C ru is e B u sin e ss .c o m M a g a zin e S p rin g 2 1 9 CruiseBusiness.com CruiseBusiness.com REVIEWING CRUISE BUSINESS GLOBALLY Magazine Spring 2019 MEIN SCHIFF 2 Upgrading the class MEIN SCHIFF 2 Upgrading the class HONG KONG IN THE SPOTLIGHT Hong Kong is the second-largest cruise port in China in terms of throughput and the highest yielding with the most overseas cruisers, drawing upon a local source market that has now reached over 3% penetration. It is looking forward to increasing benefits in the years to come from new transportation infrastructure – high-speed rail, the HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and a one-stop-shop border crossing to Shenzhen opening later this year. COSTA VENEZIA Newbuild designed exclusively for China Page 37 COSTA VENEZIA Newbuild designed exclusively for China Page 37 HONG KONG New infrastructure improves Hong Kong’s cruise appeal Page 60 HONG KONG New infrastructure improves Hong Kong’s cruise appeal Page 60 425x297%20kansi .indd 1 25.3.2019 16.15
Your first port-of-call Our team of experienced professionals aims to exceed expectations. We thrive on complexity, delivering time-critical services to the highest quality standards at a fair price. We will be exhibiting at this year’s Seatrade Cruise Global Exhibition in Miami from 9-11 April 2019. To discuss your project with a member of our experienced repair team, please visit us at the Stand No. 1969-22. T +49 40 3119-0 ? shipservices@blohmvoss.com ? blohmvoss.com Blohm+Voss. Expect the exceptional. 3-6.indd 1 22.3.2019 7.29
3-6.indd 2 22.3.2019 7.29
3-6.indd 3 22.3.2019 7.29
TILLBERGDESIGN.COM Tillberg Design of Sweden have designed topend luxury interiors for around 200 projects, large and small, both ashore and at sea. Tillberg Design of Sweden have been through the design and build process many times, we know what it takes, we create and deliver e h t r o e c n a g e l e s s e l e m i t s i t p e c n o c e h t r e h t e h W latest cutting-edge, we always have full attention to detail, function and superior quality in focus. NORWEGIAN BREAKAWAY HAVEN OWNER SUITE STE TDoS Advert.indd 1 15-08-14 16:19 TILLBERGDESIGN.COM Tillberg Design of Sweden have designed topend luxury interiors for around 200 projects, large and small, both ashore and at sea. Tillberg Design of Sweden have been through the design and build process many times, we know what it takes, we create and deliver e h t r o e c n a g e l e s s e l e m i t s i t p e c n o c e h t r e h t e h W latest cutting-edge, we always have full attention to detail, function and superior quality in focus. NORWEGIAN BREAKAWAY HAVEN OWNER SUITE STE TDoS Advert.indd 1 15-08-14 16:19 SWEDEN POLAND USA SINGAPORE TILLBERGDESIGN.COM Inside Marine.indd 1 2019-03-15 15:48 3-6.indd 4 22.3.2019 7.29
Ph oto cre dit : Te ijo Ni em elä CruiseBusiness.com Magazine Spring 2019 7 CONTENTS – SPRING 2019 8 Editor’s Commentary 12 Upfront 20 ICS 2018 focuses on multiple aspects of growth 26 Operators raise stakes in UK 30 AIDAnova – no more smoke on the water 36 Designed for China, Costa Venezia enters service 44 Carnival Cruise Line’s design philosophy 49 Mein Schiff 2 improves the class 55 Roald Amundsen ready to challenge the cruise industry 58 Croatian shipbuilders face cruise challenges 60 New infrastructure adds to Hong Kong’s cruise appeal 63 Turku plans new ferry terminal and cruise expansion 66 CCNE offseason, international growth continues on track 74 Cruising on the edge of tomorrow 76 CMI Leisure Management looking for growth in expedition market 7 .indd 3 26.3.2019 8.55
Editor Teijo Niemelä Publisher Cruise Media LLC Copy Editor M.T. Schwartzman Sales and Production Christer Gorschelnik Sales – North America & Caribbean Scott Brown Art Director Julle Järvinen, Julle Oy COMPANY ADDRESS Cruise Media LLC 209 N Queen Street Chestertown, MD 21620 USA Telephone +1-609-751-2344 E-mail cruisemediallc[a]gmail.com SALES OFFICE FINLAND ChrisGo Consulting Pahtankatu 10 as 10 FIN-21200 Raisio, Finland Telephone +358-440-159 554 E-mail christer.gorschelnik[a]kolumbus.fi SALES OFFICE USA Scott Brown 10763 Traders Court Davidson, NC 28036 USA Telephone +1-843-340-5896 E-mail sbrown33[a]carolina.rr.com FEATURED CONTRIBUTOR Kalle Id is a freelance journalist, historian and photographer specializing in the maritime field. For the past decade, he has been reporting about the cruise and ferry industries for publications in English and in his native language Finnish. He has written two company histories as well as the definitive book on the history of shipbuilding in Finland. PRINTED IN FINLAND – PUNAMUSTA OY, HELSINKI www.cruisebusinessmagazine.com T hirteen years ago, Costa Crociere entered into a daring venture to develop a source market for the cruise industry in China. While the beginning of the exercise was modest and cautious with a year-round deployment of the 28,430 gross ton Costa Allegra – offering a passenger capacity of just 820 guests – the market developed quickly, attracting more tonnage from the sister company Princess Cruises as well as from major competitors such as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Later, both MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. would jump on the China bandwagon. March 2019 marked a milestone for the Chinese cruise market. Norwegian Cruise Line was the last of big cruise brands to enter the market just two years ago with its latest and largest ship, the Norwegian Joy. But last year, the company announced it would transfer the 167,725 gross ton Joy to the Alaska market in a move to generate more revenue. The ship departed Asia in early March, heading for a refurbishment to introduce amenities similar to those found aboard its one-year-younger sister ship, the Norwegian Bliss (also deployed seasonally to Alaska). This proved to be an expensive exercise for Norwegian, as it tried to enter a new market as just a one-ship operation. While many cruise operators have cut their capacity in China, more tailor-made ships are in turn being introduced to the market. The China pioneer, Costa, took delivery of its first newbuild designed specifically for China, the Costa Venezia, at the end of February. The ship is sailing toward its base port of Shanghai, ironically at the same time as the Norwegian Joy is making its transpacific crossing toward the U.S. West Coast. EDITOR’S COMMENTARY The Costa Venezia has been designed and built on the same concept as was the Costa Allegra when it was originally introduced to the Chinese market in 2006. The ship is heavily themed around the “Best of Italy” in terms of decor and onboard experience. The ship pays tribute to Venice – one of the most sought-after tourist destinations (and perhaps most heavily-congested) in the world. From dining to shopping, Italy is a central point of the product – but there are Asian elements as well, such as restaurants with Asian cuisine and private karaoke rooms. W hile most of the players in China may have cut their capacity, they have at the same time invested heavily in the newest, state-of-the-art hardware. Princess Cruises has tailored its latest vessel, the Majestic Princess, to the Asian market, and Royal Caribbean International will introduce its next-in-line Spectrum of the Seas to the Asian market later this year. Genting Cruise Line, meanwhile, is building on its presence in China by expanding its newest brand, Dream Cruises. This adjustment of capacity has resulted in a rather dramatic effect. According to the China Cruise & Yacht Industry Association, 2018 was the first time in 13 years that both the number of cruise ship calls and the number of cruise passengers in China witnessed a decline. Teijo Niemelä MARCH 2019 HOW TO FOLLOW US Twitter.com/cruisebusiness facebook.com/CruiseBusinessUSA Instagram/niemelateijo CruiseBusiness.com Magazine 8 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 COMING AND GOING Turning expertise and innovation into marine solutions Meet us at booth #1843 8-11 .indd 2 13.3.2019 8.04
Turning expertise and innovation into marine solutions Meet us at booth #1843
TAIWAN KOREA THE PHILIPPINES XIAMEN HONG KONG HAINAN C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Asia Cruise Cooperation, a committed and resourceful alliance of Hainan, Hong Kong, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Xiamen, share the mission of promoting maximum growth in cruise tourism for partnering destinations and for Asia. Together, we provide a one-stop platform to support your development in Asia. We appreciate the importance of collaboration among ourselves as well as with our partners. The unwavering support of partnering destinations is our promise to you. Harness the opportunity and sail with us today. Being the only tropical island in China, Hainan has a first-class natural environment and features spring like climate, good air quality, sparkling sea water, beaches and tropical rainforests as well as the Li and Miao minority cultures. All these factors make this unique island into an ideal vacation paradise. Build a modern city on an ancient civilisation, put it at an intersection of cultures, and you get a place that is truly worth exploring. Dive into a festival, hike a mountain trail, catch a show, visit a temple, or explore a walled village. Hong Kong has something to offer every visitor. Fun awaits you in Korea, a peninsula surrounded by three different seas in Northeast Asia. Create special memories in a country where you can enjoy abundant tourism, delicious cuisine, and beautiful landscape with its 5,000-year-old history. What’s more, it is the epicenter of hallyu, Korean pop-culture, which has become popular globally. The Philippines is known for its 7,107 tropical islands with mega-diverse natural environment, rich cultural heritage, contemporary lifestyle and exceptionally warm people who will always make your stay more memorable and fun. Its top cruise destinations are Manila, Palawan and Boracay Island. Taiwan is a beautiful island blessed with an abundance of natural resources and cultural diversity. We’ve no doubt that our scenic beauty, street food and culinary scene, local folk traditions, and warm and welcoming people will make your stay in Taiwan a delight worth savouring. Xiamen, as the well-known seaside city, has great deal of seaside tourism resources, as known as the “Garden on the Sea”. At the same time, Xiamen is also one of the main China cruise homeport cities. KOREA HONG KONG HAINAN THE PHILIPPINES TAIWAN XIAMEN 8-11 .indd 4 13.3.2019 8.04
TAIWAN KOREA THE PHILIPPINES XIAMEN HONG KONG HAINAN C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Asia Cruise Cooperation, a committed and resourceful alliance of Hainan, Hong Kong, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Xiamen, share the mission of promoting maximum growth in cruise tourism for partnering destinations and for Asia. Together, we provide a one-stop platform to support your development in Asia. We appreciate the importance of collaboration among ourselves as well as with our partners. The unwavering support of partnering destinations is our promise to you. Harness the opportunity and sail with us today. Being the only tropical island in China, Hainan has a first-class natural environment and features spring like climate, good air quality, sparkling sea water, beaches and tropical rainforests as well as the Li and Miao minority cultures. All these factors make this unique island into an ideal vacation paradise. Build a modern city on an ancient civilisation, put it at an intersection of cultures, and you get a place that is truly worth exploring. Dive into a festival, hike a mountain trail, catch a show, visit a temple, or explore a walled village. Hong Kong has something to offer every visitor. Fun awaits you in Korea, a peninsula surrounded by three different seas in Northeast Asia. Create special memories in a country where you can enjoy abundant tourism, delicious cuisine, and beautiful landscape with its 5,000-year-old history. What’s more, it is the epicenter of hallyu, Korean pop-culture, which has become popular globally. The Philippines is known for its 7,107 tropical islands with mega-diverse natural environment, rich cultural heritage, contemporary lifestyle and exceptionally warm people who will always make your stay more memorable and fun. Its top cruise destinations are Manila, Palawan and Boracay Island. Taiwan is a beautiful island blessed with an abundance of natural resources and cultural diversity. We’ve no doubt that our scenic beauty, street food and culinary scene, local folk traditions, and warm and welcoming people will make your stay in Taiwan a delight worth savouring. Xiamen, as the well-known seaside city, has great deal of seaside tourism resources, as known as the “Garden on the Sea”. At the same time, Xiamen is also one of the main China cruise homeport cities. KOREA HONG KONG HAINAN THE PHILIPPINES TAIWAN XIAMEN 8-11 .indd 5 13.3.2019 8.04
? UPFRONT Marine system expertise Integrated system solutions raise your efficiency, sustainability and profitability. Our expertise in dual fuel and gas supply systems, optimized propulsion, exhaust after-treatment, and battery hybrid solutions enables your visions to succeed. www.man-es.com Your visions succeed 1812_13435_MAN_ES_Anzeige_SC_FourStroke_Image_reSe_ENG_210x297mm_ISO_V2.indd 1 13.12.18 14:44 Costa Cruises celebrated the naming of the Costa Venezia in Trieste, Italy, on March 1. The Costa Venezia is the first Costa vessel specifically designed and built for the Chinese cruise market. Pictured here are godmother Gan Beiye with her family, Costa Group Asia President Mario Zanetti, Costa Group CEO Michael Thamm and the ship’s master. Meyer Turku floated out the Costa Smeralda on March 15. At over 180,000 gross tons, the newbuild will be the third-largest cruise ship ever built in Finland and the industry’s second LNG-powere d cruise vessel. The Costa Smeralda enters service in October 2019 and will be deployed year-round in Europe. Opening the valves from left are Costa Cruises President Neil Palomba and Meyer Turku CEO Jan Meyer. Holland America Line held a dedication ceremony for the Nieuw Statendam on February 2 at Port Everglades . Oprah Winfrey – philanthro pist; film star; TV icon; and founder and editorial director of O, The Oprah Magazine – officially named the vessel in a ceremony onboard in the ship’s World Stage. During the daytime celebration , Winfrey was joined by Orlando Ashford, President of Holland America Line; Stein Kruse, Holland America Group and Carnival UK CEO; and Arnold Donald, President and CEO of Carnival Corporatio n. 12 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 12-17 .indd 2 25.3.2019 13.46
CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE WINTER 2018/2019 15 Marine system expertise Integrated system solutions raise your efficiency, sustainability and profitability. Our expertise in dual fuel and gas supply systems, optimized propulsion, exhaust after-treatment, and battery hybrid solutions enables your visions to succeed. www.man-es.com Your visions succeed 1812_13435_MAN_ES_Anzeige_SC_FourStroke_Image_reSe_ENG_210x297mm_ISO_V2.indd 1 13.12.18 14:44 12-17 .indd 3 25.3.2019 13.46
Mobile Access VingCard Locks Elsafe Safes TrioVing Cylinders A trusted partner for the marine industry. Learn more today at assaabloyglobalsolutions.com/marine At ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, innovation is nothing new. We have been leading the industry in security and access technology for over 40 years, since inventing the world’s first card lock. As part of the ASSA ABLOY family, Marine provide service and support worldwide from our dedicated offices in Norway, Spain, Singapore and the USA. We offer advanced security solutions and peace of mind for both hospitality providers and their guests and crew. Our advanced solutions include: VingCard electronic locks, mobile access, gangway control, Elsafe safes, printers and encoders, cylinders and keys and mechanical stainless steel locks. Visit us at Booth # 2101 14 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 ? UPFRONT Viking Cruises welcomed the latest additions to its river fleet with the naming of seven new river ships during a celebration on the Rhine River in Basel, Switzerland, on March 19. Of the seven ships, six are Viking Longships – Viking Einar, Viking Sigrun, Viking Sigyn, Viking Tir, Viking Ullur and Viking Vali – which will be deployed on Viking’s most popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. The seventh new ship – Viking Helgrim – was inspired by the Longships design and built specifically for the Douro River, bringing the company’s total number of sister ships in Portugal to four. Pictured at the Foundation Beyeler are Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen (middle) and the ships’ seven godmothers. MSC Cruises’ newest flagship the MSC Bellissima was officially named on March 2 in Southampto n in a stunning ceremony with celebrity performers, hosts and (of course) the iconic Sophia Loren, christening her 14th MSC ship. The MSC Bellissima, second in the line’s Meraviglia class, will sail the Mediterrane an during its inaugural season before departing for the United Arab Emirates. 12-17 .indd 4 25.3.2019 13.46
Mobile Access VingCard Locks Elsafe Safes TrioVing Cylinders A trusted partner for the marine industry. Learn more today at assaabloyglobalsolutions.com/marine At ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, innovation is nothing new. We have been leading the industry in security and access technology for over 40 years, since inventing the world’s first card lock. As part of the ASSA ABLOY family, Marine provide service and support worldwide from our dedicated offices in Norway, Spain, Singapore and the USA. We offer advanced security solutions and peace of mind for both hospitality providers and their guests and crew. Our advanced solutions include: VingCard electronic locks, mobile access, gangway control, Elsafe safes, printers and encoders, cylinders and keys and mechanical stainless steel locks. Visit us at Booth # 2101 12-17 .indd 5 25.3.2019 13.46
16 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 UPFRONT SunStone Ships – the largest tonnage provider in the expedition market – and China Merchants Group launched the first nextgeneration Infinity-cla ss vessel on March 12. With a goal of marrying European design and quality with Chinese shipbuildin g efficiency, the INFINITY class delivers cutting-edg e design, innovations like X-bow technology and significant operating efficiencies. SunStone has ordered five vessels in the class – Greg Mortimer, Ocean Discoverer, Ocean Victory, Ocean Explorer and Ocean Odyssey – with two more contracts expected to be signed within the next two months plus three options expected to be exercised by the end of 2019. Vessel deliveries begin with the Greg Mortimer in August 2019 and will continue with the remaining nine vessels through August 2023. For the first time since its founding in 2001, SeaDream Yacht Club is expanding its fleet with the SeaDream Innovation – a revolutionary new yacht that will introduce the concept of “Global Yachting.” Commencing service in September 2021, the ultra-luxury yacht will sail to all seven continents in its first year, visiting over 200 ports in 49 countries. At 15,600 gross tons, the ship will feature 110 suites and be constructed by the Netherlands’ Damen Shipyards Group. Seabourn Cruise Line has announced the name of its first expedition vessel. The Seabourn Venture is scheduled to launch in June 2021, with a second yet-to-be-nam ed sister slated to launch in May 2022. Both ships will be designed and built by Italy’s T. Mariotti to PC6 Polar Class standards for cruising in diverse environment s, and will include modern hardware and technology to extend their global deployment and capabilities. THE STRENGTH AND STABILITY TO SUPPORT YOUR CRUISE BUSINESS Ranked one of the top cruise ports in the world, Port Everglades offers the reliability, service and efficiency to help your business run smoother — and your passengers smile wider. Visit porteverglades.net or call 800-421-0188. • Our modern, efficiently operated terminals make transit a breeze. • We move passengers from curb to ship in just 15 minutes. • We’re fully scalable — accommodating any size ship or passenger volume. • Just two miles from FLL International Airport and minutes from world-famous beaches for easy access. • Our Harbormaster Office is a one-stop concierge open 24/7. • Year-round berthing available. port.everglades | @porteverglades | PortEvergladesFL | port-everglades PEG888_Cruise Business Review FP Anchor_mech.indd 1 5/2/18 9:03 AM 12-17 .indd 6 25.3.2019 13.46
THE STRENGTH AND STABILITY TO SUPPORT YOUR CRUISE BUSINESS Ranked one of the top cruise ports in the world, Port Everglades offers the reliability, service and efficiency to help your business run smoother — and your passengers smile wider. Visit porteverglades.net or call 800-421-0188. • Our modern, efficiently operated terminals make transit a breeze. • We move passengers from curb to ship in just 15 minutes. • We’re fully scalable — accommodating any size ship or passenger volume. • Just two miles from FLL International Airport and minutes from world-famous beaches for easy access. • Our Harbormaster Office is a one-stop concierge open 24/7. • Year-round berthing available. port.everglades | @porteverglades | PortEvergladesFL | port-everglades PEG888_Cruise Business Review FP Anchor_mech.indd 1 5/2/18 9:03 AM 12-17 .indd 7 25.3.2019 13.46
18 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 D uring the two-day summit, held in Madrid in late November, key industry executives and observers shared experiences and ideas on how to manage the seemingly unbridled expansion of the cruise industry, which is expected to continue for the foreseeable future despite all the vagaries in the wider world. Convoluted issues such as congestion, sustainability, capacity management, brand differentiation and product development were among the subjects that came under scrutiny. In the light of the recent highly publicized over-tourism and destination congestion issues around the world, the cruise indusThe interminable expansion of the cruise industry brings with it an increasing number of issues that demand concerted effort to address. Many discussions at the 8th edition of the International Cruise Summit (ICS 2018) were focused on aspects of growth and how to manage them. By Alan Lam try – which represents only a small but growing percentage of the travel and hospitality business – is now evolving towards developing a more proportional growth strategy, from moderating the size of ships to harmonizing berth allocation policies and a more measured approach to itinerary planning. All of these are factors that may contribute to or reduce congestion depending on how they are managed. Apart from bigger ships bringing in larger numbers of visitors, the industry’s contribution to port and destination congestion is mainly caused by what David Dingle, Chairman of CLIA Europe and Carnival UK, called the “infatuation with weekend departures.” He was critical of this practice and has on various previous occasions expressed in no uncertain terms his opposition to this stubbornness. “We must take a different approach,” he said. “Do you really need to depart on Saturdays and Sundays? Are you really so inadequate that you are unable to fill your ships departing any other day of the week?” Although there are cruise lines, such as TUI Cruises and Saga Cruises, which depart on weekdays, it is an undeniable fact that weekend departures generally command better yields. So for the present, this habit will probably not change. Steven Young, Vice President Port & Shore Operations of Carnival UK, recognized this fact. “So our biggest challenge is how the infrastructure copes,” he David Dingle 18-23 .indd 2 12.3.2019 15.10
? CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 19 ICS 2018 FOCUSES ON MULTIPLE ASPECTS OF GROWTH said. At the same time, he called for a more diluted approach by urging his industry colleagues to widen their targets. “There are 700 cruise ports around the world; only a couple of dozens of them have this congestion problem. We need also to persuade people to visit other destinations.” Smaller, independent cruise lines are already frontrunners in this respect. Many of them actively avoid congested ports in order to offer their guests more exclusive experiences. But they face quite a different set of challenges. “We are constrained by the size of our operation,” said Chris Theophilides, CEO of Celestyal Cruises. “We have to grow in the manner that fits the destinations. We manage the destinations we go to and carry out dialogues. As a company, we’ve made a conscious decision to visit less-known destinations [in order] to differentiate ourselves. That means there is challenge for us to operate in less developed destinations. We are careful not to grow beyond [what] the destinations can manage.” Sustainable growth The cruise industry’s future course will depend very much on sustainability, not only in terms of increasing its consumer appeal but by protecting the environment in which it operates. Reducing plastic waste has been a global environmental headline in recent months. The cruise industry has been quick to respond with significant gestures such as banning singleuse plastic products. “We are already doing a lot on this,” said Kevin Bubolz, Managing Director Europe of Norwegian Cruise Line. “One of them is waste reduction. We have eliminated 55 million plastic straws. We’ve joined the Trash Free Seas Alliance to show that we are committed. Not just a publicity stunt, we are serious about this and we will take this further.” Still, the industry needs to go beyond such gestures, however meaningful. “For us, sustainability is more than banning plastic straws,” said Richard Vogel, President & CEO of Pullmantur Cruises. “We do make a big marketing issue about that. Sustainability also means education. First of all, keep your ships clean; be a good example to the guests. Integrate your customers into the discussion on what we can do to help protect the environment. Understand why it is important to keep the environment clean.” It is difficult to overstate the importance of technology in sustainability – from liquefied natural gas (LNG) to exhaust-gas cleansing – especially in light of advancing regulations concerning marine GHG and sulphur emissions. “We are very much focused on the environment, making sure our technologies will help protect it,” said Achille Staiano, Vice President Global Sales of MSC Cruises. “We need to make people understand what we are doing. When Kevin Bubolz Steven Young 18-23 .indd 3 12.3.2019 15.10
? CANARY ISLANDS MADEIRA ISLANDS SPAIN AFRICA FRANCE UNITED KINGDOM PORTUGAL 20ªW 40ªN 30ªN 20ªN T R O P I C O F C A N C E R CABO VERDE you see white clouds above the ship, that is not smoke; it is steam. By the end of this year all single-use plastic will be eliminated from our ships. We just need to find solutions for a few other things. Today there is no regulation that says we should have wastewater treatment in place, but we have also focused on purifying waters onboard.” This is a matter not just for the cruise lines, however; other stakeholders have an even bigger role to play. “There is absolutely no doubt that we are far ahead of the curve in the area of sustainability,” said Captain Michael McCarthy, President of Cruise Europe. “Sustainability for the cruise lines, as far as I understand, stops at the gangway; then we [ports and destinations] take over.” Diversifying growth Never before has the world seen so many products offered by so many cruise lines. As the industry continues to diversify and differentiate, how can this be managed in the absence of a well-defined roadmap? “We see the interest in this industry growing,” said Vogel. “We have to convince more people to experience new things. We have to democratize and popularize the cruise industry.” To this end, Pullmantur has formed a partnership with Spain’s Bankinter. Together they have introduced a Pullmantur credit card, which – apart from performing all the necessary functions – will help customers to pay for their cruises by installments. This can be seen as another aspect of diversification. The cruise industry has matured to such an extent that it is organically diversifying, with its brand products differentiating rapidly. This is especially the case in the upscale segment. “There is more and more demand on the market,” said Alfredo Spadon, Managing Director Europe and Asia of Silversea Cruises. “Silversea ordered several ships and is increasing capacities on existing ones. There is an absolute interest in this segment of the market. More people want different experiences [from the ones offered by the contemporary market segment].” Therefore, smaller ships and lesser-known ports will see the biggest proportion of growth in the coming years. This will put a different complexion on how to manage expansion. “One in four ships built in the next five years will be luxury [vessels],” said Juan Rodero, CEO of Star Class. “We as an industry have to think about how to sell this product. Large ports have done a fantastic job in the last ten years. With all these smaller ships being built, I see big opportunities for smaller ports.” So far, the upscale segment has been mainly in the hands of smaller players, but as it expands, this will change. In recent months, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) has acquired Silversea Cruises, while Viking Cruises is planning a whole fleet of expedition vessels. Developments such as these could lead to further consolidation, as independent operators find it hard to compete. “We already have 85% of the industry in five hands,” said Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Executive Chairman of Silversea. “There will be less room for smaller and medium-size companies. It is difficult to remain independent in the longer term.” In the contemporary market segment, things are also changing. “We can see in all the markets there is so much potential to grow,” said NCL’s Bubolz. “There is so low a penetration rate at the moment. We will be growing alongside the colleagues of the industry. We have decided to build a class of 2,000to 4,000-passenger ships, not just the 5,000plus-passenger units. We want to fill the middle segment. This way we can go to more ports and destinations, and it will give us flexibility.” Perspective on growth Despite more than two decades of growth, the cruise industry still represents only a tiny percentage of the entire travel and hospitality sector. “It is easy for this industry to feel from the inside like it is growing quickly,” said Douglas Prothero, CEO of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. “We are still a very small industry. We still struggle to win market shares in the wider world. Our challenge is receiving tonnage quickly enough. If we don’t find a way to build more capacity quicker by 2030, we will start to lose market shares in the travel sector.” Therein lies a stark warning from one of the industry’s most experienced veterans. Side by side with building new ships, the need to understand the market and follow prevailing trends is also called for. “We need to think outside of the box,” said Carmen Morosan, Global Shore Excursions Manager of Intercruises Shoreside & Port Services. “There is a wealth of interesting things to do. Only a small percentage is exploited. Today’s travelers have all been to popular places. Chances are that they want something different. They are sitting quietly and waiting for us to offer them something new. We also need to make it personal, make it special and make it memorable.” “There is a striking parallel in the hospitality industry,” said Yiannis Vontas, Senior Partner Executive Vice President Development & Marketing of Variety Cruises. “On land, there is a similar growth in boutique hotels. People want privacy. They want smaller groups. They want to be spoiled. They want slow cruises, a more immersive experience. They want to take their time, wherever they are. They want to enjoy the sea, not just to see it. They are not into big ports.” Vontas pointed out that more than 70% of small-ship guests have already been on contemporary ocean and river cruises. It is therefore a natural progression for them to move into a small-ship experience. Challenges of growth No cruise conference would be complete without at least highlighting key challenges of the industry, and ICS 2018 was no exception. Apart from obvious issues shared by all stakeholders – such as environmental protection, image problems and low market penetration – there are specific challenges faced by individual operators that require careful and almost customized consideration. For major players, the lack of shipyard slots and berth congestion may be their chief concerns, while for smaller companies, their problems are more varied. “The number one challenge is funding,” said Vontas. “It is not easy for a small company to fund its investment. The second challenge is to attract qualified professionals, as we cannot afford their salaries. Thirdly, we have only small and limited marketing budgets. 20 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 Mario Ferreira Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio Douglas Prothero 18-23 .indd 4 12.3.2019 15.10
CANARY ISLANDS MADEIRA ISLANDS SPAIN AFRICA FRANCE UNITED KINGDOM PORTUGAL 20ªW 40ªN 30ªN 20ªN T R O P I C O F C A N C E R CABO VERDE 18-23 .indd 5 12.3.2019 15.10
Fortunately operating small ships can achieve quicker returns on investment.” Due to the nature of the industry, there is no consensus on such matters. “Finance is not a problem for us, nor is the shipyard slots,” said Mario Ferreira, CEO of Mystic Invest, referring to the expedition segment in general. The real challenge, according to him, is infrastructure and ship design. “Because we go to places like the Antarctica, our small ships have to devote huge amount of space to treat and hold the wastes, as nothing can be discharged in the regions we go.” Cruise lines must also think far ahead in terms of future-proofing their products. “We are creating anticipations,” said MSC’s Staiano. “You need to think how customers will react to your products ten years from now.” On a broader scale, as the industry strives to grow its customer volumes, another major consideration has come to the fore: “The number of people travelling overseas will increase from 1.3 billion to 1.8 billion by 2030,” said Ukko Metsola, Vice President Government Relations of RCCL. “We need to start thinking about how do we manage the flow. The overcrowding has only just gone into the public consciousness in the last two years.” Yet the biggest, most expensive, and most pressing challenge of all remains the environmental one. “The biggest technical challenge is the IMO [International Maritime Organization]’s greenhouse gas emission target,” said Carnival’s Dingle. “It will be as big a challenge as switching from sails to steam in the 19th century. There are a lot of difficult discussions ahead between the governments and the industry. In 2050, each ship will need to emit 70% less greenhouse gas. We are not technologically there yet. The next 30 years will be utterly transformative in our industry and in the whole of the shipping industry.” Reimagining growth There is little doubt that growth will continue, what will future cruise products look like? “We now have all these amazing products,” said 22 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 Robin Deller, CEO of Imagine Cruising. “We still have to figure out how we can rationalize that story and break it down to bite-size chunks. We understand trends; we know the things we have to do going forward. But we must not be complacent. We must listen to our customers. We find they generally have the answers. They just aren’t engaged to the level that they can help taking the industry forward.” Deller went on to explain that more cruise brands in the future would engage wider demographics. The market is visibly expanding, and this also comes with escalating changes in expectations. Companies like Imagine Cruising have developed hybrid cruise products to create demand. They cruise or fly their guests to landbased entertainments, such as the Singapore Grand Prix and classical concerts in Italy and offer them extended stays at the destination, which creates a truly immersive experience. Others are looking at themed cruises. “Commercially, we are looking at the shoulder season,” said Mike Hall, Head of Marketing, CMV. “The themed cruises may offer something over and above what we normally offer. They also give us the opportunity to grow the market.” As more new brands and new players enter the market, competition will become fiercer in the future – which presents its own challenges. “The competition in this market should lead to growth, not ‘who has the cheapest offer?’,” said Pullmantur’s Vogel. “It should be about products; otherwise in the long run there will never be sustainability in growth.” Above all, knowing the customer should be the motto. “This is a vastly diverse industry,” said Ritz-Carlton’s Prothero. “You have to be more proactive in understanding your customer.” Finally, unlike a cruise itinerary, growth and how to manage it should be a journey without end. It is an ongoing evolutionary process. “If you believe that you’ve arrived, you are done for,” said Staiano. “You should never arrive.” n 18-23 .indd 6 12.3.2019 15.10
26 Cruisebusiness.Com magazine spring 2019 Ph oto cre dit : Te ijo Ni em elä Market report operators raise stakes in Uk The UK ocean cruise market developed rapidly in the period immediately after Y2K, when the number of passengers frequently increased by double-digit-percent figures annually. Since 2009, the picture has been very different with great variations from year to year, but major operators will be raising the stakes in the UK market in the near future. By Kari Reinikainen P&O Cruises is the largest player in the UK market
CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 27 I n the beginning of this decade, Carnival UK officials predicted that the UK cruise market would reach 2 million passengers by 2020. In fact, the 2 million mark was reached in 2018, according to CLIA UK & Ireland preliminary figures, and it might have done this already in 2017 had not hurricanes in the Caribbean discouraged people from booking cruises to that region. Source: CLIA UK & Ireland 2018 figure estimate Nonetheless, market development in recent years shows that growth in passengers has slowed significantly from the previous decade. The 2.00 million passenger count in 2018 was 28% higher than the 1.55 million figure in 2009, but it is noteworthy that volume actually fell in 2014. This gives a growth rate of a mere 3.1% per year over the nine-year period. Source: Statista.com, Tradingeconomics.com OPERATORS RAISE STAKES IN UK The British economy has kept growing throughout most of the review period, although a small dip occurred in 2010 in the aftermath of the financial crisis of the previous two years. In this respect, it must be fair to assume that the general economic situation cannot explain the slowdown in the growth of passenger volumes. Exchange-rate fluctuations Two other factors may explain matters better: The first one is history, and the other is competitive edge (or lack of it). As in most other European markets, passenger numbers in the UK were very low up to the mid-1990s. Only about 91,000 Britons booked a cruise in 1985. However, a decade later two package tour operators – Airtours and Thomson Cruises – set up their own cruise operations and started to offer inexpensive fly/cruise packages. In 1995, P&O Cruises commissioned the 69,840 gross ton Oriana, the first cruise liner purpose built for the British market. Volumes started to rise rapidly, which encouraged additional investment in the UK market, through newbuildings and the positioning of ships by international brands to the UK for extended summer seasons. The UK differs markedly from other major European source markets in that the country is not in the euro zone. When a German cruise operator orders a newbuilding from a European builder, neither party is exposed to foreign-exchange risk. This is not the case with a British cruise company. Volatile exchange rates also affect earnings, because cruise holidays are sold in pounds sterling, while leading cruise companies have their accounts in U.S. dollars or euros. A weak pound means that the British market loses some of its attractiveness regarding investment and employment of the latest tonnage for part of the year. High average age, long cruises Against this background (and bearing in mind the fact that the Chinese source market has grown rapidly in the post-Lehman era), it is perhaps not surprising that British market performance has been rather mediocre the past few years. Industry executives have said that the lack of new capacity has curtailed the market’s growth. It has been more lucrative to deploy new capacity elsewhere. UK GDP per person in USD UK OCEAN CRUISE MARKET 2009-18 ? Saga Cruises will take a delivery of its first newbuilding from Meyer Werft in summer 26-29 .indd 3 28.3.2019 9.54
28 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 Source: CLIA UK & Ireland British cruise passengers are on average seven years older than their European counterparts, and the just over 10-night average duration of the cruises they book is also higher than the 8.7 average for Europe as a whole. There is a strong correlation between the age of cruise passengers and the duration of the cruises they book. In Italy, the average age is 43 and the average duration of the cruises Italians take is a mere seven nights. A question might be asked: Why has the British industry not been able to bring down the average age and duration of cruises? Several operators offer fly/cruises of less than 10 nights in the UK market, and there is also a wide selection of departures from British ports of less than a week and a half. UK grew at half global rate The British cruise market’s average growth rate of 3.1% in 2009-18 was only just over half the 5.9% growth rate for the global cruise industry in the same period. These figures can be used to predict three possible scenarios for the UK cruise market’s future development to the year 2030. Assuming that the market will grow consistently by 3% annually (maintaining its average rate of expansion during the 2009-18 period), the number of passengers would reach 2.851 million in 2030. If the market caught up to the 6% growth rate that was the global average of the 2009-18 period, then 3.70 million Britons would take a cruise in 2030. Finally, Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has projected a 90% rise in the global cruse passenger count by 2030. Should the UK market keep pace with that projection, the number of passengers would reach 3.80 million. In the baseline scenario, the number of passengers would grow by just under 71,000 each year up to 2030. Assuming that the average duration of cruises the British take would remain unchanged at 10 nights, such a performance would not sustain adding a 3,000passenger vessel every year. A ship can make 36 cruises over a year assuming a 10-night duration of each cruise, and with a capacity of 3,000 passengers it can carry 108,000 passengers annually. The picture changes considerably in the mediumand highrate growth scenarios: While there is not much difference between them, the gap between the baseline and medium scenario is quite substantial. Nevertheless, leading operators are raising the stakes for the UK market in the near future. P&O Cruises has two large newbuildings on order with the first ship due next year. Royal Caribbean International (RCI) will bring the 2015-built Anthem of the Seas back to Southampton next year (it spent summer 2015 there) to replace the 2008-built Independence of the Seas. This would coincide with the introduction of the first of the two newbuildings from P&O. RCI officials have also indicated that the company might bring a 200,000 gross ton Icon-class ship to the UK once the second P&O newbuilding enters service in 2022. Meanwhile, MSC Cruises has stated that it wants to have a ship tailored for the UK market and to operate it there year-round. No further details were available at the time of writing. Principal operators P&O Cruises is the UK-focused contemporary market unit in the Carnival Corporation & plc group. The 1995-built Oriana, which is the smallest and oldest vessel in its fleet, has been sold to Chinese buyers and will leave the company in August. The Iona – first of two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered/184,700 gross ton newbuildings from Meyer Werft in Germany – is due to enter service in summer 2020 and will be followed by a yet unnamed sister ship two years later. Source: Shippax Guide 2018 Marella Cruises is the UK-focused cruise shipping unit in the TUI AG group, which has its headquarters in Germany. Marella Cruises will introduce the 1995-built Marella Explorer 2 this spring as the final unit of its fleet renewal program. The company used to be known as Thomson Cruises until a name change in 2017, and instead of relying on chartered tonnage as in the past, it now owns its ships outright. Source: Shippax Guide 2018 Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is part of Oslo-based Bonheur ASA, which is controlled by the Olsen family. Headquartered in Ipswich, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines operates four second-hand vessels in the roughly 24,000 to 44,000 gross ton range, deployed on itineraries that are heavily destination-focused. These are worldwide in scope from Europe to the Indian Ocean, South Africa, Far East and South America. The duration of the company’s cruises ranges from a couple of nights to almost four months. Source: Shippax Guide 2018 Scenario Pax 2018 Pax 2030 Growth Growth/yr Baseline 2,000,000 2,851,000 851,000 70,916 Medium 2,000,000 3,702,000 1,702,000 141,833 High 2,000,000 3,800,000 1,800,000 150,000 Ship Year built Gross tons Pax Aurora 2000 76,132 1,874 Arcadia 2005 84,342 2,094 Azura 2010 115,055 3,100 Britannia 2015 143,730 3,647 Iona 2020 184,700 5,200 Oceana 2000 77,499 2,016 Oriana 1995 69,840 1,880 Ventura 2008 116,017 3,078 NB 2 2022 184,700 5,200 Ship Year built Gross tons Pax Marella Celebration 1984 33,933 1,124 Marella Discovery 1996 69,130 1,803 Marella Discovery 2 1995 69,130 1,803 Marella Dream 1986 54,763 1,494 Marella Explorer 1996 76,998 1,924 Marella Explorer 2 1995 72,458 1,826 Ship Year built Gross tons Pax Balmoral 1988 43,557 1,356 Black Watch 1972 28,613 799 Boudicca 1973 28,388 880 Braemar 1993 24,344 928 Average age of UK cruise passengers 26-29 .indd 4 28.3.2019 9.54
CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 29 Cruise & Maritime Voyages started operations with two ships in 2009 at the depth of the aftermath of the financial crisis, but has in the decade that followed established itself as a destinational cruise line with footholds on the German and Australian markets as well. The company operates a deep-sea fleet of six chartered ships, one of which – the 20,636 gross ton Astor – will be employed in the German market once the Vasco da Gama enters service this spring. The former Pacific Eden of P&O Cruises Australia will operate in the German market during the summer and in Australia for the winter. Voyages to and from Australia call at Tilbury in London, and the Australia-based itineraries are also sold in the UK. Saga Cruises, which is part of the listed Saga Group plc, will introduce the 52,850 gross ton Spirit of Discovery in the summer of this year and a sister ship to be known as the Spirit of Discovery a year later. Both are newbuildings from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany and will offer upscale accommodations for 999 passengers. The new ships will replace two 1981-built vessels, the 18,859 gross ton Saga Pearl II and the 37,012 gross ton Saga Sapphire. While these are hardly a good match due to their difference in size and quality of their accommodations – the Saga Sapphire is the former Europa of Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten and thus far superior the two new ships will remedy this problem. Saga Cruises regards itself as an upscale British niche market operator and once both newbuildings are in service, it will be in a far better position from the point of view of hardware to deliver a consistent product. Cunard Line, which is part of the Carnival group, is a traditional premium-to-luxury market operator that has a strong British heritage. While all its ships operate from the UK and its fly/cruises are sold in the country, Cunard also sources passengers from North America, Australia, Germany, and elsewhere. Hence it cannot be regarded as a purely UKfocused operator. Can the UK rebound? The UK market grew at only half the rate of the global market in 200918, significantly slower than in the years preceding. The fact that many leading cruise operators have stated a willingness to commit high-class ships to the UK market—and that companies like P&O Cruises, Saga Cruises and Marella Cruises are renewing their fleets—shows that many brands continue to have a significant interest in the UK. Whether or not the UK market regains strength in the years ahead will depend not only on what happens in the country and its economy. The cruise industry has become global, and international operators consider where they can expect to obtain the best returns on their investment. It may be fair to say that the recent bull runs of the German and Chinese markets have reduced the cruise industry’s interest in investing in the UK. n Ship Year built Gross tons Pax Astoria 1948/94 16,144 492 Columbus 1989 63,786 1,400 Magellan 1985 46,052 1,250 Marco Polo 1965/93 22,086 848 Vasco da Gama 1992 55,819 1,260 Ph oto cre dit : Fr ed . Ol sen Cr uis e Li ne s Balmoral is the latest addition to the Fred. Olsen fleet 26-29 .indd 5 28.3.2019 9.54
SHIP REVIEW AIDAnova NO MORE SMOKE ON THE WATER AIDA Cruises’ Helios class – represented by the first-in-class AIDAnova – is currently the cruise industry’s second largest ship class after Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis class. But its most outstanding feature is the fuel used: The AIDAnova is the first cruise ship that fully operates on liquefied natural gas (LNG). By Franz Neumeier “W e are extremely proud to operate what is currently the most environmentally friendly cruise ship in the world, and we will continue on that path of further development,” says Hansjörg Kunze, AIDA Cruises Vice President of Communication & Sustainability. With two more ships of the same class on order for 2021 and 2023, AIDA Cruises in less than five years from now will have more than 50% of its passenger capacity on LNG-powered ships, either while in port (AIDAprima/AIDAperla) or full time on three Helios-class ships. “We’re investing millions of euros every year in the development and implementation of new, efficient environmental technologies onboard our ships and participate in various research projects, e.g. the production of liquid gas from renewable energy sources and the use of fuel cells or batteries. Everything that is technically possible will be evaluated carefully,” says Kunze. For the time being, LNG is the technology that has been selected by AIDA, leveraging the experience and regulatory matters from the 2016-built AIDAprima and 2017-built AIDAperla. These cruise ships were the first to operate on LNG in port, receiving the fuel from a truck, while the AIDAnova now fully operates on LNG in port and at sea. Kunze explains, “We currently bunker liquefied natural gas every 14 days in Tenerife, which is delivered by an LNG-operated tanker. So with AIDAnova, we are also improving the environmental bal30 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 AIDAnova bunkering LNG in Tenerife Ph oto cre dit , all ph oto s: Fr an z Ne um eie r 30-35 korjattu2 .indd 2 25.3.2019 17.26
? ance in the transport chain,” he says, mentioning that any kind of ship’s fuel must be transported to the Canary Islands by tanker anyway. The LNG is stored in insulated tanks at a temperature of about minus 162 degrees Celsius, reducing the volume of the gas by a factor of 1/600. It is heated up and expands before it goes into the engine, being ignited there with the aid of a small amount of diesel fuel, as natural gas is not self-combustible. Fully operated by LNG, the AIDAnova reduces emissions of SOx and particular matter to almost zero, according to AIDA Cruises. NOx typically is more than 75% lower when burning LNG. CO2 is about 20% lower, but methane is a very strong greenhouse gas. Methane slip in production and use of LNG offsets part of this savings, making it difficult to judge how big of an advantage LNG has in this respect. Other environmentally friendly features There are other features that make the AIDAnova more environmentally friendly. The ship has a just slightly slanted bow, which together with the hull is optimized for the cruising speed of the ship. The settings in energy management are optimized with support of a group-wide data platform called “Neptune,” with operational and technical information. It enables optimal operation of the ship systems in real time, according to AIDA Cruises. This applies to many areas, including propulsion power and efficiency, trim, power supply, waste-heat utilization, air-conditioning and fuel consumption. Energy is recovered from the exhaust-gas flow and the cooling water of the engines and dynamically distributed depending on current demand. The elevators are an energy-efficiency class IE3 Premium Efficency and do enable energy to be fed back into the onboard network. AIDA generally claims an average fuel consumption of 3 liters per person onboard per 100 kilometers, based on an independent report by DNV GL. For the AIDAprima and AIDAperla, this value is claimed to be at 2.7 liters, while for the AIDAnova it’s even less. Itineraries and ship specifics The Canary Islands and Madeira are on the winter schedule of the AIDAnova, with passenger turnovers in Tenerife and Gran Canaria Discover the silence of the seas Be it in deluxe cruise ships or offshore platforms, all voyagers and crew members deserve unparalleled safety and comfort. Our marine doors are custom designed to insulate rooms from noises and to block off external disturbances so that the only thing your guests or crew can nd behind the door is an unforgettable experience. www.antti-teollisuus. | tel. +358 2 774 4700 Theatrium is the heart of the ship and offers different moods as seen in these two pictures 30-35 korjattu2 .indd 3 25.3.2019 17.26
due to limited flight capacity on both island airports. In the summer season, the AIDAnova will be cruising the Western Mediterranean, with passenger turnovers in Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca and port calls in La Spezia, Marseilles and Civitavecchia. The AIDAnova has an over-all length of 337 meters, a beam of 42 meters and a maximum draught of 8.6 meters. With a tonnage of 183,858 gross tons, it is only surpassed by Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships. There are 20 decks housing 2,626 cabins of which 86 are suites, 1,569 balcony (including 12 single cabins), 180 oceanview and 791 interior (including 12 single cabins). The keel laying for the AIDAnova was on September 4, 2017. The ship was christened in the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, on August 31, 2018, and went into service on December 12, 2018. Tonnage and Size While LNG power is the most advanced feature of the AIDAnova, ship size is the most prevalent for the passengers, especially for long-time AIDA customers. The vessel is almost five times the size of the AIDAcara in terms of tonnage, more than two and a half times the size of the Sphinx-class AIDAstella and still almost 50% bigger than the AIDAprima and AIDAperla. Over a period of 22 years since the inaugural of the “AIDA” (today’s AIDAcara), the brand has developed from the original “club ship” to a fleet with three conceptual variants, appealing to partially different target groups. “With each new ship, we have been able to tailor our portfolio of vacation offers even more finely to the various interests of our guests, thanks to the growing size of our fleet. As a further development of its sister ships, AIDAnova combines everything that our guests have grown to love with many new highlights,” says Michael Stendebach, AIDA’s Vice President of Product Development and Food & Beverage. Target market AIDA Cruises considers the AIDAnova as cruise ship for almost everyone, says Stendebach. “I think with AIDAnova, we have created the largest modular system currently available in the package tour sector. There is supposed to be something for everyone on AIDAnova. On this ship we have the greatest flexibility in the German cruise market. We want to offer variety and create opportunities for multi-generation vacation. With AIDAnova, we are also addressing guests for whom a green cruising concept is becoming increasingly relevant.” Speaking to the question of the international market, he continues: “Even though we observed quite some passenger groups from Russia and Asia onboard, AIDA Cruises is not considering to enter international markets,” he says. “Interest in AIDAnova is also very high internationally, as it is the world's first LNG cruise ship. However, we continue to focus on the German-speaking market.” There will be other ships – based on the same platform and built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg and Turku, Finland – for other Carnival brands that will serve the international market, among them the Costa Smeralda (Costa Cruises, October 2019), Iona (P&O Cruises, 2020) and Mardi Gras (Carnival Cruise Line, 2020). Design When it comes to the interior design, AIDA has become much more elegant in many places without completely abandoning the familiar atmosphere of its previous ships. Modernizing the look and feel but keeping the line’s unique DNA is what the design team has aimed for, relying on the long-standing partnership with Partner Ship Design based in Hamburg, Germany. “In the design of AIDAnova, we have incorporated and enhanced the most popular features of the fleet. Everyone will find their favorite place here,” Stendebach says. “The guests will have the feeling of coming home. This is also reflected in the interior design and many small individual details.” AIDA has taken great care not to overwhelm its previous passengers with the enormous size of the ship, as Stendebach confirms. 32 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 Buffet Yachtclub French Kiss 30-35 korjattu2 .indd 4 25.3.2019 17.26
? “Although AIDAnova is our largest ship, we have not enlarged the individual areas in comparison to previous ship classes, but created additional venues.” Restaurants In terms of its restaurant concept, AIDA has always taken a different approach compared with other cruise lines. Buffet restaurants clearly have priority, while seated restaurants with service at the table tend to be the exception. The line had already changed this to some extent on the AIDAprima. Restaurants with table service were added, where the food is included, but drinks are charged for. In the buffet restaurants, house wine, beer and soft drinks are generally included. On the AIDAnova, there are even more of these sit-down restaurants, which are similar to specialty restaurants; for example, the seafood restaurant Ocean's, the brasserie French Kiss and the very German Brauhaus, complemented by fee-based specialty restaurants offering steakhouse, fine dining, cooking studio, teppanyaki and more. Stendebach observes that “in addition to the classic buffet restaurants, there are also a-la-carte offers on all our ship classes.” The size of the AIDAnova has allowed the line to develop further in the gastronomic sector, Stendebach continues: “The restaurant CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 33 Ocean’s seafood restaurant 30-35 korjattu2 .indd 5 25.3.2019 17.26
34 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 concept onboard AIDAnova offers an unprecedented culinary variety with a total of 17 restaurants and 23 bars. The mix of buffet, a-la-carte and specialty restaurants gives our guests more opportunities and the flexibility to arrange the vacation according to their culinary wishes.” The variety of restaurants on the AIDAnova is so comprehensive that even Stendebach admits, “You won't be able to visit all the gastronomic facilities on a seven-day trip.” Entertainment When it comes to entertainment, the AIDAnova benefits from its size and offers great variety. Among the many venues is a small but intense live rock music club called “Rock Box,” an escape-room experience and the very AIDA-specific theater amidships, which in place of a traditional theater is an atrium-style, round-shaped stage – hence its name, “Theatrium” – with audience seating extending over three decks. The dinner-theater-like experience called “Time Machine” differs from similar shows on some international cruise ships in the way that the majority of the activity happens on LED screens all around the room, and there is less live performance by artists and actors. The AIDAnova also has a professionally equipped TV studio with grandstands for the audience, in which full-fledged TV shows are produced, such as the very popular “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Hot Spot sushi restaurant Studio X 30-35 korjattu2 .indd 6 25.3.2019 17.26
Pools and wellness Besides a state-of-the-art spa, the AIDAnova has a spacious wellness area and several saunas including indoor and outdoor spaces, though these come with a moderate, daily fee. The Beach Club main pool is protected by a dome, making it an indoor pool. There is an additional pool outdoors on deck 18 forward. A second dome covers what AIDA calls the “Four Elements,” which includes a challenging high-ropes course as well as a water playground. Family friendly amenities include the buffet restaurant Fuego, several kids’ and teens’ clubs plus baby and toddler care starting at the age of 6 months. n AIDANOVA Technical information Built Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany Owner Costa Crociere S.p.A. Operator AIDA Cruises Base port Tenerife / Barcelona Maiden voyag December 2018 County of registry Italy Classification society RINA Length 337 m Breadth 42 m Draught 8.6 m Gross tonnage 183.858 Main Engines 4 Caterpillar MAK four (dual fuel), total: 61,760 kW Propulsion thruster 2 ABB Azipods Speed, max 21,7 kts Passengers, double occupancy 5,252 Number of passenger cabins 2,626 Crew 1,500 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 35 100 1 Beach Club 30-35 korjattu2 .indd 7 25.3.2019 17.26
C M Y CM MY CY CMY K CRUISE_Business_Review_210x297.pdf 1 08/02/18 14:01 36-43 .indd 2 12.3.2019 15.13
? CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 37 C ommenting on the Costa Venezia’s delivery, Michael Thamm, Group CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia, said in a statement: “Costa Venezia will help us to further develop the cruise market in China, which has a great unexplored potential. Suffice to say that currently, 2.5 million Chinese people a year choose to go on a cruise vacation, which is less than 2% of the total number of Chinese people who travel abroad. Moreover, Costa Venezia further strengthens Costa's bond with Italy: It is a ship built in Italy, by an Italian shipyard, which flies the Italian flag and which will make Chinese guests experience unforgettable Italian experiences.” Costa Crociere was the first Western cruise line to start operations in China back in 2006, initially using the 28,400 gross ton Costa Allegra, which had been introduced in the early 1990s and is no longer in service. As the market evolved, the company gradually introduced SHIP REVIEW The Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, delivered the Costa Venezia – the first ship that the Costa group has designed for the Chinese market – on February 28. It has been 13 years since the company entered China, and the new ship will be its largest unit deployed there so far. By Kari Reinikainen DESIGNED FOR CHINA, COSTA VENEZIA ENTERS SERVICE larger vessels into China. However, it has also removed some capacity from the Chinese market in recent times after a bull run in demand showed signs of slowing down, at least temporarily. Interiors inspired by Venice The Costa Venezia has a gross tonnage is 133,500 – which makes it the company’s largest ship to operate out of China – and a length of 323.5 meters, a beam of 37.2 meters and a draught of 8.2 meters. The ship has accommodations for 5,200 passengers. It offers a series of innovations designed specifically for Chinese customers, introducing guests to Italian culture, lifestyle and excellence, starting from the interiors, which are inspired by the city of Venice, Costa said. The ship's theatre is inspired by La Fenice in Venice, while the main atrium is reminiscent of St. Mark's Square, the best known address in the city. The main restaurants onboard recall the traditional architecture of Venetian alleys and squares. Gondolas that are made by the Squero di San Trovaso artisans, can also be found on board. “Guests can also savor the delicacies of Italian cuisine, shop in the onboard shops with many famous made-in-Italy brands and enjoy the internationally renowned Italian entertainment, with a masked ball that will recreate the magical atmosphere of the famous Carnival of Venice,” Costa said. Meanwhile, Chinese passengers will feel at home with a wide choice of Chinese food, Chinese-style karaoke, and entertainment including the Golden Party – full of surprises and gifts to be won every 10 minutes. Arnold Donald, President and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc, which owns Costa, stated: “The delivery of Costa Venezia is a further step in the growth of a strong and sustainable cruise industry in China, which someday, we believe, will be the largest cruise market in the world.” Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Group Asia, added that as the line’s first ship built specifically for the Chinese market, the Costa Venezia marks the start of a new era – not only for Costa and C M Y CM MY CY CMY K CRUISE_Business_Review_210x297.pdf 1 08/02/18 14:01 Costa Venezia was built at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard 36-43 .indd 3 12.3.2019 15.13
38 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 ? DOBEL® F105 Quality that lasts longer www.metalcolour.com Imagine a product so strong that it can be bent, stretched, stressed and used for years without any loss of performance or looks. DOBEL® F 105 allows designers to be creative in form while retaining both functional and safety properties. The combination of metal (strength and shapeability) together with design features in foils gives a versatile material to many areas of use. DOBEL® F 105 also meets all relevant and necessary approvals in the Marine Sector and comes with the best Quality and Service Guarantee the market can offer. Since 1973 Metalcolour has been providing innovative solutions reducing costs and creating value to clients. Metalcolour is also well known for its unique flexibility, reliabilitiy and service approach. K L A SI FI E D .s e FE B R U A R Y 2 01 9 TH E B ES T GU AR AN T E E T H E MAR KET CA N O FF E R Quality & Service Guarantee DOBEL® IN N O VA TI VE CO AT I N G D E S I GN SI N C E 1973 Please visit us at Nor-Shipping, June 4–7. You’ll find us in Stand D01-08 and we are looking forward to explore potential for future cooperation. pnr3595-annons-CBdotcomMag-helsida-3mars-mc-infor.indd 1 2019-02-15 09:27 Fincantieri, but also for the Chinese cruise industry as a whole. The ship is making a 53-night positioning voyage to China, and starting on May 18, it will be dedicated exclusively to Chinese guests, offering cruises in Asia departing from Shanghai. An evolving market Initially, the Chinese market employed older vessels, but when Royal Caribbean International in 2015 based the 168,666 gross ton and 4,180-passenger Quantum of the Seas in Shanghai, the stakes increased considerably. Other lines were forced to follow suit, and the quality of ships based in China improved very quickly. However, this also meant a significant increase in capacity, and in the recent past, some ships have been moved to other markets for at least part of the year, while regional ship operators Henna and SkySea Cruises were forced to cease operations. “Growing the cruise market in China required the evolution of how Chinese consumers think of cruises,” James Hardiman, an analyst with Wedbush Securities Inc., was quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying. “It’s largely seen as a means to gamble and shop. Western cruisers think of cruises as much more than that, as an opportunity to relax and travel,” he said. In 2017, nine out of 10 Chinese cruise passengers stayed in Asia. However, over the past three years, Royal Caribbean has seen a 75% increase in the number of Chinese passengers opting to cruise elsewhere, the same report said. Fourth in a series of six ships The Costa Venezia is the fourth in what will be a series of six ships. Three of these will be operated by Costa and the other three by Carnival Cruise Line, a sister company of the Genoa-based line. The Gondola Lounge is one of the Venice-themed public rooms onboard Entrance to the Lounge delle Stelle 36-43 .indd 4 12.3.2019 15.13
DOBEL® F105 Quality that lasts longer www.metalcolour.com Imagine a product so strong that it can be bent, stretched, stressed and used for years without any loss of performance or looks. DOBEL® F 105 allows designers to be creative in form while retaining both functional and safety properties. The combination of metal (strength and shapeability) together with design features in foils gives a versatile material to many areas of use. DOBEL® F 105 also meets all relevant and necessary approvals in the Marine Sector and comes with the best Quality and Service Guarantee the market can offer. Since 1973 Metalcolour has been providing innovative solutions reducing costs and creating value to clients. Metalcolour is also well known for its unique flexibility, reliabilitiy and service approach. K L A SI FI E D .s e FE B R U A R Y 2 01 9 TH E B ES T GU AR AN T E E T H E MAR KET CA N O FF E R Quality & Service Guarantee DOBEL® IN N O VA TI VE CO AT I N G D E S I GN SI N C E 1973 Please visit us at Nor-Shipping, June 4–7. You’ll find us in Stand D01-08 and we are looking forward to explore potential for future cooperation. pnr3595-annons-CBdotcomMag-helsida-3mars-mc-infor.indd 1 2019-02-15 09:27 36-43 .indd 5 12.3.2019 15.13
Untitled-1.indd 1 10.2.2017 10:57:54 first unit of the class was the Costa Diadema, which entered service on 2014. It differs from the other units by having four Wartsila engines totaling at 50,400kW that give it a speed of 20 knots, according to information in Shippax Guide. The other ships will have five MAN engines each, with an output of 58,200kW that gives them a speed of 21 knots. The second unit of the class was the Carnival Vista that entered service in 2016 and which was followed by the Carnival Horizon last year. The Carnival Panorama is due to be delivered in November this year and a yetunnamed Costa ship that will also target the Chinese market will complete the series in 2020. The Costa Venezia is part of an expansion plan by the Costa group that includes a total of seven ships due to be delivered by 2023. The investment will total €6.0 billion. The next vessel to join the fleet of the Italian company will be the Costa Smeralda, which is due to be delivered by Meyer Turku in Finland this October. The 182,700 gross ton ship will be the largest unit in the Costa fleet and the first to use liquefied natural gas (LNG). The AIDAnova, the lead ship of the class, entered service with sister company AIDA Cruises late last year. n 40 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 Yan Teppanyaki Restaurant Reception of the Bellezza Spa 36-43 .indd 6 12.3.2019 15.13
Untitled-1.indd 1 10.2.2017 10:57:54 Sovereign of the Seas, Seaward, Seabourn Pride, Star Princess, Seabourn Spirit, Club Med I, Fantasy, Westerdam, Nordic Empress, Crown Princess, Horizon, Silja Serenade, Ecstasy, Regal Princess, Monarch of the Seas, Hanseatic, Silja Symphony, Majesty of the Seas, Dreamward, Zenith, Royal Viking Queen, Club Med II, Crown Jewel, Gruziya, Costa Allegra, Barfleur, Normandie, Windward, Crown Dynasty, Costa Romantica, Kazakhstan II, American Adventure, Kong Harald, Richard With, Nordlys, Oriana, Legend of the Seas, Century, Splendour of the Seas, Sun Princess, Carnival Destiny, Galaxy, Costa Victoria, Grandeur of the Seas, Nordkapp, Rhapsody of the Seas, Dawn Princess, Mercury, Enchantment of the Seas, Nordnorge, Vision of the Seas, Grand Princess, Sea Princess, R One, R Two, Voyager of the Seas, R Three, R Four, R Five, R Six, R Seven, R Eight, Norwegian Sky, Seven Seas Navigator, Explorer of the Seas, Aurora, Costa Atlantica, Millenium, Infinity, Adventurer of the Seas, Carnival Spirit, Radiance of the Seas, Norwegian Sun, Summit, Brilliance of the Seas, Constellation, Coral Princess, Navigator of the Seas, Island Princess, Crystal Serenity, Mariner of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Carnival Miracle, Jewel of the Seas, PontAven, Caribbean Princess, Carnival Valor, Pride of America, Norwegian Jewel, Carnival Liberty, Pride of Hawaii, Freedom of the Seas, Crown Princess, MSC Musica, Norwegian Pearl, Liberty of the Seas, Emerald Princess, MSC Orchestra, Norwegian Gem, Ventura, MSC Poesia, Independence of the Seas, Ruby Princess, MSC Fantasia, Celebrity Solstice, MSC Splendida, Oasis of the Seas, Celebrity Equinox, MSC Magnifica, Carnival Dream, Silver Spirit, Azura, Celebrity Eclipse, Le Boreal, Norwegian Epic, Queen Elizabeth, Allure of the Seas, L’Austal, Disney Dream, Carnival Magic, Celebrity Silhouette, Disney Fantasy, Carnival Breeze, MSC Divina, Celebrity Reflection, MSC Preziosa, Royal Princess, Mein Schiff 3, Regal Princess, Quantum of the Seas, Mein Schiff 4, Britannia, Anthem of the Seas, Carnival Vista, Ovation of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Mein Schiff 5, Silver Muse, Seabourn Encore, Majestic Princess, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Seaside, Symphony of the Seas, MSC Seaview, Seabourn Ovation, Mein Schiff 1, Aida Helios, Celebrity Edge, Mein Schiff 2, Costa Venezia, MSC Belissima, Spectrum of the Seas, Sky Princess, MSC Grandioza, Carnival Panorama 36-43 .indd 7 12.3.2019 15.13
n Starboard Cruise Services, the premier retailer at sea, has revealed its latest retail endeavor with long-standing partner Costa Cruises. The shops on the Costa Venezia feature a lineup of prestigious designer brands, many carried for the first time at sea, and the largest beauty space ever offered at sea – all presented within an Italian-style shopping experience in keeping with the iconic Costa brand. The 5,100-passenger vessel is designed to capture the romantic Italian culture and passion of Venice, providing Chinese travelers with an authentic Italian ambiance. Among its amenities are more than 8,000 square feet of retail space amid a two-deck Venetian-style shopping pavilion, which Starboard curated with some of the world’s most celebrated brands. Naturally, the collection includes many famous Italian brands, including first-time-at-sea Max Mara, Salvatore Ferragamo and Bvlgari – the latter being presented in a branded boutique alongside other renowned luxury brands. The launch of the Tiffany & Co. boutique marks the first time the brand will be featured on a Costa ship. The luxury lineup also includes Cartier and Jaeger-LeCoultre, both highly coveted by Chinese luxury consumers. Starboard and the Costa Venezia further appeal to the Asian shopper with the largest beauty space at sea, measuring more than 2,500 square feet and including over 30 international brands, with the first-at-sea Clé de Peau Beauté and Hermès, Yves Saint Laurent, La Prairie, Bvlgari, Chanel, Dior, La Mer, SK-II and more. Asian beauty brands include Dr. Jart+, Sulwhasoo and The History of Whoo. Demonstrating Starboard’s ability to create exceptional brand experiences is the new Bvlgari Jewelry Fashion Show, an evening of elegance and glamour highlighting the Italian jeweler’s masterful craftsmanship. This is a firsttime joint venture between Starboard, Costa and Bvlgari. During the show, Costa Venezia guests will experience the epitome of “la dolce vita” with a dazzling display of Bvlgari jewels featured onboard at the Bvlgari boutique. Starboard brings more than a decade of experience in cruise retail in the Asian market, which started in 2006 with the Costa Allegra, the first Western ship ever deployed in China. Starboard and Costa entered into a multi-year agreement in 2018 for retail operations that included the launch of the Costa Venezia, which brings the total number of Starboard ships in Asia to nine. The company’s market leadership is rooted in its cultural understanding of the Chinese market and guest preferences for exclusive shopping opportunities enjoyed in lively environments with exceptional service levels. “We’re thrilled to continue expanding our presence in the Chinese market with Costa’s newest ship, Costa Venezia,” said Derek Wong, Starboard’s Vice President & General Manager, Asia. “We have strategically selected brands that represent the best in Italian designers cherished by Chinese shoppers to complement and enrich Costa Venezia’s onboard offerings.” Added Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Group Asia: “The retail shopping experience is one of the most important parts of the Chinese vacation. Chinese customers are evolving. They are not willing to shop just to purchase something. Shopping is part of an experience of exploring and learning. Together with our partner, Starboard, we have worked to offer our guests an elevated experience when they are onboard Costa Venezia.” n STARBOARD DAZZLES CHINESE GUESTS ABOARD THE COSTA VENEZIA 42 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 Costa Venezia shares the same profile with Carnival’s Vista and Horizon Bvlgari Jewelry Fashion Show 36-43 .indd 8 12.3.2019 15.13
C M Y CM MY CY CMY K MI_Cruise_Business_Review_191x135.pdf 1 08/02/18 14:03 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 43 Artist’s rendering of upscale shopping 36-43 .indd 9 12.3.2019 15.13
? 44 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 FREEDOM OF DESIGN WITH PROVEN SOLUTIONS INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DECORATIVE SOLUTIONS Seamless, durable and flexible artificial PUR deck system, the new Sikafloor® Marine Deco Comfort and Teak. Contact us now Sika Services AG, Tueffenwies 16, 8048 Zurich Tel. +41 (0)58 436 58 01, www.sika.com/marine Sikafloor® Marine Deco Teak Sikafloor® Marine Deco Comfort SHIP DESIGN NEW SHIPS KEEP CARNIVAL’S PETU KUMMALA BUSY With 26 cruise ships in service and three more on order, Carnival Cruise Line’s Senior Director of Design and Architecture Petu Kummala is busy. The last of the company’s Vista-class ships – the Carnival Panorama – will be delivered by the end of this year, while the first of the LNG-powered XL-class newbuilds – the Mardi Gras – is already under construction in Finland for delivery in 2020. In addition, extensive refurbishments of the Carnival Triumph and Carnival Victory also will take place soon. By Teijo Niemelä C urrently, Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet consists of 26 ships in six classes, which include the Fantasy, Spirit, Conquest, Dream and Sunshine (formerly Destiny) series. The latest of the line’s new ships are the 133,500 gross ton Vista-class vessels, which include the series namesake plus the Carnival Horizon and soon-to-bedelivered Carnival Panorama. A large part of Carnival’s “Fun Ship” fleet was designed by legendary Miami architect Joe Farcus. But since the deliveries of the Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic, the company has started to look outside and hire other designers, most notably Partner Ship Design from Hamburg. According to the line’s Senior Director of Design and Architecture Petu Kummala, who is in charge of both newbuildings and refurbishments, “Carnival’s interior design was already evolving when Farcus was drawing the Dream and Magic. I think the major change was that we had only one designer when Joe was doing the ships, and now we have multiple designers as well as our own in-house department. We get constant feedback from our 26 ships on what works and what doesn’t work. When we create a new design, we will take into account that feedback,” Kummala said. When Carnival designs a new vessel, there are various factors that determine how it shares the project between in-house designers and independent architectural firms. “It could be 30% to 50% we do in-house, and then the rest [will go to] outside firms,” Kummala continued. “Like on Carnival Vista, we hired a new company to Petu Kummala 44-47 .indd 2 27.3.2019 10.20
Theatrium is the heart of the ship and offers different moods as seen in these two pictures TTSGROUP.COM DOORS & PLATFORMS PASSENGER GANGWAYS MOORING & ANCHOR WINCHES CARGO LIFTS & LOADING PLATFORMS VISIT US IN BOOTH 1787 AT SEATRADE CRUISE GLOBAL, MIAMI APRIL 8-11 Photo: Bernard Biger, Chantiers de l’Atlantique MARITIME EVOLUTION CruiseBusinessReview_Spring_2019_TTSMarineAB.indd 1 2019-03-11 10:20:02 FREEDOM OF DESIGN WITH PROVEN SOLUTIONS INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DECORATIVE SOLUTIONS Seamless, durable and flexible artificial PUR deck system, the new Sikafloor® Marine Deco Comfort and Teak. Contact us now Sika Services AG, Tueffenwies 16, 8048 Zurich Tel. +41 (0)58 436 58 01, www.sika.com/marine Sikafloor® Marine Deco Teak Sikafloor® Marine Deco Comfort 44-47 .indd 3 27.3.2019 10.20
46 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 Tomorrow’s designs – available today New colour and design ideas of Gislaved Decor M-1320 foils give the opportunity to create unique interiors onboard. Our decorative, ? ame retardant foils can be found on interior surfaces in most of the world’s prestigious cruise liners. www.gislavedfolie.se Visit us at Seatrade Cruise Global Expo, 9-11 April. Stand 1625, and at Cruise Ship Interior Expo 18-20 June. Stand 642 VITTORIO GARRONI FOUNDER & PRESIDENT JUNE 18 – 20, 2019 MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER ? ? ? ? ? AGENDA ANNOUNCED FULL BG STUDIO design one of the restaurants, and in the Mardi Gras we will have another new firm doing their first cruise ship design, but we oversee closely the new companies and help as much as needed. We will not, however, go for the path that all designers would be new in our projects, unlike some other cruise lines have been doing. All decisions – for example, how much we outsource the projects – depend also on how much work we have on our hands. For example, if we have a big refurbishment project and then we have simultaneously a newbuilding project, we would have fewer resources to do it on our own.” Current projects in the pipeline At the present time, Carnival has the Carnival Panorama in the pipeline, which will be delivered from Italy-based Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard at the end of the year. “We cut the steel for Mardi Gras a few months ago in Turku, Finland, and we have just seen the first cabin mock-ups. We will also start to see the first detailed drawings from the contractors. For the XL2, sister ship to the Mardi Gras, which will be delivered 2022, we are already developing new concepts and will be getting up to full speed this summer. There will be new concepts for that vessel, for sure – we don’t know yet how much – but the roller coaster we have to keep, as it blew up the internet when we unveiled it,” Kummala said. On the refurbishment side, work will start soon to transform the Carnival Triumph into the Carnival Sunrise, which is being tagged as Carnival’s most expensive ship refurbishment ever. The transformation of the Carnival Victory into the Carnival Radiance will follow later. Carnival has its own design team for refurbishments, led by Vice President of Revitalization and Hotel Refurbishment Lisa McCabe, which is also responsible for repair and maintenance projects, such as constant upgrading of carpets and draperies fleetwide. “Our intention is to keep every ship fresh, and, as an example, we constantly design new carpets,” Kummala said. As far as design trends are concerned, Kummala added, “You cannot really go by design trends on cruise ships. They are not like boutique hotels that can be redesigned after five years. If you try to follow trends you will always be trying to catch up, and you will never be there. We listen to our customers very carefully. We try to offer more dining options and more technology,” he concluded. n Mardi Gras will have six themed zones throughout the ship’s 20 decks. Pictured is Grand Central spanning from deck 6 to 8. This takes the traditional atrium to new “heights” Among the trends is to offer more dining options – Mardi Gras will feature Emeril’s Bistro 1396 – which is being created together with world-renowned chef Emeril Lagasse 44-47 .indd 4 27.3.2019 10.20
? VITTORIO GARRONI FOUNDER & PRESIDENT JUNE 18 – 20, 2019 MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER ? ? ? ? ? AGENDA ANNOUNCED FULL BG STUDIO 44-47 .indd 5 27.3.2019 10.20
Technology and innovation SUCCESS STORIES ON LAND AND SEA >> meyerturku.fi 48-54.indd 2 22.3.2019 7.40
? CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 49 SHIP REVIEW Technology and innovation SUCCESS STORIES ON LAND AND SEA >> meyerturku.fi I n contrast to all previous Meyer Turku-built vessels for TUI Cruises, the Mein Schiff 2 was delivered in Kiel and not at the shipyard. While the primary reason for this was practical – the ship left Turku before the northern Baltic Sea iced over, thus doing away with the need for icebreaker assistance and potential damage from the ice – it also allowed the company to showcase its newest ship in its home market immediately upon delivery. Although TUI itself is a widely recognized international travel brand, TUI Cruises’ focus is near-exclusively on the German-speaking market. According to TUI Cruises CEO Wybcke Meier, who spoke before the delivery of the Mein Schiff 2, not only do 75% of German cruise passengers travel on German-speaking ships, a whopping 90% of German cruise passengers prefer a Germanspeaking onboard experience. With the continuing growth of the cruise market in Germany, future demand for TUI Cruises’ premium all-inclusive product seems assured. Longer, larger, restyled The Mein Schiff 2, like its previous sister the Mein Schiff 1 delivered last year, is an extended version of the Mein Schiff 3 class of ships built by Meyer Turku between 2014 and 2017. The new ships are about 20 meters longer at 316 meters in length, and at the same time the upper decks have been redesigned giving a gross tonnage figure of 112,000, while the passenger capacity has risen to 2,894 – in contrast to 2,534 on the older class. The larger size of MEIN SCHIFF 2 IMPROVES THE CLASS TUI Cruises took delivery of the new Mein Schiff 2 in Kiel, Germany, on 22 January 2019. Like the Mein Schiff 1 delivered last year, the Mein Schiff 2 is of an enlarged design compared to the older TUI newbuilds from Meyer Turku. CruiseBusiness.com Magazine’s Kalle Id takes a look at how the new, larger Mein Schiffs differ from their older fleetmates. By Kalle Id 48-54.indd 3 28.3.2019 8.29
50 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 ? the ship also means more outer deck space, extra spa and wellness facilities, an additional bar and dining room, as well as a larger number of suites. Furthermore, several onboard facilities have been redesigned or replaced by new, more contemporary venues. The change most visible from the outside (apart from the slightly modified livery) is the restyling of the areas around the funnel and the aft superstructure, where Tillberg Design participated in the planning process. There is now a cantilevered structure around the base of the funnel with floor-to-ceiling windows, but whereas on most cruise ships this would house bars, restaurants or suites, on the Mein Schiff 2 (and the Mein Schiff 1 before it), these impressive views are given to the extensively equipped gym. Behind the funnel, the sports arena familiar from the older ships has been fully enclosed. Additional impressive views for those looking after their mind and body are given to joggers, as the ship’s jogging track extends out of the superstructure at the aft of the ship and rises up The Große Freiheit complex now has more extensive fenestration on three sides Manufaktur – Kreativ-Küche offers cooking classes to passengers in the Große Freiheit complex Ph oto cre dit , all ph oto s: Ka lle Id 48-54.indd 4 22.3.2019 7.40
48-54.indd 5 22.3.2019 7.40
52 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 from deck 14 to deck 15 in a sweeping arch, which gives the Mein Schiff 2 a distinctive asymmetric profile when viewed from the aft. The restyled aft section allows for the addition of 18 suites overlooking the wake of the ship (in total, there are 38 suites versus 14 on the ms Mein Schiff 6). To accommodate the increased number of suite and junior suite passengers, there are more public rooms onboard for the exclusive use of suite passengers. In addition to the X-Lounge already found on the older ships, there is now an X-Bar above the X-Lounge on deck 15 and an X-Panoramadeck down on deck 6, with views overlooking the wake of the ship. New food and drink venues As part of the redesign of the aft superstructure, the Große Freiheit complex – now essentially a trademark feature of TUI Cruises ships – was also altered. While the inside layout remains relatively unchanged from previous sisters, on the Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 the characteristic glass diamond extends around the entire aft section on deck 5 and thus, in addition to allowing for more impressive views, also increases the floor area of the space as the outdoor areas flanking the complex are now enclosed. Tapani Mylly, Communications Manager at Meyer Turku, explained to CruiseBusiness. com Magazine that the impressive fenestration is made possible by a floating construction of the window frames. Rather than being a rigid arrangement, the diamond is allowed to flex and move slightly with the movement of the ship. Inside, Große Freiheit (as on previous sisters, the complex consists of extra-cost venues) has been redesigned to be “more active and more casual” and thus more in keeping with today’s trends, as Fredrik Johansson of Tillberg Design explained. Inside Große Freiheit are four distinct areas: An innovative multipurpose space that houses both the Italian restaurant Cucimare and Manufaktur – Kreativ-Küche, where passengers can cook their own meals under the guidance of the ship’s chefs; the popular Surf & Turf steakhouse; the Esszimmer restaurant, serving German-style home cooking; and the trademark Diamant Bar. Both Cucimare/Manufaktur and Esszimmer were first introduced on the Mein Schiff 1, while the Surf & Turf steakhouse is a restaurant found on all TUI ships. Elsewhere onboard, new venues on the Mein Schiff 1 and Mein ? Esszimmer is a Germanthemed restaurant within Große Freiheit Adjacent to the buffet, Fischmarkt specialises in seafood, with sushi available for an extra charge 48-54.indd 6 22.3.2019 7.40
BRAX SHIPPING +46 (0) 31 183200 www.braxship.com brokers@braxship.com Shipbrokers specialised in the sale and purchase of cruise ships and ferries/ropax TRUSTED WORLDWIDE Ship designs for special cruises QUALITY CEILINGS FOR QUALITY CUSTOMERS “YOU’LL FIND OUR CEILINGS ON THE WORLD’S FINEST CRUISE SHIPS.” www.lautex.com CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 53 Ganz Schön Gesund is a more health-conscious option across from the Tag & Nacht 24-hour buffet 48-54.indd 7 22.3.2019 7.40
54 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 n “We have the youngest fleet,” TUI Cruises CEO Wybcke Meier told the assembled media when the Mein Schiff 2 was delivered in Kiel, Germany, and, she continued, thanks to the young age of the fleet, TUI is also the market leader in environmental issues. The entire fleet fulfills not only the current but the nearest upcoming environmental regulations affecting shipping, including the impending restrictions in Norway’s UNESCO-listed fjords (Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord). The new Mein Schiff 2 is a case in point: According to TUI, the vessel uses up to 40% less energy than comparable existing cruise ships. TUI’s environmentally friendly fleet With one of the youngest fleets in the cruise industry, TUI Cruises has set the standard for environmental friendliness. The Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 have seen further refinements compared to their older fleetmates, and the company’s future ships will be even more advanced in this increasingly crucial regard. By Kalle Id Dr. Jan Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku – the shipyard that has built all of TUI’s newbuildings to date – explained how improvements in environmental issues on the TUI ships are small steps taking place across a broad spectrum. For example, compared to the Mein Schiff 6 delivered in 2017, the Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 use 10% less fuel, the savings having been gained from further hull-form refinement and state-of-the-art control of the lighting and air conditioning, where an automated system monitors the need for both and adjusts them according to demand. Emissions have been further reduced by improvements to the design of the scrubbers provided by Valmet and by fitting catalytic converters on all four main engines (whereas the older sisters had catalytic converters on just two, intended primarily for use when in port). On the non-technical side, the Mein Schiff 2 sets new standards in environmental friendliness by using certified organic, fair-trade cotton on all onboard textiles. As on the line’s previous ships, all wood used onboard also comes from certified sources. At the same time, TUI is en-route to eliminating all single-use plastics. To make sure the various environmentally friendly solutions are used to their maximum effect, each TUI ship has an environmental officer among the crew. The issue of LNG (liquefied natural gas) – the cleanest-burning fossil fuel – was also raised during the Mein Schiff 2’s delivery ceremony, and Meier revealed that while the possibility of using LNG was raised with Meyer Turku during the design process, it was not considered a viable option due to lack of availability. The Mein Schiff 7, due for delivery from Meyer Turku in 2023, will be an improved sister ship to the Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 and, like them, will be fitted with scrubbers. However, TUI’s next class of ship, the first two of which will be built by Fincantieri for delivery in 2024 and 2026, will use LNG fuel. n Schiff 2 include a barber shop on Deck 4 (previous ships had a hairdressing salon but no dedicated barber), the Ebbe & Flut beer bar and the Ganz Schön Gesund bistro, specializing in health food, on Deck 5; the Fischmarkt seafood restaurant and Ruhepol relaxation bar & lounge on deck 12; along with the Hoheluft bar up on deck 15. Service entry and the future The Mein Schiff 2’s first sailing with passengers was a mediaexclusive cruise from Kiel on 23 January 2019, but the ship departed on its first commercial sailing (and thus official maiden voyage) from Bremerhaven on 3 February. On 9 February, the ship was officially named in Lisbon by Carolin Niemczyk, singer of the German electropop duo Glasperlenspiel. From there, the Mein Schiff 2 proceeded to the Atlantic Isles, to spend the remaining winter season sailing on itineraries around the Canary Isles and Madeira. For the upcoming summer season, the ship will relocate to the Western Mediterranean before heading to the Caribbean for the 2019-2020 winter season. With the arrival of the Mein Schiff 2, the TUI Cruises’ fleet now numbers seven ships, as the old Mein Schiff 2 didn’t leave the fleet upon arrival of its newer namesake as originally planned, but instead was renamed the Mein Schiff Herz. The company’s recent high growth rate – with new ships delivered every year from 2014 until this year and only one ship leaving the fleet during the same period – will slow down in the coming years. The next newbuilding, tentatively to be named the ms Mein Schiff 7, will be a further development of the Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 design and will be delivered from Meyer Turku in 2023. After that, two larger vessels of over 160,000 gross tons will be built for the company by Italian yard Fincantieri in 2024 and 2026. n 48-54.indd 8 22.3.2019 7.40
SHIP PREVIEW ROALD AMUNDSEN READY TO CHALLENGE THE CRUISE INDUSTRY Hurtigruten and Norway’s Kleven shipyard are building two expedition vessels that will be, according to the companies, the most environmentally friendly in the world. CruiseBusiness.com Magazine’s Kalle Id offers a preview of the groundbreaking vessels. I n December, Hurtigruten and the Kleven shipyard showcased Hurtigruten’s two expedition vessels currently under construction, the Roald Amundsen and the Fridtjof Nansen, to the international media. Hurtigruten has long been the cruise industry’s leader in sustainability, for example being the first (and so far only) cruise line to impose a complete fleetwide ban on single-use plastics. The new ships take Hurtigruten’s leadership in this field even further. Based on a concept design by Rolls-Royce, the Roald Amundsen and its sister will be the first diesel-battery hybrid cruise ships. While it may sound contradictory, the batteries charged from the ships’ own engines will decrease fuel consumption by allowing the engines to operate at optimal output – charging the batteries when less power is needed and drawing from the batteries when more power is required. According to Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam, this and other environmentally friendly methods used onboard will decrease total emissions by about 20% compared to the company’s older vessels. LNG fuel will not be used on the new ships due to lack of availability on worldwide itineraries. On the other hand, six of Hurtigruten’s existing vessels on the Norwegian coastal trade will be converted to run on LNG and biogas, with the fueling infrastructure necessary to be built simultaneously with the ships’ refits. Wowing the world “We are used to wowing the world with innovations, but with this project we really had to think how we would wow Hurtigruten?” explains Rune Ekornesvåg of Rolls-Royce. To make sure they would, Rolls-Royce and its partner Kleven enlisted the aid of the Norwegian superyacht designer Espen Øino for the exterior design, creating an exterior that is at once recognizably Hurtigruten and yet new. Øino also pushed Rolls-Royce to incorporate its patented wave-piercing bow into the design and to use the bow for a novel observation lounge. On the technical side, the Roald Amundsen will be the first cruise ship to use Rolls-Royce Azipull azimuthing thrusters. Ph oto cre dit : To r Er ik Kv als vik /K lev en /H ur tig ru ten Roald Amundsen on sea trials outside of Ulsteinvik, Norway CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 55 ? 55-57 .indd 1 14.3.2019 15.33
56 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 Similarly, in terms of layout the new ships are recognizably Hurtigruten, but with a twist. In a first for the company, passengers can choose from three different dining venues: A main dining room; an “international kitchen” open all day; and an extra-cost, fine-dining restaurant. The ships’ real pièce de résistance, however, will be the large Science Center located on the lower deck of public rooms adjacent to the bow observation lounge. In this “edutainment” venue, passengers will learn about the destinations they visit through traditional lectures and more novel means, as well. Hurtigruten’s 28-29 May 2019 ATHENS GREECE DOMOTEL KASTRI CONFERENCE CENTER & Sea Tourism Event The Premium Cruise in the East Med & Sea Tourism Event The Premium Cruise in the East Med Member of www.PosidoniaSeaTourism.com Bronze Sponsors Silver Sponsors Cruise Business Review_210x297 14-12-18 18:08 ™ÂÏ›‰· 1 CEO Skjeldam describes the venue as “the heart of the ship,” and Karin Strand, the company’s Field Operations and Expedition Teams Manager, goes even further and hopes the ships will become “floating universities,” thanks to the company’s ongoing collaboration with universities and science institutes. With the rearrangement of the state-subvented Norwegian Coastal service as of 2021, when newcomer Havila Kystruten will assume responsibility for a portion of the coastal service, four existing Hurtigruten ships (the Finnmarken, Trollfjord, Midnatsol and Spitsbergen) will be moved to full-time cruise itineraries, and their public rooms will be modified to match those aboard the Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen. Combined with the newbuildings and existing expedition vessels, this means that by 2021 Hurtigruten will be the world’s largest expedition cruise line, with ten dedicated expedition ships offering nearly 4,000 berths. The Roald Amundsen is scheduled to enter service on Norwegian National Day, May 17, 2019, and will sail a variety of itineraries, including the coast of Norway, Northwest Passage, Antarctica and – for the first time for Hurtigruten – Alaska. A second sister, the Fridtjof Nansen, will be delivered in 2020 and a third, as of yet unnamed sister, is expected in 2021. n Ph oto cre dit : Ka lle Id The battery rooms have space for expansion of battery capacity, left empty pending improvements in swiftly developing battery technology The innovative science center will be the heart of the Roald Amundsen Ph oto cre dit : Hu rti gr ute n Ph oto cre dit : Hu rti gr ute n The Fredheim Restaurant, offering international cuisine, is a new addition to the company’s onboard amenities 55-57 .indd 2 14.3.2019 15.33
CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 37 28-29 May 2019 ATHENS GREECE DOMOTEL KASTRI CONFERENCE CENTER & Sea Tourism Event The Premium Cruise in the East Med & Sea Tourism Event The Premium Cruise in the East Med Member of www.PosidoniaSeaTourism.com Bronze Sponsors Silver Sponsors Cruise Business Review_210x297 14-12-18 18:08 ™ÂÏ›‰· 1 55-57 .indd 3 14.3.2019 15.33
58 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE WINTER 2018/2019 Facing challenges are a part of everyday life. Thanks to my team and the MKN FlexiChef I’m de? nitely up for any of them. Smart technology guarantees perfectly cooked dishes and takes care of cleaning too. MKN FlexiChef smart cooking. smart cleaning. I MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE EVERY DAY! #mychoice | WWW.MKN.COM T he current situation is confused, to say the least. This is because the Uljanik Group, with its main newbuilding yard in Rijeka, has endured a series of financial crises since last summer, which led to its workforce walking out due to unpaid wages. It came as a surprise when Uljanik got the order in late 2015 to build a polar expedition ship for Australia’s Scenic, since neither has SHIPBUILDING CROATIAN SHIPBUILDERS FACE CRUISE CHALLENGES With Italy’s Fincantieri and Germany-based Meyer Group building the lion’s share of large cruise ships, shipbuilders in Croatia thought they had spotted a window to enter the lucrative cruise market via specialized vessels. However, all has not been smooth sailing. By John Pagni experience in this area. Uljanik is known for special vessels and cargo ships, while Scenic is a force in global river cruising. Further down the Adriatic coast, Brodosplit raised eyebrows when it won an equally unexpected contract to build a luxury sailing ship for Star Clippers and later won contracts for two polar ships – one for Quark Expeditions carrying up to 200 passengers and another for Oceanwide Expeditions carrying 180. The Star Clippers order was somewhat of a surprise, as it will be the Monaco-based company’s first newbuilding since 2000 and the first for a Croatian yard. In fact, the vessel is unique, so it would have been a first for any yard. Based on the design of the 1915-built France II, it will be the biggest sailing ship ever when handed over this year. While the two small cruise ships are expected to be delivered later next year, CruiseBusiness.com Magazine has heard that Oceanwide will exercise an option for a second ship and that Star Clippers is said to be so impressed, it will order a sister to the Flying Clipper, too. Main driver The main driver behind Croatian shipbuilding’s recent renaissance is simply a shortage of capacity at established European yards, which are working furiously to fulfill orderbooks filled until 2024, at least. In addition, the size of the vessels (180 to 300 passengers) and their value ($100 to $150 million), compared to the Scenic Eclipse at the Uljanik shipyard 58-59 .indd 2 22.3.2019 7.42
CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 59 Facing challenges are a part of everyday life. Thanks to my team and the MKN FlexiChef I’m de? nitely up for any of them. Smart technology guarantees perfectly cooked dishes and takes care of cleaning too. MKN FlexiChef smart cooking. smart cleaning. I MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE EVERY DAY! #mychoice | WWW.MKN.COM megaships being built in Germany, Italy, France and Finland (which are in the 100,000 to 200,000-plus gross ton range and worth $500 million to over $1 billion), are not lucrative enough for the big yards to vie for. This dearth of skilled capacity caused Genting Hong Kong to create its own shipbuilding yards in Germany. MV Werften, which was established in 2016, is now working hard to complete multiple river and oceangoing cruise ship orders for its owners. “We see special niches, and passenger ships are more profitable, and we are oriented to that,” Zoran Kundera, Brodosplit CEO, told CBM last October. He took over the top job in summer 2017, when owner Tomislav Debeljak stepped back to oversee the parent DIV Group. “Brodosplit is no rookie at cruise shipbuilding. We have been partnering with Fincantieri for six years making grand blocks, and plans are in place for this [mutually beneficial] relationship to continue,” Kundera added. New owners at Uljanik But a spanner has been thrown into the works by the crisis at Uljanik, which has left the yard in limbo – as well as the ships it is building, which lie in various stages of completion. The 228-guest “discovery yacht” Scenic Eclipse is reportedly going to be finished by Scenic itself and its subcontractors in a joint venture with the prospective new owners. Delivery is scheduled for April, and Scenic CEO Glen Moroney has said that construction on the Scenic Eclipse 2, a sister vessel, will start immediately after handover. Croatian media outlets report that the new owners will be Brodosplit, which has emerged as a “strategic partner” after others came and went. The government’s hands are tied by EU shipbuilding subsidy rules: All of the state’s financial input – about € 1 billion since 2010 – has been used up. Brodosplit is willing to take a 70% stake with Fincantieri assuming the remainder, but obstacles remain. As with his takeover of Brodosplit, Debeljak is unwilling to inherit debts and wishes to retain the right to cut the workforce, which owns nearly 50% of the Uljanik Group. Croatia’s Economy Minister Darko Horvat stated recently that the financial situation at the Pula-based Uljanik shipbuilding group should be reduced to zero before restructuring begins in cooperation with the strategic partner. According to Minister Horvat, during the due-diligence process Debeljak found an equity deficit of 1.1 billion euros and that he was not willing to cover debts from the past. Building the Flying Clipper Not that Brodosplit itself has found life easy with the Flying Clipper. Initially scheduled to be launched in 2017, this was subsequently pushed back to a year later, and handover of the vessel is now planned for spring 2019. Though “unconfirmed reasons” were behind the delay, CBM understands that first-of-a-kind issues are the main reason, as building a ship designed in 1915 to meet 21st-century rules and regulations, as well as the needs of modern-day passengers, was bound to be challenging. A list of its facilities offers an intriguing glimpse of the Flying Clipper’s luxurious amenities: 150 cabins including 34 balcony cabins and four owner’s suites; a two-deck restaurant; a watersports platform; an 18-foot dive pool spanning two decks and an additional two pools on the top deck. A highlight will be the pool that forms part of the see-through ceiling in the piano bar salon underneath. CruiseBusiness.com Magazine will continue to track events at both the Uljanik and Brodosplit shipyards, and will feature a full report on the Flying Clipper when that vessel eventually raises the Star Clippers flag and enters service. n Zoran Kundera 58-59 .indd 3 22.3.2019 7.42
DESTINATION 60 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 NEW INFRASTRUCTURE ADDS TO HONG KONG’S CRUISE APPEAL Not long after inaugurating its state-of-the-art Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, Hong Kong’s cruise business received a fresh impetus from two major headline-grabbing infrastructure and tourism development milestones. By Alan Lam C ruise tourism in Asia’s World City, Pearl of the Orient, had already been on an accelerated path of growth when the High Speed Rail (HSR) and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) opened in the same year, making the hub city even more accessible for visitors traveling to and from mainland China. “They have further enhanced Hong Kong’s connections with the mainland and formed a ‘one-hour living circle’ in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,” said Kenneth Wong, General Manager of MICE & Cruise for the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). In the last three years, the number of cruise passengers arriving in the city has nearly doubled while turnaround calls have more than doubled. The recently improved connectivity will not escape the attention of international cruise lines and their passengers. It has made Hong Kong even more attractive as a cruise destination and as a homeport. Two new ingredients Besides its world-class cruise terminal, Hong Kong has now added the longest bridgetunnel system in the world, which connects Macao and Zhuhai in 40 minutes, and the 26-kilometer HSR that can reach Guangzhou in 48 minutes, Shanghai in just over eight hours, and Beijing in less than nine hours. Already directly connected with 44 mainland stations, the new HSR is on course to become the most popular mode of transportation for people traveling to and from the mainland. Being part of China’s high-speed rail network has brought the Chinese source market much closer to Hong Kong’s cruise terminals. This proximity increases as the ? Cruise Facilities for Tomorrow’s Ships Today A warm welcome awaits you at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise Terminal www.kaitakcruiseterminal.com.hk Asia Best Cruise Home Port 2018 • Multiple year-round warm weather itineraries • Large local Hong Kong source market • 270 million people within a 4-hour train ride • Visa free for 170 nationalities • Multiple daily direct flights to North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific • Iconic terminal and rooftop garden • Restaurants, free Wi-Fi, connecting shuttle buses • Ample logistical space for turn calls KTCT Cruise Business Ad March 2019.indd 1 22/3/2019 2:20 PM Viking Sun sailing through Hong Kong Harbour Ph oto cre dit : Vi kin g Cr uis es 60-62.indd 2 25.3.2019 13.50
Cruise Facilities for Tomorrow’s Ships Today A warm welcome awaits you at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise Terminal www.kaitakcruiseterminal.com.hk Asia Best Cruise Home Port 2018 • Multiple year-round warm weather itineraries • Large local Hong Kong source market • 270 million people within a 4-hour train ride • Visa free for 170 nationalities • Multiple daily direct flights to North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific • Iconic terminal and rooftop garden • Restaurants, free Wi-Fi, connecting shuttle buses • Ample logistical space for turn calls KTCT Cruise Business Ad March 2019.indd 1 22/3/2019 2:20 PM 60-62.indd 3 25.3.2019 13.50
62 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 network expands. “The high-speed rail connection brings 270 million people within a four-hour train ride of Hong Kong,” said Jeff Bent, Managing Director of World Wide Cruise Terminals. “This has vast implications for the addressable source market for cruises out of Hong Kong.” As if this was not enough, the opening of the much-anticipated HZMB brought the entire Pearl River Delta population even closer to Hong Kong by substantially cutting travel time, while further connecting the city with the major population centers of the Greater Bay Area and Guangxi Province. “The new HZMB is now an asset for attracting both transit and turn calls,” said Bent. “For visitors, it means that shore excursions to Macao and other attractions on the west bank of the Pearl River are far more accessible than before. It also means it is much easier for residents of those areas to come to Hong Kong to take a cruise.” A new door has been opened with the arrival of the HZMB and HSR, affording the cruise industry an opportunity for innovative product development. “With the convenience of transportation and the implementation of 144-hour Convenient Visa to Guangdong Province, more diversified shore excursion itineraries and pre-/port-cruise land programs can be developed,” said Wong. “The much-shortened journey time provides immense potential for developing a wider variety of cruise products, such as HSR-plus-cruise package and HZMB-pluscruise package, providing more options for passengers from different parts of mainland China coming to Hong Kong and starting their cruise vacation here.” Promotional efforts Already, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has launched advertising campaigns in cooperation with cruise lines and trade partners along the HSR network and in the Pearl River Delta region. Both the HSR and HZMB are already well integrated into the city’s renowned and efficient public transportation system. This alone will add appeal to Hong Kong as a cruise destination and as a homeport. Moreover, as soon as they were opened, the HSR and HZMB immediately took their places in the long list of the city’s tourist attractions. Both are among Hong Kong’s most memorable travel experiences and are sure to appeal to both domestic Chinese travelers and international visitors alike. In a relatively short time, Hong Kong has evolved into one of the most attractive places to conduct cruise business. It is the gateway to a growing and increasingly affluent source market and has all the necessary ingredients to becoming the regional hub of Asia’s cruise tourism. n Ph oto cre dit : Ro ya l Ca rib be an In ter na tio na l Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas docked at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal 60-62.indd 4 25.3.2019 13.50
Cruise Business Review 2/2010 39 The Port of Turku in Finland is developing its services across a broad front: Last year, a plan for the development of a new stateof-the-art ferry terminal was unveiled, due to be completed by 2025. Already before that, the port was looking to attract an increased number of cruise calls. CruiseBusiness. com Magazine’s Kalle Id spoke with Port of Turku CEO Christian Ramberg about these plans. By Kalle Id PORT PROFILE TURKU PLANS NEW FERRY TERMINAL AND CRUISE EXPANSION CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 63 ? Turku offers a unique archipelago on arrivals and departures to the port Ph oto cre dit : Jo un i Sa ar ist o 63-65 .indd 1 22.3.2019 7.46
wulffentre.com | sales@wulffentre.com | +358 10 6335 500 Wulff Entre is a specialized event service house for Marine Exhibitions. We provides a completely stress-free solution for all local or international trade show needs. We are trade show specialists providing expertise, stand design, and project management services to help you save time and effortlessly reach your exhibiting goals. Partnering with us will provide you more time to focus on your exhibition strategy to get the best results, don’t let your investment go to waste! Seatrade Cruise Global OTC Nor-Shipping Cruise Ship Interiors Expo NEW SPE Offshore Europe Neva Seatrade Offshore Marine & Workboats Middle East Inmex SMM India Kormarine ADIPEC Louisana International WorkBoat Show Europort Marintec China Asia Pasi? c Maritime (APM) Posidonia SMM Meet our team at Seatrade Cruise Global 2019 and get a free consultation to take your trade show exhibiting to the next level! MARITIME & OFFSHORE EXHIBITIONS Ninni.Arion (at) wulffentre.com + 358 50 3967 560 Satu.Pekkala (at) wulffentre.com +358 50 3967 537 64 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 I n August 2018, the City of Turku, Port of Turku and Finland-Sweden cruise ferry operators Viking Line and Tallink Silja signed a Letter of Intent to construct a new, state-of-the-art ferry terminal in Turku for use by both companies (whereas currently, each operates from its own terminal). The new terminal will be operated by the municipally owned Port of Turku. Although the plan will open part of the harbor area to residential redevelopment, Christian Ramberg, CEO of Port of Turku, stresses that the main focus is in facilitating more efficient traffic flow to and from the harbor and thus improving the centuries-old shipping route linking Turku to Stockholm, which is also the most important shipping route linking Finland and Sweden. The Port of Turku already has excellent road and rail links to essentially all parts of Finland, as well as good public transport links on a more local level, but the new terminal will further improve these – for example, by adding a parking garage. The popular rail connection to the harbor – with trains arriving from other parts of the country in time for ferry departures – will also be improved, as will motorist access to the port. Another area that will receive particular attention in the new terminal is security. “Safety issues are more and more important to travelers,” Ramberg explains, “and we will take this into account with a state-of-the-art solution.” The agreement for the new terminal also requires the two Turku-Stockholm ferry operators not only to maintain existing service between the ports, but to further develop the tonnage used. Viking Line is at the forefront in this respect, already operating the route’s newest ship – the 2013-built LNG (liquefied natural gas)-powered cruise ferry the Viking Grace – and is slated to take delivery of a second LNG-powered vessel for this service in 2021. The Tallink-owned Silja Line brand, in contrast, operates a pair of ships dating to 2006 and 2008. Cruise Destination Turku The new terminal will strengthen the appeal of Turku for cruise ship calls, furthering the strategic aim of the City and the Port (which is municipally owned) to increase the number of cruise calls to what is Finland’s oldest city. With this in mind, the Port of Turku will have an increased presence at Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami this year, Ramberg explains. Currently, Turku is largely a niche destination with around ten cruise calls each summer (but only three this year); however, Finland’s oldest city sees much potential for growth in the cruise sector. “In one destination, we can offer three distinct products,” Ramberg explains, “The unique archipelago with its unspoiled nature, including the Saaristomeri National Park; the bustling city with the medieval castle, museums, restaurants and bars on the banks of River Aura, all within walking distance from the harbor; and the island of Ruissalo, right adjacent to the harbor, which is a paradise for those wanting a more active experience with biking, hiking, a golf course, etc., while also being famous for its nature.” Ramberg also points out that Turku would be relatively easy to insert into a Baltic Sea cruise itinerary. “We are an overnight sailing away from popular cruise ports such as Stockholm, Visby or Tallinn. And we, of course, have the unique attraction of sailing through the Turku archipelago, which is unique in its beauty.” The route linking Turku to Stockholm, also used by the cruise ferries, is particularly impressive in this regard, as it traverses three archipelagos – Stockholm, Åland and Turku – making it one of the most beautiful sea lanes in the world. Due to restrictions of the archipelago shipping lane, the harbor can only accept ships up to 230 meters in length (larger ships can anchor about 30 minutes away by tender). So naturally, Turku mainly targets smalland medium-sized cruise ships and “particularly passengers looking for unique experiences and personal service,” as Ramberg puts it. He sees the growing expedition market as especially interesting, since Turku can offer a nature-focused experience akin to that of Norway or Alaska, but with a local twist. Indeed, past expedition visitors to the city have included the likes of the LindbladNational Geographic and Noble Caledonia. Currently, the Port of Turku offers four cruise quays. Two are located on the River Aura itself, right next to the Turku Castle, for ships up to 160 meters in length. Two others are found in the main part of the harbor and are capable of handling the biggest ships that can access the port. A wide range of on-shore services are offered, including provisioning, bunkering, fresh water and wastewater handling – the latter being free of charge for cruise ships. n Port of Turku is building a new ferry terminal, which will serve both Tallink Silja and Viking Line 63-65 .indd 2 22.3.2019 7.46
wulffentre.com | sales@wulffentre.com | +358 10 6335 500 Wulff Entre is a specialized event service house for Marine Exhibitions. We provides a completely stress-free solution for all local or international trade show needs. We are trade show specialists providing expertise, stand design, and project management services to help you save time and effortlessly reach your exhibiting goals. Partnering with us will provide you more time to focus on your exhibition strategy to get the best results, don’t let your investment go to waste! Seatrade Cruise Global OTC Nor-Shipping Cruise Ship Interiors Expo NEW SPE Offshore Europe Neva Seatrade Offshore Marine & Workboats Middle East Inmex SMM India Kormarine ADIPEC Louisana International WorkBoat Show Europort Marintec China Asia Pasi? c Maritime (APM) Posidonia SMM Meet our team at Seatrade Cruise Global 2019 and get a free consultation to take your trade show exhibiting to the next level! MARITIME & OFFSHORE EXHIBITIONS Ninni.Arion (at) wulffentre.com + 358 50 3967 560 Satu.Pekkala (at) wulffentre.com +358 50 3967 537
66 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 nycruise.com What’s better than a cruise? A cruise + NYC NYCruise’s Manhattan and Brooklyn Cruise terminals are just a New York minute from all the city has to offer, including countless attractions, arts and culture, and amazing restaurants. Enjoy the best of both worlds with a preand/or post-cruise visit to New York City. 4840-NYC Cruise Cruise Business Review print ad.indd 1 1/29/18 11:05 AM DESTINATIONS CCNE OFFSEASON, INTERNATIONAL GROWTH CONTINUES ON TRACK Cruise Canada New England (CCNE) is made up of 41 international and niche ports in three countries represented by Cruise the Saint Lawrence Association, Cruise Atlantic Canada, CruiseMaine and also including Flynn Cruiseport Boston and NYCruise. More than 1,500 calls and 2 million passengers grace the eastern seaboard annually, representing an economic impact of some $930 million. In this issue, CruiseBusiness.com Magazine reports on the latest news from ports in the region, both in terms of infrastructure and shore excursion developments. By Susan Parker ? Viking Star arriving in New York Ph oto cre dit : Vi kin g Cr uis es 66-73.indd 2 22.3.2019 7.55
? CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 37 nycruise.com What’s better than a cruise? A cruise + NYC NYCruise’s Manhattan and Brooklyn Cruise terminals are just a New York minute from all the city has to offer, including countless attractions, arts and culture, and amazing restaurants. Enjoy the best of both worlds with a preand/or post-cruise visit to New York City. 4840-NYC Cruise Cruise Business Review print ad.indd 1 1/29/18 11:05 AM 66-73.indd 3 22.3.2019 7.55
68 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 E xtending the season has been the goal for a number of years with summer, and now winter, sailings increasingly becoming a reality. Jon Jennings, City Manager for Portland, commented, “The cruise industry has extended the season, April to October and even beyond. You have made a huge difference in our city. Two years ago, passengers and crew numbered 160,000; [in 2018] 190,000 to 200,000. It is a vital part of our economic development.” In return, the city is investing in the city to make sure it “gives passengers the best possible experience.” Holland America Line, which says it offers more options in the region than any other major cruise line, has 34 cruises to choose from between April and October 2019. Passengers can select from among nine itineraries ranging from 7 to 12 days aboard the Veendam, Zaandam and Zuiderdam. “Canada and New England used to be known as a fall cruise destination for the foliage, but has become popular in warmer weather as well given all the spectacular features the region has to offer,” said Orlando Ashford, President of Holland America Line, adding, “And it’s very attractive for summer family cruising.” Princess Cruises recently announced its 2020 Canada & New England cruise season showcasing fall foliage along the East Coast, select sailings in the summer and a trip to Greenland. The Sky Princess and Caribbean Princess will feature 16 departures, visiting 16 destinations on five itineraries, ranging in length from 5 to 16 days. CCNE will be launching its new website in time for the spring season. “It will be a onestop shop for the whole region,” said CCNE Chairman Rene Trepanier. “The plan is to give a toolbox complete with small hard drive to the shore excursion directors on each ship calling in CCNE, as well as a copy to the head office. On it will be all the data required, including high-resolution photographs, videos, technical port and shore excursion detail. This will be repeated year after year. The idea is [for CCNE] to be present on the ship. We can train shore excursions people to use the toolbox. We will offer our support,” he added. While Cruise the St. Lawrence (CStL) experienced 17% overall growth in 2018, some ports such as Gaspesie suffered cancellations due to measures put in place to protect the whales (see below). Wearing his CStL Director General hat, Trepanier explained that the dynamic management zone for speed restriction that has been implemented gives the opportunity for ships to keep regular speed except when activated, which has only happened 20% of the time. Two aerial surveys are conducted each week, but bad weather does come into play, at which time the system errs on the side of caution. When the dynamic management zone is activated, speed is reduced to 10 knots. In the static zone the speed is 10 knots always. As it happens, no whales were sighted in 2018. “The measures in 2018 [were] way better measures than 2017,” Trepanier said. “It is not a risk for cruise lines.” Nevertheless, in December a request was made to the government to invest in real-time data collection, which would come from installing underwater hydrophones and also submarine gliders. Whale songs could then be collected and transmitted by satellite to not only mark the whales’ location, but also their arrival in the region. Expanding stakeholders There are many stakeholders involved in this industry, and there are a number in CCNE that are expanding operations to cater to the growing demand. Destinations North America has spread its wings beyond Canada to New England and offers services from New York to Montreal. President Manon Vigneux said, “The industry is booming. Our region is booming. We have had a very busy year, and we are looking forward to another one.” She also commented on the increasing emergence of the Great Lakes on more small cruise line itineraries. Ground operator Zeste Incentive entered the cruise business in 2007, which now accounts for 15 to 20% of its business – with Associate Partner Stephen Pitone saying he would like to see that grow further. Established for 100 years and more are port agencies FK Warren and McLean Kennedy, which operates year-round with its own fulltime employees. Just under 50% of its business is now in cruise. BAIE-COMEAU – Baie-Comeau had its biggest season to date in 2018 with 21 calls bringing 15,000 passengers. Disney Cruise Line (DCL) called for the first time (Disney Magic on September 25 and 30) as did Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ Marco Polo. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Black Watch returned after an absence of 12 years. Due to enter service in 2017 was the 450-passenger CTMA Vacancier sailing a Montreal to Iles de la Madeleine itinerary. The vessel finally arrived in 2018, another first for the St. Lawrence port. In 2018, a new gangway system was put in place for DCL. It consists of two gangways and a container and cost about $100,000. “This will allow us to offer two gangways for minimum-size ships also,” commented Renee Dumas, Director General of BaieComeau Cruises (BCC). About $60,000 was also invested in enhancing the outdoor waiting area of the Carrefour-Maritime and the seating areas on the promenade from the pier to Pioneers Park. New guides and reception staff were hired, three giant megaphones were installed in the Park, a bicycle rental service was introduced and the boutique adjacent to the Tourist Information Office was improved. Disney Magic calling in Baie-Comeau 66-73.indd 4 22.3.2019 7.55
CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 69 In May, the tourism mandate was entrusted to non-profit organization BCC with conclusive results. “For the city of Baie-Comeau, developing the tourism offer is profitable for our attractions, our shops, our restaurants, our hotels. We cannot neglect it," said Mayor Yves Montigny. In addition, Dumas explained that the port is undergoing a divestiture program with Transport Canada (TC). “A new local organization will be taking over the governance, development strategies and the operations for the port. The negotiations with TC have begun, and we hope that we will have a final agreement before the next federal election [in fall 2019]. Negotiating for what investments have to be made for the next 25 years is a long and detailed process with TC, especially when we are talking about a few hundred million dollars in investment for the infrastructure alone.” There is also a project for a new tourism and cruise pier close to the cruise terminal. “We are in the process of reviewing the preliminary plans and establishing the funding strategy along with both the provincial and federal governments,” the mayor said. When it comes to new cruise clients, adventure and expedition tours are being expanded in order to bring more and more passengers to the Manicouagan Uaphishka World Biosphere reserve, a scientific research station next to the Groulx Mountains. BAR HARBOR – The Maine Department of Transport (MDoT) has purchased the ferry terminal lot from the Canadian government and offered it to the town of Bar Harbor. Town Manager Cornell Knight commented, “We had a vote [in 2017] on changing the zoning, which would clearly allow cruise ships at the facility. There were local petitions to prohibit the size ship that could dock at the pier, but that question was defeated. The town voters approved a $3.5 million bond to purchase the lot from MDoT. The closing was scheduled to take place before January 31, 2019. The town council has authorized the signing of a five-year lease that would bring an international ferry service between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and Bar Harbor.” The previous ferry serviced ended in 2009. Bay Ferries has not yet decided whether to begin service in the summer of 2019, according to Knight. A 40-member committee made recommendations to the town council on the use of the ferry terminal lot that included a marina, local ferry service, cruise ship tendering, parking, a transportation hub and international ferry service, if it does not prevent the marina construction. A pier to dock cruise ships is not included in the recommendation. “The business plan prepared by Bermello & Ajamil showed that revenues from the committee’s recommended uses would not cover expenses over 20 years. The expanded harbor committee will begin work in 2019 on developing a new plan for the ferry terminal lot,” Knight said. In the meantime, it will be business as usual in Bar Harbor with tender operations. Ocean Properties has taken delivery of two tenders to handle higher numbers of passengers. In 2018, there were 154 calls and 232,276 passengers. In 2019, there are 176 calls scheduled. BOSTON – In 2018, Flynn Cruiseport Boston received 152 calls on 20 different brands, bringing in a record 389,619 passengers. Boston’s largest customers include Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., offering sailings in 2018 to Bermuda, the Eastern Caribbean, Cuba, and Canada/New England. The port also celebrated welcoming its six-millionth passenger since the Black Falcon terminal was opened in 1986. In 2019, 400,000 passengers are expected. The port is also welcoming the Norwegian Gem as a new homeported ship, replacing the Norwegian Dawn. Looking ahead, Massport is working to upgrade and expand the current facility in order to welcome larger cruise vessels to the market and increase homeport capacity while maintaining berthing availability for its portof-call business. BUCKSPORT – Bucksport is one of a number of niche, smaller ports in CruiseMaine that have been mostly hosting vessels from American Cruise Lines, but are keen to attract more calls. With many smaller ships now on the orderbook, the future is looking bright. Bucksport, for example, has put together a new marketing plan and had its first call in 2018 from Hurtigruten’s Fram. CruiseMaine Executive Director Sarah Flink explained that the association now comes under tourism rather than the port, and so has more funding. CHARLOTTETOWN – A $12.1 million expansion is coming to the Port of Charlottetown, in which a second berth is being built and is scheduled to be in service in 2019. This will allow two 330-meter-long vessels to dock at once. It will also help boost the economy throughout the province. The three-way investment from the provincial ($4 million) and federal governments and the Charlottetown Harbour Authority will eliminate the need for a second cruise ship to tender passengers from the harbor. “It is clear that both levels of government see the high value of this important investment,” said Stan MacPherson, Chair of the Charlottetown Harbour Authority. “With investments in recent years, this has become a really attractive part of the Charlottetown waterfront. It will just keep getting better now.” GASPESIE – The 2018 season in the Gaspesie came to a close on November 3 with 24 international ship calls and 12 domestic calls. A total of 15,044 passengers and 8,036 crew members visited, of which 49% (7,437) bought an excursion. In its tenth year, Escale Gaspesie welcomed its 200th call and 200,000th passenger. Firsttime calls were made by the Crystal Symphony, Arcadia and Viking Star. Poor weather resulted in the cancellation of maiden calls from two Silversea Cruises’ ships and one from Hurtigruten. At the start of 2018 there were 50 calls booked, but 17,594 passengers were unable to visit due to measures put in place to protect the region’s whales. Stephane Sainte-Croix, Executive Director of EG, said, “The regulations put in place by the federal government for the protection of the right whale are paying off. That said, the situation is not as simple when it comes to the cruise ship industry’s management of these measures, especially for the larger ships.” Nevertheless, the situation has been favorable to market growth within the luxury and expedition segments. “These market segments have a special interest for the destination because the Gaspesie is a perfect fit for a high-end clientele looking for unique experiences, he said.” In 2018, the beach in Perce was renaturalized and the boardwalk redone. Forillon National Park has also had a major facelift. Back in 2015, Parks Canada announced a $3 billion investment over five years to rehabilitate infrastructure assets within national historic sites, national parks and national marine conservation areas across Canada. This investment supports conservation while promoting the visitor experience by making infrastructure safer and more appealing. Within this, the interpretation center located in the northern sector of the park has had a $7.2 million facelift. A $2.4 million project involving the reconstruction and restoration of 13 heritage infrastructures in the Grande-Grave sector is taking place. These infrastructures, used by visitors, are at the core of the cultural, historical and natural activities offered. The rehabilitation of the retaining wall of the belvedere and staircase of Cap-BonAmi and the replacement of railings over the wall were completed. The staircase of the Cap-Bon-Ami beach is scheduled to be rebuilt by May 2019. The global geopark, the third in Canada, was UNESCO-certified. It explores the history of Perce’s geology providing a multimedia experience of how it was formed. There is a glass viewing platform 200 meters above sea level and a zipline experience. HALIFAX – The Port of Halifax is investing $5 million in upgrading its main cruise berths. Ten 200-ton bollards will be installed along the main seawall at berths 20, 21 and 22 with completion due in spring 2019. The improved infrastructure will allow newer, larger cruise ships to call. In 2018, Halifax received 316,869 passengers on 198 calls (20 hooked up to shore power) making it another record year. This represented an 8% increase in passengers over 2017 and a 14% increase in the number of calls. Prior to this, 2017 had been the port’s busiest cruise year. HAVRE-SAINT-PIERRE – In its tenth cruise anniversary season, Havre St. Pierre hosted 10 calls – the port’s best performance yet. AIDA Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line and Hurtigruten all called for the first time. For 2019, 14 calls are scheduled including two from newcomer ? 66-73.indd 5 22.3.2019 7.55
70 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 Scenic Eclipse in the summer. Lindblad Expeditions and Plantour’s Hamburg are also on the schedule. ILES DE LA MADELEINE – This 2018 season was an important one for the islands, being the tenth anniversary of cruise ships calling and also some first-time companies calling, including Hurtigruten (beginning of April), Noble Caledonia, P&O Cruises and Seabourn (two calls in 2018 and five in 2019). In total, the port received 18 calls and 7,673 passengers including 15 (3,500) from the CTMA Vacancier. In 2019, 24 calls from 10 different brands (8,400) and 15 (4,500) are expected, respectively. Small, expedition and luxury ships are the port’s main focus. Denis Bourque, Executive Director of Escale Iles de la Madeleine, said, “We are targeting ships around 2,000 passengers, middle, small, expedition and luxury ships. We have more ships visiting in the summer now, and we hope to develop winter cruise in the next three years. We have developed new tourist attractions at Grosse Iles’ Pointe de l’Est National Wildlife Area and Entry Island a boat tour with fishermen and meeting with the local population where school children have to leave the island to go to school. There is also a project to develop tourism at Cap aux Meules. When we decided to develop cruise industry tourism, we had about 35 to 40 years international tourism experience. Cruise was first developed by CTMA 12 years ago. They will build a new ship in the next five years which will also sail from Montreal to Iles de la Madeleine.” MONTREAL – Montreal’s second new cruise terminal will be finished for the 2019 season. About 19,000 square feet on the ground floor of the existing car-parking facility will be closed and developed to allow for passenger operations. It will comprise a waiting area, registration, tourism information, passenger security, free WiFi, toilets and easy access to taxis and coaches. Air-conditioning and heating systems as well as new lighting will be installed. In addition, direct connection to a wastewater collection system and shore power will be available for ship operations at Terminal 2, which is just across from Terminal 1 where luggage consignment is located. The new cruise terminal at the Grand Quay (formerly known as Alexandra Pier) can accommodate two ships simultaneously at the 360-meter-long, double-sided pier with an air draught of 49 meters (west pier 10.2 meters depth and east pier 8.8 meters). There is a direct connection to a wastewater collection system as well as dockside shore power. Yves Gilson, Director of Marketing and Cruises for Port Montreal, said, “Montreal is the first and only port on the St. Lawrence with direct black and grey water facilities.” The $78 million project completed in 2017 provides embarkation/disembarkation services and luggage processing on the ground floor. It also features a landscaped rooftop esplanade, a History of Ships exhibition with original artifacts and photographs (cargo and passenger) and Commencement Square, a vast lawn leading to the river complete with hammocks. There is also a Mariners’ House on site to give crew a chance to relax and connect with home. Work for a tower observatory will start in early 2019 for an opening to the public in 2021. More space is available in the Old Port at MacKay Pier (four nearby quays totaling 628 meters with a depth of 7 meters) as well as Berths 34-35 (312 meters long with a depth of 9.1 meters), east of the Jacques Cartier Bridge, where Terminal 3 is located. This 29,000-square-foot freestanding structure is a shuttle ride away from the city. For those arriving at Terminal 3 (air draught 51 meters), shuttle buses use a private road within the port to take passengers to Old Montreal, a 10to 15-minute journey. The Port of Montreal together with Tourism Montreal are founding members of Montreal Cruises (formerly known as the Montreal Cruise Committee). During the 2018 cruise season, the Port of Montreal welcomed 81 calls (65 international) and just over 127,000 passengers, compared to 68 (52) and 114,518 in 2017. In 2011, there were 40 calls (22) and 47,510 passengers. In July, the Port celebrated the 80,000th passenger from AIDA Cruises and the first visit of the AIDAvita. The AIDAvita sailed two roundtrips from the port including the French territory of St. Pierre & Miquelon in order to satisfy cabotage requirements. On July 27, the Victory 2 sailed her inaugural cruise from the port. Other ships visiting Montreal for the first time in 2018 were the Star Pride (Windstar Cruises) and Silver Spirit (Silversea). Looking ahead, Montreal anticipates growth in Great Lakes itineraries with new lines such as Ponant, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection arriving in the region. NEW YORK – NYCruise had another good year, including two inaugurals from the Norwegian Bliss and Carnival Horizon. The port is readying itself for upcoming capital projects at the Manhattan and Brooklyn cruise terminals. In 2018, there were 207 calls in total, of which 27 were to Brooklyn and the remainder to Manhattan. About 1.2 million passengers visited in total. Ports America will be investing $15 million into the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, beginning with expanding the apron, bringing in improved boarding bridges and enhancing the overall passenger experience at the terminal. Furthermore, there is $10 million in grant funding to expand the pier to accommodate Carnival’s XL-class ships, as well as $2.1 million from the Brooklyn Borough President for passenger throughput upgrades. Ports America will also be investing $23.5 million into the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. This will be dedicated to adding an additional apron and making interior upgrades to Pier 90. In Brooklyn, the quay is being lengthened by about 250 feet from the present 950 feet. In Manhattan, the piers are 1,100 feet in length. The goal of these upgrades is to both accommodate the most modern classes of vessels, while also maintaining the versatility necessary to accommodate smaller and medium-sized ships. PORTLAND – A new fender system is being installed at the Portland Ocean Terminal. A comfort center for passengers and crew opened this season. At Ocean Gateway, a space for the crew to relax with couches and WiFi has been created. Both locations will have an area to sell tours that have not been filled using the ship voucher program. A new shore excursion booklet has been put together by the port, which is being sent directly to the cruise lines. In addition, those passengers coming ashore that have not pre-booked will be able to join tours that are being made available outside the port perimeter. All the income received by the port goes back into the waterfront. A profit of $200,000 was recorded in 2017, but Bob Leeman, Marketing Manager for Cruise Portland Maine, told CruiseBusiness.com Magazine that “we are getting to a position where we need $2 million just for maintenance.” The port has approached cruise lines for their input. Future investments need to be made to ensure that the largest ships can dock at Ocean Gateway. Once Bay Ferries’ The Cat moves to Bar Harbor, a third dock will be available. Passengers numbered 100,000 in 2016 and 160,000 in 2018 on 118 calls, showing an annual increase of 30% plus. “If we can keep going at this rate we will survive, but we still need help. We are increasing our fees. A $2 per passenger infrastructure fee will go directly to the port and will provide for matching funds from the state and federal governments,” explained Leeman. QUEBEC CITY – Following a $39 million investment in 2017 for a new public space, Place des Canotiers, beside the Ross Gaudreault Cruise Terminal (RGCT), an $89.5 million growth-generating project is taking place that involves redesigning and expanding the RGCT as well as building a second terminal at Berth 30 in the estuary sector. Denis Bourque 66-73.indd 6 22.3.2019 7.55
? The $30 million, 100,000-square-meter facility is due to be completed in 2020. It will be able to handle ships carrying more than 4,000 passengers, making Quebec the only turnaround port along the St. Lawrence able to handle this size of ship. The Port of Quebec will invest $10 million, the government of Quebec $15 million and the city $5 million. The project includes the terminal, two gangways and berth enhancements to accommodate the new construction. At present, a mobile tent is being used for both transit and homeport calls. Also available are Pier 21 (transit, 342 meters long/11.7 meters depth) and Pier 22 (turnaround, 325 meters/10.7 meters) directly below the landmark Chateau Frontenac, plus Pier 93, Pier 101 (198.1 meters/11.3 meters) and Pier 81 across the river where the Saga Sapphire docked in 2017 during an extremely busy day in port. Cruise calls reached a record 156 including 14 turnarounds. Disney Cruise Line (Disney Magic in September) and Windstar Cruises visited for the first time. A total of eight ships made maiden calls. In 2018, about 15% more passengers visited than in 2017 (230,940 compared to 200,0000). The aim is for 400,000 passengers by 2025. A study delivered in April 2017 by Business Research & Economic Advisors estimated the impact at more than $221 million for the province, while the impact on Quebec City itself was estimated at $106 million including $73 million in cruise line spending and $30 million in passenger spending. The Port of Quebec is sensitive to social acceptability and holds meetings with the city and neighborhoods to inform and get feedback on any developments and possible problems, such as traffic congestion. In 2014, a cruise forum took place whereby cruise lines told their story to stakeholders. ROCKLAND – There is a grant in place to improve the waterfront – mostly for fishing vessels—but this will also improve cruise passenger access. The long-term goal is to build out the middle pier rather than the existing one. This would take cruise ships away from other vessels, but it is an ambition rather than reality at this point. SAINT ANTHONY – A dredging project in Saint Anthony, Newfoundland, which included the removal of harbor rock, has just been completed. The main purpose was to allow larger ships to be accommodated. SAINT JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK – Budget approval for $1 million was given in December to purchase Yokohama 3-meter pneumatic fenders for all three piers, hence upgrading the existing ones. In addition, approval from funding partners has been given to the tourist site Place Fourt La Tour. Construction has already started and completion is due in time for the 2019 cruise season. The last piece of funding for the Brunswick Museum still has to be approved, but this will bring a stunning new attraction to the city. Funding is being sought for the Water Street development, which would include replacing the existing tent housing market stalls with containers and also create an amphitheater. Hence, the entire waterfront would be pedestrianized and the existing car park relocated. A dredging project is due to take place between January and July 2022 as part of a $205 million container modernization project. This will increase the depth from 8.6 meters to 9.5 meters and benefit cruise ships calling at the tidal port. “Over the next five years, you will see a lot happening. We have a vision,” said Betty MacMillan, Manager of Cruise Development for the Saint John Port Authority. SAGUENAY – The city of Saguenay has invested $4 million in 108 meters of additional floating pontoons (and new wave attenuators), which will double the available capacity for boat excursions, seaplanes and tendering. Priscilla Nemey, Executive Vice President for the Port of Saguenay, said, “This will help us to maximize shore excursions, but also to have a better experience for tendering. We do not do a lot of tendering now, but if we want to continue to grow, we need quality facilities.” In 2018, there were 64 calls compared to 50 in 2017. “We welcomed 58% extra passengers,” she commented. In 2019, the season will begin in April and end in November with a possibility that 2020/2021 will extend further to include the winter. “With climate change, although there is a lot of snow it is not so cold,” Nemey explained. The summer, too, is seeing more calls. In 2018, AIDA Cruises called for the first time with the AIDAvita on four calls. “We have had a few ships in the summer, but this is the first time we have had a cruise line for the season.” Saguenay developed a welcome program and tools in German for the occasion. “We also had Disney at end of September, which made two calls to Saguenay for the first time. It was magical.” SEPT-ILES – Discussions are taking place with regard to building a new cruise ship terminal for completion in 2020. Marie-Eve Duguay, Executive Director of Destination Sept-Iles Nakauinanu, explained, “We are working in close collaboration with the port, the city and Innu community. We are actually trying to get the federal government involved in funding. We have lots of local and provincial partners who are already committed to the project.” At present, a temporary tent is used at the $20 million quay, which was completed in 2010 and can accommodate the Queen Mary 2. “It works very well, but the tent is almost 10 years old, and for fall/winter operations, a terminal is needed. CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 71 Nathalie Gaudreault and Priscilla Nemey Amadea in Sept-Iles 66-73.indd 7 22.3.2019 7.55
72 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 We are the only port in St. Lawrence which does not have a permanent structure, so it is time,” she explained. In 2018, 12 calls were booked but, due to the federal measures for right whale protection, eight had to be cancelled. Even with four calls, it was the port’s second-best season. The Silver Wind, Arcadia and Amadea all made maiden calls, while the Queen Mary 2 was on a return visit, for a total of 7,960 passengers. New shore excursions were added to the portfolio in 2018, including landscape photography lessons with a local professional photographer and helicopter scenic rides along the archipelago and the Moisie River’s canyons. In addition, German-language welcome training was introduced for greeters, guides, security agents and merchants. All marketing tools are now produced in four languages – French, Innu, English and German. SYDNEY – The 2019 host of the CCNE Symposium is currently in the midst of a major infrastructure project. A $21 million second berth at the Port of Sydney will double capacity to simultaneously accommodate two Oasis-class vessels of 361 meters in length. “This is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Canada/New England,” said Marlene Usher, CEO at the Port of Sydney, who explained that the financing came from local, provincial and federal governments in Canada. The newbuild will be a north pier that extends out into the harbor. The existing dock by the cruise terminal is also expanding. Its capacity is being extended to 361 meters thanks to an additional 300-ton bollard on the south side. There will be one further 300-ton bollard and two floating dolphins installed to further aid docking in the port. Both docks are located at downtown Sydney. Each has a depth of 10.3 meters or more. Boardwalk, shopping and dining are only a short walk from the berths. Although built as a multipurpose berth, cruise ships will have priority at the new pier. Usher pointed out that without this expansion, MSC Cruises would not be able to call with the MSC Meraviglia. The land for the second berth is on 10 acres, which allows for further development that would need extra funding. The current cruise terminal serves both berths. A short-distance shuttle will move passengers from the new pier to the terminal. It is also walking distance for many, being only a quarter of a mile/half a kilometer away. Usher explained that prior to building, the port consulted with cruise lines on topics such as disembarking. Customers include Holland America Line, Disney Cruise Line, TUI Cruises and AIDA Cruises. The port saw 10% growth in 2018 with 90 calls bringing more than 130,000 passengers, compared to 82 and 118,000, respectively, in 2017. The Port of Sydney's current berth welcomed its biggest ship ever in 2018, the Adventure of the Seas. Christina Lamey, Manager of Cruise Marketing & Development for the Port of Sydney, said, “At 311 meters in length, it was the maximum we could accommodate with our current dock. Next season, we can welcome larger vessels.” TROIS-RIVIERES – Originally a fur trading hub, Trois-Rivieres was founded in 1634. The terminal at the Harbourfront Park was inaugurated in 2016. It is a few minutes to walk into the city from the terminal where ships of all sizes can come alongside. There are four sections of quay with differing depths and aprons: 218 meters/9.1 meters/15 meters (section three); 117 meters/7 meters/15 meters (section four); 91 meters/6 meters/5 meters (section six) and 251 meters/10.7 meters/22 meters (section 10). Air draught is 54.8 meters from upstream and between Ph oto cre dit : Et ien ne La mp ro n Monts Grouix, Baie Comeau 66-73.indd 8 22.3.2019 7.55
CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 73 48 meters and 50 meters downstream. Tidal movement is 30 centimeters. High water levels on the St. Lawrence River provided an opportunity for TR to homeport Oceania Cruises’ Marina in spring 2018. The water was five feet too high for the Marina to pass under the Laviolette Bridge and reach its final destination of Montreal. A large tent for color-coded luggage laydown and mobile scanners for security screening and passenger check-in were rented. Destinations North America secured 28 buses and extra staff to take the 1,220 passengers to Montreal and their onward travel plans. Meanwhile, some 1,230 arriving passengers were bused from Montreal to embark in Trois-Rivieres. About 2,000 pieces of luggage were moved both ways. Everything went well, according to Oceania Cruises and TR, which has proven capable of handling turnarounds even at very short notice. In November, the Trois-Rivieres Port Authority (TRPA) and Innovation et Developpement economique (IDE) Trois-Rivieres signed a partnership agreement formalizing ongoing collaborative efforts and establishing development initiatives. Three sectors of joint intervention have been identified as part of the On Course for 2030 development plan – the industrial-port zone, international cruises and the riverside area near the city center. Already, resources are being pooled in these three areas and work is underway. International cruises are a privileged niche for partners and growth forecasts are promising. The results of a recent TRPA survey of TR’s residents confirmed that the development of this sector is a priority for citizens. Over the next few years, the TRPA and IDE will work together to increase the number of cruise passengers calling with a target of 20,000 by 2030 – compared to 8,000 in 2018, when there were 21 calls of which the Canadian Empress made 14. Also calling were the Marina, Amadea, Seabourn Quest, Silver Spirit (twice), Crystal Symphony and Black Watch The port’s facilities located on the edge of the Parc Portuaire offer potential for the development of recreational, tourism, residential and commercial activities. However, the projects to be carried out must take into consideration the city’s existing heritage and urban planning, the principles of sustainable development, consistency with a future-based approach, reflect the urban dimension of the port and be economically viable. The TRPA has taken steps with Transport Canada to obtain the authority to carry out such a development. This will be followed by consultations that will lead to the definition of a development concept, which will be the basis for a process of soliciting expressions of interest from private sector developers. n 66-73.indd 9 22.3.2019 7.55
BACKGROUND 74 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 CRUISING ON THE EDGE OF TOMORROW Magic Carpet on its lowest position, when it is used for tendering of Celebrity Edge passengers. TTS Marine was the project leader of Magic Carpet Ph oto cre dit : Ce leb rit y Cr uis es 74-75 .indd 2 25.3.2019 17.30
CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 75 T he Celebrity Edge is the first cruise ship in operation from Celebrity Cruises’ Edge Class. Sailing from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean, the Celebrity Edge is not the largest ship in the market, but it is revolutionary on many other levels. And most importantly, the Edge is environmentally friendly. The hull is designed to minimize friction while the vessel is moving through the water, and the entire ship is formed for efficient performance. “We believe this is a change in the industrial design in the marine business,” states Staff Captain Mattaios Karandreas. Valmet DNA Distributed Control System (DCS) is the onboard automation solution, a fully redundant system designed to handle the control and monitoring needs of the advanced Celebrity Edge. “We have worked with Valmet since 2000 and never had a problem with cooperation. For us, it is important to have a trustworthy and reliable company to work with. Both parties have to be satisfied,” Karandreas emphasizes. The latest in seagoing automation Chief Engineer Stavros Zannikos sees the project as a good foundation. “All the experiences from this vessel will help us optimize the next ones in the series. The feedback can be then taken to the next vessel, utilizing all the best practices,” explains Zannikos. Onboard, there is the Valmet DNA automation solution for the machinery system, Power Management System (PMS), HVAC, the entire public area and the Emergency Shutdown System (ESD). Also, the newly launched Valmet DNA Sea Optimal Mode process control system is in use, enabling the most fuel-efficient use of the diesel engine plant. Troubleshooting tools improve operation Since the cruise ship’s operation requires absolute reliability and safety, Chief Electrical Engineer Patrik Matos uses Valmet DNA Operate Trend and Event Archive to ensure absolute control. This tool gives him unsurpassed insight into the most important areas of the ship’s operation. “This is a great tool for troubleshooting. All the findings help avoid insecurity and improve the process,” Matos explains. “The history in trends tells me a lot. I can scroll through the time range and quickly dig into the details. At the same time, you learn more about the process and are also able to make some conclusions,” he says. Reports can be made. All the data is available in a secure place. Engineers can be confident knowing that certain items have been checked regularly. Users are able to create their own operations desktop, selecting favorite process windows for their screen. Magic carpet – thrilling yet safe One of the amazing innovations aboard the Celebrity Edge is called the Magic Carpet, a platform outside the ship’s hull that makes guests feel as if they are soaring through the air over the ocean. A favorite of passengers, it’s a place where guests can have dinner, listen to live music or just enjoy the sea breezes. Yet even there, security comes first. The Emergency Shutdown System (ESD) is important for safety and availability. On the Celebrity Edge, all areas are incorporated to DECADES OF SCRUBBING EXPERTISE n Valmet’s history with gas and chemical scrubbers extends back to the 1970s. The company was involved with decreasing sulfur and particle emissions from recovery boilers at pulp and paper and energy plants in the Nordics. In the 1990s, Valmet’s next step was with Wärtsilä, delivering scrubbers to decrease sulfur emissions at diesel power plants running heavy fuel oil, and later to marine vessels. Now, Valmet intends to help shipowners meet new regulations by being one of the top developers of marine solutions, as regulations at sea become stricter. On land, one of Valmet’s major deliveries is a complete emissions-control system for Finland’s Naantali Power Plant, including all gas-cleaning systems for sulfur and particles, along with heat recovery. Valmet’s orders from Chinese pulp makers have picked up with successful NOx scrubbers. Japan, too, has turned to Valmet’s scrubbing and emissions-control systems for its new biopower plants. n protect equipment and people from danger or failure. Engineer Matos adds: “Our Magic Carpet, the innovative space where you can soar over the open sea, is one of the areas where ESD is used for the carpet’s gates. Even while offering new experiences to passengers, however, their safety is our priority.” Customized flue-gas cleaning Both exhaust-gas scrubbers on the ship are Valmet’s hybrid scrubbers, with openand closed-loop operation modes. Their system features, size and operation are customized for this ship based on customer requests. The Valmet Optifilter water-treatment system cleans the scrubber wash water reliably without the need for additional chemicals. The scrubbers meet even the tightest emissions requirements all around the world. Staff Chief Engineer Konstantinos Topalis says, “These are very good scrubbers. I would say the best ones on the market, although, so far, we have not operated them too much while using alternative fuel.” Operation of the scrubbers, of course, can also be followed on the Valmet DNA system. Cruising sustainably into the future Celebrity Cruises stands for sustainability. The company strives to interact in a sustainable way with the ocean. To contribute to a plastics-free environment at sea, the company has eliminated plastic straws onboard. A small but steady step, and those add up. Now, the Celebrity Edge is ready to sail safely and sustainably, reducing pollution with Valmet’s exhaust-gas cleaning technology. n Stavros Zannikos Celebrity Edge is equipped with Valmet scrubbers Staff of the engine room 74-75 .indd 3 25.3.2019 17.30
Exhib ition space selling fast – secur e your booth marin einter iorsexpo. com/e xhibit 76-78 .indd 2 27.3.2019 10.26
? CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 77 Exhib ition space selling fast – secur e your booth marin einter iorsexpo. com/e xhibit S unStone Ships and China Merchants Heavy Industries celebrated the floatout of the Greg Mortimer in March. The newbuild is the first unit of up to ten such ships being constructed at the Chinese yard. The company’s expertise lies in chartering out vessels to cruise lines, tour operators EXPEDITION SEGMENT CMI LEISURE PREPARES FOR FURTHER GROWTH The expedition market continues to boom, with a host of new ships entering service in the near future. The growth of the segment has not gone unnoticed by the large cruise corporations, which have chosen to expand into the market even though it’s rather small: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has acquired Silversea Cruises, while Carnival Corporation’s Seabourn Cruise Line has placed an order for two new expedition ships. Meanwhile, CMI Leisure is preparing to provide management later this year for the first INFINITY-class newbuild ordered by SunStone Ships – the largest provider of expedition tonnage. By Teijo Niemelä Dietmar Wertanzl Greg Mortimer after float out 76-78 .indd 3 28.3.2019 8.28
78 CRUISEBUSINESS.COM MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 ... lies the work of an expert. Behind Every Perfect Moment ... Every day, around the world, perfection happens – thanks to the expertise of our team members. As cruise lines push the boundaries of where guests can travel, we’re right alongside you – extending supply chains into extreme locations, delivering experiences that exceed expectations, and meeting the ever increasing demand for differentiation in niche cruising. CMI-Leisure.com 4770 Biscayne Blvd PH-D / Miami, FL 33137 / 786-522-7396 Email: DWertanzl@CMI-Leisure.com CRUISE HOSPITALITY EXPERTS and travel companies, for whom operating the ships on their own would be too expensive. Technical and hotel management are offered by SunStone-associated companies Cruise Management, Inc. and CMI Leisure, Inc. According to Dietmar Wertanzl, CEO of CMI Leisure, “We are excited that this segment of cruising is growing, but previously the prices in shipbuilding have been too high to build small ships for this segment. This is the segment where the ticket fares have to be high to cover the costs of the operation – we talk easily $15,000 per cabin for a 10-night cruise,” Wertanzl said. He continued that “even though the cruise business is more popular than ever, it only commands 2% of all global hotel rooms, so it is still a small segment of experiental travel. We have seen most of the cruise lines going for economies of scale, which has then left many of these unique destinations for us.” However, as Wertanzl pointed out, there has been a change lately in this regard among the bigger cruise operators. Specifically, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. purchased Silversea Cruises last year, and Silversea is a big player in expedition cruises. Then Seabourn Cruise Line, owned by Carnival Corporation & plc, announced its intention to construct two expedition ships, while Genting Hong Kong is currently building the Crystal Endeavor for Crystal Cruises. Viking Ocean Cruises has unfinished plans for expedition vessels as well. These big cruise corporations can use their in-house knowledge and expertise in every aspect could see current river-only cruise brands as future small-ship operators. “River and expedition cruising can be easily combined, that’s why you see so many river operators going into the expedition market.” As far as destinations are concerned, Antarctica is of course the most popular, with Iceland and Greenland emerging as the hot new expedition destinations. “Then you have the entirety of Asia/ Pacific, Japan and Far Eastern Russia as options,” Wertanzl said. Coming up with new expedition destinations will be key to expanding the market, Wertanzl continued, as Antarctica cruises are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “We hardly ever see there any repeat customers,” he observed. Importance of China China has quickly become one of the largest source markets for Antarctica cruises. Currently, Chinese passengers hold a 20% market share and CMI Leisure provides management for Ocean Atlantic, whose clientele is 90% Chinese. This has put some pressure on CMI Leisure to find qualified Chinese crew members for hotel operations. As a matter of fact, after speaking with CruiseBusiness.com Magazine, Wertanzl was traveling to Taiwan, where he expected to hire Mandarinand English-speaking crew members. “We have to create an awareness about the cruise industry as a job opportunity,” Wertanzl noted. n of sales, marketing and operations—unlike smaller tonnage charterers, which benefit from the expertise of companies such as SunStone and CMI Leisure. The role of older ships Wertanzl said the new expedition ships currently on order will be used both for replacement of older tonnage and for organic growth. “With the new ships, they will command the higher rates and then the older tonnage will survive depending on regulations and go with lower prices, as the ships have been already paid off. 1990s-built expedition ships still have at least another ten years of lifespan,” Wertanzl predicted. As an example, he pointed to the 1978-built Ocean Diamond, which is still in a great condition. The ship is chartered seasonally to Iceland ProCruises Ltd. So is the growth sustainable? “Yes, it has to be, otherwise the business model does not work,” Wertanzl said. “The question is, have we reached the maturity curve? I think not yet. A good example is the river cruise market, where Viking River Cruises alone has launched dozens and dozens of new river ships during a short period of time, and it is still growing.” Wertanzl further said that the segment will attract more players from tour operators and travel companies since the business model works very well for them, as they can charter the vessel for only their preferred season – such as for Antarctica. In addition to tour operators, Wertanzl said he Artist’s rendering of Greg Mortimer 76-78 .indd 4 27.3.2019 10.26
E X P L O R AT I O N INFINITY-CLASS VESSELS OTHER VESSELS sunstoneships.com Wherever Your Destination, SunStone Can Take You There. As you explore farther and farther into the frontier, we’re there to support you. Our clients and partners depend on SunStone’s innovation to facilitate their ongoing exploration and expansion. Our INFINITY class vessels are a leap forward in technology, design, safety and cost. Join us as expedition cruising enters the INFINITY-era. M/V Greg Mortimer Sailing August 2019 OCEAN DISCOVERER Delivery September 2021 OCEAN VICTORY Delivery October 2020 OCEAN EXPLORER Delivery April 2021 OCEAN ODYSSEY Delivery March 2022 M/V SEA SPIRIT M/V OCEAN ATLANTIC M/V OCEAN DIAMOND M/V SILVER DISCOVERER M/V OCEAN ENDEAVOUR M/V QUEST M/V OCEAN ADVENTURER M/V OCEAN NOVA IS THE ENGINE THAT DRIVES INNOVATION. — EDITH WIDDER, O CEANO GRAPHER — Follow The Sun. ... lies the work of an expert. Behind Every Perfect Moment ... Every day, around the world, perfection happens – thanks to the expertise of our team members. As cruise lines push the boundaries of where guests can travel, we’re right alongside you – extending supply chains into extreme locations, delivering experiences that exceed expectations, and meeting the ever increasing demand for differentiation in niche cruising. CMI-Leisure.com 4770 Biscayne Blvd PH-D / Miami, FL 33137 / 786-522-7396 Email: DWertanzl@CMI-Leisure.com CRUISE HOSPITALITY EXPERTS kannen sekka.indd 1 25.3.2019 14.03
C ru is e B u sin e ss .c o m M a g a zin e S p rin g 2 1 9 CruiseBusiness.com CruiseBusiness.com REVIEWING CRUISE BUSINESS GLOBALLY Magazine Spring 2019 MEIN SCHIFF 2 Upgrading the class MEIN SCHIFF 2 Upgrading the class HONG KONG IN THE SPOTLIGHT Hong Kong is the second-largest cruise port in China in terms of throughput and the highest yielding with the most overseas cruisers, drawing upon a local source market that has now reached over 3% penetration. It is looking forward to increasing benefits in the years to come from new transportation infrastructure – high-speed rail, the HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and a one-stop-shop border crossing to Shenzhen opening later this year. COSTA VENEZIA Newbuild designed exclusively for China Page 37 COSTA VENEZIA Newbuild designed exclusively for China Page 37 HONG KONG New infrastructure improves Hong Kong’s cruise appeal Page 60 HONG KONG New infrastructure improves Hong Kong’s cruise appeal Page 60 425x297%20kansi .indd 1 25.3.2019 16.15