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Carnival acquires Alaskan railway, tour and retail business

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 08 June 2018 08 June 2018

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise shipping group,has through its subsidiary, Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire TWC Enterprises Limited’s White Pass & Yukon Route (WP&YR) division, which includes White Pass’ port, railroad and retail operations in Skagway, Alaska. The transaction is scheduled to close on July 31, 2018 subject to customary closing conditions, Carnival said ion a statement.

The price was not disclosed.

In addition to the acquisition, Holland America Princess Alaska Tours also executed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), subject to review and approval, with Survey Point Holdings, Inc., an Alaskan company based in Ketchikan, and one of its affiliated companies. This MOU will create a joint venture making Survey Point the managing partner of the port, White Pass Scenic Railway and the associated retail operations that Carnival Corporation & plc is acquiring from TWC Enterprises.

As part of the new MOU and joint venture, the partners plan to make investments in the business, which will enable continued economic development and job growth in Skagway and the surrounding region, making a positive impact on the local economy and further benefitting the Alaska tourism industry. These investments will include support for expansion of docking facilities to accommodate the newest generation of cruise ships, a key to the port’s long-term success.

MSC Cruises’ Onorato warns of industry growth impact on yields - report

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 08 June 2018 08 June 2018

Yields in the cruise industry could fall in the future due to the huge orderbook of newbuildings, MSC Cruises’ CEO Gianni Onorato was reported as saying.

Asked whether occupancy levels were at risk of falling from so much growth, chief executive Gianni Onorato was cited by Travel Weekly in the UK telling delegates at the ITT Conference in Sicily: “No, we are not crazy. But in difficult times it can have an impact on yields more than occupancy. So I think this will be more of an issue than occupancy levels.”

He said that the UK market, which recorded a growth of less than 1% to 1.96 million passengers last year, had staged the weak performance due to lack of capacity, but the outlook for the future was better.

Onorato noted that the biggest challenge facing cruise lines was future proofing ships. “Knowing what guests want in 2040 when you’re building them now is very difficult to predict so we need to have a flexible mindset and be able to follow guests’ needs (in terms of technology) but at the same time maintain human contact,” Onorato was quoted as saying.

TUI Cruises to launch premium spirits and dining package

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 07 June 2018 07 June 2018

TUI Cruises, the Hamburg based premium market cruise line, will launch a package that includes premium grade spirits and extra charge restaurants on all its six ships in the course of August.

The company already operates an all inclusive concept, which covers alcoholic beverages apart from premium branded ones.

The package, which will cost €413 per person for a seven night cruise and €484 for a 11 night cruise, was tested last year. It will cover e.g. champagnes, sushi, and premium meat dishes in the grill restaurants.

It will also cover cabin service charge to allow passengers to enjoy these items in their own cabin, the company said in a statement.

Bermuda reverses ban on same sex marriage

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 07 June 2018 07 June 2018

The Supreme Court in Bermuda has reversed ban on same sex marriage that was decided in February, the first jurisdiction in the world to take such a step backward, according to media reports following a referendum.

Carnival Corporation & plc has many ships registered on the island that is a British crown dependency and the Anglo-American cruise giant had joined forces with those calling for scrapping of the ban.

The ban has prevented same sex marriages being conducted on board ships of Carnival group ships that are registered on Bermuda. These include all ships of Cunard Line and the majority of those of Princess Cruises and P&O Cruises. Same sex marriage is legal in the UK apart from the province of Northern Ireland.

P&O Cruises has posted computer generated footage of its next ship, the 180,000 gross ton Iona, on YouTube that shows Southampton in the UK as its port of registry, the same as of Britannia that was introduced in 2015.

Bermuda Chief Justice Ian Kawaley was cited by The Independent newspaper in London as writing in his decision: “Parliament cannot impose the religious preferences of any one group on the society as a whole. One side of the freedom of conscience coin is that as a general rule no one can be compelled to participate in activities, which contravene their beliefs.”

“The other side of the same coin is that the State cannot use the legislative process to pass laws of general application which favour some beliefs at the expense of others.”

The Bermuda government has six weeks to consider whether it is to appeal against the ruling, the Independent reported.

Carnival UK president Josh Weinstein said in an interview with Travel Weekly: “We are delighted that the supreme court of Bermuda has decided that same sex marriage is legal in Bermuda and we congratulate OutBermuda on its hard-won challenge. As a result of the judgment, it will also now be legal for same sex couples to marry on board cruise ships registered in the country.”

“As a company committed to equality, inclusion and diversity, we believe everyone deserves equal dignity and respect, and we are proud to have provided our support to OutBermuda’s efforts to champion marriage equality. We will now be working closely with the Bermudan authorities to understand when we will be able to resume marrying same sex couples on board.”

Carnival Spirit to sail year-round from Brisbane

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 06 June 2018 06 June 2018

Carnival Cruise Line has announced Carnival Spirit will become the brand’s first ever ship to home port in Brisbane.

The announcement follows the ACCC’s approval of a new cruise ship terminal in Brisbane.

Rated as Australia’s favourite year-round cruise ship by members of Cruise Critic, Carnival Spirit will arrive into her new home in 2020. She will sail year-round from Brisbane to the tropical archipelagos of Vanuatu and New Caledonia, as well as offer shorter cruises to destinations in North Queensland.

Jennifer Vandekreeke, Carnival Cruise Line Vice-President, Australia, says, “Queenslanders have embraced Carnival’s free-spirited, family-friendly fun since our arrival in 2012. Since then, we have welcomed nearly 75,000 Queenslanders on Carnival cruises from Sydney and Melbourne. We’re delighted to announce that with the new cruise terminal we’ll be able to offer Queenslanders the opportunity to sail on Carnival right from their doorstep.”

With more than 45 activities over 12 decks of fun, Carnival Spirit provides the ultimate fun at sea, offering Green Thunder, the fastest and steepest waterslide at sea, as well as three swimming pools, the childfree Serenity Retreat and more than 20 bars, lounges and dining options.

Itineraries for Carnival Spirit’s 2020 Brisbane sailings will be announced mid-June 2018 with bookings opening in early July 2018.
Carnival Australia’s arrangements with the Port of Brisbane remain subject to approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board.