Tag Archives: river cruise

Emerald’s First Ocean-Going Ship Completes First Year in Service

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The Emerald Azzura has just completed its first year in service. As Emerald Cruises’ first ocean-going vessel, the mega-yacht departed on its inaugural voyage on March 12, 2022.

Entitled “Best of the Red Sea,” the sold-out maiden cruise departed from the Jordanian city of Aqaba and also included visits to ports in Egypt and Israel.

With over 100 guests travelling on the ship’s 50 suites, the eight-day itinerary sailed to the resort towns of Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, and Eilat before returning to Aqaba for an included guided tour of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Petra.

In May, after additional cruises in the Red Sea and Europe, the Emerald Azzurra was officially christened during a ceremony in Venice, Italy.

During the summer, the 10,000-ton vessel offered a series of itineraries in the Adriatic and the Eastern Mediterranean visiting destinations in Greece, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus and more.

Later this year, the vessel is set to debut in the Caribbean, offering eight- to 19-day cruises to varied ports in the region, including Puerto Rico, Panama, Saint Vincent and Martinique.

Built by the Halong Shipbuilding Company in Vietnam, the Emerald Azzurra became the 10th vessel in the Emerald Cruises fleet – joining nine river cruising ships.

According to Emerald Cruises, the vessel offers modern suites and staterooms, 88 per cent of which have balconies.

The yacht also features a large infinity pool, a spa with an infrared sauna and a gym. Designed for cruising in warm waters, the Azzurra is also equipped with a retractable marina platform, that offers SEABOBs, paddleboards, snorkelling equipment and a water trampoline.

A fleet of electronic bikes from Gocycle is also available onboard and can be used “for local village trips and active explorations,” Emerald said.

The vessel is set to be followed by a sister ship in 2023 as the Emerald Sakara debuts in the Mediterranean in August.

Port of Hamburg Sets a New Record with 280 Calls

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Cruise Gate Hamburg (CGH) set a new record with 280 calls in the 2022 cruise season, ending it with a positive outlook.

According to a press release, so far Hamburg has received 280 calls by 49 different ships from 20 cruise lines, ten maiden calls, one christening and roughly 750,000 passengers as well as 41 calls by river cruise ships.

“After two years of pandemic-related restrictions, cruise shipping in Hamburg has made a strong comeback,” commented Simone Maraschi, managing director of CGH.

“At 280 calls the 2022 cruise season has seen the most calls ever at Hamburg, surpassing even pre-pandemic levels (2019: 210 calls). We are very happy about the high demand for cruises departing from Hamburg. For us, it is proof that the enormous efforts and the adaptability demonstrated by the entire industry during the COVID-19 pandemic are truly appreciated.”

CGH is expecting an even better cruise season in 2023. The port expects another record number of calls (283) and a further 37 calls by river cruise ships.

Apart from that, cruise fans in Hamburg can look forward to multiple entertainment events including eight maiden calls scheduled for 2023 as well as a celebration of the 834th port anniversary. 

Hamburg is also working on strengthening its position as one of Europe’s most sustainable ports. 

Jens Meier, CEO of the Hamburg Port Authority AöR, said: “Ports play a crucial role in decarbonization and keeping the air clean. Shore-side electricity enables us to significantly reduce ships’ emissions while they are docking at the Port of Hamburg.

“By rapidly expanding its shore power facilities, the Port of Hamburg shows its commitment to protecting the environment and takes account of the expectations Hamburg’s citizens have of a city port. We are looking forward to being one of Europe’s first ports to offer both cruise ships and container vessels shore-based power at the berth in 2025.”

In 2022, 30 cruise ships relied on the Altona shore power station. In 2023, 12 more ships will undergo integration tests so they can become certified and use the shore power station while they’re docked. 

Transcend Cruises Offering Unique Charter Model on European Rivers

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Transcend Cruises has already sold $20 million of the charter products ahead of its 2024 launch, said Matthew Shollar, CEO and co-founder.

The company is building two highly-customized riverboats for debut in Europe that are solely targeted at the charter market.

With a background in full-ship charters, Shollar said he had identified an opening in the market to essentially customize a ship for full-ship charters for groups, alumni associations, corporate clients and more.

“The physical hardware of the ships (in the market) doesn’t optimize itself (for charters),” he said. “The process for chartering is not optimal, taking retail departures out of inventory, and the software is not that flexible to be customized for the groups.”

The company’s two newbuilds will feature convertible staterooms, meaning 60 rooms or 30 double rooms (or a mix), depending on client specification. That means the ships are also smaller, capacity-wise than most of the European riverboat fleet which holds about 200 guests. There’s also a wellness area which is absent from most riverboats.

“This has opened up spaces for group locations,” he said, noting five spaces on each ship the entire group can meet and 10 additional spaces for breakout groups. Customized lighting and screens can be tailored to the client. In addition are storage areas for materials, an office for the charter client and even a separate reception desk if a group needs one.

“We’re not in the FIT business, we have no retail pricing, and we will never re-market to the guests on board as we have nothing to sell them,” Shollar said. “We are 100 per cent focused on the full-ship charter market.”

The company plans to operate a season similar to the mainstream European riverboat brands, going from March through New Year. If available, clients can select specific dates with a three-night minimum. Itineraries, the onboard product and destination experiences are fully customizable. Clients can also plan their own shore programs without penalty.

“We will have a customization team that will cover all the different elements for a flat fee. No markups,” Shollar said.

Shollar said the booking window for charters is between 12 and 36 months. With a normal shipbuilding cycle of 14 months, it’s possible the company is able to grow organically by selling inventory and then ordering more capacity.

The ships are also expected to be shallower, saving about 10 centimetres on draft, which could come in handy with water level issues. Battery packs will be used for peak shaving and for close-in manoeuvring.