Miami
The world famous Canyon Ranch, leading operator of destination health resorts, will design and operate the spa, beauty salon, wellness and fitness facilities on board Marina, which is set to debut in late 2010, announced Bob Binder, President of Oceania Cruises. Just recently, Canyon Ranch renewed its contract with Cunard to offer spa services on the Queen Mary 2. Mediterranean ferry company Moby Lines’ President Vincenzo Onorato has warned that the future of the Mediterranean ferry market is not bright. Mr Onorato said that there would be casualties before the end of the year as the global economic crisis continues to but a damper on consumer demand. “There are too many companies in the western Mediterranean and the law of the jungle is at work,” he said. “I think a number of companies will not survive the year.” Mr Onorato said that competition in the region had always been tough but as the economic crisis unfolded, the battle for patronage was getting fiercer. Medium-sized companies were adding services while simultaneously cutting ticket prices. Meanwhile, Mr Onorato has gone against popular belief that a state-owned ferry company would be privatised. “It is not true that the European Union has demanded the privatisation of Tirrenia, what it has demanded is a public bidding process for the lines and subsidies.” Venice
Onboard the new ms Seabourn Odyssey "Our intention is to file the litigation relatively soon,"Arison told cruise writers today during a press conference aboard the new Seabourn Odyssey. "I think we've pretty much exhausted all other outlets."
The cruise industry is on the verge of filing a lawsuit against the state of Alaska over the $50 per passenger cruise tax Alaska's voters approved three years ago. read more... The partnership represents the teaming of two respected luxury brands which began with the design and build of the Canyon Ranch SpaClub aboard Queen Mary 2, back in 2004. It continues to be a powerful strategic alliance delivering incomparable spa services onboard the grandest ocean liner at sea as evidenced by numerous awards and honours including; Condé Nast Traveler Top Spa in 2007, TravelAge West WAVE Award for "Best Overall Spa Facility in 2006 and 2007 and Spa Magazine & SpaFinder Readers Choice Award in 2008. NY/WSJ
Carnival's fiscal second-quarter earnings fell a less-than-expected 33% as cruise costs fell and the company saw higher-than-expected prices on last-minute bookings. "Despite the soft economy and rising rates of unemployment in North America and Europe, we seem to have found a price point that incentivizes the book vacation," Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Howard Frank said during the company's conference call. "With these strong bookings, we are showing signs of improvement for certain itineraries." more... Dubai
Once she was the pride of Britain.
Now the QE2 sits forlorn and neglected at docks in Dubai, looking as if she may be one more victim of the recession. On board, a skeleton crew keep just one of her nine turbocharged diesel engines turning over to provide power for lighting. State-owned Nakheel insists it remains committed to the scheme but has cut hundreds of jobs and postponed several projects, including a tower intended to be the world’s tallest and a hotel being built with Donald Trump. ‘Nakheel is investigating the possibility of opening the QE2 to visitors for a short period before her refurbishment begins. There is no question of QE2 being operated as a cruise liner or being sold to any third party whatsoever.’
Miami
Will cruise line fuel surcharges make a comeback?
"What we have said is that if oil exceeds $70 per barrel, we still reserve the right to reinstitute a fuel supplement at up to $9 per person per day ($15 on Seabourn), but (we) have not had any discussions on doing so at this juncture," Carnival spokesman Tim Gallagher says. more... Spoken like a true politician! Watch my lips!! In today's Online edition Barrons reports, the timing of the recent swine flu virus proved especially inauspicious for Royal Caribbean (RCL). The cruise-line operator planned to launch its Pullmantur’s Pacific Dream, a leisure operation aimed at Mexican nationals, just about the time the influenza strain started to make headlines and sicken people. The company canceled the launch of the cruise, and idled the ship. In basic terms, the outbreak is going to cost the company 22 cents a share in its bottom line, more.... However Barron's reporter sems not to be aware that the ms Pacific Dream is indeed cruising, offering 7-day cruises from Lisbon, to Madeira and the Canary Islands. Costa Crociere has finalised a €550mloan from the European Investment Bank that will help finance the first four ships in a five-vessel newbuilding programme.Interviewed in Genoa, where he was hosting the naming ceremony for two of those ships, the 144,500 dwt Costa Pacifica and the 92,600 dwt Luminosa, chief executive Pier Luigi Foschi decribed the loan as a critical element in the company’s response to the economic crisis. “This crisis is unprecedented,” he said. “No-one expected consumers to be hit with such speed and depth. And there are no reference points to devise a strategy to cope with it. Every company is trying to identify what is best.” As for the EIB loan, he said it was the first for a cruise shipping company’s newbuilding programme, and said that the terms were considerably more favorable than those available from commercial banks. He added that Costa’s case had been buttressed by Fincantieri, which is all but its house shipbuilder. The EIB had responded favorably to Costa’s argument that the loan would generate jobs in Italy and beyond, and particularly in under-developed regions where the EIB is particularly active. The two latest vessels aside, the funding will go towards construction of a sister ship for each, due for delivery over the next two years. Costa will seek additional financing and use its own cash flow to complete those vessels and to fund the final vessel in the programme — another sistership for the Costa Pacifica — due for delivery in 2012. Source:lloydslist Genoa
As a Guiness World record event has Costa touted the christening ceremony. The "whole city" will participate and no other than Mr. Silvio Berlusconi himself will attend as well. Here some photos of the vessel moored close together in the Port of Genoa, as well as some coverage by RAI.TV Can a ship be bright?
On bord mv PACIFICA
Reporting "live" from the vessel, through a Blog in USA TODAY, we learn some amazing stuff. Like "Most Americans are not familiar with Costa". Costa has been in business since 1948, and the Luminosa and Pacifica are the thirteenth and fourteenth ships in its current fleet, making it the fourth largest cruise line in the world. Its size and recognition here are part of the reason Costa is sometimes called the ‘Carnival of the Med’. But it also gets that name because both lines are owned by the same parent company, Carnival Corp., their recent ships were built with similar hulls by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, and the ships were designed by the same Carnival interior ship architect. read on... “We are thrilled to see the keen interest in Norwegian Epic this early on." SAys Andy Stuart SalesDirector for NCL. Norwegian Cruise Line saw demand for its largest ever Freestyle Cruising vessel Norwegian Epic skyrocket in the first week that the ship’s itineraries went on sale to the public, beginning Thursday, May 21, 2009. Norwegian Epic’s first week of bookings far exceeded opening week sales for the company’s last two new ships: Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Gem. more... Costa Crociere S.p.A. has signed an agreement with Orizonia to acquire complete control of the Iberocruceros brand operating in the Spanish market. Iberocruceros was established in 2007 as a joint venture between the Costa, which owned 75% of the company, and the leading Spanish tour operator Orizonia, which had a 25% stake. Through its acquisition of the remaining 25% of the capital, an operation which is conditional upon the official approval by the Spanish antitrust authority, Costa will control 100% of Iberocruceros. Despite the fact that the current economic and financial crisis has hit Spain harder than other European countries, commented Costa Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi, "we remain convinced that this market is highly significant for the cruise industry and we see strong growth prospects here"
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