Windstar: Major Staggered Growth
By summer 2015, Windstar Cruises will have gone from three ships and 600 beds to six ships and 1,200 beds, with the addition of the three smaller Seabourn ships. CEO Hans Birkholz said the expansion was based on three key considerations. “First, the business has been growing and we are in need of additional capacity,”…
ECA Extensions
With the ECA scheduled to go into full force in 2015, cruise lines may find that they will be granted extensions as long as they are working on compliance technology. According to a statement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency and the U.S. Coast Guard have been working with cruise lines and…
Food and Beverage: The Mediterranean Art of Eating
Offerings aboard the MSC Cruises fleet are built on a platform of Mediterranean lifestyle. “We present the flavors and traditions of the region to our multicultural guests, all in respect of a healthy diet,” said Monica Panero, product and project director at MSC Italcatering, in an interview with Cruise Industry News. She said the trends…
Food and Beverage: Evolving with Two Chefs
The diversity presented on Remy’s menu on the Disney Dream and Fantasy is a the result of a natural collaboration between Chef Arnaud Lallement from l’Assiette Champenoise, a Michelin 2-star restaurant just outside Reims, France, and Chef Scott Hunnel, from Victoria & Albert’s at Walt Disney World Resort. But that didn’t come easy, as Ozer…
Royal Princess: Future Proof
The Royal Princess is the greenest ship in its fleet, according to Princess Cruises, which said the new ship has been designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. The 141,000-ton ship has a Wartsila diesel-electric powerplant with four 46F engines with a total output of 62 MW, and traditional shaft drives. Partially thanks…
Technical: Project Mille
The new ship concept provides owners with more revenue-generating space and is more efficient to operate, said Maurizio Cergol, head of marketing and new concept development for Fincantieri, about the company’s new Project Mille design. Based on a narrower superstructure on a beam in proper portion to draft and length, more decks can be added…
China: ‘The Time Has Come’
In the central part of Beijing, the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association (CCYIA) has a team with some 20 staff, working diligently to promote the healthy growth and development of the Chinese cruise industry. Although the CCYIA is registered as a non-profit organization in China, it has the official backing from the National Development…
F&B: Food Spend Steady
Serving up fine cuisines along with comfort food in their many dining venues and crew quarters, food spending per person, per day aboard cruise ships ran from $9.02 to 9.46 for the publicly traded companies in 2012, including lobster tails and filet mignon. Last year, the biggest spender on food was Royal Caribbean Cruises at…
Shipbuilding: No Compromises: Europa 2
When the passengers are paying an average of $800 a day, the ship better be perfect. “The Europa 2 is a contemporary version of the Europa. We looked at what we’re good at on the Europa and are making it better on the Europa 2,” said Dr. Henning Brauer, director of newbuild for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises….
HNA Enters the Asia Cruise Market
2013 promises several crucial milestones for the Chinese cruise market. Apart from the record number of ships calling on Chinese ports, the biggest and most important event may have been the maiden voyage of the Henna on Jan. 26, 2013 by newcomer HNA Cruises. HNA Cruises, established last year, is the first domestic luxury cruise…
Luxury: Crystal Mission: To Be Best
“Our focus is on constantly refining our product,” said Gregg Michel, president of Crystal Cruises. “We never stand still; we continue to innovate – to provide the best food and beverage experience, service, onboard entertainment and enrichment programs.” He pointed to the drydocking of the Crystal Symphony last year which completed a five-year, $65 million…
Itinerary Planning: Guaranteeing Traffic
This year, Grand Turk will be the fourth-busiest port in the world for Carnival Corporation brands in terms of transit passengers, according to Giora Israel, senior vice president of port and destination development. He said more than 800,000 passengers are scheduled to visit Grand Turk in 2013. He singled it out as an example of…
The Caribbean: 2013 Edition
The lion’s share of the global cruise industry’s capacity is still in the Caribbean – and even up for 2013 – just slightly, according to Cruise Industry News estimates. The playing field, however, is cramped and competitive – with lots of ships on similar routes, leaving from the same homeports and demanding more and more…
Itinerary Planning: What’s Trending?
Itinerary planning comes down to numbers, simply put – operating costs and shore excursion revenue, but also passenger attraction. “We look at market demand before looking at the cost side when planning itineraries,” said Neil Palomba, corporate operating officer at MSC Cruises. Guest satisfaction is the most important planning criteria, also according to Crane Gladding,…
Finance: Europe Is Swing Factor
While earnings guidance for 2013 is upbeat from Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line, Europe is the swing factor. Carnival said on its year-end earnings call that it expects higher yields in North America and lower yields in Europe. The U.S. and the Caribbean are expected to be the main drivers for…