Tag Archives: start up

China Cruise Line Staffs Up, Anticipating Restart

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The Chinese cruise industry may be ready to start sooner than later, as CSSC Carnival China Cruise Shipping, which will operate as Adora Cruises, is staffing up in the sales department.

The company is a joint venture between China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and Carnival Corporation.The company announced the appointment of Chen Yinglan as the sales director of the East China region, Lin Binbin as the sales director of the South China region, and Sun Wen as the sales director of the North China region.

Chen Ranfeng, CEO of CSSC Carnival, said in a translated statement: “The three are ‘senior cruise people’ who have been deeply involved in the industry for many years. They are also leaders in the cruise sales field. They have rich experience in marketing and a solid industry foundation in their respective regions. Maintain long-term and good cooperative relations with partners in the same industry. I believe they will play an important role in the market expansion of CSSC Carnival.”

The company said it will use a multi-vessel multi-homeport operation strategy and operate international routes in East Asia and Southeast Asia throughout the year. The company will focus on homeporting ships in China but is also committed to selling international departures as well, according to a statement.

As far as ships, the Costa Atlantica and Mediterranea previously transferred to Carnival’s joint venture in China prior. A new building is scheduled to be delivered from a shipyard in Shanghai this year.

Zito: Swan Hellenic Ready for Strong Start-Up

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The CEO of Swan Hellenic, Andrea Zito, said that the company is in a good position ahead of its launch in 2021.

“We are receiving only positive comments from the former customers of Swan Hellenic. The sector is reacting very well to the fact that Swan Hellenic is being resurrected in a way,” Zito told Cruise Industry News.

The first of two new expedition ships, the m/v SH Minerva, debuts into service for the brand in 2021.

The revived Swan Hellenic launched earlier this year. However, the brand is actually 70 years old and was acquired in December 2020.

“One and a half [years ago], the group started the negotiation and placed the order for two ships with Helsinki shipyard for delivery at the end of 2021 and mid-2022. And then the pandemic came. This was not really planned,” Zito said.

The coronavirus pandemic caused Swan Hellenic to postpone any announcements from spring to July. However, otherwise, Zito’s company had adjusted to the challenging conditions.

“It’s a little bit slower, but we are doing things very efficiently. It is amazing to realize how many things you can accomplish without travelling continuously,” he said, describing the challenges of having offices in different European countries.

Zito said that Swan Hellenic offers what seasoned travellers look for.

The company will sail to destinations in New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Russia, and, Zito said proudly, the semi-circumnavigation of Antarctica.

“Our ships are some of the very few ships that have Polar Class 5 … So we can stay longer, we can go deeper in the environment and, most importantly, we can go safer because the characteristics of the ships are of higher safety standards to ensure that passengers are well protected,” he said.

According to Zito, Swan Hellenic’s ultimate goal is to cover the whole world.

“It’s not just a box-ticking exercise, it caters to people who are thirsty for knowledge: they are curious and they want to discover various parts of the world. And the world is still very big.” 

Carnival Prepared for ‘Worst Case’ Scenario

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Carnival Corporation ships from P&O, AIDA and Princess
Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation, addressed the media on a conference call on Thursday afternoon.

Highlights:

Donald said recent fundraising efforts from Carnival Corporation has prepared the company for a “worst-case scenario,” meaning capital to operate for some time without revenue. He noted the company was still seeking additional liquidity options in the form of stimulus packages from other governments.

Donald said he was hopeful that existing debt could be extended as well.

He noted the company is doing everything it can to take care of its crew and manage ships during the disruption.

“We want to make sure we are in a position to succeed once cruising resumes,” he commented.

As for as previously proposed industry regulations that said guests over 70 needed a medical waiver to board ships, Donald said he did not know what the future would hold in terms of new rules and regulations.

Donald said there was still demand and the company was seeing bookings for this summer as well as for the rest of 2020 and 2021.

“The (start-up) will probably be certain locations, certain destinations, certain times … it’s unlikely you’ll be sailing a full fleet right away or anything like that.”

In terms of Carnival’s upcoming 18 new ships and orderbook extending to 2025, Donald said most of the newbuilds could be delayed with shipyards currently closed.

Donald said the company was in dialogue with its shipyard partners on timelines, delays and event potential cancellations.