TUI Cruises' Meine Reise now allows booking services during cruise; calls and messenger to follow
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 26 June 2015 26 June 2015
TUI Cruises, the German premium market line, says it has expanded the use of its Meine Reise online portal so that passengers now can book services also when on their cruise, while online messaging and phone calls are on the pipeline
Until now, the portal has only allowed the booking of e.g. spa treatments, tables at specialty restaurants or shore excursions up to four months before the passenger has boarded the ship.
"It will work quite comfortably on your computer, smart phone or tablet over the shipboard network and it's free," said Mike Schwanke, Director of Marketing at the Hamburg based company, referring to the new on board use option of the portal.
The latest expansion of the portal also means that passengers can check their on board account balance online. In the future, TUI Cruises plans to introduce telephone call and messaging service over the platform, it said in a statement.
Updated: Nine confirmed dead on Alaska excursion plane crash
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 26 June 2015 26 June 2015
Update: "The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a go-team from its Alaska Regional office to investigate a sightseeing plane that crashed near Ketchikan, Alaska.
A float-equipped DeHavilland DHC-3T (Turbine Otter) airplane crashed in an area of steep, mountainous terrain about 25 miles northeast of Ketchikan. According to local authorities, multiple fatalities have been reported," NTSB said in the statement.
A small plane carrying a pilot and eight passengers from a Holland America Line cruise ship was believed to have crashed in Ketchikan, Alaska, on Thursday, the CNN reports.
"The plane was on a shore excursion, sold through Holland America Line, when the accident happened about 20 miles northeast of Ketchikan, near Ella Lake," the report said..
"There is official no word yet on the condition of those on the plane, but a private helicopter pilot reported to seeing plane wreckage against a cliff near the location it was believed to have gone down, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said," CNN reported.
European cruise industry economic impact growth almost halved to 2.2% in 2014
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 25 June 2015 25 June 2015
The cruise industry’s economic output in Europe reached a new record of €40.2 billion in 2014, up 2.2% on the previous year, but representing a sharp reduction from the 4.0% growth rate in 2013 on 2012, figures releaed by CLIA Europe, the industry’s ceiling organisation showed.
The direct expenditures generated by the industry reached €16.6 billion, up from €16.2 billion in 2013. This represents an increase of 2.4%, again much less than the 4.5% increase in the 2013 figure over that of the previous year
Europe’s cruise industry has delivered a record boost to Europe’s economic recovery, but CLIA Chairman Pierfranceso Vago has warned that future growth requires action to unlock potential.
In 2014 the cruise industry also generated almost 10,000 new jobs across Europe, with 349,000 now employed in cruise and cruise related businesses, including over 82,000 manufacturing jobs. Wages and other benefits for European workers reached €10.75 billion.
Pierfrancesco Vago, CLIA Europe’s Chairman, said: “The cruise industry is making a vital contribution to Europe’s economic recovery. In 2014 the cruise industry injected nearly €40 billion into the European economy and sustained almost 350,000 European jobs, over 80,000 of which were in the manufacturing sector. These record results are something we’ve all worked hard for and we should celebrate and build on.”
But on a cautionary note he added, “While future growth can be achieved in Europe, it is far from guaranteed.” He continued: “Although a record 6.4 million European residents booked cruises in 2014 last year and European shipyards with record order books for new cruise ships remain the centre of the world’s cruise shipbuilding, there are some worrying trends. For example the numbers embarking on cruises from European ports is down by 3.6% to 5.85 million.”
He concluded, “This downward trend in Europe as a destination is a result of the serious hurdles to growth, which if ignored risk leaving that potential forever locked up and risk stalling the year on year economic growth we have all worked hard to deliver. Europe needs to tackle them by implementing environmental legislation in a harmonised way, streamlining visa procedures, investing in coastal infrastructure, and improving port facilities.”
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