35 cruise calls in April for Valencia

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Category: Ports & Destinations

Published on Friday, 19 April 2013 09:46

Written by Kari Reinikainen

The cruise season has started exuberantly for Valencia. Its cruise terminal manager, ACCIONA Trasmediterranea, has just reported that the port would host 35 cruise calls in April this year, 12 more than the same period last year. On Friday 19 April alone the port will receive five of the ten calls of the week. Alan Lam reports.

These five calls - made by Wind Surf, Wind Spirit, Deutschland, Costa Serena and Costa Fortuna – will collectively bring in about 7,000 much-needed cruise tourists to the port city.

Other ships calling at Valencia this week include L’Austral, MSC Splendida, Azamara Quest, and Crystal Serenity.

On Sunday 21 April, Carnival Legend will call at Valencia for the first time ever, bringing in a further 2,000 passengers.

In total, more than 12,000 cruise tourists will visit the city and its surroundings this week.

It seems that, under the cruise service arm of ACCIONA Trasmediterranea, Valencia is thriving as a cruise port, attracting the attention of the entire spectrum of cruise operators.

Cruise calls grow 9% in Port of Lisbon during the 1st quarter of the year

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Category: Ports & Destinations

Published on Thursday, 18 April 2013 15:40

Written by Teijo Niemelä

The Port of Lisbon recorded a growth of 9% in the total calls of cruise ships between January and March this year compared to the total achieved in the same period in 2012.

The first quarter was marked by a total of 38 calls, versus the 35 recorded in 2012, which confirms the trend of recent years of cruise season anticipation. This situation results from the fact that cruise ships stay in Europe during winter, especially in the Mediterranean, and more recently in the Atlantic, instead of repositioning in the Caribbean.

This reality has led some operators to increase the number of calls in Port of Lisbon, including Costa Cruises, P & O Cruises and Fred Olsen Cruises, and others to begin calling Lisbon during the first quarter, as was the case of Holland America line.

In a year that is expected to break record in terms of cruise activity at the Port of Lisbon, are expected 355 calls and 560 thousand passengers, we also highlight the inaugural calls planned for 2013. It will be fourteen cruise vessels that will call for the first time the Port of Lisbon this year, including four on inaugural voyage - the MSC Preziosa past March 16, the Europa 2 on 24 and 25 May, the Royal Princess to June 19 and Le Soléal on July 13.

First ship trial for Sydney's new cruise terminal

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Category: Ports & Destinations

Published on Thursday, 18 April 2013 18:55

Written by Teijo Niemelä

Sydney Ports Corporation’s new $57-million White Bay Cruise Terminal was trialled on April 15 with the arrival of P&O cruise liner, the Pacific Pearl. The 63 000 gross ton ship berthed at 7 am with almost 2,000 passengers disembarking for the first time through the state-of-the-art terminal.

Roads and Ports Minister Duncan Gay said this milestone highlights the NSW Government’s commitment to meeting the huge boom in demand for cruise in Sydney.
 
“We are just coming to the close of what has been another record Sydney cruise season with 265 ship visits and we have already taken more than 280 bookings for next season.
 
“Given the unprecedented growth in cruising, this new terminal is very timely indeed - its vast open plan arrivals and departures hall are designed to cater for 2,400 passengers at a
time, Mr Gay said
 
"We have also constructed a dedicated terminal access road to ensure minimal impact on local streets by port traffic."
 
"The critical elements of size, layout and capability to enforce modern maritime security requirements were already in place so when you add the ability to use the neighbouring White Bay 4 to simultaneously host a second cruise ship, White Bay has a lot going for it."
 
"It means Sydney can now comfortably host up to three cruise ships alongside at any one time."
 
"The public will also have pedestrian and cycling access to the waterfront adjacent to the Terminal when there are no ship activities – that’s the first time in 45 years the public has been able to access this waterfront."
 
Mr Gay said that when construction of the terminal began in March last year, consultation with all key stakeholders was a major focus.
 
"Leichhardt Council, local businesses and community members, along with the cruise industry, government agencies and tourism organisations, were all involved as the terminal progressed through planning, design and construction," he said.
 
"This was done through a wide range of general and targeted processes including structured industry and community workshops."
 
Minister Gay said "White Bay has always played  a big role in Sydney’s economy, its commercial shipping history dating back to the mid-19th century, handling just about everything from timber and paper, coal, sugar, wheat and cement to cars and containers."
 
"Now as a cruise terminal, it will continue contributing to Sydney’s economy, serving not only as a cruise terminal, but as a part-time function centre serving community events on non-ship days.

Minister Gay said the NSW Government is now turning its focus to an upgrade of the Overseas Passenger Terminal – a $30-million Masterplan is now under review.

Celebrity Millennium calls at first Japanese port Nagasaki

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Category: Ports & Destinations

Published on Tuesday, 16 April 2013 11:32

Written by Teijo Niemelä

Celebrity Cruises has arrived in Japan for the first time with the maiden call of Celebrity Millennium today. The 91,000 gross ton ship is on her Asian maiden season and the call is part of her 14-night cruise from Hong Kong which also features stops at Keelung, Busan, Jeju, Tianjing and Shanghai.

An official ceremony was held onboard the ship to welcome her arrival, with plaque exchanges between Captain Costas Patsoulas of Celebrity Millennium and local government officials including Mr. Kou Takae, Director of Asian & International Policy Section, Nagasaki City and business partners.

Mr Isao Iio, Celebrity Cruises’ Japan representative said, “Today we are proud to bring Celebrity Millennium to Nagasaki, her first Japanese port-of-call where her guests will be able to explore and discover its famed hot springs, temples and museums. Celebrity Cruises’ ‘Modern Luxury’ style also appeals well to discerning Japanese cruisers, who happen to be amongst our top customers in Asia. With more Celebrity cruises in Asia and newer onboard and shore-side experiences to offer, we are confident in growing the Japanese market in the years to come.”

The 2,158-guest Celebrity Millennium which was launched in 2000, underwent a major renovation last year and now features the renowned Solstice Class features, including the spa-inspired AquaClass staterooms, Blu the ‘spa’ restaurant, ‘uniquely unordinary’ Qsine restaurant, stylish creperie Bistro on Five and Cellar Masters with a bold collection of wines from around the world. Guests onboard will enjoy Celebrity’s exquisite cuisine, unparalleled service of a guest-to-staff ratio of nearly 2 to 1, stylish accommodation, the luxurious spa, unique entertainment, destination-rich regional itineraries and more. Celebrity’s Millennium Class ships ranked among the top 10 lines in the mid-size ship category in the 2012 Condé Nast Traveler’s annual “Best in the World” readers’ poll.

For her maiden Asian season soon completing this month, Celebrity Millennium will have visited nine countries new to the brand, including Vietnam, Thailand and China, among others. She is featuring a series of 14-night one-way cruises between Hong Kong and Singapore, with overnight stays in ports like Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Halong Bay and Hong Kong. This ship will also be returning for the second consecutive Asia season in 2013/2014.