The Cochin Port, which hosted 46 cruise liners in 2016-17, is all set to ensure that the new cruise terminal with international facilities become operational by mid-2018 at Ernakulam Wharf, said V Ramana, deputy chairman, Cochin Port.
The port had handled 34 liners in the previous year.
Port officials are upbeat as new tour operators are entering into tie-ups for including Kochi in their itinerary.
The latest to join the bandwagon is Costa Cruises. They will ply on Mumbai-Kochi and Kochi-Maldives route.
Ramana said that the decision of international cruise liners like Costa to operate in Indian waters will boost cruise tourism to Kerala.
When we talk about tourism or when people plan a trip with their family, people look at Kerala first. Moreover, Kerala seems to be the most preferred destination for tourists in India as well as abroad.
People generally prefer airlines, railways and private vehicles for travelling purposes in this regard.
If cruise services are launched via Indian waters then it would also boost our economy, he said.
A dedicated cell is functioning at the Cochin Port to manage cruise operations exclusively. Cruise vessels are given walk-in berth and no priority charges are levied in this regard, he added.
Costa Cruises, an Italian luxury cruise liner, announced that it will start three and four nights cruise line sailings from Mumbai to Kochi via Mangalore and Kochi to Maldives from November, 2017.
The Italian cruising company will start the cruise from Kochi-Maldives which will be for three nights and the cruise from Mumbai-Kochi will be for four nights.
We are delighted about increasing our capacity in this region by offering three-four night cruises dedicated to Indian market, said Nalini Gupta, managing director, Lotus Destinations which represents.
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Showing posts with label Costa Cruises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Costa Cruises. Show all posts
Tuesday, 22 August 2017
Monday, 13 March 2017
CHINA: South Korea And China Misunderstandings, Airlines Most Affected
Escalating tensions between China and South Korea over the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system are now threatening to engulf air travel as some carriers start to suspend popular services between the two countries.
Eastar Jet, a South Korean budget airline, said on its website that flights from Cheongju to China’s Harbin, Ningbo and Jinjiang will be stopped temporarily starting as early as March 15 through Oct. 28 because of “worsening relations.”
Seoul-based Jin Air, a unit of Korean Air Lines Co., said it is reviewing its flights from Jeju to Shanghai and Xian and preemptively restricted bookings to avoid disruptions.
Spring Airlines Co., China’s biggest budget carrier, canceled flights from Ningbo to Jeju March 15 through 26, and a spokesman said it was due to “changing market conditions.”
Jeju Air, a Korean low-cost operator, said the airline’s request for charter flight in March to Ordos in Inner Mongolia was rejected by the Chinese authorities.
Travel curbs imposed by China on mainlanders with plans for a vacation in South Korea are likely to cut revenue at airlines, travel agencies, package tour operators and cruises by about $5 billion, according to estimates by Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
The China National Tourism Administration verbally ordered local travel agencies to stop selling tours to South Korea starting March 15, the state-run Korea Tourism Organization said last week.
More than 8 million Chinese visited South Korea last year and Chinese make up 85 percent of tourists to the resort island of Jeju.
Some sea-cruise operators are also pulling back. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said Thursday on its Chinese website that it will cancel port calls to South Korea and replace them with some in Japan for vessels that sail as early as March 17.
Costa Cruises, controlled by Carnival Corp., is also scrapping calls to South Korean ports and re-routing them to Japan.
China is concerned that the U.S. missile shield — called Thaad — will alter the balance of power in the region, and is lashing out by squeezing South Korean businesses on its soil and by discouraging citizens from traveling to popular tourist destinations such as Jeju Island. The Lotte Group, the Korean conglomerate that offered land to house Thaad, said this week that as many as 55 of its retail stores in China were suspended.
The U.S. military said this week that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system was aimed solely at defending Seoul against potential missile attacks by North Korea.
Spring Air’s spokesman said tourism and airlines should be “markedly affected” by the ongoing situation between China and South Korea, adding the carrier’s schedule after March 26, when the summer-autumn flight season kicks off, will be adjusted accordingly.
However, the stoppage of services wasn’t widespread. China Eastern Airlines Corp. said ticket sales to South Korea remain normal.
In response to the shuttering of Lotte Mart’s businesses in China, the foreign ministry in Beijing said Monday that the government welcomes “the investment and operation of foreign companies” and protects their “lawful rights and interests in accordance with the law, as long as their businesses abide by laws and regulations.”
South Korean Trade Minister Joo Hyung-hwan said March 5, he was “deeply concerned about the measures taken in China,” and that the government will seek recourse in international law should China violate its trade commitments.
Eastar Jet, a South Korean budget airline, said on its website that flights from Cheongju to China’s Harbin, Ningbo and Jinjiang will be stopped temporarily starting as early as March 15 through Oct. 28 because of “worsening relations.”
Seoul-based Jin Air, a unit of Korean Air Lines Co., said it is reviewing its flights from Jeju to Shanghai and Xian and preemptively restricted bookings to avoid disruptions.
Spring Airlines Co., China’s biggest budget carrier, canceled flights from Ningbo to Jeju March 15 through 26, and a spokesman said it was due to “changing market conditions.”
Jeju Air, a Korean low-cost operator, said the airline’s request for charter flight in March to Ordos in Inner Mongolia was rejected by the Chinese authorities.
Travel curbs imposed by China on mainlanders with plans for a vacation in South Korea are likely to cut revenue at airlines, travel agencies, package tour operators and cruises by about $5 billion, according to estimates by Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
The China National Tourism Administration verbally ordered local travel agencies to stop selling tours to South Korea starting March 15, the state-run Korea Tourism Organization said last week.
More than 8 million Chinese visited South Korea last year and Chinese make up 85 percent of tourists to the resort island of Jeju.
Some sea-cruise operators are also pulling back. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said Thursday on its Chinese website that it will cancel port calls to South Korea and replace them with some in Japan for vessels that sail as early as March 17.
Costa Cruises, controlled by Carnival Corp., is also scrapping calls to South Korean ports and re-routing them to Japan.
China is concerned that the U.S. missile shield — called Thaad — will alter the balance of power in the region, and is lashing out by squeezing South Korean businesses on its soil and by discouraging citizens from traveling to popular tourist destinations such as Jeju Island. The Lotte Group, the Korean conglomerate that offered land to house Thaad, said this week that as many as 55 of its retail stores in China were suspended.
The U.S. military said this week that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system was aimed solely at defending Seoul against potential missile attacks by North Korea.
Spring Air’s spokesman said tourism and airlines should be “markedly affected” by the ongoing situation between China and South Korea, adding the carrier’s schedule after March 26, when the summer-autumn flight season kicks off, will be adjusted accordingly.
However, the stoppage of services wasn’t widespread. China Eastern Airlines Corp. said ticket sales to South Korea remain normal.
In response to the shuttering of Lotte Mart’s businesses in China, the foreign ministry in Beijing said Monday that the government welcomes “the investment and operation of foreign companies” and protects their “lawful rights and interests in accordance with the law, as long as their businesses abide by laws and regulations.”
South Korean Trade Minister Joo Hyung-hwan said March 5, he was “deeply concerned about the measures taken in China,” and that the government will seek recourse in international law should China violate its trade commitments.
Thursday, 14 April 2016
UAE: Cruise Arabia Promotes 2016/2017 Cruise Tourism
Sharjah’s cruise tourism offering was promoted at Seatrade Cruise Global by Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), Sharjah Investment & Development Authority (Shurooq) and cruise industry representatives.
Sharjah has had a busy 2015/2016 cruise season and expects to have received 37 port calls from cruise ships, bringing an estimated 80,000 cruise passengers to the emirate, by the season’s close. The emirate offers two terminals for international cruise liners: Khorfakkan port on the east coast and Port Khalid on the Arabian Gulf coast in the heart of Sharjah city.
Sharjah is building a new leisure cruise ship terminal in Khorfakkan, in line with the emirate’s plans to continue to develop its cruise tourism business. The deep sea port has been welcoming luxury cruise-liners since the early 1980s and is becoming increasingly popular on the itineraries of international operators. The new cruise ship terminal is planned to be a fully-functioning terminal capable of receiving all visiting cruise ships, their passengers and crew, to include dedicated facilities for port customs, immigration authorities, police and visiting tourists.
GCC countries are expected to have received more than a million visits from cruise passengers by the end of the 2015-2016 cruise season and Sharjah’s cruise business has enjoyed steady growth. Sharjah receives cruise liner visits from TUI Cruises, MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises, with most cruise passengers originating in Europe.
Cruise tourism forms an integral part of Sharjah’s tourism development strategy, Tourism Vision 2021, which aims to attract more than 10 million tourists to the emirate by year 2021.
Saturday, 14 November 2015
BAHAMAS: Cruise Ship Makes Maiden Voyage To Freeport Harbour
The vessel sailed from its home port in Miami. It is the first of four calls the ship will make to Freeport this year as part of a 10-day Caribbean cruise.
Ministry of Tourism and Freeport Harbour officials marked the occasion with a plaque exchange during a brief welcome reception aboard the vessel.
Captain Nicolo Alba – who also presented a replica of the ship to officials – said the ship brought 2,400 passengers to Freeport.
He said the vessel has a crew of 1,000, and can accommodate 2,680 passengers.
The passengers on board were mostly Europeans travelling from Italy, and some Americans.
Despite the windy and chilly weather conditions, many passengers came off the ship to venture in the stores and the straw market at the port, as well as into Freeport itself.
Capt Alba said they will make two or three more visits to Freeport in the year. He said they will also sail to Nassau on their next cruise.
Costa Cruises operate the Costa Luminosa. The ship features four restaurants and 11 bars.
Its ten-day itinerary includes calls at Nassau or Freeport; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos or Princess Cays; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Roatan, Honduras, and Cozumel, Mexico.
Orlando Forbes, port director at Freeport Harbour Company, was very pleased to have Costa Luminosa call at the harbour.
“We will continue to talk with them, and hopefully get them to add Freeport to their itinerary which can help our cruise numbers significantly,” he said.
Mr Forbes reported that business at the harbour is “pretty good” due to regular calls by Carnival.
He said Carnival sends in excess of 200 ships annually to Freeport. He noted that Norwegian Cruise Lines also calls at the harbour.
“We are expecting slightly over 300 calls in 2014. Carnival is our main business and accounts for 2/3 of the ships calling here. And so to get vessels from brands like Costa Cruises and MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) helps Freeport, and we continue to reach out to them,” he said.
Brooke Sherman, MOT public relations officer, said they are excited about tourism on Grand Bahama in 2014.
Grand Bahama is rebounding now. We are excited about all the projects that are ongoing in 2014. We can look forward to more airlift and the new hotel is about to open,” she said.
“There is a lot of excitement and attention coming to GB, and this (call by Costa Luminosa) is very welcome.”
Wednesday, 28 October 2015
CHINA: Carnival Corporation To Launch Domestic Chinese Cruise Brand
Carnival Corporation & plc the world’s largest travel and leisure company, today announced it has formed a joint venture in China that intends to launch the first world-class, multi-ship domestic cruise brand in the Chinese market.Carnival Corporation & plc is partnering with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and China Investment Corporation (CIC) on the new venture aimed at accelerating the development and growth of the overall cruise industry in China, which is expected to eventually become the largest cruise market in the world.
Carnival Corporation & plc and its partners formalized the joint venture agreement at a signing ceremony held today at the Mansion House in London. British Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the ceremony, signifying both the importance of the joint venture and the prominent role that the travel and tourism industry will play in China’s economic growth plans. Also in attendance were Dong Qiang, chairman of CSSC, and Ding Xuedong, chairman of CIC, along with Carnival Corporation & plc CEO Arnold Donald and Alan Buckelew, global COO for the company.
Under the structure of the new joint venture, Carnival Corporation & plc and CSSC, the largest shipbuilder in China, plan to purchase and operate cruise ships as part of what is expected to be the first multi-ship fleet sailing for a domestic Chinese cruise brand. Specific fleet details will be announced at a later date, but potential plans could include the purchase of both new and existing cruise ships to homeport in China.
The CIC, currently one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds with over $740 billion in assets under management, will serve as a significant investor in the new cruising joint venture with CSSC and Carnival Corporation & plc. CIC’s involvement as a strategic partner reinforces China’scommitment to developing a strong domestic cruise presence and growing demand for cruising as a key driver of the expanding Chinese tourism market, which is a top priority for longer term economic development in China.
“This cruising joint venture is a significant step forward for the cruise industry in China and a tremendous opportunity for us to work together with CSSC and CIC to grow awareness, interest and demand for cruise vacations amongst domestic Chinese travelers,” said Buckelew, global chief operations officer for Carnival Corporation & plc. “Cruising is a relatively new vacation experience in China, and we believe this collaborative approach with our partners is critical to not only developing the country’s domestic cruise business, but also supporting China’s goal to become one of the world’s leading cruise markets in coming years. We are excited about using our scale and decades of experience as the world’s largest cruise company to help launch a multi-ship domestic cruise brand that will help spread the enjoyment of cruising to millions more Chinese vacationers.”
Today’s joint venture announcement builds on recent news from Carnival Corporation & plc that the company is again expanding its leadership position in the Chinese cruise market with growth plans in 2016 and 2017.
The company announced in July that its existing brands already sailing in China – Costa Cruises and Princess Cruises – will continue to expand in 2016 with each brand adding a ship to its fleet in China in 2016, making Carnival Corporation & plc the first global cruise company with six total ships based inChina and extending the company’s industry-leading market presence in the overall market.
The expansion of Carnival Corporation & plc’s China fleet to six ships will represent a 58 percent increase in capacity in China in 2016, including three year-round ships and three seasonal ships in the market. Together, the Costa and Princess brands will potentially offer about four million passenger cruise days in 2016, giving Chinese guests more choice and flexibility in both the contemporary and luxury segments.
In addition to expanding its industry-leading presence in China in 2016, Carnival Corporation & plc announced last week that it plans to operate two additional cruise brands in China in 2017. Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises will join Costa Cruises and Princess Cruises in the Chinese market in 2017, making Carnival Corporation & plc the first company to operate four cruise brands in China.
In a separate announcement in early October, Princess Cruises announced the name of its new ship that will be based year-round in China when it is introduced in summer 2017. Based in Shanghai, the all-new Majestic Princess will be the first year-round international cruise ship built specifically for Chinese guests incorporating a unique blend of international and Chinese features.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. acted as a financial advisor for Carnival Corporation & plc in this transaction.
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