Three directors appointed to commercial teams of Cunard Line and P&O Cruises

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Category: Latest News

Published on Wednesday, 19 June 2013 15:43

Written by Kari Reinikainen

P&O Cruises and Cunard Line have announced the appointment of three new directors to join their commercial team, the two Southampton based Carnival Corp & plc companies said in a joint statement.

Jeremy Tait, currently director of proposition development and insight for Direct Line will join as insight director on 1 July, covering both P&O Cruises and Cunard. 

Chris Edgington, previously commercial director of Coral for the Gala Coral Group, joins P&O Cruises as marketing director whilst Angus Struthers, currently senior director global communications for TripAdvisor Inc, takes on the same role for Cunard.  Both will join the business from the end of August. 

Carnival UK chief commercial officer Gerard Tempest said: 

“These three key senior appointments will help us to evolve and strengthen our brands and customer experiences still further. Their proven blue chip backgrounds within marketing and communications will bring new focus, creativity and insight to our leadership team. 

“Cunard Line and P&O Cruises are brands which have shaped British cruising over the last 175 years and are amongst the most famous cruise brands in the world. We have a unique heritage to preserve, while at the same time we need to ensure we are instrumental in developing the future of British cruising. We want strongly appealing and highly differentiated brands, without compromising their core values.” 

At Direct Line Jeremy Tait proactively delivered compelling, challenging and commercial 
consumer, market and competitor insight to drive business decisions, putting the 
customer at the heart of the business.  His recent achievements include the creation of branded proposition strategies and delivering two new propositions: the Green Flag “one-hour promise” and the multi-product Direct Line “together” proposition that starts to reward customers for engaging with the brand. 

Prior to his role with Direct Line, Jeremy was head of proposition development of RBS Retail Bank for three years, and before that he was strategy director for Tesco Personal Finance. 

As part of the Gala Coral Group executive team, Chris Edginton had responsibility for 1,750 betting shops, a significant online business and 12,000 employees.  Chris was responsible for a £15m budget for marketing, sponsorship, broadcast, PR, insight and internal communications.  Prior to this role Chris led large teams at a number of businesses including McDonalds, Disney, Ladbrokes and William Hill. 

At Trip Advisor inc Angus Struthers built an international team across Europe and Asia and developed an overarching global PR strategy implemented with local market variations.  Prior to Trip Advisor Inc Angus spent eleven and a half years with Virgin Atlantic developing the Virgin Upper Class service and was instrumental in driving a service-driven culture change. 

Queen Victoria's dining options refreshed with new Verandah

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Category: Latest News

Published on Tuesday, 18 June 2013 09:17

Written by Teijo Niemelä

A new alternative dining venue, The Verandah, opened aboard Cunard Line's Queen Victoria for her St. Petersburg & Baltic Explorer cruise, which departed Southampton on 1 June 2013. The 100-seat alternative dining venue replaces the Todd English Restaurant and is based on the same concept as the popular and award-wining Verandah Restaurant on Queen Elizabeth, with a slightly different menu with a sophisticated, contemporary and relaxed theme.

"Queen Victoria's new Verandah Restaurant is an exciting addition to the Cunard culinary offering, which now includes some of the most highly-rated dining at sea and no fewer than twelve different dining venues," said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line.

"The passenger feedback we have received for both lunch and dinner in these first days of the Verandah's operation has been very positive indeed and booking has proved essential for evening dining in particular."

The Verandah menu has been created by Chef Patron Jean-Marie Zimmermann, global culinary ambassador for Cunard Line, who is also a Michelin-starred chef.

A particular highlight of the menu is Carpaccio of Smoked Beef with Marinated Aubergine, Quail's Egg and Truffle Mayonnaise, which combines magical pairings of flavours with theatrical touches: the dish is served under a glass cloche filled with scented smoke.

The new Verandah menu includes a choice of seven entrees, eleven plats principaux and six dessert choices. Plats principaux include Beef and Lobster Flambéed with Cognac and Truffle with Parmesan Fries – the most popular dish to date – and Baked Rack of Lamb in Pastry with Morel Mushrooms and Madeira Reduction.

The Todd English Restaurant, offering a vibrant taste of the Mediterranean, will remain the alternative dining venue aboard Queen Mary 2, as befits her iconic Transatlantic Crossings and more even mix of British and American passengers. This first-ever Todd English venue at sea has proved highly successful aboard Cunard's flagship since her introduction in 2004.

Other evening dining alternatives aboard Cunard's fleet include the Kings Court (Queen Mary 2) and The Lido (Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria). By night, these areas transform into intimate and casual spaces that offer cuisine from around the world:

– Queen Elizabeth choices including the South American grill Asado and Jasmine with its menus drawn from across Asia, while Aztec adds its own twist to Mexican culinary classics.

– Queen Victoria's Lido transforms into Bamboo for Asian flavours, Coriander with Indian cuisine, and Prime which features steaks and seafood.

– The Kings Court aboard Queen Mary 2 offers delicious Italian dishes in La Piazza, traditional British dishes in The Carvery, and flavours from across Asia in Lotus. Also featured on board is the Boardwalk Café, offering burgers on deck.

MedCruise General Assembly: Discussing and advancing best practices in Med ports

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Category: Latest News

Published on Tuesday, 18 June 2013 13:37

Written by Teijo Niemelä

MedCruise, the Association representing cruise ports in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas, held its 42nd General Assembly in Madeira, Portugal, 13-14 June.

Opened by the President of the Regional Government of Madeira Alberto Joao Jardim, and attended by the Regional Minister of Culture Tourism and Transports Conceicao Almeida Estudiante, the General Assembly and the parallel events were successfully hosted by the Port of Madeira, with participants and guests having the opportunity to follow the recent positive developments in the cruise ports of the region.

Discussions during the two days-event focused on the several challenges of cruise port management, including accommodation of more traffic, new itineraries, new practices, infrastructure and services demands, programming, but also cancellations.

Highlights of the lively two-days event included lively round-tables on how they approach the several implications of the berth allocation schemes and the way cruise-lines approach developments in cruise ports. Guest speakers included, Vassilios Gazikas, Louis Cruises, Nathalie Oelmann and Thomas Rucht, TUI, Justin Poulsen, Holland America; Eduardo Lopez-Puertas, Pullmantur and Adam Sharp, Royal Caribbean.

The MedCruise General Assembly offered to participating members the opportunity to discuss two newly published reports, the MedCruise Statistics 2013 report, that is the fourth edition of the statistics of the association’s members, and the MedCruise Cruise Ports Benchmarking study. The final day participants enjoyed B2B meetings with cruise lines.

Emphasis during round-table discussions was given on the fact that ports in the Med have to adapt speedily, so as to respond to the deployment trends. Market trends suggest that they did so successfully up to now, responding to the challenge, adapting operational practices and updating infrastructures and services required, leading MedCruise members to conclude that the emphasis now is to act as a catalyst to foster further cooperation among the ports of Mediterranean for the sustainable growth of the region as a whole.

Discussing the way forward, participants decided on a number of activities for the coming months, including a strategy for promoting MedCruise ports-destinations in new source markets including China.

As MedCruise President Stavros Hatzakos told reporters during the post-event press conference: "All port-members participating in our association recognize the need to collectively promote their efforts to host modern cruise. They also acknowledge the need to provide common responses that effectively serve the market, and search for solutions to existing problems. When the pluralism and the growing number of associations around the globe produces some unease, MedCruise inclusive membership, and the active participation of a growing number of ports in collective activities, provides to the basis to speak as an authoritative association. Our GA confirmed the commitment for MedCruise to be the one-stop hub for all those wanted to learn about and engage with Med ports."

The General Assembly also welcomed a new member, the port of Huelva, increasing MedCruise members to 72 members plus 30 associate members, and well over 100 cruise ports in the Mediterranean region, the Black Sea, the Red Sea and the Near Atlantic.
The 43d MedCruise General Assembly will be held in Alanya, Turkey 13-15 November 2013.

Silversea opens reservations for its 2015 World Cruise

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Published on Monday, 17 June 2013 21:16

Written by Teijo Niemelä

Ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises has opened the books on its World Cruise 2015. This grandest of travel adventures will commence on January 5, 2015, when the elegant, all-suite Silver Whisper is set to embark on a 115-day epic voyage, encircling the world and embracing the cultures of five continents, 30 countries and 50 unique destinations.

Departing Los Angeles with no more than 382 guests on board, Silver Whisper will sail the warm waters of the South Pacific to explore the idyllic isles of French Polynesia, then head west to the scenic wonders of Australia, and north to the marvels of the South China Sea. From there, the journey continues to Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and across the Indian Ocean to the glistening sands of the Seychelles. Silver Whisper then traces a course to some of Africa's most intriguing destinations, including Mombasa, Zanzibar, Cape Town, Walvis Bay and Dakar. The voyage concludes with a leisurely Atlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale, highlighted by stopovers in the sunny Caribbean islands of St. Lucia, St. Bart's and Puerto Rico.

World Cruise 2015 offers travelers the opportunity to truly immerse themselves in local culture with late-night departures in eight ports, plus overnight calls in Papeete, Sydney, Fremantle, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Singapore, Mombasa, and Cape Town.

"This exceptional voyage has been crafted to appeal to luxury travel's most discerning clientele," said Ellen Bettridge, Silversea's president of the Americas. "Our World Cruise guests will visit the most exotic places and fascinating cultures on Earth -- all while enjoying the pampering luxury of Silver Whisper."

Silversea is offering guests the option to extend their World Cruise by adding a pre-cruise Panama Canal voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles (17 days), or continue on board from Fort Lauderdale to New York (3 days) or Southampton (15 days).

A host of added-value Amenities

Full World Cruise guests will enjoy a variety of special amenities, including a gala Bon Voyage reception, dinner and overnight stay at a luxury hotel, baggage valet service, complimentary Business Class air (or air credit) and transfers (between home, airport, and Silver Whisper), a $4,000 onboard spending credit (per suite), complimentary laundry service, Internet package and commemorative gifts.

For guests sailing the full 115 days, there will also be two complimentary Silversea Experiences, including one in Walvis Bay, offering the rare opportunity to dine under the stars in the Namib Desert, plus three exclusive complimentary World Cruise shoreside events. These include an elegant cocktail reception and evening performance at Sydney's famous Opera House, and a scenic journey by vintage train in Sri Lanka to explore the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, renowned for its conservancy work. Plus, guests will be treated to a tour of Cape Town's magnificent Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, followed by a visit to the historic Résidence de France for a sumptuous lunch set in its beautiful garden, with Table Mountain providing a stunning backdrop.

Guests will also have the chance to meet and mingle with distinguished destination experts, academics, journalists, diplomats and other specialists. Local entertainment, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, and regional specialties will provide further immersion in each global destination.

Fares for World Cruise 2015 start at $58,950 per person, based on double occupancy.