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The New $50 Alaska Tax
(As response comes in from the various cruise lines, we will share
them with you here)
From Celebrity: In response to several emails, I thought
I'd let all of you know that Celebrity is still uncertain how or when
the new tax in Alaska will be applied. As soon as we have an official
decision, I'll let you know.
From Holland America: Alaskan voters recently approved
an initiative that, among other things, imposes a $50 per person tax
on all Alaska cruise passengers. Cruise lines are legally obligated
to collect the tax from passengers and remit the monies to the state.
It is expected that it will be implemented and impact all of the
cruise industry's 2007 Alaska cruises. Cruise lines, including
Holland America Line, will be collecting the tax as part of the final
payment for your clients' Alaska cruise. If there is any development
that results in either a reduction or elimination of the tax, we will
make the appropriate change to your client's booking.
Princess: No more paper tix on sailings by year's end
Princess Cruises said it will be the first cruise line to convert
completely over to electronic ticketing, a move the line said will
enable it to provide cruise documents to its passengers earlier than
any other line in the industry.
According to Princess, travel agents and their passengers will
receive their travel documents sooner and more conveniently with the
company's new eTickets program.
Through the on-line Cruise Personalizer, part of the eTickets
program, passengers will have 24-hour-access to print cruise details
and boarding passes and final booking and travel information also
will be delivered.
Meanwhile, Princess said the eTickets program is expected to save
travel agents both time and money, as they will no longer need to
send final ticket packages on to clients, reducing the resources
associated with handling travel documents.
"There's nothing that travelers appreciate more than having
their travel details confirmed well in advance and in-hand so they
can rest assured their vacation will be their perfect escape,"
said Jan Swartz, senior vice president of customer service and sales
for Princess in a release.
The eTickets program will also provide passengers with their Princess
Air details as soon as 75 days in advance, earlier than any other
cruise line, Princess said, giving passengers a greater opportunity
to finalize their vacation plans and make changes if needed.
U.S. economy derives $32B from North American cruise industry
The North American cruise industry contributed $32.4 billion to the
U.S. economy in 2005, 7.9% more than in 2004. It was the smallest
year-over-year increase in four years, according to an annual study
on the economic impact of cruising commissioned by the International
Council of Cruise Lines.
The annual survey, conducted by Business Research and Economic
Advisors, found that passenger embarkations increased by 6.3% in
2005, compared with a 13.9% increase in 2004. But growth in spending
exceeded the growth in embarkations. Per-passenger spending increased
7.3%, double the 3.6% increase reported for 2004.
NCL rolls out family promotion
NCL Corp. announced an incentive for families booking travel on
select NCL and NCL America ships this fall and beyond. Customers will
receive 10% off the cruise fare for the second stateroom when booking
a mini-suite (Category AF).
The family special is available on sailings of the Norwegian Dawn,
Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Star and
Pride of Hawaii.
New individual reservations must be booked 180 days prior to sailing
and blackout dates apply.
Seven Seas Voyager sets London record
Seven Seas Voyager arrived in London last week, mooring on the Thames
at Greenwich. At 207mtr long the Mariotti-built Regent Seven Seas
Cruises vessel is the longest cruise ship to sail up the Thames to
central London. The 700-passenger ship is on the final leg of a round
Britain cruise and will leave London tonight heading for France,
Portugal and Spain.
Addressing guests invited onboard to mark the event, Capt Dag
Dvergastein said he felt especially honoured to be in charge for the
vessel’s maiden call to London having previously been master of
the same company’s Song of Flower during her London debut.
Costa Fortuna to join Mediterranea in Florida
Costa Fortuna will operate its first Florida-based cruises during the
2007/08 Caribbean season when it joins Costa Mediterranea from Fort Lauderdale.
‘This particular season will be especially exciting for past and
new guests alike as we celebrate 60 years of cruising, new
itineraries and a new deployment,’ said Lynn Torrent, president
and ceo of Costa Cruise Lines-North America.
The 105,000gt Costa Fortuna, introduced in 2003 in Europe, will sail
the Eastern, Western and Southeastern Caribbean for the first time
starting in November 2007. One Bermuda roundtrip will be offered in
April 2008.
Costa Fortuna is the sister of Costa Magica, which will operate from
Fort Lauderdale during the upcoming Caribbean season.
NCL will soon unveil new branding
NCL Corp. will unveil its long-anticipated new brand identity later
this month.
The cruise operator developed the branding in conjunction with its
advertising agency, GSD&M of Austin, Texas. Media plans include a
return to national television commercials, plus print spreads and
other efforts.
Carnival earns ISO 14001 certification
Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance awarded Carnival Cruise Lines
ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for environmental
management systems. The certification applies to Carnival’s
fleet of 21 ships and its Miami headquarters.
Air Included Deals!
MSC Cruises has announced special fly and cruise packages designed
specifically for residents of America’s Heartland. These
packages offer an incomparable value. Guests will enjoy
roundtrip airfare and 11 nights onboard MSC Lirica's Deep Caribbean
and Panama itineraries departing Fort Lauderdale Nov. 26, Dec. 7,
Jan. 9 and March 16 and MSC Opera’s Feb. 27, March 10 and 21 and
April 1 sailings. Gateway cities include Cedar Rapids, Chicago
(O’Hare), Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Des Moines, Detroit,
Evansville, Fort Wayne, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Kansas City,
Lincoln, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Sioux
City, Sioux Falls, Southbend, St. Louis, Tulsa, Waterloo and Wichita.
Prices (including roundtrip air, transfers and cruise) begin at
$1,195 per person, double occupancy for an interior stateroom and
$1,495 per person, double occupancy for an oceanview stateroom.
Airport facility charges, government fees and taxes are additional.
NCL orders two megaships from Aker Yards with option for third
NCL Corp. has ordered two 150,000-ton, 4,200-passenger cruise ships,
with an option for a third, from Aker Yards SA, the cruise line said
Sept. 7.
The $2.8 billion contract is dependent on financing and approval from
shareholders at parent company Star Cruises. The first two vessels
would cost $941.5 million and the third, $896.7 million. The price
tag translates to about $224,000 per passenger berth for the first
two ships.
The project is being referred to as F3, a reference to the fact that
this will be the third generation of Norwegian Cruise Line's
"Freestyle Cruising" ships.
With deliveries expected in 2009 and 2010, the new class would be the
fourth largest in existence. Only Royal Caribbean's 220,000-ton
Genesis project, its Freedom Class ships, and Cunard's Queen Mary 2
are bigger in terms of tonnage. Including crew, the F3 ships will
carry up to 6,400 people and will be 1,066 feet long, approximately
the height of the Eiffel Tower.
Grand Cayman set to open new cruise terminal
The official opening of the Royal Watler Cruise Terminal in Grand
Cayman is set for Sept. 22, according to the Cayman Islands Port Authority.
Although construction began in March, the project was first proposed
in 2002 but legal issues and Hurricane Ivan in 2004 delayed the start.
Facilities include a 200-foot pier and a terminal with retail stores,
kiosks and customs and immigration offices. The new terminal, which
will be able to support the larger cruise ships, will supplement the
smaller cruise facility in the heart of George Town. In the past,
cruise passengers have had to tender in at the George Town facility.
Saint John plans $21m waterfront upgrade
Design concepts for the largest project ever undertaken by New
Brunswick’s Saint John Waterfront Development Partnership and
the largest Saint John Port Authority project in recent years were
unveiled last week at a public meeting.
The meeting shared details of a $21m project aimed at further
revitalizing the Water Street precinct and featuring a new cruise
welcome centre.
The Waterfront Development Partnership and the port authority have
applied for $4.5m in federal funding for the centre, a multi-purpose
passenger terminal surrounded by walkways, traffic calming solutions
and park space.
Post-Panamax orderbook hits 20 ships
NCL Corp.’s three-ship plunge into the post-Panamax arena brings
the orderbook for the industry’s largest vessels to 18 firmly
contracted ships and two options.
By brand, the breakdown is: Carnival Cruise Lines: 3 + 1 option,
Royal Caribbean International: 3, Celebrity Cruises: 3, NCL Corp.: 2
+ 1 option, Costa Cruise Lines: 2, MSC Cruises: 2, Princess Cruises:
2, P&O Cruises: 1. (Note: Some of these lines also have orders
for Panamax vessels.)
EDITORS NOTE: "post-Panamax" is
industry lingo meaning ships that are too large to pass through the
Panama Canal.
Princess announces Brooklyn coach transfers
Princess Cruises is introducing a motorcoach transfer service for
customers in the U.S. Northeast who will sail from the Brooklyn
Cruise Terminal.
The service begins in May for passengers aboard Crown Princess’
summer Caribbean cruises from Brooklyn and continues through the
ship’s Canada/New England fall cruises. Four roundtrip routes
will serve major metropolitan areas in the Northeast.
The first route travels from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore;
Wilmington, Del.; Philadelphia and Burlington, N.J. Route two runs
through Pennsylvania, departing from Harrisburg and traveling to
Lancaster, Reading, Allentown and Easton. The third route begins in
Boston with stops in Worcester and Springfield, Mass., and Hartford,
Conn. The fourth itinerary departs from Providence, R.I., and travels
through Connecticut with stops in New London, New Haven and
Bridgeport. All routes operate in reverse as well for the post-cruise
return home.
Roundtrip fares for the Northeast Motorcoach Program range between
$100 and $155 per person, depending on pickup location.
Carnival, cable channel team on promotion
Carnival Cruise Lines and AMC, a 24-hour cable movie network, teamed
on a promotion that will award a cruise to the grand-prize winner and
up to 19 family members and friends.
Consumers can enter the ‘You Cast Your Crew’ promotion
through Sept. 30 at Carnival’s networking site,
CarnivalConnections.com. The contest is also being promoted in
30-second television spots on AMC, advertisements in People magazine
and via various e-marketing channels.
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