Marella: ‘Optimistic for the Future’
With the addition of a fifth ship in the Marella Voyager, the Marella Cruises brand is set for its biggest year ever, according to Managing Director Chris Hackney. “We are the number three player in the UK market, with just under 20 percent,” he said. The TUI company’s edge is its fly-cruise business model and…
The Battle for Bandwidth
Despite everyone’s best intentions, efforts and technological integration, there are simply times when blazingly high-speed internet isn’t available. Frustrating as that might be, bobbing in an extreme-latitude sea at the edge of the world, there may come a time when life online is briefly interrupted by in-person physical interaction with objective reality. It’s a problem…
Icon of the Seas: No Straight Lines in Innovation
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is different things to different people. A playground to passengers, a paycheck to ports, a home away from home to crew, a profit-driving post-pandemic triumph to Royal Caribbean International, and to the people designing and building the 250,000-plus-ton ship, the largest cruise ship ever built is a floating laboratory….
Silversea Offering Broad Destination Immersion
“Our destination focus is one of the main pillars that separates us in the market,” said Joe Leon, vice president, sales – Americas, for Silversea Cruises. “We are all in the business of taking travelers to destinations, but at Silversea we sail to more than 900 destinations, which is more than double anyone else in…
Princess Food and Beverage: ‘Catching the Moment’
The Catch by Rudi seafood restaurant being introduced aboard Princess ships is about delivering a new way to enjoy seafood and a fresh perspective on something they (passengers) thought they knew, according to Chef Rudi Sodamin. “Everything we are doing with the Catch is about ‘catching’ that precious moment we call ‘now’ and doing it…
MSC Revving Up for Global Exposure
MSC Cruises is aggressively building up its global exposure through sponsorships of sports, including auto racing, soccer and basketball, in addition to the more traditional sales and marketing channels. Comparing the cruise line to the worldwide Formula 1 racing series, Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, said: “We share common goals; we are focused on…