Copenhagen Puts New Cruise Terminal Project on Pause

Copenhagen won't be getting a new cruise terminal in 2022, as the port originally promised.

"A very significantly changed cruise market, due to the crisis with the coronavirus pandemic, means that Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) will postpone the establishment of what was planned to be a new cruise terminal at Copenhagen’s Oceankaj," the port said, in a statement. 

“This is, it goes without saying, extremely regrettable, including of course also to the parties involved in the tendering process, that the investment in a new cruise terminal is being postponed. Until a few months ago, we saw a healthy 2020 with a record number of port calls from cruise ships with almost a million guests visiting Copenhagen. However, with the arrival of the crisis accompanying the coronavirus pandemic, the brakes have suddenly been put on global growth – including in Copenhagen, where forecasts indicate that the 2020 cruise season will be entirely cancelled, followed by some uncertainty in the next few years. The new terminal was to confirm Copenhagen’s position as a hub for cruise tourism in northern Europe, however now we will simply have to wait for the situation to reverse so that we can again focus on developing sustainable cruise tourism for the benefit of the entire region as a whole,” said Barbara Scheel Agersnap, CEO of Copenhagen Malmö Port.

The port said it will be in a wait and see approach, and "will decide when the process for a new cruise terminal will be relaunched."

Carnival and Royal Caribbean join forces to develop St Lucia cruise facilities

Carnival and Royal Caribbean join forces to develop St Lucia cruise facilities

Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises have signed an agreement to construct a new cruise terminal on the island and manage its existing facility.

The cruise giants signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saint Lucian government on Tuesday to form a joint venture for the project.

The cruise line brands account for 75% of all cruise ship deployment to the island.

The joint venture will manage and operate the current cruise pier and terminal facilities at the Port of Castries and design, finance, build and operate a new cruise port in Vieux Fort on the southern part of the island.

Prime minister of Saint Lucia Allen Chastanet said the agreement marked “a major step towards enhancing” the country’s tourism offering.

He said: “Saint Lucia has had record-breaking cruise arrivals over the past few years and we thank our partners Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean for their continued confidence in our amazing destination.

“It is essential that we continue to diversify what we have to offer, grow our brand and ensure that different sectors in our island’s economy benefit from the growth in cruise tourism and that Saint Lucians can benefit from the opportunities which arise from the increased numbers; which means we have to improve our capacity.

“This signing is historic, as this project will have a major impact on the sustainability of the cruise sector and the reach of cruise tourism to the south of the island. This will also mean employment at several phases of the project, the expansion of existing businesses and the formation of new enterprises.”

Giora Israel, senior vice president of global port and destination development for Carnival Corporation said: “This is an exciting day for our guests who already love the beauty and deep culture of Saint Lucia and an important step in sustaining cruise tourism growth for the island.”

Michael Bayley, president and chief executive of Royal Caribbean International said the cruise market is the fastest-growing sector of tourism and in the next decade cruising in the Caribbean is anticipated to grow by 40%.

Cruise Traffic Surges in Liverpool

Cruise traffic is up 40 percent in Liverpool this year, and looks to be up at least 20 percent again in 2020, according to Peter Murney, head of cruise and marine operations.

2019 will see 86 calls, according to the port’s schedule. Visiting vessels can look forward to berthing in the heart of the city, steps from Liverpool’s notable UNESCO World Heritage waterfront.

“We strive to exceed passenger expectations at every stage of their journey. We change perceptions by ensuring guests experience Liverpool as the modern, thriving, dynamic, cosmopolitan destination we know it to be,” Murney said.

“One of our challenges is that the berth is on a floating pontoon with a 10 meter tidal range so at times pedestrian access bridges can be very steep,” Murney explained. “We overcome this by providing mobility buses that transport guests direct from gangway to passenger lounge and back.”

Berth bookings open two years out, he added.

Among the goals is to build the port’s turnaround business, as a new cruise terminal will be open and operational for the 2022 season.

World's Largest Cruise Ship to Make US Debut in Florida

PHOTO: Royal Caribbean Will Host its 50th Anniversary Cruise Aboard Symphony of the Seas (Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean)

The world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas, will make its debut in the United States when it arrives at Port Canaveral Thursday.

The 6,680-passenger Symphony of the Seas has been offering itineraries in the Mediterranean since first setting sail in April and it will make its home at Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal at the Port of Miami.

The ship’s first stop at Port Canaveral was scheduled to clear customs and be inspected by the United States Coast Guard. Passengers onboard the vessel will be asked to get off the ship while it is certified, but they will be permitted to board later the same day.

“Port Canaveral is proud of its partnership with Royal Caribbean,” Port Canaveral CEO John Murray told Florida Today. “While Symphony of the Seas is home-ported in Miami, our cruise partner trusts the capabilities of this port. We are ready to support the arrival of the world’s largest and most sophisticated cruise ship in the industry.”

Symphony of the Seas will arrive at Port Canaveral’s Cruise Terminal 1 at around 4 a.m. local time and is scheduled to depart for Miami at 5 p.m. Thursday night. The ship will then sail to Miami for a celebratory ceremony.

After a stint in Miami, Royal Caribbean will base Harmony of the Seas at Port Canaveral starting in May 2019, offering seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Istanbul: Cruise Calls Scheduled Again

In 2015 Istanbul saw some 300 calls and 600,000 cruise guests. Most Black Sea itineraries used the port for turnaround operations with a well-linked international airport nearby.

Geopolitical issues sent traffic into a nosedive, with cruise calls falling off dramatically, with just 42 calls in 2016.

“It killed the port,” said Figen Ayan, vice president of cruise operations. “The traffic dropped to zero calls for 2017 and this year.”

But things are slowly coming back for 2019, she said.

The cruise port in Istanbul was privatized in 2014 and now falls under the Global Ports Holding banner.

Among scheduled calls for 2019 are the Seven Seas Voyager, and the Celestial Crystal, which has October and November berth bookings.

Coming by cruise ship to Istanbul is a journey in itself, as passengers enjoy an amazing view sailing into the harbour with world-famous monuments such as the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace.

“In Istanbul, there’s so much to offer already in the city – even if guests don’t go out beyond the old city. Most of the shore excursions stay downtown for city tours and highlights visits,” said Ayan.

At the port, a massive investment program is underway to upgrade the waterfront area, including a new cruise terminal set to be ready by 2020.

New Cruise Terminal at PortMiami for MSC Cruises

MSC Divina in her Homeport of Miami.

MSC Cruises has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of a new Cruise Terminal AAA at PortMiami. The expected completion date is 2022.

The new terminal will accommodate the line’s World Class of ships, which will carry up to 7,000 passengers. MSC Cruises will operate four ships in total from Miami, including MSC Seaside. That ship debuted in late 2017. It currently sails year-round from Miami to the Caribbean.

MSC Armonia will begin homeporting in Miami in December 2018. She’ll offer the line’s first cruises to Cuba from the US. Additionally, MSC Divina will return seasonally to PortMiami. She sails to the Caribbean from October through March. And, MSC Meraviglia will make her North American debut at PortMiami in November 2019. The line’s largest ship, Meraviglia carries 5,714 passengers.

“The new agreement and expanded partnership with PortMiami and Miami-Dade County is another key step forward in the business growth of MSC Cruises, as we continue to strengthen our global footprint, with a strategic focus on North America,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises.

Rick Sasso, chairman of MSC Cruises USA emphasized the mutual economic benefit of the new terminal.

“PortMiami is committed to providing a world-class experience to its guests and thanks to a long-standing collaborative relationship with Miami-Dade County we are thrilled that in less than 18 months MSC Cruises will have four ships sailing from the Port. This will also allow us to make a significant additional contribution to the economy of Miami and the county in its role as the Capital of the Cruise World, especially thanks to the large percentage of international guests travelling to Miami and South Florida to embark and disembark from MSC Cruises ships calling PortMiami,” said Sasso.

MSC Cruises currently operates 15 ships. The line plans to expand to expand to 25 mega-cruise ships by 2026.

Carnival Corp Inks Deal to Develop Dubai Cruise Terminal

Carnival Corporation has signed a deal with Meraas for the Dubai Cruise Terminal, which will become the company's primary hub for its homeporting and transit operations in the region, according to a statement. 

The partnership will also result in both parties "working together to identify and grow the cruise tourism business in the Arabian Gulf region," with operations starting in late 2020.

Speaking on the agreement, Arnold W. Donald, Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation said: “We have a long history in Dubai with our world-leading cruise brands. We are excited to be part of this important venture that will drive new tourism opportunities for Dubai and the region through cruising.”

Carnival Corporation will launch new cruises from “Dubai Cruise Terminal” and aims to attract new source markets from India and China, the company said.

The cruise terminal is designed as a strategic maritime centre, providing easy access to and from the city, while offering passengers an unparalleled view of iconic landmarks, such as Ain Dubai and the upcoming Dubai Lighthouse, as well as the Dubai’s stunning urban skyline.

Dubai Harbour will be home to two cruise terminal buildings, spanning a total of 30,000 square meters, joined by a single quay of about 1 kilometer, capable of accommodating up to three cruise ships concurrently, including Carnival Corporation’s newest and most advanced cruise ships, as well as up to 13,200 passengers at a time. In anticipation of an upsurge in cruises, Meraas has planned for the addition of two more terminal buildings that will increase capacity to six cruise ships at the same time.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said that mega projects being implemented in the UAE are reinforcing the country’s profile globally as a model for sustainable growth driven by diversification, innovation and productive partnerships with the private sector.

“We welcome visitors from across the world and provide them with an exceptional tourism experience. We want them to leave with lasting memories that they can share in their countries and communities. The continuous development of infrastructure has enabled our country to be a destination of choice in the region. Supported by the talent and creativity of our people, I am confident that we will be able to establish global leadership in several sectors. The UAE will continue to be a symbol of progress and prosperity,” Sheikh Mohammed added.

HH Sheikh Mohammed’s remarks came as he approved the "Dubai Cruise Terminal" as the main hub for cruise tourism in Dubai. His Highness also attended the signing ceremony of a strategic partnership agreement between Meraas and Carnival Corporation that aims to transform Dubai into a major regional maritime tourism hub, according to a statement. 

Under the agreement, signed by His Excellency Abdulla Al Habbai, Group Chairman of Meraas, and Arnold W. Donald, Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation, the companies will collaborate across several strategic areas including port development, terminal management and new cruise development opportunities at Dubai Harbour and the broader region.

Royal Caribbean seeks new terminal in Miami

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has started negotiations aimed at building a new $100 million terminal at Port Miami that would accommodate Oasis-class ships.

Specifications call for a 170,000-square-foot terminal with a berth of 400 meters, or about 1,312 feet. Oasis of the Seas is 1,186 feet long.

The specifications are in a memorandum of understanding to be considered by the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 16. If approved, the memorandum would become a roadmap for a final negotiation. The memorandum said the terminal is “assumed to become operational” by the end of 2018.

“By the nature of a memorandum of understanding, there is still a long road to go,” said Rob Zeiger, Royal Caribbean’s vice president of communications.

Royal Caribbean currently docks at Terminal G at the port, the closest one to downtown Miami. The new terminal would be built partly on a cargo area in the easternmost part of the port furthest from downtown. Designated Terminal A, it would be developed and owned by Royal Caribbean except for a small contribution from the county.

The agreement, which would last for a minimum of 20 years, calls for Royal Caribbean to pay an initial rent on leasing the land beneath the terminal for $9.5 million a year, or about $250 million over the life of the agreement, after annual escalators. The lease would have four 10-year optional extensions. A summary of the memorandum calls it a new model for financing terminals at the port.

“This deal structure is extremely attractive to the port because it transfers risk from the county to a private company,” said the summary, signed by Jack Osterholt, deputy county mayor.

The memorandum said that ever since Miami lost the deployment of Oasis and Allure of the Seas to Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades in 2009, the port has been talking with Royal Caribbean about ways to boost the number of passengers. Currently, that number is about 730,000 a year.

New San Francisco cruise terminal dedicated

By Tom Stieghorst

The Port of San Francisco is dedicating its new cruise terminal, which will accommodate longer cruise ships, in a Sept. 25 ceremony.

Situated on the city’s famed Embarcadero, Terminal 27 totals 88,000 square feet on two levels. An older maritime shed was demolished to make space for the terminal, which had a soft opening with the arrival of a Princess Cruises ship last week.

The new terminal comes with an overhead gangway for boarding passengers along the apron and shoreside power infrastructure to permit docked ships to shut down their onboard engines.

A three-acre triangular paved area between Pier 27 and Pier 29 has been developed as a ground transportation and provisioning area.

The existing terminal at Pier 35 will continue as a secondary terminal when there is more than one cruise ship in port.

The port currently gets between 40 and 80 calls a year. That is not expected to change, although the passenger count will grow because the ships docking at the pier are getting larger.

Redevelopment of Pier 27 has been in the works since 2007.

Key West voters say no to large cruise ships

By Tom Stieghorst

Key West residents have voted against asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study widening the ship channel to accommodate larger cruise ships.

The vote was 4,531-1,630 against the study, according to newspaper reports.

Dredging the channel from 300 feet to 450 feet in width would displace 150,000 cubic yards of seafloor protected by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The $3 million study would lay out the economic benefits and environmental costs of the project.

Cruise passengers spend about $80 million annually in Key West.

The vote pitted some business interests against a group called Key West Committee for Responsible Tourism, which opposes the project.

Carnival to build new Barcelona cruise terminal

By Tom Stieghorst

Carnival Corp. and the port of Barcelona reached an agreement on the construction of a new $27 million cruise terminal that will handle post-Panamax sized ships.

The terminal will be about 107,000 square feet, large enough to accommodate 4,500 people. It is expected to open in 2016.

Carnival already operates a terminal at the port, which will be expanded by about 14,000 square feet. Both terminals are on the Adossat Wharf.

Carnival will invest the $27 million and run the terminal as a concession. The port will invest about $2.7 million on roads and other infrastructure and about $2 million on signage.

Barcelona is the fourth-busiest cruise port in the world, with an estimated passenger volume of 2.6 million passengers this year.

Post-Panamax or over-Panamax denote ships larger than Panamax that do not fit in the canal, such as supertankers and the largest modern container ships. The "largest oil tanker in the world"—whichever ship held the title at the time—has not been able to transit the Panama Canal at least since the Idemitsu Maru was launched in the 1960s; it carried about 150,000 deadweight tons. All US Navy aircraft carriers since USS Midway have been in the post-Panamax class

Post-Panamax ships