Tag Archives: Thomson Cruises

Carnival to build new Barcelona cruise terminal

Posted on by
Reply

Carnival to build new Barcelona cruise terminal

By Tom Stieghorst
Carnival Corp. and the port of Barcelona reached an agreement on the construction of a new $27 million cruise terminal that will handle post-Panamax sized ships.

The terminal will be about 107,000 square feet, large enough to accommodate 4,500 people. It is expected to open in 2016.

Carnival already operates a terminal at the port, which will be expanded by about 14,000 square feet. Both terminals are on the Adossat Wharf.

Carnival will invest the $27 million and run the terminal as a concession. The port will invest about $2.7 million on roads and other infrastructure and about $2 million on signage.

Barcelona is the fourth-busiest cruise port in the world, with an estimated passenger volume of 2.6 million passengers this year.

Post-Panamax ships

Post-Panamax or over-Panamax denote ships larger than Panamax that do not fit in the canal, such as supertankers and the largest modern container ships. The “largest oil tanker in the world”—whichever ship held the title at the time—has not been able to transit the Panama Canal at least since the Idemitsu Maru was launched in the 1960s; it carried about 150,000 deadweight tons. All US Navy aircraft carriers since USS Midway have been in the post-Panamax class

Cruise lines working with authorities over Venice lagoon debate

Posted on by
Reply

Cruise lines working with authorities over Venice lagoon debate

By Hollie-Rae Merrick

Cruise lines working with authorities over Venice lagoon debateCruise lines are working with Italian authorities to look at the option of moving the port in Venice to another part of the canal after concerns over the ships’ impact on the city.

Speaking at a Clia press conference earlier today, Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, said the industry was working with officials to find a solution and was looking at different canals to establish which would be the best alternative.

His comments came just days after protesters delayed a procession of cruise ships for over an hour by leaping into Venice’s Guidecca canal. The demonstrators believe the cruise ships are threatening the city’s foundations and want the port moved to an island away from the city.

Vago said the issue was “deeply emotional” for some Venetians, however the majority support the cruise lines calling at the destination.

He said there was no environmental impact on Venice by the vessels as cruise lines had already agreed to have a low sulphur admission on entering the city.

Vago said lines and authorities were looking at the ecosystems in the waters surrounding Venice to establish whether there was an alternative and appropriate route.

He added: “We (the cruise industry) are important to the city of Venice, everybody understands that.

“One shop out of six lives because of the cruise industry, 33% of the hotel industry lives because of the cruise industry. It is an emotional impact.”

Howard Frank, Carnival Corporation’s vice chairman and chief operating officer said he agreed that the issue was not a environmental one.

He said the industry needed to do a better job in getting the message out about how environmentally friendly cruise ships had become.

Behind the scenes, creating a new river cruise

Posted on by
Reply

Behind the scenes, creating a new river cruise

By Michelle Baran

InsightI’m not on your traditional river cruise. And I don’t just say that because I’m sailing along India’s Ganges River, a waterway that generally conjures up images of people bathing in its brown waters and of spiritual ceremonies along its banks, not a of luxury river cruiser gliding past its shores.

The cruise I’m on is unusual because it is an inspection cruise for Haimark Ltd.’s 56-passenger Ganges Voyager, slated to set sail here in 2015. A group of representatives from various river cruise and tour companies are scouting the experience using the slightly older 56-passenger Bengal Ganga, operated by Indian company Heritage Cruises.MichelleBaran

Consequently, I’m getting a rare glimpse into the world of river cruise product development. Representatives from Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, Scenic Cruises and Travel Indochina are here to see what Haimark could offer their clients in terms of land experiences and food and beverage, Since the hardware is still being built, they can’t experience the new ship, but Haimark has brought its culinary director onboard to produce the exact menus that would be served on the Ganges Voyager, and the itinerary we are sailing is the exact itinerary the Ganges Voyager will sail in 2015.

The result is an evolving dialogue about what Western visitors might want and expect from a cruise in India. The hope is that a river cruise vessel with upscale accommodations and a first-class culinary experience (minimizing the risk of severe stomach issues India is notorious for), coupled with the rich culture and history of West Bengal will appeal to river-cruise veterans who are looking to extend their experience in Europe or Asia to another destination.

What is interesting is the nonstop discussions on the passenger experience: Is there a better way to see Kolkata than through the windows of a tour bus? Is it better to visit Delhi at the end of the trip when travelers are more rested? Are there different interactive experiences or onboard lectures and classes that could enhance the learning opportunities?

Some of it is guesswork, and some of the ideas are developed from experience and feedback gathered from river cruises and tours elsewhere in the world.

Do people want to see poverty in India? Well, that’s part of the India experience, right? How much Indian food versus Western food should be on the menu? Well, there should be a bit of both on offer, right?
It’s an evolving process, but getting a behind-the-scenes look at the amount of thought and effort that goes into the product development offers, at the very least, a certain degree of confidence that planning and executing an itinerary is not something that is taken lightly. It’s an intense and difficult task, and I’ve gained additional respect for it now that I’ve gotten to witness it firsthand.