DE WERELD VAN CRUISES EN VEERSCH

Feeling Good:

May 1 -2019 �We're feeling again pretty good about the journey that we're on with the distribution in China,� said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, on the company�s first quarter earnings call.
The Chinese market is undergoing key distribution changes, moving from a risky full-ship charter business to more group and block bookings, as well as direct bookings.
�It was three years ago we set the course to change the model in terms of distribution, but also product and itinerary lanes,� said Bayley. �And we set ourselves internal targets to ensure that we were on the right track, and we've met or exceeded those targets each year for the past three years.
�We're bringing the Spectrum of the Seas, our newest and latest Quantum Ultra ship, into the China market. I think really supports the decisions that we've made previously,� he continued. �There is a lot of anticipation and excitement in the China market for the arrival of Spectrum and the bookings are in a really good place.�

On the itinerary front, this year will be marked by a more refined Royal Caribbean International deployment in China, including more long sailings.
The Quantum of the Seas is sailing from Shanghai until June and then will move to Tianjin as the Spectrum of the Seas arrives, according to a spokesperson.
Longer sailings are appealing to a maturing market and reaching new destinations.
The company has added more long sailings, over six nights, calling at Kobe, Osaka and Tokyo, and other ports that are beyond reach of short cruises.
New destinations on the calendar from Chinese homeports this year also include Niigata, Hakodate and the Yaeyama Islands in Japan; Vladivostok in Russia; and Irogos in the Philippines. Source: RCI

Carnival cruise line kept dumping sewage, oil, food waste after conviction, report shows.

April 18-2019 In the year after Carnival Corporation was convicted of systematically dumping oily waste into the ocean and lying about it to regulators, its ships illegally discharged more than a half-million gallons of treated sewage, gray water, oil and food waste, and burned heavy fuel oil in ports and waters close to shores around the world, according to a court-appointed monitor. The findings are part of a pattern of illegal behavior during Carnival Corp.�s first of five years on probation that led U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz to publish a previously confidential report last week. In the 205-page report, the monitor overseeing Carnival Corp.�s environmental compliance flagged more than 800 incidents from April 2017 to April 2018. The Miami Herald reviewed each incident and found that 24 were for illegally dumping sewage, food waste or oil; 19 were for illegally burning heavy fuel oil in protected areas; and more than 150 were the result of items like furniture accidentally going overboard. Carnival Corp. reported the violations to authorities directly or noted them in their internal records. None of the violations was intentional, according to the report. Subsequent court filings show Carnival Corp. has continued to violate environmental laws in its second year on probation. The monitor�s written report applauded the company�s cooperativeness on board and ashore, and noted the company had corrected conditions that led to the original charges. �The Company expended considerable efforts to meet the [probationary] Year One requirements and has substantially complied with them,� the report states. �Numerous individuals � have exhibited a strong commitment to creating a sustainable culture of environmental compliance.� The report also praised the company�s training initiatives.
But the report also called Carnival Corp.�s internal investigations �critically flawed� and said the company has not given enough authority to Chris Donald, its court-mandated corporate compliance manager. Donald told the Herald he has the authority and the confidence of Carnival Corp.�s executives. Though he and the company�s chief executive have the same surname, they are not related. Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald said Tuesday that the company will do what it takes toensure it meets all expectations of its probation and strive to be �best in class on environmental compliance.� �Our environmental responsibility has been and remains a top priority for the company,� he said. �Our aspiration is to leave the places we touch even better than when we first arrived. This is in the best interest of our guests, our company and the oceans upon which we travel. We look forward to clarifying any issues and demonstrating our commitment.� In 2016, Miami-based Carnival Corp., the largest cruise company in the world and owner of nine cruise brands, pleaded guilty to seven felony charges in relation to its eight-year-long �conspiracy� of illegal oil dumping and subsequent coverup on five of its Princess Cruise Line ships. Carnival Corp. agreed to pay a $40 million fine � the largest-ever criminal penalty involving deliberate vessel pollution � and five years of probation. In fiscal year 2018, the company reported a profit of $3.2 billion. Judge Seitz appointed Steven Solow, a partner at a Washington D.C. law firm, to inspect Carnival Corp. during probation. In June 2018, Solow submitted his first annual report to the court based on ship inspections, company records, interviews with employees and third party audits. That report remained confidential until Seitz published it last week �so the public can see what this criminal defendant is doing,� she said. Source : Orlando Sentinel

Note Webmaster:

It is deeply sad that a company like Carnival Corp. performs such practices!! The foolish thing is that they act as if they are concerned about the environment

The only thing that interests them is to make as much profit as possible.

Tui to launch three river cruise vessels in 2020 by Harry Kemble

April 12 - 2019 Tui is to launch into the river cruise market with three of its own ships next summer. The travel giant has acquired three 155-passenger vessels that will sail seven-night itineraries along the Danube, Rhine, Main and Moselle. The sailings will be adult-only. The new division will be called Tui River Cruises, and the line�s debut programme will offer 19 itineraries which will go on sale on April 25. The lead-in price for a seven-night sailing is �1,099, in which tips and service charges will be included, as they are with ocean cruising sister brand Marella Cruises. Marella Cruises managing director Chris Hackney adds the new river cruising business to his remit and becomes UK & Ireland cruise managing director. He said the new river programme would be sold only in the UK market and hinted the group would add more ships to its three-vessel fleet. �This is just the start for us,� he said. �In terms of how big we get it depends on [consumer] appetite at this stage � we have just launched. But there is an opportunity for us on the main European rivers going forward. At the moment we are concentrating on sailings from Amsterdam and we will probably go as far down as Serbia.� He said the scope was considerable and suggested the line could offer sailings on the Douro in Portugal, which was becoming a �very popular� river cruising destination. Hackney said Tui had carried out extensive research and believed customers would be both existing Tui and Marella Cruises customers, wishing to try a river cruise, as well as people who are interested in river cruising but whom had not previously travelled with Tui. �We looked at the typical customer base that were going on an ocean cruise, but there were also customers who had not sailed on Tui�s ocean cruises that wanted to go on a river cruise and explore,� he said. Hackney said he thought people would be attracted by Tui�s reputation for quality and flexibility. �Tui River Cruises will have that great service that we offer with [Tui�s ocean line] Marella Cruises and it will situnder the Tui umbrella,� he said. Every guest will receive a �120 credit for excursions including bike tours, cookery classes and sightseeing tours, something Hackney believed would also be a strong draw and USP. Tui has bought the ships from operators Werner-Tours and Reiseb�ro Mittelthurgau Fluss, which will continue to operate the vessels until October, after which Tui River Cruises will take control. The ships will then be refitted and renamed Tui Maya, Tui Isla and Tui Skyla � names chosen because of their close association with water and rivers, Hackney said. He explained: �The ships are operating under different names for operators in Europe, but this winter they will go into the Tui-fication [process].� The changes will include adding a second bar that will serve coffee by day and cocktails by night. Other facilities will include three restaurants: a main dining room, a lighter dining area and an al fresco barbeque restaurant. Each vessel will have an outdoor area where passengers can relax during the day which will transform into an evening venue which will offer light entertainment. The ships will also have a small spa area and whirlpool. Between 75 and 80 cabins will be available � ranging from standard, superior and suite class � on all three vessels. The ships will also have single cabins. Suites will have a private balcony. Tui expects river cruises to be bought directly from its website, via its own shop network, and from third party agent partners. He said conversations with third party agent partners were happening currently, and said Tui had also created a new training programme to help agents � both in-house and thirdparty � to learn about the new product. Source : travelweekly
Note Webmaster: A few years ago TUI ended rivercruises on European market!

April 6-2019 Viking Cruises and China Merchants Shekou, representing China Merchants Group, signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture focused on building a cruise line with worldwide offerings for the Chinese market.

Product development, sales, marketing, newbuilds
This will be a wide-ranging partnership covering product development to sales and marketing. Further, China Merchants Group�s shipbuilding subsidiaries will partner with the joint venture to design and build new ocean cruise ships dedicated to the Chinese market. China is a dynamic outbound tourism market, and we are pleased to be partnering with China Merchants Group in this joint venture to drive the development of the cruise industry. We see Viking�s way of cruising less as a trip and more as a lifestyle,' Viking chairman Torstein Hagen said.
Satisfying demand for more sophisticated travel
For more than 20 years, we have led the industry in developing a fleet of ships and a range of cruise itineraries that we believe provide guests with the most comfortable and enriching way to explore the world. Our partnership with China Merchants Group will allow us to bring this Viking travel lifestyle to more Chinese travelers more quickly, satisfying the Chinese market�s unmet demand for a greater choice of sophisticated travel.' China Merchants Group treasures this cooperation with Viking,' president Gangfeng Fu said. 'This is a full-scale, multi-dimensional cooperation that covers all three main business sectors of China Merchants group.'He added: 'Viking has gained tremendous experience in cruise operations and branding strategies during its 20 years of rapid growth. We sincerely hope that the alliance of the two powerful brands will create synergies and innovative business models that will lead the cooperation into a market-leading cruise brand.'
European river sailings tailored to Chinese since 2016
Viking currently operates 78 vessels, offering scenic cruising on rivers and oceans around the world. China has been a part of Viking�s destination portfolio since 2003, and since setting up local operations there in 2016, the company has seen strong momentum in its European river cruise product tailored for Chinese-speaking travelers.

WHAT THE VIKING SKY CRUISE EVACUATION TELLS US ABOUT CRUISE SHIP SAFETY

By Rosie Spinks

It�s every cruiser�s worst nightmare: A cruise ship, loaded with 1,373 people, out of power and in stormy seas, in danger of drifting aground as it began a helicopter evacuation. The world watched this terrifying scenario play out on the Viking Sky, off the western coast of Norway this weekend. Videos tweeted by passengers showed heavy furniture skidding across the ship�s lounge and planks crashing down from the ceiling, Fortunately, it all ended without tragedy. A reported 479 of the passengers on the VIKING SKY were evacuated by helicopter during the 20-hour ordeal, which started with a mayday call on Saturday afternoon. When the weather improved on Sunday, the vessel was able to return the ship�s remaining passengers and crew to the port of Molde with a tugboat assist. Twenty people suffered injuries, according to a statement on Sunday, with Viking�s chairman Torstein Hagen summing the incident up by saying �We�ve been lucky.� Lucky indeed, but one might wonder why luck was necessary. The cruise industry often touts its own safety record, and cites the low statistical probability of an incident such as this. But the crisis on the VIKING SKY raises several important questions: First, why did the vessel sail into a forecasted storm? Why did it opt for the time-consuming and risky helicopter rescue, instead of using the vessel�s lifeboats? And is it safe to cruise when the seas are rough? Why did the Viking Sky sail into a forecasted storm? The weather conditions that theViking Sky encountered were extreme, by any measure. As one meteorologist pointed out, the bomb cyclone that it was attempting to navigate through brought hurricane-force winds and waves 60 to 80 feet tall:
The company did not specifically respond to the question about why the ship sailed into forecasted poor weather, except to say that �the Viking Sky is an Ocean-going vessel built to the highest standards. It is designed to sail worldwide.� Thespokesperson added that the company is conducting an internal investigation. Captain Michael Lloyd, a former sea captain with five decades of experience and a strong advocate for improved cruise ship safety, told me that these conditions are what cruise ships should expect to encounter if they�re touting itineraries in places such as the Arctic and the North Sea at this time of year. �That kind of weather is not unusual for where that ship was, especially in March, which is a windy month,� he said, adding that had the engine not failed, things would have likely been fine onboard (if unpleasant).That said, the Norwegian press reported that the well-known ferry companies who sail this route �chose to wait in Bergen and Trondheim because of the weather forecast for Saturday. The cruise ship VIKING SKY, on the other hand, chose to pass Hustadvika on the M�re coast in strong winds.� This is a call that the ferry companies have to make �a few times a year.� Why didn�t the Viking Sky use its life boats? With all the training and attention given to life boats, one might well wonder why the VIKING SKY didn�t attempt to evacuate via its life boats, instead of painstakingly and slowly evacuating passengers in small batches by helicopter. Over the course of 20 hours�from 2pm on Saturday when the ship put out its mayday call, to 10am the next morning�only about a third of the people onboard were able to be evacuated by helicopter. Viking told Quartz that �the decision was taken for the safety of the passengers not to launch the lifeboats and to keep the passengers onboard and organize a precautionary evacuation by helicopter.� Lloyd said that if the ship had been in more dire straits�if the anchor did not hold, for example, or the ship was taking on water or at risk of running aground�the crew would not have had the luxury of time to wait for the slow, airborne rescue process to unfold. But then what would they have done? Lifeboats require some skill to deploy and pilot, Lloyd said, and it can be especially difficult in a stormy situation. �My concern [as a captain] would not be the lifeboats themselves, but the ability of [crew] to be able to lower them properly and get away from the ship in that kind of weather,� he said. Viking did not respond specifically to a question about whether its crew are trained to deploy lifeboats in dangerous conditions such as this past weekend�sAlso, while lifeboats are ostensibly designed for situations when the ship must be abandoned swiftly, Lloyd notes that many of the International Maritime Organization standards that govern lifeboats are based on the assumption that weather is fine and visibility is good. As Lloyd wrote in a report about the mistakes learned from the COSTA CONCORDIA disaster in 2012, in a scenario where the ship must be abandoned, �lifeboats, which are allowed to carry up to 150 persons, must be boarded in 10 minutes. Which is 15 per minute or if you like, a passenger every 4 seconds.� It�s hard to imagine thousands of panicked passengers, many of them elderly, and many having never been on a boat before, boarding so efficiently and swiftly in unstable conditions. Is it ever safe to cruise when the seas are rough? The VIKING SKY�s predicament was unusual, no doubt: With just bad weather, or just an engine failure, the crisis would have been much less dire. The safety drills that are done when passengers first set off on a cruise serve the dual purpose of teaching safety protocols and giving the passengers faith that there is a backup plan if something goes wrong. But the reality is that getting thousands of inexperienced seafarers into lifeboats in bad conditions is something that industry critics, like Lloyd, fear isn�t possible. In the 1994 sinking of the cruise ferry MS ESTONIA in a severe Baltic storm�the second deadliest peacetime maritime disaster of the 20th century, after the TITANIC�none of the ten lifeboats were deployed. This was determined to be due to �the angle of heel and the lack of coordinated action by the crew.� The ship capsized and sunk, killing 852 of the 989 passengers and crew onboard. As the maritime attorney and cruise ship critic James Walker wrote, though power losses on cruise ships are not uncommon, �fortunately, most power failures occur in the Caribbean during calm weather. Losing power in rough weather like this current situation is potentially a disastrous situation. It is virtually impossible to safely evacuate over a thousand passengers via lifeboats during a storm in these type of wind and wave conditions.� Source: quartzy

Viking Sky in heavy problems

March 23 - 2019 As of 6:30 p.m. local time in Norway, the Viking Sky was being evacuated via five helicopters with an estimated 900 passengers and crew remaining aboard in rough sea conditions.Each helicopter is taking 10 to 15 people in one trip.The ship was reported to be stable but without main engine power just two kilometers off shore in heavy weather. One engine is reported to be back online. The ship has power, according to video posted on social media from passengers and crew aboard.
The wind and sea conditions have put a stop to lifeboats being lowered, and Norwegian authorities have put in a helicopter rescue plan, adding that they would prefer passengers and crew be on land.Norwegian authorities have already spooled local sources, with multiple helicopters lifting passengers and crew ashore. Some six other vessels are also on their way to assist, but may encounter problems with unfavorable sea conditions. So far, 150 persons have been evacuated five with minor injuries are admitted to local hospitals. A local paper has reported that two rescue vessels were forced to turn back after meeting waves that were over 30 feet high One muster station had a door blow inside and some flood is coming in. Passengers are moved to midship.

Viking has updated the press with the latest statement:
We can confirm that as of 10am (Norwegian time) today March 24, the Viking Sky, is safely travelling to Molde under its own power. The ship is being accompanied by two offshore supply ships and one tug assist vessel. The evacuation of passengers has ended and there are currently 436 guests and 458 crew onboard.The ship arrived safely in Molde in the course of Sunday.
The 479 passengers who were airlifted from the vessel are currently on shore and arrangements have been made to fly them home, with the first passengers leaving today. Currently we understand 20 people suffered injuries as a result of this incident, and they are all receiving care at the relevant medical centres in Norway, with some already having been discharged.
According to Norwegian sources, three passengers suffered serious injuries, one being considered critical.
Arriving in Molde, Torstein Hagen, CEO and chairman of Viking Ocean Cruises, credited the Norwegian rescue team with having done an outstanding job.
As for why the Viking Sky sailed despite the weather conditions, when even Hurtigruten held their ships in Bergen and Trondheim, according to Norwegian press reports, Hagen said he could answer that question and it was being investigated.

When the ship arrived in Molde this afternoon (24 march), a reception center was established at Rica Seilet Hotel, where passengers will be accommodated prior to their transfers home.436 passengers were still onboard the ship together with 458 crew members when the ship arrived in Molde, according to local authorities. The return of passengers to their homes is already in progress. The first passengers will be leaving Molde by plane from �r� airport this evening, and all returns are scheduled to be completed by Monday(25 march) evening.

Note Webmaster: A potential big disaster is averted. Why the captain has decided not to have visit a safe harbor in these weather conditions and how it was possible that 3 of the 4 main engines have failed will certainly be further investigated!

Sources: Several.

Fincantieri has agreement for majority stake in STX France

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has reached a deal for two thirds of STX France, the company announced on 6 April. Final terms of the agreement have not been concluded, but the deal will coincide with increased industrial co-operation between Fincantieri and DCNS. "Fincantieri will continue to work with its counterparties to negotiate and conclude the final agreements," the company said in a press release.The remaining third of STX France is owned by the French government, who also owns a majority stake in DCNS. source : Janes

May 19-2017 Fincantieri has confirmed it has signed a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of 66.66 percent of the share capital of STX France from its current shareholder STX Europe. The financial advisor supporting Fincantieri for this transaction is BNP Pariba

Note Webmaster:
For building big size cruiseships is due to this deal a lack on competition. Only Meyer Yard in Germany and Finland. and Fincantieri in Italy and France.See also previous articles concerning this item in the World of Cruises and Cruise Ships

Stena Line maakt duurzaamheidsdoelstellingen waar!

Hoek van Holland, 11 april 2017 Stena Line�s toenemende focus op duurzaamheid en milieuvriendelijke verbeteringen van de afgelopen jaren werpt zijn vruchten af. Belangrijke ijkmomenten hebben laten zien dat het brandstofverbruik en de emissieniveaus in lucht en op zee beiden zijn gereduceerd. De resultaten zijn samengevat in een nieuwe publicatie van Stena Line, �A Sustainable Journey�, dat ook informatie verstrekt over de ambitieuze doelstellingen die het bedrijf zichzelf heeft gesteld met het oog op een duurzame toekomst.�We zijn een van �s werelds toonaangevende ferry companies met 27.000 afvaarten per jaar op 20 routes. Gezien de omvang van ons bedrijf en de schaal waarop wij opereren, zijn we ons volledig bewust van onze verantwoordelijkheid om zo duurzaam mogelijk te werken.Wij geloven dat een beperkte milieubelasting ook essentieel is voor winstgevendheid op de lange termijn. Daarom hebben wij duurzaamheid opgenomen als een van de belangrijkste pijlers in onze strategie en hebben wij ons ambitieuze doelen gesteld op het gebied van duurzaamheid�, aldus Stena Line�s CEO Niclas M�rtensson.
Stena Line heeft veel ervaring in het investeren in energiezuinig transport. De introductie in 2015 van �s werelds eerste ferry varend op methanol, de Stena Germanica, is hiervan een goed voorbeeld. Een ander voorbeeld is dat de schepen zijn voorzien van walstroom aansluitingen.
Dit zijn echter maar twee voorbeelden van zo�n 300 initiatieven, die Stena Line heeft ge�mplementeerd om brandstofverbruik en de emissieniveaus in lucht en zee te reduceren, met betrekking tot hun 35 schepen. Een samenvatting in de publicatie �A Sustainable Journey� laat zien dat het Stena Line tussen 2013-2016 gelukt is om haar brandstofverbruik met 6,5% en de zwaveluitstoot met 6.2% per zeemijl te verminderen.
Stena Line zet nu koers richting een nog duurzamere toekomst. De focus op duurzaamheid is uitgezet in vier belangrijke strategische gebieden, gebaseerd op de gezamenlijke doelstelling van de VN voor een duurzame ontwikkeling � Schone Energie, Duurzame Consumptie, Leven Onder Water, alsmede Gezondheid en Welzijn. Binnen elk aandachtsgebied zijn een aantal ambitieuze doelstellingen bepaald voor de korte en lange termijn, waaronder:
� Schone energie�reduceer zwaveluitstoot per zeemijl met 2.5% per jaar en in totaal 35% in de periode 2010-2030.
� Duurzame consumptie� vervang wegwerp items en plastic tassen aan boord van onze schepen van 2017-2018.
� Leven onder water� halveer het gebruik van sterke chemicali�n voor 2020 en stop het gebruik hiervan geheel voor 2030.
� Gezondheid en welzijn� continue reduceren van werk gerelateerde incidenten naar de doelstelling van 1.2 LTIF (Lost Time Injury Frequency) 2017.
�Dit geeft ons een sterke basis en geeft richting aan onze toekomstige duurzaamheidsdoelstellingen. In het komende jaar zullen we een aantal belangrijke projecten starten, met name op het gebied van schone energie en duurzame consumptie. Testen op batterijstroom op een van onze schepen en biologische afbreekbare tassen aan boord zijn slechts twee boeiende projecten, die nog in de pijplijn zitten�, zegt Eric Lewenhaupt, Stena Line�s Sustainability Manager.
In de herfst van 2017 start in China de bouw van Stena Line�s nieuwe RoPax schepen. De verwachte leverdatum van de nieuwe schepen is tussen 2019-2020. Het zullen een van de meest brandstof-besparende RoPax schepen ter wereld zijn. De huidige schepen zullen ook voorbereid worden op het varen op gas, alsmede scrubbers- en katalytische reductie systemen.

Persbericht: Stena Line

Nautilus is supporting a new European river cruise campaign protesting against social dumping

Nautilus is supporting a new European river cruise campaign protesting against social dumping in the river cruise industry, according to the group.
The joint river cruise campaign 2017, being organised by the European Transport Workers� Federation (ETF) and the International Transport Workers� Federation (ITF), will kick off on Wednesday April 5 in Amsterdam � where more half of annual European port calls are made.
Nautilus international officer and president of the ETF/ITF inland waters section Nik Bramley said the campaign will see an intensive week of ship visits in the major river cruise ports of call, with teams visiting vessels in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Switzerland.
Bramley said the launch event would provide an overview of the river cruise campaign and the current state of social dumping in the river cruise business. A personal testimony from a former river cruise captain will provide insights into the risks arising from fatigue, stress and substandard living and working conditions. these issues are the �hard reality for the more than 14,000 crew members who sail on the 335 river cruise vessels, whilst also ensuring first class services to their passengers, he noted.
Throughout the coming cruise season information will be circulated to crew members and passengers to raise awareness about the issues, Bramley said.
In Switzerland, the focus will be on long working hours � which in many cases are not being properly compensated for, and which are depressing already modest wages. There is also concern about the alleged tendency of river cruise companies to circumvent Swiss social security law by outsourcing employment contracts.

5 April 2017 Vakbond Nautilus International en de Europese Transport Werkers Federatie (ETF) hebben locoburgemeester en wethouder Economie Kajsa Ollongren van Amsterdam in een open brief opgeroepen iets te doen aan de slechte arbeidsomstandigheden op riviercruiseschepen.
Geachte mevrouw Ollongren,
U maakt zich er de laatste maanden hard voor dat de cruiseterminal weg moet uit de binnenstad, aangezien de massatoeristen die vanaf de cruiseschepen naar de binnenstad wandelen voor teveel overlast in de Amsterdamse binnenstad zouden zorgen
Wellicht zou het u ook sieren u hard te gaan maken voor betere arbeids- en leefvoorwaarden voor werknemers aan boord van de riviercruiseschepen. U faciliteert immers al jaren de booming riviercruise-industrie in de haven van Amsterdam. Goed voor de lokale economie ook. Daar is niets mis mee. Waar echter wel veel mis mee is, zijn de ronduit slechte arbeids- en leefvoorwaarden van de hardwerkende medewerkers in deze industrie.
De neerwaartse trend op dit gebied de laatste jaren:
steeds minder personeel moet steeds meer passagiers bedienen;
overbezetting van bemanningshutten; met soms wel drie bemanningsleden in ��n kleine hut;
steeds harder werken en steeds langere werkuren;
verschillende lonen voor verschillende nationaliteiten (sociale dumping);
gebrek aan medische en andere sociale (verzekerde) voorzieningen.

Note Webmaster:
Not only in the sea cruise, but also in the river cruise crew exploited.

SunStone, China group to build 4+6 expedition cruise ships in Shanghai

Miami-based SunStone Ships and China Merchants Industry Holdings signed a framework agreement to build four expedition ships with options for six more
The 104-meter vessels will be constructed in Shanghai, with the design, equipment and management supplied by Norway's Ulstein Design & Solutions.
The ships will hold 80 to 95 passenger cabins and be rated Ice Class 1A or Polar Code 6
They will be part of the SunStone fleet and chartered to new and existing clients, according to president/ceo Niels-Erik Lund, who declined to disclose the charterers, saying that it's up to them to announce their new ships. The value of the order is not being disclosed.The first delivery will be in August 2019, with one vessel to follow every six months after.
According to Ulstein, the inverted bow is less subject to vertical motions induced by the waves, so the ship continues on course more smoothly, while maintaining its speed and using less fuel to get through the waves. We are building in China but with Norwegians providing the entire equipment package and supervising the building and Finland building the interiors. So we're sure it will be first class,' Lund said
The newbuilds will be 18.2 meters at the beam, with a draft of 5.1 meters. T
hey'll be able to operate at a speed of 15 knots. The classification society is Bureau Veritas and the ships' registry will be the Bahamas
SunStone's current fleet numbers 10 small cruise vessels on charter to companies within the expedition market, and this order positions the firm as the leading tonnage provider in the segment.
'We've been working on this [a newbuild project] for years,' Lund told Seatrade Cruise News. 'It is great to see this happening.
'May2017 The first order is placed by Australian Aurora Expedition Cruises..

American Cruise Lines

March 1-2017 - American Cruise Lines said it will build five new modern riverboats for service in the United States.
"These will be the first to combine the modern styling of a European riverboat with the premium comfort for which American Cruise Lines is known," said the company, in a statement.
The first in the series is scheduled to begin passenger service in 2018 and will carry 200 guests.
�For over a decade, we have led the way with ship innovation in the United States and we continue to raise the bar with this new class of modern riverboats� says Timothy Beebe, Vice President of American. �American Cruise Lines has consistently pursued its new build program, as it considers refurbished boats unable to meet the modern expectations of today�s river cruise passengers.
Construction has already begun at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, MD. In addition to the new class of modern riverboats, American is building two additional cruise ships at Chesapeake Shipbuilding. American Constellation, has a capacity of 170 passengers and is scheduled to begin cruising in May of 2017 and its sister ship which will begin cruising in 2018. Source: Cruise news.

Carnival Corp. newbuilds in China

Febr. 22- 2017 Agreement formalized at signing ceremony in Beijing, attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian President Sergio Mattarella. Company's cruise joint venture in China agrees to order two new cruise ships to be built by China-based shipbuilding joint venture, with an option to order four additional ships. World's first China-built cruise ships to join the cruise joint venture's multi-ship fleet, with the first of these ships expected for delivery in 2023. Today announced that its cruise joint venture in China has signed a new memorandum of agreement (MOA) to order the first-ever cruise ships built in China for the Chinese market.The agreement updates the terms of an initial shipbuilding MOA announced in September 2016, further expanding the cooperation between Carnival Corporation and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), China's flagship company in shipbuilding.

Color Line and Ulstein finalize contract

Feb 17 2017 FerryThe contract between Color Line and Ulstein Verft for the construction of the world�s largest plug-in hybrid ferry has now been finalized and signed.

Background of Viking River and Ocean cruises.

�We give great value. We have the best value of any line. In reality, you get a luxury product at a (premium) price. That sells, people like value,� Torstein Hagen, founder and chairman of Viking Cruises, told Cruise Industry News.�We have been fortunate. We believe in selling an all-inclusive product that has sold well on the rivers. Of course, our river growth has been phenomenal. We know how to operate small ships,� Hagen, said. �We are focused clearly on what we are and the number of things we are not.� Thus, the ocean-going ships, which will number six by 2020, have no casino, no photographers, no art auctions and just about everything is included in the price.
There was big news in 2016 when Viking took on two large investors. TPG Capital and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board put up $500 million for a combined 17 percent stake in MISA Investments Limited (parent company to Viking).�Previously we have funded ourselves in the U.S. bond market. Now we have two equity investors. As long as we have good projects we will have good financing too,� Hagen said.
Hagen has navigated Viking into the world�s largest market nimbly. Eighty-eight percent of the passengers will come from North America this year, he said. Sales and marketing are run out of Los Angeles, and the operations from Basel, Switzerland

Swan Hellenic/G Adventures

Febr.1-2017 G Adventures, a Toronto-based tour adventure travel firm, has acquired the brand and intellectual property for the Swan Hellenic cruise brand. The company already operates expedition voyages and intends to start up the Swan Hellenic brand by 2018, according to media reports.The acquisition did not include the Minerva ship or the chartering of the vessel.
The UK is the largest global outbound market for G Adventures and acquiring Swan Hellenic further diversifies G Adventures� portfolio of brands, adding boutique small ship cruising to its existing adventure travel, adventure cruising, and new touring businesses. This acquisition follows the recent purchase of established pioneering British escorting touring names Travelsphere and Just You.

Cruise Line	Cruise Ship	Sailing Date	Homeport	Cruise Length
Carnival	Liberty	Sept. 2	Canaveral	5 Nights
Carnival	Elation	Sept. 2	Canaveral	5 Nights
Norwegian	Breakaway	Sept. 1	Miami	7 Nights
Norwegian	Sun	Sept. 2	Canaveral	5 Nights
Royal Caribbean	Mariner	Sept. 2	Miami	4 Nights
Disney	Dream	Sept. 2	Canaveral	4 Nights
Bahamas Paradise	Celebration	Sept. 1	Palm Beach	2 Nights
Bahamas Paradise	Celebration	Sept. 3	Palm Beach	2 Nights
Bahamas Paradise	Celebration	Sept. 5	Palm Beach	2 Nights
Bahamas Paradise	Celebration	Sept. 7	Palm Beach	2 Nights
Bahamas Paradise	Celebration	Sept. 9	Palm Beach	2 Nights
Bahamas Paradise	Celebration	Sept. 11	Palm Beach

Activa en inboedel Cruise & Maritime Voyages verkocht aan nieuwe investeerder

5 Nov. 2019 Cruise industry mourns the legendary Kirk Lanterman

A. Kirk Lanterman, who built Holland America Line into a powerful brand and served on the boards of Carnival Corp. & plc for many years, died Friday surrounded by family in his Seattle home. He was 87.

Formidable leader

Oversaw 10-ship building spurt

Westours background

Brilliant mind, generous spirit

Industry roles and national honors

Cruise operators (Carnival-NCL-Royal Caribbean-MSC-Disney and Bahamas Paradise) are racing to help the Bahamas following devastation from Hurricane Dorian as fiscal commitments have already exceeded $5 million between the major cruise corporations.

Source: Cruise News.

Op deze site wordt aangegeven wanneer het Hurricane seizoen in het Cara�bisch gebied valt te verwachten.This site indicates when the Hurricane season can be expected in the Caribbean.

Hurtigruten to Add Three More Hybrid Ships

Huge Cruiser Moors Outside of Timetable, Causes Chaos in Dubrovnik
By Lauren Simmonds

Derde van cruiseschepen vanaf volgend jaar niet meer welkom aan San Marcoplein in Veneti�

- Inhoud 258 pagina's incl. handige pocketversie. Prijs Euro 99. Te bestellen: https://www.shippax.com/

National Geographic and Scenic Announce River Cruise Partnership

SunStone, China group to build 4+6 expedition cruise ships in Shanghai

American Cruise Lines

Carnival Corp. newbuilds in China

Color Line and Ulstein finalize contract