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SCH secures exclusive agreement to handle cruise ships in Liverpool

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 14 March 2016 14 March 2016

Cruise handling specialists SCH have been awarded a contract for up to three years to provide stevedore services to all cruise ships calling at Liverpool Cruise Terminal.

SCH will handle around 60 cruise ships per year calling at Liverpool Cruise Terminal following the award of the contract by Liverpool City Council, initially for two years and with an option for a further year. Sister company Cruise and Passenger Services (CPS) already provides valet car parking services for passengers joining cruise ships in Liverpool.

Angie Redhead, Liverpool Cruise and Operations Manager, said: “We were impressed by SCH’s range of capabilities and their extensive network of cruise operations spread throughout the UK. Liverpool is growing fast as a turnaround and day call cruise port and we need a reliable, efficient port handling operator. We are confident that SCH can provide us with that service based on observations in other UK ports, as well as the experience we already have working with CPS in valet car parking.”

SCH and its sister companies are recognised as the UK’s most extensive cruise ship handling specialists, with operations in Portsmouth, Oban and Southampton. The company, which has been established for 25 years, currently handles more than 200 calls a year by cruise ships at ports throughout the UK, with the emphasis on recruiting specialist labour locally through its personnel company Pathfinder Personnel.

The company plans to utilise a total of up to 50 personnel for stevedoring and valet car parking operations at Liverpool.

Director Kevin Hulme commented: “We are delighted to be awarded the contract and are committed to helping Liverpool grow as a cruise port, both for turnaround operations and as a cruise destination. We will be employing locally-based workers to supplement the workforce we already manage in Liverpool as part of our CPS business.”

SCH will provide baggage handling, stores loading and mooring services for the increasing number of cruise ships calling in Liverpool, with the contract becoming fully operational ready for the start of the 2016 season in May.

“We have a strong relationship with the major cruise lines calling in the UK who rely on CPS and its sister companies to provide passengers with a first class experience in the ports where we operate. As cruise ship handlers, we provide services for more than 300,000 passengers a year and we look forward to helping Liverpool continue to build its reputation as a leading force in the UK cruise business,” added Hulme.

Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven invests in improving service to meet bigger volumes

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 14 March 2016 14 March 2016

Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven (CCCB) prepares itself for bigger vessels by offering a range of improved services for passengers, which include work on the Terminal's internal infrastructure to make baggage reclaim faster and easier.

“The old conveyor belts have been removed, and by using new openings to the quayside it is now possible to reduce considerably the distance which has to be covered by the baggage,” the company said in a statement

In 2016, Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven (CCCB) will handle approximately 35% more passengers than in the previous year, with a further in- crease of at least 25% expected for 2017. Veit Hürdler, CCCB Managing Director, said: "With this growth in mind, we have taken a very close look at our passenger handling processes. CCCB has always placed great importance on professional service, and for many years it has been well-equipped to deal with the turnarounds of several cruise vessels at one time. And this winter we were able to implement optimisation measures for handling very large vessels.“

As part of a conveying system developed specifically by CCCB, ships' own luggage trolleys can now be transported directly to and from the Terminal in an environmentally-friendly and material-saving way. Information boards and passenger direction displays have been adapted and further simplified.

A new concept has been developed in co-operation with the local municipal bus operator, who for many years has been responsible for getting railway users to and from CCCB. In the past, passengers' luggage was also taken from the train station directly to the cabin, but by means of technical innovations, this service has now been optimised and made much more convenient for the cruise passenger.

The Columbus Cruise Café has launched a mobile catering service which benefits cruise passengers as well as bus and taxi drivers. Within the Terminal premises, CCCB now provides free WiFi. This will be particularly appreciated by ships' crew members.

A service quality certification process has been embarked upon which should be completed by June 2016. This will lead to even more improvements in quality of service and internal processes. These measures will safeguard and maintain the existing high quality standards as well as their continuous im- provement.

In conclusion, Veit Hürdler reports that, "Our next major project will focus on our parking facilities directly at CCCB. In the past, we have always been able to offer our guests in Bremerhaven sufficient parking space right in front of the Terminal - at very reasonable prices and with no advance booking necessary." To ensure that this will continue, a study will be carried out in 2016. Based on the results, the possibility of extending the parking area or building a multi- storey car park will be looked into. The valet parking service provided by third- party partners will, of course, continue.

Port of Cork to promote Cork region at global cruise event

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 13 March 2016 13 March 2016

The Port of Cork is set to attend Seatrade Cruise Global, the Cruise Industry’s Premier Global event next week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Seatrade Cruise Global is one of the key events in the cruise calendar and guarantees to bring together every facet of the business including cruise lines, suppliers, travel agents and partners. The Port of Cork will attend as an exhibitor on the Cruise Ireland and Cruise Europe stand, increasing the profile of the Port of Cork and the Cork region.

Captain Michael McCarthy, Port of Cork Commercial Manager, who will attend the global event said: ‘This event is without doubt the epicentre of the cruise industry and so maintaining recognition at this event is key to Cork’s future cruise strategy. Some of the industry’s most knowledgeable delegates will attend and speak at the conference, so networking opportunities are substantial.’

He continued: ‘The Port of Cork’s cruise strategy for the next five years will focus on promoting the region and all it has to offer to potential cruise passengers, as well as expanding our business. Our relationship with the cruise lines is excellent and they are very aware of what the port can handle in terms of ship size. Our challenge now is to make sure the cruise companies know exactly what there is to see and do for their passengers while visiting Cork and that is why we will be marketing the Cork City and County region at Seatrade Cruise Global.’

In 2016 the Port of Cork will welcome 58 cruise liners to Cobh and over the next five years aims to increase these calls to 75. The Port of Cork is currently exploring the feasibility of a second cruise berth in Cobh, which would greatly enhance Cork’s cruise offering. This global cruise event is a key opportunity to further sell Cork as a cruise destination and to interact and liaise with the key decision makers within cruise companies.

Captain McCarthy is also the current chairman of Cruise Europe and says having a presence at these trade events is vital to sell your business.

He said: ‘The cruise industry is a difficult industry to enter, but once you do you must work hard at maintaining relationships and keeping informed of the opportunities and threats to the industry. It’s important for any port to ensure their cruise offering is kept alive and fresh, as with many cruise companies some passengers are repeat passengers who want to experience something different and new on every cruise.’

One of the main topics at the conference this year at which Captain McCarthy is a speaker is “Seasonality and Deployment” and he will be emphasising the opportunities of expanding the cruise season in northern Europe. The topics covered will relate to ship design and suitability, climate and weather and port and regional tourism products over the winter period. The session will debate the tourism offering in winter versus summer and include topics such as Christmas markets and winter sports and events throughout our region.

The Port of Cork will take the opportunity at Seatrade Cruise Global to launch their new cruise brochure aimed at marketing the Cork region.

Half-a-million cruise passengers heading for Scotland

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 10 March 2016 10 March 2016

Cruise passengers arriving in Scotland this year are set to top over 500,000 for the first time following another record-breaking season in 2015 when 460,546 visitors sailed into ports around the country.

Numbers increased for the sixth successive year – by 14.8% on 2014 – while cruise ship visits rose 9.6% to 501 calls, generating an estimated £54.6 million for the Scottish economy through passenger spend alone, up by around £5.5 million on the previous year.

A number of ports recorded their best cruise seasons yet in 2015, with Greenock Ocean Terminal the first Scottish port to welcome over 100,000 passengers in a season, at 108,866, and Kirkwall exceeding previous records, with 81,401 passengers.
The ongoing trend towards larger vessels is set to see records continue to tumble at a number of ports in 2016, when 644 vessels are expected.

Victor Sandison, Chairman of marketing association, Cruise Scotland, said: “The continuing growth shows the increasing popularity of Scotland as a destination in a highly-competitive global market. This year’s estimated passenger count of over 525,000 will take us around halfway to the annual target of 1.1 million by 2029 – a figure identified in a study carried out in 2010 when there were just over 268,000 cruise visitors.

“Breaking half-a-million passengers will be a great achievement for all involved in marketing, port services and providing a great welcome, from harbours and shops to visitor attractions. However, it is vital that we continue to promote Scotland’s many attractions and keep delivering a first-class product to maximise future opportunities.”

Viking Ocean Cruises will visit Scotland for the first time in 2016, with Viking Sea and Viking Star due to call at Kirkwall, Lerwick and Rosyth, and a first-time round-Britain voyage by Disney Cruise Line will see multiple calls by Disney Magic, including Greenock, Kirkwall and Invergordon.

Cruise Scotland is looking to expand its ongoing efforts to increase participation by cruise executives on familiarisation visits to Scotland to enhance their awareness of what is on offer.