News

Britannia to sail on maiden voyage 14 March 2015, to spend winters in Caribbean

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 12 February 2014 12 February 2014

P&O Cruises, the UK focused contemporary cruise line in the Carnival Corp & plc group, says its 143,000 gross ton newbuilding Britannia will sail on its first cruise on 14 March 2015 from Southampton and after a season of cruises from there, the ship will spend winters in the Caribbean.

"When the biggest ship built for the British cruise market sets sail on its maiden voyage from Southampton to the Mediterranean on March 14 2015 it will mark a step change in holidays at sea.
Britannia’s maiden season will see the ship sail from Southampton to the Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords, Canary Islands and the Baltic Sea, as well as offering a range of short breaks and a special round Britain cruise," the company said in a statement.

The ship will then transfer to the Caribbean for the winter season sailing a range of 15 night fly/cruise itineraries from Barbados.

P&O Cruises marketing director Christopher Edgington said: “Britannia will introduce cutting edge design combined with a range of innovations uniquely styled to appeal to those who may not have considered a cruise holiday before as well as our many loyal past passengers.

“Combining the excitement of cruising with the sophistication of a five star hotel, Britannia is not only the biggest ship built for the British market but the most glamorous too. We have set out to make Britannia the biggest and the best and we are confident passengers will be wowed by the experience.

Edgington added: “Britannia will showcase an incredible array of facilities for children and teenagers including dedicated teens pool area and we have ensured that our prices remain constant throughout the year irrespective of the timing of the peak school holiday periods. We are conscious of the hardship families face when taking holidays at these time and are therefore committed to fair pricing throughout the year.”

Genting Hong Kong signs contract for second newbuilding with Meyer Werft

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 10 February 2014 10 February 2014

Genting Hong Kong has signed a preliminary agreement to build a second cruise ship at Meyer Werft in Germany for its Star Cruises brand, the company said in a statement.

The second vessel will cost €697.2 million and final contract is subject to settlement of certain terms and conditions. On 7 October, Meyer Werft said it would build a 150,000 gross ton vessel for Star Cruises that will have 1,680 cabins and which is scheduled for delivery in autumn of 2016.

"For the further development of its cruise and cruise related business, the Group reviews its fleet portfolio and deployment options from time to time. Construction of the First Vessel and the Second Vessel is in line with the Group’s long-term strategy in modernising and expanding its fleet for continuing business development and also to strengthen the Group’s market penetration in the Asia Pacific Region. It is our present intention that the Second Vessel will be designed to cater for the unique demands of Asian clientele, in particular, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand," Genting Hong Kong said.

"The Board believes that the First Vessel and the Second Vessel, upon delivery and operation, will further strengthen the Group’s cruise brand, enable the Group to compete more effectively in the cruise industry, and enable the Group to take advantage of growing demand for cruise business in the Asia Pacific market and further improve on its operating efficiency and revenue potential.'

'The Board considers the terms and conditions of the Second Shipbuilding Contract (including the Contract Price) to be determined on normal commercial terms and to be fair and reasonable and in the interests of the Company and its Shareholders,'' Genting Hong Kong said.

CLIA announces development of Global Ports Committee

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 08 February 2014 08 February 2014

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has announced the establishment of a Global Ports Committee as well as new regional committees in the Americas, Australasia and Asia in addition to the regional committee already operating in Europe. CLIA is now focusing more on engaging directly with port communities around the world both on operational and strategic issues. Port partners will now have increased opportunities to engage with CLIA member lines through this newly established Committee structure.

The Global Ports Committee, chaired by Giora Israel of Carnival Corporation includes Tom Spina of Norwegian Cruise Line, Gianluca Suprani of MSC Cruises, and John Tercek of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. This committee will serve as a forum where cruise lines and ports from around the world can come together to discuss port-related issues of interest and will help to more fully integrate port development and operations within the larger cruise industry.

"I am honored to serve as chair of the Global Ports Committee, which will play an integral role in strengthening the relationships between cruise lines and port communities," said Israel. "Both cruise lines and destinations can benefit significantly by providing excellent service to passengers who embark and disembark cruise ships — and establishing this committee together with my colleagues from the other cruise companies will further our mutual goals of maximizing the positive impact of cruise tourism."

As part of its globalization, CLIA redesigned its Executive Partner program, which is comprised of 250 port authorities, destinations and maritime and industry suppliers who are important partners to the cruise lines and play a major role in the successful operation of cruising. As part of this effort, CLIA today also announced that it has named Bo Larsen to the position of Director of Port Engagement and Business Development. In this role, Bo will initially have responsibility as the staff liaison to the regional ports committee in Europe and Executive Partner business development for Northern Europe. Bo will support Didier Scaillet, CLIA Global Vice President of Business Development, who serves as the staff liaison to the Global Ports Committee and leads CLIA’s global business development activities.

"Bo’s strong background in cruise port development, international sales and marketing expertise, strong relationships with port representatives, and success growing the cruise industry’s presence in Copenhagen and the Baltic region make him an ideal fit to represent CLIA in this important new position," said Pierfrancesco Vago, Chairman of CLIA Europe and Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises.

Prior to joining CLIA, Larsen served as director of the Cruise Copenhagen Network and Cruise Baltic, where he oversaw the significant growth of the cruise industry in the region and had responsibility for sales, marketing, business development and branding. Larsen joins CLIA on March 1, 2014.