CSR Has Multiple Bottom Lines: Profitability, Environment and Social Equity
It is no longer enough to be in business and be profitable. In addition it is becoming increasingly important how that business is run. Thus, AIDA Cruises was recently awarded a Maritime Social Responsibility (MSR) certificate from Germanischer Lloyd (GL), as part of the line’s integrated management system covering ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001…
Marine/Technical Operations: People Make the Difference
Fuel conservation, maintenance and recruitment are some of the issues that will keep marine and technical operations busy in 2007, in addition to new ship introductions and refurbishment projects. “We have made significant reductions in fuel consumption already,” said Captain William Wright, senior vice president of marine operations at Royal Caribbean International. “We are using…
Hotel Operations: Staying Fresh
This promises to be a busy year for hotel operations, with the introduction of new ships and refurbishment projects, as well as new homeports and new itineraries, while also meeting revenue targets, keeping expenses under control, and delivering a solid guest experience. At Royal Caribbean International, Senior Vice President of Total Guest Satisfaction Michael Bayley…
North American Ports: Florida Drives Expansion
As the cruise traffic grows, Florida ports continue to benefit from the lion’s share of the business, while also gearing up for more. And to handle the growth, terminal construction and upgrades, dedicated transportation systems and roadways, are either underway or being planned. While the cruise industry has grown 107 percent over the past 10…
Luxury Defined
The North American-based luxury lines were sailing with the current in 2006 and expect another good year in 2007. With things looking up, Seabourn Cruise Line ordered two new 450-passenger ships to be built by T. Mariotti, at a cost of $250 million each, for delivery in 2009 and 2010. This optimism is in contrast…
Shipbuilding & Repair: Booming Repair Business
With a steady stream of new ships entering service, the fleet that requires regular, periodic maintenance grows bigger, generating more work for shipyards closer to the sailing regions around the world. In addition, the new state-of-the-art ships also accelerate the need to have older ships modernized – or revitalizes as is the industry term –…
Shipbuilding & Repair: Building Back on Course
With 35 cruise ships under construction or on order (or option) for deliveries through 2011, the three yard companies that build cruise ships are nearly fully occupied for the next three years, with slots only opening up for 2010 and beyond. The current orderbook has an estimated value of about $21 billion, averaging approximately $199,240…
New Ships: Is Bigger Better?
Cruise companies share the same objective: that is to make as much money as possible. Yet, the business models of the two largest companies, Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises, are different. Royal Caribbean thinks the best course to profits is with bigger ships; Carnival thinks the best course is with big ships, but not…
Editorial: An Energetic and Innovative Industry
Record Orderbook: The cruise industry is back on its growth course with a record orderbook, including new generations of mega-ships that will undoubtedly take cruising to a new level by attracting ever broader markets. In addition, existing classes of ships are evolving – offering more passenger comforts and features than ever – promising to satisfy…
Growth Course
The European cruise industry is expanding on several fronts – with leading European cruise brands introducing new ships, and with American-based lines dedicating more ships to Europe. European Growth The European cruise capacity is set to grow from an estimated 2.8 million passengers in 2005 to 3.2 million in 2006 (14.2 percent), to 3.5 million…
On An Island
Annual capacity among U.K. operators, as estimated by Cruise Industry News, is up 14 percent in 2006 over last year – and perhaps the most significant increase comes from Island Cruises, which doubled its capacity to nearly 160,000. Along with the Island Star, the line’s newest ship, the Island Escape (ex-Horizon), introduced at the end…
German Shipbuilding: Diversified Infrastructure
The German shipbuilding industry has a diversified infrastructure with at least three yards involved with cruise ships: Meyer Werft as a builder of new ships and Blohm + Voss Repair and Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven in repairs and conversions. In addition, Neptun Werft – which is owned by Meyer – builds river cruise vessels and has…
Food & Beverage: A Lot at Stake
When Helga Finnsdottir was named the executive chef onboard Royal Caribbean International’s Grandeur of the Seas in 1999, it marked the first time in the line’s history a woman held the high-ranking position. But Finnsdottir, senior executive chef, wasn’t to spend much time in a single ship’s galley: in 2001, she helped launch the Explorer…
Aker Finnyards: Taking a Bigger Share of the Market
Aker Finnyards is set to play a bigger role in cruise-ship building as the Finnish yard is integrated with Chantiers de l’Atlantique. It is Aker Yards, the Finnish shipbuilder’s parent company that is acquiring the French shipbuilding facilities of Alstom Marine. A new company will be established by the end of March, with Aker holding…
Company Profile: Celebrity Cruises: It’s All About Service
“We are focusing on three areas: to manage our day-to-day operating costs efficiently; to create a clean and integrated brand-communication platform; and to ensure that we deliver the experience that our guests expect,” said Dan Hanrahan, president of Celebrity Cruises. On his plate is also the $55 million revitalization of the Century slated for this…