Miami Expecting 52,000 Cruise Passengers in One Day

Posted on 8 December, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

PortMiami is hosting an estimated 52,000 cruise passengers on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018.

This sets a one-day record for passenger traffic at PortMiami, the port said, in a statement.

PortMiami will be welcoming the following cruise vessels:

Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival Horizon
Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival Magic
Disney Cruise Line Disney Magic
FRS Caribbean San Gwann
MSC Cruises MSC Divina
Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Getaway
Oceania Cruises Oceania Riviera
Royal Caribbean International Empress of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International Allure of the Seas

“It’s definitely a busy time for PortMiami,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “I want to welcome all cruise visitors to Miami-Dade County and encourage them to explore all that our community has to offer. Cruise passengers are essential to the continued growth and development of the tourism industry in Miami-Dade and contribute millions of dollars to our local economy annually. That includes air travel, hotel nights, entertainment and shopping. I want to thank the more than 52,000 passengers we’re expecting this Sunday for selecting Miami as a destination.”

“PortMiami is home to the world’s most renowned cruise lines,” said Chairwoman of the Economic Development and Tourism Committee Rebeca Sosa. “Last year the Cruise Capital of the World handled more than 5.6 million cruise passengers, welcoming each and every one with open arms and a smile. We’re more than ready for the 2018-2019 cruise season!”

Scanship to Retrofit AWP System on Insignia

Posted on 16 March, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

Scanship announced it had been awarded a contract by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to deliver and install a Scanship AWP (advanced wastewater purification) system aboard the Oceania Insignia.

The system will process all grey wastewater sources and black water to the industry highest environmental standard, the company said, in a statement.

“This will be the 13th contract for wastewater retrofit we will be doing for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the second for Oceania Cruises. We are thrilled to continue delivering systems to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and supporting their commitment to cleaner oceans and sustainable seafaring,” said CEO Henrik Badin.

This standard is specified as IMO Marpol MEPC 227 (64) with chapter 4.2 for special area Baltic Sea including phosphorus and nitrogen removal. The installation will be done during the fall of 2018.

Norwegian’s Del Rio sees room for expansion

Posted on 11 March, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

Norwegian Cruise Line entered the Chinese market last year with the Norwegian Joy.Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio told analysts that his ships were “in the right place at the right time” in 2017 but admitted that there were plenty of spots on the map he’d like to cover with new ships.

“We have so many markets that are unserved by us or grossly underpenetrated by us,” Del Rio said in a question-and-answer session with analysts to discuss fourth quarter and 2017 earnings in February.

“We don’t have a presence in the Mid-Atlantic states,” he said. “We’re not in Baltimore. We’re not in Charleston. We don’t have a presence at all in the world’s second-largest port, which is Fort Lauderdale.”

And the list kept growing.

“We don’t have a presence in the Gulf states of Texas or Alabama,” he said. “We don’t have a year-round presence in Tampa or New Orleans or Los Angeles. We only have three ships in Alaska, which is a very high-yielding market. Some of our competitors have up to eight vessels.”

Del Rio said that given the fleet size and the company’s intention to build only one new ship a year for its Norwegian Cruise Line brand, it could be a couple of years before he would consider adding a second ship in China, because, although profitable, it was not a banner year in China in 2017.

“I don’t think China is hitting on all cylinders as it can,” he said, referencing the continued tensions with South Korea and the resulting uniformity of short cruise itineraries, which only visit Japan.

Del Rio said that the Wave season for 2018 started strong and the company’s outlook is bullish, driven by a strong economy and consumer demand.

“Our overall booked position during the first seven weeks of 2018 further improved compared to the same time last year,” he said.

In addition to Norwegian Cruise Line, NCLH owns Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The three lines operate a combined fleet of 25 ships with some 50,400 berths, offering itineraries to more than 450 destinations.

On average, guests of NCLH brands are booking five weeks earlier than they did at the end of 2016, Del Rio said.

NCLH net income rose 23% last year, to $780 million, as European pricing and bookings recovered faster than expected and the booking curve extended to a near-optimal length.

Revenue rose 10.7%, to $5.4 billion.