Ports & destinations

Record number of cruise tourists arriving in Spain

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 13 August 2015 13 August 2015

Alan Lam reporting

The Spanish public port control body, Puertos del Estado, has just released the latest set of half-yearly figures demonstrating that the country may be on course to set a new record for the total number of annual cruise tourists arriving at its ports.

In the first six months of 2015 Spain received 3.54 million of cruise tourists, a nearly 9% increase on the 3.2 million of the same period last year. About 2 million of those arrived through its Mediterranean ports, which enjoyed a 6.5% increase on 2014, with Barcelona, Málaga, Valencia and the Balearic Islands taking the lion’s share of 1.96 million.

The Canary Islands have continued to gain market share. With 1.11 million in the first half of 2015, a 9.4% increase on the same period last year. The number of cruise tourists to these islands now represents 31.6% of the national total.

375,781 passengers arrived in remaining Spanish Atlantic ports, representing about 10.6% of the national total, with Cádiz, Vigo and A Coruña being most in demand. These three ports have together attracted 311,682 passengers during this period.

Despite the relatively smaller number, the Spanish Atlantic islands (excluding the Canary Islands) enjoyed a 19.7% increase in number on the previous year.

From January to June, Spanish ports received 1,646 cruise calls, with average passenger number per ship somewhere between 3,500 and 4,500, about 1,000 higher than a decade ago when the number was between 2,500 and 3,500.

According to its port authorities, Autoridades Portuarias, Spain’s cruise tourist number could reach 8.1 million for the whole of 2015, surpassing the existing record of 8 million set in 2011.

Matthias Rieger appointed new Managing Director of Hamburg Cruise Center

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 07 August 2015 07 August 2015

Hamburg Cruise Center (HCC), the marketing initiative for the cruise destination Hamburg, has appointed Matthias Rieger as its new managing director with effect from 1 August 2015. Mr Rieger takes over the post from his predecessor Nadine Maraschi (née Palatz) and possesses longstanding experience of the Hamburg tourist industry.

Dr. Behn presented the new managing director to the association members at the mid-season HCC event on 29 July 2015. “In appointing Matthias Rieger as head of HCC we have succeeded in gaining an acknowledged expert with longstanding experience not only on the purchasing side, but also the organisational side of the tourist industry and with industrial, political and administrative contacts. As such we have an excellent successor to Nadine Maraschi, who will be sorely missed; not least thanks to the outstanding service she rendered in developing Hamburg into one of the most significant European cruise ports.”

Rieger headed the CCH Congress Organisation for many years and was latterly managing director of the Hamburg Convention Bureau (HCB). Within the scope of this position he was also active internationally and coordinated, for example, German community stands at trade fairs all over the world. Commenting on his new post, Matthias Rieger said that he “was looking forward to forging ahead with the successful HCC concept for marketing the destination and consolidating the interests of the 120 plus members. Together we aim to further expand cruise business in Hamburg.”

Encompassing 125 stakeholders from tourism, the port, industry, cruise business and politics, the HCC mid-season event held at Cruise Terminal 1 in HafenCity, duly acknowledged the departure of Nadine Maraschi, who worked successfully for many years at HCC. Mrs Maraschi will remain active in both the cruise industry and the Hanseatic city of Hamburg after moving to her new position as Liaison Manager Northern Germany at MSC Cruises. “From its modest origins as a 2-to-3-year pilot project with a membership of just 20, Hamburg Cruise Center has developed into a key player with over 120 members and is today a true beacon of success in terms of cruising in Hamburg,” said Nadine Maraschi in her farewell speech.

In the wake of a record year in 2014 that embraced 189 port visits, 589,000 passengers and 23 cruise lines with a total of 34 ships calling to Hamburg, the first six months of 2015 has promptly set a further record. In May 2015 the cruise terminals in Hamburg processed 120,257 passengers during 37 port visits; a 15.5 percent rise against May 2014 (104,143 passengers). Even more amazing is the fact that back in 2009 this figure constituted the passenger volume for the entire year. This shows what the destination Hamburg is now able to achieve when all partners work together.

AIDA cancels calls to Faroe Islands because of Pilot Whaling Act

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 11 August 2015 11 August 2015

AIDA Cruises has just announced the cancelling of its three planned calls to Klaksvik this summer in response to the new Faroese Pilot Whaling Act. Alan Lam reports.

The Act, recently passed by the local government will continue to allow pilot whales to be massacred or culled in the name of the Faroese cultural tradition, or food and resources management; it also empowers the authority to imprison - for up to two years - those found guilty of impeding the legitimate whaling activities of the self-governing islanders, who jealously defend their whaling right in spite of torrents of international condemnations.

Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd are among those taking direct action against this Act. It is believed that each year in Faroe Islands around 1,000 pilot whales are dragged into shallow waters and brutally killed with handheld knives. Haunting images of these slaughtered animals lying in a sea of blood are circulating throughout international media. There have been calls and petitions for the image conscious cruise industry to boycott these islands. Many cruise lines have scheduled calls to Klaksvik. They have been accused of supporting whaling simply by going there.

AIDA Cruises is the first major cruise line to make such a decisive move. The popularity of Faroe Islands as a destination has been growing among cruise travellers in recent years. This move by a major cruise operator is a serious blow to the local tourism industry, as it will mean losing up to 6,000 visitors to the islands, plus a substantial number of crewmembers.

Cruise lines will not want to be associated with the tarnished image of Faroe Islands. Aida will probably be the first of many to withdraw from this destination.

Magellan gets grand reception in Aalborg

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations

Published: 24 July 2015 24 July 2015

Cruise liner the Magellan (formerly the Holiday), built at Aalborg Shipyard in 1985, has made the first ever return to her place of birth. The reunion was enthusiastically witnessed by a large crowd in Denmark’s fourth city, many of them former yard workers who took part in building what was then the world’s biggest cruise ship.

When the Magellan berthed at Aalborg on the morning of 16th July, 30 years had passed since the cruise liner left Aalborg Shipyard for her maiden voyage for Miami, Florida. The Holiday, as the ship was christened, took three years to build and her completion marked the end of the yard’s proud ship-building tradition. Accommodating 1,800 passengers and 600 crew, with nine decks, some ten restaurants, a hospital, a fitness centre and several swimming pools, the Holiday was then not only Scandinavia’s largest new passenger ship but, at DKK1.5bn, she was also the result of a world record-breaking contract for a single vessel.

Thirty years of service

Since her maiden voyage in 1985, the Holiday, which was renamed the Magellan when, in the winter of 2014, British Cruise & Maritime Voyages took possession, has enjoyed an exciting career. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, the Holiday was called in to help, and over two years she served as a temporary crisis centre and hospital ship for some of those made homeless by the hurricane. The Holiday was once more redirected from her ordinary duties in the west Caribbean and refurbished to serve as a four-star hotel ship during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Nostalgic reunion

Despite the 30 years since her completion and several renovations, the ship was never forgotten by those who brought her into the world. It took some 3,800 workers to build the ship, many of whom turned up at quayside to enjoy a reunion with the imposing vessel. Present were also members of Aalborg’s Cannon Society, who gave the liner a noisy welcome salute.

To mark the special occasion, 100 former ship yard workers had been invited on board for the so-called Plaque and Keys ceremony. Commercial Director Christopher Coates took the opportunity to thank the yard workers for their fine craftsmanship. After a tour of the vessel, the event was rounded off by a dinner in one of the ship’s restaurants.

Ole Brøndum, Sales and Marketing Manager at Port of Aalborg, said: "There is no doubt that the Magellan is very important to Aalborg – she is the pride of the city and its former shipyard. This is clear from the crowds that were at the quay to welcome her back, and not least from the enthusiastic response to the exclusive on-board event. We’re so excited that Cruise & Maritime Voyages has brought her back to give the many people and ship yard workers the great experience of a reunion with one of the yard’s most extraordinary achievements."

Besides the on-board event the 30-year anniversary also offered an opportunity to book a voyage from Aalborg to the Magellan’s home berth in Tilbury by London. The Magellan is due to return to Aalborg in October, when more shipyard workers will be welcomed on board.