Cruise W E E K L Y
Tuesday 11 June 2013
Norfolk Island $13m cruising boost A significant infrastructure investment will see Norfolk Island planted firmly on the radar for cruise firms globally. FEDERAL Minister for Regional Services, Local Communities and Territories Catherine King has joined with Federal Member for Canberra Gai Brodtmann on Norfolk Island, off Australia’s East Coast to unveil a $13m funding package for the development of new facilities to encourage cruise operators to visit. Two jetties on the island will benefit from the funding package, with Cascade Jetty and Kingston Jetty upgraded to accommodate a mobile crane for efficient passenger transfers, with the latter also extended & strengthened. The funds have been allocated as part of the Federal Government’s Regional Development
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Australia Fund, which was applied for by the Norfolk Island Administration. King heaped praise on the Administration, saying the Government was determined to see the island build its economy to achieve the self-sustainability model it strives for. “The infrastructure upgrade will provide more certainty to the many Australians who wish to visit this beautiful part of our country, as well as to those on Norfolk Island whose businesses rely on the tourists who come to see the unique history, attractions and natural sights that the Island has on offer,” King said. Carnival Australia ceo Ann Sherry welcomed the funding allocation, saying that previously, a combination of factors, passenger transfers being one of them, had contributed to Carnival Australia sending its ships elsewhere. “Our ships have missed more than 70% of scheduled calls to Norfolk Island in recent years due to the combined effect of prevailing weather and the operating limitations of normal cruise ship tenders,” Sherry said. In an effort to improve the accessibility at Norfolk Island, Carnival Australia last year funded the design of special tender boats designed to handle the often treacherous conditions experienced near the island’s ports. Sherry added that the new Government funds would enable the construction of these special tenders, which would be operated by certified locals trained in their use. She added that Norfolk Island will receive a major economic boost from more frequent cruise ship visits, and that the announcement could see Carnival ships visiting more often. “A successful cruise industry could deliver thousands of tourists a year to the island and add millions of dollars in economic value to the community,” Sherry added.
Cruise Calendar Cruise Weekly’s cruise calendar details upcoming port calls of passenger cruise ships at various destinations in Australia. sydney Pacific Jewel Carnival Spirit Pacific Jewel
Fri 14 Jun Mon 17 Jun Mon 17 Jun
BRISBANE Pacific Jewel Pacific Dawn
Wed 12 Jun Sat 15 Jun
DARWIN Oceanic Discoverer Orion
Thu 13 Jun Mon 17 Jun
A week of Princess festivities PRINCESS Cruises’ newest superliner, Royal Princess, arrived in Southampton over the weekend for what will be a week-long series of parties ahead of its christening later this week. Upon her arrival, she was greeted with a rousing rendition of “God Save the Queen” by the Southampton University Brass Band. Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton will serve as the vessel’s official Godmother when she formally names the 3600-passenger ship in what will be a glittering ceremony at the port on Thursday. For those unable to attend in person, the ceremonies will be streamed live online at www.princess.com, with ceremonies kicking off at 8:15pm AEST on Thursday night. Pop star Natasha Bedingfield will provide a selection of her most famous hits as part of entertainment surrounding the festivities.
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W E E K L Y
Tuesday 11 June 2013
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Hapag-Lloyd unveils newest ports The German line’s latest expeditions include an Antarctic voyage from Argentina to New Zealand via Macquarie Island. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ 2014-15 brochure showcases some unusual routes, such as Ushuaia to Australia and New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic region, and new options in the Amazon, Siberia, the Chukchi Peninsula and Wrangel Island. A total of 11 international (English/German) expedition itineraries will be offered aboard the world’s only five-star expedition ship, the Hanseatic, and the “four-star plus” Bremen. The Chilean fjords, Cape Verde, the Canary Islands, Alaska and the “small” Northwest Passage are also featured in the program. For the first time, the 15-day ‘Expedition Siberia’ will explore the unspoiled region of Primorye, with stops in Pusan/Republic of Korea and Siberia/Russia, such as the Rimsky Islands, Vladivostok and Petrov Island before ending in Otaru, Japan. Departing 11 May 2014 from Shanghai, the Hanseatic is one of the few non-Russian ships to set out on this cruise along the Siberian coast – rates start at €7,800 per person twinshare.
Princess round-world from LA A ROUND-WORLD voyage of 111-days in length operated by Princess Cruises will set sail on 23 Jan next year aboard the 680-passenger Pacific Princess. The ship will make stops in 25 countries over six continents and marks the first time the company has started a global circumnavigation from a west-coast American port. Staterooms for the entire circumnavigation start from $20,499pp twin share excluding tax. Pacific Princess will head west to Australia via Hawaii and New Zealand before heading to Asia, India and the Middle East before transiting the Suez Canal on its way to Europe.
Also new is the 15-day Wrangel Island and Chukchi Peninsula wildlife exploration departing 29 July 2014 from Nome, Alaska, with a roundtrip charter flight from Vancouver, priced from €9,400 per person. In 2014, Hapag-Lloyd’s popular Northwest Passage will be offered with a shorter itinerary through the High Arctic along the coast of Greenland and the islands off Canada. This 19-day itinerary on Bremen departs 18 August 2014 from Kangerlussuaq, Greenland to Reykjavik, Iceland. The 26-day ‘Antarctica and the Australia and New Zealand’s Sub Antarctic Region’, on Hanseatic, departs 25 January from Ushuaia, Argentina to Bluff, New Zealand, with stops in Auckland and Australia’s Macquarie Island. Also included is a charter flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, with fares starting at €17,060 per person twin share. For more details, see www.hl-cruises.com or Hapag-Lloyd’s Australian general sales agent Landmark Travel on (02) 9977 7100 or online at www.landmarktravel.com.au.
SeaDream II to cruise to PNG ONE of seventeen SeaDream Yacht Club voyages operating in Asia from October 2013 to April 2014 will include a 14-night cruise from Cairns to Bali via a number of ports in Papua New Guinea. Operated by the 112-passenger SeaDream II, the voyage will depart on 01 Feb and explore a number of remote harbours, bays and inlets at and between PNG and its destination of Bali. See www.seadream.com.au for more details.
Sheehan retained at NCL NORWEGIAN Cruise Lines has reappointed its president and CEO Kevin Sheehan to a further three-year term at the helm of the line. Sheehan has been in the role since 2010, and according to official papers, his contract will automatically renew for successive one-year terms unless terminated by either party.
P O R T H O L E POLICE have been forced to intervene after a disagreement between members of two rival groups of Titanoraks - enthusiasts of the famed luxury cruise ship Titanic - turned into threats of violence and accusations of theft. Tensions between the Olympic Class Liners (OCL) and Lovers of the Ocean Liners (Lotol) began when OCL founder Jonathan Smith chose to copyright his collection of rare photos of the ship as a move to stop people printing them and passing them off as their own. This ticked off the Lotol to no end, saying Smith was claiming ownership of photos he didn’t have the right to, with the gripes now degenerating to the point of slanderous messages on forums devoted to the liner, including a threat that some “heavies” would come around and break his legs. Authorities in the region are interviewing Smith with the hope of sinking the issue.
No cruise terminal in Belize A PROPOSAL from Norwegian Cruise Lines for the development of a cruise terminal on an island off the coast of Belize has been turned down by the country’s Government. The proposal put forth by NCL was for a terminal to be built on Crawl Caye near Placencia peninsula, and was declined by national authorities, citing “unacceptable environmental impact,” according to an official statement released by the Government. Despite the setback, authorities will continue to work with Norwegian Cruise Lines vessels to ascertain a more appropriate site for a new terminal to be constructed. Norwegian Cruise Lines said it respected the decision of the Belize Govt and that it looked forward to identifying new opportunities.
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cruise W E E K L Y
Tuesday 11 June 2013
Second Greek Island terminal STRONG growth in cruise passenger numbers to the Greek island of Piraeus has seen the construction of a second terminal, which was opened earlier this week. According to port officials, up to 25,000 pax per day can be handled in addition to the existing Miaoulis terminal. Passenger arrivals to the port are up 25% for the first four months of the year, officials said.
Voyages expands in Black Sea AN EXPANDED Mediterranean program is one of several highlights in the 2014 brochure for the region from Voyages Of Antiquity. Popular demand has seen the company boost frequencies in the Black Sea to four voyages, including a combination Greek Islands cruise. The company has also released a new sailing from Athens to Istanbul allowing a chance to explore the two nations in-depth, including the legacy of the Roman Empire and Greek history. Syros, Kos and Bodrum in Turkey are new ports of call featured in the 2014 cruise range.
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Pacific Pearl a show of bright lights at Vivid WITH the 2013 Vivid Festival of Light coming to an end over the weekend, P&O Cruises has released a pair of photos showing one of its ships getting in the act. Parked in place at the Sydney International Cruise Ship Terminal on the festival’s opening night recently, the Pacific Pearl was transformed into a canvas of light - the first time a cruise ship has formed part of the event.
Princess treats loyal cruisers PRINCESS Cruises has invited two of its most loyal passengers - Raymond & Barbara King - to attend the official christening ceremonies of Royal Princess, taking place this week in the UK. The Kings have racked up more than 2000 days on Princess vessels and prior to heading to the UK were cruising in Europe, will stay on the new ship while docked in Southampton, attend the official gala dinner and be aboard the first three voyages, ending in Venice.
Did You Know? Carnival Cruise Lines ♦ Since arriving in Australian waters for the first time, salmon has proven to be a popular dinner order. So much in fact, that Carnival has increased its order by 10kgs per day.
♦ Aussies love their coffee too. In the cafe, orders for coffee have jumped 500%, with cappuccino demand growing six-fold from when Carnival Spirit was based in the US. ♦ Sauvignon Blanc and whisky are the most popular evening drinks among Carnival Spirit’s Aussie clientele. Compared to the US anyway, who prefer a light Pilsner or rum-based cocktail as their evening libation.
Lighting experts The Electric Canvas designed a fabulous virtual mural, made possible via the coincidental ship scheduling which saw Pearl in dock for two nights right at the beginning of the two-week festival. Aptly named “See Voyage”, the cacophony of colour ran every half an hour on the starboard side of the ship for the first two nights of Vivid. It proved to be one of the most popular murals among the many Vivid showcases of artistic light.
Trans-Atlantic on Quantum
Seaplane crash fatal
Royal Caribbean has announced that its new ship under construction, Quantum of the Seas, will offer an inaugural trans-Atlantic voyage next year. Departing from Southampton, UK, on 02 November 2014, the eight-night cruise arrives in Bayonne, New Jersey, near New York. The 4,180-passenger ship will have dodgem cars, simulated skydiving, a rollerskating rink and the largest indoor active space at sea. See www.royalcaribbean.com.au.
A CRUISE passenger died last week in a seaplane crash near Petersburg, Alaska. The man, 66, was on an optional tour offered on Sea Bird, an expedition vessel operated by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic. The companies released a statement saying they were deeply saddened by the tragedy. Five other passengers and the pilot survived.
Promas signs another client Rolls-ROYCE has signed another customer for its Promas Lite propulsion system in the German cruise line AIDA Cruises. The integrated rudder and propulsion system Promas will serve as part of a technical upgrade on AIDA’s Sphinx series of cruise ships due to its design of maximising efficiency in a retrospective fashion to existing ships. Promas was last week announced as the propulsion system to be fitted to the new Viking ocean cruise liners (CW 06 Jun). The first vessel to have the system fitted will be AidaSol, to be fitted in a December drydock.
Seven in Alaska for Un-Cruise UN-CRUISE Adventures has released more information on its upcoming 2014 Alaska season after its announcement last month of an overall expanded range (CW 29 May). In all, seven ships will operate 12 itineraries on its fleet of small ships which carry between 22 and 88 passengers. Making its debut in Alaska, the 88-passenger SS Legacy will operate ten week-long sailings between Juneau and Ketchikan from 15 Jun until 17 Aug next year. Three yachts in the range, varying in capacity will spend two days in Glacier Bay National Park as part of a Juneau round-trip. A number of departures are aimed at families with an expanded range of children’s activities.
Website: www.cruiseweekly.com.au | Phone: 1300 799 220 | Fax: 1300 799 221 | Email: info@cruiseweekly.com.au
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cruise W E E K L Y
Tuesday 11 June 2013
Ship Review: Oceania Marina by: Louise Goldsbury WHEN Marina was under construction, the shipyard workers joked that they were not building a ship, they were building a floating galley. The galley (kitchen) takes up more space on the 66,000-tonne vessel than is usually found on superliners twice the size. Then there is the Bon Appetit Culinary Centre – a hands-on cooking school that allows passengers to live out their MasterChef or My Kitchen Rules fantasies. But for me and my travel buddy Craig, it was more a case of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares! We took the Turkish Delights class, while sailing between Hobart and Melbourne, and despite the best efforts of the expert chef instructor, let’s just say we were glad the Marina has so many great restaurants. The room is set up with 24 two-person workstations with induction stovetops, presumably to avoid people like us setting the ship on fire. Everyone learns how to whip up perfect pita, kofte kebabs, chicken pilaf and several other dishes. Other themed classes (US$69) include Moroccan, Mexican, Greek, Spanish, Caribbean, Indian, Portuguese, brunch, crepes and desserts. It’s one of many ways that Oceania Cruises, known as “the foodie cruise line”, strives to connect passengers with the onboard cuisine. The crew are very involved in the food, too. In the Toscana restaurant, for example, the pesto recipe belongs to one of the wait staff’s grandmothers. They take their Italian so seriously that there is even an olive oil
Bon Appetit Culinary Centre
waiter who comes around to each table. Jacques’ bistro, named after master chef Jacques Pepin (he even etches his name onto the bread rolls) is a real treat of French delicacies, with great cheese, soups, duck & fish. Red Ginger specialises in Thai and Vietnamese five-course set menus in a very swanky space. The steakhouse, Polo Grill, serves choice cuts of USDA prime beef and roasted meats. Baristas coffee bar, adjoining the library and overlooking the pool deck, is another top spot for a quiet cappuccino and biscotti. Best of all, none of these specialty venues impose a surcharge. There are two special options for guests seeking the next level in dining. La Reserve, a wine-tasting and food-pairing venue has a capacity of only 24 (US$99 per person). Privée is even more exclusive, charging US$250 for a private party of 10. Foodie features are extended on shore in more than 25 ports worldwide, where Culinary Discovery Tours allow guests to join a chef shopping in local markets. In Tauranga, New Zealand, a small-group tour visits an orchard and is followed by a traditional Maori feast using native herbs and other fresh ingredients. Overlooking a hot spring, participants watch how their meal is prepared using the natural geothermal water. The 1,258-passenger upper-premium Marina returns to the South Pacific on 23 February 2014. Departing Sydney, the ship sails to Tahiti via Melbourne, Hobart, NZ, New Caledonia and Fiji. See www.oceaniacruises.com.au.
Jacques self-branded bread
Cruise Weekly is Australia’s favourite online cruising publication. In production since 2007, Cruise Weekly is published each Tuesday, with a further travel industry update each Thursday. Cruise Weekly is free and is sent to subscribers via email as an Adobe Acrobat PDF document. Sign up for a free subscription at www.cruiseweekly.com.au. PO Box 1010, Epping, NSW 1710 Phone: 1300 799 220 Fax: 1300 799 221
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Bon Appetit Culinary Center
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