Travel & Cruise - 3rd Qtr 2017

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CRUISE INDUSTRY THIRD QUARTER 2017

EDUCATION’S POWER

RCCL Gov’t Relations AVP teaches destinations the formula for cruise tourism

PLANNING COLLABORATION Carnival Itinerary Planning brass gives backstage pass to foster stakeholders’ success

WELCOMING the cruise industry to Mérida, México OPULENCE ABOUNDS

Azamara CEO analyzes growing luxury market & opportunities available

GLOBAL BUSINESS

Costa GM investigates what spins the world’s cruising markets & passengers

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CONTENTS

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THIRD QUARTER 2017 WWW.TRAVELANDCRUISE.COM

ON THE COVER

Features

14 Monumento a la Patria, Mérida, Yucatán

DEPARTMENTS 07, 09 President’s Letter

LET’S GET TECHNICAL 10 Behind the Scenes of Carnival Itinerary Planning VP Fred Stein and Sr. Manager Ugo Savino give a backstage pass to deployment decisions and how to drive success for all involved

ON BOARD 28 Disney Cruise Line Surprises D23 Fans with

14 “The Shift of Affluent Consumer Value Sets,”

28 Welcome to Eden: Celebrity’s Reimagined

According to Azamara CEO The rich are getting richer in luxury cruising, and stakeholders can cash in, per Azamara President & CEO Larry Pimentel

18 It Takes a Village to Raise the Cruise Industry 74

Platinum Member Highlights

Travel & Cruise Magazine © 2017.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part, in any form, electronic or otherwise, without written permission of the FCCA is prohibited.

To subscribe or change your address, please send requests to info@f-cca.com Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) 11200 Pines Blvd., Suite 201 Pembroke Pines, FL 33026 Phone: (954) 441-8881 Fax: (954) 441-3171 Published by:

In Partnership with:

Royal Caribbean Government Relations AVP Federico Gonzalez-Denton explains his educational process and the synergy it creates

MEETINGS & EVENTS 22 Key Cruise Line Executives and Industry Stakeholders Gather to Improve Business at FCCA PAMAC Conference Exclusive meetings and networking events with cruise executives helped FCCA Platinum Members build relationships and business

Announcement of Seventh Ship Two new ships aren’t enough for all the storytelling in store, tells Walt Disney Chairman Bob Chapek

Garden of Eden, Featuring the Largest Window to the World Celebrity reveals latest feature of upcoming class that RCCL Chairman Richard Fain calls “a unique advance in cruise ship design”

28 Norwegian Joy Christened by Wang Leehom at Gala Naming Ceremony

28 MSC Cruises Christens Biggest Ship Entering Service in 2017

29 Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas Completes Next Phase of Construction

29 MSC Cruises Introduces Port Info Service and New Exclusive Shore Excursions

24 Mérida, Mexico Welcomes FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show Attendees and the Investment to Its Cruise Tourism Future

30 P&O Cruises Animates Guests with New Nickelodeon Channels

26 Birth of a Cruise Tour at the FCCA Central America Summit

The information in this publication is provided “as is.” FCCA, CLIA and its Member Lines disclaim all representations and warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to any information, services, products and materials contained herein. FCCA, CLIA and its Member Lines will in no event be liable for any damage or losses as a result of your use of this publication.

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30 THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 3

MAKING PORT IS THE FIRST STEP.

As your guests disembark in the Cayman Islands, they will be greeted by unique encounters as far as the eye can see. From the renowned tastes that earned us the title of Culinary Capital of the Caribbean, to the rare level of service that comes naturally here, your passengers will find their Caymankind.

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CONTENTS

Features

66 60 50

ON LAND: 34 Cruise Industry’s Rising Tide Lifts the Caribbean and Americas FCCA President Michele Paige shares how the industry’s global growth presents opportunities for the Caribbean and Americas

36 Martinique: The Active Experience!

39 Saint Lucia’s Port Castries Poised to Create Major Waves

44 Port Everglades Embraces Technology in Terminal Design and Guest Processing

46 PortMiami Expanding Its Role as the

36

World’s Cruise Capital

48 CLIA-NWC Celebrates Inaugural ‘Cruise Industry Day’ in Victoria

50 International Audience with an Italian Flair: Costa GM Tells What Appeals to Diverse Passengers in Different Regions and How the Increasingly Global Industry Can Benefit All From homeporting decisions to satisfying passengers in different markets around the world, Ruben Perez reveals it all

54 The Future of Cruising in the Baltic: Results

60 Exciting Times Ahead for Asian Travel Agents CLIA Australasia Head Peter Kollar highlights products and tools leading to confidence and profit

62 Australasia’s Cruise Industry Sails to Record Highs in 2016

of CLIA Europe’s 2017 Baltic Study

64 New Zealand: The New ‘It’ Destination for 56 Saint-Nazaire and Le Havre Reveal MSC

MEMBERS & TRAVEL AGENTS 72 FCCA Platinum Member Highlights

73

Cruisers

Meraviglia

66 Queensland Cruising Provides Diverse 58 Norwegian EVP Shares the Joy Discussing the Line’s Newest Ship Purpose-Built for Its Entry to China Harry Sommer reveals reasons for Chinese and Western cruisers alike to be happy about the line’s entry to China on board Norwegian Joy

Options

68 Secrets of Successful Cruise Destinations Collaboration, innovation and service excellence a recipe for success, tells Aquila President Beth Kelly Hatt THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 5

PRESIDENT’S LETTER: FCCA

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Micky Arison CHAIRMAN CARNIVAL CORPORATION Michael Bayley PRESIDENT & CEO ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL Adam Goldstein FCCA CHAIRMAN PRESIDENT & COO ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. Karl L. Holz PRESIDENT DISNEY CRUISE LINE Richard E. Sasso PRESIDENT MSC CRUISES (USA) INC. Andrew Stuart PRESIDENT & CEO NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

FCCA STAFF Michele M. Paige PRESIDENT Adam Ceserano SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Terri Cannici VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Omari Breakenridge DIRECTOR, DIGITAL STRATEGY & CREATIVE SERVICES Mario Aguirre DIRECTOR, MEMBERSHIP EVENTS & PROGRAMS Justin Paige MANAGER, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS & STRATEGIC MARKETING PARTNERSHIPS Jessica Lalama EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” - Ryunosuke Satoro Partnerships are an invaluable asset in both business and life. We often rely on partners for ideas, input and support—to expand or for a helping hand. Like any other precious resource, reliable and knowledgeable partners are rare and hard to find. However, the FCCA mines these resources by providing direct access to cruise lines and stakeholders for its partners to develop mutually beneficial relationships, increase understanding, improve the guest experience and maximize cruise tourism’s impact.

These features are front and center at our 24th annual FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show in Mérida, Mexico. The event’s balance Michele with Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal between business sessions and networking funcCaribbean International tions—coupled with the attendance of 100 cruise executives and 1,000 stakeholders—create the forum to exchange information and industry trends, share and promote ideas and projects, and cultivate business relationships that lead to partnerships and business.

The event also epitomizes what the FCCA membership offers, as this is one of the many annual events that bring together our members and Member Line executives to help them benefit from each other to grow the industry together.

As this issue will show, developing these relationships and understanding is a recipe for success. This is on display through coverage of the FCCA’s annual PAMAC Conference, which joined our Platinum Members for exclusive meetings and functions with cruise executives like Larry Pimentel, President & CEO of Azamara Club Cruises, who gave insight into the luxury cruise market, which is also featured in this issue.

Federico Gonzalez-Denton, AVP of Government Relations for Latin America & South Florida, discusses the importance of keeping communications open between the cruise lines and destinations.

Carnival Cruise Line gives a look behind the scenes of its itinerary planning and the collaboration involved with and opportunities for stakeholders through an interview with Fred Stein, VP of Revenue Planning and Fleet Deployment, and Ugo Savino, Sr. Manager of Itinerary Strategy and Planning.

Plus, Ruben Perez, General Manager of North America for Costa Cruise Lines Inc., circles the world in examining the increasingly global nature of the industry and passengers, along with how destinations and stakeholders can prepare. And some of those destinations’ and stakeholders’ developments are also featured, from the importance of training to building for the industry’s bright future through new infrastructure and experiences.

As the industry continues to grow, so does the need for partnerships and synergy. I am proud that the FCCA is built on this foundation, and I look forward to continue building with our partners.

Respectfully yours,

Michele M. Paige President, FCCA

Vanessa Gutierrez ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 7

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER: CLIA

CLIA GLOBAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Arnold Donald CLIA GLOBAL CHAIRMAN PRESIDENT & CEO CARNIVAL CORPORATION & PLC Micky Arison CHAIRMAN CARNIVAL CORPORATION& PLC Kerry Anastassiadis CEO CELEYSTAL CRUISES Karl Holz PRESIDENT DISNEY CRUISE LINE Pierfrancesco Vago EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN MSC CRUISES Frank Del Rio CEO NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE HOLDINGS Adam Goldstein PRESIDENT & COO, ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. Richard Fain CHAIRMAN & CEO ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. Manfredi Lefebvre CHAIRMAN SILVERSEA CRUISES, LTD.

Welcome to this edition of Travel & Cruise, the official magazine of the global cruise industry.

We continue to enhance CLIA member value, and are committed to unifying our industry into a global one. As cruising continues to grow in diverse markets throughout the world, we provide support and platforms to support our ‘One Industry, One Voice’ philosophy.

In this issue, we share industry news and events, along with continuing top industry trends, including the growth of the European market and the continued surge in Australasia.

I am also thrilled about some very much anticipated and exciting events coming up.

Our annual CLIA Port & Destination Summit took place on September 5, one day prior to Cindy D’Aoust President & CEO Seatrade Europe, which is being held in Hamburg, Germany. As a result of the success of our flagship event last year held in Tenerife, this year we are delighted to host the CLIA Port & Destination Summit at the Hamburg Messe, and expect to welcome over 300 delegates and 50 cruise line executives. During Seatrade Europe, CLIA will also have events and networking opportunities, and I hope to see some of you there.

In 2018, CLIA’s first-ever Asia River Cruise Conference will take place in Ho Chi Ming City, Vietnam on April 10. Coordinated by our CLIA U.K., Europe and Australasia offices, the Conference will be dedicated to the Asia cruise market. CLIA member travel agents will be able to attend a variety of travel fair and conference sessions, focusing on learning more about the river cruise holiday, especially ones in the growing market of Asia.

For the very first time, CLIA is launching Cruise360 in Europe this year. Being held in Copenhagen, our inaugural European event will feature keynote conference sessions and training, as well as two evening events. Multiple ship visits being organized with local excursions in Copenhagen are also available. Brand new for this event is the ‘Cruise Sales Masterclass’ learning programs. Our Cruise360 event is already an ongoing part of the travel industry in North America as well as Australasia. Attracting travel agents, media and cruise lines together, this immersive event focuses on giving attendees practical advice, networking and training to grow cruise sales.

On behalf of everyone at CLIA, and to you, valued members of our community: Cruise Line Members, Travel Agency and Travel Agent Members, as well as our Executive Partners across the world. We thank you for your continued support.

Best,

CLIA STAFF Cindy D’Aoust PRESIDENT & CEO

Cindy D’Aoust President & CEO

Tom Fischetti CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Mike McGarry SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLIC AFFAIRS & GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Caroline Johnson SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MEMBERSHIP OPERATIONS THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 9

Fred Stein

Ugo Savino

Behind the Scenes of Carnival Itinerary Planning

F

red Stein, vice president of revenue planning and fleet deployment for Carnival Cruise Line, and Ugo Savino, Carnival’s senior manager of itinerary strategy and planning, recently joined the FCCA to lift the curtains on their inner-workings to help destinations and stakeholders better understand the craft of deployment decisions and how to choreograph mutual success. A lightly-edited transcript of the conversation follows:

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What do you enjoy most about your roles?

FS: I think it’s just amazing to watch all the components that are required to put an itinerary plan together. There’s a host of folks that we have to work with internally to make sure that the itinerary is operable and then the time that we spend with the destinations to work with them together to make sure that the guests are going to have a good experience. I’ve only been in this

side of the business for a little over a year, and it’s just amazing to me to watch how that complex process comes together. I’m fascinated every day.

US: To add to what Fred was saying, the process is so complex and articulated, but it’s interesting how many people we bring together, both from outside the organization—namely ports, port representatives, port authorities, tour operators, and so on—and the internal stakeholders that have

Let’s Get Technical

an impact on and deal with our itinerary planning exercise. This is absolutely critical for us, in my opinion, because only by bringing everybody together can we create itineraries that are going to be successful and make everybody involved in the itinerary deployment successful.

What most influences passenger experience, and how much does passenger experience impact itinerary planning?

FS: There are two things that influence the experience. Number one, you have to take them to a destination that they will want to

visit and have an enjoyable visit once there.

And then there’s also an onboard component where the ship has to do a good job of delivering a great experience for the period of time that the guest is not actually in the destination.

US: This is where the role of bringing everybody together becomes so critical because it’s when the itinerary, the cruise, is actually happening, when guests are boarding the ship and visiting destinations with all their expectations—that’s where we can come short, which is definitely not what we want do. We feel the responsibility; when a guest walks on a Carnival ship, they really trust us with their vacation. Four, five, seven days, whatever the duration, they trust us to give them an experience they will remember for a lifetime.

Everything is critical: the number of hours we spend in port, the placement of the days at sea, the ports that we visit, how we prepare the guest for the onboard experience and for boarding the ship to streamline check in, when and how guests book their trip and receive information from their travel agent. Everything plays such a critical role, and guest experience is absolutely our top priority.

Speaking of guest experiences, shore excursions have one of the largest impacts on the experience in a destination, and passengers that pre-book cruise line-contracted tours tend to rate destinations higher and spend more money. Why is this?

FS: Our shore excursions team works very closely both with the destination as well as the tour operators to make sure that the tours that are available for purchase

through the [cruise] line are really optimized to our guests, as well as to the time that we spend in the destinations. So they make sure that the departure times are right, that the content is something that we believe resonates well with our customer, and so in a sense, the tours are customized for the Carnival guest. When you go outside and purchase the tour independently, it may or may not be exactly in tune with their taste, and I think that’s why the cruise line tours tend to outperform there.

US: I think Fred touched on a very critical point: the whole experience is what our guests want and expect. Not only do we ensure that guests will enjoy our ships’ onboard experience, but we also make those tours an extension of the experience—from professional tour guides and products like the bus to standards and so on. When guests step outside that line of contractors, there’s no guarantee, and ultimately if they come back from a tour, and they’re not happy, their experience will be affected.

What effect does that experience have? How do tours and tour operators impact ratings and itinerary planning?

FS: I think there’s a pretty clear correlation between the quality and variety of tours that are available in a destination and the overall rating that the guest gives that destination because the tour operators that are delivering a great experience make sure that the guest has a great time, and then they tend to rate the destination much more highly.

In terms of the effect on itinerary planning, when we are looking to design THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 11

Let’s Get Technical our itineraries, availability of quality tours is a key consideration because we know that that’s going to drive a better guest experience, and at the end of the day, a better guest experience leads to a happy customer, which leads to repeat business, and that’s what we’re all in the game for.

What about passengers who do not take tours? Cruise lines have mentioned that they consider this demographic, which is why they build ports that offer retail, F&B options and even tours steps from the ship.

How does this segment influence passenger and destination ratings and, thus, itinerary planning?

FS: Not every guest is going to take a tour at the destination, and so what becomes critical for those guests is an attractive, safe and comfortable shoreside experience that’s steps away from the ship. Destinations that have developed infrastructure like that, whether it be with the assistance of the cruise line or on their own, definitely drive a better guest experience, particularly from those who don’t take a tour. And even for those who take a tour, that infrastructure is important because guests need a convenient place embark tour buses, and that infrastructure just makes it a pleasant environment to go from ship to tour or ship to town.

How do you work with destinations to improve their passenger satisfaction?

US: One of things that we spend a lot of time on is building the relationship with the port representatives. I feel that the meetings through organizations like the FCCA are critical because cruise lines can go to the destinations and explain the expectations, needs and guest profile. After all, not all guests getting off a Carnival ship are the same because things like home port, the duration of the cruise and the type of ship play big roles in attracting different demographics. A tour operator in an island might expect a certain kind of Carnival guest, but Carnival guests can be extremely different and, therefore, have different needs and expectations.

So in order to make sure that all the guests, not only the guests on a Carnivalorganized tour, are enjoying their destination, we need to make sure that everybody is absolutely clear about what our guests want and who are our guests are.

That’s why we spend so much time with the destinations and why we try to have 12 THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE

that communication channel open to have a frank conversation because, at the end of the day, we are successful if the destinations successfully deliver a great experience. We’re on the same team.

What is one tip you would give your teammate—how can a destination take advantage of your itinerary planning process?

US: What is absolutely critical is for all destinations to understand how we select ports. In my opinion, a destination is to deliver three elements. The first one is the ability to generate demand; we use marquee value to gauge that because it is usually a function of the awareness and

desire to visit. So if the destination wants to help us in generating demand, it needs to work with their destination marketing to improve either awareness or interest to visit, especially because interest to visit is also a critical point for another element we consider, the growth potential.

If a lot of people know about the destination, but most have already visited, there likely would be a drop-off in those interested in going again without new products or demand creation. So this is why it’s so important to increase the desire to visit. The destination has to be able to generate the demand that will allow us to successfully market our itineraries.

Secondly, during our visit in port, a destination needs to offer a variety of tours that resonate with the different guest profiles. The portfolio of shore excursions needs to be refreshed on a regular basis in order to be relevant and interesting.

Finally, once we are in port, the destination has to be able to deliver a high satisfaction score, which eventually will generate word of mouth when they return home excited about the destinations they visited, and happy people are likelier to cruise again.

So a destination must generate demand, provide a wide variety of quality shore excursions and deliver satisfaction, and that satisfaction will create word of mouth and future business. Those are the most critical things for a destination. Why I am telling you this? Because once a destination knows the elements we use in our itinerary planning, they will know what to do to become more appealing and how to come to us and successfully ask for more calls and business.

Let’s Get Technical

“The Shift of Affluent Consumer Value Sets,” According to Azamara CEO

L

arry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises, attended the FCCA Platinum Associate Membership Advisory Council (PAMAC) Conference in Aruba from June 14-16. In addition to meeting and interacting with the Platinum Members, he delivered a presentation to help them better understand and optimize the evolving luxury cruising market. Excerpts from that presentation, “The Shift of Affluent Consumer Value Sets,” are included below:

company, and customer-driven information via social media, online reviews, etc.).

Pricing is still the most obvious differentiator of luxury goods, with different categories of products and services commanding different degrees of price premiums. For example, a luxury hotel could cost eight times the amount of a standard hotel room, while a designer cocktail dress could cost 170 times the amount of a standard dress and a luxury watch could be 17,000 times the cost of a standard watch.

YESTERDAY’S LUXURY Fancy pocket watches, Chanel suits, fine cigars and cognac, diamonds and jewels, the Titanic. Personal luxury goods were the hallmark of wealth.

LUXURY CONSUMERS SEEK EXPERIENCES Consumers and travelers are seeking experiences. Forty-five percent of luxury spend is on “experiential luxury” like travel and hotels, technology, alcohol and food; spend on experiential luxury is growing 50 percent faster than sales of personal luxury products.

TODAY’S LUXURY However, luxury today has a different connotation. It’s…

• • • •

Experiential Exclusive Authentic & Localized And it’s about the Human Connection

While design, craftsmanship, higher prices all still represent luxury products, Millennials, Gen-Exers and retiring Babyboomers are living a different type of luxury. Today’s luxury is more experiential (like the high-end helicopter safari in Africa), exclusive (like the private tour and exclusive dinner with Disney princesses at Disney World’s Cinderella’s castle), authentic (dining where the locals dine in Madrid—in a place still undiscovered by tourists), and with significant digital presence (including company-led initiatives for customers to research, buy product or interact with the 14 THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE

THE HUMAN CONNECTION Part of experiences includes the “human connection.” People-to-people experiences are also a part of localization, i.e. experiences that come with the human connection is important and remembered more.

Social media is very much a part of the “human connection” and is “experiential,” even though not face-to-face.

EXCLUSIVITY Luxury customers and travelers want exclusivity. They want the feeling of getting something unique or special, whether it’s an American Express Black Card, a private dinner at a localized restaurant with a chef preparing the best food for the locals, or a private after-hours tour—or even christen-

ing—in the Sistine Chapel. Consumers are looking for more ways to differentiate themselves and their purchases from others.

In fact, a luxury survey conducted by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in 2013 shows that consumers who have exclusivity in top of mind spend roughly 20 percent more than those that did not. In the travel space, suppliers who offer their clients unique experiences that money alone cannot buy are winning.

LOCALIZED, AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES Luxury consumers expect brands to connect them with authentic, local products and experiences. They want to meet local people, eat local food, stay at local places, even if these are higher-quality versions of the local experience. For instance, 85 per-

Online channels and social media are also incredibly important for “sharing” of travel experiences during and after the vacation. No longer do your family and friends have to wait until you’re home to learn about your travel.

TRAVEL AGENTS AS VALUE INTERPRETERS Travel agents need to be value, not price, interpreters. They need to be able to articulate localization, exclusivity and experiences. This will help travel agents succeed and increase income and customer loyalty.

cent of travel buyers “believe that authentic local experiences are what high end travelers desire most,” according to a survey by the Future Laboratory, “International Luxury Travel Market Trends.”

According to industry experts, consumers are moving away from the “fortress hotel” design and looking for more immersive, authentic, and private alternatives to the standard hotel room. AirBnB is succeeding by taking advantage of the desire for many travelers to live like the locals live.

Travel companies that are able to provide consumers with the opportunity of immersing in global cultures in an authentic way will be more successful attracting consumers’ spend.

SOCIAL INFLUENCE Beyond social media, much of the luxury digital experience is also managed by companies. Customers are eager to research, buy, and review luxury purchases online.

Tory Burch is very strong in engaging with consumers by providing editorial content and creating incentives for mobile usage. “The Tory Blog” provides content on style, culture, travel, entertaining, etc., and “Tory’s Must-Haves” provides product recommendations.

Other websites, such as “Bag, Borrow, or Steal” or “Rent the Runway,” allow consumers—most likely aspirational luxury consumers–to rent luxury brands for short periods of time.

However, digital isn’t the only influence; it’s important to use multiple touch points with customers, advocacy marketing, and integration of online and offline interactions to create a unified experience for consumers.

LUXURY CONSUMERS RELY ON DIGITAL CHANNELS AND WORD OF MOUTH Luxury consumers value high-touch service, but are also significant users of digital channels to research and connect with preferred brands. In fact, according to the Royal Caribbean/BCG survey conducted earlier this year, the Internet as an influencer and information source for luxury travel has surpassed personal recommendations in most instances.

The Internet is the primary information source for 47 percent of core luxury consumers and 55 percent of the highest spenders. Word-of-mouth is the second most cited source, with 40 percent of luxury consumers. First-hand experience was third, and online reviews was fourth. Probably most surprising is that television and radio ads were cited as least relied on by luxury consumers for luxury travel information.

LUXURY: BIG, GROWING AND EVOLVING In summary, the luxury market is big and growing, with spend expected to reach >$1.1 trillion by 2020.

High quality, craftsmanship are still differentiators of luxury goods, and luxury products command significant price premiums.

However, there has been an evolution from old luxury to new luxury, with today’s consumers seeking more experiences versus luxury goods in most markets. In addition to quality, luxury consumers in most markets today are seeking experiences (which is growing 50 percent more than luxury products), exclusivity, and authenticity/ localization. More than ever, they want to engage with brands digitally—researching, buying, and reviewing—as well as using social media to share their purchases and experiences as soon as they happen.

Companies that win the new luxury consumer are those able to adapt to this evolution. *Presentation based on proprietary luxury consumer and luxury travel research conducted by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 15

Let’s Get Technical

It Takes a Village to Raise the Cruise Industry “Synergy - the bonus that is achieved when things work together harmoniously.” -Mark Twain

By Federico Gonzalez-Denton, Associate Vice President, Government Relations, Latin America, the Caribbean & South Florida, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and Vice Chairman, FCCA Operations Committee

I

t’s always a challenge to explain the role of government relations to people.

When asked what I do, more often than not, people expect me to say that I work for a foreign government; that I’m some sort of diplomat; or that I’m a spy or agent (I wish). When my answer involves none of the above, I almost immediately feel a sense of disappointment and disenchantment. But after given the opportunity to explain that government relations is basically an educational process, I feel a slight degree of interest coming back my

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way. And that’s what government relations is, an educational process driven by advocacy, and it’s an essential component for any business or initiative subject to any sort of government regulation.

When I refer to government relations as educational, I apply this principle to both internal and external operations.

Laws and regulations impact business, and my internal role is to explain the political environment giving rise to a particular government’s actions, along with how that impacts our business. Externally, that means educating government representatives about how our business works and the effects of any proposed legislation or government’s decision.

As many likely know, this educational process takes place through different paths.

Directly representing a company or business is one, and the other is through an association representing an industry. The

latter is the part that I will discuss in this article on behalf of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA). Let me begin my discussion by first noting the significance of the work the FCCA and its Member Lines do by representing the cruise industry in the Caribbean, Latin American and Floridian cruise destinations.

The linkage, or synergy, between the FCCA and cruise destinations has been a key factor in the continuous development of the industry in the individual destinations and entire region, as well as the wellbeing of the communities served. However, despite the Caribbean’s long-standing position as the preferred cruise region in the world, other regions are aggressively promoting their virtues and, little by little, capturing market share.

This is why the relationship between the FCCA and destinations has become even more vital to keep the region competitive. After all, keeping destinations appealing to both the cruise lines and passengers is important to the FCCA and all of the Member Line representatives who serve on its Operations Committee and other committees.

This is what we try to communicate each time the Operations Committee has the opportunity to meet with representatives from a particular destination, either from the public or the private sector. And the message is a simple one—we try to educate and explain the possible business consequences of a determined decision or regulation. This doesn’t mean we would always have to agree and take the same path, but without a doubt, all recommendations made by the Operations Committee are based on and guided by the fundamen-

tal principle of keeping the destinations and region as competitive as possible to face the challenges of a truly global market.

Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise to know that we always monitor any public or private initiative that could impact the cruise industry’s operational costs or revenue generation because those initiatives always have the potential of making a product less competitive for cruise guests looking for a compelling and unique value proposition. (Though it might be surprising to learn that the decision from a single destination’s private or public sector not only can affect the entire destination’s competitiveness, but also the whole region if it limits itinerary options.)

However, the synergy between destinations and the cruise industry certainly is not limited solely to the discussion of operational costs. Our exchanges usually focus on how to improve the destination products, including port infrastructure, attractions, shore excursions, land and water transportation, security, etc. And the FCCA Operations Committee prides itself on bringing these issues to the forefront in a direct, effective and transparent way to lead to mutually beneficial results for all parties involved—and even those not at the table, from local taxi drivers and tour guides to

“THE LINKAGE, OR SYNERGY, BETWEEN THE FCCA AND CRUISE DESTINATIONS HAS BEEN A KEY FACTOR IN THE CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDUSTRY…” the entire region benefitting from having more options, improved products and increased demand.

As I mentioned before, the region faces plentiful challenges and exponentiallyincreasing competition. Those of you who have attended past Seatrade events have probably noticed the surge of destinations from around the globe aggressively and efficiently promoting their competitive advantages and the uniqueness of their products.

In some instances, sub-regions have been

formed to strengthen their product offering, such as the South Pacific Cruise Alliance and Cruise Baltic, just to mention a few.

These alliances present a united front to explore business opportunities for all their members. In fact, I have seen these global destinations, year after year, becoming more passionate about the industry and their desire to enter into the cruise action.

That’s the reason why I strongly believe in the need to continue our efforts of mutually educating ourselves. We must not lose sight of the fact that the cruise industry represents more than $3 billion in direct expenditures and the creation of approximately 75,000 jobs and more than $950 million is employee wages for the Caribbean and Latin American destinations participating in a 2015 study from Business Research & Economic Advisors.

It’s the mission of the FCCA and all of the members of its Operations Committee to ensure that we continue bringing economic development to the region while empowering destinations to not only help themselves understand and improve their cruise tourism business, but also to improve business overall and increase their competitiveness for stay-over tourism. And I think that’s something that I can be proud of.

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Let’s Get Technical

Revolution Lighting Technologies Offers American-Made, Navy-Certified Lighting to the Cruise Industry

E

veryone knows that it takes a lot of energy to light up a cruise ship, but what if less meant more? That’s a question that Revolution Lighting Technologies, an executive partner with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), has been looking to answer for the industry.

Cruise ships generate electricity through their engines, producing kilowatts that are converted to electricity and used to power electronic systems throughout a ship.

They can benefit greatly from converting to LED lighting, which uses a fraction of the energy and offers greatly improved lamp life compared to traditional fluorescent bulbs, lowering long-term operational and maintenance costs. It also produces less heat, reducing the demand for air conditioning and electricity.

Revolution Lighting Technologies’ LED tube technologies are ideal for use on these types of large maritime vessels.

REVOLUTION LIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES: U.S. NAVY-CERTIFIED AND “BUY AMERICAN” COMPLIANT In April, the U.S. Navy officially certified that Revolution Lighting Technologies’ standard two-foot T8 LED tube meets the military standard and was ready for use in the U.S. fleet. Navy certification is the culmination of the world’s most rigorous testing and review process and underscores Revolution’s commitment to being a market leader in LED lighting. Revolution Lighting Technologies’ tubes also meet the NATO standard, meaning that they are qualified for use onboard a third of the world’s naval fleets.

Revolution Lighting Technologies is also “Buy American” compliant. They opened a 60,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility in Simi Valley, CA in March to manufacture American-made LED lighting solutions to U.S. customers. The company has already produced more than 45,000 LED

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tubes compliant with U.S. Buy American regulations for the GSA, Navy, Air Force, and others.

BOTH FEDERAL AND COMMERCIAL MARKET EXPERIENCE It should come as no surprise that Revolution Lighting Technologies has extensive experience with both the federal and commercial markets. Just recently, it was chosen to convert the lighting onboard one of the most renowned battleships in history at the Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial in Camden, NJ. Philip Rowan, executive director at the museum, praised Revolution’s work with one of the state’s prized landmarks, saying, “We could not be happier with the work and lighting solutions from Revolution Lighting, and are excited for the opportunity to show off our new look.”

MORE ON REVOLUTION LIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES PARTNERSHIP WITH CLIA Revolution Lighting Technologies’ partnership with CLIA is not just about offering the cruise line industry a more efficient light bulb, either. Revolution Lighting Technologies donates a portion of its sales to CLIA members to supply lighting to Africa Mercy, the world’s largest civilian hospital ship and part of the Mercy Ships fleet providing free medical care to those in need, including lifesaving surgeries for people where hospitals are nearly non-existent.

The cruise line industry takes its role as a steward of the environment seriously, having long been at the forefront of green technology. Revolution Lighting Technologies shares that forward-thinking mentality, which is why its industry-leading LED products offer a lightweight, all plastic, shatterproof solution that delivers a 70,000-hour lamp life and superior light output. Their LED products also significantly enhance visibility and safety even while providing 60% greater efficiency versus conventional fluorescent lighting.

Sometimes less really is more.

Energy Efficient Lighting for Mercy Ships.

Revolution Lighting is pleased to announce its latest partnership with Mercy Ships and CLIA members. When CLIA members purchase Revolution Lighting products in 2017, we will donate a portion of our proceeds to the Africa Mercy, providing our LED lighting solutions for superior efficiency, and lower maintenance, redirecting operational costs to where they’re needed more – saving lives.

The Power to Outperform

Revolution LED Tubes Our lightweight, shatterproof, all-plastic tubes can reduce your lighting energy use by as much as 60% compared to fluorescent lights and provide a superior quality of light.

Our tubes come in no-ballast, direct-wire or ballast-ready designs for easy installation without rewiring and are backed with our industry-leading 10-year warranty.

• BAA compliant option available • Up to 60% energy savings • 3x greater lamp life • Superior light output • Negligible light depreciation • Lightweight, shatterproof designs • Easy installation T8 “UNI-FIT” T5 “UNI-FIT”

• 100% recyclable • No mercury

T8 SEP

For program information and to schedule your audit please contact John Poerstel:

434.394.4806 john.poerstel@rvlti.com

Key Cruise Line Executives and Industry Stakeholders Gather to Improve Business at FCCA PAMAC Conference

I

mproving cruise tourism business was easier and happier than ever when more than 200 gathered in Aruba, the One Happy Island, from June 14-16 for the FCCA PAMAC Conference. Comprised of FCCA Platinum Members, key cruise tourism stakeholders, and more than 30 high-ranking executives from the FCCA’s Member Lines, the group represented some of the industry’s most powerful players, and the three-day event was geared to convert this power into mutual success.

An agenda packed with meetings, workshops and networking events tapped the power by offering ways for the influential group to discuss industry trends and standards and develop relationships and mutual benefits for the cruise lines and Platinum Members’ companies and destinations.

“FCCA events like the PAMAC Conference are essential to both the members and cruise executives,” said Adam Goldstein, president and chief operating officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and chairman of the FCCA. “They make it possible to meet with important stakeholders throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, helping us work synergistically to improve cruise tourism in the regions.”

It launched June 14th, with attendees touching down and observing and enjoying Aruba’s offerings and friendliness. The group then prepared for the welcoming event, a reception featuring island fare and calypso rhythm, along with members and executives meeting or reacquainting themselves while discussing their latest developments, from business expansions to family additions.

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After all, one of the most valuable aspects of Platinum Membership is the familiarity it breeds between members and executives through regular contact during exclusive Platinum Membership events.

“We continue to offer events like these to bring together our Platinum Members and Member Line executives, as this is the best way for them to better understand each other and their current happenings so they can grow and improve together,” said Michele Paige, president of the FCCA. The collaboration possible by joining some of the destinations’ private and public sectors’ premier players with FCCA Member Line cruise executives is also the best way to nurture future business and learn from each other. Conversation flows freely through the casual atmosphere and guarantees that every member has the ability to interact with executives, comfortable enough to speak freely and ask the necessary questions.

The next day was marked by one of the event’s most important proceedings, the semi-annual PAMAC Meeting, which gave Platinum Members the opportunity to present and discuss developments and operations related to their companies and destinations.

Plus, FCCA Member Line executives used the chance to educate the audience about ongoings and opportunities for mutual success.

Larry Pimentel, president & CEO of Azamara Club Cruises, gave insight into appealing to the upscale cruise market during his presentation, “Targeting the Luxury Cruise Market.” And Ugo Savino, senior manager of itinerary strategy and planning for Carnival Cruise Line, rose the curtain

Meetings & Events

behind the scenes of Carnival’s itinerary planning and how destinations and stakeholders can maximize their equation.

“The PAMAC Meeting is always extremely important, as it ensures that the communications between FCCA Platinum Members and the Member Lines remain open, allows the members to articulate their challenges face-to-face with the cruise lines, whilst also providing an opportunity to learn from each other, and discuss what measures might be required by either the members in their respective destinations or by the lines to ensure that the guest experience can be improved, along with the respective destination ratings,” told Russell Daya, executive director of global port operations and developments for Disney Cruise Line.

Following the PAMAC Meeting, Platinum Members had a chance to meet one-onone with pre-selected cruise executives who best applied to their products or destinations and provided an opportunity to talk shop with those who decide what sells on board, where ships call and how to invest in products and infrastructure.

“The one-on-one meetings allow for us to learn about Platinum Members’ new developments and products and help fine-tune them to best fit the cruise lines,” told Federico Gonzalez-Denton, associate vice president, government relations for Latin America and the Caribbean, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “It gives Platinum Members a real vantage point in knowing what the lines are looking for and how to appeal to them.”

The meeting-packed day then took a load off, with tours available to show what visitors see and do in Aruba, while also having some plain old fun during attendees’ choice between a snorkeling cruise, off-road excursion visiting some of Aruba’s landmarks like Black Stone Beach, or a half-day sightseeing tour immersing into Aruba’s history and culture.

That night’s reception and dinner event completed the day’s balance between business and pleasure, with members and executives

“FCCA EVENTS LIKE THE PAMAC CONFERENCE ARE ESSENTIAL TO BOTH THE MEMBERS AND CRUISE EXECUTIVES,” —Adam Goldstein, President & COO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., & Chairman, FCCA

closing deals from earlier meetings or chatting about the delectable cooking, recently-renovated Plaza Padu, or culture and art experience during the event.

The next and final day continued this blend by mixing more engaging activities to both bring the group closer and provide experiences to educate them about Aruba and understand things from a visitors’ perspective.

That morning the group trekked to Aruba’s Arikok National Park, which makes up almost 20 percent of the island. After a briefing about the park, everyone jumped on a jeep for an off-road experience through the park, past scenic caves and white dunes, and along the windmills towards Aruba’s secondlargest town, San Nicolas.

There, the group geared up for the Museum of Industry and a walk through the city center with local ambassadors who shared information about the city and the murals throughout the area. And the day finished at a beautiful, secluded beach known as “Mangel Halto.”

The farewell dinner that night featured more happiness, history and culture, with Aruba pulling out all the stops to let the group savor Aruba’s traditional flavors at its event, “Taste of Aruba,” a culinary event that

featured fare from some of the island’s top restaurants and won over the influential group through their stomachs.

Plus, the funchi came with a side of talks ranging from meeting topics to the desire to stay longer. This showed one of the FCCA’s greatest resources and why it offers events like these—to forge relationships between the members and executives that lead to business and understanding.

Of course, this was only possible because of Aruba’s hard work and generous provisions. These efforts set the stage for many to improve their cruise tourism business, and Aruba’s wealth of products and experiences showed members and cruise executives why it is both a prominent cruise destination and One Happy Island.

THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 23

Meetings & Events

Mérida, Mexico Welcomes FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show Attendees and the Investment to Its Cruise Tourism Future

W

hile reading this, you might already be experiencing some of what Mérida, Mexico has to offer.

Perhaps you just learned that it is the capital and largest city in the state of Yucatán, along with the largest Mérida in the world, and home to the Progreso Cruise Ship Terminal, or you just saw carved Maya stones used in the downtown buildings or walked through one of the largest centro histórico districts in the Americas.

That’s because Mérida and the state of Yucatán decided to invest in its cruise tourism future by hosting the FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show. For more than 20 years, destinations have increased their cruise tourism impact by hosting the annual FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show.

From triple-digit growth in passenger and vessel arrivals to the development of new piers and cruise destinations, event hosts have directly benefited from spotlighting their products, experiences and infrastructure to 1,000 stakeholders and the industry’s most influential decision makers—over 100 executives, presidents and CEOs from FCCA’s 19 Member Lines.

“I believe one of the cruise industry’s greatest assets is our economic contribution for the destinations we call,” said Micky Arison, chairman of Carnival Corporation & plc and past-chairman of the FCCA. “The main focus of the FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show is to help all involved improve their share of that economic impact, and I look forward to seeing the positive results from Mérida displaying its products and ability to organize an event of this magnitude.”

Mérida knows the significance of hosting the FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show because of watching the results in Cozumel, which hosted the event twice. After first hosting it in 2007, Cozumel experienced a more than 21 percent jump in passenger arrivals between 2006 and 2008. And riding the wave after recently hosting it in 2015, Cozumel looks poised to welcome a world’sleading 3.82 million FCCA Member Line passengers in 2018, catapulting from 2.65 million in 2013—a 44 percent increase, and 88 percent more than 2006.

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As Mérida recognizes, these numbers extend far beyond the cruise pier; they directly benefit the economy, to the tune of $23.9 million, in addition to 609 jobs paying $3.6 million in wages, directly generated by cruise tourism in Progreso, per the the Business Research & Economic Advisors (BREA) 2015 study, Economic Contribution of Cruise Tourism to the Destination Economies.

These numbers represent direct benefits for local citizens, with $16.8 million in passenger spending and $1.8 million in crew spending going towards the purchases of goods and services, including food and beverage at restaurants and bars, shore excursions, ground transportation and retail purchases.

And the $5.4 million in cruise line expenditures went to taxes and fees, port costs and purchases of local products and services. Plus, cruise tourism brings indirect contributions like supplies purchased by tour operators, restaurants and port authorities, as well as spending from cruise passengers who return as stay-over guests.

By these numbers, a 20 percent passenger volume increase means a large economic boost for Mérida and the state of Yucatán.

Progreso expects more than 400,000 FCCA Member Line passengers this year through 132 calls, so besides bringing an additional 80,000 passengers and 26 calls, that 20 percent surge would provide approximately an extra $6.62 million to the economy through an additional $4.63 million in passenger spending, $493,000 in crew spending and $1.49 million in cruise line spending. Plus, the destination would see commensurate increases in its employment wages and indirect contributions.

Even a single call from a mid-sized ship (130,000 GRT with 3,000 passengers and 1,250 crew) would carry a large economic wake, roughly $285,080—$173,640 in passenger spending, $55,440 in crew spending and roughly $56,000 in cruise line expenditures.

Considering the potential economic impact, it becomes easy to understand why Mérida and the state of Yucatan decided to invest in its economy and cruise tourism by hosting the FCCA Conference & Trade Show.

Meetings & Events

Birth of a Cruise Tour at the FCCA Central America Summit

By Rubén Acón, President, Camara de Turismo de Limon

I

n May 2015, the the Chamber of Commerce Industry and Tourism of Limón (CCITUL) decided to attend the FCCA Central America Summit in El Salvador. We had taken up functions at the end of 2013, and one of our main objectives was to boost cruise tourism in the city of Limón, and together with Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), we were organizing a city tour with participation of guides, transporters, artists, craftsmen, musicians, etc. from Limón.

We had analyzed several destinations and different routes, made calculations, and gotten the support of the Board of Port Administrations and Economic Development of the Atlantic Ridge (JAPDEVA) and the local government (Municipality of Limón). So we thought we were prepared to present our offer to the cruise lines.

During the event, we realized that cruise tourism is an extremely demanding and specialized activity. It is required to comply with high standards: licensed and properly prepared bilingual guides, quality transportation, premium food, approved insurance, professional entertainment, proper infrastructure, etc.

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We realized we had work pending, but we also saw that the economic potential was high and cruise lines were interested in developing new and better options, and, above all, collaborating with tour operators like us to achieve and maintain a win-win relationship.

We returned from El Salvador saddened that our offer was not accepted, but with the firm intention of trying even harder to prepare properly. We continued to hold meetings and trainings with the different members of the tour, negotiated lower costs, and established the goal to work with at least one cruise line.

That goal was finally achieved during the 2016-2017 season, when Pullmantur gave us the opportunity to manage an operation we call Historical and Cultural Tour of Puerto Limón.

The first operation was carried out on November 11, 2016 with a group of 80 passengers. We were ecstatic with our first tour and decided to do things the best way.

With the passage of the weeks, the number of tourists increased substan-

tially. The survey, the analysis of the responses and the suggestions of the staff of Pullmantur allowed us to correct and improve the different aspects of the project to the point that we managed to handle almost 600 people in a single day, for a total during the 2016-2017 season of a little less than 7,500 passengers.

This tour has generated important benefits in our city (wages of guides, sale of handicrafts and souvenirs, sale of food, hiring of dance groups, music, transporters, etc.), but above all, the change of perception of the people of Limón about cruise tourism.

The conferences that the FCCA coordinates are extremely useful, and without any doubt, we recommend their participation. In fact, we returned to attend this year’s FCCA Central America Summit in Honduras.

I end by thanking Pullmantur for the opportunity, to ICT, Japdeva, Municipality of Limón and FCCA for the support and collaboration. In the 2017-2018 season, we hope to extend our operation to more cruise lines to continue to benefit the people of Limón.

MSC Cruises Introduces Port Info Service and New Exclusive Shore Excursions

MSC Cruises unveiled its comprehensive range of shoreside activities and services for guests of MSC Meraviglia, with 19 additional Mediterranean shore excursions added to an already extensive range, including five exclusive tours especially designed MSC Meraviglia guests. Simultaneously, MSC Cruises debuted its all-new Port Info service, a complimentary assistance service that will allow guests to discover and explore more of each destination with expert advice and information. The Port Info desk will offer personal, tailored and expert information on what to see (including cultural events and festivities), where to eat and visit, and how to get there, along with helping guests book local transportation or create private tours and experiences, especially invaluable in countries where guests do not speak the local language.

Disney Cruise Line Surprises D23 Fans with Announcement of Seventh Ship

At the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, Disney Cruise Line announced plans to add a seventh ship to its award-winning fleet, giving families even more opportunities to create magical memories at sea and visit spectacular destinations around the globe.

Last year, Disney announced plans to build two new ships at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany with scheduled completion dates of 2021 and 2023. The seventh ship will be built at the same shipyard and is scheduled to be completed in 2022 “We decided two ships wouldn’t be enough to hold all of the exciting new experiences we have been dreaming up to take family cruise vacations to a whole new level with immersive Disney storytelling, worldclass family entertainment, and imaginative innovations that are fantastically fun and uniquely Disney,” said Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, during the announcement. “By the time all three new ships are sailing, we’ll have nearly doubled the size of our existing fleet.”

All ship names, design plans and itineraries are still in development, with each of the ships expected to have their own unique experiences. The three new ships will be powered by clean-burning liquefied natural gas and be the same size, approximately 135,000 tons with 1,250 guest staterooms, which is slightly larger than the newest Disney Cruise Line ships, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.

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NORWEGIAN JOY CHRISTENED BY WANG LEEHOM AT GALA NAMING CEREMONY Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Cruise Line’s first custom-designed ship for the Chinese cruise market, was christened in a lavish ceremony held onboard in Shanghai that featured an over-the-top performance by the ship’s Godfather, singer-songwriter, music producer, actor and film director, Wang Leehom. At 167,725–gross-tons and accommodating 3,883 guests, Norwegian Joy features an innovative design, worldclass finishes and amenities tailored to provide a “First Class at Sea” experience and onboard amenities that cater to the unique vacation desires of Chinese guests.

Norwegian Joy offers a multitude of VIP accommodations, including The Haven by Norwegian and a Concierge level, an all-new accommodations category that provides a VIP experience, featuring an exclusive Concierge Observation Lounge with 180 degree breath-taking views and larger balcony staterooms.

Norwegian Joy also boasts engaging and innovative activities, including a firstat-sea two-level competitive racetrack; an open-air laser tag course; the Galaxy Pavilion that features thrilling simulator rides, Oculus virtual reality technology and interactive video walls; and two multistory waterslides. In addition, Norwegian Joy features 28 dining options that range from traditional Chinese cuisine to upscale French, Italian and Steakhouse fine dining restaurants, along with a tranquil open space park, as well as the line’s largest upscale shopping district.

On Board P&O Cruises Animates Guests with New Nickelodeon Channels

LENA GERCKE CHRISTENS AIDAPERLA The big moment finally arrived when Lena Gercke christened the 12th member of the AIDA fleet, AIDAperla.

A music and light show, followed by a dazzling firework transformed the night sky above the harbor and the old town of Palma de Mallorca into a glittering ocean of color. In keeping with recent AIDA christening tradition, AIDAperla was accompanied by her sister ship AIDAaura. The new class of ships captivate guests of all ages thanks to highlights like the Beach Club and its weatherproof, UV-permeable membrane dome, the Four Elements and its water slides and ropes course and the awardwinning Body & Soul Organic Spa.

The award-winning children’s network Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. can now be viewed on the high-seas thanks to a new collaboration with P&O Cruises. The popular Nickelodeon programming has been specially curated with P&O’s youngest guests in mind and will be available around the clock on TV’s in all cabins and in Kids Clubs across the fleet. Families can also enjoy a special Nickelodeon movie night on the Big Screen on the ship’s upper decks.

Pacific Princess Emerges from Drydock with Modern Touches Amidst Traditional Charm

After a two-week, multi-million-dollar renovation, Pacific Princess debuted in Ft. Lauderdale with new modern colors, patterns and textures, while still keeping the small ship essence and traditional architecture revered

by Princess Cruises guests. Guests will now experience several new enhancements with the addition of the new livery hull design

featuring the cruise line’s iconic brand mark; 700 Princess Luxury Beds and 336 refreshed staterooms including the new Club Class Mini-Suites; four refurbished dining venues; an updated Atrium and pool deck; and 178,000 square feet of new carpet.

Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas Completes Next Phase of Construction, Floats Out of Dry Dock

The newest member of Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis class, Symphony of the Seas, is now one step closer to full completion as her April 2018 debut approaches.

With the exterior complete, Symphony of the Seas floated out of her dry dock to begin the next phase of interior construction.

Symphony of the Seas will claim the title of the world’s largest cruise ship, offering 28 more staterooms than her newest sister ship, Harmony of the Seas, and encompassing 230,000 GRT. Touting new features and amenities for guests, Symphony also will boast all the groundbreaking innovations and thrilling experiences garnering worldwide recognition for Harmony.

Royal Caribbean Brings Underwater Adventures to Life with First-of-Its-Kind Snapchat Experience

Royal Caribbean introduced the world to a first-of-its-kind underwater adventure through the lens of Snapchat Spectacles.

From June 21 to June 25, Royal Caribbean’s Snapchat channel immersed viewers in an underwater adventure thanks to a custom-designed scuba mask dubbed “SeaSeekers.” The mask was custom engineered by the cruise line for use with Snapchat Spectacles. It allows the wearer to snap while underwater and will give those above the surface a unique perspective into the intriguing underwater world of marine life. Fans can #SeekDeeper by following @RoyalCaribbean on Snapchat.

MSC CRUISES CHRISTENS BIGGEST SHIP ENTERING SERVICE IN 2017 MSC Cruises welcomed the latest wonder to its fleet, MSC Meraviglia, in a glittering ceremony by international screen legend and godmother of all of MSC Cruises’ ships, Sophia Loren. At 171,598 GRT and with guest capacity of 5,714, MSC Meraviglia is the biggest ship to be built by a European ship owner and also the biggest ship to come into service in 2017. “We have an ambitious vision for the future and MSC Meraviglia marks the start of a new era for our Company,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman.

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On Board CUNARD RECEIVES TRAVEL + LEISURE 2017 WORLD’S BEST AWARD Cunard has earned a new accolade in Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2017.

This year, readers named Cunard as No. 1 in the Mega-Ship Ocean Cruise Line Category. “On behalf of Cunard, we are honored to again receive the No. 1 position in the Mega-Ship Ocean Cruise Line Category,” said Josh Leibowitz, senior vice president, Cunard North America.

Welcome to Eden: Celebrity’s Reimagined Garden of Eden, Featuring the Largest Window to the World

Celebrity Cruises recently revealed the next exciting feature on its newest ship, Celebrity Edge, slated to launch in December 2018. Eden is a unique venue where state-of-the-art design is fused into every element, including cuisine served by “Edenists.” Spanning three decks at the aft of the ship with almost 7,000 sq. ft. of glass, Eden has more outward-facing glass than any other room at sea. It is a design and architectural feat, brought to life in collaboration with internationallyrenowned visionaries and exemplifying the innovative outward-facing design of the new Edge Class ships.

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE INTRODUCES EASYPAY, UNIQUE INTEREST-FREE INSTALLMENT PAYMENT SERVICE In a cruise industry first, Carnival Cruise Line launched a convenient new pay-over-time program that allows guests to pay for their cruise in three monthly installments. Carnival EasyPay is designed as a truly hassle-free vacation payment option as it allows guests’ cruise payments to be automatically deducted from the credit card on file and applied to their current balance interest-free over a three-month period.

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The scale of Eden, measuring 368,640 cubic ft., is bigger than the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, and Eden’s area, at 12,650 sq. ft., is larger than the Van Gogh Museum atrium in Amsterdam.

“Eden, like so many aspects of Celebrity Edge, represents a unique advance in cruise ship design,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “It’s an experience that’s multifaceted and innovative. Connectivity to the ocean is one of the most exciting hallmarks of Edge Class, and with more glass than any other room at sea, Eden embodies that outward-facing concept beautifully.”

EXTENSIVE ENHANCEMENTS TO HOLLAND AMERICA LINE’S MS WESTERDAM When Holland America Line’s ms Westerdam emerged from a 12-day dry dock at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Palermo, Italy, in late April, the ship debuted major renovations that added many new public spaces and amenities, including two firsts for the fleet: Explorations Central, or EXC, in the Crow’s Nest and Rijksmuseum at Sea. Westerdam also received the popular Music Walk venues Lincoln Center Stage and Billboard Onboard, the intimate Gallery Bar, a reimagined Lido Market, and The Retreat area with private cabanas.

Carnival Cruise Line Steakhouses Earn Top Honors from Wine Spectator Magazine

The wine lists from the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouses aboard Carnival Vista, Carnival Breeze and Carnival Sunshine have been recognized with the coveted Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine, bestowed upon approximately 2,400 restaurants each year and recognizing restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE ANNOUNCES 2017/2018 MEET THE WINE MAKER CRUISES Norwegian Cruise Line revealed the lineup for the brand’s 2017/18 Meet The Winemaker Cruises, a selection of cruises aboard Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Dawn during which guests will have the opportunity to wine and dine with leaders and legends of the winemaking industry.

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The British Virgin Islands offer endless adventures and experiences beyond compare.

The new Tortola Pier Park welcomes cruise passengers, BVI guests and locals to the relaxed capital island of Tortola. Along the colorful pier, unique local craft shops and authentic restaurants neighbor international brands and lively entertainment. With a world of discoveries to be found in the British Virgin Islands, it’s a secret worth sharing.

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On Land

Cruise Industry’s Rising Tide Lifts the Caribbean and Americas

By Michele Paige, President, Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA)

S

o I may be a bit biased, but I can objectively say that cruising in the Caribbean and Americas is booming. However, before I get into how things are currently hitting on all cylinders and the roads are being paved for a smooth ride to a bright future, I should share some general industry numbers.

After all, the thriving industry is driving the growth in most markets as demand continues to grow exponentially, continuing to exceed supply despite constant expansion—in both fleets and destinations. In fact, demand for cruising has increased 62 percent between 2005 and 2015, and global cruise vacations have grown faster in popularity than landbased vacations by a 20 percent margin between 2004 and 2014.

That has helped fuel a record 25.8 million passengers expected to cruise globally this year, 4.5 percent more than last year’s record, already sailing on nine (9) new vessels with more than 23,000 lower berths and an investment of more than $5.5 billion that launched last year.

And future growth is further supported by an unprecedented cruise line order book with more than $50 billion of new-builds committed through 2025, along with revitalized existing ships to make them as technological and feature-rich as new-builds.

Much of the increased demand and many of these new record cruisers can be attributed to expanding global markets, but the Caribbean continues to receive the lion’s share of cruise tourism, with more than a third (33.7 percent) of deployment share in

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2016, and projections for 2017 call for a five percent increase in capacity.

Why has the Caribbean succeeded lately? (Well, besides the happy, friendly people; great weather year-round; culture and cuisine ranging from Dutch and French to Spanish and British, along with a Creole mix of all; and destination products ranging from beaches, rivers and waterfalls to mountains, forests and deserts?)

In addition to all that, the Caribbean benefits from its proximity to North America, the world’s leading source market, which is even stronger thanks to continued economic recovery leading to more travel and support of higher ticket prices and yields.

This has been good for business not only in the Caribbean, but also for markets like Alaska and the Northeast and Canada, with itineraries regaining strength in demand, yield and ticket pricing.

And there is still plenty reason to believe in the potential of the Caribbean and North American markets. The MMGY Global 2016 Portrait of American Travelers found that 12 percent of active US leisure travelers took at least one cruise vacation last year, and 56 percent want to cruise in the next two years.

The Portrait also painted a pretty picture for the future, with only 18 percent of Millennials cruising in the past 12 months, but 66 percent wanting to cruise in the next

two years. With Millennials representing the largest generational cohort of active travelers today and cruising having a high conversion rate, this is a good sign of things to come.

It looks even better when considering that the converted younger segments have already proven their loyalty to cruising, with CLIA’s 2017 Cruise Travel Report finding that two-thirds of North American Millennial and Gen X cruisers called cruising their favorite vacation, and 93 percent responded that they will definitely or probably take another cruise.

Plus, about 76 percent of the U.S. population has not cruised, representing more than 242 million potential new cruisers, and nearly half (48 percent) of non-cruisers expressed interest in taking an ocean cruise in the Travel Report.

Maybe it is then no surprise that the North American source market is poised to grow. Of 2015’s 23.19 million cruise passengers, 12.01 million came from North America—11.28 million from the US and 724,000 from Canada. And this is expected to increase to more than 14 million by 2019.

Plus, South America is no slouch, with 490,000 cruisers coming from Brazil alone last year, equaling Spain. And South America has amazing potential to tap into both its own source product and North America—along with of course its inimitable history and destination products ranging from the Amazon and Rio de Janeiro to the Andes and Machu Picchu, along with being a stone’s throw from Antarctica.

Speaking of amazing destination products, this is another way that the industry continues to build demand in the Caribbean and Americas. From new ships to new destination developments, cruise lines continue to show their commitment to the markets and their long-term vision, enticing new

“…THE INDUSTRY’S GLOBAL GROWTH ACTUALLY PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND AMERICAS…”

cruisers and creating new options for those who have been there, but haven’t done that.

Plus, the opening of Cuba presents a host of new opportunities, like offering new itinerary options and tapping pent-up demand from non-cruisers who may cruise for the first time.

And as you likely know, the industry has a pretty good track record at converting firsttime cruisers, with 92 percent of all cruisers saying they will probably or definitively book a cruise as a next vacation, according to the Travel Report.

That is why the industry’s global growth actually presents an opportunity for the Caribbean and Americas. Repeat cruisers often want to sample new products, like luxury liners and new destinations and markets. So just as North American cruisers venture to Europe or Asia, the Caribbean and Americas should—and already have—welcome more global cruisers, as well as new cruise brands and homeporting options.

And the FCCA is working with destinations to understand and prepare for this opportunity, for example by coordinating the training of multilingual tour guides and personnel interacting with passengers.

Now to go back to the global outlook, the overall cruise industry has immense longterm potential, currently representing only two percent of the total leisure travel market and having the highest satisfaction rates among global travelers.

So the future looks bright, but it will take everyone involved in the industry to truly actualize all these opportunities. We must all work together and constantly push ourselves to improve if we want to maximize the immense opportunities the industry provides. And on behalf of the FCCA and our Member Lines, I look forward to growing and working with you.

THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 35

Martinique: The Active Experience!

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artinique spoils both hard-core adventure travelers and softadventure nature lovers with a plethora of “green” and “blue” settings, from the national park to—and into—the sea. Its gear shops and tour operators are as first-rate as the scenery, offering rentals, instruction and guided tours in all manner of activities. Many, although certainly not all, of the green activities take place in the national park, a 270-sq.-mile playground that covers more than half of the island.

Indeed, maybe it’s better to use the plural word, “playgrounds,” because this protected 60 percent of Martinique includes the volcanos and virgin rainforests of the north, the east coast’s Caravelle Peninsula, and in the south, pristine Pointe des Salines, La Savane des Petrifications, and Diamant. To say that these areas represent different ecosystems with different scenery and recreational options would be an understatement. The choice of blue/maritime activities is as enormous as the variety of ecosystems, which include beaches, reefs, wrecks, calm water, wind-blown seas and many kinds of gamefish.

Enjoy nature at its best: About 31 trails tra-

verse all quadrants of Martinique, including the flat, sandy south, the windy Caravelle 36 THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE

Peninsula on the east coast, the forested flanks of Mount Pelée (where hikers have a choice of approaches and routes), and the sparsely populated, lost-in-time north coast.

The government keeps these trails in good condition and produces detailed trail maps for independent types, but many visitors opt for guided hikes and nature walks.

Ride across rivers: With so many rivers

and waterfalls flowing off the mountains, Martinique is a big draw for fans of canyoneering, which involves descending rivers, rapids, and waterfalls by floating, rapelling, swimming—whatever is appropriate at a given place. The Martinican canyoneering guides emphasize safety, and they offer experiences not just for seasoned athletes but for absolute beginners.

Tee off in style: The Golf de l’Espérance

country club course is not only gorgeous, as befits Martinique, but it’s a par 71, 7,262yard layout designed by the great Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Snorkel the clear waters: Especially in

waters just off the southwest coast, the underwater rocks and coral reefs seem to be condominiums for fish, and with full occupancy. Some of the snorkeling can

be enjoyed by simply wading out from the beaches, but there are also power boats and sailboats that take snorkelers out to the very best spots.

Dive into the deep blue: Mountainous

terrain usually indicates still more steep verticals below the surface, and sure enough, underwater walls drop off near Martinique’s northern coast, and every 30 ft. of depth reveals different varieties of fish. Not all those walls are in the north, though. For example, the base of Rocher du Diamant, a veritable monolith in the sea, is a gold mine for divers. Speaking of gold mines, Martinique’s coastal waters contain many shipwrecks, too, including wrecks of 19th century boats that sunk in Saint-Pierre’s bay during the tragic 1902 volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée. That there are more than three dozen accredited dive operations is a testament to how good the diving here is.

Surf the waves: The bad news is that you

can’t surf on every beach, but that’s also the good news: It means that much of the surf, especially in the southwest, is too calm. The best surfing is off the east coast from the Caravelle Peninsula north to Prêcheur. Plenty of shops and shacks rent boards and offer instruction.

Surf the wind: Because the kites fly above

beach level, kitesurfers can have fun in the south—e.g., off Anse Diamant— as well as in the northeast. Rentals and instruc-

On Land

high as 50 ft. It’s as close as any of us will ever come to being Superman.

Embrace the yawl tradition: After just three

minutes of watching local boating clubs race these craft, you’ll know you’re witnessing an extraordinary spectator sport. Martinique’s hand-made, traditional yawls have no weighted keel, so the crews keep them from capsizing in winds that blow from one side by crawling out, way out, over the water on poles suspended out to either side.

Bike to the top: If Martinique is part of

France, then inevitably, there is bicycling.

And if the island has mountains and hiking trails, then that’s where much of the biking takes place. Again, bike shops provide excellent gear and excursions for beginners as well as gung-ho mountain bikers.

Saddle up: A dozen or more stables offer

tion are available, but even for people who don’t want to try it, watching skilled kitesurfers skim across the water and sometimes take flight is an unforgettable show. Also, practically the national sport of France, windsurfing enthusiasts skim over the water near virtually every beach, so dozens of shops offer state-of-the-art rentals and instruction.

Kayak through paradise: Both great exer-

cise and an ideal way for spotting birds and

giant turtles, kayaking is particularly popular here amid the mangroves off the west and south coasts, where there is absolutely no wave action but plenty of fascinating wildlife.

Fly above the waves: As new as yawl rac-

ing is traditional, flyboarding has taken flight in Martinique. Using a jetpack and standing on a platform with ski pole-like handles, a flyboarder can zip across the surface or even rise into the air, sometimes as

instruction and trail rides in various parts of Martinique. This is a beautiful way to explore this island; it gets visitors away from the main roads and helps them experience Martinique the way local people did well into the 20th century.

Drive off the beaten path: Admittedly, rid-

ing in motorized vehicles might not sound 100 percent ecofriendly, but it does get visitors into terrain they’d never get to see otherwise. A dozen or so companies offer either rentals, guided tours with a naturalistic angle, or both.

THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 37

Saint Lucia’s Port Castries Poised to Create Major Waves

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aint Lucia is getting set to consolidate its position as one of the leading cruise destinations in the Caribbean, as a result of a significant berth expansion project now underway. The Saint Lucia Air and Seaport Authority (SLASPA) is constructing an extension of the Cruise Ship Berth No. 1 at Pointe Seraphine in Castries. The aim of this major extension

38 THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE

project, is to facilitate the successful and safe mooring of Quantum or the Freedom Class vessels in wind speeds up to 40 knots. The current berth will be extended by 160ft (48.8m) long by 80ft (24.4m) wide.

Three (3) additional mooring dolphins will also be erected.

The island’s ability to accommodate ships of this class, will result in significant

benefits to the tourism sector and in particular to those who depend on the industry.

Consequently, for the 2017/2018 cruise season, Saint Lucia is poised to record its highest ever number of cruise passengers with a projected figure of over 800,000 passengers.

In light of these projected increases in cruise arrivals, the island is proceeding

On Land

modate Quantum Class vessels. The passenger per call would increase by an average of over 2000 persons and the exposure of Saint Lucia to the international market cannot be overstated. Additionally, establishing a relationship as a port of call with a cruise powerhouse such as The Anthem of the Seas would enhance Saint Lucia’s reputation and profile as a premier cruise destination.

Overall, this berth expansion project spells excellent news for the island’s cruise tourism sector and its completion by early December 2017 is eagerly anticipated by all concerned. with plans to improve sites and attractions, particularly those with high cruise visitor traffic. For example, the Sulphur Springs Park will benefit from an additional 2 black water pools, additional changing rooms, vending facilities, lockers, additional security and training for staff. The city of Castries will also be enhanced in terms of general amenities in order to improve upon the cruise visitor experience in the capital.

These activities will contribute significantly to the overall enhancement of Saint Lucia’s appeal as a choice tourism destination.

There are other benefits to Saint Lucia cruise sector with the capacity to accomTHIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 39

Port of Curaçao

Win a Cruise for 2 persons

Introducing the second mega Cruise Berth

Port Services

CURAÇAO PORTS A U T H O R I T Y

In the fourth quarter of 2017, the cruise facility expansion of the Curacao Ports Authority (CPA) will be completed.

The project introduces the second mega cruise berth in the heart of Willemstad, capable of handling the largest cruise vessels.

Werf de Wilde - P.O. Box: 689 Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean

Tel: (+599-9) 434-5999 Telefax: (+599-9) 461-3907

CPA develops and manages all ports in Curaçao ensuring quality nautical services, safety and security in the ports in an environmentally responsible manner. With modern infrastructure and the experienced port cluster, the ports of Curaçao offer maritime and logistical service excellence.

Ports services include: Nautical assistance Cargo & supplies Salvage Bunkering and provisions Surveys Under water services Ship repair and maintenance Transport Fresh water delivery Waste management

Email: info@curports.com Website: www.curports.com

curports

Building towards the Future

A TRUE OASIS FOR ADVENTURE WHERE YOU DECIDE THE LIMIT...

DISCOVER A PLACE WHERE TIME STANDS STILL, WHERE YOU CAN DISCONNECT WITH THE INTRICACIES OF LIFE TO REJUVENATE AND PAMPER YOURSELF IN A COLORFUL, EXOTIC TROPICAL AMBIANCE. DISCOVER A TRUE PARADISE FOR FUN WHERE ADVENTURE WAS CREATED ONLY TO MATCH YOUR LIMITLESS IMAGINATION. DISCOVER THE RIDDLES OF ANCIENT MAYA CITIES, THE VAST AND MULTIICOLOURED KINGDOM UNDER OUR SAPPHIRE WATERS OR THE DELIGHTFUL CUISINE, EFFERVESCENT CULTURE AND THE INTOXICATING WARMTH OF OUR PEOPLE…

HERE TIME FOR US IS TRIVIAL. ENSURING YOUR ENJOYMENT TAKES PRIORITY.

DISCOVER A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN ENRICH YOUR EXPERIENCE. LEARN TO DANCE THE “PUNTA” WITH THE CONTAGIOUS BEAT OF THE GARIFUNA DRUM, FLOAT DOWNSTREAM IN UNDERGROUND CAVES AND TRAVEL BACK IN TIME, INCREASE YOUR ADRENALINE LEVEL BY ZIPLINING AT LIGHTNING SPEED, CLIMB THE TALLEST ANCIENT MAYA TEMPLE OR SNORKEL IN AZURE WATERS. DISCOVER A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN INSPIRE YOURSELF AND SIMPLY BE.

Port Everglades Embraces Technology in Terminal Design and Guest Processing

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ort Everglades and its cruise line partners are investing in cuttingedge cruise terminal improvements that reflect the new wave of cruise ship technology. New technology will be offered in Cruise Terminals 2 and 25 to compliment high-tech enhancements that are being made aboard cruise ships that homeport at Port Everglades.

“Technology is a key component of terminal construction nowadays, not only so passengers can post photos on their social media sites, but also because it is important for the cruise lines and U.S.

44 THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to process their guests quickly and efficiently,” said Port Everglades Chief Executive & Port Director Steven Cernak.

Port Everglades will be the first and only cruise port worldwide to have a terminal specially equipped with the world’s first interactive guest experience platform (xIoT) that will enable passengers to seamlessly connect to enhanced experiences before and after they cruise. Carnival Corporation is investing $4 million to retrofit Port Everglades Cruise Terminal 2 with its proprietary xIoT network, which is activated by

the Ocean Medallion™ so guests can begin enjoying their personalized cruise experience as soon as they enter the building.

“Carnival Corporation has made a larger financial commitment at Port Everglades than anywhere in the world,” said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation, in remarks earlier this year at a Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce event. “Seven of our brands call Port Everglades home for at least part of each year.”

Beginning November 2017, Regal Princess, part of Carnival Corporation’s Princess Cruises brand, will become the first Medallion Class ship and feature Ocean Medallion technology that delivers a new level of personalized service not previously considered possible, including sophisticated wayfinding, food and beverage on demand, an array of interactive gaming, personalized entertainment experiences and more.

The quarter-sized, 1.8-ounce wearable

On Land

can be accessorized with jewelry, clips, key chains and bands or simply carried in a pocket or pocketbook.

“The arrival experience is critical to creating a memorable vacation, so we’re completely transforming the arrival so that our guests can board at a pace that’s more welcoming and convenient for them without feeling hurried or rushed,” said John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation.

Carnival Corporation is responsible for all costs associated with the Terminal 2 upgrades, including equipment, information technology, furniture, floor coverings and custom wall coverings. Construction is expected to be completed in October 2017.

Cruise Terminal 25 is being completely renovated in time for Celebrity Cruises to homeport its newest ship, the transformational Celebrity Edge, on December 16, 2018.

Currently in the design phase, Cruise Terminal 25 will reflect the modern luxury

of the Celebrity Cruises brand and the ultramodern character of its 2,918-guest Celebrity Edge, the first ship in Celebrity Cruises’ new class of ships in nearly a decade.

“Our guests don’t want to just skim the world like a magazine; they want to feel a human connection with it,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “Every element of Celebrity Edge is meant to make that connection intense and unforgettable. Our new class of ship will allow guests to experience their journeys with the uniqueness and sophistication that marks the rest of their lives.”

Port Everglades is investing up to $114 million in modernize Cruise Terminal 25 with expanded areas for luggage and passenger seating and new VIP reception areas for customers who sail aboard the Edgeclass ship. Bermello Ajamil & Partners, Inc. is the architect of record.

Coming in time for the 2018-2019 winter cruise season, Port Everglades will introduce a new wayfinding program using static and Dynamic Messaging Signs (DMS) to help visitors drive from point A to point B within the port without stress or confusion. The DMS signs promote internal port road safety and awareness by providing visitors with unique, real-time and specific directional information. To further enhance the visitor’s experience, Broward County’s Cultural Division is employing a graphic design team to incorporate imaginative shapes, eye-catching colors, soft finishes, and stylized repetitive images to create an intuitive map for port visitors to follow.

In addition to these major facility improvements, Port Everglades is also the first and only cruise port in the United States to employ a Mobile Passport Control (MPC) Smartphone application to augment CBP’s entry process when passengers return from a cruise into the United States. The MPC program was first used at a number of airports across the country, including Broward County’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), and was highly anticipated for use at cruise ports when it was implemented in November 2016.

This first-of-its-kind app, developed by Airside Mobile and Airports Council International-North America in partnerships with CBP, allows U.S. and Canadian citizens with a passport book who are debarking a cruise ship to complete their Customs declaration using their smart phones or other mobile devices, expediting their clearance process in the terminal.

Travelers and family groups can use the MPC app to provide their Customs clearance information prior to speaking with a CBP officer. The CBP officer is then able to complete the identity verification and admissibility processing of arriving passengers. The Port invested more than $55,000 in special equipment to scan Customs declaration information from the passenger’s smartphone.

Port Everglades has participated in CBP’s Global Entry program since summer 2015, giving preferential processing to those guests who are Global Entry card holders.

“…WE’RE COMPLETELY TRANSFORMING THE ARRIVAL SO THAT OUR GUESTS CAN BOARD AT A PACE THAT’S MORE WELCOMING AND CONVENIENT…” –John Padgett, Chief Experience & Innovation Officer, Carnival Corporation & plc

The Port Everglades Cruise App, available for iPhones and iPads, is another technological advancement helping cruise passengers navigate their cruise vacations.

Listed among the top 1,000 U.S. travel apps, users are able to search by ship, cruise line, date of departure and view itineraries.

Port Everglades is consistently ranked as one of the three busiest cruise ports in the world. Ten cruise lines, one ferry service and some 40 cruise ships sail from Port Everglades including: Balearia’s Bahamas Express (ferry), Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Pearl Seas Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, and Silversea Cruises. The Port’s wideranging fleet of cruise ships provides guests with an array of cruise vacation choices from the Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Dania Beach area. View details at porteverglades.net.

THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 45

On Land

PortMiami Expanding Its Role as the World’s Cruise Capital

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odern cruising began more than 50 years ago at PortMiami, and there’s no doubt that the Cruise Capital continues to expand as the world’s leading cruise port.

Last year Miami set another world record in cruise passenger traffic with nearly 5 million vacationers sailing through the Port.

PortMiami is poised for the start of a new modern era as it gets ready to welcome a host of new cruise brands and new-build ships that rank among the most innovative on the seas.

MSC Cruises will homeport its newbuild, MSC Seaside, offering seven-day cruises to the Caribbean starting winter 2017.

Confirmed for 2018 is Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Horizon and Carnival Magic; Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss; and Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas. MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia will also join the Miami fleet in 2019. Additionally, Miami is excited to be the home to new cruise brands including Viking Ocean Cruises starting in winter 2017 and Virgin Voyages in spring 2020.

PortMiami’s cruise facilities are the most modern in the world, providing fast and easy passenger processing and boarding. The Port team is continuously looking at ways to enhance its customers’ experi-

46 THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE

ence by investing in advanced technology and facility improvements.

Currently on the drawing board are plans to expand the cruise footprint, including options for new cruise berths and terminals, as well as associated intermodal and parking facilities for the next generation of cruise ships. PortMiami’s signature Cruise Terminal F renovations and expansion will be complete for the arrival of the MSC Seaside.

To accommodate the new era of modern cruising, Royal Caribbean Cruises is engaged in a more than $200 million pub-

lic-private partnership with Miami-Dade County to develop new Cruise Terminal A, scheduled to open in late 2018.

At PortMiami, the cruise passenger’s vacation starts the minute they arrive.

Miami offers impeccable customer service, as travelers are greeted by friendly porters, gracious safety and security personnel, and enthusiastic cruise line staff always ready to assist from check-in to departure. At PortMiami, all employees receive comprehensive customer service training, continually making enhancements to the vacation experience.

The Port also partners with the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (cruisemiami.org), and Downtown Development Authority (miamidda.com) to provide pre- and post-cruise activities, including numerous dining and entertainment options.

PortMiami clearly continues to be the preferred departure choice for cruises to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico and other exotic destinations, offering travelers vacations for every budget, taste, and style—from family fun to luxury cruising.

PortMiami is home to the world’s leading cruise lines: Aida Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Hapag Lloyd Cruises, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Seabourn Cruise Line, TUI Cruises, Victory Cruise Line, Viking Ocean Cruises, Virgin Voyages and World Residences at Sea. For more information about the Cruise Capital of the World visit www.portmiami.biz.

On Land

A

t a reception hosted by CLIANWC to celebrate the start of the 2017 cruise season, Mayor Lisa Helps officially proclaimed May 2 ‘Cruise Industry Day’ in Victoria, B.C. Mayor Helps addressed a crowd of more than 100 business and community partners from Victoria, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Prince Rupert, Seattle and Alaska. Other guests included cruise line representatives and Victoria Councillor Margaret Lucas.

Greg Wirtz, president of CLIANWC, welcomed guests and thanked the event’s sponsors, Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA), Tourism Victoria, Butchart Gardens, Western Stevedoring, Garda Canada and Cruise BC. Paul Goodwin, chair of CLIA-NWC, acknowledged the hard work of the various stakeholders in attendance and their important contribution to the success of the cruise industry in the Pacific Northwest.

Ian Robertson, CEO of GVHA, described Victoria as the busiest port-of-call in Canada and shared his vision to see Ogden Point become a homeport by 2020.

48 THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE

CLIA-NWC Celebrates Inaugural ‘Cruise Industry Day’ in Victoria

For fly-in convenience, culture, non-stop entertainment, or simply relaxing in the warm Southern California sunshine, nothing beats a cruise vacation out of the Port of Los Angeles. Our world-renowned home-ported cruise lines offer exceptional accommodations and itineraries to suit any passenger preference. And when your clients are back on land, there’s no limit to the fun they can have in greater LA – one of the world’s most popular vacation destinations. So book them on a one-of-a-kind experience that they’ll truly love.

Follow us on

For more information, visit www.portoflosangeles.org or www.lawaterfront.org

On Land

International Audience with an Italian Flair: Costa GM Tells What Appeals to Diverse Passengers in Different Regions and How the Increasingly Global Industry Can Benefit All

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uben Perez, general manager of North America for Costa Cruise Lines Inc., recently joined the FCCA for a discussion ranging from homeporting decisions in the Caribbean to international passenger sourcing and the similarities and differences between Costa’s European and North and South American passengers, along with the opportunities they provide to destinations in the ever-growing global industry. A lightly-edited transcript of the conversation follows: On average, what kind of customer mix, i.e. nationalities, sail on your Caribbean itineraries?

Costa’s product is truly an international mix of countries and cultures. While mainly based and sourced from Italy, Costa entertains guests from all over Europe, North and South America and the Caribbean. On any given sailing, Costa can have 20-30 nationalities.

What appeals most to a European passenger in the Caribbean?

The sun, sea and shopping! Like most North Americans, the appeal of the Caribbean is the clear blue waters, the warmth of the sunshine, breathtaking beaches and, what the heck, a little Caribbean shopping to boot. In the end, the vacation value and experience cannot be compared. With Costa, guests have the option of sevennight Deep South Caribbean cruises from either La Romana, Dominican Republic or Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe, and also from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) for longer, more relaxing 10-night western itineraries.

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Does a European passenger have different needs and expectations than a North American passenger, and why might these factors affect Costa’s decisions of where to call and homeport?

Europeans in general have the same expectations of North Americans with a good product delivery, fine cuisine and of course a good bottle of wine. Culturally we are very similar, but there are a few small items that set us apart, such as North Americans

expect a glass of water or coffee at the dinner table. That is not the custom in Europe; Europeans prefer going to one of our many bars and ordering a good Illy espresso.

From a port of call to homeporting point of view, like all cruise companies, we review our port satisfaction comments and guest experience to determine the ports used. Of course, homeporting is also a bit more complex, with the need of airlift from Europe. Additionally, we have to con-

sider destination countries’ visa and entry requirements. Those that have less restrictions obviously allow for greater reach to all potential guests from all different nations.

How do you work with destinations to generate demand for European passengers and accommodate their needs and expectations?

Through the FCCA, we have built relationships and programs that allow us to partner with various Caribbean islands. While culturally our guests have many similarities to North Americans, when it comes to language, there are differences. Our island partners have adjusted their programs to provide for different languages (such as Italian, French, Spanish and now even German) to cover our guests’ needs so they can enjoy the islands’ experiences.

What about North American cruisers in Europe? Do they have any different wants and needs than the locale clientele, and do you work to satisfy them?

For many North Americans, Europe is the next step after their Caribbean cruise experience. While the Caribbean is full of

sun and fun, Europe is a cultural experience and one that most North Americans must experience in their lives. First-time visitors have no better way to taste the different cultures and history that Europe offers than a cruise to Rome, for its history of the famed Colosseum, or Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia. That and many more sites can be experienced on a Costa cruise.

A big myth that consumers have is the cost. I can say many seven-night cruises have comparable pricing versus the Caribbean counterpart. Depending on the time of year, airfares can be quite appealing as well. So for those cruisers out there that love cruising and want to try something new, Europe should be that next destination!

Costa’s onboard programs have partnered up with major Italian brands (such as Illy coffee and Barilla pasta, to name a few) to bring you Italy’s Finest. Our product caters to an international audience with an Italian flair. Costa is celebrating 70 years of cruising in 2018 and has a long history of catering to all nationalities. Our service staff members are welcoming and generally fluent in four to five languages. One thing most North Americans don’t have to worry about is the language barrier.

Do you ever have cruisers sailing a “local” Caribbean or European itinerary on Costa and then crossing the sea to cruise Costa again?

Yes, and this happens quite often. We have had guests embark on both sides of the Atlantic to cross on our Transatlantic voyages and then sail the following cruise. This is a fantastic option for our guests who have never sailed across the Atlantic, which is a truly incredible experience, while also getting the best of both worlds with either a week in the Med or Caribbean. Of course this is a special treat for those with lots of vacation time.

THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 51

On Land

What about Latin American cruisers?

Costa calls Brazil frequently, which has a cruising source market equaling Spain. Is there any reciprocity with the South American market and North America, the Caribbean and/or Europe, and if so, what do those cruisers want and need?

As we know, Brazilians travel well and are a major source market for Costa, in particular for our South America cruises. Europe, while still new to Brazilians, is gaining in popularity. As to the rule of reciprocity, U.S. rules are sometimes complicated and require high visa costs, which may hinder some Brazilians from travel, in particular lastminute travelers. Saying that, the countries do work together and have changed many tourism visa requirements over time, which will hopefully allow for easier access in both directions.

With cruising growing more global and many people discovering a cruise for the first time, how important do you believe this reciprocity is for driving the industry to the future?

Market reciprocity is very important and can be the difference between a country growing its tourism industry or not. All nations benefit from tourism; to what level is very dependent whether a nation is interested in cruisers, land-based stays or both.

The country’s reciprocity rules/laws do determine consumer opinions, options and, therefore, demand for the destination.

The world is becoming more global, and the cruise industry is the best tool for 52 THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE

consumers to discover it. For example, Costa sails through Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and South America, as well as the Arab Emirates and Indian Ocean. For those areas Costa does not cruise, one of the Carnival sister brands do.

The industry as a whole is delivering a great product to many guests and opening the world, its different customs, languages and people. Through the FCCA, many new destinations are being studied and developed. While not all can be feasible, the vast majority do benefit with economic growth and sharing general knowledge of their cultures and customs.

While global unease exists, the benefit cruise lines have to move ships to new destinations allows the opportunity for many new and old consumers to cruise. Building a global source market network also allows for the cruise industry to be more resilient in case of world events or economic downturns.

You can see with the current ship orders on record the faith shareholders have not on one, but all cruise lines, for the growth opportunities. With this, every country and destination has a vast opportunity to tell and share their story. Those countries with the easiest reciprocity rules tend to be the ones that will gain the most.

The Future of Cruising in the Baltic: Results of CLIA Europe’s 2017 Baltic Study

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rom Denmark to Russia via Finland and Estonia, the Baltic region is generating increased attention for their serene and untouched beauty. They have become the third most popular cruise market by destination in the world, a European region that also requires further industry knowledge and investigation to ensure market development for a perennial cruise future.

CLIA coordinated a study in the Baltic Sea in 2016 and tested the availability and adequacy of Port Reception Facilities (PRFs) in the area. The study determined that based on MARPOL Annex IV Special Area provisions, which are not yet in effect, deficiencies exist at both the port and ship side that need to be addressed.

CLIA then presented the results of its 2017 Baltic study during a workshop in the European capital on June 26th.

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The meeting gathered over 25 senior industry representatives, regulators and major stakeholders to facilitate and inform them of the cruise industry’s operations in the region.

The analysis shows that during 46 percent of the port calls, cruise ships reported a PRF related issue in response to several specific concerns. These were related to specific issues encountered, namely: “no facility available” (12.7%); “undue delay” (21.8%); “technical issues” (5.9%); “inappropriate location” (5%); “unreasonable charges for use of facilities” (25.5%) or “other” (29%). The latter included aspects like planning and specific port/ship characteristics.

During 32 percent of port calls, cruise ships considered the fees to be disproportionally high, thus creating a disincentive to utilize the PRF. Cruise ships

mixing and treating both Black Water (BW) and Grey Water (GW), e.g., using advanced sewage treatment systems on board, provided negative feedback on the adequacy of the port facilities, particularly relating to the volume actually discharged at the PRF. CLIA advises all relevant Baltic industry stakeholders to now ensure clear communication on the availability of PRFs and record the following information in the IMO GISIS database; closer engagement with the cruise industry on the development of port infrastructure and related Waste Reception Handling Plans; adequacy of PRFs in the Baltic Sea Region; development of a contingency / “Plan B” mechanism for exceptional discharges; and using a more detailed standard format of the Advance Notification Form (ANF) for Waste Delivery to

On Land Port Reception Facilities. Ports should take into account characteristics of specific cruise ships, including time spent at sea and expected volumes of sewage to be generated.

“All stakeholders need to work together to advance environmentally sustainable practices in the Baltic, the third largest cruise market in the world, and ensure that protective environmental measures and business operations are aligned,” commented Tom Fecke, CLIA Europe Secretary General. “We also believe that many Baltic ports will need to update their individual Port Waste Management Plans to account for the impending legislation and include the cruise industry in those discussions.”

Fecke added that “Legal, safety and environmental risks can only be managed successfully through close cooperation between all stakeholders, especially the ship operators, ports and PRF providers.

More long-term partnerships with key PRF providers, where core competencies are very high regarding safety and environment, and this may support managing this operational risk.”

Some cruise ships will continue to report on their experiences with PRF for sewage in the Baltic during the 2017 season. For future studies, CLIA recommends a deeper involvement of ports in the mapping in order to gain a full understanding of the investments and/or interventions needed to ensure the continuity of cruise operations in the region once the Special Area enters into force.

“ALL STAKEHOLDERS NEED TO WORK TOGETHER…AND ENSURE THAT PROTECTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS ARE ALIGNED.” –Tom Fecke, CLIA Europe Secretary General

FACTS ABOUT THE BALTIC REGION The Baltic is the 3rd cruise market by destination in the world, and cruise tourism in the region is continuously experiencing growth, with 13% more passengers expected in 2017 and 15% more cruise ship calls.

Ships participating:

29

Total number of reports from ships

579

Data entries per completed form The need for a dialogue among all stakeholders, especially between CLIA and the Baltic Ports was clear. To ensure legal certainty in all key aspects of the implementation of the European Directive on Reception Facilities and, in particular the interpretation of the “next port of call,” which is of great importance to operators.

The discussion stressed the importance of the adequacy of PRFs in the region, which should be forward-looking and designed to accommodate the future needs of cruise ships in the region accompanied by a “Plan B” to avoid redundancy, as well as a transparent fee structure.

84

Total data entries

48,636

Ports visited

30

Total amount of ports providing

29

Ports providing aggregated volumes of sewage discharged

6

THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 55

On Land

Saint-Nazaire and Le Havre Reveal MSC Meraviglia

O

n June 3, MSC Cruises launched its ‘evolutionary’ cruise ship, MSC Meraviglia. The ship, built in France at the STX shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, was christened in Le Havre by Italian screen legend Sophia Loren, the ship’s godmother. Also in attendance were French comedian Gad Elmaleh and singer Patrick Bruel.

Meraviglia is one of the biggest cruise ships in the world, with a capacity of 5,700 passengers. In addition to many new amenities, MSC Meraviglia is the only ship offering Cirque du Soleil shows. Six nights a week, the highly skilled performers appear in two unique shows created exclusively for MSC Cruises.

At the launch, MSC Cruises executive chairman, Pierfrancesco Vago, addressed an audience of over 2,000 people and suggested that the vessel was ushering in a new era for the line. “We have an ambitious vision for the future, and MSC Meraviglia marks the start of the second phase of growth for our company,” he said.

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Weighing 171,598 tons and measuring in at a length of 316 meters, with a width of 43 meters, Meraviglia is the fourthlargest cruise vessel ever built, only smaller than the three Oasis-class ships that Royal Caribbean has unveiled since 2009. The 19-deck high Meraviglia is also the largest ship ever built by a European ship owner and the first MSC vessel to rank among the top five biggest cruise ships.

Constructed at the same French shipyard that built the world’s-biggest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, Meraviglia has all the trappings of a major mega-resort, including an Aqua Park with three water slides; a splash pool; and an adventurous “Himalayan Bridge” sky walk that allows passengers to cross the vessel nearly 200 feet above the water. The ceil-

ing of the interior walkway is dotted with 480 m2 LED lights, displaying uninterrupted visual magic: a virtual sky capable of recreating panoramas, events, sunrises and sunsets and contemplating the stars at nightfall. Meraviglia also boasts a Miami Beach-inspired, 82-foot-long main pool that at night turns into a beautiful dance floor with outdoor entertainment.

The unveiling ceremony in Le Havre was hosted by the Mayor of Le Havre, Luc Lemonnier. “This ceremony represents a tribute to France, to its know-how, but also to Le Havre, which is celebrating its 500th anniversary this year,” he said.

The evening ended with a fireworks display before the ship left Le Havre on the Sunday for its very first cruise, bound for Marseille. Meanwhile, the Meraviglia launch and naming ceremonies took a trip of their own, with coverage by French and other European media. Over 600 articles (print and online) covered the event.

The French press coverage, along with major national and regional daily newspapers, was far-reaching and included the most important economic data and a strong and positive support for the cruise industry and its manufacturing shipyard. Most TV reports also included the presence of the newly-elected French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire on May 31st, as they visited the shipyard and the ship.

Emmanuel Macron declared, “This ship is a French technical and human prowess…You have shown, with this sense of shared responsibility, the beautiful face of French industry.”

Macron also confirmed the order of four other ships for the Saint-Nazaire shipyards, for a total of 4.5 billion euros.

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On Land

Norwegian EVP Shares the Joy Discussing the Line’s Newest Ship Purpose-Built for Its Entry to China

H

arry Sommer, executive vice president of international business development for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., answered why Chinese and Western cruisers alike will be happy about the line’s entry to China on board its brand-new, purpose-built Norwegian Joy: Tell us about your newest ship, Norwegian Joy. What does this ship mean for the Norwegian brand?

Norwegian Joy is our first purpose-built ship for China. She is an expansion of the innovation, VIP accommodations and outstanding dining and entertainment that Norwegian is known for, to a whole new audience.

Norwegian Joy fully embodies the Norwegian brand and the freedom and flexibility that a Norwegian cruise Line vacation means, along with the services and amenities the discerning Chinese market is looking for.

What does Norwegian Joy offer customers?

Norwegian Joy offers a First Class at Sea experience that combines a western cruise vacation with the comforts and preferences that Chinese guests expect, from familiar language to superior personal service. We have completely designed this ship from top to bottom to focus on everything that Chinese guests are looking for in a vacation, from a wide array of accommodations and connecting staterooms for extended families traveling together, to innovative technology features, luxury shopping and exciting amenities.

What are the most thrilling and important features Chinese guests can expect from the Norwegian Joy?

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Norwegian Joy offers a multitude of VIP accommodations, from The Haven, our exclusive luxury space, to an all-new Concierge level, featuring an expansive an exclusive observation lounge at the front of the ship, offering the same view as the Captain. The ship also features the most familyfriendly accommodations in the Norwegian fleet. The most exciting of her recreational features is sure to be a tie between the technology-driven interactive Galaxy Pavilion, offering bumper cars; Oculus Rift virtual reality, featuring car racing simulators and much more; as well as the top deck, with laser tag and a full racetrack, along with two waterslides and a serene open space at the top of the ship for relaxation and renewal. Norwegian Joy also offers the line’s largest upscale shopping district, lined with international luxury shopping boutiques complete with everything from exceptional duty-free shops to world-renowned global luxury brands.

sushi to the highest quality American steaks and burgers, Norwegian Joy features no less than 28 different food and beverage outlets on board—the widest array of dining experiences yet on any new ship that has been purpose-built for China. Diners have the option of preparing their own meal with a selection of meats and fresh vegetables at Hot Pot restaurant Sakura & Hibiscus or Korean barbecue table. For fresh handpulled Chinese noodles and exquisitely crafted dim sum, there is the Noodle Bar. The Grand Tea Room will serve high-end loose leaf teas from China, along with elegant snacks and high tea-style finger foods to savor on a leisurely afternoon. For those seeking Western cuisine, there are also Norwegian favorites such as Cagney’s steakhouse, serving premium black angus beef, and La Cucina, where guests can enjoy traditional Italian dishes like pasta and gourmet pizzas.

Tell us about the racetrack. Is this the first cruise ship to offer one?

Yes, Norwegian Joy features the very first racetrack at sea. It’s an open-air two story go kart track, where guests can race at up to four different speeds. During the ship’s inaugural cruises, it proved to be one of the most popular features. I can tell you from personal experience, there is nothing else like it at sea!

How is the dining experience on board? Are there only Chinese restaurants, or are there Western cuisines available as well?

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On Land

Exciting Times Ahead for Asian Travel Agents

By Peter Kollar, Head of International Training & Development, CLIA Australasia

T

he Cruise Lines International Society (CLIA) currently has travel agent members from India, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand. But over the past four years, I have noticed that requests have been increasing from travel agents in Asia looking for support and cruise education opportunities. So it was no surprise that when I launched CLIA’s training and accreditation program earlier this year in Mumbai, it was greeted with enthusiasm and eagerness. Since that time, we have partnered with Cruise Club and Global Cruise and Anchor, who are spreading the CLIA word among the Indian travel agent community. Both Cruise Club and Global Cruise and Anchor understand that educating travel agents is vital to the growth of the cruise market.

Asian travel agents not only have a vast range of cruise products to sell, but now also have access to training, tools and resources to increase their confidence and profit. CLIA’s training and accreditation program will continue to evolve and provide further in-depth training to our members.

SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD EVENT - CLIA LIVE: CRUISING AHEAD WITH SINGAPORE Earlier in May, I travelled to Jakarta for ‘STB-CLIA Live: Cruising Ahead with Singapore,’ an event held in collaboration with Singapore Tourism Bureau (STB). Aimed at raising the profile of cruising amongst the Indonesian travel industry, this event also provided agents with further knowledge to capitalize on the increased local demand for cruising. The training workshop was attended by travel agents from Malaysia and Indonesia, including both Jakarta-based agents and those from other cities, such as Bali, Makassar, Medan and Surabaya.

CLIA MEMBERSHIP: CONTINUING TO GROW IN ASIA Providing its members with excellent value, CLIA continues to grow membership in Asia. Throughout October and November, I will be presenting at various cruise forums across Asia, including Baoshan, China for the 2017 Seatrade Cruise Asia conference.

Our aim is to support cruise markets in Asia and educate agents, as education is key for success for the entire region.

We are also working closely with the vocational sectors in Asia, including the Tourism Management Institute of Singapore (TMIS) and Executive Director JK Lim and his team. I am pleased to announce that we

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are now proud to endorse the TMIS course, a program that will empower Singapore graduates to begin a career in travel, selling cruises.

And we are also working on further collaboration with TMIS, along with the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) for advanced level courses revolving around the cruise industry.

ASIA RIVER CRUISE CONFERENCE IN 2018 CLIA offices from the UK, Europe and Australasia will be joining forces and hosting the first global river cruise conference in Vietnam next year. The event will bring agents together from around the world.

The event will be held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 10, 2018, followed by a cruise on the Mekong River for attending travel agents.

CLIA: BRINGS TRAINING AND MORE As the global cruise industry continues to grow, CLIA also continues to enhance its value to members, from training and special events to special cruise forums and conferences. Our very first Asia River Cruise Conference coming up in April 2018 is exciting.

As Head of International Training & Development, CLIA Australasia, helping travel agents through training and educational programs, as well as raising the interest in cruising, is what we strive to do best.

On Land

Australasia’s Cruise Industry Sails to Record Highs in 2016

T

hanks to the growing capacity of ships and a wider variety of cruising options being offered, Australasia’s cruising industry has been continuing to grow. Both the Australian and New Zealand cruise markets have shown yet another year of record growth.

New Zealanders and Australians are discovering how cruising provides easy, relaxing experiences.

AUSTRALIA: ONE IN 19 AUSTRALIANS TAKE A CRUISE The Australian cruise market actually grew by 21 percent, with 1,281,159 Australians taking a cruise in 2016. The growth of 222,378 passengers is the biggest increase on record, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia’s 2016 Australian Ocean Passenger Cruise Industry Source Market Report.

According to the report, in 2016 Australia achieved the equivalent of 5.3 percent market penetration. That’s actually one in 19 Australians taking a cruise, making this the highest per capita ratio in the world.

The growing capacity and wide variety of cruising options being offered are capturing the imagination of Australians, with more Australians discovering that cruising

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is an easy, relaxing and value for money way to holiday.

“The most popular cruises are local itineraries in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, accounting for 76.7 percent of Australian cruise passengers, growing by 30.2 percent year on year,” according to the Source Market Report.

With many of these local cruises calling at the 34 regional ports and anchorages around the Australian coastline, local communities benefit from the injection of valuable tourist dollars into the local economies.

Australia’s ocean cruise passenger numbers have increased by an average of 19.4 percent annually since 2007. In the last five years, these numbers have doubled.

NEW ZEALAND: CONTINUED GROWTH IN CRUISING A record 90,184 New Zealanders sailed the world’s oceans on a cruise holiday in 2016.

This 36 percent leap in passenger numbers has helped make the country one of the world’s top performing markets. New Zealand was one of only four international markets to record a double-digit increase last year, beaten only by emerging hot-spot China.

The Source Market Report shows that the New Zealand ocean cruise passenger

market has gone from strength to strength, doubling since 2012.

New Zealand itineraries, driven by P&O Cruises’ longer season and more short coastal options, led the strong domestic growth (up 177 percent), followed by the South Pacific (up almost 50 percent) and Asia (up 27 percent).

The most popular destinations for New Zealanders are the South Pacific, followed by New Zealand, which together account for almost 57 percent of New Zealand’s cruise passengers, a growth of 80% year-over-year.

The figures show that New Zealanders are increasingly enjoying cruising for its easy, relaxing, and great value for money way to travel.

AUSTRALIA: FAST GROWING CRUISE SECTORS With one in 19 Australians taking a cruise each year and almost two percent of New Zealanders taking a cruise in 2016, the growth is phenomenal, with domestic cruising continuing to surge.

People are not just discovering the relaxing experiences, but also the diverse options available, along with the value cruising provides.

On Land

New Zealand: The New ‘It’ Destination for Cruisers

N

ew Zealand is rapidly becoming the first port of call for cruisers looking to find somewhere new to explore.

Renowned for its pristine waters, lush environment, great infrastructure, and friendly locals, New Zealand has more than 15,000 km of coast to explore, and cruisers are making the most of it.

Since 2010 nearly 1.5 million passengers have enjoyed a New Zealand cruise, with passenger numbers and voyages growing every year. The New Zealand cruise industry actually reached a record high in the 2015/2016 season, with more than 254,400 passengers and 92,000 crew members sailing around the country. Thirtyfive cruise ships collectively visited New Zealand 138 times, making 703 port visits across the country during the season.

“New Zealand has been a wonder destination for visitors for many years, and now it has become an important destination for cruise ships too,” said Debbie Summers, chair of Cruise New Zealand. “The ships typically arrive in the Bay of Islands or Auckland and travel down the coast ending in Fiordland (or vice versa). We are a port-rich country that offers passengers the opportunity to explore exciting onshore activities each day and cruise overnight.”

WHO’S CRUISING? Situated at the bottom of the southern hemisphere, for many years New Zealand was the main destination of Antipodean cruisers, with Australians and New Zealanders making up 60 percent of the passenger numbers. Nowadays, the nationalities of passengers are many and varied. Australians still make up the vast majority of passengers—not surprising, given its proximity to New Zealand and the rapid growth of cruises available between the two countries.

Passengers from the United States, however, have now surpassed New Zealanders cruising, and Great Britain is not far behind.

Canadians and Germans are also showing a penchant for ‘Kiwi cruises.’

Rene de Monchy, Tourism New Zealand’s director of trade, PR, and major events, attributes this growth in variance

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to a combination of factors, including an increased international profile thanks to film tourism; improved capacity for cruises; and collaborative efforts between providers to boost tourist numbers.

“Cruise tourism is one of our fastestgrowing sectors,” he told. “Over the past five years, the size of New Zealand’s cruise sector has doubled, and forecasts show no sign of this abating. The 2015/2016 cruise season alone brought in almost $475 million (USD) in economic activity, contributed $350 million (USD) to New Zealand’s gross domestic product, and supported 8,748 jobs, and this is forecast to grow in upcoming seasons.”

“New Zealand has long been on the radar of many cruisers but, as the visitor numbers show, people are now making it their first port of call when booking a cruise,” he continued. “Research has also shown that many passengers return within the year of their cruise for a more in-depth visit. New Zealand is a fabulous tourist destination, and Tourism New Zealand works closely with Cruise New Zealand and individual providers to showcase our country’s distinctive and contemporary culture, and drive preference for visiting New Zealand.”

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO? The New Zealand cruise season typically runs from August to June during New Zealand’s spring, summer and autumn. In the past, P&O also ran winter cruises on Pacific Pearl, providing cruisers with picturesque sights of the country’s mammoth snowcapped Southern Alps, visible from the coast. The company bowed out in 2016 and 2017 to focus on its summer cruises, but is set to return to winter sailing in 2018.

New Zealand has 10 major ports that cover the length and breadth of the country. Smaller cruise ships looking to give their passengers more boutique scenic cruising experiences are attracted to eight smaller ports also in New Zealand. A typical cruise itinerary around New Zealand calls into at least six ports, and includes visits to smaller, less frequented regions by tourists, allowing passengers to see the length of New Zealand in a week.

Many cruises may start in Australia, departing from Melbourne or Sydney, and cruise first to the Bay of Islands at the top of New Zealand. Then they sail south around the country, visiting around six ports over 12 days. Shorter cruises may start in Auckland and sail around the East coast and back over four days.

New Zealand is blessed with a compact land mass, which means that each distinct region is within overnight sailing of each other. Passengers can enjoy a range of activities at each port and day-trips to other cities and towns are easily navigated.

IMPROVING THE EXPERIENCE AND NEW DESTINATIONS Cruise New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand are working with cruise lines and regions to explore new destinations. Over the 2016-2017 season, small ships are

scheduled to visit different regions. These include Kapiti Island, a nature sanctuary around the coast from New Zealand’s capital, Wellington and New Zealand’s ecological equivalent of Galapagos Island.

Another is Whitianga on the famed Coromandel Peninsula, home to the picturesque Cathedral Cove. New Plymouth, located on the west of the North Island and home to Mount Taranaki, which has become a popular film location, including Tom Cruise’s film The Last Samurai, along with Whangaroa, located in the Bay of Islands, are other regions.

“New Plymouth and the Taranaki region is one of our rising stars for cruises,” said Summers. “Port Taranaki welcomed three cruise ships last season and is working hard to develop its facilities to increase the number of ships arriving. The Lonely Planet named Taranaki as one of the best

“NEW ZEALAND HAS BEEN A WONDER DESTINATION FOR VISITORS FOR MANY YEARS, AND NOW IT HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT DESTINATION FOR CRUISE SHIPS…” – Debbie Summers, Chair, Cruise New Zealand

places to visit in 2017, with its Len Lye Centre labelled Taranaki’s answer to the Guggenheim in New York.”

“We’re welcoming four new ships to New Zealand in the 2017-18 cruise season including the Viking Sun, which will visit New Zealand on its maiden season,” she continued. “P&O is also returning to winter cruising with not only a larger capacity ship, but also with more voyages than it has ever sailed in New Zealand before.”

MAINTAINING CRUISE GROWTH Summers says the industry’s focus is on maintaining cruise growth: “As cruise ships get larger and as more players enter the market, the challenge for us in New Zealand is to evolve with the needs of the industry by providing adequate infrastructure, more efficient processes and the ability to showcase more New Zealand ports.”

THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 65

Queensland Cruising Provides Diverse Options

W

ith 11 captivating destinations for cruise passengers to explore, as well as having 6,000 kilometers of coastal shoreline, Queensland truly is like no other place on earth. From its seemingly endless coastlines and the world famous Great Barrier Reef, to an array of world heritage-listed rainforests, Queensland is a giant living and breathing postcard, waiting to be explored. And it provides diverse cruising options.

Nearly 800,000 cruise passengers visited Queensland destinations in 2015-16, injecting a significant economic benefit into the regional economy. New destina-

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tions, like Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, World Heritage Listed Fraser Island, and the unique Southern Great Barrier Reef region all offer cruise passengers an opportunity to experience Queensland’s hidden gems. Townsville, with an average of 320 days of sunshine a year, is fast becoming a cruise favorite and has recorded its best year yet. With increased interest in diverse shore excursions, such as Magnetic Island, historical World War II sites and access to the iconic outback town of Charters Towers, Townsville offers cruise passengers an insight into why Queenslanders enjoy living in the tropics.

BRISBANE: ESTABLISHED HOMEPORT Brisbane is an established homeport, accounting for half of all ships that visit Queensland. Currently ships berth at the Port of Brisbane and Portside Wharf, while a new proposal for a dedicated cruise ship terminal will ensure ongoing growth and opportunity. Moreton Island, located just off the coast and a half-hour ferry ride from Brisbane, also welcomes cruise ship calls, offering adventure touring like beach Segways, sand tobogganing, quad bikes and snorkeling at the iconic Tangalooma wrecks. In the year 2015-16, 181 ships called to the Brisbane region, delivering 607,091 passengers and creating an eco-

On Land teer greeters who meet every ship wearing their bright blue floral shirts and a warm Queensland smile.

QUEENSLAND, THE SECOND-LARGEST AUSTRALIAN CRUISE MARKET In terms of activity and industry expenditures, Queensland is actually the secondlargest Australian cruise market. In 201516, Queensland welcomed 329 cruise ship visits around the state. Queensland has seen the number of ship calls increase by double digits each year for the past ten years, and growth in 2015-16 was recorded at 20 percent. And this trend looks like it will continue. The expected 2019-20 completion of the new Brisbane facility adds to the optimism for future growth.

nomic boon for the city. Ovation of the Seas, the biggest ship to visit Queensland waters, called to the River City in February 2017.

Not only does Brisbane offer cruise passengers the chance to cuddle a koala, but it’s also the gateway to extremely famous beaches. To the south are the Gold Coast beaches, while the pristine Sunshine Coast beaches are to the north. Whether it’s a day at a theme park or a wandering along the boardwalk at Noosa’s Hasting Street, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

CAIRNS: ANOTHER EMERGING HOMEPORT In the far north, Cairns is emerging as an attractive homeport, offering easy access to the exotic Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. It’s also a ‘must-do’ destination for transit calls because of its proximity to the World Heritage Listed Daintree

Rainforest, as well as the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Overnight calls to Trinity Wharf, in the heart of downtown Cairns, are becoming more popular. Passengers have the chance to visit both these iconic experiences and enjoy the ambience as the tropical city comes alive at night.

The Cairns region, including the moorings at Yorkeys Knob and the resort town of Port Douglas, welcomed 79 calls in the year 2015-16, with nearly 100,000 passengers experiencing the relaxed tropical lifestyle enjoyed by locals.

Sitting in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef are the 74 Islands of the Whitsundays. Boasting one of the world’s best beaches, Whitehaven Beach, the region’s diverse shore tours have made it a favorite for cruise passengers. The Whitsundays offer moorings at Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island. It’s also famous for the volun-

TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND: WORKING WITH PORTS, DESTINATIONS AND MORE Tourism and Events Queensland, the State Tourism Organisation, supports each destination to be ‘cruise ready,’ with the aim of maximizing the economic impact of this rapidly growing market. This not only means working with ports and destinations to meet the infrastructure and operational needs of the cruise lines, but also working with regional organizations to ensure the shore excursion products and experiences are meeting the consumer needs.

Tourism and Events Queensland also provides learning opportunities for tourism operators and communities to ensure the best cruise experience for our guests. Some of the reasons for Queensland’s success include its reputation as a friendly and welcoming place for cruise lines to operate and for passengers to visit. The volunteer network, who provide a warm local welcome at each destination, is an integral part of the holistic approach to ensure Queensland is front of mind for both cruise lines and consumers.

Tourism and Events Queensland is an active member of CLIA and participates in events and opportunities to ensure the message of being ‘cruise-friendly’ is loud and clear. Partnerships are very important to the ongoing growth of cruise for Queensland.

Tourism and Events Queensland participates in Seatrade Global each year, so cruise line partners have the latest information and strong working relationships are formed.

Queensland offers something for everyone, and cruising the Queensland coast is definitely one of those ‘bucket-list’ experiences. A warm Queensland welcome awaits!

THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 67

On Land

Secrets of Successful Cruise Destinations

By Beth Kelly Hatt, President, Aquila’s Center for Cruise Excellence

W

ith the work the Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence has done in dozens of destinations in the Caribbean, Central America and Canada over the past few years, we’ve had an insider’s look at what makes a successful cruise destination. While there are many factors, we’ve found three consistent practices that successful cruise destinations share. And cruise lines notice when these are present and talk about their importance regularly.

To ensure your destination’s success, be sure that your strategies include these three crucial practices.

1

COLLABORATION Destinations with long-term success collaborate with their stakeholders to improve cruise tourism in their destination. Successful collaboration includes consistent com-

munication with all those interacting with the industry—including tour operators, port agents, tourism information officers, tour guides, port personnel, retail groups, taxi drivers, and more—as well as open discussions to address issues and explore ideas for improvement. Successful destinations ensure everyone in the destination is on the same page, understanding their role and importance in the destination’s overall objectives, and working together to deliver excellence to the cruise lines and guests.

As Albino di Lorenzo, vice president of operations for MSC Cruises (USA) Inc., told, “We want to ensure great experiences for our guests from beginning to end. A fluid and constant conversation between the cruise operators and port authorities, local authorities and tour operators is simply essential to achieve this.”

2

INNOVATION Successful destinations never stay static.

They are consistently innovating, bringing new products and experiences to the cruise lines. They stay on top of the trends and ensure they have tour products appealing to the wide variety of cruisers. And considering the high percentage of repeat cruisers, they regularly introduce fresh and new experiences to keep them coming back. Focused on innovation, successful destinations demonstrate to the cruise lines that they value the business and want to ensure wonderful experiences for guests and cruise lines alike. They never take their cruise business for granted; instead, they innovate to keep the cruise lines coming back for more.

But innovation does not always mean the latest product or technology, pointed out Arnold Donald, Carnival Corporation CEO, when discussing how Carnival handles innovation: “We strive to create human connections in powerful and unexpected ways…ways that will enhance the guest experience.”

3

COMMITMENT TO SERVICE EXCELLENCE Customer service is about people. And it is the people in your destination that make the biggest impact on guest satisfaction.

People with an attitude of service is what

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drives successful destinations to achieve excellent guest satisfaction. They invest in training their people to deliver consistent, exceptional service, from the tour guides and tour operators to the frontline, ensuring they are ready and eager to create “wow” experiences for cruise guests.

“Walt Disney said, ‘You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it takes people to make the dream a reality,’” said Arnaldo Zanonato, senior manager of Port Adventures at Disney Cruise Line.

“Investing in those who are representing your company and your destination is a crucial piece to success.”

Beth Kelly Hatt is the president of Aquila’s Center for Cruise Excellence, the FCCA’s official training partner. Contact Beth for more information about this FCCA Frontline program and other training at Beth@CruiseExcellence.com.

SMALL SPACE

PPI GROUP CELEBRATES ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY WITH GUINNESS WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT

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BIG

MILEST

TONE PPI GROUP, THE LEADER IN

custom publishing, video production, digital services, and shoreside shopping programs for the cruise, travel, and hospitality industries, is proud to celebrate its 30th anniversary in a big — albeit small — way in 2017: by attempting to set a Guinness World Record for “Fitting the Most People in an Interior Cruise Ship Cabin.”

to the very heart of those opportunities.”

PPI Group was established in December 1987 after Bill Panoff left a life at sea to start a landbased media company focused on shopping opportunities for cruise passengers. PPI Group has since grown its publishing division, which today produces dozens of incabin books and magazines for cruise lines, hotels, and

magazine that’s still available on newsstands and by print and digital subscriptions. The glossy bimonthly magazine, which celebrated its 20year anniversary with a new design and relaunch in 2016, covers all things cruise related including ship reviews, destination features, stunning photo essays, and other onboard and shoreside content.

Today, PPI Group

“In today’s business world, our type of sustained growth is fortunate, and so we’re essentially paying tribute to the very heart of those opportunities.”

T

he company, which has spent the past three decades growing from a small publisher to a leading multimedia company, decided to mark the significant milestone by demonstrating its passion and commitment to the industry that it’s so deeply rooted in.

“Some companies mark an anniversary with a plaque, but not so when you’re in such a fun industry,” said Bill Panoff, president and CEO. “We recognize that in today’s business world, our type of sustained growth is fortunate, and so we’re essentially paying tribute

tourism organizations; has developed and evolved onboard and onshore shopping programs to meet the changing needs of cruise guests; and has added a state-of-theart video department and in-house facility that produces awardwinning programming that showcases onboard revenue centers, port shopping opportunities, and destination highlights through a wide range of commercials, sales promotions, and product marketing.

Furthermore, in 1996, Panoff launched Porthole Cruise Magazine, a consumer cruise

has 48 land-based employees and has future expansion plans to launch a new affiliate company, Windmingo, a full-service digital agency focused on aligning content with targeting to help properly influence the customer journey.

The world-record attempt, which will be executed at a later date aboard a cruise ship docked in South Florida (details to follow pending application approval), will include PPI Group executives, employees and their families, cruise guests, and crewmembers.

PPIGROUP.COM

Members & Travel Agents

Port Tampa Bay Becomes Leading Embarkation Port for U.S. Cruises to Cuba Port Tampa Bay has become the leading embarkation port for U.S. cruises to Cuba. Royal Caribbean initiated a summer program including Havana, while Carnival added Havana to an existing itinerary. Terminal 6 was recently expanded at a cost of $2.5M to accommodate larger ships, and Carnival has two year-round ships when Miracle returns January 2018.

Miami Family Becomes Sint Maarten’s 1 Millionth Cruise Passenger for 2017 In June a family of five out of Miami, Florida were selected as the 1 millionth cruise passenger milestone for 2017, the 16th annual 1 millionth milestone for Port St. Maarten. After touring Maho and watching the planes land at one of the world’s top 10 scenic airport landings, the family received a complimentary one-week stay at Oyster Bay Beach Resort; gift bags and gift certificates.

Martinique to Welcome Record Passengers Martinique is forecast to reach an unprecedented cruise traffic of more than 440,000 passengers during the 2017-2018 season.

The volume of cruise visitors has increased by almost 1000% since the 2010-2011, thanks to the tremendous increase in awareness and demand for visiting Martinique’s diverse scenery, activities and warm French/Creole experience.

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Acapulco to Welcome New Homeported Ship and Roundtrip Itinerary Starting winter 2018, Acapulco will be the port of origin for the 1,400-passenger Magellan of Cruise and Maritime Voyages. The roundtrip 750-cabin cruise will depart from Acapulco and make stops in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas, before returning to port.

Mobile Welcomes Carnival Fantasy and Growing Popularity Mobile homeported Carnival Fantasy for a second time on November 9, 2016.

Since then our cruises have been booked to capacity and over, with ratings soaring!

We are now #1 in Friendliest Port! Mobile is quickly becoming the most popular cruise port on the Gulf Coast, with a drive-in market and easy access to I-10 and I-65, convenient parking and great southern hospitality!

Curacao Ready to Welcome the Largest Cruise Vessels The construction of the second Mega pier, named Tula, is ongoing and will be ready by November of this year. On the picture the current construction can be seen. Follow the latest developments on our Facebook page “Curports.” and for more details, contact us at info@curports.com

Port of San Diego Improves Facilities and Experience The Port of San Diego has made significant improvements to its cruise facilities and the waterfront adjacent to the terminals to enhance the passenger experience.

New amenities include a new visitor information center, walk-up café, public gardens, new seating areas and public art.

bean Sea, it promises to become a unique destination for shopping, tourism and entertainment. In its more than 70,000 m2, the best brands will be concentrated with the unequaled supply of reduced prices and exempt from taxes and tariffs.

Puerto Vallarta Undergoing $22 Million Renovation Puerto Vallarta’s harbor (API), one of Mexico’s most celebrated ports with numerous industry accolades, is undergoing an estimated $22 million USD extensive renovation and construction project. Slated to open early 2018, the 72,000 f² site includes a new passenger center, Tequila distillery and aquarium. For more information on Puerto Vallarta, visit www.visitpuertovallarta.com.

Sansouci Announces Destination Services Division Sansouci is pleased to announce Sansouci Destination Services Division. Arising from our focus of delighting cruise guests, the division will concentrate on increasing quality services and innovation; offering unforgettable cultural, beach and entertainment experiences; and creating a Santo Domingo cruise ecosystem by integrating the destination and community.

Colón 2000 Duty Free Plaza At the end of 2018, the Colon 2000 dutyfree plaza will open. Located just steps from the cruise port on the Panamanian Carib-

Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy at Costamed Cozumel Costamed Cozumel features its own rehabilitation and physical therapy department, with a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician and a professional physical therapist, along with diagnostic equipment offering Electromyography and Evoked Potentials, tests used as an extension of the physical and neurologic examination and capable of early detection of Myelin involvement.

Experience Spicemas Carnival in Pure Grenada Take the plunge and immerse yourself in Spicemas Carnival in Pure Grenada, a unique, culturally-rich festival, deeplyrooted in the island’s traditions. Dance through the streets, marvel at the cultural portrayals such as ‘jab jab’ and ‘shortknee’ or wonder at the majestic colorful fancy masqueraders. Spicemas Carnival takes place in August each year, culminating the Carnival festivities.

Amazing Destination in Nicaragua for Cruise Passengers The city of Granada is one of the oldest cities in the Western Hemisphere. It is still located on the same site where it was founded, next to the indigenous community of Xalteva, on a beautiful plain that sits along the banks of Cocibolca Lake, at the foot of the Mombacho Volcano, waiting to be discovered on your next cruise.

Paradise Point Named Number One It has been just over three years since the re-launch of Paradise Point, and we are pleased to announce that we have been chosen as the number one activity in the Havensight area of St. Thomas, USVI by Trip Advisor. We thank everyone for your continued support, and look forward to an exciting 2017-2018 season.

Sonora and Arizona Governors Issue Agreement on Puerto Peñasco Homeport During the Sonora-Arizona Commission meeting held in Scottsdale on June, Sonora Governor Claudia Pavlovich and her Arizona counterpart Doug Ducey signed THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 73

Members & Travel Agents

a Memorandum of Understanding meant to further promote completion of the Puerto Peñasco Homeport, while opening supply lines to Arizona firms.

Great Bay Express Onboard our highly-rated vessels, relax and enjoy the ride in the air conditioned cabin.

We set sail for approximately 45 minutes before you arrive at famous island of St. Barths. With four hours to explore St. Barths on your own, experience the touch of the French Riviera in the Caribbean, with its own unique touch of class.

Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence Delivers Training to Dominica and Jamaica The Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence was in Dominica in July delivering the FCCA Customer Service & Frontline Destination training for almost 80 frontline staff and a two-hour Shore Excellence session with tour operators and other stakeholders.

In August, Aquila was in Jamaica working with the team at Dunn’s River Falls. For more about Aquila’s training programs, e-mail claudine@CruiseExcellence.com.

74 THIRD QUARTER 2017 | TRAVEL & CRUISE

Starboard Unveils the O Shop Starboard Cruise Services has joined Oprah’s Year of Adventure, a series of inspirational cruises by Holland America Line and O, The Oprah Magazine. As Holland America’s retail partner, Starboard created The O Shop, featuring merchandise curated by O editors including items from Oprah’s Favorite Things, for select cruises to Alaska and the Caribbean.

2018 Seatrade Cruise Global Seatrade Cruise Global will take place on 5-8 March 2018 in Fort Lauderdale. It is the only event guaranteed to bring together every facet of the business including cruise lines, suppliers, travel agents and partners – connecting the entire cruise industry! For information on exhibiting or attending visit: www.seatradecruiseglobal.com

At Your (Video) Service Specializing in creating custom videos from inception to production, PPI Group’s Broadcast Operations team is dedicated to reaching your audience. Our in-house digital media facility produces high-quality content at the best value, from destination features to product marketing. Each team member brings skills in various disciplines including cinematography, editing, motion graphic design, audio engineering, creative writing, aerial video and photography.

Crown of Light Surpasses the $100 Million Mark in Annual Sales Diamonds International, the largest dutyfree diamond retailer in the Caribbean and Mexico, is the exclusive distributer of the Crown of Light. The patented 90-facet Crown of Light diamond is designed to produce superior fire and sparkle. Crown of Light offers collections for both men and women.

SMARTER, FASTER, FRIENDLIER Ranked one of the top cruise ports in the world, Port Everglades offers the speed, service and efficiency to help your business sail smoothly — and your passengers smile wider. Visit porteverglades.net or call 800-421-0188.

• Our modern, efficiently operated terminals make transit a breeze.

• We move passengers from curb to ship in just 15 minutes.

• We’re fully scalable — accommodating any size ship or passenger volume.

port.everglades |

• Just two miles from FLL International Airport and minutes from world-famous beaches for easy access.

• Our Harbormaster Office is a one-stop concierge open 24/7.

• Year-round berthing is available.

@porteverglades |

PortEvergladesFL

Cartagena de Indias.

ENTER THE ENCHANTED WORLD THAT INSPIRED A NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE.

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