HX Pushes Marketing Efforts to Source Chinese Guests

HX Pushes Marketing Efforts to Source Chinese Guests

HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) is pushing its marketing efforts in China with a new roadshow that will visit three cities in the country.

According to a statement,, experts from HX’s global headquarters will join the series of events, along with the presidents of the Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) and the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO).

The roadshow is scheduled to take place from Sept. 9 to 13, 2024, with events in Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai.

“We hope to attract up to 500 travel partners, tourism bureaus, consulates and media guests to our afternoon events in three cities, so we want to ensure that the guests can get a lot of valuable information from the expedition cruise experts from our global headquarters,” said Joe Zou, HX sales director for Mainland China and Southeast Asia.

Zou also highlighted HX’s investment in China, noting that Antarctica expeditions are currently a “hot-selling product” in China.

Each event will include a presentation of HX’s ships and onboard experience, followed by in-depth discussions on topics such as the new company’s destinations for the 2025-26 season and sustainable initiatives.

“The international cruises we have been promoting have been a great success. In the past seasons, we found that Chinese tourists really like this international atmosphere. We have made this unique experience even better by continuously upgrading our ‘China Ready’ program with the headquarters operations department and the expedition team,” Zou added.

As part of the initiative, HX offers Chinese news and movies in its cabins, as well as Chinese dining options.

The company also hired Chinese nationals for its expedition teams, front desks and restaurants, Zou explained.

HX opened a regional sales office in Shanghai and further expanded its APAC division with the appointment of new executives in mid-2023.

Carnival Splendor Resumes Service After Drydock

Carnival Splendor Resumes Service After Drydock

The Carnival Splendor is resuming service today after undergoing routine maintenance at a shipyard in Singapore.

Sailing from the Marina Bay Cruise Terminal, the Carnival Cruise Line vessel is offering a repositioning cruise back to its homeport in Australia, Sydney.

The 16-night voyage features visits to six destinations in Indonesia and Australia, including Jakarta, Bali, Lombok, Darwin, Airlie Beach and Moreton Island.

After arriving back in Sydney on September 6, 2024, the Carnival Splendor is set to resume its regular schedule in the South Pacific.

Sailing from the port, the 2008-built ship offers a series of three- to 11-night itineraries to various destinations across the region, including New Caledonia, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Tasmania and the Great Barrier Reef.

In addition to regular maintenance, the Carnival Splendor also received new dining options, updated amenities and refreshed spaces during its 19-day shipyard stay.

While in the drydock, the 113,300-ton ship also saw the addition of Carnival Cruise Line’s new livery, which includes a navy-blue hull with red and white accents.

As a nod to its operations in Australia, the hull of the Splendor features a Southern Cross representation near its stern.

Similar to the “Sailing Stars” livery introduced by P&O Australia in 2017, the symbol represents a five-star constellation that is visible in the Southern Hemisphere.

Set to be absorbed by the company in 2025, the brand will play a relevant role in Carnival’s future in the region.

In March, the Carnival Splendor will be joined in Australia by two former P&O ships, the Pacific Encounter and the Pacific Adventure.

Currently sailing from Brisbane and Sydney, the 2,600-guest sister ships will continue to operate a year-round schedule in the region after being transferred to the fleet of the U.S.-based brand.

Completing Carnival’s offerings in the South Pacific, the Carnival Luminosa also operates seasonally out of Brisbane.

Photo: Cruise Beyond SG

Norwegian Removes Bonaire From Two Viva Itineraries

Norwegian Removes Bonaire From Two Viva Itineraries

Norwegian Cruise Line is removing scheduled visits to Kralendijk in Bonaire from two of Norwegian Viva’s upcoming cruises.

According to a statement sent to booked guests, the sailings scheduled to depart on Feb. 16 and Feb. 23, 2025, will no longer visit the port of call.

“We are committed to providing the best vacations at sea and have been working tirelessly to continue elevating the quality of the overall guest experience while positively impacting society and the environment,” Norwegian Cruise Line said.

“As we continue to optimize itineraries for enhanced port and shore excursion availability for the ultimate vacation experience, fuel optimization as a part of our commitment to the environment and sustainability efforts, as well as global maritime regulations, we have adjusted our original itinerary,” the company added in its statement.

Sailing roundtrip from San Juan, Puerto Rico, the itinerary of the affected voyages sail to the Southern and Eastern Caribbean.

“We recognize the importance that destinations play in our guests’ vacation decision-making process and assure you that these modifications were made with an optimal guest experience top-of-mind,” Norwegian continued.

The company added that, while the visit to Bonaire has been dropped, the revised itinerary now includes extended visits to La Romana, Dominican Republic; Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curacao; Castries, St. Lucia; and Basseterre, St. Kitts.

According to the statement, shore excursions booked through Norwegian for Kralendijk, Bonaire, will be automatically cancelled.

A full monetary refund of the fare paid will be returned to the form of payment used at the time of reservation.

Norwegian also is said to be adjusting shore excursions in other ports of call to coincide with the new times in port.

Spending the winter in the region, the Norwegian Viva is scheduled to offer a series of week-long cruises to the Southern and Eastern Caribbean between mid-December and mid-April.

Sailing from Puerto Rico, the schedule of the 2023-built ship also features visits to Tortola, St. Maarten, Barbados, St. Thomas and more.

Holland America Line 2024 Cruise Capacity Breakdown

Holland America Line 2024 Cruise Capacity Breakdown

HAL Westerdam in Glacia Bay Alaska photo credit Spacejunkie2 flickr images

According to the 2024 Cruise Industry News Annual Report, Holland America Line is offering a balanced deployment mix in 2024 across its 11-ship fleet.

Alaska continues to concentrate most of the company’s offerings, with a total of six ships sailing in the region this summer.

Offering seven-night cruises from Vancouver, the Koningsdam is Holland America’s largest vessel in Alaska this year.

Other ships sailing in the region include the Nieuw Amsterdam, the Eurodam, the Noordam, the Westerdam and the Zaandam.

Holland America Line is also building up its Caribbean offering in 2024, with roughly a 15 per cent increase in capacity compared to 2023.

Mostly sailing from Port Everglades, seven ships are set to offer week-long or longer cruises in the region this year.

The Caribbean deployment is highlighted by a 21-night cruise that sails roundtrip from the Port of Boston.

Scheduled for October, the unique itinerary sails onboard the Zuiderdam and features visits to destinations in the Southern and Eastern Caribbean, as well as the Bahamas and Bermuda.

After seeing a significant capacity increase in 2023,  Northern Europe completes the brand’s top three cruise capacity regions.

Other regions with significant cruise capacity from Holland America Line include the West Coast, the Mediterranean and Canada/New England.

With summer and fall programs onboard the Volendam and the Zuiderdam, the latter is seeing an 18 per cent capacity spike in 2024.

The Holland America fleet is also offering itineraries to South America, Australia, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, the Canaries, and the Asia/Pacific region, as well as a full world cruise and repositioning trans-Atlantic sailings.

TUI Group Q3 Numbers: Cruise Prices Up

TUI Group Q3 Numbers: Cruise Prices Up

Mein Schiff 3 photo credit Spacejunkie2 - Flickr images

TUI Group announced its third quarter results and noted that cruise prices are up two per cent for its three brands: TUI Cruises, Marella Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

The three brands will deploy 17 ships during the summer, the company said, with passenger cruise days going up 11 per cent for the coming four quarters thanks to the new Mein Schiff 7, which joined the fleet in June.

Occupancy rates were up at all three brands. The Mein Schiff fleet saw occupancy at 101 per cent, up from 98 per cent a year prior; Hapag-Lloyd was up to 78 per cent from 73 per cent, and Marella Cruises was up to 98 per cent from 95 per cent.

The average daily ticket prices were also up, reported at 207 euros for TUI Cruises, up from 191 euros last year. Hapag-Lloyd saw its daily ticket price at 733 euros, up from 706 euros, and Marella Cruises reported its average daily ticket price at 189 pounds, up from 178 pounds in 2023.

Disney Cruise Line to Build Four More New Ships

Disney Cruise Line to Build Four More New Ships

Disney Dream berthed in Historic Liverpool photo credit Spacejunkie2-Flickr images.

Disney said it would build another four new cruise ships between 2027 and 2031, joining its current fleet of five and four on order, and bringing its fleet count to 13 ships.

The news came during the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase and the company said that the ship names, designs, and itineraries were still in development.

A formal announcement is expected shortly.

The Disney Magic and Wonder, the line’s two initial newbuilds, joined the fleet in 1998 and 1999, respectively, and were built at Fincantieri in Italy.

Subsequent ships were all built at Meyer Werft in Germany, and the company’s upcoming orderbook is being handled by the German yard.

The line’s most recent new cruise ship, the 2,500-guest Disney Wish, launched service in 2022. The Disney Treasure is next, sailing later this year.

Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas to Undergo $100 Million Upgrade

Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas to Undergo $100 Million Upgrade

The Allure of the Seas is set for a $100 million upgrade in April 2025, Royal Caribbean International announced in a press release.

The refurbishment, which is part of the company’s Royal Amplified refit program, will see the creation of new venues and features onboard.

For a complete picture of the drydock market, see the 2024 Drydock and Refurb Report by Cruise Industry News.

According to Royal Caribbean, after the update, the Allure of the Seas will offer more than 35 ways to dine and drink, as well as new bars, a new water park and upgraded pool decks.

The 2010-built vessel will also see the creation of new suites, as well as Royal Caribbean’s signature Ultimate Abyss slide.

The refurbishment will be completed ahead of the ship’s summer program in the Western Mediterranean, the company added.

Between April and October 2025, the newly amplified ship is scheduled to offer seven-night cruises to Spain, Italy and France.

“From the new Icon and Utopia of the Seas to now the more than $100 million transformation of Allure of the Seas, we’ve upped the ante threefold on the different ways vacationers can get away and make memories with Royal Caribbean,” said Jay Schneider, Chief Product Innovation Officer, Royal Caribbean International.

“Allure will be reimagined with the best of Royal Caribbean and what travellers love. Between new favourites, like the Pesky Parrot tiki bar, and experiences that unlock core memories time and time again, from an incredible pool deck to an unmatched combination of thrills and ways to chill, Allure will have even more of everything that makes it standout favourite,” he added.

First introduced in 2018, the Royal Amplified program included significant refurbishments onboard Voyager-, Freedom- and Oasis-class ships.

Allure’s sister ship, the Oasis of the Seas, was one of the vessels that underwent an “amplification” in 2019.

After debuting its new features in Europe, the Allure of the Seas is set to return to the United States in November 2025 for a series of six- to eight-night cruises to the Caribbean departing from Fort Lauderdale.

P&O Arcadia Arrives into Liverpool

P&O Arcadia Arriving in Liverpool

MSC Cruises to Reduce Fleetwide Emissions by Up to 15%

MSC Cruises to Reduce Fleetwide Emissions by Up to 15%

MSC Magnifica is anchored in the Firth of Forth just under the Forth Railway Bridge for more Images of Magnifica follow the link.https://flic.kr/s/aHsm7BUfg3

MSC Cruises is set to reduce fleetwide emissions by up to 15 per cent in 2026 by implementing a new itinerary planning optimization tool, OptiCruise, according to a press release.

Developed in collaboration with OPTIMeasy, the new mathematical model reportedly analyzes various factors influencing the planning of MSC Cruises’ itineraries. The goal is to achieve maximum efficiency while maintaining or enhancing guest satisfaction, the company stated.

The MSC Bellissima was selected to test the prototype technology over 12 months while sailing between 17 ports in the Mediterranean Sea.

Michele Francioni, chief energy transition officer at MSC Cruises, said: “We have identified and developed this new technology to optimize the decision-making process of itinerary planning to further reduce emissions across our fleet from 2026.  

 “The OPTIMeasy team calculates that the average fuel savings made, and emissions reduced by using OptiCruise are in the range of 10-15 per cent which is a significant step forward in our ambition to achieve our net zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050 for our marine operations.” 

According to the company, voyage planning in the global cruise industry has traditionally focused on the appeal of ship destinations to potential holidaymakers.

OptiCruise aims to expand this approach by incorporating a range of factors that affect itinerary efficiency. These include the sequencing of port calls, departure and arrival times, a ship’s speed, destination attractiveness, shore excursions and operational costs such as fuel, port charges and food provisions.

The tool’s algorithms analyze this data to identify optimized itineraries that maintain guest appeal while enhancing energy efficiency.

MSC Cruises’ strategy to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 for its marine operations centres on three key areas: ship and engine technology, operational efficiency and renewable fuels. OptiCruise falls under the operational efficiency category, aiming to enhance energy consumption through increased digitalization.

OptiCruise was developed under the European Union’s Project CHEK, which explores low-carbon shipping technologies and innovative designs.