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…
Editorial: Get the Orders Rolling; ‘New Gets Old’
This is a time of contrasts. The industry is introducing ever more amazing ships while raising standards and the bar on product delivery. At the same time, ticket prices are dropping lower than ever due to the economic downturn. We are seeing seven-day Caribbean cruises being offered as low as $399 per person this coming…
Polar Issues Raised
The polar regions are seeing an increased push in demand for voyages and landings. With more ships and capacity appearing in these regions over the last decade, there is no shortage of issues at hands for the lines to deal with. “All of a sudden we have a situation where there is a lot of…
Oasis of the Seas: Bigger and Better
“The Oasis of the Seas will have such a dramatic impact that she will help more people understand all that cruising has to offer,” said Richard Fain, CEO and chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises, parent company to Royal Caribbean International. “We are seeing a halo effect on the rest of our fleet,” he added. “We…
Shipbuilding: The Economy Will Drive Future Orders
While prices on raw materials, machinery and furnishings have come down since last fall, affordable access to capital has also become more limited, so shipowners are basically not able to take advantage of what may be lower building prices, according to Enrico Buschi, COO at Fincantieri’s cruise ship business unit. Shipowners are facing two challenges,…
Fall 2009 Ship Review: Passionate Love Boat
Passion steers the newest addition to the Princess love boats – the Ruby Princess. As one-on-one interviews with Ruby officers in this issue will attest to, there is a passion imparted by management for hospitality, cuisine, and service. A true premium product, the Ruby Princess will challenge luxury and upscale ships. It was the itinerary…
F&B: ‘The Plates Speak for Us’
“Remember, food is gold,” said Executive Chef Joel Directo aboard the Ruby Princess, meaning that from his point of view, the food experience may be the most important part of a cruise. Very good teamwork, good spirits and high staff morale are key to the food preparation and restaurant service, which in turn reflects on…
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…