Ports & destinations

Trois-Rivières inaugurates cruise terminal

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 03 June 2016 03 June 2016

Yves Lévesque, Mayor of Trois-Rivières, accompanied by Julie Boulet, Minister of Tourism and Minister Responsible for the Mauricie Region, recently inaugurated the brand new port terminal at the city’s Harbourfront Park.

For the past five years, Trois-Rivières has welcomed international cruise ships, enabling more than 9,500 passengers and 4,600 crew members to discover the charms of this pretty city nestled at the confluence of three waterways. In fact, cruise visitors have given the city a satisfaction rating of 87%. With an objective to bump this number even higher and offer visitors a new experience, Innovation et Développement économique Trois-Rivières initiated the process that culminated in the opening of the new port terminal. For Mayor Lévesque, the investment was a necessary one: “This new port terminal will allow Trois-Rivières to shine, while positioning itself advantageously to attract and serve international cruise lines.”

The new terminal was built at a cost of $630,000, with the City of Trois-Rivières contributing $382,000, the Ministère du Tourisme du Québec $168,000 and the Port of Trois-Rivières $80,000.

“I could not be prouder to participate in the inauguration of the Trois-Rivières port terminal, a project supported by my government. Through the tourism plan in our Maritime Strategy, we are aiming to make the St. Lawrence River a world-renowned tourism destination that will be the pride of Quebecers, enjoy a high profile among foreign visitors, and reap the considerable economic benefits of sustainable development. This achievement will greatly contribute to providing a warm welcome to cruise clientele as they visit the city and region,” said Minister Boulet.

For his part, Gaétan Boivin, President and CEO of the Port of Trois-Rivières, said: “The money invested in the new port terminal is in keeping with the Port’s goal to facilitate access to the river for citizens and visitors alike and enhance the city-port interface. In recent years, the Port of Trois-Rivières has notably created Hector-Louis-Langevin Park on the banks of the river and a pedestrian walkway to make it easier to access to the Park. All of these improvements further enhance our reputation for hospitality and enable us to surpass our clients’ expectations.”

Bremerhaven to host Cruise Europe's annual congress is 2017

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 02 June 2016 02 June 2016

Cruise Europe: Success for Bremerhaven - Annual Congress 2017 to be hosted in Bremerhaven/Bremen.

For several years now, Columbus Cruise Centers in Bremerhaven (CCCB) and Wismar have been affiliated in Cruise Europe, a prestigious international cruise-marketing cooperation representing about 120 North European ports.

CCCB achieves a great international success. At this year's Cruise Europe Congress in Dublin, our organisation contended for the honour of hosting the event in 2017. After a preliminary visit and assessment of our location and program proposal, Cruise Europe decided to put Bremerhaven on the short-list.

On Wednesday, June 1, the members were shown a specially edited version of the promotion film "Bremen/Bremerhaven - Made of Stars". Bremerhaven managed to ward off competition from two other destinations and secured the hosting of this important event in 2017. Bremerhaven's entry was given comprehensive support by various organisations - the city council, Bremerhaven Destination Marketing, the Bremen Senator for Economy, Ports and Labour, bremenports GmbH & Co KG as well as the hotel industry and other institutions in Bremen and Bremerhaven. Bremen and Bremerhaven can now look forward to an important few days for the international cruise industry in April 2017, with both towns welcoming cruise experts from all over the world. The congress will also include a wide range of excursions.

Since it is also a member of Cruise Europe, the event is of equal importance for activities at Columbus Cruise Center Wismar.

Costa Cruises launches one-day tours from St. Petersburg to Moscow

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 23 May 2016 23 May 2016

Costa Cruises has announced the introduction of a major innovation for the 2016 summer season, which will make its Baltic Sea cruises even more exclusive. Starting this May, guests vacationing on the Costa Luminosa will have the unique opportunity to visit the city of Moscow, thanks to two new tours.

Costa is the first company to offer cruise passengers day trips without the need to fly to Moscow. During the two-day stopover in St. Petersburg, one of the calls on the Costa Luminosa’s 7-day cruises this summer season, guests will be able to get to Moscow in just 4 hours on the new Sapsan. Alternatively, they can opt for the 2-day excursion, combining Moscow with a guided tour the next day of all St. Petersburg’s main monuments, thus letting participants get a real feel for Russian culture and history.

Also, when they choose one of Costa’s shore tours in Russia, guests will not have to worry about all the red tape involved in applying for a tourist visa. Visas will be included in the price of the excursion; adding to the flexibility and convenience, these tours can be booked right up until the day before.

The “Moscow in a day” tour starts with a tasty, energy-boosting breakfast on the high-speed train, the perfect way to start the day en route to the marvels awaiting at your destination. In Moscow, the first stop on the panoramic tour is the Kremlin and a visit to its Armory Museum, dating back to 1581, followed by the staggeringly spectacular sight of St. Basil's Cathedral, the icon of Russia. While in Red Square, guests will have time at leisure, while they will be served dinner on the train journey back to St. Petersburg.

The 2-day “Super Russia” excursion includes all of the above plus a picturesque tour of St. Petersburg during the ship’s second day there. This panoramic tour of the home of the Czars takes in its main tourist attractions, notably the Winter Palace and St. Isaac's Cathedral. Guests will be able to enjoy a guided visit of the Peter & Paul Fortress and Cathedral, before heading for the world-renowned Hermitage, one of the largest museums in the world, with around 3 million items in its collection. Itself a travel destination, the Hermitage occupies more than 5 buildings and you could stay for days and still never see all the art on display. On this excursion there is a 2-hour guided tour of the masterpieces and the majestic architecture in which they are housed.

The “Jewels of the Baltic” itinerary on the Costa Luminosa, featuring the innovative Moscow tour, is available through August 13, with weekly sailings from Stockholm, and calls in Helsinki, St. Petersburg (two days) and Tallinn, before returning to Stockholm, where the ship stays overnight.

New CEO for South Pacific Tourism Organisation

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 29 May 2016 29 May 2016

The South Pacific Tourism Organisation will have a new Chief Executive Officer, following its recent Board of Directors meeting held in Gold Coast, Queensland last week.

The SPTO Board announced the appointment of Tonga national, Christopher Cocker, as its CEO. The appointment of Cocker comes as no surprise given his vast regional experience in trade, investment and regional tourism and having worked with regional agencies such as the Pacific Trade & Invest Auckland office, Pacific Community (SPC), to mention a few.

Cocker was also employed by the SPTO in recent years as the Project Manager for the EU-funded Pacific Regional Tourism Capacity Building Programme (PRTCBP) which was implemented by the regional tourism organisation.

Welcoming the news, SPTO’s Acting CEO Alisi Lutu said, “Our heartfelt congratulations to Chris and we look forward to starting this new chapter with him at the helm of SPTO. It is an important role given SPTO’s mandate to market and develop regional tourism and we are glad that Chris’ experience and expertise will come in handy when he assumes his position”.

The Board and staff of SPTO convey its utmost and sincere congratulations to Cocker and anticipates his assumption of official duties soon.

Southampton and Royal Caribbean International ink a seven-year, £5.5m deal

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 23 May 2016 23 May 2016

As Royal Caribbean’s latest, and the world’s largest, ship – Harmony of the Seas – arrived into Southampton, the global cruise line’s Strategic Operation Officer, Mike Jones, Managing Director of UK and Ireland, Stuart Leven, announced a seven-year deal with the port of Southampton, worth £200 million to the local economy, at the official Plaques and Keys ceremony onboard the ship.

The deal secures Southampton’s City Cruise Terminal as the official UK home of Royal Caribbean International and secures £5.5 million’s worth of investment from the holiday company. The investment has so far enabled Associated British Ports (ABP), owner and operator of the Southampton port, to prepare the terminal for a new generation of ships heralded by the arrival of the latest addition to Royal Caribbean’s 25-strong-fleet.

The improvements made to the terminal have been designed to enhance the embarkation experiences for both passenger and crew. New paperless check-in for passengers and a kerb-to-gangway processing of only 10 minutes makes it the fastest route from home-to-international holiday for holidaymakers.

Other upgrades include improvement to layout and security screening areas, free wifi throughout the terminal, step-free-access to ships up to Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class, as well as the addition of digital signage and ‘wow walls’ to build excitement as guests check-in. New air-conditioning has been installed throughout the terminal and port staff will welcome improved logistics enabling the port to handle up to 500 tonnes of stores.

ABP Southampton is Europe's leading turnaround cruise port and can welcome even the biggest ships in the world. Thirty seven metres longer than the Eiffel Tower and the length of four football stadiums, Harmony of the Seas is the world’s largest cruise ship at 227,000 gross registered tonnes in weight. Such record breaking proportions have also necessitated the expansion of the port’s processing area to make City Cruise Terminal ship-shape for Harmony of the Seas and her guests.

Stuart Leven, Royal Caribbean’s Managing Director of UK & Ireland said of the deal: “Each year, more than 1.5 million holidaymakers either start or end their cruise holidays in Southampton, making the port Europe’s largest cruise ship hub. Such a busy passenger hub deserves best-in-class facilities and at Royal Caribbean we are constantly looking for ways to improve the passenger experience. I want our passengers’ extraordinary adventure to begin the moment they arrive at the Port, before they even step on board the ship.

Leven continued: “The investment Royal Caribbean has made into the Port is good news for our passengers and good news for Southampton’s economy.”

ABP Southampton Director, Alastair Welch, said: “We are delighted to confirm that the port of Southampton will be the official UK home of Royal Caribbean until 2023. This deal will secure the port’s reputation as the UK’s number one and leading European turnaround port long into the future. Equally, it is great news for the UK economy, and the landmark deal can only increase the significant contribution cruise makes to the 15,000 jobs and £1bn economic contribution of the port.”

The announcement was made at the traditional ‘Plaques and Keys’ ceremony in front of Nick Farthing, Southampton Chamber of Commerce, as well local business leaders including ABP’s CEO James Cooper. In by-gone days the keys of the city would be given to the Captain; today, however, Mr Farthing gave Harmony of the Seas captain, Gus Andersson, a plaque containing the city’s coat of arms.

In return, the ship gave Mr Farthing and Mr Cooper, a print of Stephen Wiltshire’s artwork commissioned specifically for Harmony of the Seas. Currently displayed on board, Stephen’s artwork was created entirely from memory yet perfectly captures the coastal cities of Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Marseille, three of the locations guests will experience when sailing on Harmony of the Seas after she sets sail on her inaugural voyage on the 5th June from Barcelona.