News

The future of winter cruise is “winterless”

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 22 January 2015 22 January 2015

The third edition of Seatrade Winter Cruise Forum took place in Cartagena, Spain, on 21st and 22nd of January. Cruise Business Review was again present. Alan Lam reports.

The main theme discussed in this forum was how to change the perception of winter cruise into a “winterless” year-round cruise. As from year to year the industry is stretching the cruise season out for as long as possible, the only way to promote an even wider awareness of and achieve a bigger yield from the so-called off-season cruise operation is for the industry itself to change its own stubborn image of cruise being a sunny weather activity, stop regarding these colder months of the year as a collective handicap of the industry and begin to see the opportunities while recognising the limitation of the colder season, such as smaller markets and cooler climate.

Cruising is much more than just about sun, sea and beaches. Unlike the Northern Europeans and North Americans, the Asians, for example, do not go on cruises in search of warm weather and beaches. The demand for winter cruise products is growing stronger all the time. The industry has gone a long way to prepare itself for the market, such as building ice class ships with retractable roofs over the swimming pools. The Quantum class ships are built with more “inside” features and AIDA’s first newbuilding will be based in Hamburg year-round.

But there are various obstacles and challenges in need ofaddressing, such as issues concerning profitability, appropriate staffing levels, the readiness of ports & destinations, and a demographically smaller source market for bigger ships, etc.

A full report will be published in the next edition of Cruise Business Review.

ABB generates record Azipod orders in 2014 on ice-going and cruise ships demand

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 21 January 2015 21 January 2015

ABB, a global leader in power and automation technology, has received record levels of new orders for the marine part of the group’s business, driven by solid growth in demand for electrical propulsion systems especially in the cruise and ice-going segments. In 2014, the company won orders worth $ 200 million to deliver power plants and Azipod® propulsion systems to cruise customers and $900 million to deliver solutions to icegoing and icebreaking projects.

The cruise market, where electric podded propulsion is the preferred propulsion type, has seen a significant growth in recent years especially in emerging markets. During 2014, ABB secured a number of orders with leading shipyards to deliver latest generation Azipod XO propulsion systems to high-end cruise vessels. In addition to repeat orders from longstanding customers, ABB won strategically important contracts to supply Azipod propulsion units to new customers.

Arctic shipping volumes and oil and gas exploration in the Arctic area have reached record level, creating the need for specialized solutions for icegoing and icebreaking vessels. In the Arctic conditions, Azipod VI propulsion units optimize vessel efficiency and maneuverability while they also provide a high level of reliability to operations in the harsh and demanding conditions.

“ABB developed the Azipod® electrical propulsion system to deliver tangible benefits to shipowners and operators: To improve the overall efficiency of ships while also reducing the carbon footprint and providing better maneuverability compared to conventional propulsion solutions. This explains why ABB has become the leader in electric propulsion and continues to harvest from increased demand across several vessel segments, cruise and arctic shipping in particular,” says Heikki Soljama, Managing Director of ABB’s Marine and Ports business. “While being a record year for Azipod sales, 2014 also marked another year of significant growth for diesel-electric propulsion. The tangible benefits of electric propulsion explain why during the last decade, the electric fleet has seen annual growth of 13%.”

“With a long history of cooperation, Lloyd’s Register welcomes the current success of ABB in delivering diesel electric and podded propulsion solutions for the cruise, off-shore and increasingly arctic market segments. Since the first installation of ABB podded propulsion units on-board the Carnival Elation in 1997, Lloyd’s Register has worked closely with ABB to realise the performance and reliability of the AZIPOD unit and looks forward to many more years of continued cooperation,” says Ed Fort, Global Technology Leader, Lloyd’s Register.

In addition to Azipod propulsion system, ABB offers a wide range of marine solutions that improve the energy efficiency of vessels. “Energy efficiency has always been one of our key business drivers, and customers benefit by partnering with one experienced supplier offering integrated power and automation, and energy management,” Soljama adds.

Holland America reveals summer 2016 deployment for Koningsdam

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 20 January 2015 20 January 2015

In summer 2016, Holland America Line’s newest ship, Koningsdam, will debut a series of northern Europe and Baltic cruises as part of the premium line’s robust Europe season that features seven ships sailing throughout the region. Koningsdam’s summer itineraries — and all of Holland America Line’s 2016 summer Europe sailings — will be available for booking in early February.

Following a series of previously announced 7- and 12-night Premiere Sailings from Feb. 20 through April in the Mediterranean, the ship will reposition from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, to its summer homeport of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Koningsdam will then go on to sail roundtrip Amsterdam itineraries to Norway, the Baltic and Iceland, where breathtaking vistas and grand fjords await.

“For the first summer sailing season of our beautiful new ship ms Koningsdam, we’ve crafted some incredible itineraries to Europe’s most beautiful ports,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “We recommend booking early because response to Koningsdam’s Premiere Voyages was overwhelmingly positive.”

Koningsdam’s 13-day repositioning cruise from the Med departs May 9 and explores 10 ports in Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal, France, Belgium and the Netherlands before ending with an overnight at Amsterdam.

Koningsdam showcases Norway in summer 2016

Once at Amsterdam, the ship will begin exciting seven- and 14-night cruises to Norway that showcase the country’s majestic scenery and quaint landscapes. A 7-night itinerary in May, July and August calls at Flam, Stavanger, Kristiansand and Oslo, with scenic cruising in Sognefjord and Oslofjord. Another seven-day itinerary in June and July calls at Eidfjord, Ålesund, Geiranger and Bergen, with scenic cruising in Hardangerfjord and Geirangerfjord. A seven-day voyage in August calls at Bergen, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Ålesund and Eidfjord, with Hardangerfjord and Geirangerfjord scenic cruising.

A longer 14-day Norwegian exploration departs May 29 and July 17, and crosses the Arctic Circle while calling at eight ports in Norway. Guests also will enjoy memorable scenic cruising in Hardangerfjord, Geirangerfjord, Trondheimsfjord, the North Cape and Sognefjord.

British Isles and Baltic round out Koningsdam Europe highlights

Travelers looking to visit the British Isles and Iceland can embark Koningsdam Aug. 14 for a cruise to Newcastle upon Tyne, England; South Queensferry (Edinburgh) and Invergordon (Inverness), Scotland; Reykjavik (overnight), Isafjordur and Akuruyri, Iceland; and Ålesund and Bergen, Norway.

The Baltic awaits Koningsdam’s guests on two 14-day itineraries in June and September, also sailing roundtrip from Amsterdam. The ship calls at the most sought-after ports in the region, with visits to Copenhagen, Denmark; Warnemunde (Berlin) and Kiel (Hamburg), Germany; Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg (overnight), Russia; Helsinki, Finland; and Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden.

At the end on the season, Koningsdam sails from Amsterdam to Civitavecchia on a 12-day journey that visits England, Gibraltar, Portugal and four ports in Spain. On Oct. 24 the ship repositions to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on a 14-day voyage that crosses the Atlantic following calls at Alicante, Malaga (Granada) and Huelva (Seville), Spain; and Funchal, Madeira.

Koningsdam’s Premiere Voyage and Sailings

As previously announced, Koningsdam’s seven-day Premier Voyage sails roundtrip from Civitavecchia departing Feb. 20 to Dubrovnik, Croatia; Kérkira (Corfu) and Katakolon (Olympia), Greece; and Naples, Italy. The 12-day Premiere Sailings that follow are two alternating itineraries roundtrip from Civitavecchia. The “Greek & Turkish Treasures” itinerary calls at Katakolon, Piraeus (Athens), Rhodes and Crete, Greece; Istanbul (overnight) and Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; and Naples, Italy. This itinerary also will be offered Sept. 30, in addition to the Premiere spring departures.

The “Mediterranean Mosaic” itinerary spends 12 days visiting Naples, Italy; Palermo, Sicily; Cagliari, Sardinia; Gibraltar, British Territory; and Cádiz, Málaga, Cartagena and Barcelona (overnight), Spain, sailing roundtrip from Civitavecchia. In addition to the Premiere spring departures, this itinerary also will depart Oct 12.