.