FLORIDA- CARIBBEAN Caribbean Cruising CRUISE THE FLORIDA-CARIBBEAN CRUISE ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE ASSOCIATION First Quarter 2009 Cover Story Spotlight 15 NCL: Continuing our Commitment to the Executive Committee Caribbean. Micky Arison By Kevin Sheehan, President and CEO, FCCA Chairman, Norwegian Cruise Line Chairman & CEO Carnival Corporation 24 Colombia Enthusiastically Welcomes the Karl L. Holz Cruise Ship Industry. President By Álvaro Uribe Vélez, President of the Disney Cruise Line Republic of Colombia Richard E. Sasso 20 President & CEO MSC Cruises (USA) Inc. Bayport Cruise Terminal 28 How is the Economic Crisis Affecting the Completes Construction Cruise Business? Kevin Sheehan and Operates Carnival By John F. Tercek, Vice President, Commercial President & CEO Ships After Hurricane Ike. Development - Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Norwegian Cruise Line Departments Stephen A. Nielsen 33 A Day at Half Moon Cay: Holland Vice President, America Line’s Private Island is a Strong Caribbean & Atlantic Shore Operations 5 President’s Letter Princess Cruises Draw to Caribbean Tourists. 7 Cruise Industry News & By Mathew Sams, Vice President, Caribbean Adam Goldstein Platinum Highlights Relations - Holland America Line President & CEO Royal Caribbean International 63 Faces In the Industry 42 MSC Cruises: One Man Turns His Vision of 64 Around the Caribbean Being A Cruise Industry Leader Into Reality. FCCA Staff By Richard E. Sasso, President and CEO, MSC Omari Breakenridge Cruises (USA), Inc. Manager of Communications & Design Features Terri Cannici Director, Special Events 11 2009 Platinum Cruise - Onboard the Carnival Destiny. Adam Ceserano 38 Disney Cruise Line: Knowing Your Target Audience. Senior Vice President Jessica Lalama 46 Saint Lucia's Innovative Development Strategy May Change the Face of Executive Assistant Caribbean Tourism. Victoria S. Lalta Director, Public Relations 49 FCCA’s Holiday Gift Project Brings Joy to Children. & Membership Programs 54 Award Winning Chukka Caribbean Adventures Partners with Mother Nature Laura Mori Research Analyst to Create the Best Nature-Adventure Tours in the Region. Michele M. Paige 57 Membership is a Privilege. President 58 Expansion Pace of Cruise Facilities Moving Ahead. Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) 11200 Pines Blvd., Suite 201, Pembroke Pines, FL 33026 FCCA Member Lines Phone: (954) 441-8881 • Fax: (954) 441-3171 Website: www.f-cca.com • E-mail: [email protected] Carnival Cruise Lines • Celebrity Cruises • Costa Cruise Lines • Cunard Line • Disney Cruise Line Caribbean Cruising © 2009 ~ All Rights Reserved. Holland America Line • MSC Cruises (USA) Inc. • Norwegian Cruise Line • Princess Cruises • Royal Caribbean International First Quarter 2009 Caribbean Cruising 3 President’s Letter “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” -Peter Drucker, Business visionary With the change of the year comes doubt if we ourselves need the change. The blank slate of the fresh calendar offers a chance to throw it all away, but in these times we must not worry about these delusions of destruction. We must see the errors and learn from our mistakes of the past year, it can’t be business as usual. Most impor - Michele M. Paige and Amilcar Cascais, Vice President, Tour Operations - Carnival Cruise Lines at the 2009 tantly, we must look to the future and not linger FCCA Platinum Advisory Council Cruise. anywhere else. The best way to assure the outcome of something is to prepare and practice. Set a game plan or make a diagram. We build on our current relationships and expand our opportunities. This edition of Caribbean Cruising should provide a chance to start drawing out your future. The cruise industry, as most of us know, is still the fastest growing tourism industry and laden with potential. There is a prediction of 13.5 million guests in 2009, a 2.3% increase over 2008, with 35 new builds sanc - tioned through 2012. We hope to provide you with the tools to work with these passengers. Caribbean Cruising lets you see what the cruise lines, Platinum Members, and destinations are doing to thrive in this market so that you may be able to duplicate their success. If you read on, you will find that this issue offers articles to help you also thrive, such as Disney’s efforts to appeal to the family market, Norwegian Cruise Line’s 41-year legacy, and MSC Cruises’ journey to success. You will also find features of the FCCA, such as preparing for Cruise Shipping Miami and our philanthropy endeavors through our annual Poster Competition and Holiday Gift Project. I hope you can find something to inspire, assist, or at least entertain you. May your year move swiftly and touch down lightly. Respectfully yours, Michele M. Paige First Quarter 2009 Caribbean Cruising 5 Cruise Industry News & Platinum Highlights www.f-cca.com Canaveral Chosen as Norwegian Western Caribbean cruise calls on Sun's New Homeport Cozumel, Mexico; Santo Tomás de Castilla, Guatemala; Belize City, Belize and Key West, Florida. The two distinc - tive itineraries allow for an exciting 14- day cruise experience. “Giving guests an NCL product from Port Canaveral for the Central Florida family market is exciting news for our large and expanding ‘drive-to’ and ‘fly- to’ customer base,” says Bobby Expanding upon its successful weekly Giangrisostomi, Canaveral’s Deputy port of calls, Norwegian Cruise Line Director of Business Development. (NCL) recently announced it will homeport Norwegian Sun at Port Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Spirit, Canaveral offering Eastern and Western Norwegian Majesty, and Norwegian Caribbean cruises starting in October Gem have all made port of call stops at 2010. It is the first NCL ship to home - Canaveral. In 2010, Norwegian Jewel port at Canaveral since Norwegian also will be added. Crown sailed Bermuda cruises in 1997. "Thousands of port of call passengers "This announcement reflects an impor - have experienced day visits found no tant milestone in the execution of our where else in the world with Central business strategy to expand Port Florida’s beaches, eco-tours, Orlando Canaveral’s cruise offerings as we con - attractions, and the Kennedy Space tinue to expand our market," says Stan Center and provides the foundation for Payne, CEO, Port Canaveral. "We will today’s announcement," says Tom strive to continue to build our relation - Goodson, Chairman of the Canaveral ship with NCL and welcome Port Authority Board of Commissioners. Norwegian Sun to our slate of home - ported ships." Port Everglades claims single-day “By bringing Norwegian Sun to Port record Canaveral, we are offering cruisers in Central Florida and to those vacation - Port Everglades said it broke the world ing in Orlando quick and easy access to record for single-day passenger count Freestyle Cruising,” said Kevin on Jan. 3 by handling 49,234 cruisers, Sheehan, NCL’s president and CEO. in and out. That number is equivalent to “In addition, Port Canaveral offers our the capacity of 105 747 jumbo jets. guests a wide range of pre- and post- cruise packages with the ability to visit The previous record, 47,229 passengers, a number of family attractions.” was set by the port on Dec. 23, 2006. The seven-day cruises departing on Eleven cruise vessels docked on Jan. 3: Saturdays will be offered from October Carnival Freedom, Carnival Splendor, Contact: Norman Pennycooke to April. The Eastern Caribbean Queen Mary 2, Discovery Sun, 21 Hanover Street itinerary features Nassau, Bahamas; St. Eurodam, Noordam, Statendam, MSC P.O. Box 1979 Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Lirica, Ruby Princess, Navigator of the Tel: 7E6-m7-a4i4l:8 f-u6n3s7u1n •in Fc@ax:c w76d7o-m44.d8m -1606 Philipsburg, St. Maarten while the Sea s and Seabourn Pride. First Quarter 2009 Caribbean Cruising 7 www.f-cca.com Cruise Industry News & Platinum Highlights Port director Phil Allen noted his facility PRTC’s plan focuses on Air and Sea 1902, To enjoying discovering cen - is preparing to handle even more pas - Access, Endorsement and Permits, turies old rum distilleries within gor - sengers next year with the expansion of Marketing and Branding, Quality geous plantation buildingS and gardens Terminal 18 for Royal Caribbean Service, Development of Infrastructure as in Habitation Clement or Habitation International’s Oasis-class ships. and Product, and New Markets. Depaz, allowing to taste the best rums available according to connoisseurs. Everglades is poised to become the This Strategic Plan will strengthen the world’s busiest cruise port by 2011 with island’s image and the new programs For the Cruise Companies the two Oasis-class vessels sailing year- will make the island attractive to new Fort de France is positioning itself to be round and projected to generate approx - markets and investors of the hospitality “home port” at quai des Tourelles for imately 584,000 annual passenger industry. the 2009/2010 season. movements. The Terminal 18 expansion is being Martinique Details New Features RCCL Joins Grand Opening at done in two phases which, when com - Roatan Port, Honduras plete in November, will increase the G.T.C.M. (Martinique’s Cruise interior space from 67,500sq ft to a Association), created in 1995 by pro - Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. execu - total of 240,000sq ft at a cost of $75m. fessionals of the Cruise Industry in the tives joined Honduran dignitaries to cut island of Martinique, is happy to the ribbon at the grand opening of the Once finished, Terminal 18 will inform you of the new features in the Town Center at Roatan Port. Amid fan - become the largest cruise terminal in destination! fare and attended by residents and the world that can serve one ship at a guests of Voyager of the Seas , the com - time. On the pier memoration marks the completion of Hostesses are available at the pier to one of two phases for Central Port Everglades expects to handle more inform and welcome cruise guests, to America’s first combination cruise port than 3m passenger movements during the sounds of lovely local tunes from and community center.