Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines sees Enjoyment Promise to attract newcomers
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: More News More News
- Published: 02 November 2015 02 November 2015
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the UK based destinational cruise line that operates four medium sized vessels, says its efforts to increase the numbers of passengers new to the brand have borne fruit, whereas overall, the British market has struggled in this respect.
“Fred. Olsen has been working hard to attract the ‘new-to-Fred.’ market, and has seen over 43% of bookings from newcomers since the ‘Enjoyment Promise’ was first introduced,’ the company said in a statement.
Introduced in December 2013, the scheme means that passengers not happy with their experience with the line can get their money back under certain terms and conditions. Only five people of the 190,000 that the line has carried since its introduction have resorted to the scheme, a senior company official said.
“The average guest age across the Fred. Olsen fleet has stayed constant during the last five years, whilst the industry average has increased five years in five years, which is further evidence that Fred. Olsen is continuing to offer appealing and innovative cruises to attract a new, younger demographic, as well as catering to its existing loyal clientele,” the company continued.
These trends appear to contrast the overall development of the British market, which contracted by 4.8% to 1.64 million passengers in 2014, according to CLIA UK & Ireland figures.
The percentage of newcomers of the total number of passengers rose to 33% last year from 32% in 2013. However, it was 36% in 2012 and 40% in 2011 and again 33% in 2010.
The average age of British cruise passengers rose to 58.2 years last year from 57.0 in 2013; it was 54.8 in 2010.
In addition to the ‘Enjoyment Promise’, Fred. Olsen has also been trying to stimulate new markets by cruising out of more regional departure ports than any other cruise line, offering the convenience of joining the ship without the hassle of flights. For instance, during its first cruise season from Belfast, in Autumn 2013, nine out of ten guests had never cruised with Fred. Olsen before.
“Fred. Olsen is committed to creating unique itineraries with shorter durations to attract those who are still at work, or who would prefer more of a ‘taster’ cruise for their first experience. The ‘Norwegian Fjords’ continues to be the number one itinerary for ‘new-to-cruise’ and ‘new-to-Fred.’ customers, and Balmoral’s new five-day ‘Norwegian Fjords’ cruise from Newcastle in May 2016 is the perfect itinerary, given its limited requirement for annual leave – just two days, as it is over a Bank Holiday; notably, this itinerary would take eight days from Southampton,” the company stated.
Viking Line to introduce Bath & Body Works’ products at Viking Grace shops
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: More News More News
- Published: 02 November 2015 02 November 2015
Viking Line has become the first shipping company in the world to launch the US brand of beauty care products, Bath & Body Works (BBW), the Finnish cruise ferry operator said in a statement.
“Meanwhile, Viking Line is the first in Finland to introduce the brand. BBW’s products – such as shower gels, lotions, fragrances and aromatic oils – are being offered in its own shop-in-shop in the tax- and duty-free shop on board the Viking Grace,” the company said.
Viking Grace operates between Turku in Finland and the Swedish capital, Stockholm and it is measured at 57,565 gross tons. The LNG powered ship was built in 2013
Bath & Body Works is a high-quality brand of beauty care products with over 1,600 shops, mostly in the US and Canada. In Europe, the company’s products are already available at the Stockholm Arlanda Airport and in Poland.
“By launching Bath & Body Works, we are continuing our strategy of offering well-known international beauty products on the Viking Grace,” says Eva Rehnström, Purchasing and Sales Manager, Beauty & Fashion at Viking Line.
With the construction of a “shop-in-shop” in the Viking Grace’s tax and duty-free shop, BBW products ranging from shower gels and lotions to spa products and aromatic oils will have a space of their own with attractive signage. The line offers products for both women and men, Viking Line said.
Seven Seas Explorer floats out at Genoa
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
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- Published: 30 October 2015 30 October 2015
Seven Seas Explorer, Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ highly anticipated new ship, celebrated a major construction milestone today as it was floated out of the building dock at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Genoa, Italy. Now outside of the building dock, construction will focus on completing Seven Seas Explorer’s interior spaces including the opulent suites, elegant lounges and gourmet restaurants. The luxury liner’s maiden voyage is scheduled for July 20, 2016.
“In less than nine months Seven Seas Explorer will make its grand debut and completely revolutionize the luxury vacation market,” said Jason Montague, president and chief operating officer for Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “Our vision of building the most luxurious ship ever is quickly becoming a reality, providing our guests and travel partners with a new and unrivaled luxury vacation experience that embodies the Regent Seven Seas Cruises brand.”
Robin Lindsay, executive vice president of vessel operations for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings attended the float out ceremony where a symbolic bottle of champagne was smashed against the side of the ship for good luck and prosperity.
“We have an incredible partner with Fincantieri and together we are building a ship unlike any other in the luxury market,” shared Lindsay. “Seven Seas Explorer will serve as the perfect complement to our award-winning fleet which includes Seven Seas Voyager, Mariner and Navigator, while providing new benchmarks for luxury with an unparalleled collection of suites, restaurants and public spaces."
At 56,000 gross-registered tons and carrying only 750 guests, Seven Seas Explorer will boast one of the highest space ratios in the cruise industry. The spacious accommodations combined with an equally high staff-to-guest ratio further strengthens Regent Seven Seas Cruises' widely recognized position as the leader in the luxury cruise segment.
Every corner of Seven Seas Explorer will exude elegance, beginning with a new category of luxury suite. The 3,875 square-foot Regent Suite offers guests an unmatched luxury experience, with two plush bedrooms, an expansive well-appointed living space and a beam-to-beam private outdoor balcony. The suite also features a cruise industry first in-suite spa retreat with personal sauna, steam room, relaxation loungers and a spa treatment area where guests will enjoy complimentary, unlimited treatments from Canyon Ranch.
The opulence found in the Regent Suite sets the tone for all categories of luxury suites onboard, where guests will experience some of the most spacious accommodations and the largest balconies in the cruise industry.
Seven Seas Explorer will also introduce two new gourmet restaurants with Chartreuse which features a lavish ambiance and epicurean delights found in Paris’ finest eateries, and Pacific Rim which offers a gourmet dining experience that brings to life the rich culinary traditions of Asia. These will complement the four other dining venues onboard to offer significant culinary variety.
Additionally, Seven Seas Explorer will feature the brand’s first culinary instruction center called the Culinary Arts Kitchen. Elevating cuisine to an art form, the Culinary Arts Kitchen will provide guests with personalized instruction at eighteen individual cooking stations.
Royal Caribbean International lays keel for fourth Oasis-class ship
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
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- Published: 30 October 2015 30 October 2015
The keel for Royal Caribbean Internationals’ fourth Oasis-class ship was officially laid yesterday at the STX shipyard in St. Nazaire, France. This marks an important milestone in the development of the ship, signifying the beginning of its physical construction. During the ceremony, a 1,000-ton block measuring 32-ft by 154-ft (10 x 47 meters) was lifted by crane into the building dock. Newly minted coins were placed under the keel and will stay in place there until the end of the ship’s construction. Once the ship is near to completion, the coins are retrieved and presented to the ship’s Captain and crew to be placed onboard the ship. According to maritime tradition, the coins are said to bring luck to the ship during its construction process and then to its Captain and crew when she is sailing out at sea. Still to be named, the fourth Oasis-class ship will be delivered in spring 2017.
MSC Cruises unveils global careers portal
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: More News More News
- Published: 29 October 2015 29 October 2015
MSC Cruises S.A., the world’s fourth largest cruise shipping company, has announced the launch of its first global career portal, www.careers.msccruises.com.
The new portal will be used to help recruit talent for positions in MSC Cruises’ global offices and across its fleet, supporting the business in the next phase of its expansion, the Geneva based company said in a statement.
Elia Congiu, MSC Cruises’ Chief HR Officer, commented: “Innovation is one of the key elements of the experience that we offer guests on board our ships, so it is only appropriate that we are introducing this innovative global recruitment tool to support the growth and development of all the people who work across our organisation.
“It has the further advantage of being easily accessible from anywhere in the world, which in turn extends the reach of our recruitment process to attract the most talented individuals.”
The MSC Cruises career portal consolidates all of the Company’s recruitment tools in one place and will be at the heart of the application process for the vast majority of roles. When positions are advertised locally, all listings will now include a direct link to the portal.
As well as featuring MSC Cruises’ available positions, the portal will enhance and standardise the selection process for applicants. Having created their online profiles, job seekers will be able to test their language abilities and present evidence of technical skills. Should the applicant progress through to the next stage of the recruitment process the platform will allow them to hold recorded video interviews no matter where they are in the world.
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