P&O Cruises launches Singapore cruise program

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 05 August 2014 05 August 2014

Australia’s leading cruise line P&O Cruises today announced a series of cruises from Singapore following its expansion to a five-ship fleet.

The cruise line’s Singapore season will include five cruises to destinations in some of the most picturesque parts of Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia and will feature maiden calls to Krabi, Sabang (Palau Weh), Ko Chang, and Sihanoukville.

The cruises will be operated by one of P&O Cruises’ latest ships, Pacific Eden, which will join the cruise line’s fleet in November next year. Pacific Eden will arrive in Singapore in July 2016 and sail on four roundtrip cruises before returning to Australia.

“This is a very exciting time for P&O Cruises and our guests because our fleet expansion has allowed us to broaden our cruising horizons to include a cruise program from Asia to some of the world’s most fascinating destinations,” said Ann Sherry, CEO of P&O Cruises.

“None of this would have been possible without the expansion of our fleet which has allowed us to offer many more cruise holiday options over a wider geographic range.”

P&O Cruises last offered roundtrip cruises from Singapore in 2006.

The Singapore season will include:

– a seven-night South East Asia western itinerary visiting the Malaysian and Thailand towns of Sabang, Phuket, Krabi and Langkawi

–  a seven-night South East Asia eastern itinerary offering calls to stunning Sihanoukville in Cambodia as well as Ko Chang, Bangkok (Laem Chabang) and Ko Samui in Thailand

– a 13-night itinerary from Singapore to Cairns with a call to Dili in Timor L’este as well as visits to Indonesia and Darwin.

Passengers can also combine the east and west itineraries into a 14-night cruise. Fares begin from $949 per person quad share for the seven-night cruises.

The Singapore season is a major highlight of P&O Cruises’ record-breaking 2015-16 program which features 250 cruises from eight different homeports across its five-ship fleet.

Singapore Tourism Board Assistant Chief Executive Neeta Lachmandas said the board was thrilled that P&O Cruises was expanding its presence in Asia and Singapore, and would warmly welcome Pacific Eden to the region.

“Singapore’s strong air connectivity and seamless transport network supports P&O Cruises’ new itineraries in enabling more travellers, especially Australian cruisers, to use Singapore as a hub to discover the amazing diversity of Southeast Asia,” Ms Lachmandas said.
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Ms Sherry said P&O Cruises’ Singapore-based itineraries were a further sign of the maturing of the Australian market and its runaway success as the world’s fastest growing cruise market. “Last year, nearly 834,000 Australians took a cruise holiday, 20 per cent more than in 2012, and many of these are people who have cruised before and are now keen for new destinations and new cultural experiences,” Ms Sherry said.

“As growth in the fly-cruise segment shows, an increasing number of passengers are prepared to travel internationally to begin their cruise and P&O Cruises is responding to this market opportunity.”

P&O Cruises to refurbish Aurora for £26 million

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: More News More News

Published: 04 August 2014 04 August 2014

P&O Cruises, the UK focused contemporary market unit in Carnival Corp & plc group, has unveiled its plans for a £26 million make-over for the 76,132 gross ton, 2000 built Aurora this winter, the first ship in the fleet to receive the bold new livery design, the company said in a statement.

“The refurbishment will take place November 29 to December 18 in Hamburg, ahead of its Christmas and New Year cruise and before the South America & Pacific Adventure world cruise itinerary departing January 8, 2015.,” P&O Cruises said, adding that Aurora’s last refit was in 2009. The planned changes for 2014 include:

·        A new look livery design, which celebrates P&O Cruises heritage and its place as Britain’s favourite cruise company. It features a contemporary version of the Union Flag on its bow and new blue funnels with illuminated rising sun designs

·        The introduction of Sindhu restaurant for evening fine dining (replacing the library on deck 8) with an Indian fusion menu designed by Michelin-star celebrity chef Atul Kochhar

·        The Glass House restaurant and wine bar is replacing Café Bordeaux on deck 8. Available for brunch, lunch and dinner it will house wine displays and wines selected by expert and TV presenter Olly Smith. Enomatic wine systems allow passengers to buy premium wines by the glass. There will also be a private room for wine tastings and dinners

·        A complete refurbishment of the buffet restaurant (Lido deck, deck 12) with new décor

·        In the evening, The Beach House menu replaces the Pennant Grill menu to include family favourites such as Fillet of Beef on Lava Rock

·        A complete refurbishment of The Reef children’s clubs with room names changed to reflect Reef club names across the rest of the fleet

·        The introduction of Freedom Dining to Medina Restaurant with more tables for two and Marco Pierre White dishes on gala evenings

·        A refurbishment of the Sidewalk Café and the introduction of Costa Coffee and brand new “Grab and Go” counter, a great option for breakfast and lunch on the go

·        The library relocates to the current cyb@study space adjacent to the Crow’s Nest on deck 13

·        Casino and Champions refurbishment with new open-plan design, new furniture and improved stage area for entertainment, live music and quizzes

·        Photography gallery upgrade to include more touch screen technology

·        An extensive shop refurbishment

·        Refurbishment of Oasis Spa

·        Upgrade of all sound and light equipment in the theatre and show lounge

·        New soft furnishings for all cabins with flat-screen TVs

P&O Cruises marketing director Christopher Edgington said: “This is a massive investment. It’s all part of our ongoing commitment to ensure continuous improvement of our ships and consistency across the fleet. “Both Ventura and Arcadia underwent huge multi-million pound refits last year and Aurora is the next in line with Azura planned for 2015.

“Not only will Aurora feature firm favourites from Azura and Ventura, such as Sindhu and The Glass House restaurant and wine bar, but we will also see brand new initiatives as well as the distinctive new livery.

“As the very first ship to display our new livery, we have big plans to welcome Aurora back in to Southampton. We can’t wait to see her.”

Deilmann parent chairman vacates position as company fails to meet targets

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 04 August 2014 04 August 2014

MS Deutschland Beteiligungsgesellschaft, paret company of the luxury cruise shipping company Peter Deilmann Rederei, says its chairman has decided to vacate his position after the company is about to fail to meet its turnover growth and new customer targets, MS deutschland said in a statement.

Deilmann, which operates the 22,496 gross ton Deutschland, will fail to meet its turnover growth target by 6% in the current financial year. In addition, the company has not succeeded in acquiring new customers as had been planned.

As a consequence of this, Christopher Nolde, chairman of MS Deutschland, has decided to leave the company. The management will continue efforts to restructure the business with the help of Callista Private Equity, the company’s owner, with all options to restructure the business open.

Acciona contemplates on selling Trasmediterranea

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 04 August 2014 04 August 2014

The Spanish conglomerate Acciona is again contemplating on selling its shipping division, Trasmediterranea. The plan is to put it on the market from the end of this year. The sale will enable to company to concentrate its core business activities in water, energy, and infrastructure. The group’s director of corporate development, Juan Muro Lara, described Trasmediterranea as "a non strategic asset," Alan Lam reports.

Acciona acquired the previously state owned ferry business in 2000 for €300 million. This will not be the first time the group wants to sell it. Back in 2009, through the Spanish bank BBVA, it put the division on the market for €850 million. Unfortunately, owing to the then prevailing macroeconomic environment, no interested party was found on that occasion.

In recent years the division has been aggressively expanding its shore side service and cruise handling businesses in the Mediterranean. Only recently it was granted two-year passenger handling licenses in the Balearic Islands.

According to figures just out, Trasmediterranea - which operates 18 ferries and RoRo vessels, as well as occasional chartered units, in the Mediterranean and a link to the Canary Islands - in the first half of 2014 suffered a 13.4% reduction in passenger numbers and 17.4% fall in vehicle flow, despite a 5.9% growth in freight intake, resulting in a 1.0% fall in revenue, to €185 million.

This is regarded as the latest in a series of strategic moves made by the group, as, in recent years, Acciona has already disposed of its wind farm businesses in Germany and South Korea, a hospital in Canada, as well as various concessions in Spain.