Hays Travel has acquired Cruise.co.uk's parent, Victoria Travel Group Limited

Hays has hailed the deal, which includes Victoria’s Seascanner brand and its German division, Kreuzfahrtberater.de, its largest since acquiring Thomas Cook in 2019.

 

Victoria Travel Group Chief Executive Chris Gardner will continue to lead the business, alongside UK Managing Director Tony Andrews, Group Chief Financial Officer Carl Tromans, and German Managing Director Tom Reiter.

 

Existing majority shareholder Bridgepoint will now exit the Victoria Travel Group business, which reported a total transactional value of £252 million in its most recent financial year and said reflected its strong market presence and customer loyalty in the UK and Germany.

 

This is Hays Travel’s first online travel agency acquisition and a significant milestone for the north east headquartered company, which has been serving customers since 1980.

 

The move significantly expands Hays Travel’s footprint in the global cruise market and supports the UK’s largest independent travel agent’s strategic growth ambitions in the fast-growing cruise sector, both in the UK and internationally.

Dame Irene Hays, owner and chair of Hays Travel, said: “We have been hugely impressed by the strength of the Victoria Travel Group. 

 

"Their innovative approach to online cruise retailing and the calibre of their management team make Victoria Travel a compelling addition to our business, which aligns with our cruise strategy and growth ambitions.
 
“We are delighted to welcome Chris, Carl, Tony and Tom to our Hays Travel group; they share our values and are all exceptional at what they do. 

 

"We look forward to working alongside them, exploring opportunities and learning from each other as we seek to continuously improve the choice, experience and value we offer our customers.”

Meanwhile, Gardner added: “We’re delighted to be joining the Hays Travel family. Their values, customer-first approach, and long-term vision align with ours. 

"This partnership opens up exciting opportunities to grow our brands and deliver even more value to cruise customers in the UK and internationally.”

 

Jonathon Woodall-Johnston, chief operating officer of Hays Travel, and Jo Rzymowska, a respected cruise industry leader and non-executive director of Hays Travel, will join the Victoria Travel Group board.

MSC Growth Plans: 12 More Cruise Ships for 2 Brands

MSC Growth Plans: 12 More Cruise Ships for 2 Brands

MSC Group has ambitious plans to continue growing cruise capacity, with six more ships for its MSC Cruises brand set to be delivered over the next five years, plus another six ships for new luxury brand Explora Journeys, according to the new Global Cruise Ship Index.

Next up for the MSC  Cruises will be the Seascape, joining the brand from Fincantieri later this year ahead of its New York christening. That will be followed by the World Europa, which will be the company's first LNG-powered cruise ship, and will debut this winter in the Middle East following her delivery from Chantiers de l'Atlantique.

MSC Upcoming Newbuilds:

Cruise Line	Ship	Tonnage	Year Built	Passengers	Yard
MSC	MSC Seascape	169,380	2022	4,560	Fincantieri
MSC	MSC World Europa	205,700	2022	5,400	Chantiers de l'Atlantique
MSC	MSC Euribia	177,100	2023	4,888	Chantiers de l'Atlantique
MSC	Unnamed	205,700	2024	5,400	Chantiers de l'Atlantique
MSC	Unnamed	205,700	2025	5,400	Chantiers de l'Atlantique
MSC	Unnamed	205,700	2027	5,400	Chantiers de l'Atlantique

The Explora Journeys brand will see dramatic growth in the luxury sector, going from one ship to six ships between 2023 and 2028. The company recently announced that ships three and four will run on LNG, while ships five and six will get a new-generation powerplant that will enable the vessels to burn liquid hydrogen.

Explora Journeys Upcoming Newbuilds:

Cruise Line	Ship	Tonnage	Year Built	Passengers	Yard
Explora Journeys	Explora I	64,000	2023	922	Fincantieri
Explora Journeys	Explora II	64,000	2024	922	Fincantieri
Explora Journeys	Explora III	70,000	2026	922	Fincantieri
Explora Journeys	Explora V	70,000	2027	922	Fincantieri
Explora Journeys	Explora IV	70,000	2027	922	Fincantieri
Explora Journeys	Explora VI	70,000	2028	922	Fincantieri

Norwegian Cruise Line Introduces New Norwegian Viva; Sailing Summer 2023

Norwegian Cruise Line today unveiled Norwegian Viva, the next ship in its new Prima Class set to sail in 2023.

The Norwegian Viva will be delivered from Fincantieri and will begin sailing Mediterranean itineraries in June 2023, homeporting in key Southern European port cities including Lisbon, Portugal; Venice (Trieste) and Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; and Athens (Piraeus), Greece.

She will then sail the Southern Caribbean for her 2023-2024 winter season offering cruises from San Juan.

Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line, said: "Norwegian Viva sets the standard in the premium segment, illustrating our commitment to pushing boundaries in four main areas: wide open space, service that puts guests first, thoughtful design and experiences beyond expectation. We have taken everything our guests love to the next level with this brand-new class of ships designed with them in mind."

Norwegian Viva will have hull art designed by Italian graffiti and sculpture artist Manuel Di Rita, commonly known as "Peeta," who also illustrated the hull design on Norwegian Prima. 

"Norwegian Viva, the second of six Prima Class vessels being built with us, reinforces the great collaboration between Norwegian Cruise Line and Fincantieri," said Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager Merchant Ships Division at Fincantieri. "We were extremely satisfied that Norwegian Prima, the first of the new class, earned record-breaking bookings and we are excited to see how Norwegian Viva will live up to her sister ship. As we proved our resilience during these challenging times, this announcement represents another testament to Fincantieri´s global leadership role in the cruise sector."

The ship will be 965 feet long, 142,500 tons and accommodate 3,219 guests, according to a press release.

"The vessel will not only offer the highest staffing levels and space ratio of any new cruise ship in the contemporary and premium cruise categories and the largest variety of suite categories available at sea but will also boast a redefined The Haven by Norwegian, NCL’s ultra-premium keycard only access ship-within-a-ship concept," the company said. "The Haven’s public areas and 107 suites designed by Piero Lissoni, one of Italy’s most renowned designers, will feature an expansive sundeck, a stunning infinity pool overlooking the ship's wake and an outdoor spa with a glass-walled sauna and cold room."

Cruise sailings could restart on 17 May.

A government minister has raised hopes that domestic cruise sailings could restart on 17 May.

According to a report in The Independent, maritime minister Robert Courts announced the news at an All-Party Parliamentary Maritime and Group (APPMPG) meeting on 8 March.

In a tweet, the APPMPG said: “**NEWS** Maritime Minister Robert Courts announces the reopening of the domestic #cruise market in England on 17 May at tonight’s @APPMPG meeting.”

It added: “From repatriation procedures and risk mitigations to CV-19 protocols and the domestic vaccination program, a great @APPMPG session w/ @robertcourts who delivered some much-appreciated news. A pathway to the domestic cruise market re-opening on 17 May.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson also told The Independent: “We are committed to restarting cruise travel when it is safe to do so, and we are working closely with the sector to prepare for a safe and successful restart.

“The restart of domestic cruises in England will be aligned with the wider resumption of the domestic tourism and indoor hospitality sectors. As set out in the prime minister’s roadmap, the earliest possible date for this step is 17 May.”

Industry ‘welcomes’ news

In recent weeks, cruise lines have altered their schedules to prepare for shorter UK sailings later this summer.

Princess Cruises said it was “clear that holidays in the UK will be the first to restart before the gradual return of international travel”, while P&O Cruises has confirmed a range of sailings that will depart Southampton and sail around UK coastal waters.

CLIA and the UK Chamber of Shipping said in a joint statement: “We strongly welcome the announcement that cruise will be included alongside the restart of other domestic tourism in the UK.

“The industry has been working with the government over the last year on health protocols which put the safety of our passengers and crew first. Many of these protocols have already been tested successfully where cruise has been able to operate elsewhere in Europe.

“The industry has long planned a phased restart for the cruise, with domestic cruises representing the first stage of this plan. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the government, including through the Global Travel Taskforce in order to ensure the safe restart of the international cruise in time for the summer season.”

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow added: “We are delighted that the government has acknowledged that UK domestic cruise holidays can begin from May 17.

Spending in U.S. cruise sector tops $20 billion

By Tom Stieghorst

For the first time, the money spent in the U.S. cruise sector exceeded $20 billion last year, according to a CLIA study of the cruise industry’s economic impact.

That includes direct spending by passengers, crew and the cruise lines on items such as provisions, excursions, meals on shore and pre-and post-cruise hotel stays.
The $20.1 billion in direct spending mushrooms to a $44 billion economic impact when the effects of indirect spending and tertiary-level multipliers are factored in, the study says. In a separate study done for CLIA for the first time, researchers estimated the global cruise industry’s economic impact at $117 billion.

CLIA has commissioned an annual study of the cruise industry’s economic impact for at least a decade. This year’s 106-page report has in-depth data on spending, as well as state-by-state breakdowns for each economic category. As in the past, 10 states account for 80% of the economic activity in the cruise business, with Florida, California and Texas leading the way.

The number of passengers who traveled globally last year on North America-based lines rose 3.9%, to 17.6 million, CLIA said. The industry’s fleet, net of retirements, increased by 1 ship to 178 ships with a combined capacity of 338,505 lower berths,

An estimated 10.7 million U.S. residents took cruise vacations throughout the world, accounting for 61% of global passengers. Departures from U.S. ports totaled 9.96 million, a 1.3% decline, as more ships in the U.S. fleet operated outside U.S. waters, particularly in Asia, Australia and the Pacific islands.

Another significant finding in this year’s report is that employment generated by North American cruise lines has exceeded the level it reached before the 2008-09 economic downturn.

Jobs in the U.S. attributed to CLIA member lines (excluding river cruise lines) reached 363,393 last year, compared to 357,710 in 2008. The total plunged to 313,998 in 2009 and had only recovered to 356,393 by 2012.

When it comes to jobs directly held by cruise line employees, that total reached 147,898 last year, the study said. Cruise line employment peaked in 2007 at 158,376.