Safety: Lifelines at Sea
“In the unlikely event of having to abandon ship” is how the importance of lifeboat drills is typically stated to passengers. With the Costa Concordia grounding and the lingering pictures of the capsized ship, that event may not seem so unlikely anymore to the millions watching television and reading newspapers. But the fact is that…
Itinerary Planning: Cost and Revenue Potential Drive Ship Deployment
Port costs, return on shore excursions and sailing distances (fuel costs) drive itinerary planning today, according to Neil Palomba, corporate operating officer for MSC Cruises and chairman of the port subcommittee of the European Cruise Council. Palomba said that while deployment strategy is fundamentally passenger-centric, other factors are increasingly affecting the planning process. The global…
Caribbean: Lines and Islands: A Partnership?
The cruise industry provides a value-based sector to the overall tourism product mix in the Caribbean, according to Ricky Skerritt, chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). However, no shortage of unique challenges remain for Skerritt and the entire Caribbean. “The biggest challenge is to re-invent our destinations all over the region into something new…
New Operators: FTI and Harmony
Cruise Industry News talks to two new cruise lines starting service in 2012, FTI cruises will operate the 1980-built Berlin, and Seoul-based Harmony Cruises has started service with the Club Harmony, the ex-Costa Marina. It made sense to enter the market with their own product, said Thomas Kusch, director of FTI Cruises, as demand is…
Purchasing: Pricing, Quality, Service
The challenge is the same industry-wide, said Alvin Dennis, vice president of purchasing and logistics at Norwegian Cruise Line. “Prices are going up across the board, especially for protein products. “I have reached out to my counterparts at other cruise lines,” he continued, “and we are all on the same page. We will not do…
Editorial: Not Resting On Their Laurels
Every year we find that the cruise industry continues to push the bar. Marine operations continues to explore and introduce new technology, systems and procedures that make the ships safer and more efficient, while also saving fuel and reducing emissions. Hotel operations is introducing new concepts and services – not taking a back seat to…
Refurbishment: neoRomantica is Born
This has been a busy season for drydockings – with the Oriana and the QM2 at Blohm + Voss, the Albatros and Amadea at Lloyd Werft and other projects at Grand Bahama, Fincantieri’s Palermo yard and Cadiz. In addition, the Costa Romantica is being recreated as the neoRomantica in Genoa The planning for the 90…
Mexico: Rebuilding Pacific Traffic
The cruise industry has high priority on the national tourism development agenda, according to Fernando Olivera, undersecretary of Tourism for the Federal Secretariat of Tourism for Mexico. Speaking to Cruise Industry News, Olivera said that Mexico is committed to developing better products for passengers and better opportunities for cruise lines to generate more revenue on…
Hotel Ops: Efficient as Can Be
Norwegian Cruise Line is pushing Freestyle forward, according to Michael Flesch, senior vice president of hotel operations. He highlighted the following aspects as being new and notable: New production shows are debuting, and have been created in-house. Norwegian’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay, will be the No. 1 port of call for the line this…
Holland America Line: ‘Evolutionary’
In the current economic environment, running a successful cruise line requires a finer balancing act between revenues and costs. How effective that performance is depends on how competent management is, according to Stein Kruse, president and CEO of Holland America Line. “We have full understanding of where the costs are and how we best can…
Marine Ops: ‘Safely, Reliably and in Compliance’
At Royal Caribbean International, the mantra for marine operations is to sail “safely, reliably and in compliance,” according to Captain William Wright, senior vice president of marine operations. While the overriding focus is on safety, the company continues to work to gain further energy efficiencies. With fuel prices not trending in a positive direction, Wright…
Next Generation: Optimizing Ship Designs
The next generation of ships needs to be of flexible design, according to Giuseppe Torrente, head of the design department at Fincantieri’s Merchant Ship Business Unit. He said they need to be energy efficient and economical to operate. “Already more hydrodynamic hull forms require less propulsion power,” he explained. “The starting point is the speed….
Shipbuilding: Yards Battle for Orders
There were 22 ships on the orderbooks at press time, including options and memoranda of agreement, for deliveries from 2012 through 2016. While all the new ships are trending larger, they are not going anywhere near the size of the Oasis class. Instead, Royal Caribbean International’s new so-called Sunshine class is the largest among the…
Azamara: Flaunt Your Stuff!
Why is Azamara Club Cruises such a carefully kept secret in this industry? It is perplexing that this excellent product has to work so hard to rise above the marketing noise and clutter. Word of mouth still counts, however, particularly now with instant user internet reviews. We hope and feel strongly that Azamara will hold…
Disney: Legacy of Storytelling
Disney Cruise Line created the blue print for family cruising, according to Karl Holz, president of the cruise brand. He said the product is based on the story-telling legacy of Walt Disney and world-class entertainment. “Since its launch in 1998, the cruise line has continued to evolve, driven by its focus on innovation and leveraging…