This Blog is for New to Cruise and the well Traveled , on this site we will publish information about Cruise and Holiday information, with some insider stories in the travel press.
Fincantieri starts construction of ultra-luxury cruise ship for Carnival Corporation
http://en.portnews.ru/
The keel laying ceremony of “Seabourn Encore”, the first of two ultra-luxury cruise ships that Fincantieri will build for Seabourn, brand of Carnival Corporation, was held today at the Marghera shipyard.
“Seabourn Encore”, due to join the Seabourn’s fleet at the end of 2016, will be built according to the standards and technical solutions that make Seabourn one of the most prestigious brands in the ultra-luxury segment and will continue the fleet’s modernization that began in 2009.
The all-suite ship will be approximately 41,700 gross tons, 210 metres long and 28 metres wide and will be able to reach a cruising speed of 18.6 knots. It will carry up to just 600 guests, based on double occupancy. Every suite will feature a private veranda.
Safety will be one of this ship's major strong points. It will be built using the very latest technologies, whose standards will exceed the requirements of the relevant legislation. Fuel consumption will be significantly reduced by optimizing the ship's hydrodynamics.
Fincantieri has built 70 cruise ships since 1990 and other 14 ships are currently being designed or built in the Group's yards.
Norwegian Cruise Line said Carolina Herrera and Lacoste will open their first boutiques at sea on the Norwegian Escape, a ship scheduled to enter service in November.
Lacoste was originally a men’s sports apparel brand developed in the 1920s by French tennis player Rene Lacoste, whose crocodile nickname became the brand’s symbol. Its shop on Escape will offer signature polos, t-shirts, dresses, skirts, footwear and accessories.
Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera made her name with celebrities such as Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol. The shop on Escape will feature handbags, leather goods, pashminas, scarves, jewelry, footwear and accessories.
The 4,000-passenger Escape will also be the first ship to introduce Ulysse Nardin watches, Norwegian said.
Royal Caribbean seeks new terminal in Miami
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has started negotiations aimed at building a new $100 million terminal at Port Miami that would accommodate Oasis-class ships.
Specifications call for a 170,000-square-foot terminal with a berth of 400 meters, or about 1,312 feet. Oasis of the Seas is 1,186 feet long.
The specifications are in a memorandum of understanding to be considered by the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 16. If approved, the memorandum would become a roadmap for a final negotiation. The memorandum said the terminal is “assumed to become operational” by the end of 2018.
“By the nature of a memorandum of understanding, there is still a long road to go,” said Rob Zeiger, Royal Caribbean’s vice president of communications.
Royal Caribbean currently docks at Terminal G at the port, the closest one to downtown Miami. The new terminal would be built partly on a cargo area in the easternmost part of the port furthest from downtown. Designated Terminal A, it would be developed and owned by Royal Caribbean except for a small contribution from the county.
The agreement, which would last for a minimum of 20 years, calls for Royal Caribbean to pay an initial rent on leasing the land beneath the terminal for $9.5 million a year, or about $250 million over the life of the agreement, after annual escalators. The lease would have four 10-year optional extensions. A summary of the memorandum calls it a new model for financing terminals at the port.
“This deal structure is extremely attractive to the port because it transfers risk from the county to a private company,” said the summary, signed by Jack Osterholt, deputy county mayor.
The memorandum said that ever since Miami lost the deployment of Oasis and Allure of the Seas to Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades in 2009, the port has been talking with Royal Caribbean about ways to boost the number of passengers. Currently, that number is about 730,000 a year.
If you live in or near London
and you feel the city is
not getting its fair share of
the cruise market, you will
undoubtedly be delighted
to hear that a brand new
passenger cruise terminal
has been approved for
the city. Boris Johnson,
London’s mayor, made this
announcement recently.
The planned terminal was first mentioned in the press about six months ago;
however, a group of local residents voiced opposition to the plan, saying that
fumes from the ships’ fuel will negatively affect air quality in the area. Sir Edward Lister, the city’s deputy mayor for planning, said: “We have worked
with the local authority and the developer to ensure the new terminal and
surrounding infrastructure will meet the needs of thousands of tourists coming
to the city each year.”
The terminal will be near the iconic Cutty Sark and the historic Old Royal
Navy College, right in the centre of London. It is scheduled to open in 2017 and will be able to accommodate cruise ships
up to 850 feet in length. Initial projections are that around 55 ships per year
will make use of the facilities.
New retail outlets, restaurants and residential
housing are also planned for the surrounding area.
Councillor Danny Thorpe, Greenwich Council’s cabinet member for transport
and regeneration, said the council realised that the effect on air quality
concerned many locals, but the measures proposed by the council to address
this issue were independently scrutinised and found to be adequate
Amber Cove, Carnival’s new port in the D.R., nears opening date
Amber Cove is scheduled to welcome its first ship on Oct. 6.
PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic — The new Amber Cove port on the north coast of the Dominican Republic is rapidly coming together a little more than a month before the first ship is scheduled to arrive on Oct. 6.
The port, being developed by Carnival Corp. and a local partner, already has a 1,280-foot pier, a bus and taxi staging area, cabanas and the finished shells of bars, restaurants and shops.
Landscaping is being planted and the interiors of the structures are ready for build-out.
About 350,000 guests from eight Carnival Corp. brands are expected to use the facility in 2016. About half will come from Carnival Cruise Line, which will use Amber Cove year-round.
The 25-acre project cost $85 million to develop. About half of the space is devoted to a transportation hub. Six acres along the shore have been reclaimed from the bay. There is a large pool area, but no beach on the port property. Carnival will offer multiple beach excursions.
A total of 44 tours have been developed with a wide range of styles. Amilcar Cascais, vice president for tour operations at Carnival, said he expects tour participation of upwards of 60% initially because guests will be curious about the new destination. Participation is typically in the 30% to 50% range.
The pier, with a channel dredged to 36 feet, is capable of handling two of the largest ships in the Carnival fleet at once, although initially only one ship at a time will dock there.
Amber Cove is named for the amber mines in the interior near the port. There will be an amber wall art installation that will feature a caiman embedded in it.
The northern coast of the Dominican Republic last received regular cruise calls 30 years ago, and the 300,000 residents of the area are excited to see the project nearing completion, said Julio Almonte, vice minister of tourism for the Dominican Republic. He said the country’s president visited the site two months ago to show support.
“The future of Puerto Plata is this project,” Almonte said.
With a low water level, a large stretch of the Elbe's riverbed was exposed in August near Magdeburg, Germany. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
A hot and dry summer in Europe has led to lower-than-normal water levels on portions of the Danube and Elbe rivers throughout the summer, and has forced river cruise lines to alter their itineraries during July, August and now into September.
“Water levels on the Elbe and Danube rivers are currently lower than normal and Viking has had to make adjustments to the cruise schedules of several ships sailing these rivers,” Viking River Cruises wrote on its website this week.
Five Viking cruises have been altered this week, four of which include a ship swap. Passengers will be transferred in order to avoid a low-water area of the Elbe River that ships cannot bypass.
Additionally, Viking’s Sept. 2 “Grand European Tour” from Budapest to Amsterdam, scheduled to depart on the Viking Aegir, will begin in Komarom, Hungary, on the Viking Embla. Viking will provide transfers from Budapest to Komarom.
“These are currently the only sailings we expect to be altered by the low water on the rivers,” Viking stated.
But low water levels have been a problem all summer. The low levels on the Elbe came during a year when Viking launched two new vessels on the river in eastern Germany. Other river cruise lines have avoided the Elbe in part because of the challenges presented when the water level is low.
The Danube River is one that all the major river cruise lines sail. The area on the Danube where the low waters have posed a problem is the 75-mile stretch between Regensburg and Passau in Germany.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection had to alter eight Danube River sailings in July and August, which included having guests swap ships from one side of the low waters to the other. The company canceled its Aug. 9 “European Jewels” cruise on the Maria Theresa, deciding that there wouldn’t be enough actual cruising in the trip to justify the departure.
“We sincerely appreciate the understanding and support our guests and travel industry partners have shown during this challenging time,” Uniworld wrote on its website.
Avalon Waterways wrote on its Facebook page last week that the river levels on the Danube had again begun to recede.
“Danube River waters receded over the weekend and early this week. Once again, the waters between Regensburg and Passau are beginning to delay and/or stall ship passage. We are fervently working to keep cruise itinerary disruptions to a minimum. If or when cruise itineraries are altered, however, we will provide affected travelers with alternate opportunities to see and explore the best Europe has to offer,” Avalon wrote on Facebook.
The post elicited a string of comments from passengers, some concerned about current and upcoming sailings, others with positive messages of support and kudos for how Avalon handled past sailings that were disrupted due to low water levels.
The forecast is calling for rain in the coming days, according to Rudi Schreiner, president of AmaWaterways, which has not had to alter any of its Danube itineraries yet this summer. Schreiner is hoping that some much-needed precipitation along the Danube will help bring the river’s water levels back up.
What's New, What's Hot is Travel Weekly's look at useful and fun travel gadgets, edited by Joe Rosen. First up, NokHoo Laptop Backpacks. Designed to fit laptops up to 16 inches in size, the fully-padded and water resistant bags have numerous zippered and side pockets and an easy-to-reach shoulder pocket. What really makes them standout is the unique, custom artwork that adorns each bag. They are available in four styles, characterized by their fabric, color and design work: Sirrush, DeLoverly, Raining Paradise and Icarus.
NokHoo Laptop Backpacks: NokHoo, according to Nicole Roberts, who first designed this line of stylish bags when living in Thailand, is the Thai word for "owl" and it is the wise traveler who has one of these backpacks at the ready when on the go. All NokHoo bags are fully padded, at once protecting you and your contents; have numerous zippered pockets, side pockets and an easy-to-reach shoulder pocket; are water resistant; and are manufactured to last. What really makes them standout, however, is the unique, custom artwork that adorns each bag, including screen prints and embroidery. They are available in four styles, characterized by their fabric, color and design work: Sirrush ("toasted sesame"), DeLoverly (red), Raining Paradise (periwinkle) and Icarus (gun metal gray). All fit laptops up to 16 inches in size. $150; www.nokhoolaptopbags.com.
LAMOVE Mobile Closet: A joint project of luggage designer Max Mirani and closet designer Lisa Adams, this imaginative and functional product combines the organization of a wardrobe trunk minimized to the portability and practicality of a carryon (21 by 14.5 by 9 inches, with four swivel wheels). Featuring a hard shell case with a textile surface, the LAMOVE Mobile Closet has two separate sections: a garment portion for hanging dresses, slacks and blouses, and a removable wardrobe portion that can be zipped out and carried separately as a tote. Other attributes: a cantilevered shelf; magnetically closed pockets; a shoe section that fits heels and flats; a heat-resistant storage packet for flat or curling irons; and a detachable jewelry roll that can be used as a clutch or placed in a hotel safe. Two styles are available: Hollywood, with black exterior and gray interior, and New York, gray exterior and charcoal interior. Both have leather interior trims. $649;www.laclosetdesign.com.
Two carriers for the peripatetic pet: • SturdiBag Pet Carrier: This light-weight, in-cabin traveling bag, which includes a seatbelt, seatbelt safety straps, harness and privacy flaps, is collapsible, providing a safe and comfortable trip for your portable furry friends. Available in small or large sizes (the large, divided SturdiBag is capable of carrying two pets in separate compartments), the carrier is made from 600-denier polyester; has an adjustable, four-point padded shoulder strap and leather hand grip; interior fleece pad; zipper security clips; and a leash tether. $68 and up; www.sturdiproducts.com. • Classic Carrier: This product, from the aptly named LazyBonezz company, boasts breathable mesh panels for excellent visibility and ventilation; two sturdy handles and removable shoulder strap; a collar-to-leash attachment; a soft, removable bottom cushion; and an outside pocket for pet and owner essentials. At 15.5 by 7.25 by 10 inches, the Classic Carrier fits under most airline pet carrier restrictions. Materials used: faux leather, tweed, mesh and mixed metal. $139;www.lazybonezz.com.
Eyebrow Grooming Set and Recover-E Cucumber Eye Pads: This eye-opening combination from Earth Therapeutics, a skin and body care line, was created with the female traveler in mind. The grooming kit offers an eyebrow shaver, tweezer, eyebrow scissors and lash/brow groomer. The eye pads, which are designed to reduce dark circles and puffiness associated with the tired eyes of long-distance travelers, are infused with cucumber extract, green tea and Vitamin E when refrigerated in a cold pack. Grooming set, $14.99; eye pads, (five pairs per pack), $5.99; www.earththerapeutics.com.
Cruising in the coastal waters of North America is starting to gain attention as more companies enter the market and introduce new ships to the long overlooked niche.
Small, domestic ships are plying the bays, sounds and islands in New England, Chesapeake Bay, Puget Sound and the Canadian Maritimes and docking in fresh, less-visited ports of call.
Coastal ships appeal to an older, well-traveled group of passengers seeking a small-ship experience that doesn't require distant travel and affords easy access to places they haven't yet seen.
New entrants, such as Haimark Line and Pearl Seas Cruises, are bringing different and larger vessels to the market. And new destinations are cropping up, particularly Cuba, which coastal cruise firms say is ideally suited to their scale and style of cruising.
"It's definitely growing," said Debbi Robertson, a AAA agent in Lake Oswego, Ore. "The appeal, obviously, is the fact that it's a smaller ship, it's a small footprint with a few passengers, and you can get into nooks and crannies that you can't otherwise. It's a much more relaxed and easy way to go."
Blount Small Ship Adventures vessel the Grande Caribe at Oswego on an Erie Canal itinerary. The line says it is the only overnight cruise ship on the canal.
Coastal cruising is similar to river cruising, except it's done in saltwater rather than fresh. The ships top out at a little more than 200 passengers, cabins are intimate, getting on and off the ships is a breeze and destination is key.
Price-wise, coastal cruises are also closer to many river ships, charging in the $3,000 to $5,000 range for a seven- to 10-night cruise.
Each coastal company has a slightly different product lineup, with some mixing river, ocean and lake cruising depending on the time of year.
And an important distinction for most coastal cruisers is that their ships are predominantly U.S. flagged, which allows for itineraries that go between U.S. ports without a foreign stop.
"That's part of our whole strategy, our boats being U.S.-owned," said Tim Jacox, president of Seattle-based Un-Cruise Adventures. "In Hawaii with [the ship] Safari Explorer we're able to operate island to island to island. In Alaska, the fact that we're able to operate right in the heart of the Inside Passage, Juneau to Ketchikan, there's no wasted time whatsoever."
In a sense, coastal cruising is an offshoot of the U.S. shipbuilding industry. The two oldest players, American Cruise Lines and Blount Small Ship Adventures, both own shipyards: Maryland-based Chesapeake Shipbuilding and Rhode Island-based Blount Boats, respectively. That stands in contrast to much of the ocean cruise fleet, which is built overseas, mainly in Europe.
The cabins on coastal cruise ships tend to be small and cozy, like this one on the Legacy.
The ships are different, too. Rather than stress luxury, coastal ships tend to have simpler, more functional decor. Several are built as modern replicas of vintage coastal steamers.
The coastal ships tend to have a lounge, a bar and a restaurant that can accommodate a single seating, along with open space on a top deck for sightseeing. Most cabins range from 150 to 200 square feet.
"They're not large cabins," said Thomas Markwell, managing partner of sales and marketing at Haimark Line. "They're comfortable, but they're not suites."
On some ships, access to cabins is from an open deck rather than an interior corridor.
The topside sun deck on the 210-passenger Pearl Mist.
Typically, coastal ships have a shallow draft, which enables ships to access close-in harbors and dock rather than tender in most ports.
Blount Small Ship Adventures has engineered two further advantages: a bow ramp that permits a ship to practically dock on the beach in the Caribbean and a retractable pilot house to pass under low bridges.
Because of that feature, Blount can sail the Erie Canal, along which some bridge clearances are under 22 feet. Nancy Blount, company president, said it is the only overnight cruise ship on the canal.
People who gravitate toward coastal cruising are a distinct breed, according to cruise line executives.
"These people are intrepid travelers," Markwell said. "They have been everywhere, but at the same time they have been no place close; they have no exposure or limited exposure to destinations of interest in North America."
Most of them are between the ages of 55 and 75, with some in their 80s, he said. Most don't want to be on a motor coach tour.
"They've taken their love of cruising and looked for an application of that concept in North America," Markwell said. "They say, 'We cannot physically do long coach rides anymore,' and beyond that, especially for this aged demographic, the concept of packing and unpacking is not appealing at all anymore."
Many have exhausted their "bucket list" destinations in exotic places that they waited their whole lives to see. Now, Markwell said, they're on a second bucket list.
"Their interest doesn't die," he said. "It doesn't wane as they get older. With that in mind, they sort of develop a new list. And that new list seems to be closer to home."
Where they're going on coastal voyages are places like the tiny towns on Maryland's eastern shore; the historical districts of Quebec City or Beaufort, S.C.; or the peaks and evergreens surrounding the San Juan Islands in Washington state's Puget Sound.
The American Cruise Lines ship the American Spirit has 51 cabins, some with individual balconies.
A classic coastal itinerary is a 15-day voyage offered by American Cruise Lines that sails from Baltimore down through the Chesapeake Bay and along the Intracoastal Waterway to Jacksonville, Fla.
Along the way, passengers visit Kitty Hawk, N.C., site of the Wright brothers' first flight; Charleston, S.C., with its side-yard colonial houses; and the turn-of-the-century robber baron retreat of Jekyll Island, Ga.
Fares for the cruise, offered in late spring and fall, start at $7,725 and range up to $13,290 for the owner's suite on one of three American ships: the American Glory, American Star or Independence. All the ships have three decks of accommodations and carry fewer than 100 passengers.
"The small nature of it, it becomes a family on board," said Judy Roman, vice president of marketing for American and its affiliate, Pearl Seas. "It's quite an intimate experience, as opposed to typical cruising."
Passengers form a naturally close bond on such small ships, both with each other and with the crew, coastal cruise executives said. And the crew on U.S.-flagged ships is predominantly American, so there are no language barriers, they said.
Small coastal lines do face competition from bigger, foreign-flagged ships that offer coastal itineraries of their own.
Holland America Line has summer cruises on the Veendam along the St. Lawrence River, the Canadian Maritimes and in New England, while multiple cruise lines have coastal Pacific trips, including Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International.
The West Coast itineraries include California ports of call such as Santa Barbara, Monterey, Catalina Island and San Diego. Because the ships are foreign-flagged, they all include a stop either in Canada or Mexico in order to comply with cabotage laws.
With a draft of 25 feet, a larger ship such as the Veendam is more stable on the open ocean but less nimble in reaching small ports than coastal ships that need only six or seven feet of water.
"What we're trying to emphasize is the navigability of the vessel, because she can get to where larger ships cannot operate," Markwell said. As an example, he pointed to the Great Lakes, where the Welland Canal between lakes Erie and Ontario limits the size of vessels to 740 feet.
Jacox, of Un-Cruise Adventures, said some of the value in a coastal cruise comes from hugging the coast.
"I think you have part of the population that wants both the security of coastal cruising -- they know they're not going to be out on the open oceans -- and also that they'll have a great vantage point. They're going to see scenery pretty much all the time."
At Un-Cruise, many of the shoreline excursions also have an outdoorsy adventure component, including wildlife watching, hiking, kayaking and paddle boarding, which can be done best on small ships, Jacox said.
The Legacy, sailing for Un-Cruise Adventures, is a replica of a turn-of-the-century coastal steamer.
Coastal lines tend to put a lot of thought into shore excursions to take advantage of their small-group dynamics.
"You bring 5,000 people into Quebec City, and you feel that. You bring 200 people in, and it just feels comfortable. It's really easy to deliver unique experiences," Markwell said.
One example is a visit to a "sugar shack" in Quebec, where maple sap is turned into syrup and candies in a small barn out in the countryside.
Most coastal cruises offer at least one complimentary excursion in each port, plus several optional ones.
Enrichment is another pillar of coastal cruising, and ships typically have a lecturer onboard who is an expert in the history, natural environment or other aspects of the destinations that the cruise visits.
Each line includes alcohol in some fashion. American Cruise Lines offers wine and beer with dinner, plus a cocktail hour. At Un-Cruise, six of nine ships include premium spirits, fine wine and microbrews in the fare.
On a Blount cruise, wine and beer are served with lunch and dinner, plus guests can bring and store their own liquor at the ship's bar, an opportunity that "our passengers love," Blount said.
In keeping with its relaxed nature, coastal cruising's fleet is expanding at a casual pace. The newest entrant, Haimark Line, started sailing in April using the former Cape May Light, a 210-passenger ship built in 2001 for the now-defunct American Classic Voyages.
The only recent newbuild is the Pearl Mist, the sole ship sailing for Pearl Seas Cruises. It features relatively large cabins with individual balconies, a stabilizer, four decks of cabins rather than three and six lounges.
Pearl Seas is the latest line to announce cruises from South Florida to Cuba, which it plans to begin in April.
Cuba solves one of the challenges for coastal U.S. cruisers: where to go in the winter when most of the U.S. is too cold to be an attractive cruise destination. Several lines had focused on cruises in Central America, especially Costa Rica and Panama, where they faced little competition. But with the recent diplomatic opening in Cuba, they're re-evaluating.
The Pearl Mist is one of the few coastal cruise ships to have individual balconies.
Markwell said an attractive program in the winter is a key to profits.
"It's important that the ships sail full all year round," he said. "We cannot make money in the summertime in the Great Lakes to lose it in the winter."
Haimark also plans cruises from Miami to Cuba starting in February, in cooperation with United Caribbean Lines, which already has Treasury Department approval for ferry service between Florida and Cuba.
Blount, too, has Cuba in its sights, though probably not until 2017. Nancy Blount said that as a U.S.-flagged vessel, there are additional complications to getting Commerce Department approvals.
Jacox said that Un-Cruise Adventures will continue to operate on the West Coast of North and Central America, where it sails one ship in Mexico's Sea of Cortez from November to March and another in Costa Rica and Panama.
While it shares some similarities with river cruising, U.S. coastal cruising is small even by river cruise standards. The segment in its entirety is only a couple of thousand berths.
"Because there's very limited capacity, every time we see an opportunity, we grab it," said Joann Bell, vice president of programming for Road Scholar, a tour operator with an educational focus.
Road Scholar has chartered Haimark's St. Laurent for two of its four cruises in August in the Great Lakes.
"They have similar philosophies, so they have their own educational content onboard, which just enhances what our product type is," Bell said.
Road Scholar already sends groups to Cuba on people-to-people trips, so there is synergy in that market, as well. Other operators with a similar focus, such as Smithsonian Journeys, have also placed groups on Haimark and American Cruise Lines.
Because of their small size, coastal cruise ships attract an active charter clientele. Markwell said a third of Haimark's 15 cruises on the St. Laurent for the balance of the year are charters.
Haimark, which also has river cruises in Europe and Asia, cross-sells U.S. coastal cruises to groups taking those trips.
Markwell said Japan, Australia and France are among the countries that have provided passenger groups for Haimark.
"Because we have grown so quickly and we need that volume, it is important for us to get into those other markets," he said.
Starting in October, Disney Cruise Line guests will no longer be able to bring spirits on board with them.
The cruise line posted a change in its policy, limiting guests over 21 to two bottles of wine on embarkation or at each port of call, or one six-pack of beer.
Disney was one of the few cruise lines that allowed passengers free rein to bring alcohol on board.
As before, guests bringing alcohol aboard must bring it in carry-on luggage, not checked baggage. Carry-on alcohol cannot be consumed in public areas or lounges, Disney said.
A corkage fee of $25 will apply to carry-on wine or champagne consumed in the dining room.
Spirits or wine and beer in excess of the limits will be safeguarded until the end of the cruise, Disney said.
The policy takes effect for cruises departing on or after Sept. 30.
Why Falkland Islands' cruise ship tourism is booming, with 60,000 visitors expected to arrive this year. By MICHAEL GADD FOR MAILONLINE
The return of Norwegian Cruise Lines' visits provides a massive boost
Falkland Islands expecting 60,000 arrivals by cruise ship this season
Last year's arrival figures rose to 43,437 after a low of 29,000 in 2012-13
Nature tourism is the main draw with many marine bird species and seals
Falkland Islands tourism has made a remarkable comeback in the past few years with the number of cruise ship visitors rising from less than 30,000 in 2012-13 to potentially double that this year.
The boost comes thanks in no small way to the return of the Norwegian Cruise Line's services to South America this season from October to March, including stops at Falklands' capital Stanley.
Their Sun vessel, which has a maximum passenger capacity of 1,900 and spends the Northern Hemisphere summer around Alaska, is planning nine stops at Stanley as part of its cruise around Cape Horn this season.
Stanley-based vessel agent estimates 60,000 arrivals by cruise ship this year, following last year's official figure of 43,437 passengers, despite six trips cancelled by poor weather.
Should Mother Nature be kind and the estimate ring true, the Falklands could be nudging their heights of 2007-08 and 2008-09 when they welcomed more than 62,000 visitors before the global economic crisis hit and numbers slumped to 29,000 three years ago.
'Of course we are very much at the mercy of the weather here in the Falkland Islands,' Samantha Marsh, Tourism Coordinator for Sulivan Shipping, tells MailOnline.
The Norwegian Sun cruise ship, which holds 1,900 passengers, is planning nine stops at Stanley this year
'Large ships need to tender their passengers into Stanley harbour so high winds which are a characteristic of summer in the Southern Hemisphere can cause issues.
'On average we will have six cancellations a season due to unfavourable weather. So the anticipated estimate seems very high in comparison to last year's actual landed figures, but when we take into account some cancellations due to bad weather, we are probably looking at a conservative estimate of 50,000 landed.' Even so, it remains a substantial period of growth for the archipelago with a resident population of less than 3,000
And with a Falklands’ Tourism Board office opening in London this year, further building a bond with the UK after an overwhelming 98 per cent majority voted to remain under the Union Jack amid continued tensions with Argentina, that figure appears only set to rise.
They are also pushing to attract more visitors from the US and other untapped markets.
Marsh adds that the growing capacity of expedition and research ships has also boosted numbers.
'When I first started working here, many years ago, the average expedition vessel had an average 50-80 passenger capacity. These ships are now around 150 in average capacity,' she says.
'The increase in numbers can only be a positive for the local economy, but as a small Island, we do quite often find it difficult to meet the demand in the way of excursions.
'With practically zero unemployment, many people will take the day off to drive a coach, or to take guests to visit the penguins in order to cater for a large ship visit.'
The first passenger boat this season will be the Russian research and tourist vessel Akademik Sergey Vavilov on October 17, one of eight smaller ships in the first month also including the Sea Adventurer and the Akademik Ioffe.
In November come the big cruise ships, starting with the 1400-berth Zaandam and followed by the return of Norwegian Cruise Lines’ to Stanley when the Norwegian Sun makes its first visit on December 10.
It returns for a bumper day on December 28 when it will arrive with Star Princess and MS Marina whose potential 5,600 passengers almost double the Falklands’ entire population.
So what do visitors see when they arrive? By far the greatest attractions of the Falklands is its abundance of unspoiled wildlife, the marine bird species in particular.
After arriving in Stanley, a town with a mostly English feel and British food the predominate offering, visitors usually seek out the five species of penguin, four species of seal and many other creatures who call the islands home.
Albatross, petrels, the Falkland Flightless Steamer duck geese, and birds of prey including hawks, falcons and the Striated Caracara (Johnny Rook), which is found only on the Falklands and on small islands off Cape Horn at the bottom of South America. Porpoises and dolphins can also be seen in playing in the waves.
Another draw for the more than 3,000 UK visitors expected this year are the memorials marking the 1982 Falklands War with Argentina as interest in military history is boosted by the 100th anniversary of the First World War.
Tours of the battlefields of Goose Green and Mount Tumbledown are available while a recently-opened museum at Port Stanley has a section focussed on the conflict in the South Atlantic, also recalling the islands' long maritime history.
Photo Credit: Facebook (unknown photographer) Thanks to http://www.cruiselawnews.com/
A lifeboat was left hanging from the side of a Costa Cruises ship due to a malfunction during a tendering operation.
No passengers or crew were hurt in the incident off Kotor in Montenegro involving the ship Costa Mediterranea.
Italian media reported that the tender boat was being lowered into the water but was left hanging over the side of the ship.
The cruise line said: “Costa confirms that Costa Mediterranea experienced a technical problem with one of the ship’s lifeboats during operations for tendering while anchored in Kotor as per planned itinerary.
“The safety of the ship and of its passengers and crew has never been put at risk, as the tender was not carrying any passenger or crews members.”
However, the ship cancelled a call in Argostoli in Greece and is due to arrive from Kotor to the next scheduled port of call in Corfu tomorrow (Wednesday).
P&O Cruises unveils itineraries to mark 180th anniversary
By Phil Davies, Travel Weekly
P&O Cruises is to run two full world cruises in 2017 to mark its 180th anniversary.
Aurora’s 104-night eastern circumnavigation from Southampton echoes the trade routes of the British Empire, calling at 35 destinations in 21 countries and sailing almost 30,000 nautical miles.
Departing on January 9, 2017, the cruise features 23 new ports of call, overnight stays in Dubai, Singapore, Sydney and San Francisco, seven evening calls and transits of both the Panama and Suez canals.
Arcadia’s 114-night western circumnavigation from Southampton calls at 37 destinations in 21 countries, sailing more than 36,000 nautical miles.
The voyage, departing on January 2, 2017, includes 22 new ports, overnight stays in San Francisco, Auckland, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore and nine evening calls.
Prices lead in at £10,299 per person on a Select Price rate for Aurora’s world cruise, including onboard spending money of between £350 and £1,000, depending on cabin grade.
The sailings feature in a 2017 World Cruise Collection brochure which goes on general sale on September 9.
The programme also includes a 50-night Oriana cruise to the Caribbean and Amazon departing from the UK on January 3, 2017 and a 12-night Northern Lights itinerary including an overnight stay Alta and a late evening in Tromso. Prices start at £3,999pp and £899pp respectively.
The line’s marketing director, Christopher Edgington, said: “P&O Cruises has a reputation for offering original and appealing world cruise itineraries which we spend a lot of time planning, based on extensive research and trends.
“Our round the world cruises are not a once-in-a-lifetime dream but a truly affordable and realistic holiday for empty nesters looking for long haul adventure and ‘this is the life’ memories.”
The Port of Houston is losing both of its homeported ships next year, a victim of a growing focus by North American cruise lines on shifting deployments to Asia.
Both Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises have announced 2016 schedules that do not include a ship sailing from Houston, where western Caribbean itineraries are typically offered.
It is the most tangible fallout yet from the cruise industry’s high interest in China, Australia and other Asian markets.
Po Dong, Shanghai at night, photo by Dave Jones
Brian O’Connor, vice president of public relations at Princess Cruises, said the departure from Houston is the final domino in a chain that started when the line moved the Sapphire Princess from Australia to China. The China cruises were announced in 2013 and started in May 2014.
The redeployment of several ships ultimately led Princess to move the Caribbean Princess from Houston to Fort Lauderdale in late 2016, where it will still offer some western Caribbean routes.
But for Texas cruisers, the news means a reduced choice of cruise lines and homeports. Following the moves, instead of five lines sailing from the state, there will be three, and they will depart only from Galveston.
The change doesn’t sit well with Vic Freeland, a retired firefighter who lives about 45 minutes from Austin and is a huge Norwegian Cruise Line supporter.
“Certainly, we’re sad that they’re leaving,” said Freeland, who has tried Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International but has cruised much more with Norwegian.
Though Asia deployment is the first cause cited by Princess and others in accounting for the change, another factor could be the expiration next year of financial incentives offered by Houston to lure cruise lines to its Bayport Cruise Terminal.
And Carnival has made a strong push in the last several years in New Orleans and Galveston, raising the level of competition in the crowded western Caribbean.
Norwegian Star in Cabo San Lucas, Photo by Dave Jones
Norwegian was the pioneer of what it dubbed “Texaribbean” cruising when in 1997 it launched weekly service with the old 848-passenger Norwegian Star. Since then, it has dropped the market and returned twice, first in 2007 and again in 2014.
Norwegian did not provide a direct rationale for the latest pullout. But in comments on a teleconference with Wall Street analysts, Frank Del Rio, CEO of the cruise line’s parent, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, highlighted new Asian service as the cutting edge of its latest deployments.
For the first time in recent memory, Norwegian is sending a ship, the 2,348-passenger Norwegian Star, on Asian and Australian itineraries next year. That will be independent of any decision to position a ship there for Asian-sourced passengers.
Without identifying it, Del Rio said the new deployment “replaces our lowest-yielding seven-day product.”
Norwegian Jade in Larnaca, Cyprus. Photo taken by Dave Jones
At the same time, the Norwegian Jade will move from Houston to Tampa, where it will continue to offer seven-night western Caribbean cruises but also mix in a few 10- and 11-night itineraries. The Jade replaces the Asia-bound Norwegian Star, which has been sailing from Tampa.
A somewhat similar game of musical chairs sent the Sapphire Princess to China from Singapore and the Diamond Princess to Singapore from Australia. The Emerald Princess, which had been sailing from Houston, was moved to Australia this year to cover the hole left by the Diamond Princess. Princess plugged the gap by moving the Caribbean Princess to Houston but concluded that wasn’t a good long-term strategy.
“It didn’t make commercial sense for us to market and operate one ship from Houston, so we moved the Caribbean Princess to Fort Lauderdale, where we get economies of scale,” O’Connor said.
That will leave Houston with no cruise ships and a deserted 96,000-square-foot terminal after next spring.
Stan Swigart, port director of marketing and communications, confirmed the view that the port’s misfortune arises from the ascendency of Asia.
“The reasons we’re getting is that they’re redeploying vessels to the Asian and Australian markets, and Houston was just not in the mix,” Swigart said.
Next year also marks the expiration of a reported $6.7 million in financial incentives extended to Princess and Norwegian in 2012 to induce them to sail from Houston’s then-vacant terminal.
A drawback for Houston is the building’s interior location off the Houston Ship Channel some 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.
“Galveston’s closer to open water than we are. That may play into it,” Swigart said. “Cruise lines are really finicky. They shuffle the deck a lot, just to keep it fresh.”
After Norwegian’s last departure, in 2007, the $81 million terminal saw no cruise passengers from 2008 to 2013. It was used as a lay-berth port and for ship repairs, Swigart said. At the moment, there are no cruise ships on the horizon that want to dock there, he said.
That’s not the case in Galveston, where Texas-based cruising will consolidate after next year. Carnival has bulked up its presence there, announcing that it will move its newest ship, the Carnival Breeze, to Galveston in 2016 to join the Carnival Liberty and the Carnival Freedom. It also reached a marketing partnership with the Dallas Cowboys and took other steps to attract business.
Galveston is also home to a Disney Cruise Line ship, the Disney Wonder, and to a Royal Caribbean International ship, the Navigator of the Seas.
Disney Wonder
In November, Royal plans to replace the 3,276-passenger Navigator with the 4,000-passenger Liberty of the Seas. A 60,000-square-foot expansion of the terminal that Royal uses in Galveston was to have been completed by then, but a redesign has pushed back the opening until the spring, port spokeswoman Cristina Galego said.
The expanded terminal will seat an additional 2,000 passengers. Galego said Royal Caribbean has asked the port to provide an air-conditioned tent as a passenger waiting area until the terminal work can be completed.
