News

UPDATE: Costa Concordia: go ahead to bring wreck on even keel tomorrow due this afternoon

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 15 September 2013 15 September 2013

Parbuckling operations of the Costa Concordia will begin tomorrow, Monday 16 September; the Italian Civil Protection Department said

"Based on the weather-marine forecast for the Giglio Island issued by the Central Station of the Department of Civil Protection, in coordination with the Weather Forecast Station for the Tuscany Region at the LAMMA Consortium, Titan/Micoperi Consortium technicians confirm the possibility to go ahead with the operations tomorrow. In fact, the expected values for wind direction and force (inserire quello della previsione) and significant wave height (inserire quello della previsione) fall within the range of operating feasibility thresholds," it said in a statement.

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Decision regarding go ahead for work to bringi the wreck of the cruise liner Costa Concordia on even keel tomorrow will be made this afternoon, the Italian Civil Protection Department said in a statement.

The weather conditions will have to be right to allow the work to start at first dawn tomorrow morning. The wreck lies on its starboard side at an angle of about 80 degrees at the island of Giglio. The vessel ran aground there on 13 January last year.

"The first date useful for the rotation of the Concordia is fixed at six o'clock in the morning of Monday, September 16th. However, weather conditions have to be favourable. The final decision about the beginning of operations will be therefore communicated by 2 pm of the previous day," the Civil Protection Department said.

At this point, the aim is to bring the vessel on even keel on the seabed plus a metal structure built under the vessel. The plan is to refloat the wreck at a later stage, after a sponson has been built also on the starboard side of the wreck.

Carnival Cruise Lines launches groundbreaking new 'Great Vacation Guarantee'

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 12 September 2013 12 September 2013

Carnival Cruise Lines today unveiled an unprecedented new program that offers consumers a one-of-a-kind, hassle-free money-back guarantee when booking a Carnival cruise vacation. Designed to provide consumers with complete peace of mind, the “Great Vacation Guarantee” allows guests to end their voyage early and receive a 110 percent refund plus complimentary transportation home, along with a $100 shipboard credit for a future cruise, should they be dissatisfied with their cruise for any reason.

“We are proud to carry nearly 4.5 million satisfied guests each year and are very confident in the quality of the vacation experience we provide on board the 24 ships of Carnival Cruise Lines,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO. “The ‘Great Vacation Guarantee’ is designed to provide an assurance to those consumers who may be considering a cruise that we stand behind our product and, if they are dissatisfied for any reason, they have a simple and hassle-free means for receiving a full refund and more.”

To exercise the “Great Vacation Guarantee,” guests simply notify the ship’s guest services desk within the first 24 hours of the voyage to receive a full refund of their cruise fare plus an additional 10 percent, along with complimentary return air transportation from the next port of call, and complimentary ground transportation and hotel accommodations (if necessary), along with a $100 shipboard credit to be used on a future Carnival cruise. Carnival will fully handle all the necessary travel arrangements to make it a truly hassle-free experience.

The “Great Vacation Guarantee” is valid on all three- to eight-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Canada and New England departing through April 30, 2015. The program applies to U.S. and Canadian residents only and guests must possess a valid passport to return to the U.S. by air.

Carnival is promoting the “Great Vacation Guarantee” through its travel agent partners, as well as a special section on its web site at www.carnival.com/vacationguarantee, and through ads in major market U.S. newspapers and online.

RCCL shares leap, dividend increase “interpreted as signal”

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 12 September 2013 12 September 2013

Shares in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) staged strong gains in heavy trade in Oslo on Thursday morning after the company had more than doubled quarterly dividend to $0.24 per share from $0.12.

The shares had risen 3.7% to NOK238.80 at mid-morning, local time. Volume was heavy, with about 336,000 shares having changed hands, markedly more than the 240,000 three month average daily figure.

“RCCL is not a dividend case, but you interpret that (the dividend increase) as a signal,” Kenneth Sivertsen cruise industry analyst at Arctic Securtities in Oslo, was quoted by imarkedet.no business news website as saying. The higher dividend sends a strong signal that return on equity would be good going forward, he stated.