Chinese Eye a Higher Calling
The 12th China Cruise Shipping Conference and International Expo was held in the ever-green Sanya in early November, bringing together cruise lines, Chinese government officials, ports and suppliers. The event was organized by the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association (CCYIA). For the government and its various ministries, along with state-backed companies, the message was…
Mexico: Acapulco: Calls and Homeporting
Thirty calls are scheduled for the 2017-2018 season for Acapulco. That is a slight dip from last year, because Holland America canceled eight calls when Carnival Corporation did not conduct its destination site inspection, despite being invited by the port, explained Alex Casarrubias, port director. “We are confident that once Carnival, as well as Royal…
PortMiami Set to Continue Record-Shattering Growth Pace
“We do have space. I want that to be very clear, that we have space for growth here at PortMiami,” said Juan Kuryla, port director. “We are growing and need to continue investing.” Miami is coming off a record year, with 5.3 million cruise passengers, and a similar, slightly better year is expected in 2017-2018….
Respecting the Sea
With a 35-knot wind and strong Hudson River current, Captain Ubaldo Armellino was in control of a full bridge team docking the Seven Seas Navigator at Pier 88 in Manhattan on an October Monday with two tugboats on standby. “I treat every maneuver as if it was my first. All ports and situations should be…
Leading in China
“In our role, and my role, customers are the priority and exceeding their expectations on a daily basis,” said Mario Zanetti, president of Carnival China. “Right now the focus is on Costa. It is a pioneer in the market and the market leader with our Italy at Sea concept. We need to make sure that…
Diverse Sourcing Model
The SuperStar Gemini is moving to homeport in Bangkok in December for a five month program, offering two- and three-night cruises. The SuperStar Libra launched its triple homeport deployment program in September, sailing from Port Klang, Penang and Phuket, offering three- and four-night cruises. In Taiwan, the SuperStar Aquarius sails from Keelung to Japan, and…
‘Hitting on All Cylinders’
The Norwegian Bliss is set to steal the show in Alaska next summer, as the brand new ship sails her first itinerary from Seattle in early June. “It’s the first time we have put a new ship into that market,” said Andy Stuart, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. “That is capturing a lot…
Alternative Energy: Option Dilemma
Alternative fuel choices are presenting the industry with a dilemma, according to Helge Hermundsgaard, business development manager at DNV GL Maritime. “LNG is definitely an alternative, but cruise lines are also exploring hybrid solutions with biofuels, fuel cells and other fuels,” he said. “If people tell you today they have the answer (future fuels), the…
Two Challenges
As we focus on Europe and food and beverage in this issue, two industry challenges become apparent. Europe is the second largest cruise market and ship deployment region in the world and is expected to maintain this position over the next decade, if not longer. This year, the European brands’ market capacity is for an…
MSC Building Up Globally
“We are investing in new ships and are also prepared to invest in many different regions in the world,” said Gianni Onorato, president and CEO of MSC Cruises. “What you are seeing are initiatives by a company that wants to be an increasingly important player in this industry. “The first stage of our goal was…
Global Procurement Strategy
Carnival Corporation will spend about $9 billion on operating expenses per year, including more than $1 billion on food products (the company does not break out its beverage spend). Julia Brown, chief procurement officer, told Cruise Industry News in an exclusive interview that about 35 to 40 percent of the supplies are sourced globally, 35…
A Global Italian Brand
At Costa Crociere, the core daily focus is to exceed guest expectations. “This is our mantra; we put our guests at the center of every decision in every department,” Neil Palomba, president, told Cruise Industry News. “And, we focus our activities to ensure that guests are fully satisfied prior, during and after their cruise.” Continuous innovation has…
Royal Caribbean: Major Player in Europe
Royal Caribbean Cruises is a major player in European markets with its three brands. Said Stuart Leven, vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA): “We market Royal (Caribbean International) as a family product, Celebrity as an upscale luxury product, and for Azamara we focus more on the destination experience as the ships often stay…
Delivering the Experience
At Holland America Line, there is a true passion to delivering the wow behind the food experience aboard, according to Frits van der Werff, vice president, food and beverage. Case in point, world famous sushi chef Andy Matsuda was set to board the Koningsdam to train chefs working at Tamarind, the line’s Asian-fusion restaurant. “I…
Pushing the Connectivity Limits at Sea
Delivering a quality guest experience for connectivity means pushing the limits of technology, delivering heaps of bandwidth and optimizing download and upload pipes down to the last byte of data. What was minimally accepted technology just years ago, like Netflix streaming, is now expected to work regardless of where you are: at home, at work,…