April 2013 Issue 82
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PRICE $8.25 (INCL GST) APRIL 2013 ISSUE 82 16TH YEAR OF PUBLICATION ESTABLISHED 1998 Featuring a comprehensive coverage of Global Cruising for Cruise Passengers, the Trade and the Industry www.cruisingnews.com Editor’s Say an optimist! In the Australian market we’re constantly looking at opportunities to bring more ships here and our motto is “never say never”. The clearest example is when we launched the Voyager class ships; we said that they’d never leave the Caribbean. Now Voyager of the Seas has just debuted in Australia this season and Mariner of the Seas will shortly Pacific Pearl became the first cruise ship to move to Asia. officially use the new terminal facilities at White Q: How about Brisbane? Please comment on Bay following the transfer from Barangaroo its potential. A: “Brisbane is a great port and of cruise ship operations west of the Sydney Queensland has a large cruise market. At the Harbour Bridge. Reports say all went well. moment, only two of Royal Caribbean’s ships can physically navigate upriver to the Portside terminal at Hamilton so we are working closely with Brisbane Ports to find a docking solution for our large cruise ships.” THIS ISSUE It is clear that future expansion depends on HIGHLIGHTSFront Cover: MSC Cruises infrastructure. The Brisbane City Council John & Kerry Treacy recently put aside land at Luggage Point at the mouth of the Brisbane River as a potential Lindbald Acquires Orion ................... P4 cruise terminal. The debate regarding a Gold Salute to Summer Heroes. ............... P5 Coast cruise terminal continues. Cunard Behind the Scenes ............... P 1 0 Meanwhile cruise company executives are still Our feature story this issue is the christening Coral Princess II Upgrade ................ P14 working with authorities to solve the berthing of MSC Preziosa in Genoa and the ship itself. Places Visited/SeaDream II ................ P20-22 needs east of the Harbour Bridge. Recently when MSC Cruises CEO Pierfrancesco Vago told On Board Marina................................ P24-26 Lisa Bauer, Royal Caribbean International me that the company was now planning for River Cruising ..................................... P42-44 evp global sales and marketing visited Sydney the future and we may see their next vessel 3 she made comments regarding infrastructure in in about three to four years. We await the Sydney and Brisbane and I asked her to clarify. official announcement. Also on 16 March 2013 “We are a “big the AIDAstella was baptized in a glittering ship” company ceremony in Warnemunde, Germany. and in order to bring our ships to Australia and New Zealand, there is always the question of where do we base them. Our decisions on APRIL 2013 Windstar Expands P4 home porting are based on Congratulations Rhys! The Kimberley Quest a range of team are thrilled that Rhys Badcock, their infrastructure chef of several years, is the winner of the first issues - from passenger terminal Master Chef Professional Series. facilities right up to traffic management.” Q: You talked about huge potential – please expand. A: “We see great potential in Australia, which has a growing cruise market and a stable Norwegian Breakaway Floats Out P8 economy. More and more Australians are starting to discover what other markets like America and Europe have known for a while that cruising is a fantastic way to holiday. That said, in spite of the Australian cruise industry’s growth in the last few years, only 2.5 per cent of Australians have been on a cruise. That Happy Cruising means we potentially have 97.5 per cent more Australian cruisers-to-be. I’ve always been John Treacy Breaking News – Groundbreaking Quantum-Class Ships Revealed Tom Koppel travels the Ganges P46-48 Building on a legacy of more than 40 years of exhilaration of skydiving in a safe, controlled, innovation and creative design, Royal Caribbean and simulated environment. International has unveiled first details of the The June 2013 issue of Cruising News Plus the latest news and next generation of cruise vacations – Quantum will publish a detailed report of these information on Global cruising. The Quantum class of ships will take groundbreaking innovations. Passenger Cruising a dramatic leap forward, introducing more game-changing “firsts at sea” such as a skydiving Proudly Published in Australia by experience, a thrilling adventure that transports guests more than 300 feet in the air on a breathtaking journey above the ocean and over the sides of the ship to deliver awe-inspiring 360-degree views. Venues include the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with bumper cars, roller skating and more; and the cruise line’s largest and most advanced staterooms ever. Every stateroom on Quantum ABN 71 083 652 019 of the Seas will have a view. Another first the Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every RipCord by iFly, the first skydiving experience at effort is made to ensure the information published is correct sea will allow everyone from first-time flyers to ISSN 1447 - 2112 seasoned skydivers to enjoy the sheer thrill and Windstar Cruises Expands Windstar Cruises has announced that its owner, Xanterra Parks & Resorts®, has reached an agreement with Seabourn to purchase three of their ships: Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Legend, and Seabourn Spirit. Under the project name Global Windstar, the expansion will double the size of Windstar’s recently renovated three luxury sailing yacht fleet. “Windstar Cruises has experienced four straight years of revenue growth. This expansion is the perfect way to build on the momentum following our recent fleet-wide renovation, providing us with the much needed capacity to match the accelerating demand for our intimate style of yacht cruising,” Orion Expedition said Andy Todd, chief executive officer of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, owner of Windstar Cruises. “Global Windstar enables us to extend our unique Cruises Acquired small-ship experience throughout the world.” The delivery of the three 104 all-suite ships, which hold 208 passengers each, will take place over Lindblad Expeditions, the U.S.-based small ship expedition company which partners with the National Geographic Society for expedition cruising, has announced that Orion Expedition Cruises will become part of Lindblad’s existing fleet starting with March 2014 itineraries, offering Orion past and future guests access to expeditions around the globe. “We are extremely excited about the opportunity to offer global expedition cruising to Australians and we intend to bring the full weight of our experience and that of National Geographic to the Orion organization and the ship”, said Sven Lindblad, President and Founder of Lindblad Expeditions. Lindblad Expeditions owns five ships: the National Geographic Explorer, the National Geographic Endeavour, the National Geographic Sea Bird, the National Geographic Sea Lion and the National Geographic Islander. In addition, Lindblad charters five ships – the Delfin II, the Lord of the Glens, the Oceanic Discoverer, the Jahan, and the Sea 4 Cloud for seasonal expeditions. Destinations include Arctic Svalbard, Antarctica, Alaska, Baja California, the next two years in the Mediterranean. The Seabourn Pride will be the Central America, Galapagos, the Amazon, New Zealand, Africa, British first ship to enter into Windstar’s luxury fleet in April of 2014. Following Isles, Egypt, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Pacific Northwest and South a Windstar branded renovation, which will give the ship a new name and America. casually elegant look, the Pride with set sail a month later in May 2014. Trey Byus, Lindblad’s Chief Expedition Officer, said “The geographies that Windstar Cruises will take possession of Seabourn Legend in April 2015 Orion has explored in the past are well known to us through the decades, and Seabourn Spirit in May 2015. but I was very much impressed with the knowledge of the Orion team. It has been a joy working with them to develop compelling ideas for the future.” Summer Cruising Sarina Bratton, the founder of Orion, will leave the business on completion Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV), of her current contract on April 19. “The move is both amicable and operator of the MARCO POLO (ex APRIL 2013 timely,” she said. “I will welcome a break in which to travel and work on ALEXANDR PUSHKIN) and co- my golf handicap.” operator (in tandem with Voyages of Orion Expedition Cruises pioneered and defined five-star small ship Discovery) of the DISCOVERY (ex expedition cruising in the Australasian market. It has taken thousands ISLAND PRINCESS) will be expanding of people to The Kimberley, Antarctica, Papua New Guinea, Borneo with a three year seasonal charter of and explored the far reaches of the Russian Far East, Japan and SE Asia the 20,606 gt MV ASTOR. The 600-passenger vessel will embark on twice- introducing guests to five-star adventure and creating unsurpassed travel yearly voyages between the UK, South Africa and Australia, in addition memories. to summer cruises from Australia. The ship will be based in Fremantle In addition to the awards won by the company, Sarina herself was named commencing 12 December, 2013. Extensively refurbished in 2010 at a cost Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year, Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of $22 million, Astor is fully stabilised and air-conditioned and offers an of the Year (Services) and Travel Innovator of the Year. intimate country house style ambiance. With seven passenger decks, indoor “Sarina has created something quite wonderful in her 9 years at the helm and outdoor pools, jogging track and spa, ASTOR was built in 1987. She is of Orion Expedition Cruises” says Sven Lindblad. “We respect both her also marketed for summer cruising in the German market by Munich-based and her team immensely for what they have accomplished. It is our job Premicon.CMV. A feature cruise will be a 35 night Grand Round Australian now to ensure that the Orion travellers continue to receive remarkable Circumnavigation Sailing from Fremantle on Tuesday 28 January 2014 calling travel experiences, both on Orion and our other ships.