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Carnival Corporation & plc expands to four cruise brands in China, accelerates market leadership with additional ships serving Chinese travelers in 2017
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 13 October 2015 13 October 2015
Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest travel and leisure company, today announced plans to further expand its operations in China with the deployment of two additional cruise brands in China in 2017. Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises will join Costa Cruises and Princess Cruises in the Chinese market, making Carnival Corporation the first company to operate four brands in China – which is expected to eventually become the world's largest cruise market based on surging demand for cruise vacations by Chinese travelers.
As a result of Carnival Corporation's expansion in China in 2017, four of its 10 brands will have at least one homeported cruise ship in China, further bolstering the company's industry-leading presence in the market. The plan to deploy two additional ships – one new ship each for both its Carnival and AIDA brands – and operate four total brands in China in 2017 embodies Carnival Corporation's long-term, multi-brand strategy to provide Chinese travelers with a variety of vacation options and experiences to meet growing demand across all segments of the Chinese market.
"We are excited to introduce our Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises brands to our fleet in China, giving us a total of four global cruise brands in the market and a unique opportunity to provide a diverse lineup of brands and cruise offerings to Chinese guests who are looking for a great vacation experience," said Carnival CEO Arnold Donald, who was in Shanghai to announce the news at the 10th Annual China Cruise Shipping and International Cruise Expo (CCS10). "As we execute our multi-brand growth strategy in China, we are emphasizing choice and variety in our offerings to match the different tastes and preferences of Chinese travelers."
Added Donald: "As more and more Chinese are discovering why cruising is the best vacation experience, they are having a great time on our Costa and Princess brands, and we look forward to even more Chinese travelers enjoying vacations on our AIDA and Carnival brands. This is an exciting time in China for the cruise industry, and as the world's largest cruise company and the first global cruise operator in China, we are more committed than ever to helping China become one of the world's most popular regions for cruise vacations."
Further details on plans for Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises to enter the Chinese market in 2017 will be announced soon by each brand.
Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said: "We greatly look forward to introducing Chinese guests to the exceptional vacation experience that has made Carnival the world's most popular cruise line with more than 4.5 million guests a year. With cruise demand rapidly increasing in China and our ability to work in partnership with other Carnival Corporation brands to leverage our collective experience and scale, it provides an outstanding opportunity for Carnival Cruise Line to enter the Chinese market."
Added Felix Eichhorn, president of AIDA Cruises: "We are honored to join our Carnival Corporation sister brands in China in 2017, including Costa Cruises, which pioneered cruising in China for the entire industry back in 2006. We look forward to offering Chinese guests our authentic AIDA experience of German style on the seas. By focusing on the interests of our guests in China, there is a significant opportunity to grow cruising demand for our brand, Carnival Corporation and the industry at large."
Two new brands build on other recent China expansion announcements for 2016 and 2017
Carnival Corporation announced in July that its existing brands already sailing in China – Costa Cruises and Princess Cruises – will continue to expand in 2016 with each brand introducing a new ship to its fleet in China in 2016, making Carnival Corporation the first global cruise company with six total ships based in China and extending the company's industry-leading market presence in the overall market.
The expansion of Carnival Corporation's China fleet to six ships will represent a 58 percent increase in total capacity in China in 2016, including three year-round ships and three seasonal ships in the market. Together, the Costa and Princess brands will potentially offer about four million passenger cruise days in 2016, giving Chinese guests more choice and flexibility in both the contemporary and luxury segments.
Building on its expanding presence in China in 2016, Princess Cruises, a leader in worldwide destinations, just announced last week the name of its new ship that will be based year-round in China when it is introduced in summer 2017. Based in Shanghai, the all-new Majestic Princess will be the first year-round cruise ship built specifically for Chinese guests incorporating a unique blend of international and Chinese features.
Carnival Corporation is also exploring potential joint ventures in China with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and China Merchants Group (CMG) designed to accelerate the growth of the overall cruise industry in China, including the possibility of launching a world-class Chinese domestic cruise brand, building new ships in China, and supporting port and infrastructure development. These efforts support Carnival Corporation's commitment to help China realize its goal to develop cruising as a key economic driver for its economy and become one of the leading cruise markets in the world.
Additionally, to underscore the company's commitment to the region and developing the strong growth opportunities for cruise vacations across Asia, Carnival Corporation recently announced Michael Ungerer as chief operations officer for Carnival Asia, a newly created position for the company that became effective Sept. 1. Ungerer, formerly president of AIDA Cruises, will help lead the execution of Carnival Corporation's growth plans across the region, especially in China.
Alan Buckelew, global chief operations officer (COO) for Carnival Corporation, relocated to China over a year ago to more closely oversee Carnival's growing operations in the country and capitalize on the significant opportunities to accelerate growth in the market. Buckelew, who has extensive experience in Asia from nearly four decades in the cruise industry, leads all the company's initiatives in China in this expanded role, while retaining his overall global responsibilities for the corporation, including oversight of all maritime and port operations around the world and other related functions as part of his COO position.
Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises to base ships in China - report
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 13 October 2015 13 October 2015
Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises, US and Germany focused contemporary market brands of Carnival Corp & plc, the world's largest cruise shipping group, will base vessels in China, Travel Weekly reports on its website.
Both would enter the Chinese market next year and bring to four the number of Carnival group brands that operate in the country - Costa Crociere and Princess Cruises are already well established in China.
The vessels to be employed and itineraries together with further details would be disclosed later.
Norwegian to enter China market 2017 with customised second Breakaway Plus unit
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- Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 12 October 2015 12 October 2015
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the contemporary market unit in the Norwegian Cruise line Holdings group, will introduce the first purpose-built ship customised for the China market in 2017, CEO Frank Del Rio announced today during the CruiseWorld China summit in Shanghai.
The new ship will be the second of Norwegian Cruise Line’s 164,600 gross ton Breakaway Plus class and features the line’s unique style of cruising known as Freestyle Cruising. “Aboard NCL ships, Chinese guests will indulge in a resort-style vacation experience, with the freedom and flexibility to joyfully spend time doing whatever they wish, from enjoying world-class entertainment to fine Mandarin, Cantonese and Continental dining; from duty-free luxury shopping to participating in any number of incredible first-at-sea activities onboard; all on their own time schedule,” the company said in a statement.
The ship is currently under construction, at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. “Our new purpose-built ship for China will have characteristics that are authentic to Norwegian Cruise Line and yet distinctively Chinese in all of its sensibility,” said Del Rio.
“With this new ship, Norwegian will unquestionably offer our Chinese guests a superior product and introduce a new standard of innovation and excellence into the marketplace, with an unrivalled level of customisation for the Chinese consumer. It will perfectly suit what modern Chinese travellers value from an upscale cruise experience.”
Norwegian Cruise Line is widely recognised as the leading innovator in the cruise industry. Not only will Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship offer the highest-level of purpose-built customisation, it will clearly be the most innovative ship ever built exclusively for the China market. With a capacity of 4,200 guests, this new Breakaway Plus-class vessel will provide the same sense of freedom and flexibility found on all Norwegian Cruise Line ships, but with experiences and amenities designed specifically with Chinese guests in mind, the company stated.
The level of customisation will go beyond the physical design of the ship. Working with partners in China and local experts on the subtleties of Chinese culture, Chinese guests who sail on this new ship will be provided with an unmatched quality-level for service, cuisine, entertainment and overall experience that is simply not available in the China market today. Additional details, including the ship’s name, homeport, accommodation, dining and entertainment will be shared in the coming months.
To better support the company’s expansion efforts in China, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has opened offices in Beijing (Guomao CBD) and Hong Kong (Quarry Bay) and today opens its Shanghai office in Xintiandi. These China-based offices support all three brands in the company’s portfolio – Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises which span the upper end of the contemporary, premium, and luxury cruise categories and relevant to each segment and each stage in the Chinese consumer life cycle.
“Our China offices house a dedicated leadership team uniquely focused on ensuring the success of our local travel agent partners, which is crucial to the success of our expansion in what will soon be the world’s second largest cruise market,” said Del Rio. “These offices will provide sales and marketing support to our travel partners whose customers not only wish to sail on our new China-based ship, but also on any of the incredible voyages around the world offered across our portfolio of brands.”
The new ship will be delivered in Spring 2017. Norwegian will take delivery of the line’s first Breakaway Plus class ship, Norwegian Escape, next week on 22 October. Two additional ships in this class are on order for delivery in 2018 and 2019
Princess Cruises to name new China-based ship Majestic Princess
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 09 October 2015 09 October 2015
Princess Cruises has announced that its ship now under construction, a sister ship to Royal Princess and Regal Princess, will be named Majestic Princess. The new ship will be based in China year-round beginning in summer 2017 and become the first vessel built specifically for Chinese guests incorporating a unique blend of international and Chinese features.
“Royal Princess and Regal Princess were named after iconic previous vessels, while Majestic Princess will carry a name that was chosen by our global employees,” said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises. “The name Majestic Princess is well suited to the Princess Cruises experience in China, and she will offer a truly magnificent experience to our Chinese guests,” added Swartz.
Befitting her dedication to the Chinese market, Majestic Princess will also carry a Chinese name on the hull, 盛世公主号 (Shèng Shì Gōng Zhǔ Haò) – an interpretation selected by Carnival plc’s China employees, which has the suggestive meaning of “Grand World” or “Grand Spirit.”
The 143,000-ton vessel, Majestic Princess, is being built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. She will be home-ported in Shanghai, carrying 3,560 guests for cruises to Japan and Korea, and will offer many of the special features that have made Royal Princess and Regal Princess so popular and distinctive. These include a dramatic multi-story atrium serving as the social hub of the ship; the unique over-the-ocean SeaWalk - a glass-floor walkway extending 8 meters (28 feet) beyond the edge of the ship; the Princess Live! interactive studio; and the special Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds guests in a curtain of light.
“We’re excited that Shanghai will be welcoming this newest, most advanced addition to the Princess fleet, as it represents our brand’s long-term commitment to the continuing growth of the China market,” said Swartz.
Majestic Princess will offer the international flavor of cruising with Princess, drawn from the brand’s award-winning expertise as the world’s leader in premium destination cruising. The cruise ship’s cuisine will span the globe, serving authentic dishes from Italy, France, North and South America, Southeast Asia, Japan and China – all freshly prepared onboard. Guests will enjoy a festival celebrating dance, music and crafts of exotic cultures; an array of international guest entertainers; and Las Vegas-style production shows starring a cast of singers and dancers from around the world.
“Every day, around the world, our guests create lifelong memories from authentic experiences while enjoying freshly made cuisine designed to bring each destination to life,” added Swartz. “Majestic Princess will allow us to bring the best the world has to offer to more Chinese guests, for an unparalleled premium and international vacation, inspired by our passion for the many places we sail.”
Like all Princess cruises in China, Majestic Princess will showcase the brand’s exclusive Princess Class experience, designed specifically for the Chinese market. Delivered by the ship’s extensively trained international crew, these Princess Class enhancements enrich the travel experience of each cruise guest: authentic, classic events like the World Leaders Dinner and Traditional English Afternoon Tea; special culinary experiences such as the Lobster Grill, Ultimate Balcony Dining, and an ocean-view hot pot dinner option; and an unparalleled duty-free shopping experience, featuring leading designer brands.
The cruise ship will also offer Princess’ signature Movies Under the Stars, with the largest outdoor screen at sea, and the exciting Princess WaterColor Fantasy fountain and light show. Accommodations will be configured to appeal to families and multi-generational travelers; all outside staterooms will have private balconies. Additional details about the new ship’s features and deployment schedule will be announced over the coming months.
Carnival Corporation adds third berth to Cozumel pier
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 09 October 2015 09 October 2015
Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest travel and leisure company, today officially opened an all-new, highly anticipated expansion of its operations in Cozumel, Mexico, adding a third berth to the company’s pier at Puerta Maya, the most popular cruise destination in the Caribbean.
With an investment of more than $20 million, the all-new “arm” was added to the company’s existing pier to allow three ships to be moored at the terminal at the same time. To mark the occasion, three of the company’s ships – Carnival Breeze, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Triumph – arrived today and became the first trio of ships to use the new three-berth pier. The pier will accommodate any ship across Carnival Corporation’s 10 brands, including its next-generation ships.
With 3.3 million cruise guests annually, Cozumel is the busiest cruise destination in the Caribbean, the world’s largest global cruise market. Carnival Corporation’s extra capacity with the expanded pier will allow more ships to call on Cozumel, increasing the number of guests who can visit the destination while also providing a significant economic boost to the local economy. In 2014, about 1.5 million Carnival Corporation guests visited Puerta Maya on 25 different ships originating from eight homeports and two countries across six of the company’s brands, and the company expects this to grow over the years with the added capacity at the port.
“Cozumel is the Caribbean’s most visited cruise ship destination and consistently receives high ratings from our guests,” said Giora Israel, senior vice president of global port and destination development for Carnival Corporation. “So the destination is in demand by our guests, and we are excited about officially opening the third berth to our pier, since it gives our brands greater flexibility for visiting Cozumel and more of our guests the opportunity to enjoy the island.”
While the new berth has been in the planning stages since 2005, work started on the new pier in May 2014. The existing two-berth pier was re-opened in October 2008, following an extensive $50 million reconstruction to repair the damage caused by Hurricane Wilma in 2005 which included destruction of the original pier. The rebuilt two-berth pier and the all-new arm providing a third berth at the pier have been constructed to withstand a threshold category 5 hurricane, in addition to being able to accommodate any ship in Carnival Corporation’s fleet.
“While this is a major milestone for our company, it is also a memorable day for our business partners in Mexico,” said Israel. “Without their collaboration, this project would not have been possible, and we extend our appreciation for their openness and cooperation. We are looking forward to how the expansion of our pier will have an important economic impact on jobs and opportunity for locals. Cozumel, one of the jewels of the Caribbean, has come a long way since it was devastated in 2005 by Hurricane Wilma. It is rewarding to see the island flourishing. And now, with today’s opening of our third berth, even more of our guests will be able to make Cozumel part of their vacation experience.”
The Puerta Maya pier and welcome cruise center is located on the southwestern part of Cozumel, approximately five miles south of San Miguel, the island's largest city. The cruise center houses over 50 different outlets offering apparel, fine jewelry, artwork and other merchandise from recognizable retailers such as Milano Jewelers, Del Sol, Piranha Joe's, Dufry and Diamonds International. The facility also features 15 stand-alone carts where local merchants market colorful handmade crafts, costume jewelry and souvenirs.
In April 2015, the expansive cruise center opened the world’s first underwater oxygen bar. Called Clear Lounge, the 13,000-gallon freestanding aquarium provides guests with a unique 20-minute experience underwater. Guests enter the bar wearing a high-tech Sea Trek helmet, a specially designed clear diving helmet, which provides a mixture of oxygen and aromatherapy. Bartenders serve up oxygen-enriched smoothies. The lounge also features the world’s first underwater photo booth, complete with a variety of props, from sunglasses to martini glasses. Guests can play games such as Jenga, write on message boards and target practice with high-powered bubble guns.
On-site dining options within the Puerta Maya complex include the Tres Amigos Bar, a theme restaurant inspired by the 1986 hit movie “Three Amigos” starring Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short. The waterfront eatery -- the first of its kind in the Caribbean -- offers traditional Mexican fare, along with an extensive beverage menu.
Also featured is Pancho's Backyard, an outpost of the popular downtown Cozumel eatery featuring magnificent ocean views, as well as Fat Tuesday, a waterfront bar offering frozen drinks and light snacks, along with a DJ and dance floor.
The shore excursion pier, separate from the main pier, allows for quick and convenient access to water-bound excursions serving both the mainland of the state of Quintana Roo and island of Cozumel.
Puerta Maya, one of three cruise terminals in Cozumel, is owned by Carnival Corporation. Carnival Corporation operates five additional global ports, including the newly opened Amber Cove in Dominican Republic; Palacruceros in Barcelona, Spain; Grand Turk Cruise Center in Turks and Caicos Islands; Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras; and Long Beach in California. The company also operates two private island destinations in the Caribbean, Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay. In total, Carnival Corporation cruise ships visit over 725 ports of call around the world.
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