Tag Archives: Grand Celebration

FEMA Carnival Charter Cost $74.7 Million

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Carnival Fascination

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) charter of the Carnival Fascination will cost the agency $74.7 million, according to the contract between FEMA and Carnival Corporation, which was obtained by Cruise Industry News through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

The ship was chartered to provide housing for relief staff in the United States Virgin Islands following a number of hurricanes in September.

The charter period runs from October 11, 2017, to February 3, 2018, at a cost of $39.7 million, while a separate provision for port costs and other vessel costs comes in at $35 million, totalling $74.7 million.

By comparison, a 116-day operating period for the 2,056-guest Carnival Fascination would have resulted in gross revenue of approximately $44.2 million (versus the $39.7 million for the charter), calculated using gross revenue per passenger day reported by Carnival Corporation in the fourth quarter of 2016 and analyzed by Cruise Industry News.

By comparison, FEMA chartered the Grand Celebration in a similar deal for $25.8 million. 

The contract stipulates Carnival will provide three hot and cold buffet meals per day as well as drink availability (water, coffee, tea, juice) between meals. Staterooms will be cleaned on a weekly basis. In addition, Carnival will provide access to public spaces for FEMA personnel.

The separate $35 million line item includes docking and port fees in San Juan, various logistics provisions, waste removal, fuel costs, incremental costs related to crew compensation, and the “refurbishment of the ship at the end of the charter period to bring the ship to the same standards as the beginning of the charter period.”

Bahamas Paradise: Ship Upgrades and New Vessel Named Grand Classica

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Grand Celebration

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line announced today that Grand Celebration will set sail with several new guest-focused enhancements later this month, including a new adult-only area, a revitalized casino, and speciality coffee and juice bar.

The ship will return to its regularly scheduled two-night sailings on December 23, 2017, from its homeport in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The company also announced that its new vessel, set to arrive in April, will be named Grand Classica and will also sail two-night cruises to Grand Bahama Island. The ship is currently sailing as the Costa neoClassica.

The company has recently signed a three-year agreement with the Bahamas to bring both of its ships to Grand Bahama Island for two-night cruises.

“We are pleased to have been able to assist those in need in the Caribbean. Now we are ready to return to offering memorable cruises to our guests. We are excited to welcome an even better Grand Celebration back to Palm Beach, just in time for the holidays, with several new spaces for our guests to enjoy,” said Oneil Khosa, chief executive officer of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line. “We are also looking forward to the arrival of our new ship, Grand Classica, in April, and have strengthened our relationship with The Bahamas by signing a three-year agreement to bring both ships to Grand Bahama Island, thus offering daily arrivals to Grand Bahama Island and giving our guests added convenience to fit their schedules.

“Grand Classica will be a wonderful addition and complement to Grand Celebration,” said Khosa. “Having two ships sailing to Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line will be the largest provider of tourism to the island, carrying more than 500,000 passengers annually. It will also give our guests more flexibility and choice.”

 

Cruise lines have mixed success on sanitation inspections in 2014

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The cruise industry had fewer ships in 2014 that received “not satisfactory” grades after inspection by the U.S Centers for Disease Control, but also fewer that scored a perfect 100.

Twelve vessels failed to grade out at 85, the minimum score needed to achieve a satisfactory rating, during inspections conducted in 2014.

Most were smaller, older ships carrying less than 1,000 passengers. Only one of the ships, the 2,348-passenger Norwegian Star, carried more than 2,000 passengers. The Star received an unsatisfactory grade on Feb. 16, then received a 95 on its next inspection on April 25.

The Bahamas Celebration, operated from West Palm Beach by Celebration Cruise Line, was the only ship to receive an unsatisfactory grade twice in 2014. It also did once in 2013. It was recently replaced by Grand Celebration, operated by a reorganized company, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line.

Un-Cruise Adventures, an operator of smaller ships along the U.S. West coast, had two ships receive unsatisfactory grades in 2014, the Safari Endeavor and Safari Quest. The 86-passenger Safari Endeavor also did once in 2013.

The newly launched Pearl Mist operated by Pearl Seas Cruises was graded 61 in an inspection on July 15.  Pearl Seas is a new cruise line that hadn’t operated ocean cruise ships before.

The low score of 31 was given to Schooner Zodiac, a 26-passenger two-masted tall ship sailing out of Belllingham, Wash.

Following their unsatisfactory grades, the Bahamas Celebration received a 90 on Sept. 3, the Safari Endeavor a 93 on Sept. 7, and the Safari Quest an 87 on July 18. The Pearl Mist submitted a nine-page corrective-action report but has not been reinspected. The Schooner Zodiac has not submitted a corrective-action report and has not been reinspected.

This year, 26 ships received perfect scores, down from 39 in 2013. Carnival Cruise Lines had eight ships that got perfect 100s, and Royal Caribbean International had six. Other lines with ships getting perfect scores were Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line.

Last year, 17 ships received unsatisfactory scores below 85, according to CDC records.