Isabelle to replace Silja Festival on Stockholm-Riga service 6 May

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Category: Latest News

Published on Friday, 03 May 2013 09:23

Written by Kari Reinikainen

Isabelle, the 1989 built cruise ferry Tallink Grupp acquired from Viking Line earlier this year, will sail from Riga on 6 May for the first time for Stockholm as replacement of slightly smaller 1986 built Silja Festival.

Isabelle, which was built as Isabella in Yugoslavia, accommodates 2,480 passengers and 450 cars and it is 170.9 meters long and 27.6 meters wide. Its speed is 20.5 knots.

“Bringing Isabelle to the Riga-Stockholm route is the next logical step in the development of this particular route. As the demand on the route is increasing we needed a vessel with larger capacity for both passengers and cars, said Peter Roose, Management Board Member of Tallink Grupp.

CLIA commends IMO for adopting its motion regarding crime

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Category: Latest News

Published on Friday, 03 May 2013 09:18

Written by Kari Reinikainen

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) today commended the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Legal Committee for adopting at its recent meeting in London a proposal which CLIA co-sponsored on international standards for crime reporting, cooperation between governments, evidence preservation and care for victims.

CLIA first offered the proposal to the IMO in 2011, marking the continuation of the Association's efforts to have such standards adopted globally.  In addition to CLIA, other co-sponsors were the United Kingdom, the International Federation of Shipmaster's Associations, and the International Association of Airport and Seaport Police.  The proposal was also supported by the United States.

The IMO Legal Committee will now submit these important worldwide standards to be adopted by the IMO Assembly, the highest body in the IMO, as an Assembly Resolution at its November biennial meeting.  In the interim, CLIA is already working with its member cruise lines to promote implementation of these comprehensive standards on all of their ships.

The standards include many elements of the United States' own Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) of 2010, which the cruise industry also supported and CLIA's members sailing to or from U.S. ports have already implemented.  The CVSSA had established the most comprehensive set of laws worldwide to protect cruise ship passengers, requiring ships sailing to and from U.S. ports to immediately report all allegations of serious crime, suspicious deaths or missing U.S. nationals directly to the FBI and other appropriate law enforcement agencies.

The Act also requires that vessels have video surveillance systems to assist in documenting and producing evidence, in addition to crew training in evidence preservation and crime prevention, detection and reporting.  It requires medical staff with three (3) years of clinical practice in general or emergency medicine or board certification in emergency, family practice, or internal medicine, and training which meets the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) guidelines related to treatment and care of victims of sexual assault.

The IMO's international standards complement the CVSSA by addressing cooperation and coordination between governments, law enforcement, and affected parties.  While the CVSSA requires training in crime scene and evidence preservation which complies with the U.S. Maritime Administration's specified curriculum, the IMO's international standards also include actual templates for witness statements and step-by-step detailed instructions on the recovery, packaging, identification, and labeling of different types of evidence.

"We commend the IMO Legal Committee for adopting these standards," said Christine Duffy, president and CEO of CLIA. "The cruise industry is global in every respect and CLIA believes that the same stringent standards regarding crime should protect every cruise passenger worldwide. A global standard will strengthen the collaboration among cruise lines, local and national law enforcement agencies and provide a truly comprehensive response to prevention and reporting. We are particularly grateful to the United Kingdom in working to bring this proposal to a successful conclusion."

The cruise industry has taken its own steps to provide for global consistency in crime reporting practices. CLIA adopted a mandatory Member Policy on the Reporting of Crimes and Missing Persons, which was developed as part of the industry's effort to unify reporting practices wherever cruise ships travel, and to ensure serious crimes are always officially and promptly reported to competent authorities.   This policy requires that all serious incidents be officially reported to local law enforcement with jurisdiction depending on the location of the ship, in addition to the ship's flag State.

Trip Advisor buys Cruise Wise

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Category: Latest News

Published on Friday, 03 May 2013 09:16

Written by Kari Reinikainen

Trip Advisor has announced it has acquired key technology and talent from CruiseWise, Inc. the former online cruise booking agency. The team and non-transactional functionality will be integrated into the leading online cruise guide, Cruise Critic®, a TripAdvisor brand, TripAdvisor saifd in a statement.

“The cruise industry continues to grow in popularity and we are delighted to be able to further strengthen our Cruise Critic business with this move,” said Steve Kaufer, co-founder and CEO TripAdvisor, Inc.  “By integrating key elements of CruiseWise and the in-depth knowledge behind it, we will enhance our ability to help travelers find their perfect cruise at a price that suits them with seamless links to our booking partners.”

Cruise Critic is published by The Independent Traveler, Inc., which was acquired as a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, Inc. in 2007. Terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed.

Navigator of the Seas to operate from Galveston year round 2014

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Category: Latest News

Published on Thursday, 02 May 2013 09:37

Written by Kari Reinikainen

Port of Galveston announced today that Royal Caribbean International has decided to base the Voyager class ship, Navigator of the Seas year-round from Galveston beginning in November 2013.  Navigator of the Seas will replace Mariner of the Seas offering Texas vacationers round trip seven-night Western Caribbean itineraries throughout the year, the port said in a statement.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd that is the parent company of Royal Caribbean International said last week it would cut European itineraries by 10% next year due to economic situation. Navigator of the Seas has been based in the Mediterranean and it will be the first ship of the company to operate year round from a US port.

Navigator of the Seas is due for extensive drydock revitalization in January 2014. During her drydock, signature Royal Caribbean features, such as the FlowRider surf simulator and dining venues like Giovanni’s Table, Park Café and Izumi Asian Cuisine will be added. At the same time, new features such as Virtual Balconies for select interior staterooms, new panoramic oceanview staterooms – featuring full-length, floor-to-ceiling windows and unique new dining and entertainment concepts will be introduced to surprise and delight guests.

“The repositioning of Navigator of the Seas to the Port of Galveston represents Royal Caribbean’s confidence in the Port of Galveston’s efficient cruise  operations and ability to attract passengers on its Voyager class ships,” said Mike Mierzwa, Port Director.