MSC Cruises: MSC Armonia extension of in full swing

Extension of the MSC Armonia has begun: The MSC Armonia gets on the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo a new 24-meter mid-section used.

Yesterday in Palermo, the extension of the MSC Armonia has begun, which is the first of four ships of the Lirica Class as part of the modernization program "Renaissance" rebuilt by MSC Cruises.

Photo: MSC Cruises

Photo: MSC Cruises

On the Fincantieri shipyard of the 14,000-ton bow was separated and 30 meters on rails from the rear. In the space between the walls, the new, 24-meter and 2,200-ton center section is used.

The separation is a milestone in the 200 million-euro Renaissance program of MSC Cruises. As part of this project enlarged and renewed the shipping company, MSC Armonia, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera and MSC Lirica and equipping the ships with additional comfort offers from to perfectly respond to the needs of today's cruise passengers.

Comprehensive and precise preparatory work was needed to prepare the separation of the ship perfectly: The steel cutting work had already started on September 2, with the highlight of the cut line. On September 3, the electrical systems of the MSC Armonia were shut down. On September 8, ended the cutting work before started on 10 SeptemberThe separation.

By converting the MSC Armonia and their environmental impacts are significantly reduced. A special treatment of the hull surface minimizes water resistance and saves considerable amount of fuel one. In addition, is used in the future in all common areas LED technology, which brings a much lower energy consumption.

In addition, a drive with a frequency converter for variable speed control is installed on the MSC Armonia, an energy-saving system that significantly reduces the power consumption of the vessel by flexible adaptation to different operating conditions. Furthermore, MSC can try out a new propeller blade design that will improve energy efficiency even further and thereby reduce fuel consumption also with its propellers suppliers.

Emilio La Scala, Director of the Technical Division of MSC Cruises, explained during the occasion of the ship separation taking place in Palermo press conference: "MSC Cruises have long been planning a modernization program of this magnitude. But we did not start before we had chosen the best partner in the shipbuilding industry. Because we want our ships not only larger, but also provide them with high standards in terms of technology, safety and sustainability. Fincantieri has the know-how and the experience to carry out a so extensive project which will meet our requirements in every respect.The long partnership with Fincantieri has already proven itself in various maintenance and conversion projects in our ships. "

As part of construction work, the MSC Armonia receives 193 additional cabins. In addition, other areas of the ship will be refurbished to enhance the comfort and entertainment and services available on board.

The new ship, for example, to offer a new baby club, which was designed and created jointly with the partner Chicco. There will also be a new kids' club, a young club, junior club and a teen club. Food lovers can enjoy the rich specialties offer in the buffet restaurant 20 hours a day. As part of modernization also a new lounge area and an extended restaurant area be established.

The MSC Armonia is also equipped with a library and the Aurea Spa is ready with new offers on. As a special highlight of the modernized vessel loads a new water park with water features on deck for a swim.

The MSC Armonia, which has been available since August 31 in dry dock Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo and will remain a total of 11 weeks there, stands on November 19, 2014 from Genoa to its second maiden voyage to the Canary Islands in the lake.

Celebrity cruise cancelled to fix Constellation

By Tom Stieghorst

Celebrity Cruises said its Nov. 21 departure of the Celebrity Constellation is being cancelled so the ship’s engines can be repaired.

The three-night cruise to the Bahamas is being scrubbed because Celebrity needs to replace a large engine component that can only be done in dry dock, spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said.

"Due to the shipyard's availability, we decided to cancel the short cruise so that we could perform the work in November,” Martinez said.

Passengers booked on the Nov. 21 cruise can get a full refund or reschedule on select Constellation sailings in 2015 at lowest available rates or on any Celebrity sailing at prevailing rates and receive a $100 onboard spending credit per cabin.

5 Ways to Stay Healthy on a Cruise

September 08, 2014How to indulge yourself and remain healthy while sailing on a cruise vacationBy: Marilyn Green

Nutritious meal options abound on Holland America Line menus, including many vegetarian dishes. // © 2014 Holland America Line

Feature image (above): Passengers on Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Reflection can burn calories during an onboard basketball game. // © 2014 Celebrity Cruises 

Conventional wisdom has it that people gain weight on vacation, especially on a cruise vacation where the culinary options are generally outstanding and abundant. But that doesn’t have to be the case.

An extremely healthy friend of mine shared this experience with me, just after returning home from what she described as a fun-filled Carnival Cruise: “I haven’t lost this much weight in a week except when I was sick,” she said. “Forget the spa vacation. This was great!”  

Cruise lines have made being at sea easier and more desirable for the health-conscious, and now my cruise weeks also serve as renewal weeks. I feel refreshed while sailing, get off feeling even better and make each trip a renewed commitment to health and pleasure.

Here’s how you can advise clients — who might be worried about weight gain on a cruise — how they also can step off at the end of their vacation feeling rejuvenated and healthy.

Change Your Mindset
The vacation mindset is that this is the time to let go and enjoy yourself. While that’s true, the momentary pleasure of eating huge amounts of rich food is usually followed by guilt, body discomfort and regret rather than the fun and relaxation you’re looking for. 

Instead, shift the emphasis for your vacation from unlimited indulgence to looking and feeling glamorous. Pack some clothes you really love that fit perfectly — meaning, no extra room for wolfing down unnecessary extra servings. You’ll want to strut your stuff in them, and that counters a lot of temptation.

Plan Around Activities
Choose a ship for its onboard culture — which emphatically includes its food — but instead of planning the day from meal to meal, plan your day from activity to activity.

Learn something new. Tango, swim a couple of laps, get a spa treatment you’ve never had, try a cuisine you haven’t encountered, learn to create a website or speak a few words of Italian. Meet new friends at the pool, or in a class or lecture, rather than hanging around for that extra dessert or more drinks. 

Move!
Cruise ships often invite their passengers to dance with events and classes, and you don’t have to have a partner to enjoy them. Lots of unaccompanied cruisers drop into the disco or join the salsa crowd for an hour or two each night. Learn a line dance by the pool or enjoy a workout in the gym. Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises both have Zumba classes, which are fun and never about doing it “right.”  

Holland America Line has “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” classes. Carnival Cruise Lines encourages dancing with everything from a jazz combo to a country band, and Cunard Line and Crystal Cruises excel in providing music for ballroom dancing. The wildest European discos (they don’t really get started until about 2 in the morning) are on Costa Cruises.

Not a dancer? Head to the gym. You have a luxurious, cutting-edge gym with no membership fee just steps from your door. Exercise relaxes you, makes you conscious of your body and gives your endorphins a nice boost. And there’s instruction provided for the boxing ring, the Kinesis Wall, black light spinning class or ice-skating. On some lines, you can also roller skate, play golf or work out with an avatar. 

You can also join the group walking around the ship’s track in the cool of the morning or walk from shop to shop on shore while exercising your credit card. Shore excursions provide opportunities to explore ports on foot or by kayak, bicycle or canoe.

Indulge in Gorgeous and Good Food
The cruise lines have figured out that people who get off the ship feeling content with themselves — and their weight — will be back as repeat customers. So cruise lines now offer everything from Canyon Ranch cuisine (Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises) to raw food menus (Seabourn Cruise Line). Royal Caribbean International has a Vitality option (a three-course meal with a maximum of 800 calories), and on Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, the line offers an entire health-focused buffet restaurant. 

In 2012, Holland America introduced a 22-dish vegetarian-only menu and added 30 new vegetarian dishes to their main dining room menu. A chef will make you all the goodies you need to follow your preferred food choices for optimal health, vitality and dining pleasure — all you have to do is enjoy it. 

Another tip: Whatever you eat, savor it. And don’t let your dining room waiter mother you into eating something you don’t want.

Sleep, Nap, Doze
Remember naps? Life is so hectic that the pleasure of taking a relaxed, well-exercised body and stretching it out to rest is a luxury. The beds are great, the temperature is yours to control and the “Do Not Disturb” sign guards your privacy. Enjoy some sleep!

Competition raises the bar for cruise cocktails

By Tom Stieghorst

Tastes coming to a bar on a cruise ship near you: cucumber, elderflower and ginger.

Those were some of the ingredients in drinks that made it to the finals of the ninth annual Bacardi Cruise Competition, a contest for bartenders on cruise lines and ferries.

Six finalists were chosen from among nearly 1,800 competitors, including three from Carnival Cruise Lines and two from Norwegian Cruise Line.

The winner, however, came from the lone ferry entry, Tallink Silja Line. Estonian native Liisi Kutt’s entry was the Summer Fairy, a blend of prosecco, several fruits and fruit-flavored liqueurs and geranium flowers.

The cocktail is both a wordplay on ferry and a light, ethereal drink meant to capture the evanescence of the Baltic summer. Judges for the competition liked Kutt’s inspiration for the drink and the overall mix of flavors.

Judge Julio Cabrera, winner of Bacardi USA's Most Inspired Bartender 2013 and bartender at Regent Cocktail Club on Miami Beach, said that simplicity is also a quality he looks for.

“On cruise lines, they don’t have the range of ingredients we can find on land,” Cabrera said. Balance and creativity are two other criteria, he said.

Several cruise lines have jumped on the trend toward more creative cocktails. Celebrity Cruises has its Molecular Bar and Carnival has the Alchemy Bar, which tend to work fresh herbs, along with gels, infusions, foams and atomized sprays into their offerings.

Norwegian Cruise Line recently expanded its partnership with Gabriel Orta of Miami-based Bar Lab Cocktails.

These trendy bars can be a real addition to a cruise ship’s overall appeal. While guests from top metro areas may be able to sample molecular cocktails at home, many passengers might never encounter them except on a ship.

The Bacardi-sponsored competition is a popular one with cruise ship drink slingers. There’s a $5,000 cash prize, and the winner moves on to compete in the Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender contest in Las Vegas this week.

Kutt is looking forward to seeing Las Vegas. Her plans for the Bacardi prize money include getting a tattoo representing her winning drink. “I don’t know where,” she said.

10 Ways to Beat Post-Cruise Depression

10 Ways to Beat Post-Cruise Depression

If the sudden absence of pillow chocolates, umbrella drinks and endless horizons leaves you hollow, you might have Post-Cruise Funk (PCF), an affliction that's affected nearly 100 percent of cruisers, according to a well-cited study I just invented. But know this: The situation can be remedied. We've compiled 10 tips and strategies, many sourced from Cruise Critic members in recovery, to get you through the painful sea-to-land reacclimation period. Enjoy a dose of the collected advice, and be sure to add to the group therapy session in the comments. Prescription: The Photo Detox If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a few of those words must be therapeutic. "I found if I take lots of fun photos while on the cruise, I can stave off some of the depression by reviewing and organizing them into a book," writes member Tudy. She and her husband periodically host "cruise evenings," during which they peruse photos, share stories and laugh. Check out our tips for taking better onboard photos. There is no shortage of Web and mobile apps, like Shutterfly or Cruise Critic sister site TripAdvisor's TripWow, to preserve a cruise experience. Side Effects: Narcolepsy, if too many photos coupled with tedious narration are shown to friends Prescription: Write a Review As with photos, reframing the at-sea narrative -- remember that woman with the Royal Caribbean tattoo? -- can be like reliving the experience. When you reminisce by way of review, you're doing thousands of readers a service through your insights, tips and tricks. Heal yourself by writing a cruise review. Side Effects: Narcissism sparked from the respect and adulation you receive from thousands of Cruise Critic readers in search of the right ship Prescription: Focus on Diet If you're pining over the loss of cruise food -- the availability, the variety, the fanfare -- there are antidotes. Drool over epicurean content in Cruise Critic's cruise food section , recreate at-sea meals with readers' favorite recipes, or chew on some useful member advice in the Cruise Foodies forum. For example, member MissMap keeps all the nighttime pillow chocolates from her cruise and deposits them in a desk drawer at work: "So if I'm having a stressful day at work," she writes, "I savor one and take a moment to remember the latest great cruise vacation." Or borrow cruising's culinary nomenclature, like member Econom405, who admits to referring to the first post-cruise family dinner she cooks as the "chef's regional specialty." Side Effects: Minor weight gain, modest weight gain, excessive weight gain or this Prescription: Get the Cruise Cocktail Recipe Booklet For many passengers, that first slurp of sailaway daiquiri marks the official start to a cruise. If you drink to remember, there might be nothing easier than recreating your favorite cruise cocktail at home. Side Effects: The cruise hangover can be replaced with an actual hangover. Do not operate heavy machinery after using the cruise cocktail recipe booklet. Prescription: Always Be Booked Chronic PCF sufferers argue there is but one cure to the vicious cycle: the pre-emptive booking. The recommended approach is to plop down on your next cruise while onboard. Many lines offer attractive perks -- discounts, reduced deposits, onboard credit -- for doing so. The fine print is key here. If you're serious about this treatment, peruse our in-depth piece on booking onboard. Don't think you have the cash? Member Gek offers her tactic on the Cruise Critic forums: "Find a cruise at least 12 months away that looks really good. Forget about cost or circumstances -- just book it. Research it, plan it, and up until the day when cancellation penalties kick in, assume the cost or your circumstances will change. If they do not, just cancel and repeat the process. The deposit also becomes a ready source of cash that you can access any time you want. Consider the fun of planning a cruise as the return on your investment." Side Effects: Debt, land-sea dysmorphia Prescription: Join a Roll Call Until sandals touch lido deck, talking about a cruise is what makes it real. Shameless ship's horn tooting aside, there is no better place to chat with fellow passengers about upcoming itineraries than a Cruise Critic Roll Call. You can swap tips, set up pre-cruise or onboard events or book a group tour if you think your virtual relationships can make the transition to the real world. Meet your fellow passengers here. Side Effects: Blood pressure spike if pre-cruise conversation veers into the political, religious or cultural Prescription: Vicarious Immersion Therapy No looming embarkation to boost morale? There are thousands of Cruise Critic members enduring the same pain. Their recourse: the virtual cruise experience. Check out the "live from..." logs endlessly spawned on the Cruise Critic message boards. Here's but oneprime example, which has been read by thousands of PCF sufferers. Cruise Critic editors also regularly report from wherever cruise ships travel, posting photo-heavy vignettes on the Lido Deck Blog and hosting weekly live chats. Side Effects: Too much cruise voyeurism can lead to a permanent break from reality and, potentially, loss of family, job or Hawaiian shirt. Prescription: Become an (Unpaid) Travel Agent Take enough cruises, and you'll start to discover the secrets the cruise lines don't tell you. Use your developing expertise to help a friend or family member plan his next cruise. While helping new cruisers is rewarding in and of itself, you just might find a bathrobe, luggage tag and chocolate melting cake mix gift wrapped with your name on it. Side Effects: Offending friends by demanding a commission Prescription: Towels as Tonic There's no denying it: Most cruisers prefer the company of towel animals to their significant others. Ogle this menagerie of towel creatures, or get your hands linty by learning the time-honored craft. Side Effects: Callouses, towel shortages, wet floors, grins that last more than four hours, no friends anymore Prescription: Turn Your Home Into a Cruise Ship The next best thing to being there: Install a porthole in your bedroom, and paint the glass with a seascape, like reader Richard S. Alternatively, Member Dodget1964 brings home the breakfast room service menus and hangs them on the bedroom door. "I keep thinking the room service attendant will show up," she writes. Better still, pass on your love of cruising to your child by filling his nursery with cruise ship accouterments. For a more tongue-in-cheek approach, see our incisive report oncruising from home in 10 easy steps. Side Effects: Home resale value reduction

Azamara drops free Internet from loyalty program

Azamara Club Cruises has changed Le Club Voyage, its loyalty program, by adding new features but dropping others, including free Internet and laundry service.

“We expect mixed reaction to the discontinued benefits,” the two-ship cruise line said in a posting on its website. It said the change is “the right long-term decision for our guests and brand.”

Among the new benefits are more complimentary voyage nights for achieving a higher tier in the program.

Passengers earn points in a five-tier program according to number of nights sailed and cabin category. In the new program, guests staying in Club Oceanview cabins will earn three points a night instead of two, and those staying in Club Veranda cabins will earn five points a night instead of three, Azamara said.

Other new benefits include a dedicated shoreside program manager, various discounts and upgrades and a Club Voyage desk for guest inquiries.

Benefits being discontinued, in addition to free laundry service and Internet access, include a bottle of sparkling wine on embarkation, free wine tastings on voyages of 10 nights or longer and a welcome-home gift for advancing to the next tier.

The changes take effect Jan. 1.

Royal Caribbean gets leg up in China with Ctrip deal

By Tom Stieghorst

The sale of the Celebrity Century to the Chinese travel agency Ctrip opens a second way for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) to develop a passenger business in the world’s most populous country.

Starting next year, the 19-year-old Century will sail for a new venture owned by Ctrip, a Shanghai-based online travel agency (OTA) that also supplies travel products and services.

In a statement, Ctrip said an affiliate will own the Century and that the affiliate will form a joint venture with RCCL to manage the ship’s operations. The companies have a memorandum of understanding to set up the venture “and potentially broaden the relationship,” the statement said.

While RCCL will recognize a $20 million loss on the ship’s disposal, company Chairman Richard Fain nevertheless called the sale “an excellent business opportunity for both Royal Caribbean and Ctrip” that will generate “strong value for both companies’ shareholders.”

RCCL had previously decided to get rid of the Century, the last remaining ship in Celebrity’s Century class. At one point, it appeared bound for a French cruise line owned by RCCL that operates two other former Celebrity ships.

RCCL already is marketing several ships to Chinese passengers, including the Mariner and Voyager of the Seas. It is raising the ante in the Chinese market next year by deploying its newest ship, Quantum of the Seas, for year-round sailings from Shanghai.

Having the Century in China at the same time will offer a lower price point on a smaller ship for the new joint venture, which will take delivery of the ship in April after it completes its scheduled cruises for Celebrity.

Matt Jacob, an analyst with ITG Research in New York, said the sale of the ship into a less-developed market makes sense at this point in its life.

“Royal Caribbean is looking at this deal as allocating its ships in the best possible manner,” Jacobs said. “They believe the Chinese market represents a great opportunity, and this is another way to get exposure to that market.”

As Europe has evolved over the past decade, older tonnage sent there is competing against new ships. But that’s not the case in China.

“There’s an opportunity to take a ship that might not be viewed as competitive in the more saturated markets and position it for the Chinese market where the requirements and desires of that clientele at this stage are not as developed or as stringent,” Jacob said.

RCCL did not disclose the sale price, but one analyst estimated it at $157 million.

If the price was at or above the market for such ships, disposal at a loss could still be a win, Jacob said. “Although they’re taking an accounting loss, this I imagine is the highest-yielding use they have for that ship at this time.”

Ctrip offers RCCL established connections to Chinese consumers. Founded in 1999, it provides hotel reservations, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management in China.

In 2012, Priceline invested $500 million in Ctrip, calling it the “clear leader in online travel in China.” The OTA offers an English-language version of its website to promote U.S. travel to China and is already active in selling cruises to Chinese passengers.

In announcing the acquisition of the Century, Min Fan, vice chairman and president of Ctrip, said, “As the largest cruise agency in China, Ctrip has sent over 120,000 guests to cruise trips so far and acquired more than 10% of market share in China.”

Addressing this deal specifically, he added, “Ctrip will capitalize on our strong brand, large customer base and superior service quality, as well as our partner’s extensive cruise operating experience to generate great value to our customers and shareholders.”

The Ctrip deal resembles one RCCL formed with German travel conglomerate TUI AG in 2009. The two companies formed TUI Cruises after TUI acquired the Celebrity Galaxy, another Century-class ship, to cater to the growing German market under the name Mein Schiff (My Ship).

TUI Cruises later acquired the Celebrity Mercury and this year took delivery of its first newbuild, the 100,000-gross-ton Mein Schiff 3.

RCCL’s deal with Ctrip is in the early stages and hasn’t gone beyond an agreement to jointly manage the Century. An RCCL spokeswoman said the companies are still in discussion about what else their cooperative venture might entail.

Peter Whelpton, a consultant in Gainesville, Fla., and a former RCCL executive, said that in his experience, Chinese companies prefer becoming partners with U.S. businesses rather than selling them services.

Whelpton said he was part of a group that raised money in China to start a cruise line there. “Everything we attempted to do in China, we were told, ‘We’ll be your partner,’” he recalled.

Whelpton added that RCCL is pursuing a familiar model by selling the aging Century to a foreign buyer. “They started the same way with Pullmantur,” he said.

The Century will continue its scheduled sailings through the March 22 itinerary. A final 15-night trip from Dubai to Rome is being changed to a 14-night sailing ending in Singapore. From there, the ship will be renovated and altered for the Chinese market before redeployment later in the year.

Updated: MSC bundles amenities in the cruise fare

MSC Cruises unveiled a new pricing structure that bundles cabin categories, dining choices and onboard amenities in four commissionable packages.

In a Travel Weekly webinar, Ken Muskat, executive vice president of sales, outlined the four options, called Inclusive Experiences, that range from a la carte to all-inclusive. The fare types will be available for sale starting Sept. 23, for cruises departing on or after Oct. 18.

"This is not an add-on package; this is a new pricing that is an all-inclusive or a semi-inclusive experience," Muskat said.

With the new concept,  Muskat said, agents can direct clients to one of the four options, either by choosing a cabin category, which would identify which experience they'd receive, or, more likely, identifying the client's desired level of inclusivity, which would then identify the type of cabin.

The Bella Experience, which Muskat said was best for value-conscious clients, is simply the cabin cost, and is available on cabin categories I1, O1 and B1. Cruisers can then add amenities on an a la carte basis.

The Fantastica, which applies to I2, O2 and B2 cabins, includes premium-location cabins, half off fitness classes and personal training, two kids classes and various MSC promotions such as beverage packages (the program will start by offering complimentary sodas, wine, beer and coffee on cruises on Divina cruises through April 11). Muskat said it would cost between $30 and $60 more per person and represent a value of at least $250 per person.

The next-highest category is the Aurea, on cabin categories B3 and S3, which includes unlimited drinks, priority boarding, a spa package and designated areas for My Choice dining. Muskat said it costs about $400 more per person and represents a value of at least $600.

The top package is the Yacht Club package, which is MSC's ship-within-a-ship luxury experience. Muskat described it as "ultimate, VIP, five-star service." It includes items like 24-hour butler service and the Yacht Club's exclusive restaurant, pool, deck and bar.

MSC earlier this summer said it would begin paying 5% commission on cruise add-ons booked prior to the cruise. Muskat emphasized that the policy would remain in place.

"This now allows agents to take it a step further once a client is qualified and suggest an experience that is truly tailored to their vacation desires and their budget," Muskat said in a follow-up email. "Once an experience is selected, the process is easy, because there are certain stateroom categories assigned to each experience level.

"For instance, a budget-conscious guest will want to choose from interior, ocean view or balcony staterooms within the Bella experience .... the Fantastica experience is designed for the vast majority of cruisers who are willing to pay just slightly more than the intro Bella experience and get the benefit of selecting from the best of the best stateroom locations, priority dining preferences and more."

Guests who have already booked an interior, oceanview, or B1 or B2 level balcony stateroom will automatically receive the Fantastica experience, excluding the promotional drink package, MSC said.

Guests who have already booked a B3 level balcony stateroom or Aurea suite will automatically receive the Aurea experience.

Holiday cruises expand beyond Christmas markets

By Michelle Baran

For years, river cruise lines have offered a small selection of Christmas market cruises along festive stretches of Central and Western Europe waterways as a way to sell a bit more inventory during the colder off-season. But with river cruising gaining in popularity, so, too, are the more value-oriented holiday cruises, which have expanded both in numbers and scope to encompass itineraries that include more New Year's celebrations as well as destinations beyond the traditional Germany, Austria and Czech Republic.

For instance, CroisiEurope has three distinct categories of cruises this holiday season: Christmas markets, Christmas cruises and New Year's cruises. The Christmas cruises include itineraries in Brussels, Venice and Bordeaux, France, and the New Year's sailings take place in Venice and Bordeaux.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection's holiday cruise lineup features the traditional Christmas market routes but also includes a seven-day Parisian Winter Holiday itinerary, with the Dec. 27 departure including a New Year's celebration in the City of Lights. And in addition to its plethora of holiday cruises along the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers, Viking Cruises is now offering holiday cruises throughout France and in Portugal, destinations only more recently cropping up on the holiday river cruise radar.

In order to further capitalize on the opportunity to enhance sales during the slower season beyond just the Christmas markets, river cruise companies are also promoting their new and enhanced New Year's sailings as more cost-effective alternatives to land-based bashes.

"Europe's top hotels can cost as much as 700% more over the New Year's holiday," AmaWaterways claimed in a recent statement promoting its holiday cruises. As an alternative, the company is including a two-day New Year's extension in Amsterdam on two of its holiday cruises this year — its 14-night Magnificent Europe Christmas Cruise itinerary from Budapest to Amsterdam and its seven-night Treasures of the Main and Rhine from Nuremberg, Germany, to Amsterdam. The company's 164-passenger AmaSonata will remain in port in Amsterdam through New Year's, and passengers from either itinerary can stay onboard through Jan. 1 at no additional cost. Ama is also offering a seven-night Christmas on the Danube cruise that departs Vilshofen, Germany, on Dec. 27 and will be in Vienna on New Year's Eve.

Indeed, whether they're adding New Year's options, expanding their holiday destinations or simply increasing the number of traditional Christmas market cruises, almost every major river cruise line is adding capacity to its holiday lineup this coming season. Tauck is growing its Christmas market river cruise departures by 67%, Avalon has increased its Christmas-themed departures by 40% and Scenic Cruises is operating two new eight-day holiday cruises this year, compared with one 15-day itinerary last year.

Travel agents seek details on Norwegian-Prestige merger

Norwegian Cruise Line moved up its regular Wednesday webinar by one day this week to address the agent implications of its $3 billion acquisition of Prestige Cruise Holdings.

Agents listening to the webinar asked Norwegian’s executive vice president, Andy Stuart, and Prestige President Kunal Kamlani about its effect on commissions, about how the loyalty programs will be handled and whether they will see a cheapening of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises to make the acquisition produce financial savings.

Both said several times that it will be “business as usual” for agents and consumers. “In our minds, it all starts with the clients,” Kamlani said.

On commissions, Kamlani said there are no plans in the next three months to change commissions for 2015. He said this is the traditional time of year to review agency agreements but that nothing should change because of the merger. “It is business as usual,” he reiterated.

The two executives said that how or whether to make Norwegian’s past guest loyalty benefits available to Oceania and Regent cruisers, and vice versa, was high on the list of things to consider but no decisions have been made.

Kamlani said in response to a question that he doesn’t expect to begin offering solo cruise rates after the merger. “We probably would never measure very well on that metric,” he said.

A question about merger savings hurting product quality at the Prestige brands drew a strong response from Kamlani.

“That travesty will not occur on any of our watches of anyone involved in this transaction. That’s as direct as I can be,” he said.

Man takes same Carnival cruise 33 times in a row

By Tom Stieghorst

A Mississippi man has departed the Carnival Elation after setting a record by taking the same four- and five-night itinerary to Mexico 33 times.

Mark Fosselman of Diamond Head, Miss., has been sailing on Elation since April. His five-month odyssey began after his wife Becky passed away. They had sailed together on the New Orleans-based Elation in the past, and the ship evoked good memories, Carnival said in a statement.

Fosselman said his wife loved sailing with Carnival and believed that the cruises contributed greatly to her quality of life despite her declining health. According to Carnival, Fosselman said he considered the voyages therapeutic following his wife’s death.

Carnival said Fosselman is notable because no one else is believed to have sailed as many consecutive Carnival cruises in the line’s 42-year history.

The Carnival Elation staff warmly greeted Fosselman him in the ship’s atrium and held a special farewell reception that included a banner created especially for the occasion when he finally left the ship.

Assembling the Anthem

Dispatch, Meyer Werft shipyard: Assembling the Anthem

By Tom Stieghorst

Travel Weekly Cruise editor Tom Stieghorst is on a tour of the Meyer Werft shipyard where Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas, about two months from completion, is getting the finishing touches prior to its launch in November in New York. Read his dispatch here.

PAPENBURG, Germany -- Imagine putting together a jigsaw puzzle five football fields long and 25 stories high.

That's the impression generated by a trip through the assembly shed here at the Meyer Werft shipyard.
At the moment, the Royal Caribbean International ship Anthem of the Seas is the project that occupies most of the sprawling 450,000 square meters of enclosed space at the yard.

The complexity of the task is mind-boggling.

On a tour for media and a small group of travel agents put together by Royal Caribbean, we got to see firsthand how a ship is transformed from a pile of steel plates into a fully formed vessel.

The early stages involve cutting and welding thousands of plates together into sections, which in turn are welded together into blocks to form the ship. For each massive 30-by-30-foot section, pipes and ducts are added to the ceiling while the section sits upside down, which is easier than working overhead. The sections then are flipped over into proper position by overhead cranes.

Workers can finish about 25 sections a week, with 100 employees working three shifts a day. The process is speeded along by cuts preprogrammed into robotic lasers.

Once the sections are joined, they move into the massive block-assembly hall. Meyer Werft is the only cruise yard that builds its ship indoors. Managers believe that NASA's space shuttle is the only vehicle built indoors that can rival a cruise ship in size.
About 60 blocks go into a ship the size of the Anthem. Once the blocks are built, it is easier to see how the parts will fit together as a whole. The bow and stern are especially recognizable, as is the ship's bridge. The ship's name is discernable in raised letters on the side and rear.

The giant, 300-ton blocks are built wherever there's space. Later, huge overhead traveling cranes will lift each block into its proper position to give the ship its overall structure.

Along the way, 2,090 prefabricated cabins will be trucked from a nearby factory and bolted into place.

When that is done, the basin of the assembly shed is flooded and the ship is floated outdoors for interior fitting so that work can begin indoors on the next ship. The Anthem's sister ship Quantum of the Seas was floated out of the building two weeks ago and is being prepped for delivery in November.

In final form, each 16-deck ship will measure 1,141 feet in length and 136 feet in width. In all of its complexity, the construction of a ship such as the Anthem takes less than a year and a half. The first steel for it was cut in August 2013; the ship is expected to be ready for guests in April. 

Norwegian-Prestige deal raises prospect of UK deployment

Norwegian Cruise Line’s acquisition of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises will give it the courage to base a ship in Southampton or Dover, according to Norwegian chief executive Kevin Sheehan.

He said it was too much of a risk to commit so much capacity to the UK market when you have only 13 ships, but with 21 in the combined group, it would definitely be a consideration now.

Sheehan said the deal was financially beneficial but also brought other benefits.

“It helps us withstand economic situations like recessions – the type of customers who travel with Oceania and Regent have a lot of money and that top end of the industry weathered the downturn well.”

It also helps it become more resilient to geographical situations and makes it operationally “smarter”.

But he said “synergies” across the three brands would be created “behind the curtain” initially.

“Certainly for a period of time because we don’t want to do anything stupid, we will continue selling and marketing the three brands individually as it’s worked well and we don’t want to mess that up.

"I don’t want to keep changing strategies like Royal Caribbean has, so we will stay as we are for quite a while,” he said.

But he said sales and marketing teams for each of the three brands would start to share knowledge and best practice.

And commenting on Royal Caribbean chief executive Richard Fain’s recent declaration that he wanted his company to be the best, Sheehan added:

“He can say he wants to be the best, but the report card comes out once a quarter and then we will see who’s best.

“We are bringing together two excellent businesses. Norwegian has gone from being a joke in this industry to the best in class in terms of yields, operational profit and onboard spend. It’s very positive and is only going to become more so.”

Sheehan said the deal had been financed by raising cash, selling some equity and raising money from banks including JP Morgan, Barclays and Deutsche Bank adding that every other bank had fallen over themselves trying to be part of it as “they could see how compelling the transaction was”.

Sheehan said bringing Oceania and Regent parent company Prestige Holdings into the fold had always been on his mind, but talks had never got far.

“I brought it up a couple of times but it never really got going. It was always too complicated or things were happening and getting in the way, like launching ships or taking the company public.

"But then Frank del Rio and I started a romance – we went for dinner and got to where we are now. It’s extremely exciting.”

Sheehan said he was not looking for any further acquisitions in the immediate future.

“We’re a conservative group of guys and girls and our hands will be full for a while. Our focus now is to ensure we have a very successful launch of our new Norwegian ship, Escape, next year and of the new Regent ship in 2016.”

Chinese travel agency buys Celebrity Cruises ship

By Jerry Limone

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL), parent of Celebrity Cruises, has agreed to sell the Celebrity Century ship to Ctrip.com International, the largest online travel agency in China.

Ctrip is acquiring the ship through a holding company called Exquisite Marine Ltd., a subsidiary of Skyseas Holding International. Skyseas was founded by Ctrip and other investors to offer cruises to Chinese customers.

Ctrip and RCCL said that they have entered into a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture to manage the operations of the acquired cruise ship “and potentially broaden the relationship.”

“Ctrip will capitalize on our strong brand, large customer base and superior service quality, as well as our partner's extensive cruise operating experience, to generate great value to our customers and shareholders," Ctrip President Min Fan said in a statement.

The 1,815-passenger Century will sail for Celebrity Cruises until April 2015. After that, the ship will be renovated, Ctrip said.

The Century’s final Celebrity cruise has been altered. A 15-night Dubai-to-Rome sailing departing April 5 is now a 14-night cruise from Dubai to Singapore.

Guests have the option to cancel and receive a full refund or take another cruise and receive an onboard credit as well as compensation to cover air change fees.

RCCL said that the sale of Celebrity Century will result in a noncash loss of approximately $20 million. The ship entered service in 1995 and is now the oldest and smallest ship in Celebrity’s fleet.

RCCL Chairman Richard Fain called the ship’s sale “an excellent business opportunity for both Royal Caribbean and Ctrip."

Norwegian Cruise Line to acquire Prestige Cruise Holdings

Updated: Norwegian Cruise Line to acquire Prestige Cruise Holdings

By Tom Stieghorst

Norwegian Cruise Line has announced it will acquire Prestige Cruise Holdings for $3.03 billion in cash, stock and assumed debt.

Norwegian said it will issue more than 20 million shares to help finance the purchase

.

Prestige includes Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Prestige shareholders are entitled to an additional contingency payment of $50 million “upon achievement of certain 2015 performance metrics,” a statement said.

Apollo Global Management controls Norwegian through a 20% ownership stake and rights to nominate a majority of the board of directors. Two other partners in Norwegian, Genting Hong Kong and TPG Pacific, have assented to the deal.

Merging Norwegian and Prestige would create a company that can appeal to a broader market swath than Norwegian can on its own, Norwegian CEO Kevin Sheehan said.

“The combination of three distinct brands, each serving a different market segment, under one umbrella immediately creates an industry-leading cruise operator with an unmatched growth trajectory and a portfolio of products that allows us to appeal to guests at every stage of their life cycle,” he said.

After the merger, Frank Del Rio will remain chairman of Prestige Holdings, the statement said. The companies expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter.

In a teleconference, Norwegian CEO Kevin Sheehan said he sees opportunity to use the business model from Oceania and Regent to do a better job of marketing Norwegian’s Pride of America ship in Hawaii. Pride of America is a one-off product with an unusual itinerary, which lends itself to some of the Prestige approach, he suggested.

Sheehan emphasized he has a long list of potential synergies beyond an initial $25 million but that implementing them cannot damage the guest experience.  He said the synergies will remain "behind the curtain” and invisible to guests.

The synergies Sheehan identified in the call are in areas such as purchasing, crew recruitment, port relations, fuel and insurance sourcing, maintenance and dry dock contracts and marketing sponsorships and partnerships.

Sheehan said there may also be consolidation of the two shoreside organizations, which are located within five miles of each other in western Miami-Dade County.

Prestige chairman Frank Del Rio, who turns 60 in two weeks, said he was committed to remain with the company through the end of 2015. “After that, we’ll see what happens,” he said.

Del Rio said the Prestige brands are best at executing a good cruise but haven’t been as sharp on cost savings because of the company’s small size.

Sheehan suggested that negotiations with Del Rio over the deal were at times acrimonious. “We had our moments in the negotiation process, but at the end of the day we’ve shaken hands and are best buddies again,” he said.

Sheehan suggested that the $50 million contingency payment was a way of building into the deal the Prestige view of its future performance, while not paying for it upfront in case it proves less than forecast.

Norwegian in talks to buy Oceania and Regent parent

Norwegian Cruise Line was last night reported to be in “advanced talks” to take over the parent company of luxury lines Oceania and Regent Seven Seas Cruises for around $3 billion.

Reuters cited “people familiar with the matter” and said a deal could be announced as early as this week.

A deal would give Norwegian, a company with a market value of $6.8 billion, access to Prestige Cruise Holdings' luxury ships and affluent clientèle as it competes with larger rivals Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises.

But sources cautioned that the talks could still fall apart. The owner of Prestige Cruises, private equity firm Apollo Global Management, also owns a 20% stake in Norwegian.

Miami-based Norwegian Cruise operates 13 cruise ships in North America, the Mediterranean, the Baltic, Central America and the Caribbean. It had revenues of $2.57 billion in 2013, up 13% from 2012.

Oceania and Regent together have eight cruise ships operating worldwide. Prestige posted revenues of $1.2 billion in 2013, up 6% from the year earlier.

Prestige registered with US regulators for an initial public offering in January. Apollo has been the company's majority shareholder following an $850 million deal in 2007.

Apollo made a $1 billion investment in Norwegian in 2008 and the company went public in January 2013.

Carnival, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian together account for 82% of the North American cruise passenger berth capacity, according to Prestige Cruises' initial public offering registration document.

Norwegian and Prestige representatives did not respond to requests for comment, while an Apollo spokesman declined to comment, according to Reuters.

Princess Cruises documentary puts off travellers

Princess Cruises has defended its decision to allow cameras on board one of its liners after travel agents claimed tourists have been put off by its documentary The Cruise Ship.

Paul Ludlow, Princess Cruises' managing director in the UK and Europe, stated that the company is currently 50 per cent ahead of its sales target and he claimed the series "really picked up momentum" over the course of its run, reports Travel Mole.

He said: "Our weekend web traffic has doubled and enquiries have spiked, particularly from those new to brand. We hope this effect is being felt across the industry and we've received a number of comments from agents that the series led to a sharp increase in new-to-cruise customers.

 

“Of course we welcome comments from both travel agents and guests, and are in the process of reviewing all the feedback we have received. This will help us determine the success of the show and potential for a second series."

But travel counsellor Helen Wheatley claims tourists have been put off booking a cruise as a result of the four-part documentary, with one would-be cruiser describing it as their "worst nightmare" after seeing the show.

She said: "Why do cruise lines such as Princess allow cameras on board, when they should know that editing will paint them in a light to entertain viewers, not always to their advantage?"

Personal travel advisor Jane Haughey added that she believes it was a "daft move" on the part of Princess Cruises, due to the fact the liner depicted in the programme came across as a "party ship", which may be off-putting for some people considering booking a cruise trip.

She noted: "I did have to persuade a client that it very much depends on where the ship is located and a cruise that is going to the Caribbean will have a large amount of US passengers on it."

In order to make the ITV series, cameras were on board Royal Princess for a five-week period last year, with the voice over provided by comedian, actor huge cruise fan John Thomson.

Crystal to debut excursions for late-risers

Crystal Cruises has developed an excursion product aimed especially at guests who like to sleep in.

While shore excursions typically launch 30 minutes to an hour after docking or tendering operations begin, these excursions will start at 11 a.m. or noon, depending on the itinerary. They are designed to dovetail with a late-riser's breakfast served from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on both Crystal ships.

"The 'Late-Risers Adventures' allow guests who prefer more sleep in the morning, are perhaps still adjusting to a time change, or simply like to enjoy a long, leisurely breakfast, to keep their preferred schedule ," said Crystal President Edie Rodriguez.

The new, later excursions will be offered beginning with Crystal Serenity's Sept. 19 Boston-Quebec sailing, and on Crystal Symphony's Sept. 27 Hamburg-Lisbon sailing.