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CMV takes over sales and marketing of Passat Kreuzfahrten in further German drive

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 26 March 2014 26 March 2014

Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV), the Uk based cruise shipping company that recently acquired Transocean Kreuzfahrten in Germany, said it has taken over of the shore side sales and marketing management of Passat Kreuzfahrten and expansion in the growing German cruise market.

"As part of this strategic alliance, CMV will assume full control and responsibility on 1st April 2014 for the distribution, marketing and commercial shore side management of Passat’s premium rated cruise vessel, Delphin (470pax) and 13,000 capacity year round cruise programme," the company said in a statement.

This development follows the earlier announcement in January of CMV’s take-over of Transocean Kreuzfahrten and Astor’s (600pax) 7,000 summer capacity German programme and 17,000 capacity river cruise programme. The four ship river cruise fleet includes; Belvedere (176pax), Bellefleur (150pax), Bellejour (180pax) and the Sans Souci (80pax) featuring the Rhine, Main, Danube, Mosel, Neckar, Elbe, Oder, Havel, Rhône and Saône rivers.

The Transocean acquisition also included its Munich based ship management unit, whereby the CMV group is no longer a tour operarator but manages both Astor and Marco Polo inhouse. Discovery belongs to All Leisure group, the UK based niche cruise shipping company, that has said it will sell the ship at the end of the 2014 summer season. CMV has not yet stated whether or not the ship will continue with it in 2015.

During the winter season (Nov-May), Astor is operated on the Australian market under the CMV brand home porting in Fremantle (Perth) with a programme capacity of 10,000 passengers.
Christian Verhounig, CEO and Chairman of CMV explains, “This important new alliance with two established cruise lines and popular premium brands will provide valuable synergies, enhanced distribution and competitiveness with coordinated and measured sales initiatives. We will be retaining the existing Offenbach based sales office and the team will be headed up by the highly respected Klaus Ebner as Director of Sales & Marketing”.

Chris Coates, Commercial Director of CMV added, “Germany is now Europe’s fastest growing and highest yield European cruise market and while this expansion has no direct effect on the core and growing 49,000 passenger capacity UK market, this new initiative strengthens the Group’s overall international presence in line with strategic development and growth plans”.

CMV is part of the Global Maritime Group and also operates three other ocean vessels, the Marco Polo (800pax), Discovery (700pax) and Astor (600pax) plus the river vessel, Vienna I (160pax) under the new premium plus Signature River Cruise brand. In 2014, the combined ocean fleet passenger carryings are projected to exceed 70,000 passengers representing almost 100% growth since 2010.

The 16,631gt Delphin that was built in Finland in the mid-1970s is owned by Vishal Cruises Pvt, Ltd and is chartered to Passat Kreuzfahrten Gmbh. It has 237 cabins and carries 470 passengers with a wide range of well appointed public facilities across seven passenger decks and is equipped for worldwide ocean cruising for the premium sector. Destinations include Scandinavia & Russia, the British Isles, Greenland, Iceland and the Arctic Circle, the Mediterranean, South America, Antarctica and Africa. During the summer, Delphin’s dual home ports are Kiel and Bremerhaven in Northern Germany.

Seabourn hires Robin West as Manager, Expedition Operations & Planning

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 26 March 2014 26 March 2014

Seabourn announced that it has hired veteran expedition leader Robin West as its Manager, Expedition Operations & Planning, to head up its cruise programs in Patagonia and the Antarctic, as well as developing new expedition land elements and tours for the company in other regions around the world. The appointment follows West's role as expedition leader during Seabourn's highly successful inaugural season of four voyages aboard its ultra-luxury Seabourn Quest in Antarctica and Patagonia between November of 2013 and February of 2014.

"Robin was a key to the enormous success of our first season in Antarctica," said Seabourn's president Richard D. Meadows, "and not solely because of the depth of his knowledge and expertise, but also because of his skillful collaboration with Seabourn's shipboard team, coordination with the large and diverse expedition team on board, and his understanding of the expectations of our guests. Those same abilities will continue to help Seabourn expand the definition of ultra-luxury travel."

A native of South Africa, West is a graduate of the University of Port Elizabeth. After graduating he founded two companies offering scuba diving and outdoor adventure experiences in many of South Africa's most beautiful and exciting areas. Expanding his experiences beyond Africa, he has participated in expedition travel operations since 2002, sailing on numerous ships and planning and executing expedition programs for half a dozen companies. He has spent multiple seasons in regions from the circumpolar Arctic to the Antarctic, including East and West Africa, the South Pacific, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, Australia and the Mediterranean.

At Seabourn, West will be responsible for planning and managing Seabourn's cruises in the Patagonia and Antarctic regions and will continue his role as onboard expedition leader during the company's Antarctica season. He will also act on the company's behalf in preparing the detailed daily landing schedules in Antarctica and hiring and managing the larger expedition team. In addition, he will further enhance the company's current deployments with added opportunities for Seabourn guests to enjoy the company's award-winning, six-star luxury and onboard amenities in combination with authentic, adventurous experiences ashore.

Seabourn's award-winning fleet of intimate, all-suite ships circles the globe throughout the year, sailing to the world's most desirable destinations at their peak seasons including marquee cities and lesser-known yachting harbors and hideaways that few travelers ever see. Remarkably all-inclusive fares offer tremendous value for one of the world's finest travel experiences.

Silversea christens Silver Discoverer

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

A third expedition ship, Silver Discoverer, officially joined the Silversea Expeditions fleet during a christening ceremony held today at the Marina Bay Cruise Center in Singapore.

A traditional Chinese lion dance performance and bhangra folk dancers provided colorful local entertainment for the quayside event. Silversea's senior executive team and company chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio were on hand to welcome a guest list that included local dignitaries and members of the trade and media from around the world.

Following a blessing, honorary godmother Elda Turco Bulgherini, professor of navigation law at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, officially welcomed Silver Discoverer to the Silversea Expeditions fleet by cutting a ceremonial ribbon.

"This is an exciting and proud moment for Silversea," said Lefebvre d'Ovidio. "With itineraries encompassing some of the most fascinating and remote regions of the Pacific, Silver Discoverer will take our guests to places where few people have ever set foot – offering incredible opportunities not just for travel and learning, but for life-enriching cultural experiences."

Fresh from a major refurbishment, the 5,218-ton Silver Discoverer has been updated with elegant carpets, upholstery, and photography. Up to 120 guests are accommodated in 62 all ocean-view suites, each featuring an in-suite bar set-up, refrigerator, and a totally renovated bathroom, enhanced with rich marble detailing. Besides a new walk-in rainforest shower, each bathroom features a new vanity, shelving, mirrors, lighting fixtures, and wood flooring. Plus, all suites have been redecorated and outfitted with reupholstered furniture, new flat screen TVs, and new mattresses topped with luxurious Pratesi bed linens. Select suites benefit from a small private balcony.

Public areas include a restaurant, main lounge (and lecture room), The Discoverer Lounge (with seating for breakfast and lunch), The Grill (for outdoor dining), an outside bar, and a small swimming pool. An all-new sun deck area has also been added, along with a fitness, beauty and massage room. All public areas have been refitted with either new or reupholstered furniture to provide Silversea's guests an expedition cruising experience in the comfortable and intimate Silversea atmosphere.

Guests aboard the small-sized Silver Discoverer will be able to explore some of the world's most secluded regions and enjoy an enriching onboard program of destination lectures, photo presentations and daily recaps. Zodiac excursions and interactive walks ashore will be led by experts in their field – marine biologists, ornithologists, geologists, botanists, historians, and anthropologists.

Silver Discoverer will embark on her maiden voyage from Broome to Darwin on April 2, exploring Australia's spectacular Kimberley Coast.

Cruises booked in UK within three months to departure hit 10 year peak in 2013

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

The proportion of British passengers that booked their cruise within three months to departure hit a 10 year high in 2013, affected by a weak economic climate at the start of the year plus the Costa Concordia incident, Cruise Lines' International Association (CLIA) UK & Ireland said.

"This affected the early booking market for 2013 cruises to the extent that the ratio of cruises booked more than nine months in advance (23%) was the lowest for 10 years," CLIA said. "This led to more late sales in 2013 despite the slow economic improvement in the UK economy as the year progressed," CLIA said in a statement.

"In times of economic stress, it is no surprise to see that the biggest changes over the last three years are the way that more all-inclusive pricing and other special offers have taken on even greater importance."

On the other hand, ultra luxury lines attracted more than 27,000 passengers last year from Britain.

“Momentum has returned to the UK cruise market in 2013 with significant growth in passengers numbers and especially in embarkations from our home ports – both of which are impressive achievements when set against a backdrop of an economy that has proven slow to recover," said Andy Harmer, director of CLIA UK& Ireland in the statement.

“The cruise industry’s continued confidence in the UK market is clearly demonstrated by the increasing number of ships that will sail from British ports in the coming years, and we believe this marks a key point in the continuing growth of the UK cruise market.”

Caribbean suffers big fall in popularity as Britons opt for home country departures

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

A trend of rapid increase in popularity of departures from British ports has resulted in a significant fall in the popularity of the Caribbean as a destination, Cruise Lines' International Association (CLIA) UK & Ireland said in a statement, adding that Northern Europe and Norway have been the biggest winners.

"The figures for last year show a big shift towards cruising from UK ports at the expense of fly-cruise, particularly to the Caribbean, which has seen numbers drop by almost 100,000 since 2009 due to Air Passenger Duty and higher airline costs," CLIA said.

Cruising in the Mediterranean remained the most popular choice for British passengers, accounting for 644,000, but this is set to be overtaken by Northern Europe with numbers up by 20% last year to 531,000. This continues a trend of "spectacular growth" for the region over the past decade during which passenger numbers have grown fivefold.

Within Northern Europe, Norway stands out, with the number of passengers visiting the country on cruises departing from the UK leaping from 37,000 to 218,000 in a decade. This is part of a wider trend which has seen a continuing increase in the number of UK passengers starting their cruises at home rather than overseas.