Summer 2009: Editorial
There is an impressive line-up of new ships being introduced, taking the cruise experience to a new level in terms of facilities and activities offered. More like floating resorts, these new ships will appeal to a broader audience and thus help grow markets around the world. It is not only new hardware that drives industry…
F&B: Balanced Innovation
Cruise line food and beverage executives face challenges that landside chefs and restaurant owners do not – such as maintaining a fresh supply of fish and produce on long hauls at sea and frequent re-training of culinary staff due to the transitory nature of crew contracts. However, they still manage to continually push the envelope…
F&B: Re-Inventing Beverages
The ongoing recession notwithstanding, passengers are still drinking – not necessarily more, as one might expect during hard times, but they are not depriving themselves either. Whether they’re leaning more toward beer than pricier options or splurging on their favorite grape, passengers are continuing to imbibe. Cruise line beverage managers are innovating in response, with…
European Operators: Different Business Models
The European cruise industry continues to grow, but not only with European-based cruise lines. The traditional American brands are also focusing more on Europe, and not only for ship deployment, but also for passenger sourcing. The largest brands in Europe in terms of passenger capacity are Costa Crociere, MSC Cruises, AIDA Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises, P&O…
Destination Focus Europe: Driving Expansion
The most popular sailing region is the Mediterranean where cruise ships will carry an estimated 3.6 million passengers in 2009, according to Cruise Industry News, including 269,000 during the winter season. The cruise capacity in Northern Europe is estimated to be 1.1 million passengers in 2009. While ships sail from the UK during the winter,…
Oasis of the Seas: Breaking Barriers
The Oasis of the Seas is not just the largest cruise (passenger) ship ever built, but also a totally new design and configuration, said Harri Kulovaara, executive vice president at Royal Caribbean Cruises. While the Oasis is clearly an extrapolation in size as well as in complexity, she is also the result of Royal Caribbean’s…