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…
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…