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Costa Crociere confirms decision to recycle Costa Concordia wreck in Genoa after project group meeting

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 June 2014 25 June 2014

At the end of the Conferenza dei Servizi meeting held today in Rome, Costa Crociere reaffirmed earlier decisions to take the wreck of Costa Concordia to Genoa for dismantling and recycling: Genoa is the only Italian port in which demolition and recycling activities can start immediately and count on the best possible technologies and environmental safety standards, the company said in a statement.

“Our company wants to honour a precise commitment: to remove the wreck as soon as possible, in total safety and with the highest environmental standards. To reach this objective, we have turned to the best expertise, the most advanced technological solutions, and unprecedented financial resources,” said Michael Thamm, ceo of Costa Crociere

“In three weeks we will be ready to tow the Concordia from Giglio Island, in a period of time that statistically presents the most favorable weather and sea conditions. Given this timeframe, the only solution is transporting the wreck into a place which is fully equipped for dismantling with the highest environmental standards.”

“Up to now, all the technical decisions Costa Crociere has made have proven correct - from the selection and assignment of the removal project to Titan Micoperi, to the parbuckling last September. We believe we deserve the trust of the Italian authorities also for the final phase. The only objective we work for is to close this project in the best possible way”.

“The positive opinion expressed by 17 Ministries and public authorities over 19 that were called to give their technical evaluations today at the Conferenza dei Servizi Servizi, reassures us on the validity of Costa Crociere’s choice for the Genoa project.” adds Michael Thamm- “The Concordia project remains unchanged and is consistent with the one presented in the Conferenza dei Servizi two years ago, that foresaw the towage to an Italian port equipped with dismantling dry docks and facilities. Piombino is not a valid alternative due to the substantial delays in operations to build port infrastructure. We are confident that the Council of Ministers, that is now called to take a final decision, can positively evaluate the solidity of the Genoa project”.

The selection of the project for the demolition and recycling of the wreck presented by the Consortium Saipem/San Giorgio del Porto is the result of the evaluation of all the proposals received by Italian and foreign companies/consortia in the context of the international tender process that was launched in December.

The choice of this project is the result of technical considerations on the validity of proposed methodology, reliability and expertise of the companies and of the workforce involved, the certainty and rapidity of outcome, the environmental sustainability of all the working phases.

The Concordia wreck removal project is the biggest naval salvage operation in history. Currently more than 350 technicians are working 24/7 to complete sponson installation before the refloating phase. All the 15 starboard sponsons have been installed and now technicians are working on the last 4 sponsons to be positioned on the port side before refloating the wreck and prepare it for towage.

P&O Cruises asks Australians to name its ships

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 June 2014 25 June 2014

In an historic first, Australia’s resident cruise line P&O Cruises has launched a shout-out for Aussies to choose the names for its two latest ships.

The ships will join the cruise line’s existing fleet in November next year – and P&O Cruises wants Australians to decide what they should be called.

P&O Cruises Senior Vice President Tammy Marshall said it was fitting for Australia to name the latest ships, given Australian holidaymakers’ passion for cruising had made P&O Cruises the nation’s most popular cruise line.

Ms Marshall said it was the continuing popularity of the present three-ship fleet that prompted the cruise line’s decision to expand to five ships next year.

“We’ve been cruising from here for more than 80 years and we carry hundreds of thousands of Australians on holidays every year, so we think the time has come for Australians to put their stamp on our ships by choosing their names,” Ms Marshall said.

“We’re very excited by the idea and we can’t wait to see what names are put forward.”

While the last six P&O Cruises’ ships have all shared the word Pacific in their name – including the present fleet of Pacific Dawn, Pacific Jewel and Pacific Pearl – Ms Marshall said the latest ships did not have to follow the same pattern.

“We’re looking for names that are modern and fresh and capture the spirit of a cruise holiday.

“Ideally there’ll be some connection between the names of the two ships, but we’ll wait to see what Australia comes up with.”

Australians can submit their ideas via the cruise line’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/POCruises with the successful names to be announced on July 9.

The person who provides the best names, along with a theme and a reason for their choice, will win a cruise for two on the inaugural cruise of one of the ships with a partner or friend, and will also be a special guest at the naming celebration.

The deployment of the two ships represents P&O Cruises’ biggest ever fleet expansion and will see the cruise line operating the largest fleet of cruise ships home-ported year round in Australia, with five ships sailing under its flag.

The additional ships, which will transfer to P&O Cruises from Carnival Australia sister line Holland America Line, will deliver much needed capacity in the world's fastest growing cruise market. Work is already underway to develop itineraries and home-porting arrangements for the expanded fleet, with details to be announced in the coming months.

Both ships are of a similar mid-range size to the three existing P&O Cruises ships, with a range of onboard features that will be tailored for Australian and New Zealand cruise customers.

Celebrity Cruises announces Great British Chefs partnership

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 June 2014 25 June 2014

Celebrity Cruises, the premium market unit of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL) announced a new partnership with leading food and recipe website, Great British Chefs. “The rapidly growing website, with over 100 featured chefs boasting 120 Michelin Stars between them, is one of Britain’s leading authorities on great cooking and inspires food lovers with a vast selection of recipes, tips and how-to videos,” Celebrity said in a statement.

“The six month partnership offers Celebrity Cruises the opportunity to share its culinary expertise with users of the website who have an enthusiastic passion for food and cooking. The campaign will showcase a variety of recipes and ingredients from a number of global destinations, all inspired by cities, towns and harbours on offer from a Celebrity Cruises’ holiday.”

Commenting on the partnership Toby Shaw Director of Marketing and PR for Celebrity Cruises UK and Ireland said: “Food, drink and the dining experience is central to a Celebrity Cruises holiday and we look forward to developing our relationship with Great British Chefs. We’re always looking for new and innovative partnerships that help us reach a new audience who might not be aware of the exceptional choice of great food and stunning wines offered on Celebrity Cruises. We’ll be working closely with the team at Great British Chefs to provide both our collective audiences with new creative ideas and recipe recommendations.”

Focusing on a series of recipes on a monthly basis, designed by Great British Chefs such as Pierre Koffmann, William Drabble, Marcello Tully and Andy McLeish and a group of influential food bloggers, the content partnership will make the most of the great foodie credentials of Celebrity Cruises and Great British Chefs. The recipes, created by some of Britain’s most influential chefs, will be inspired by a particular region or location visited by Celebrity Cruises to bring to life the diverse dining experiences a cruise offers, from Mediterranean sea bass to confit duck from the South of France.

The campaign itself will run across a number of platforms and will include food blogger engagement, social media promotions and competitions and separately created web content.

Celebrity Cruises’ contemporary fleet offers a modern luxury experience with its cutting edge design and warm spaces; dining experiences where the design of the venues is as important as the cuisine; and the amazing service that only Celebrity Cruises can provide, all created to provide an unmatchable experience for holidaymaker’s precious time.

Great British Chefs is a premium brand that provides food lovers with great recipes, tips and how-to videos from the very best chefs in Britain.

Saga Cruises plans third ship, newbuilding an option

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 June 2014 25 June 2014

Saga Cruises, which is part of the recently floated lifestyle company Saga plc, plans to acquire a third ship to replace the recently withdrawn Saga Ruby and may even order a newbuilding, a spokesperson for the company told Cruise Business.

A report on CruiseCritic.co.uk said the third ship should be similar in size to the 446 passenger Saga Ruby II and Saga Sapphire, which has 706 berths.

Previously, we have looked at buying the slightly older tonnage, traditional tonnage," Saga Cruises’ ceo Robin Shaw told Cruise Critic. "It's fair to say that we will evaluate all options, including newer hardware. The option of a new build is not completely off the agenda.”

The Saga group offers a wide range of services to customers ovver the age of 50. The UK cruise market generated 1.72 million passengers in 2013, of whom 1.1 million were aged 55 or more.

New Bali cruises, bonus savings, scheduled for Crystal's fall/winter voyages

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 24 June 2014 24 June 2014

Four new Crystal cruises will feature Bali as a destination both on land and at sea in fall 2014 and early winter 2015. Complementing local overnights aboard Crystal Symphony are a bevy of native dancers, an Emmy award-winning Bali anthropologist/filmmaker, and arguably the island’s most renowned traditional chef. Departing Nov 24, Dec 7, Jan 5 and Jan 17, each new 12- to 14-day itinerary also calls in several other Indonesian ports while sailing between Bali and Singapore, and boasts visits to Australia and Southeast Asia, depending on the cruise. Limited time “Book Now” fares offer $800 in air credit, and up to $2100 in savings, on the voyages.

The expanded onboard programming includes:

Chef Heinz von Holzen – Local chef and author behind the island’s only authentic Balinese cuisine restaurant, bringing aboard his latest modern-meets-traditional recipes to share via hands-on cooking classes, demonstrations, a guest chef dinner for all, and a limited-availability Vintage Room dinner featuring multiple courses of the secret dishes, each perfectly paired with rare wines. (Jan 5 sailing only)

Dr. Lawrence Blair – Bali resident and anthropological expert, sharing personal tales from his Emmy Award-winning PBS series and book Ring of Fire, which explores the region’s volcanic eruptions, gypsy pirates, man-eating animals (and people), and Blair’s own homesteading in a Balinese village. (all voyages)

Local Kecak dancers – An ancient tradition, featuring a group of approximately 100 men clad in checked waist-cloths depicting the epic Hindu battle of Ramayana via native dance, chanting, and music. (all voyages)

Ashore, guests can ride an elephant through the forest, step inside temples once reserved only for the rajas, learn how traditional batik and other crafts are made, visit local villages and residences, taste and make even more traditional dishes, view volcano vistas and rice paddies, and experience other ancient stories through music, such as a Barong dance.

“From more time to explore the island itself to bringing the Island of the Gods’ top experts in culture, cuisine, and art on board, each cruise offers a rare immersive experience from ship to shore,” says Crystal President Edie Rodriguez. “Travelers can really embrace the genuinely warm and welcoming Balinese spirit that, although exotic, also so closely reflects Crystal’s own culture.”

Other Indonesian calls include Komodo Island (for the famed pre-historic Komodo dragons), Semarang (for UNESCO’s magnificent world heritage site, Borobudur), Jakarta, Surabaya and a maiden visit to Belawan. Depending on the sailing, other destinations include Malacca City, Penang, Kuala Lumpur/Port Kelang and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Sydney, Darwin, Brisbane, Hamilton Island/Whitsunday Island and Cairns, Australia.; and sailing through the Great Barrier Reef, Java Sea and Indonesian Archipelago.

Until the June 30 “Book Now” deadline, all-inclusive cruise fares for the Bali sailings start at $3,110 per person, with special perks and offers available for solo cruisers, families sailing with kids under 17, plus air credits of up to$800 per person. Shorter “Getaway” segments are also available on the 2014 sailings, for those with less time.

Crystal’s passion for taking care of guests in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort, or hotel in history.