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Pierfrancesco Vago new CLIA Europe Chairman

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 11 October 2013 11 October 2013

CLIA Europe Chairman, Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, announced that he will complete his term as Chairman of CLIA Europe at the end of the year.

He will be succeeded by CLIA Europe Vice-Chairman, Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises. Lefebvre d’Ovidio served as Chairman of CLIA Europe for three and a half years, which included an extension at the request of CLIA Europe members. He will remain a member of CLIA’s Global Executive Committee.

Christine Duffy, President & CEO of CLIA said: “I wish to acknowledge Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio for his exceptional leadership in Europe, and extend to him my gratitude on behalf of all CLIA members, particularly for agreeing to serve for an extended period. His close working relationships with regulators and fellow industry colleagues, in particular with his successor, CLIA Europe Vice-Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago, will ensure a smooth and seamless transition.

Robert Ashdown, CLIA Europe Secretary General, also paid tribute to Mr. Lefebvre’s efforts: “Chairman Lefebvre d’Ovidio helped the cruise industry navigate many critical areas during a challenging time. He helped to create the conditions for the industry’s continued record growth in Europe, and he was instrumental in the efforts to establish a global structure for CLIA that unified the industry under one voice throughout Europe and the world. This included the smooth and rapid transformation of the various European cruise industry associations into CLIA Europe, which continues its strong history of effectiveness in representing the interests of the cruise industry.”

Duffy remarked that CLIA Europe is positioned for continued success under Pierfranceso Vago: “I am delighted that CLIA Europe Vice Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago, a member of CLIA’s Global Executive Committee, will succeed Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio starting on 1st January next year. In his role as Chairman of MSC Cruises Pierfrancesco Vago has already made a tremendous contribution to the growth of the cruise industry in Europe.

Robert Ashdown continued: "‘As Vice-Chairman of CLIA Europe Pierfrancesco Vago has played a key role in the successful transformation of the association and has earned the respect of fellow industry colleagues and regulators alike. I look forward to working with him as the industry continues its strong growth in Europe.”

Manfredi Lefebvre thanked Christine Duffy for her leadership and welcomed his successor Pierfrancesco Vago. He also thanked fellow industry colleagues for their support, the teams in each of the CLIA Associations across Europe and outlined his confidence in the future of the industry.

“The cruise industry continues to make a strong economic contribution to the European economy and has shown robust growth in the past decade, even in the face of economic downturns. I’m confident this success will continue and I am also confident CLIA Europe will continue to thrive under the leadership of my successor, Pierfrancesco Vago,” Lefebvre d’Ovidio said.

Chairman elect, Pierfrancesco Vago, commended Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio on his record: “It is an honour for me to take on the role as Chairman of CLIA Europe. Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio has been an extraordinary Chairman and will be a hard act to follow,” Mr. Vago said. He has left a strong and positive legacy which I aim to build on. In particular he has built strong relationships with governments and regulators, most notably the European Commission and European Parliament, contributing significantly to the development of the positive and credible reputation the industry enjoys today.

“Under his leadership we have built an industry that we should all be proud of. Together we employ over 325,000 Europeans, we serve more than 6 million Europeans on our cruise ships, and we generate almost €38 billion in output for Europe’s economy.”

AIDAprima named as AIDA's new flagship that "highlights new era in cruising"

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 08 October 2013 08 October 2013

In a lavish presentation in Hamburg this morning (8 October 2013), AIDA Cruises revealed the name of the first of its two new vessels under construction in Japan - AIDAprima, Alan Lam reports from Hamburg. Cruise Business was the only non-German publication present at the event, he says.

Upon delivery in 2015, the ship will be the first ever cruise liner to homeport Hamburg. Starting 20 June of the same year, AIDAprima will depart on her first of the 52 seven-day round-trip voyages, calling at Southampton, Le Havre, Zeebrugge, and Rotterdam, with Hamburg as both the departure and arrival city.

The maiden voyage from Yokohama to Hamburg will take 86 days, calling at 39 ports in 22 countries on three continents. The company hailed the new ship as the beginning of "the new AIDA generation" and introduced a new motto to compliment this step: "2015: Rediscover Cruising!"

"AIDAprima will usher in a new age of cruising," said Michael Ungerer, the President of AIDA Cruises."We are constantly thinking beyond the horizon. Our new flagship will offer more rooms, more variety and more individuality than ever before."

The line has also confirmed that each of the two new ships under construction will be 124,500 gross tons, 300 metres long and 37.6 metres wide, with a passenger capacity of 3,300. They will be delivered in March 2015 and March 2016, respectively.

The new ship, according to the company, will set new standards in terms of environmental protection. It will be fitted with a comprehensive filter system to reduce exhaust. The line claims that, with this exhaust treatment technology, it is able to reduce emissions of soot particles, nitrogen oxide, and sulphur oxide by up to 99 percent.

AIDAprima will have a revolutionary new hull design to considerably increase energy efficiency. Its Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS) will be the industry first. This technology allows the ship to "glide on a carpet of air", thus further reducing fuel consumption. Other features like the latest pod drive technology will also help promoting fuel economy. The ship will be fitted with duel fuel engines that can "be powered almost emissions-free with liquefied gas regardless of availability in the port".

AIDA Cruises also presented a whole host of dining, bar and entertainment options on board, making the ship a destination itself. Being the first year-round ship based in Hamburg, perhaps the most eye-catching of all is its weather-independent concept of "vacation with guaranteed sunshine" that encompasses "Four Elements and AIDA Beach Club".

The elements of air, water, earth and fire inspired the design of the activity deck that includes two AIDA Racer water slides and climbing walls. The deck will have an expandable membrane roof to shut out the inclement weather.

AIDA Beach Club is a palm-lined poolside wonderland under a UV-permeable membrane dome. At night the dome serves as a projection surface for a virtual starry sky or for laser shows.

Among other fresh features, the company also, for the first time, introduces the so-called AIDA Mini Club that provides childcare in addition to the existing Kids and Teen Club.

AIDAprima will have 1,643 staterooms with 14 different variations and 32 suites with up to 53 sqm of living space.

The line has today also launched its 2015 catalogue for the new ship.

Norwegian Cruise Line names their ships Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Bliss

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 08 October 2013 08 October 2013

Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that thanks to its Facebook fans around the globe the names of the line's two new Breakaway Plus class ships are Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Bliss. These names are the two that received the highest number of votes, out of the line's top ten name prospects, in the Norwegian's Name Their Ships contest, which asked fans in five countries to help select the names for the line's two new Breakaway Plus vessels.

The contest, which ran from September 10 through September 24, 2013, garnered more than 100,000 votes from Norwegian fans located in five different countries, including the United States, Canada (excluding Quebec), Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom.

"The response to our Norwegians Name Their Ships contest was overwhelming," said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian's chief executive officer. "It reaffirms that we have a very engaged and passionate community of Norwegians and we are thrilled with the names they have selected for our two new Breakaway Plus Class Ships. Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Bliss are two names that truly characterize our brand, Freestyle Cruising, and the experience guests will have on board these fantastic new vessels."

All those who submitted a vote for their favorite Breakaway Plus ship names were entered into a random drawing to win a trip for two to the first Breakaway Plus ships inaugural festivities, including round-trip coach airfare for two, ground transportation, balcony stateroom accommodations (double occupancy) and on-board meals. Winners will be announced today, October 8, 2013, on Norwegians Facebook Page at www.ncl.com/Facebook.

Norwegian's new Breakaway Plus ships will be the largest in the lines fleet at approximately 163,000 gross tons and 4,200 passenger berths each and will be similar in design and innovation to the line's current Breakaway class, the first of which, Norwegian Breakaway, launched in New York in early May and the second of which, Norwegian Getaway, will launch in January and arrive in her homeport of Miami in February.

AIDA Cruises name 2015 newbuilding AIDAprima

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 08 October 2013 08 October 2013

AIDA Cruises, the German unit of Carnival Corp & plc, has decided to name first of the 125,000 gross ton newbuildings on order at Mitsubishi at Nagasaki AIDAprima.

The ship will be delivered in 2015, with a sister due in the following year.

The ship will feature:

-AIDA Beach Club under sliding roof;

-Veranda cabins on Lanai deck with pools;

-Patio deck with panorama cabins;

-Panorama lifts;

-Skywalk

The ship will operate seven night cruises to European metropoles, with the first cruise due to depart from Hamburg on 20 June. Ports of call will be London/Southhampton, Paris/Le Havre, Brüssel/Zeebrügge and Rotterdam.

It will become the first ship to operate from German ports, year-round.

Prior to this, the ship will make a delivery voyage from Japan via the Far East and the Mediterranean will depart Yokohama on 22 March and take 86 nights.

Cruise Business Insight: To shine, Star must order new tonnage

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 08 October 2013 08 October 2013

It was in 1993 that the name of Star Cruises came to public awareness after the Malaysian company had acquired two modern 40,000 gross ton cruise ferries for conversion into cruise ships for use in the Far East.

In the years that followed, the company grew rapidly, mostly through the acquisitions of second hand tonnage, but at the end of the decade, it added two 75,000 gross ton newbuildings from Meyer Werft, SuperStar Virgo and SuperStar Leo.

For quite some time, Star Cruises dominated the Far Eastern source market: other ventures were set up in the region too, but few became a success in the end. Star opted for a strategy to become global in terms of source markets at the turn of the millennium, when it acquired Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) group.

This, however, meant that the company paid fairly little attention to develop its home turf – in fact, SuperStar Leo became NCL’s Norwegian Spirit in the process of this shift of focus – so that foreign competition could start to establish itself in countries like China, Malaysia and Japan plus Australia, which also had been strongly under the Star Cruises’ radar in the early part of its history.

Today, Star Cruises has five ships, of which the SuperStar Virgo is the largest and newest: it was built in 1999. The company needs to raise its profile in the face of growing competition from the likes of Costa Crociere and Princess Cruises of the carnival group and Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL) group that all operate high quality tonnage in the region, at least seasonally.

A contract to build a 150,000 gross ton ship at Meyer Werft, which was announced on Monday, will give Star Cruises the profile lift it needs plus a vessel designed to its needs: a second hand acquisition is always a compromise. With modern design features, it can achieve lower fuel consumption and raft of other advantages, while its huge size will offer economies of scale.

In the long run, the question will probably be how many such vessels can Star Cruises, which is part of Genting Hong Kong group, afford to build. If we look at the business model of both Carnival and RCCL groups, that is based on building large ships that offer economies of scale in the ship level and by building several of these so that economies of scale can be achieved on the brand level.

Star has made a bold move that is probably right. But if competition on the Far Eastern source markets continues to intensify, which appears to be the case, it may have to raise stakes further.