Coast Guard cites fuel-line leak in Triumph fire

By Tom Stieghorst

A leaking fuel line was cited by Coast Guard officials as the likely cause of the engine-room fire that disabled the propulsion of the Carnival Triumph.

Fuel leaked from the return line of the No. 6 engine and ignited when it hit a hot surface, Lt. Commander Teresa Hatfield said in a telephone news briefing Monday.

According to published reports, Hatfield said the crew put out the fire "immediately" and it was contained to a small area.

Hatfield, who leads the Coast Guard's Marine Casualty Investigation Team in New Orleans, said firefighters "did a very good job."

The Bahamas is leading the investigation of the Carnival fire. The Triumph is registered in the Bahamas.

Hatfield said the Coast Guard expects to finish its onboard work by the end of the week and estimated the investigation would take at least six months. 

Politicians call for investigations into Carnival Triumph incident

By Tom Stieghorst

Carnival Cruise Lines faces scrutiny from at least two members of Congress over its handling of the Carnival Triumph incident.
An engine-room fire knocked out power on the Triumph last Sunday, stranding passengers and crew at sea for five days to deal with hardships such as nonfunctioning toilets, stench and a shortage of food.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D.-W.Va.), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, is seeking a Coast Guard review of the incident and others that may be similar, going back six years.

In a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Robert Papp, he said the Triumph is "just the latest example in a long string of serious and troubling incidents involving cruise ships."

Rockefeller asked Papp to provide details on how much the Coast Guard has spent in helping the Triumph and other cruise ships that have had emergencies, and whether the Coast Guard expects to be reimbursed by Carnival.

Separately, Rep. Doris Matsui (D.-Calif), sent a letter to the head of the House Committee on Transportation and Oversight, asking for hearings on whether cruise ships are adequately prepared to handle emergencies such as the one on the Triumph.

"We need answers about why this occurred, why there were not adequate back plans, and why it took over four days to get these people safely back to land. Someone must be held accountable," the letter read. 

In cruise incident, a conservative approach

By Tom Stieghorst

Why didn’t Carnival Cruise Lines try to get passengers off the powerless Carnival Triumph?

To understand that, it may help to look at another cruise mishap that was overshadowed in the U.S. last week by the Triumph.

In the Canary Islands, five crew members of the Thomson Majesty died in a lifeboat drill.  A cable snapped, plunging the boat 65 feet to the water.  Now imagine that same boat full of passengers.

Lowering lifeboats is not an especially safe activity. The Thomson Majesty episode becomes the latest example in a history of such incidents.    

A 2001 study by the U.K.'s Marine Accident Investigation Branch found that 15% of all deaths involving professional seafarers involved lifeboat drills, with 12 deaths over 10 years and 87 people injured.

The problems include complicated and balky release mechanisms, inadequate maintenance and lapses in the training of crews on how to safely lower boats to the water.

Still, cruise ships tender passengers from ship to shore all the time. Why not lower the boats empty and put passengers on that way? Marine safety experts say the risks of injury remain high. The chief risk is transferring passengers from ship to tender while wave action moves the two vessels independently. The transfer has to be done twice for each passenger, once leaving the stricken vessel and again boarding the rescue vessel, doubling the chances of injury. In addition, the evacuation would be done in open seas instead of in sheltered coves or bays that are the more typical environment of a ship-to-shore tender operation.

Nonetheless, it may be time for the cruise industry to take another look at whether a tender-rescue operation makes sense in calm seas. Working with the U.S. Coast Guard or a private rescue vessel, under the right conditions, it might be possible to remove passengers from an immobilized ship and send them back to port, sparing them the discomfort endured by those on the Triumph.

It is worth bearing in mind that no one died on the Triumph. It was a miserable week but not a tragic one.  A non-emergency ship evacuation could go well, or it could introduce additional variables beyond the line's control; in the worst-case scenario, a death or a serious injury.

Something must be done. Laws should be changed. That’s a refrain I heard last week from travel agents. In cases like the Triumph, the image of the cruise line and the cruise industry in general takes a beating.

But whatever reforms are undertaken have to be responsible ones. And that means being truly conservative about passenger safety, and not introducing unnecessary risk.

Cruise Ship Tipping Etiquette

 By John Honeywell 

Nobody wants to talk about tips on cruise ships. Making new friends over the dinner table, passengers are happy enough to reveal what a bargain they got with their last-minute fare and they’ll swap advice about the best place to buy duty-free cigarettes in Gibraltar or booze in the Caribbean.

But who would want to show themselves up as mean and tight-fisted over the gratuities which are in most cases an essential part of the pay-packets of cabin stewards and restaurant waiters?

That doesn’t stop the passengers queuing up at the reception desk on day one of a cruise to demand that the automatic daily charge for tips is removed from their on board account. Good luck to anyone who has a pressing problem they need to speak to the purser about. Bathroom flooded or bed unmade? Television not working or wardrobe door hanging off? Sorry, you’ll have to wait.

It might not be a subject for discussion but tipping is certainly one that raises temperatures, among the Brits at least. We’re not talking about our American cousins here; they are happy to shower dollar bills on everyone from bellboys to barbers. And I have a very good friend – as British as John Bull – who would always hand out a generous tip on day one with the promise that there was plenty more where that came from if he was looked after properly.

But try checking what the tipping arrangements will be on your next cruise and you’ll discover the cruise lines themselves are reluctant to make a song and dance about the subject.

The details are in the brochures and on the websites. It’s just that they are tucked away in the small print and hidden among the FAQs.

• P&O’s rates are going up from £3.10 per person per day to £3.50, effective on different ships from different dates, starting with Oriana on March 28 and Aurora last to join the party on April 24.
• Fred Olsen Cruises add £4 a day, while on Norwegian the cost is $12 (£7.50). On Royal Caribbean the extra charge is $11.65 (£7.35) per passenger, rising to $13.90 (£8.75) in a suite.
• For Cunard’s Britannia-class passengers it’s going up from $11 a day to $11.50 (£7.25) and for those travelling in Princess Grill or Queens Grill the increase is from $13 to $13.50 (£8.50).

Cunard say it has been some time since the rates were increased, and that the charges are “benchmarked against many other leading cruise lines.”

If you’re travelling with an ultra luxury line, for example Seabourn, Crystal or Silversea, gratuities are included.

Elsewhere, Thomson, Saga, Swan Hellenic and Voyages of Discovery are also gratuity-free zones.

All of which is worth bearing in mind when working out the cost of your next cruise.

CLIA seeking ‘better connections’ via YouTube channel

By Laura Del Rosso

CLIA unveiled Cruise Industry TV, a YouTube channel with videos aimed at consumers, travel agents and the cruise industry.

The content includes a message from Bob Sharak, CLIA executive vice president, describing CLIA's certification programs and the value of the designations to sharpen knowledge and the ability for agents to promote expertise to customers.

CLIA agents can share consumer-targeted video on the channel to showcase their expertise as CLIA members. One two-minute video aimed at the general public explains the benefits of using a certified agent, likening booking a cruise without a certified agent to undergoing surgery with an unskilled surgeon.

“Videos are a great, easily shareable way for us to explain the many different areas and unique features of the industry,” said David Peiken, a CLIA public affairs spokesman.

“We hope certified travel agents will use Cruise Industry TV to learn about topics ranging from the industry’s certification processes to some of the most popular options for cruisers, which will help create even better connections between the agents and their customers,” he said. “We look forward to the feedback from our incredible base of certified travel agent members to see what they have found most useful and how Cruise Industry TV has allowed them to provide even better service to their customers.”

Other videos offer tips and features to help vacationers book a cruise and an industry section highlights operational practices.

“Cruise Industry TV is the one-stop hub for videos about the industry and its commitments to its passengers, the environment, health and safety, and communities around the world,” Peiken said. “Our goal with Cruise Industry TV is to ensure the latest video content about the industry is easy to find and easy to share, and YouTube is the best platform to do both.”

Cruise Industry TV  is designed to complement CLIA’s other social media, including Duffy’s CEO Blog, Twitter feed and CLIA’s cruise fan Facebook and Twitter pages.

Carnival boss Arison makes personal apology

By Phil Davies

The boss of Carnival Cruise Lines parent company Carnival Corporation issued a personal apology over the weekend to passengers involved in the Carnival Triumph accident.

Micky Arison used his Twitter feed to express his feelings after more than 3,100 passengers had their short cruise ruined due to an engine fire which left the ship drifting powerless in the Gulf of Mexico.

The crippled ship was finally towed back into port in Mobile, Alabama, on Friday and the majority of passengers were driven by coach to New Orleans to catch specially chartered flights to Houston or Galveston, where the cruise originally departed.

Passengers complained that toilets and drainpipes overflowed, soaking many cabins and interior passages in raw sewage.

Carnival Corporation chairman and chief executive Arison said: “We are very sorry for the difficult conditions experienced by our guests on Carnival Triumph but glad that all guests are off safe and sound. I want to thank all the Carnival Cruise team members for their tireless efforts.”

He faced criticisim in January last year for failing to travel to Italy and take personal charge of the Costa Concordia crisis in which 32 people died.

Carnival Cruise Lines chief executive Gerry Cahill boarded the ship to personally apologise to passengers.

"I know the conditions on board were very poor," he said. "I know it was difficult. I want to apologise for subjecting our guests to that.

"We pride ourselves with providing our guests with a great vacation experience and clearly we failed in this particular case."

Carnival said passengers will be reimbursed in full plus transportation expenses, a future cruise credit equal to the amount paid for this voyage, plus a payment of $500 a person in compensation.

The company has cancelled 14 cruises due to repairs needed to Carnival Triumph.

Airbus opts for 'Plan B' for A350 after 787 battery problem

By Phil Davies

Airbus will not use lithium-ion batteries in its forthcoming A350 aircraft because of problems that have grounded rival Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.

The European manufacturer is to use traditional nickel-cadmium batteries instead, as already used in the A380 superjumbo and other models.

Investigations are continuing after battery problems came to light on 787s operated by Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways which left 50 Dreamliners grounded around the world.

Airbus said it was "confident" that the lithium-ion battery it had been developing with French battery-maker Saft was "robust and safe".

It added that A350 test flights would continue with the lithium batteries.

"However, to date, the root causes of the two recent industry Li-ion main batteries incidents remain unexplained to the best of our knowledge," Airbus said.

"In this context, and with a view to ensuring the highest level of programme certainty, Airbus has decided to activate its Plan B and therefore to revert back to the proven and mastered nickel-cadmium main batteries for its A350 XWB programme at entry into service.

"Airbus considers this to be the most appropriate way forward in the interest of programme execution and A350 XWB reliability."

The firm said it did not expect any further delays to the launch of the A350, intended as a rival to the 787. The maiden flight is due to take place later this year, with the first passenger flight expected in the second half of 2014, the BBC reported.

Royal Caribbean switches to automatic gratuities

By Phil Davies

Royal Caribbean International is to charge passengers an automatic daily gratuity for crew members in the dining room and housekeeping staff who are traditionally tipped.

The line will join others in including automatic gratuities in bills from March 1. The company confirmed that the new policy will apply fleet-wide.

Royal Caribbean will add an automatic daily gratuity of $12 or $14.25 for passengers in suites to onboard accounts of each guest to be shared by waiters, stateroom attendants and other housekeeping services personnel. This new gratuity replaces the previously optional tipping guidelines.

The line previously recommended a total of $11.65 per passenger, per day or $13.90 for suite guests and they could pay via their onboard account or in cash.

The change brings the company into line with a policy adopted by rivals Carnival Cruise Lines, P&O Cruises, Cunard, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Norwegian Cruise Line.

All of the competitor cruise lines allow passengers to go to the guest relations desk onboard and ask to change the automatic gratuity charges if they feel service is not up to the expected levels.

Staff on a number of lines have suffered from a reduction in voluntary tips, with British passengers known to be among the most reluctant to pay gratuities.

Royal Caribbean passengers who have previously pre-paid their gratuities for forthcoming cruises will not be affected by the change.

American-US Airways merger deal valued at $11 billion

By Jerry Limone

US Airways stockholders will end up owning 28% of the combined airline. The remaining 72% will be owned by stakeholders of AMR and its debtor subsidiaries that filed for relief under Chapter 11, American’s labor unions and current AMR employees.

The merger is conditioned on approval by the bankruptcy court overseeing American Airlines' Chapter 11 reorganization and US Airways' shareholders. The Department of Justice's Antitrust Division also needs to review the deal.

The airlines expect that the merger deal will be completed in the third quarter of 2013. During the period between the signing and closing of the transaction, a transition-planning team made up of leaders from both companies will develop an integration plan.

US Airways CEO Doug Parker will become CEO of the combined airline, which would be the world's largest, edging out United.

American CEO Tom Horton will become nonexecutive chairman through the combined airline’s first annual meeting of shareholders. Parker will assume the additional position of chairman after Horton’s tenure concludes.

The board of directors will initially be made up of 12 members: three from American, including Horton; four from US Airways, including Parker; and five representatives of AMR creditors.

The new American Airlines will maintain all hubs currently served by both airlines, the carriers said. These include American hubs Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami and New York Kennedy, and US Airways hubs Philadelphia, Washington Reagan National, Phoenix and Charlotte.

US Airways and American say that their combination is expected to generate more than $1 billion in annual net synergies in 2015. The airlines expect transition costs of approximately $1.2 billion, spread over the next three years. 

American Airlines parent AMR Corp. and US Airways Group made their merger agreement official on Thursday, with the airlines valuing the deal at $11 billion based on the price of US Airways stock on Feb. 13.

The combined carrier will fly as American Airlines, with headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas.

Carnival Triumph docks in Mobile

By Jerry Limone

The disabled Carnival Triumph was towed into the port in Mobile, Ala., on Thursday evening, docking at about 9:20 p.m. Central time. Passengers began debarking at about 10:15 p.m.

Debarking the entire ship was expected to take up to five hours, as few elevators were working on the Triumph. There were more than 4,200 people onboard, 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew.
Chartered buses were taking passengers to New Orleans or Galveston, where the ship had departed last Thursday on what was supposed to be a four-day cruise.

Carnival is putting passengers up in hotels if they choose to travel to New Orleans, which is about a two-hour drive from Mobile. Carnival is paying for homebound flights from New Orleans.

Before debarkation began, Carnival Cruise Lines CEO Gerry Cahill went onboard to talk with guests and crew, Carnival said.

In a statement on Carnival’s Twitter account, Cahill said, “I want to again apologize to our guests and their friends and family. The situation has been incredibly difficult, and we're sorry for what happened. Our company was founded on the idea of providing great vacations to fun-loving Americans, and clearly we failed on this cruise.”

An engine-room fire on Sunday left the ship without power. With most toilets not functioning, guests were instructed to use red plastic bags for solid waste, according to passengers disembarking the ship.

Many of the passengers left the ship wearing bathrobes from the Triumph, as they were not prepared for cold weather. It was in the low 40s in Mobile on Thursday night.

“Of course the bathrobes for the Carnival Triumph are complimentary,” Carnival joked on its Twitter feed.

Some passengers who were interviewed by TV news programs after leaving the ship lauded the efforts of the crew.

Carnival is rewarding hotel crew members who are close to completing their contracts, sending them on an early vacation while compensating them for their full term, said the line. Other hotel crew members will be transferred to other Carnival ships.

Deck and engine crew will stay onboard to help reposition the Triumph to a Mobile shipyard.

“They will then have hotel rooms Friday night and onward, as they will stay with the ship to help with repairs,” Carnival said.

Norwegian reports improved profits despite 'unexpected challenges'

By Phil Davies

Norwegian Cruise Line has delivered improved profits for 2012 of $169 million against $127 million the previous year despite the year’s “unexpected challenges”.

The result for a period when the cruise industry had to deal with the impact of the Costa Concordia disaster was announced after the company’s recent move to become a public company.

Full year revenue was up by 2.6% to $2.27 billion with an improvement in yields put down to increased fares and onboard revenue.

Norwegian posted a fourth quarter net profit of $5.6 million against a loss of $1.9 million in the same period in 2011, despite a rise in fuel costs.

Looking forward, the company expects a further improvement in net yields of between 3.5% and 5.5%.

The line takes delivery of Norwegian Breakaway, the first of two new ships, in April, along with a Breakaway Plus vessel due to enter service for in autumn 2015.

President and chief executive Kevin Sheehan said: "While 2012 included some unexpected challenges in the macro environment, our results demonstrate our ability to manage our operations through these external factors and report healthy growth.

"We are very pleased to begin our journey as a public company by posting strong results for 2012.

"In addition, our fourth quarter results marked our 18th consecutive quarter of year-over-year adjusted EBITDA growth.

"2013 marks the beginning of the next chapter of Norwegian's growth story,” he added.

“The delivery of our Breakaway and Breakaway Plus class vessels, designed to improve on the already successful platform of Norwegian Epic, along with our strong product proposition that offers a consistent experience throughout our fleet, has Norwegian well positioned for 2013 and beyond."

CCS moots upfront commission payments for cruise sales

By Melanie Hall13 February 2013 at 08.16 GMT

 0 Comments

Carnival UK has revealed it is considering bringing forward commission payments to the time of booking rather than when the final balance is paid.

Giles Hawke (pictured), Carnival sales and customer services director, said the company was looking at revising its systems to implement the move.

However, he added: “I wouldn’t want to set any time scale.”

Hawke was speaking at a cruise round-table debate hosted by Travel Weekly and Carnival UK. Senior agency and tour operator figures at the event welcomed the potential move.

Chris Roe, sales and distribution director at Virgin Holidays, said receiving the commission upfront would make a “100% difference” to his business.

Miles Morgan, founder of Miles Morgan Travel, said: “It’s a step in the right direction from CCS for a change.”

The suggestion followed a discussion about agents being forced to pass customer payments straight to the cruise lines, which hits agencies’ cashflow.

Last year, Complete Cruise Solution, the trade arm for P&O Cruises, Cunard and Princess Cruises, contacted all larger agents whose customers are not yet paying its cruise lines directly to insist a plan is put in place to make the transition to direct payments, to remove any financial risk from its trade business.

“We have seen the collapse of Gill’s and Cruise Control,” said Roe.

“I can see why CCS is doing it, but it is tarring every agent and tour operator with the same brush.”

Hawke said that the company had a ‘bad-debt’ fund worth millions of pounds in case retailers went bust, 
but CCS had made a decision that it 
was not going to carry that financial 
risk any more. “No banks would give you cash for nothing,” said Hawke.

But Seamus Conlon, managing director of Cruise.co.uk, said: “The average agent has to pay staff. I’m increasing cashflow to create your deposits, which you then bank for a year. CCS is screwing up everyone’s income.”

CCS cut base commission to 5% in 2011, sparking cuts by other cruise lines.

Facebook Graph Search seen as ‘game changer’

By Laura Del Rosso

Home-based agents who only have been dipping their toes into social media, questioning whether such efforts generate a return on investment, may want to rethink their position as Facebook rolls out Graph Search, a program that could dramatically improve travel marketing opportunities.

Susan Black, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Travel Impressions, calls Graph Search a “game changer.”

“For those travel agents who haven't gotten the [social media] bug, this is going to be what Google was to the Internet,” Black said. “It's going to be unbelievable how it will change the way people use Facebook.”

Graph Search, which has been available to some users in beta testing and is being rolled out gradually to all Facebook users, is a search engine that has been described as a cross between Google, Yelp and LinkedIn.

It enables Facebook users to search for people, places and things based on their friends and their location. For example, a user can search “Friends who have been to Cancun” or “Hotels in Montreal” and any relevant tagged photos pop up.

For agents, the potential is enormous, said Black, because any photos that are tagged from vacations and other trips will show up in searches.

“Say someone wants to travel to Cancun and wants to get information. They can search their friends and even friends of friends and pull up photos of Cancun that have been tagged. … This is an amazing opportunity for travel agents who have been to a place and know it well to demonstrate their expertise.”

Black said that even without Graph Search, Facebook offers much opportunity for marketing, particularly to engage with potential clients in ways that show travel knowledge and to promote not solely based on price.

“What travel agents do best is to use their expertise and inside information, and that's what they should be showing on social media. It's like going to a cocktail party. You wouldn't just introduce yourself at a party and immediately tell someone there's a Caribbean package available for $899. You'd engage with them first, build a relationship and show your expertise. It should be 80% telling your story and 20% making the sale.”

Black and Katie Gorga, senior manager of social media, conduct social media workshops for agents through Travel Impressions' Social U program, most recently at the New York Times Travel Show where 150 agents heard their presentation “Going Viral in 2013: 42 Tips to Get More Fans, Generate Buzz and Drive Sales.”

Graph Search will be the topic of the next Social U seminar on March 12 at 2 p.m. Eastern online.

Thomson limits Dreamliner refunds to £10 premium

Thomson limits Dreamliner refunds to £10 premium

By Phil Davies

Thomson is to refund only the £10 premium paid by passengers per flight if their holidays are affected by delayed delivery of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Boeing has told Thomson that its first Dreamliner will not be delivered as scheduled this month because of on-going safety tests which have grounded all 50 aircraft in service around the world.

Thomson has warned consumers that if delivery is delayed beyond March it may not be able to offer Dreamliner flights to Florida and Mexico as planned from May.

The Tui Travel airline is working on contingency plans which may include using 767s on the long-haul services.

Holidaymakers paid extra for Dreamliner flights, and many booked premium seats that they may or may not be able to get on the replacement flights.

Thomson has said that if it can’t offer customers the Dreamliner flight they paid for, it will refund the £10 per person per flight premium it charged.

The company will also try to offer customers who paid for premium seats on the Dreamliner an equivalent seat on a replacement aircraft. If this is not possible, it will refund the difference.

Thomson says normal terms and conditions apply to anyone wanting to change flights or cancel their holiday because they no longer want to fly on the Dreamliner.

This means paying an amendment fee of £50 per person, up to 21 days before departure, to change flights. After that it would be 90% to 100% of the original cost.

Anyone wanting to cancel their holiday would lose their deposit. Those opting to cancel 69 days or less before departure would lose their deposit and have to pay a cancellation fee.

Thomson said normal terms and conditions applied because it had every faith in Boeing’s ability to fix the safety issues, and once the Dreamliner was back in service Thomson would have “absolutely no hesitation in flying it,” consumer watchdog Which? reported.

Carnival decides to tow Triumph to Mobile

By Tom Stieghorst

The disabled Carnival Triumph will be towed to Mobile, Ala., rather than to Progreso, Mexico, as initially planned.

The ship, which lost propulsion after an engine-room fire, has drifted about 90 miles north since Sunday because of a strong current.

"This now puts the ship nearly equidistant to Mobile, and given the strength of the currents, it is preferable to head north to Mobile, rather than attempt to tow against them," Carnival Cruise Lines President Gerry Cahill said.

In a statement, Cahill said that the Triumph is expected to arrive in Mobile on Thursday, about the same time it would arrive in Progreso from its current location.

He said returning to a U.S. port will also be more convenient for 900 guests on the ship traveling without passports.

The first of two tugs needed to move the stricken vessel arrived and tied up with the Triumph on Monday, and the second was expected early on Tuesday.

Carnival said its technical team had gradually restored power to some hotel functions. Public and cabin toilets are operational in certain sections of the ship, power has been restored to a limited number of elevators, and some power in the Lido dining area is providing for hot coffee and limited hot food service, Carnival said.

Cahill said Carnival is sorry for the inconvenience, discomfort and frustration of guests. "We know they expected a fantastic vacation, and clearly that is not what they received," he said.

He said personnel are working around the clock to care for passengers and get them home safely. 

Hong Kong making room for big ships

By Tom Stieghorst

Hong Kong is nearly ready to roll out the welcome mat for large cruise ships, hoping to become the gateway for an increasingly wealthy area of China.

Crews are putting the final touches on a new, $1 billion terminal that will be able to accommodate the largest cruise ships afloat.

Nearly a quarter-mile long, the terminal will open its first half in June, anticipating 37,000 passengers on 16 ships in the first 10 months of operation. By mid-2014, the second half of the terminal will open.

Tourism officials are already selling the city as a new and improved port.

“Hong Kong is fully geared up to provide cruises of all sizes,” said James Tien, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

For years, Hong Kong has been an appealing but limited destination for ships.
The city has a great harbor, shopping and cultural treasures, and unlike most of its Asian neighbors, the former British colony is comfortable for English speakers.

Cruise itinerary planners say it is on a select list that includes Istanbul, Venice and St. Petersburg, Russia, where ships overnight in port to let passengers explore.

“I think it speaks to the appeal of Hong Kong,” said Bruce Krumrine, vice president for shore operations at Princess Cruises, which plans two full days in Hong Kong on its 2013 World Cruise.

But Krumrine and others agree that its existing cruise terminal has handicapped Hong Kong. It can handle just two ships of about 50,000 gross tons each. At peak times, a shortage of berth space gives cruise lines heartburn.

“Royal has had to homeport at anchor in Hong Kong occasionally,” said John Tercek, vice president for commercial development for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “This is a real problem for us.”

Recognizing the issue, Hong Kong officials in 2008 put out bids for a new facility on the site of the city’s former international airport, Kai Tak.

Closed in 1998, the airport’s main runway extends 10,000 feet into Victoria Harbor, creating a natural pier. Hong Kong officials retained renowned British architect Norman Foster to design the terminal, which has a dramatically long profile.

The terminal itself is 1,181 feet long, with berthing space of 2,788 feet, giving it the ability to accommodate two Oasis-class cruise ships, each 1,186 feet long.

Plans call for five passenger bridges and 100 check-in stations, along with customs facilities able to process about 3,000 passengers an hour, officials said. A landscaped park will occupy the third story of the terminal, offering elevated views of Victoria Harbor and the Hong Kong skyline.

With the debut of the new terminal and renovations planned for the old Ocean Terminal, Hong Kong will be able to handle four ships at once, leapfrogging cities such as Singapore and Shanghai, which also have new facilities.
Cruise lines currently treat Hong Kong as a seasonal homeport as they migrate from north Asia to Southeast Asia during the winter.

Malaysia-based Star Cruises is the only line with a year-round presence. Its 1,081-passenger Star Pisces does one-night cruises to nowhere at prices ranging from $150 to $970.

With its large international airport (also designed by Foster), Hong Kong has the airlift to be a starting and departure point, and not just a port of call, for cruise ships.

“The ability to turn around big ships in Hong Kong is something we’ve been waiting on for a long, long time,” Krumrine said.

But lately, an even bigger opportunity has popped up on the radar screens of U.S.-based cruise executives. Cruise lines, particularly Royal Caribbean and Costa, are increasingly putting ships in Asia to sell to Asians.

“The exciting part of our industry is the local potential,” said Tercek.

Hong Kong officials estimate there are potentially 50 million middle-class Chinese in the Pearl River Delta provinces of China who would see Hong Kong as the closest cruise port.

Chinese officials last year granted permits for Chinese residents sailing through Hong Kong to cruise beyond Taiwan to Japan, an attractive route, cruise executives said.

One potential stumbling block for the Kai Tak terminal is its location away from the center of Hong Kong. Jeff Bent, director of cruise projects for Worldwide Flight Services, said that can be overcome by developing water transport options.

A ferry operating from the tip of the Kai Tak pier would cut transit time to Hong Kong island’s Central district in half, Bent said.

The terminal will be run by a partnership, whose principal owner is Worldwide Flight Services, a Paris-based ground handler operating in more than 120 airports.

Minority partners include Royal Caribbean (20%) and Shun Tak (20%), a Hong Kong conglomerate founded by gaming tycoon Stanley Ho. 

Engine fire leaves Carnival cruise ship powerless

By Phil Davies

Carnival Cruise Lines ship Carnival Triumph was left powerless 150 miles off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico after an engine room fire.

The 3,143 passengers were remaining in the ship’s public areas and open decks. They were being provided with food and refreshments.

The ship’s automatic fire extinguishing systems activated and the blaze was contained to the aft engine room before being extinguished.

No casualties or injuries to guests or crew have been reported, Carnival said.

“The vessel is currently without propulsion and the ship is operating on emergency generator power,” the cruise line said on Sunday night.

All appropriate authorities including the US Coast Guard have been notified

“The ship's technical crew is continuing to assess the damage and attempting to restore power. In the meantime, a tugboat is being dispatched to the ship's location in the event it is needed,” a company statement said.

The vessel, with 1,086 crew on board, was on a four-day cruise from Galveston in Texas. The next cruise due to depart on Monday has been cancelled.

Passengers on the ship are being offered a full refund inclusive of gratuities and any transportation expenses.

Passengers on the cancelled sailing are being given the option of cancelling and receiving a full refund or waiting for further information to determine if a shortened, partial voyage may be possible.

In an updated statement Carnival said a tugboat had been called out to tow Carnival Triumph to the nearest port at Progreso in Mexico. It is due to arrive on Wednesday afternoon when passengers will be flown back to the US.

Another Carnival ship, Carnival Elation, was sent to transfer additional food and drink to the powerless vessel.

Carnival said: “We have contacted the designated emergency contacts for all guests presently on board Carnival Triumph.”

The next two voyages of Carnival Triumph, due to depart today (Monday) and February 16 have now been cancelled.

Carnival said: “Guests scheduled to sail on either of those voyages will receive a full refund, reimbursement for non-refundable travel expenses and a 25% discount on a future three to five-day cruise.”

Harry Potter cruise could be magical

Harry Potter cruise could be magical

A new wizard-themed ocean offering is on its way

As if by magic, a new Harry Potter cruise package designed for fans of all things Hogwarts will soon be hitting US shores.

It may have been well over a year since the final film in the Harry Potter series hit cinema screens and even longer since the last book was published, but it would appear that the marketing machine behind everyone's favourite wizard is showing little signs of slowing down.

The latest addition to the ever-expanding range of Harry Potter-themed experiences is a new five-night cruise aboard the Golden Princess liner.

Setting off from Los Angeles on November 27th, the package is currently priced at £415 per person, with the deal including food, accommodation and on-board entertainment.

Whimsic Alley is organising the cruise trip, with company founder Stan Goldin promising that fans will be left spellbound…so to speak.

"For the entire time they’re with us, they become students at a wizarding academy, subject to the challenges and ordeals inherent in that experience," he said.

The cruise is the latest movie-themed voyage to hit the high seas, following in the footsteps of such bizarre additions as the recent Saw film franchise cruise.

Five dead on Canary Islands cruise ship

La PalFootage shot from the cruise ship showed the lifeboat in the water

Five crew members have died after a lifeboat they were in fell from a cruise ship docked in the port of Santa Cruz de la Palma in the Canary Islands.

The accident happened on the Majesty, operated by UK-based Thomson Cruises, during a routine safety drill.

Those killed include three Indonesians, a Filipino and a Ghanaian. Three people were also hurt as the boat reportedly fell more than 20m into the sea.

The MS Thomson Majesty is believed to sail under a Maltese flag.

About 2,000 people were on board the cruise ship when the accident occurred around 12:00 GMT on Sunday, local media say.

Two of those injured are said to be Greek, and a third Filipino.

The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of the incident and was "urgently looking into it".

No passengers were involved, local reports say.

Thomson Cruises said in a statement that it was "aware of an incident involving the ship's crew on board Thomson Majesty, in La Palma, Canary Islands this afternoon".

"We are working closely with the ship owners and managers, Louis Cruises, to determine exactly what has happened and provide assistance to those affected," the statement added.

All of our thoughts and prays are with the crews family and loved ones, and the remaining crew who will be devastated by this accident. All Thomson's  Cruise ships should be safety checked before any sailings, and the ship owners Louis Cruise need to step up to the plate and compensate the family of the crew members, and pay for some needed repairs and up-dates. 

Rusting cruise ship 21st century makeover

Rusting cruise ship 21st century makeover

A clapped out cruiser has been given a vivid revamp

The disused wreck of the Duke of Lancaster cruise liner has been given a 21st century makeover by a group of aspiring street artists.

First grounded in the Dee Estuary in Flintshire, North Wales back in 1979, the liner has spent much of the last three decades developing into something of an eyesore for the local community.

But a group of graffiti artists recently took action, as the Metro reports, transforming the liner into a vibrant outdoor art gallery adorned with a series of Banksy-inspired images.

Street artists from Britain, Russia, Latvia and Hungary have all worked on the imaginative project, with eight different images created across the 18m high 14m wide rusting canvass.

Now motorists travelling the A548 coastal road between Flint and Prestatyn can enjoy the imaginative project first hand.

Speaking to the news provider, regular visitor Ian Cameron said: "I’m not a big fan of graffiti but I love what these chaps have done. They’ve really pushed the boat out!"

The world of art and cruises collided again last year, when Peter Max unveiled his vivid hull design for the new Norwegian Breakaway cruise liner.