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Mariner of the Seas celebrates maiden Hong Kong call – more Voyager-class programs announced for 2013 and 2014

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 15 June 2013 15 June 2013

Royal Caribbean International’s Mariner of the Seas, the largest cruise ship now homeporting in Asia, called at Hong Kong on June 12 for the first time. The 138,279 gross ton ship arrived at the new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal for an overnight stay as part of her 10-night cruise from Singapore to Shanghai. She is Royal Caribbean’s second Voyager Class ship in Asia.

An official ceremony with local cultural performances was hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board at the terminal to welcome the ship’s arrival, with plaque exchanges between Captain Flemming Nielsen of Mariner of the Seas and Mr Philip Yung, Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Daisy Lui, Deputy Executive Director of Hong Kong Tourism Board(HKTB), as well as other key partners.

Dr Liu Zinan, Royal Caribbean’s Regional Vice President, Asia said, "Mariner of the Seas is our newest big attraction for Asia, which has something onboard to ‘Wow’ everyone! Her Voyager-class' sheer size and groundbreaking features such as the Royal Promenade and ice skating rink make us leaders once again in redefining the cruising experience and standards in Asia."

"More importantly, her successful arrival and berthing today, made possible by the new cruise terminal, sets the stage for her Hong Kong cruises this year-end and an even bigger Hong Kong season in 2014 on her sister ship Voyager of the Seas. This is a significant development for Royal Caribbean in Hong Kong, which demonstrates the market’s strong potential to our company and our commitment to grow further with Hong Kong."

"Mariner of the Seas is Royal Caribbean International’s fourth ship homeporting in Asia, and we have grown tremendously from deploying the smaller Vision Class ships here like Legend of the Seas to today’s Voyager-class ships which are twice her size. With these world-class innovative ships, Royal Caribbean International has become the largest global cruise brand in Asia and we are set to deepen our regional presence in the years to come,” he added.

Commissioner Yung said, "Kai Tak was the site of our legendary airport, and it is now turning a historic page by connecting Hong Kong with the rest of the world through the seven seas. With the addition of the new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, Hong Kong is in full gear to receive mega cruise ships, and to offer service to more cruise ships in the future. I hope Mariner of the Seas will find Hong Kong a wonderful homeport."

Deputy Executive Director of the HKTB Ms Daisy Lui said, "The HKTB welcomes the arrival of Mariner of the Seas, which is berthing at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and in Hong Kong for the first time. We hope that passengers of the cruise liner have a pleasant and memorable time in Hong Kong. The HKTB will actively promote Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, an important tourism facility in Hong Kong, to international cruise companies and media, as well as Hong Kong’s diverse land-based offerings and other advantages as a cruise destination, with a view to attracting more cruise companies to include Hong Kong in their itineraries and consolidating the city’s position as Asia’s Cruise Hub."

Bigger presence in Hong Kong

Mariner of the Seas’ maiden Asian season has lined up North Asian cruises from Shanghai during the summer and Southeast Asian sailings from Singapore from November till next March.

As for her Hong Kong seasons, Mariner of the Seas will be returning here to offer four sailings of 3 to 5 nights this October and November including a one-way cruise from Shanghai with a call at Jeju, two round cruises to Taiwan’s Kaohsiung and Taipei (Keelung) and a one-way cruise to Singapore with a call at Ho Chi Minh (Phu My). Next year, Voyager of the Seas, which is similar in size and capacity, will be offering a longer Hong Kong season in the same period in the year, which includes cruises to Taiwan and Okinawa (Naha) and will coincide with China’s Golden Week which is the key highlight.

More Voyager-class attractions in Asia

The 15 passenger-deck, 3,114-guest Mariner of the Seas is the largest and most exciting ship based in Asia, after her sister ship Voyager of the Seas which is also now in the region. Mariner of the Seas offers cruisers the renowned Voyager Class activities and entertainment such as the 900-seater ice-skating rink, Royal Promenade – a boulevard of duty-free boutiques and cafes, full-sized sports court, rock-climbing wall and mini-golf course. In addition, there is a three-tier theatre that features Broadway-style musicals, themed bars and lounges as well as a mezzanine split level nightclub. Revitalized last year with new dining and entertainment options, for the new Asian season now, the ship has received further additions worth US$10 million such as luxury boutiques of branded leather products, watches and jewelry as well as more varieties of casino machines.

Mariner of the Seas also features the unique DreamWorks Animation entertainment programme. Guests of all ages can interact with ‘celebrity’ characters like Shrek and Fiona of “Shrek”, Alex of “Madagascar” and Po of “Kung Fu Panda” during parades in the Royal Promenade, character breakfasts in the main dining room and photo opportunities. Also new in Asia with this ship is the Barbie Premium Experience for girls to set sail in true Barbie fashion with staterooms decorated in true Barbie fashion and exclusive, themed activities such as tiaras and teacups party and fashion show.

There are numerous dining options onboard including the grand three-tier main dining room and buffet restaurant which serve a variety of international cuisine with a selection of Asian dishes. There are also specialty restaurants onboard namely Chops Grille Steakhouse, the rustic-style Italian restaurant Giovanni’s Table and Johnny Rockets 50s’ style American diner. As for accommodation, the choice ranges from the luxurious Royal Suites to the unique Promenade staterooms with views overlooking the Royal Promenade.

Star Cruises to homeport Aquarius in Kota Kinabalu from November 2013

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 14 June 2013 14 June 2013

Star Cruises, the leading cruise line in Asia-Pacific, has announced that the 51,309-tonnage SuperStar Aquarius will commence her seasonal homeport deployment from Kota Kinabalu, the city capital of Sabah, Malaysia, for the first time from 6 November 2013 to 30 March 2014.

Star Cruises will be the first international cruise line to homeport in Kota Kinabalu, continuing Star Cruises' pioneering and leading position in Asia's cruise industry.

Edward Johann Leong, Vice President, East Malaysia Operations, Star Cruises, said, "Sabah has been a top tourist destination for decades. We are proud to be the first international cruise line to homeport in Kota Kinabalu, attracting not only domestic but also international guests to Sabah. We envision that this deployment will help build the cruise tourism industry in this part of Asia and boost local tourism economies."

He added, "We will be offering 4D3N cruises from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei's Bandar Seri Begawan and Sarawak's Bintulu, departing every Sunday. We have come up with a number of exclusive shore excursions for guests to choose and explore local attractions. From Wednesday to Saturday, passengers can immerse in another dimension of cruise fun and entertainment on SuperStar Aquarius' daily 1-night high sea experience."

Once onboard, guests will be spoilt for choice with nonstop activities and entertainment. They will be wowed by world-class entertainment performed by a cast of European and Asian artistes and acrobats; and grand illusion shows by renowned magicians. Their fun continues in a selection of onboard recreational activities and unique shore excursions that showcase the beauty and wonders of Borneo. Guests can also shop to their heart's content onboard in the 409-square-meter upscale duty-free shopping gallery featuring China Duty Free, upmarket wristwatch and jewellery boutique Canopus, leather goods specialist Milan Station, gifts and souvenirs outlet Ports O' Call and many more. For food lovers, SuperStar Aquarius' 9 restaurants and bars, led by Executive Chef Harold Mark, present an international, Southeast Asia and Chinese cuisines. After a full day of non-stop fun, guests can unwind and relax with a choice of over 30 types of well-being and health treatments at the spa.

SuperStar Aquarius, currently homeported in Keelung, Taiwan, will embark on a special 8D7N cruise, departing from Kaohsiung on 29 October 2013 with stops at Hong Kong, Manila, Boracay and arriving in Kota Kinabalu on 6 November 2013.

Creditors agree to $271 million emergency cash injection to STX Shipbuilding & Offshore

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 13 June 2013 13 June 2013

Creditors agreed on Tuesday on an emergency cash injection of $271 million for the holding company of South Korea's troubled STX shipbuilding group to avert bankruptcy, a leading creditor bank was quoted as saying.

“The state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) said STX Corp would receive a total of KRW300 billion ($271 million) from its five main creditors,” Channel News Asia reports.

STX Shipbulding & Offshore owns in full STX Finland via its Norway based STX Europe subsidiary that also controls 64% of the shares in STX France. Both companies are major builders of passenger tonnage and the STX group has put them on sale as part of major restructuring announced earlier this year.

STX Shipbuilding & Offshore has more than KRW1trillion in debt that will mature this year, reports say.

The STX group tried to sell its STX Pan Ocean bulk shipping unit, but as no bidders emerged the cash strapped company collapsed a few weeks ago.

Perception of top cruise brands continues US decline post Carnival Triumph - poll

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 10 June 2013 10 June 2013

The US public’s perception of the cruise industry’s positive attributes has continued to decline after the immediate aftermath of the Carnival Triumph incident, a Harris Interactive poll conducted in May has shown

“A March Harris Poll found that Quality, Trust and Purchase Intent scores recorded in the week immediately following the Carnival Triumph's return to shore ("Post") showed notable drops when compared to scores recorded prior to the incident ("Pre") - not just for Carnival, but across many top cruise brands,” the company said in a statement.

“Many suggested at the time that these drops were likely a temporary setback, and that perceptions would soon bounce back. However, a recent Harris Poll of 2,052 U.S. adults surveyed online between May 14 and 16, 2013 (prior to the recent fire aboard Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas) by Harris Interactive, finds that perceptions for the top cruise industry brands have not only remained below their pre incident levels, but have continued to decline,” it said

Results are compared, where applicable, to Harris Poll EquiTrend data collected from January 11, 2013 to February 8, 2013 (the Carnival Triumph incident lasted from February 10-14, 2013) and a Harris Poll of 2,230 U.S. adults surveyed online between February 19 and 21, 2013.

Looking at specific perceptual measures, the average perceived Quality score across the seven brands tested is down by 13% vs. its pre incident level and 6% compared to the post incident wave of testing. While Carnival's Quality score shows the steepest declines (down 28% vs. pre and 12% vs. post), all of the other brands tested ranged individually from 8%-11% below pre levels.

The average Trust score across the seven brands tested is also down in comparison to both pre (down 12%) and post (down 5%) incident; as with Quality, Trust shows the steepest decline for Carnival Cruise Lines (down 26% vs. pre, 11% vs. post). However, the six other brands tested remain between 8%-12% below pre incident Trust levels.

Purchase Intent has declined, on average, 11% from its pre incident level (and 5% from its post incident level). While this again affects most of the brands tested (with most down between 7%-15% vs. pre levels), it is worth noting that Holland America's Purchase Intent score has largely weathered this perceptual storm, holding at just 2% below its pre level. Carnival is again hardest hit, down 20% vs. pre, 8% vs. post, Harris Interactive said.

UPDATE: Bob Dickinson returns to Carnival

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 10 June 2013 10 June 2013

Carnival Corporation is expected to make a major announcement today that former Carnival Cruise Lines' President and CEO is going to re-join the company for an advisory role specialized in sales and marketing. Stay tuned as we will post more information when available.

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Bob Dickinson at first will focus on strategies in North America for marketing and distribution across the company’s brands. In addition to Carnival Cruise Lines and several brands that operate in Europe, the portfolio includes Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Seabourn Cruise Line, the Miami Herald reports.

Dickinson, who will report to Carnival Corp. & plc Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Howard Frank, served on the corporate board from 1987 until this April.

The group’s Carnival Cruise Lines US focused mass market business was hit by bad publicity in the winter after Carnival Triumph lost power on a Caribbean cruise that forced the ship to be towed to port, while those on board had e.g. no working toilets or air conditioning. Carnival Corp & plc issued a profit warning after the incident that sent, initially, its share price sharply lower.

The company’s woes, while hitting Carnival the hardest, appear to be affecting the public’s perception of the entire industry. An online Harris Poll conducted in May showed that perceived quality, trust and purchase intent had declined compared to a post-Triumph poll.

Compared to results of a survey taken between 19 and 21 February perceived quality across seven brands has dropped 6%, while trust declined 5% and purchase intent is down 5%.

The poll showed that perceived quality of Carnival dropped 12% from the February survey, trust dropped 11% and purchase intent declined 8%, the report said.