Mexico: Two Coasts; Different Products
Mexico’s cruise traffic on the Pacific side is for the most part in a downward spiral, and the Caribbean side was also down in 2012 from 2011. Mexican Riviera cruise traffic dropped 41 percent, and the Caribbean side fell 26 percent, according to port sources familiar with the situation. Ensenada may be the only port…
Refurbishment Briefs
When 2012 came to a close, some 22 cruise ships had been worked on at Grand Bahama Shipyard over the course of the calendar year. Highlights during the fall season included the addition of the “Captains Cabins” on the Carnival Conquest and Glory – above the bridge. These projects were managed by the yard, which…
Editorial: Challenges
The cruise-ship building industry is finding itself at a crossroads as new orders have slowed down to a trickle, and most yards have had to adapt by cutting back or pursuing alternative projects. Meanwhile, the orderbook is still at an impressive 17 cruise ships for deliveries through 2016, and cruise line executives have stated that…
Princess Cruises: Delivering Today for the Future
The key to the future is how you deliver (the product) today, according to Alan Buckelew, president and CEO of Princess Cruises. “How well we please the passengers today will be the key to our long-term success,” he said. “Happy customers will not only return, but they also go home and proselytize.” Buckelew described Princess…
Shipbuilding: Maintaining Healthy Yards?
This may be a more dramatic year for shipbuilding than is at first apparent, if no orders are placed before Dec. 31. In that case, this will the first year in recent memory, when not a single new shipbuilding order has been placed. (Viking Ocean announced its original agreement with STX France in December of…
Shipbuilding: Hapag-Lloyd Takes Next Step with Europa 2
The Europa 2 will be the first newbuild in the world to have a catalytic converter, reducing nitric oxide emissions by 95 percent when she launches ultra-luxury service for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises in 2013, said Dr. Henning Brauer, head of project management for the German cruise line. “It will reduce nitric oxides in the exhaust by…
Cruise Ship Interiors Reach New Heights
Interior design onboard ships has caught up, and in some cases, is passing shoreside trends in land-based resorts and restaurants, said leading design firms interviewed by Cruise Industry News. “For a number of years we felt the industry was so far behind, but now it is more daring,” said Fredrik Johansson of Tillberg Design in…
LNG: First Large Gas-Propelled Passenger Vessels
The Viking Grace was launched at STX’s Turku shipyard in August. Sailing for Finland-based Viking Line, the new ship will replace the Isabella on the Turku – Aaland Islands and Stockholm route in January (2013). Built at a cost of 240 million euro, the Viking Grace will be the first large passenger vessel fueled by…
Editorial: Covering the Entire Global Industry
There is so much going on in the cruise industry and at Cruise Industry News we are doing our best in each issue to give our readers an overview of the news, the trends and the future, while also providing some exclusive insight and looks behind the scenes. Innovation: The cruise industry never seems to…
Safety: Inspecting Ships
The key to a cruise ship inspection is using a holistic approach, according to the United States Coast Guard during a recent training course for Coast Guard personnel and industry representatives from the class societies and cruise lines. The course spanned an entire week, and included ship visits, giving Cruise Industry News an exclusive behind-the-scenes…
IT Czar
All information technology (IT) at Royal Caribbean Cruises and its brands falls under Bill Martin, CIO, who has the daunting task of overseeing shipboard IT infrastructure along with shoreside systems, websites, agent systems and more. The latest ships, including the Oasis and Solstice classes, and the two Project Sunshine newbuilds, run on a fiber optic…
Europe: A Sea of Challenges
Some countries in Europe continue to be strong despite the economic and political challenges that much of Europe is facing. Other countries, especially in Southern Europe, may be on the verge of economic collapse, as a sea of challenges keeps coming. Meanwhile, the cruise passenger capacity for 2012 for ships sailing in Europe is approximately…
Cruise Experience: ‘Fun Is Who We Are’
“Is it fun? Will it appeal to our guests?” asked Lania Rittenhouse, vice president of product development at Carnival Cruise Lines. That is the first criteria when considering new food venues, bars or entertainment. “The second criteria,” she said, “is whether it represents good value to our customers. They tend to be value conscious and…
Food & Beverage: ‘Healthy and Active’
A raw-food program has turned out to be very popular aboard the two SeaDream vessels, according to Thomas Carlson, vice president of hotel operations for SeaDream Yacht Club. Developed with Hippocrates Health Studio of West Palm Beach, the raw food program refers to the style of preparation, according to Carlson, and has no fish, meat,…
Editorial: Lessons to be Learned
Forever gone, and thankfully so, are the days when lifeboat drills are taken lightly. The words “in the unlikely event of abandoning ship” will be questioned for some time. The drills are no longer party time and hiding in the bathroom (to avoid participating) will no longer be tolerated. Having taken part in many lifeboat…