GIBRALTAR 14 - 17 June 2017
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thMEDCRUISE GENERAL ASSEMBLY GIBRALTAR 14 - 17 June 2017 GIBRALTAR 50th MedCruise General Assembly #50MedCruiseGA #VISITGIBRALTAR MEDCRUISE WELCOME It is with great pleasure to welcome you all in Gibraltar, a destination offering premier cruise opportunities, and celebrate together the 50th edition of the MedCruise General Assembly. Set up in 1996, MedCruise has grown to a membership of more than 100 ports in 20 countries and 34 associate members, representing the majority of passenger movements and cruise calls in the region. Our General Assembly has emerged as a major cruise event in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas, bringing together cruise ports, their partners and invited cruise lines, to shape together a most productive future for all. In 2016, MedCruise membership welcomed 27,4 million cruise passenger movements and almost than 13.500 cruise calls. Despite the challenges faced in its Eastern part, the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas is a most attractive region having all the potential to grow further. The 50th MedCruise General Assembly is a great opportunity for our members to discuss how to achieve and further benefit from this growth. MedCruise members and the users of our services will have the chance to identify how to successfully respond to the challenges of cruise activities expansion, adapting operational practices and updating infrastructures and services required. We will also have the opportunity to discuss, both in plenary and during B2B meetings and dedicated interactive workshop sessions, with our esteemed guests on how the port industry can best advance sustainable cruise activities in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas. I invite you all to enjoy the sessions, contribute to the debate, benefit from the networking opportunities, and enjoy the hospitality of wonderful Gibraltar. Kristijan Pavić MedCruise President Set up in Rome on the 11th of June 1996, MedCruise is the Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports. MedCruise’s mission is to promote the cruise industry in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas. The Association assists its members in benefiting from the growth of the cruise industry by providing networking, promotional, and professional development opportunities. Today, the association has grown to represent more than 100 ports around the Mediterranean region, including the Black Sea, the Red Sea and the Near Atlantic, plus 34 associate members, representing other associations, tourist boards and ship/port agents. MedCruise Secretariat From L-R: Aimilia Papachristou, Thanos Pallis (SG), Kleopatra Arapi GIBRALTAR’S WELCOME On behalf of Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar I like to welcome you all the 50th MedCruise General Assembly. MedCruise is one of the most respected Associations of its kind and we are proud to be a founding member. The work of the Association is crucial in ensuring that Gibraltar stays at the forefront of this very competitive industry. We are honoured that the Association has chosen to meet here for the second time in its 21-year history. I have no doubt that you will experience the best that Gibraltarian hospitality has to offer and will enjoy the excellent facilities available for you to carry out your work in a productive manner over the next few days. Hosting this General Assembly is part of our Government’s untiring support to this industry, which is so valuable to our local tourism, leisure and retail businesses. Enjoy your stay on the Rock and please come back and visit us again soon. The Hon Gilbert Licudi QC, MP Minister for Tourism, Employment, Commercial Aviation and the Port I’d like to extend a very warm Gibraltarian welcome to all of you on the occasion of the 50th MedCruise General Assembly. Having worked within the MedCruise family for over twenty years, it is particularly rewarding to be a part of the teams that are hosting this event for the second time, here in this wonderful location at the entrance to the Mediterranean. The Gibraltar Tourist Board dedicates much of its time to creating personal relationships with all of you, to ensure that together we work to achieve growth in this competitive and challenging industry. The Association is crucial in helping us to understand the needs of the industry and how we can all adjust and work harder to ensure a sustainable future. I’d like to thank the team at the Gibraltar Tourist Board, Thanos, Aimilia and Kleopatra of the MedCruise Secretariat and the Gibraltar Port Authority for their help in organising this event. I’d also like to thank those sponsoring the event, in particular to M H Bland/Calypso Tours who are Associate Members of MedCruise. We do hope that you have a fruitful visit and that you may also take some time to enjoy the majestic Rock of Gibraltar. Nicky Guerrero Chief Executive Gibraltar Tourist Board PORT WELCOME As a cruise destination Gibraltar has it all: location, facilities, unrivalled levels of service and an abundance of attractions and I am delighted to report that its popularity is growing all the time. The Port of Gibraltar is strategically located only minutes away from the busy shipping lanes of the Strait of Gibraltar. The port itself has the berthing capacity to handle four medium sized cruise ships or two large and two small ones at any one time. In addition, cruise ships can anchor in the bay, with passengers being transferred ashore by boat. Our role in the Port Authority is to ensure that cruise ship passengers transit through our facilities as smoothly as possible. Thereafter, access to the many and varied attractions that Gibraltar has to offer is only minutes away. Looking to the future, we are planning to develop the cruise ship infrastructure in the port further, in conjunction with the Gibraltar Tourist Board and HM Government of Gibraltar. In the meantime, the port can handle all but the very largest cruise ships in the world, currently operating or due to operate in the Mediterranean. The largest cruise ship to berth at Gibraltar so far is ‘The Ovation of the Seas’ with 4010 passengers - she visited Gibraltar in 2016. We have also introduced a number of initiatives recently to further improve passenger experience. Visiting cruise ships can now open their casinos and other revenue generating outlets after 6pm local time, while berthed in Gibraltar – just another incentive to allow vessels to remain in port for longer periods, thereby saving fuel and cruise passengers can benefit from a wider variety of shore excursion options. Off-duty crew and passengers are also able to go ashore in the evening to enjoy Gibraltar’s nightlife including its superb range of restaurants. The initiative has been popular with cruise companies with just under 15% cruise vessels taking advantage of this incentive during 2016. HM Government of Gibraltar has also provided substantial investment to improve the tourist product on offer and continues to enhance attractions and general infrastructure to make the cruise passengers’ visit a memorable one. I am sure you will be impressed with what Gibraltar has to offer - enjoy your stay! Commodore Bob Sanguinetti CEO and Captain of the Port MUCH MORE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE. ESTEEMED GUESTS CRUISE LINE REPRESENTATIVES Spyros Almpertis Manager Port Operation & Disbursement Accounts Silversea Cruises Spyros was born in Piraeus, a beautiful town and Port of Athens. He has been part of Silversea Finance Team since 2010 in multiple positions on board, as well part of shoreside Team involved in shoreside and ship projects. His 20 years’ experience working with ships started 1995 with the Greek navy and projected him into a growing curve in multiple positions though Festival Cruises, Holland America, NCL, P&O and finally Silversea Cruises. Spyros is of Greek Nationality and speaks English and Greek. He studied Finance and Ship Management at the Greek Ministry of Merchant Marine institute. Kerry Anastassiadis CEO, Celestyal Cruises Chairman, CLIA Europe Kyriakos ( Kerry ) Anastassiadis is the CEO of Celestyal Cruises and the current Chairman of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) Europe. Prior to taking the helm at Celestyal Cruises, Kerry distinguished himself as General Manager, CEO and President at renowned corporations such as The Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble, Polaroid and Aujan Industries. Mr. Anastassiadis’s mother tongues are Greek and English, and he is also fluent in French, Italian and Portuguese. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised in Southern Africa, Kerry studied Commerce at the University of Witwatersrand and obtained his postgraduate title in Market Research and Advertising. Paul Britton Marine Operations Manager Disney Cruise Line Deck officer at sea with P&O / Princess Cruises from cadet to navigator from 2000 to 2008, followed by Safety Officer with Irish Ferries and Thomson Cruises. Came ashore in 2011 as Marine Operations Manager for Thomson Cruises, before taking my current role in 2015. I am responsible for Disney’s global itineraries and port operations. Alessandro Carollo Head of Port Operations, Europe, Middle East, Africa and India Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. His career started in 2000 as port agent for several local agencies in Venice and other national Port Agency Services providers, such as Medov and Inchcape Shipping Services. At RCCL he is responsible to deliver operational excellence aimed at total guests satisfaction, in charge for relationship management with port authorities and governmental offices, selection and management of vendors and port agencies, development of new ports of call, management of port costs budget, management of berthing allocations and conflicts as well as management of emergencies that may arise. Holds a PFSO certification and since 2014 he is a member of CLIA Europe’s Ports and Destinations committee. ESTEEMED GUESTS CRUISE LINE REPRESENTATIVES Claudius Docekal Vice President, Deployment Crystal Cruises Responsibilities include the deployment of Crystal Serenity, Crystal Symphony; Crystal Esprit & Endeavour Yacht Expedition Cruises; Five Crystal River Cruise vessels; the Crystal Luxury Air Global Express and the luxury 84-seat Crystal AirCruises B777; as well as all new projects and fleet additions.