Carnival Corporation 2023 Preview

Posted on 19 January, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Corporation is set for an eventful year in 2023 with a new product and new builds entering service.

Cruise Industry News looks into the most anticipated events taking place across the company’s nine brands over the next 12 months.

Carnival Fun Italian Style
Carnival Fun Italian Style is debuting in 2023, with the introduction of the Carnival Venezia in May.

Originally built for Costa Cruises, the vessel is set to offer a unique product, combining Carnival’s experience with special touches from the European country.

Following the Venezia, which will sail year-round from New York, the Carnival Firenze is also set to join the concept in 2024 and launch service from California.

Two Newbuilds
Two new builds are entering service for core Carnival Corporation brands in 2023.

Originally ordered for AIDA Cruises, the new Carnival Jubilee is currently being built in Germany by the Meyer Werft shipyard. Joining the Mardi Gras and the Carnival Celebration, the XL-Class ship will debut during the fourth quarter, offering Western Caribbean cruises out of Galveston.

A sister to the Seabourn Venture, the Seabourn Pursuit is set to become Carnival Corp’s second expedition ship. Under construction in Italy, the vessel is scheduled to enter service in October, ahead of a winter season in Antarctica.

In addition is a yet-to-be-named new build for Adora Cruises, Carnival’s joint venture in China.

More Efficient Fleet
While new ships enter service, Carnival continues to withdraw smaller and less efficient ships from its fleet.

In 2023, at least three vessels are set to be retired by the brands, including the AIDAaura, which will bid farewell to AIDA Cruises in September.

Two more ships from Costa Cruises are also expected to be withdrawn. The exits are part of an effort to right-size the brand in light of the continued closure of cruise operations in China – where Costa had significant capacity before the pandemic.

More Passengers Onboard
Carnival Corporation is expecting more passengers onboard its ships in 2023, with an aimed average occupancy rate of 90 per cent across its nine cruise brands in the first quarter.

The number is up from 54 per cent occupancy in the first quarter of 2022 when cruise operations were still being restarted across the globe.

Return to Asia and World Cruises
Following a three-year gap, several Carnival brands are returning to Asia in early 2023.

While Seabourn is set to offer a series of Southeast Asia itineraries during the entire winter season, Princess and Holland America are returning to Japan in the spring.

Several brands – including P&O, Cunard, Costa, Princess and Holland America – also resumed their world cruise itineraries in January, offering long global voyages that visit several international destinations and countries.

China Joint-Venture Debut
After years in the making, Carnival’s joint venture with CSSC is set to launch service in China in 2023.

Named Adora Cruises, the new brand will serve the local market, offering itineraries from several Chinese homeports.

In addition to two ships acquired from Costa, the joint venture is set to operate a pair of new builds, which are currently being constructed at a shipyard in Shanghai and are scheduled for 2023 and 2025 deliveries.

Carnival’s AIDA Brand Reports Record Bookings

Posted on 18 January, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

AIDA Cruises has joined P&O Cruises UK as two Carnival Corporation brands reporting record cruise bookings to start 2023.

Felix Eichhorn, President of AIDA Cruises, said: “We are seeing very strong interest for AIDA cruises across all channels. The record level of bookings covers the entire cruise program for 2023 and beyond. We are delighted that the AIDA fleet is on top of so many people’s minds when planning their vacations and that – whether for the first time or for a repeat – they are embracing our multi-faceted travel offering to the world’s most beautiful destinations.”

For long-haul destinations, AIDA said it is providing additional flight options for sun-hungry guests.

Helping the bookings has been AIDA’s sales push, with children up to 15 years old travelling free in the same cabin as their parents, for cruises booked for the summer 2023 season by the end of January.

Itineraries that have performed well, according to the company, are seven-day voyages from/to Kiel with the AIDAnova to Norway and Denmark or the one-week “Mediterranean Treasures from Mallorca” with AIDAcosma.

Resorts World Cruises to Restart Cruises in Hong Kong with Former Explorer Dream

Posted on 15 January, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

Resorts World Cruises announced it will restart cruises from Hong Kong with the Resorts World One from March 10 2023, offering two and three-night high-seas cruises, departing every Friday, Sunday and Wednesday of the week.

The Resorts World One was formerly the Explorer Dream, a 75,338 gross ton 13-storey high cruise ship that features 928 rooms, which can accommodate over 1,856 guests with world-class cruise facilities.

“We are pleased that Resorts World Cruises will have the first cruise ship to homeport in Hong Kong after the resumption of normal travel with the Mainland and overseas. We hope to support the growth of Hong Kong tourism as we had done for both Singapore and Malaysia,” said Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman of Resorts World Cruises.

Resorts World One is chartered by Resorts World Cruises and she will replace Genting Dream’s regular two- and three-night itineraries from February 17 until March 1 2023, as the Genting Dream goes into drydock for regular maintenance. Departing on March 3, Resorts World One will offer a special five-night repositioning cruise from Singapore, calling at Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, prior to arriving in Hong Kong on March 8.

Passengers can also embark from Kuala Lumpur (via Port Klang) for this re-positioning cruise on March 2, making it a six-night cruise calling at Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang before arriving in Hong Kong on March 8.

“It’s been an exciting journey so far and we are looking forward to starting our next chapter in 2023 with the introduction of the Resorts World One cruise ship. The ship will increase tourist arrivals and generate economic benefits to the hotels, transport, suppliers and other service sectors in Hong Kong. Resorts World One will berth at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, contributing revenue to the government-owned facility,” said Michael Goh, President of Resorts World Cruises.