At the Helm of the Ocean Explorer
Operating a ship in Antarctica is similar to leading a “special forces operation in the military,” said Apostolos Kaknis, captain aboard the Ocean Explorer for Vantage Travel. Tthe best way to deal with it is to “leave talented people to do their job.” “I try to avoid micromanagement. To me, it’s better to leave people…
Looking to Further ‘Level Up’ Windstar’s F&B
When Bjoern Wassmuth came on as the new culinary director for Windstar Cruises at the end of 2022, he knew there would be a lot to learn. With more than 25 years of culinary expertise, including five years managing culinary operations at a luxury cruise line, Wassmuth has been around long enough to know there…
Scenic Building Luxury Cruise Capacity
Buzzing along beneath the surface of the sea, the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, better known as the Jones Act, is hard at work. Scenic Eclipse II’s Neptune II, the sister submarine to Scenic Eclipse’s Neptune I, is similar to its counterpart. It’s a little bigger, carrying nine passengers rather than seven, each of whom…
Lindblad: Demand Soaring
Lindblad Expedition started the year off with the biggest booking day in company history, said Noah Brodsky, chief commercial officer. “We always expect a bump in Wave Season,” he said, “But there is pent up demand to get out there.” The booking trends are interesting, Brodsky continued, noting significant close-in bookings. Typically (our guests) are…
Carnival Corporation Sets Future Course
“We are going to propel this company forward,” said Josh Weinstein, president, chief executive officer and chief climate officer of Carnival Corporation, in an exclusive interview with Cruise Industry News. “This company has had a fortress of a balance sheet and we are going to get that back. We will do that by driving revenue,…
Itinerary Planning: MSC Cruises Brings Global Focus
“We are focused on consolidating and increasing our presence in our core markets, while also developing new opportunities for the future,” said Achille Staiano, vice president of global sales for MSC Cruises. “So, for example, we will have 12 ships in the Mediterranean in 2024, seven in the Western Mediterranean and five in the Eastern…
Carnival Corporation HR: Workforce Planning Strategy
Carnival Corporation brands need to recruit more than 30,000 seafarers annually, according to Bettina Deynes, global chief human resources officer. “With bigger ships we need more seafarers,” she added. “So, as you can imagine, our workforce planning strategy is quite significant. And we have to constantly adapt to the challenges we face, which are quite…