Company Profile: Carnival Cruise Lines: Targeting Middle America

Carnival Cruise Lines is the only cruise line in the world with a clearly defined product, according to Gerry Cahill, president and CEO. “All the other lines are trying to go up-market,” he said, “and tend to blend. We are truly defined: we offer a memorable vacation experience and a great value, targeting middle-America. Our…

Marine Ops: A Sea of Challenges

The cruise industry is facing a range of challenges on the marine operations side, ranging from environmental regulations to human engineering, new technology, alternative fuels and public perception. “Today, environmental regulations are clearly a challenge,” said Eirik Nyhus, director of maritime environmental strategic issues, at Det Norske Veritas (DNV). “We are looking at the regulations…

Hotel Ops: Meeting Guest Expectations and Budget Targets

There is more pressure on the hotel department than ever before. With reduced ticket prices, the ships not only have to be mindful of spending, but have the job of making up the lost (ticket) revenue, while keeping passengers happy. “One thing we are not doing is to cheapen the product to save money, that…

Editorial: Battle of the Giants

Both Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International introduced new ships this past fall. Carnival introduced the newest generation of what started as its Destiny class, built by Fincantieri in 1996, going from 101,000 to 102,000, 110,000 and now 130,000 tons and raising the passenger capacity along the way from 2,600 to 3,650. Royal Caribbean,…

Canada/New England: From Metropolises to Wilderness

From New York and New Jersey to Atlantic Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador and the Saint Lawrence River, cruise traffic is on a growth course, along with infrastructure development and marketing efforts to accommodate and attract more ships and passengers. The Cruise The Saint Lawrence port and destination association wrapped up a record 2009 season with…

Mexico: Adapting to Market Forces

Mexico is still reeling from the double whammy of the swine flu outbreak last year and the economic downturn, and the country’s tourism and port officials are still gauging the effects. As 2009 wound down, Mexico’s officials were watching tourism numbers carefully. Last fall was going to mark  “the beginning of a very important season…