Tag Archives: Europe

Crystal Cruises’ new adventure ship emerges from the shipyard

Posted on by
Reply
Image result for crystal endeavor

The latest Crystal Cruises’ adventure ship Crystal Endeavor has been rolled out of a German shipyard eight months before it is due to enter service.

The 200-passenger polar class expedition vessel touched water for the first time at the MV Werften yard in Stralsund.

The all-suite ship is due to set off on its first cruise from Tokyo on August 10, 2020.

Crystal Endeavor will feature helicopter pads and a submarine capable of carrying seven passengers 980ft underwater.

Other facilities include chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s Umi Uma & Sushi Bar; a spa and fitness centre; mud rooms and a helicopter lounge.

Itineraries are available until early 2023 range from the Arctic, Antarctica and Australia to Africa, Europe and Indonesia.

Crystal Cruises’ president and chief executive Tom Wolber said: “Each milestone marked in the journey to introducing Crystal Endeavor to the world becomes more thrilling, as we know that the most adventurous luxury travellers are eagerly awaiting the unforgettable experiences that lie ahead, just as we are.

Carnival Cruise Line to return to Europe

Posted on by
Reply

Carnival Cruise Line will make a return to Europe in 2016 when it launches new ship Carnival Vista.

The news comes after the line announced in May 2013 that it would have no ships sailing in Europe during 2014 and 2015, citing increasing airfares as the reason behind the decision.

New itineraries for summer 2016 on Carnival Vista include Athens, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Izmir, Corfu, Livorno, Marseille, Messina (Sicily), Naples, Rome, Trieste and Valetta.

The ship will have its first European sailing on May 1 and will then have 18 sailings in Europe before moving on to New York in October. The ship’s official homeport has yet to be revealed.

The ship will have the first IMAX cinema at sea, as well as new dining options, more alfresco dining and the biggest Waterworks of any Carnival ship. The ship will also have a new Havana pool at the back of the ship, with Havana cabana staterooms available to book.

Mark Tamis (pictured), senior vice president of guest operations, said: “I really feel and we do [at Carnival] that this is the greatest ship to date and certainly the best ship to come from Carnival Cruise Line.

“This is about building on past success. This is built of the success of Carnival Breeze and what is rolling out across the whole Carnival fleet.

“We set out to make this our most innovative ship to date. This is about creating connects and a connection to the sea. This ship, like no other ship, brings that all together.“

When the line announced it was pulling away from Europe in last year, the company said it didn’t believe Americans, who make up the vast majority of its passengers, would pay increased airfares to cross the Atlantic.

In May last year, agents were praised for switch-selling customers to book a Caribbean cruise with Carnival rather than a European one.

During a VIP agent trip on Carnival Breeze last year, Lynn Torrent, executive vice-president os sales and guest services, said the line’s bosses were watching the moves being made by other international brands. She said Carnival was sitting back and seeing what other lines were doing in the UK market before making a decision.

Biggest, newest ships can thrive in Europe, Asia: Goldstein

Posted on by
Reply

Goldstein - 'In the Mediterranean, Europe and Asia-Pacific, the largest ships can be viable and thrive'Goldstein – ‘In the Mediterranean, Europe and Asia-Pacific, the largest ships can be viable and thrive’

Oasis of the Seas turning around in Barcelona this month and Quantum of the Seas going to China next year show that Europe and Asia can handle cruising’s biggest and newest hardware. As Adam Goldstein, president and coo of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., put it: ‘In the Mediterranean, Europe and Asia-Pacific, the largest ships can be viable and thrive.’

When Oasis of the Seas made its inaugural call at Barcelona two weekends ago, it generated three times the media response of anything the company has ever done in the region, Goldstein said. Apart from the publicity, the operations were impressive—a ‘great accomplishment’ by the Port of Barcelona.

‘It clearly shows Europe is capable right now of supporting the biggest ships in the world and the infrastructure exists to support Allure of the Seas for a full season next year,’ Goldstein told Seatrade Med in Barcelona last week. ‘We now have the opportunity to deploy our biggest and best new ships here. This bodes well for the Mediterranean.’

It’s the culmination of a sequence of development. The current Oasis ‘micro-season’ paves the way for Allure’s full season. Going step by step over time gives everyone the chance to acclimate.

‘The infrastructure that exists to handle 6.4m passengers wasn’t here 20 years ago,’ Goldstein said. ‘The fundamental capability to accommodate growth in the Mediterranean is available if there’s adequate planning.’

From a source market perspective, Europe remains ‘a mainstay of the business for us and the industry. We’d all like to see the macroeconomic situation in Europe be better than it is,’ he added. However, the good news is that Spain is showing signs of recovery.

The market is growing, although at a slower rate. ‘We’re able to generate profitability here. It’s really attractive to cruise in Europe. The business is doing well,’ Goldstein told Seatrade Insider during an interview in Barcelona.

Last year cruises in Europe attracted nearly 1m non-Europeans, demonstrating resilience following the global recession.

And Asia is emerging as the third major cruise operating region of the world.

After the recent deal to sell Celebrity Century to China’s Ctrip.com International, it’s too early to tell how the relationship will develop. ‘We’re in discussions to see,’ Goldstein said. ‘They’re already a producer for us. We hope to maintain and build the relationship.’

The fact that Quantum of the Seas will operate year-round from Shanghai is ‘remarkable. It’s an amazing development for the Royal Caribbean International brand and the company to so quickly have one of our newest ships operating in China.

‘I don’t think anybody foresaw something like this,’ he said, adding that just 10 years ago, China was ‘a gray spot on the map’ for the cruise industry.

Next year Royal Caribbean will have four ships there, counting also Mariner of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Legend of the Seas.