Top Headlines

Viking Ocean unveils four new European itineraries and opens 2017 sailing season

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 19 June 2015 19 June 2015

Fresh off the christening of its first ship, the 930-passenger Viking Star, Viking Ocean Cruises yesterday announced that four new itineraries and 2017 departures for Viking Star – and sister ships Viking Sea and Viking Sky – are now open for booking. The 2017 program includes sailings on Viking’s most popular itineraries in the Mediterranean, Western Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic. Viking’s guests now have even more opportunities for destination-focused cruises in 2016 and 2017 that span from ancient empires to the towering fjords of Norway and beyond.

“We are encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response Viking Star has generated among our guests and travel industry partners,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking Cruises. “We made a commitment to reinvent ocean cruising, and we are well on our way. By 2017 we will have two more ships designed to enable our guests to better experience their destination. We will also have four new itineraries that offer our guests more time in port and enriching, cultural experiences at a better value than our competitors.”

New Mediterranean & Holy Land itineraries

Not only is Viking adding sailing dates to existing itineraries, but the company has also created four new enrichment-filled programs that will take guests from the sun-soaked region of the Mediterranean to the cultural capital of St. Petersburg.

– NEW FOR 2016: Ancient Empires & Holy Lands (15 days; Rome to Istanbul) – This 15-day itinerary offers the opportunity to explore historic destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean and experience some of the sacred sights of the Middle East while traveling through the heart of the Holy Land. Guests will have the chance to spend three days in Israel, making stops in Jerusalem and Haifa, gateways to Bethlehem and Nazareth, and will also be able to explore the ancient cities of Rome, Athens and Istanbul. Introductory 2-for-1 pricing starts at $4,199 per person with discounted airfares from $695 per person.

– NEW FOR 2016: Bergen to the Bosphorus (15 days; Bergen to Istanbul) – This epic journey begins in beautiful Bergen before cruising south to the Mediterranean, stopping in Paris and Lisbon along the way. Once in the Mediterranean, travelers visit Tunis, Valletta and Athens before concluding the trip in the ancient cosmopolitan city of Istanbul. Introductory 2-for-1 pricing starts at $3,699 per person with discounted airfares from $895 per person.

– NEW FOR 2017: Secrets of the Southern Mediterranean (8 days; Rome to Barcelona) – Guests will set sail through the southern Mediterranean, departing from glorious Rome and continuing on to some of North Africa’s most historically significant destinations, including Tunis, a dazzling city that mixes North African tradition and French colonialism, and Algiers, home of the Notre Dame d’Afrique. The itinerary also stops in Valletta, Sardinia and Valencia before concluding the trip in beautiful Barcelona. Introductory 2-for-1 pricing starts at $1,999 per person with discounted airfares from $595 per person.

– NEW FOR 2017: Barcelona, the Baltic & Beyond (22 days; Barcelona to Stockholm) – This voyage travels through the waterways of Western Europe and the Baltic, giving guests the opportunity to explore iconic world-class cities such as Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris, Amsterdam and St. Petersburg. Introductory 2-for-1 pricing starts at $5,999 per person with discounted airfares from $695 per person.

Carnival Corporation & plc expected to report strong rise in second quarter earnings on 23 June

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 18 June 2015 18 June 2015

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise shipping company, is expected to report a fourfold increase in second quarter earnings per share (EPS) next week compared to the same period last year.

The company has scheduled a conference call with analysts for 10:00 a.m. (EDT); 3:00 p.m. (BST), Tuesday, 23 June, to discuss the company's second quarter financial results which are expected to be released that morning, the company said in a statement.

Industry analysts in London and New York forecast the group to report EPS of $0.43 on average, with the highest forecast $0.59 and the lowest $0.37.

In the second quarter of the company’s previous financial year, the EPS came to $0.10

Carnival Breeze to shift to Galveston, Carnival Magic to Port Canaveral in spring 2016

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 16 June 2015 16 June 2015

Carnival Cruise Line today announced deployment changes designed to enhance its leadership position in two key homeports – Galveston and Port Canaveral, Fla., – while providing exciting “Fun Ship” itinerary choices in time for next summer’s cruise season.

Carnival Breeze will reposition to Galveston in May 2016 and Carnival Magic to Port Canaveral in April 2016, several months earlier than previously announced. Carnival Breeze will assume Carnival Magic’s year-round schedule of seven-day day Galveston cruises beginning May 8, 2016. Carnival Magic will take over Carnival Valor’s current seven-day day Port Canaveral cruise program April 23, 2016.

In turn, Carnival Splendor will assume Carnival Breeze’s six- and eight-day Caribbean schedule from Miami May 1, 2016. Carnival Valor will offer a new series of five- and eight-day departures from Port Canaveral beginning June 4, 2016 instead of October 2016 as previously announced.

“Galveston and Port Canaveral are two important markets for ‘Fun Ship’ cruising and these deployment changes provide our guests and travel agent partners with exciting new options featuring a variety of on-board innovations and visiting top destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Bahamas and Florida,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president.

Carnival Breeze to Launch Year-Round Service from Galveston in May 2016

Carnival Breeze will kick off its new Galveston-based cruise program May 8, 2016, departing every Sunday on three different week-long itineraries: western Caribbean cruises calling at either Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, or Belize, Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan) and Cozumel, and a seven-day Bahamas/Florida route with stops in Nassau, Freeport, and Key West.

The line’s newest ship, Carnival Breeze offers such innovations as a multi-dimensional cinema experience called Thrill Theater, the Bonsai Sushi full-service Asian restaurant and WaterWorks, an aqua park that includes a 312-foot-long slide, a 150-gallon PowerDrencher tipping bucket, the DrainPipe funnel-style attraction and a splash area for younger cruisers.

Carnival Breeze, originally scheduled to reposition to Galveston in December 2016, replaces Carnival Magic which will reposition to Port Canaveral in April 2016.

Carnival Magic to Sail Seven-day Cruises from Port Canaveral in April 2016

Carnival Magic will reposition to Port Canaveral to operate seven-day Caribbean cruises beginning April 23, 2016.

Carnival Magic will offer two distinctly different week-long itineraries from the Space Coast – a western Caribbean route featuring Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan) and Costa Maya; and an eastern Caribbean option calling at St. Thomas, San Juan, Grand Turk and Nassau or Amber Cove. Prior to launching its new seven-day schedule from Port Canaveral, Carnival Magic will operate a special three-day cruise to Nassau April 20-23, 2016.

Carnival Magic was the first cruise ship to feature a suspended ropes course, part of an expansive open-air recreation area called SportSquare, as well as the Cucina del Capitano Italian family-style restaurant and the RedFrog Pub, a Caribbean-inspired watering hole serving the line’s private label draught brew, ThirstyFrog Red.

Carnival Magic’s previously announced schedule from Port Canaveral was scheduled to begin in December 2016.

Carnival Splendor to Offer Six- and Eight-Day Cruises from Miami in May 2016

Carnival Splendor will launch six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises from Miami May 1, 2016, departing alternating Saturdays and Sundays.

The schedule, which runs through December 2016, includes eight-day southern Caribbean cruises featuring Grand Turk, La Romana (Dominican Republic), Curaçao, and Aruba, along with eight-day eastern Caribbean departures visiting Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Kitts, and St. Maarten. Carnival Splendor will also offer a three-port, six-day option featuring Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Ocho Rios.

Carnival Splendor will offer a nine-day Carnival Journeys cruise round-trip from Miami departing May 26, 2016, and featuring an overnight call in King’s Wharf, Bermuda, as well as visits to Amber Cove (Dominican Republic) and Grand Turk. A number of special on-board activities and programming are planned, as well.

The 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor boasts on-board features like a 21,000-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa featuring a thalassotherapy pool and thermal suite, a retractable dome covering the mid-ship pool, and a classic American steakhouse serving prime steaks and other gourmet cuisine.

Carnival Valor to Offer Three- to Eight-day Cruises from Port Canaveral in May 2016

Carnival Valor will offer a new short cruise schedule from the Space Coast in May 2016 before launching year-round five- and eight-day departures in June 2016.

Three- to five-day sailings will take place throughout May and visit such popular ports as Grand Turk, Nassau, Freeport, and Amber Cove. The ship will also offer a one-time six-day cruise departing May 15 and featuring Nassau, Amber Cove and Grand Turk.

Carnival Valor’s year-round five- to eight-day voyages begin June 4, 2016. Five-day cruises will visit Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Freeport. Eight-day eastern Caribbean cruises will call at Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Kitts and St. Maarten; while eight-day southern Caribbean sailings will include Curaçao or Bonaire, Aruba and Grand Turk.

Carnival Valor is currently based in Port Canaveral and scheduled to undergo an extensive dry dock in spring 2016 that will add a variety of Fun Ship 2.0 innovations.

Odo-CBR Commentary: Could unallocated Carnival ships from Turku go to China?

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 15 June 2015 15 June 2015

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise shipping group, said that the two 180,000 gross ton LNG powered ships it had ordered from Meyer Werft in Papenburg will enter service with AIDA Cruises in Germany, while two similar vessels from Meyer Turku would be allocated to a brand later.

The company said two of the ships will be built for AIDA Cruises at Meyer Werft's shipyard in Papenburg. "Additional information about the ships, including which new ships will be added to each brand, will be made available at a later date," Carnival said in a statement this morning.

However, on 27 March Carnival signed two strategic memorandums of agreement, with Meyer and Fincantieri respectively, that will add a total of nine new cruise ships to the company's fleet over a four-year period from 2019 - 2022. Details of the vessels and to which brands they would be allocated will be disclosed later, but the company said they would serve the North American, European and Chinese markets, Carnival said at the time.

We think it is quite possible that the two ships from Turku will enter service in China, probably under the brand name of a new company that will focus on the Chinese markets.

The newbuildings Carnival group ordered today have a capacity of 5,000 in lower beds and a maximum of 6,600 and their public areas will be designed with flexibility and multi functionality in mind: a high density design probably best suited for fairly short cruises, which dominate the Chinese market.

Carnival group has shared platform designs between various brands for almost two decades and the concept appears to have proven quite successful.

New ships to replace old, enhance return profile -- Donald.

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 15 June 2015 15 June 2015

The contract Carnival Corporation & plc signed with Meyer Werft in Germany and Meyer Turku in Finland to build a total of four 180,000 gross ton ships is consistent with the company’s measured capacity growth strategy to replace less efficient capacity with newer, larger and more fuel efficient vessels over time, said Carnival Corporation & plc CEO Arnold Donald

"We are looking forward to executing on the next step in our fleet enhancement plan," said Donald. "At a cost per berth in line with our existing order book, these new ships will enhance the return profile of our fleet," he said in a statement.

Two of the ships will be built in Turku and two at Papenburg. They will be delivered in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

The Papenburg ships will be destined to AIDA Cruises, Carnival group's German unit, which has three ships of about 40,000 gross tons in its fleet. These are among the smallest ones operated by any major contemporary market brand.