Tag Archives: excursions

MSC Cruises Adds Electric Buses for Shore Excursions in Barcelona

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MSC Magnifica under the Forth Bridge, Queensferry, Edinburgh.

MSC Cruises has chosen Barcelona as its main port this summer for shore excursions to be operated by electric buses as part of the line’s ongoing sustainability drive, the company said, adding that it is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emission operations by 2050.

Daily excursions for guests from the Spanish port number between 20 and 25 journeys and the use of electric buses will make an annual saving of nearly 10,500 kilograms of CO2 emissions compared to petrol-driven vehicles., according to a statement.

The electric buses are also significantly quieter and reduce potential noise impact on local communities. 

MSC Cruises estimates that the new electric buses will transport up to 2,000 passengers every week during the summer from Barcelona and it is working with local tour operators to increase the figure to 4,000 customers with the introduction of more eco-friendly buses to join its sustainable ground transport fleet.

The busses will be available this summer for cruise passengers calling at Barcelona onboard the MSC Armonia, MSC Bellissima, MSC Divina, MSC Fantasia, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Lirica, MSC Magnifica, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Opera, MSC Orchestra, MSC Poesia, MSC Seaview and MSC Virtuosa.

MSC Cruises’ new 11,670 square meter cruise terminal at Barcelona is due to open in 2024 and sustainability credentials will be incorporated into the building.  The new cruise terminal is on track to be ‘Gold Rated’ under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – LEED – standard, a widely used global green building rating system.

Crystal to debut excursions for late-risers

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Crystal Cruises has developed an excursion product aimed especially at guests who like to sleep in.

While shore excursions typically launch 30 minutes to an hour after docking or tendering operations begin, these excursions will start at 11 a.m. or noon, depending on the itinerary. They are designed to dovetail with a late-riser’s breakfast served from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on both Crystal ships.

“The ‘Late-Risers Adventures’ allow guests who prefer more sleep in the morning, are perhaps still adjusting to a time change, or simply like to enjoy a long, leisurely breakfast, to keep their preferred schedule ,” said Crystal President Edie Rodriguez.

The new, later excursions will be offered beginning with Crystal Serenity’s Sept. 19 Boston-Quebec sailing, and on Crystal Symphony’s Sept. 27 Hamburg-Lisbon sailing.

Carnival UK questions how lines sell port excursions

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Carnival UK questions how lines sell port excursions

By Hollie-Rae Merrick

Carnival UK questions how lines sell port excursions

Carnival UK’s Gerard Tempest (pictured) believes cruise lines need to reassess their shore-excursion model as 
third-party suppliers continue to expand.

Speaking at the Clia Selling Cruise Conference in Southampton, chief commercial officer Tempest said in light of the expansion of third-party suppliers he was putting a lot of thought into the best approach for selling shore excursions and tours.

Attraction World recently started selling cruise excursions and Cruisingexcursions.com increased its agent commission at the end of April.

Tempest said: “I just wonder whether third parties have been in our blind spot and we have let some of those parties eat our lunch. We, and I daresay some other cruise lines, are wondering about our traditional model of offering shore excursions and tours. How fit for the future is it? And is there another model we could look at?

“That requires a lot of thought and understanding of the marketplace, but it is something that we are certainly paying attention to.”

Tempest, who was a keynote speaker at the Clia conference, also spoke about the excitement surrounding P&O Cruises’ Britannia and Royal Caribbean International’s Anthem of the Seas, which will both sail from Southampton on launch next year.

“Anthem of the Seas and Britannia will complement each other and will work together to stimulate the market,” he said. “The customers for Britannia and those for Royal Caribbean will sit comfortably together.

“We are excited about Anthem coming into the UK because of what it will do to stimulate cruise.”

Stuart Leven, UK boss of Royal Caribbean, agreed, saying: “The industry’s job becomes far easier with companies such as Royal Caribbean and P&O deploying their newest and best hardware in the UK.”