Cruise Ports & Destinations Winter 2013

| WINTER 2013 | £3 .25 | € 4 | $4 |

Cruise destination

AustraliaAtlantic France port profiles

Cruises for culture vultures

Cruise Shipping Miami Preview

Directory of Port Associations

| PORT PROFILE | Olbia Port |

2 | WINTER 2013 |

PIPERS, PARADES AND THE BEST PARKING

ON THE EAST COAST.Located in the heart of Atlantic Canada, Halifax is only a day’s sail from New York

or Boston and close to France’s St. Pierre and Miquelon. The city offers a full service port, capable of turnaround calls and able to handle the world’s largest vessels - with shore power planning underway. Let your ship enjoy world-class

port facilities while your guests enjoy a true East Coast experience.

| Welcome | WINTER 2013 |

3

It’s a truism, but there really is a cruise foreveryone. If agents are tuned into thecustomer then they can perfectly match thecruise to the customer. It might be an

expedition cruise to those who want realadventure, a small-ship cultural cruise to thosewho want to immerse themselves in thedestination, or perhaps a large ship style of cruisewhere the ship and all the entertainment anddistractions on board is as much a part of the tripas the ports of call.

Selling the right cruise hangs on the breadthand depth of agent knowledge: knowing size ofship, style of ship, demographics, customer profile,itinerary, shore excursions, the opportunities forpre and post stays on long-haul destinations, theairlift and so on. It’s a lot to take in, particularly ascruise lines continue to add little-known andundiscovered ports of call.

In the same vein we have taken a close look atthose cruise lines who offer the small ship,destination-immersive cultural cruises, the likes ofHebridean Island Cruises, Voyages of Discovery,Swan Hellenic and Voyages to Antiquity. Find out what they offer the cruise passenger on pages 18-21.

Jos Dewing, MD of The Cruise Line, underlinesthe importance of selling pre and post stays in hisopinion piece on page 24.

Our Cruise Destination this issue is Australia,which affords the perfect opportunity for agents tosell a pre and post stay around the region. Discoverwhat the options are on pages 13-17.

Elsewhere in the issue we review SeatradeEurope (pages 10-11), preview the next bigindustry event, Cruise Shipping Miami (on page25), find out what a cruise on Azamara Quest islike (pages 22-23) and profile two French portstrying to woo more cruise business on pages 26-29.

Gillian UptonEditor

Published by Cruiseworthy Media10 Tadorne Road, Tadworth KT20 5TD, Surrey, UK.

Publisher/Managing Editor: Keith [email protected] Direct Tel: +44 (0) 1737 81 2411

Commercial Director: Trudy Redfern [email protected] Mobile: +44 (0) 7766 426627

Editor: Gillian [email protected] Direct Tel: +44 (0) 208 675 7976

Art direction/design/production: Giles Ellis [email protected] Direct Tel: +44 (0) 1444 480491

www.gileselliscreative.comEditorial contributors: Jane Archer, Maria Harding, Susan Parker.

Material in this publication is the copyright of the title publisher and maynot be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

Annual subscriptions are available by contacting Keith Ellis from publisher’s office above.

Front cover picture: Oceania passing Sydney Opera House.

Cruises for all...Ports News

Page 4

Pre & Post StaysPage 6-9

Port Association NewsPage 5

Seatrade Europe ReviewPage 10-11

Cruise Destination: AustraliaPage 13-17

Cultural CruisesPages 18-21

Cruise Review: Azamara QuestPages 22-23

Agent opinionPage 24

Preview: Cruise Shipping MiamiPage 25

PORT FOLIO: La RochellePage 26-27

PORT FOLIO: NantesPage 28-29

Directory of Port AssociationsPages 30-31

Valletta celebrating TUI Cruises’ two ships

Big plans for Brooklyn

US ports push environmental sustainability

Piraeus opened its secondinternational cruise passengerterminal in May, and a thirdterminal will start operations fromApril 2014. The development aimsto strengthen its position as themost important hub amongMediterranean cruise ports.All three terminals will cover acombined area of 15,500 squaremetres.

Cruise passenger numbers atPiraeus reached a new record inAugust, up by a massive 43.22 percent to 329,540, the highestnumber in the last six years.

The American Association of PortAuthorities (AAPA) – whichrepresents over 130 of the leadingseaports in the US, Canada, LatinAmerica and the Caribbean - andGreen Marine have signed amemorandum of understanding forincreased co-operation betweenthe two parties to advanceenvironmental protection atseaports in the westernhemisphere.

It will enable ports and

terminals of all sizes to measuretheir environmental footprint,benchmark against others andimprove their environmentalperformance, said AAPApresident and CEO Kurt J Nagle.

Green Marine membersnumber over 70 ship owners,port authorities, terminals andshipyards from coast to coast,including the ports of Seattle.Vancouver, Montreal andHalifax.

Brooklyn Cruise Terminal (BCT) –the homeport for Princess andCunard - is to be managed byMetro Cruise Services LLC (Metro)for the next four years. This will bethe first time in Metro’s historythat marine terminal and stevedoreoperations will be conducted in thePort of New York. �Metro providesstevedore services in the Port ofBoston to Crystal, RCI, Celebrityand Carnival cruise lines.

BCT is the Eastern Seaboard’s

largest port and one of threecruise facilities in the Port ofNew York and New Jersey. Itis arguably the easiestterminal to reach by road andhas great views of GovernorsIsland to the north and theStatue of Liberty to the west.

Metro ‘s plans are toexpand the facilities, to attractmore cruise customers toBrooklyn, a higher call volumefrom existing loyal clientsPrincess and Cunard and anincrease in corporate andsports events.

PORT

NEW

S| NEWS | Ports |

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Piraeus port shapes up

Piraeus wants to become the premier Mediterranean port

Southampton’s old city walls

Liverpool’s iconic skyline

Valletta Cruise port welcomed TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff 1and Mein Schiff 2 on October 13It was a cause for celebration, with a flag exchange between thetwo ship captains and a surprise flash mob by crew members fromthe two ships. Malta Tourism Authority added an Inguardia re-enactment, showing events happening during the Knights of St Johnperiod, plus a fireworks display prior to the ships’ departure.

Bouquets forSouthampton andLiverpool The UK ports of Southampton andLiverpool were singled out inCruise Critic’s 2013 Editors’ PicksAwards. Southampton collectedthe Best UK Departure Port, whileLiverpool was recognised in theawards as Best UK Port of Call.

Halifax is making good attempts for sustainability

Julie-Anne Burrowes of On-BoardMarketing, revealed at SeatradeEurope that an association ofCaribbean ports is on the cards.

Long-rumoured, it is now closeto fruition with the name agreedof The Caribbean Cruise Alliance.One of the leading advocates isWilliam Tatham, VP Cruise &Marine Operations for the PortAuthority of Jamaica.

The idea of co-operation has

proved successful over the lastfew years for the CaribbeanVillage at Seatrade which today isa group of 15 fully-fledgeddestinations and representativesof port authorities, tour operatorsand attractions.

“It’s worked so well in terms ofproviding the Caribbean withincreased visibility,” saidBurrowes. “It could serve as aplatform for further co-operation.

The world is changing and wehave to look at new ways of doing business.”

Despite the region being apremier cruising destination, it islosing market share, havingdropped from 51% of the NorthAmerican cruise market to 46%.

“We pay attention to thesefigures and I don’t want thedecrease to continue,” saidBurrowes. “We are highly

dependent on the North Americanmarket but also see tremendousopportunity in Europe.”

Individual destinations such asCuracao are benefitting from anincrease of European visitors.Having agreed the initiative, thenext stage is for all potentialmembers to agree the formalmechanism and Burrowesbelieves this will happen beforethe year end.

PORT A

SSOCIATIO

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S| Port Associations | NEWS |

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Vive la France Cruise Europe’s membership has expanded with six new members.The French Atlantic ports of Saint Malo, Brest, Nantes, Bayonne, LaRochelle and Lorient are all joining at the beginning of 2014. “Thismakes the Association even more relevant to cruise lines,” said JensSkrede, MD of Cruise Europe. All six ports will be joining the CruiseEurope stand at Cruise Shipping Miami in March. Two are profiledfrom page 26.

Caribbean ports close to new alliance

St. Johns Harbor, Antigua

The Atlantic Alliance’s 2013 marketing theme is food and wineand the alliance made available a cookbook of recipes from the18 members including latest members St Malo and Cork. It will beavailable online by December. The Alliance has yet to divulge its2014 theme.

Eat, drink and be merry

Port of Saint Malo

PRE & POST

STAYS

NEW

S| NEWS | Pre & Post Stays |

6 | WINTER 2013 |

InterContinental Hotels Group(IHG®), will manage five hotelsacross Germany, the first being inGermany’s cruise capital,Hamburg, with the Holiday InnHamburg – City Nord (pictured).

New luxury hotel inAbu Dhabi St. Regis Hotels & Resorts hasopened its second hotel in AbuDhabi. The hotel boasts theworld’s highest suspended hotelsuite, 200 metres above theground and with 360 degree viewsof the Gulf. It also has the firstGary Rhodes’ restaurant in AbuDhabi and the first HommageGentleman’s Grooming Atelier inthe United Arab Emirates. Thehotel is part of Nation Towers onthe vibrant Corniche.

St Regis will also open inTurkey, with a debut property inIstanbul opening in the first half of2014. The 118-room property willbe located in the sophisticatedNişantaşi neighbourhood in theSisli district on the European sideof the city and overlook MaçkaPark and the Bosphorus. It willalso have a luxurious presidentialsuite spanning approximately2,000 square feet.

The hotels will include up tofour of IHG’s hotel brands –Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza®,Holiday Inn® and Holiday InnExpress®.

The Holiday Inn Hamburg –

City Nord, will open in Q32016 as a newly constructed297-room hotel with an openlobby and located in one ofHamburg’s best-knownbusiness parks.

A new, cutting-edge Atlantisresort along the Haitang BayNational Coast – the firstAtlantis resort in China and onlythe third Atlantis worldwide –will open in 2016.

Overlooking the stunningSouth China Sea, Atlantis on the

island of Sanya Hainan willencompass over 62 hectares ofunparalleled excitement and largerthan life experiences,revolutionary water play inAquaventure Waterpark, exoticmarine exhibits and incredibledining experiences. Already a

leading holiday destination, theisland will be transformed into thenew centre for entertainment inChina with the addition of thisnew trailblazing landmark.

The Bahamas and Dubai aresites of the other two Atlantisproperties.

First Atlantis in China

More InterContinental hotels in Germany

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts

Amsterdam’s new premier hotel

The 281-room Centara WatergatePavillion Hotel in Bangkok is nowfully open, having soft-opened thisspring. The rooms and essentialfacilities have now been augmentedby its Chili Hip on the 20th floor andWalk open-air sky lounge on therooftop/21st floor (pictured) add twonew dining and entertainmentvenues to the Pratunam fashion andshopping district. The hotel is integralto the Watergate Pavillion FashionMall and also includes a spa, fitnesscentre and sun deck on the 9th floor.

Next spring will see the opening ofthe 93-room Waldorf AstoriaAmsterdam, located on the heart ofthe Golden Bough of theHerengracht, one of the finest canal-side addresses in the city. It is thefirst Waldorf Astoria in theNetherlands and comprises sixoriginal patrician houses of the 17thand 18th century, and a uniqueentrance and grand staircaseattributed to the architect of king-stadholder William III, Daniel Marot.

Bedrooms feature exposed beamsand large windows as well asmodern amenities and luxurioustouches including expansivebathrooms, WiFi, sumptuousinteriors and memorable views.

In addition, there is PeacockAlley for light bites, the Vault Barfor nightcaps and the hotel’selegant signature restaurant formore formality.

There is also a spa, pool andrelaxation area.

PRE & POST

STAYS

| NEWS | Pre & Post Stays |

8 | WINTER 2013 |

Hilton Abu Dhabi re-opens

The iconic Hotel Eden in Rome –between the Spanish Steps andVia Veneto – is now part of TheDorchester Group. The 121-roomhotel is one of the world’s mostmajestic and iconic hotels in atruly superb setting. Originallybuilt in 1834 and converted to ahotel in 1889, Hotel Eden is one ofRome’s most celebrated hotelsand popular among royalty, heads

of states and celebrities, as wellas international travellers. It willundergo a careful restorationunder its new owners.

The hotel’s Michelin-starredrestaurant, La Terrazza dell'Eden,the bar and Terrace Garden onthe sixth floor have some ofRome’s most spectacular viewsof the city and is an observationpoint for the city.

Rome’s Hotel Eden changes hands

Bangkok hotel isnow fully open

New spa treatmentsin Sydney hotel The QT Sydney Hotel offersrelaxing treatments at its spaQas an antidote after long flights.Specifically the Kerstin Florian K-Lift Therapy treatments whichare a range of reinvigoratingtreatments from thermalmassages to deep cleansingfacials. The hotel also has atraditional barbers service, MenAt Work spaQ, offering men’sgrooming services, including acut-throat shave with a straightblade, hot towels and facemassage to man-friendly facials.The 200-room QT Sydney hotel isset within two of the city’s mosticonic buildings – the historicGowings Department Store andheritage-listed State Theatre.

Hilton Capital Grand Abu Dhabi has been unveiled following arefurbishment and rebranding programme. The curved glass propertywith floor to ceiling bedroom windows, is located close to Abu DhabiInternational Airport and boasts a luxurious and spacious spa,complete with 15 treatment rooms, sauna and whirlpool, a 24-hourfitness centre and an indoor and outdoor pool. Seven different barsand restaurants offer guests ample choices for dining.

Waldorf Astoria, Royal Suite bedroom, Amsterdam

Hilton Capital Grand, Abu Dhabi

A Crowne Plaza will open in Londonin the spring of 2015 along theAlbert Embankment, offering 130rooms and a restaurant overlookingthe Thames. Close to the Houses of Parliament and Lambeth Palace,the new property will add to the400 existing Crowne Plaza’s aroundthe world.

And its more upmarket sisterbrand, the InterContinental, willopen its third London property in2015, on the Greenwich Peninsulaadjacent to the 02. The Inter-Continental London The 02, willhave 452-rooms, a health spa,numerous restaurants, a clublounge, main bar and a sky bar with180-degree views over CanaryWharf and the River Thames.

PRE & PO

ST STAYS| Pre & Post Stays | NEWS |

9| WINTER 2013 |

More hotels for London

AIR NEWS IN BRIEF...Two into one does go!Regional airline Flybe has launched a new rail-air link withSouth West Trains for train travel between SouthamptonAirport (Parkway Station) and London Waterloo. There areover 50 trains a days on this route and passengers can nowpurchase an integrated rail and air ticket in one go.

The option to purchase a Rail-Air train ticket for £30 returnis offered via the South West Trains link after a customer’sonline flight booking has been confirmed at www.flybe.com.There is a selection of other ticket options including one way,first class and children’s fares and can be booked in eitherdirection. Those passengers buying a return rail ticket will alsobe offered the benefit of fast-track access through airportsecurity on return to the airport, at no extra cost.

EasyJet expands in NaplesLow cost carrier EasyJet is opening a base in Naples nextspring. Two aircraft will be based in Southern Italy’s largestcity, offering five new routes to Hamburg, Brussels, Catania,Mykonos and Corfu. The airline will fly 20 routes from the base,and fly additional frequencies on key routes such as LondonGatwick with two daily flights. easyJet is also now offering“Fast Track” security in Naples for its FLEXIfare customers,making travel even easier by saving time at the Airport.easyJet will open another base, in Hamburg, next spring.

Wizz Air allows more changesLow cost carrier Wizz Air is offering passengers a new optionto modify their booking even if they are already checked-in ontheir flight. This new facility allows a no-fee booking change onwizzair.com.

Ryanair opens first base in Greece Low cost carrier Ryanair opened its first base in Greece earlierthis year on the island of Crete. It plans to invest over £40minto Chania Airport, where it has had one aircraft base sinceApril 2013.

Greece steps up Greece is adding new attractionsand reasons to stop over all thetime. For example, Aristotle’s trailhas launched in Chalkidiki,Northern Greece running 22kmand a further seven trails willlaunch next year. There are newwine tours available in Santoriniwhere you can find out moreabout the 50-plus white and redgrape varieties that can be foundon the island. Love Greek food? A

new initiative named ‘GreekBreakfast’ allows you to find outmore about the most importantmeal of the day, the Greek wayof course. In addition to listingthe hotels where visitors cantaste the local gastronomy,passengers can learn more aboutthe history and background ofthe most important Greekproducts – from honey andoranges to olives and over 20types of cheese – as well asmore than 70 recipes of localdishes from all over Greece.

First Leading Hotel for Bath Opening next spring, theGainsborough Bath Spa willbecome the historic city’s firstLeading Hotel of the World andthe UKs only hotel to house anatural thermal spa.

Sister to Pangkor LautResort in Malaysia, the 99-room, five-star hotel is locatedon Beau Street and occupiesthree listed and historicalbuildings. It is a five-minutewalk from Bath train station.

Crowne Plaza, Londonopening in 2015

The good news ofa 16% growthrate in thenumber ofcruise passenger

nights across NorthernEurope during 2012 overthe same period in 2011 setthe tone for this Seatradesession.

Gerd Drossel, MD ofHamburg Cruise Centre,debated the likelihood ofachieving a year-rounddestination for cruise. “Itlooks like we’re alreadythere,” he said. “Our firstvessel was January 7 2013and the last will be 31stDecember, coupled with arecord number of cruisepassengers in one month,May, at 100, 000.”

Hamburg – which is amember of the AtlanticAlliance - has 22 cruisecalls between October andDecember so year-round

cruising is already a trendin this German port cityalthough extending theseason through until thebeginning of December ismore likely than the firstfew weeks of January.

Inbetween, Hamburg’smain season is from thesecond half of March to thefirst half of October.

Drossel’s optimism aboutthe future of cruising isbased on Hamburg’sstrategic position: an ideallocation in NorthernEurope; the city is a door-opener to cruising; and thecity offers attractive pre andpost programmes.

Hamburg’s main trade issplit between Norway/Scandinavia (35%) and theeastern West Coast (35%).

Drossel also suggestedoff-season tariffs toincentivise the cruise linesto extend their season.

Another upbeat present-ation came from WencheNygard Eeg, MD of CruiseNorway, as despite only 58of the country’s 2,200cruise calls falling in thelow season of January-March and October-November, she says: “Theseason is getting longer andlonger.” She cites 40 callsNorway will have duringMarch 2014, compared with34 in 2013 and 33 in 2012,and the 16 cruise calls nextFebruary, compared to 11 in2013 and nine in 2012.

A longer cruise seasonalso has its challenges, sheexplains. “The weather,especially in the fjord area,limited opening hours, notall the 21 cruise ports in thecountry are adapted towinter cruising, limitedcapacity on trains, closedattractions and theprofitability is in question

during the winter months.”In contrast, there are

opportunities, for cruisepassengers to enjoy dogsledging, ice hotels andsearch for the NorthernLights. “We need todevelop shorex adapted tothis season; it’s a hugeopportunity to have newmarkets coming toNorway.”

She added that thecountry’s shorex rose to80% in winter – comparedwith 50% in the summerseason. “We have strongdemand from Brits inwinter and those cruisesare fully booked. Theywant to experience ourunique attractions and

Great optimism and bullishness pervaded the sessionon Itineraries, Deployment Drivers, Shorex &Regulations on the last day of Seatrade Europe inHamburg, reports Gillian Upton

| REVIEW | Seatrade Europe |

10 | WINTER 2013 |

Reasons to be cheerful

Gerd Drossel, Managing Director of Hamburg Cruise Centre

Wenche Nygard Eeg Managing Director of Cruise Norway

experiences.” Kate O’Hara, speaking in

her capacity as Chair ofCruise Britain, said that thegrowth in cruise – which isdriven by destinations - hasled to the rise of less well-known ports and tenderports, citing the 52 portsaround Britain and the richvariety of themed shorex,including golf, Britishheritage, Royalty, gardens,outdoor activity, art andculture and World Heritagesites.

She cautioned: “Do notover-commit resources ascongestion leads to a verypoor visitor experience.“

O’Hara also warned ports

to be mindful of the newregulations.

Neil Palomba, ChiefOperating Officer of MSCCruises and Chair of CLIAEurope’s Ports &Infrastructure sub-committee, reminded theaudience that cruise shipsrun after the sun, to theMediterranean and theCaribbean, and that theycan move ships quickly,even from popular ports, ifthere is instability.

Nonetheless MSC hasextended the season in theMed, with two large vesselsthere, and it is their plan toextend the seasonality inNorthern Europe too as theGermans and Britsappreciate a cruise in acolder environment, “unlikeour Italian and Spanishpassengers.

“Cruises are all aboutbeautiful places andpeople’s dreams and the keyis to provide a variety ofdestinations and continueto explore new places,” hesaid, adding that there wasa need to focus onintegrated transport

infrastructure through-out Europe, over road, railand water.

On costs, he believescruise lines should pay theports less as they arecharging passengers less fora winter cruise. “All theports need to look at theirprices. We can go to theCaribbean instead,” he said.

Palomba highlighted thatfuel is now costing 30%more “so we are reviewingour deployment inNorthern Europe by lengthof cruise. The length of stayin port will be dictated bythe speed to get to the nextport so there will be areduction of the timings in port.”

Javier RodriguezSanchez, Manager Port &group at Pullmantur, withfive cruise ships deployedover 100 destinations andits own airline, warned: “Ifwe leave the port two orthree hours earlier it willaffect our shorexprogramme.”

He also stressed theimportance of accessibilityto the local airport and

airport capacity for wide-bodied aircraft. He said thatshorex accounts for 60% ofonboard earnings.

Like other cruise lines,Pullmantur has had toreview itineraries becauseof the new regulationscoming into force in 2015,and this will affect its Balticcruises.

Bo Larsen of CruiseBaltic believes the 2015regulations will “trigger new ports and create a newand innovative deploymentpattern.”

Ultimately, it means portsand cruise lines workingtogether to find a cost-effective solution.

| Seatrade Europe | REVIEW |

11| WINTER 2013 |

Neil Polomba, Cheif Operatiing Officer of MSC

Kate O’Hara Chair of Cruise Britain

Bo LarsenManaging Director of Cruise Baltic


12 | WINTER 2013 |

COPENHAGEN JUSTGOT A LITTLE BITCLOSERWE FLY FROM LONDON HEATHROW, MANCHESTER, BIRMINGHAM AND ABERDEEN TO COPENHAGEN

flysas.co.uk

The great thingabout Australia’sgrowth as acruise destin-ation is the

opportunities it affordsagents to package it withother tantalisingdestinations in the region.Why go all that way and notexplore the likes of Fiji, NewZealand, Papua New Guineaand Bali?

Ray Steward, UK Directorof Sales and Marketing atCrystal Cruises, confirms

that this is a major trend,citing one example of anAustralian cruise bookingthat included a luxury hotelin Bali, a cruise to SouthAfrica, a safari there plus aluxury train journey acrossthe country and finally,flights home. And the cost of

that holiday? £28,000. “Long-haul destinations

like Australia are morelucrative for agents asthey’ll collect biggercommissions,” saysSteward. “Customers areno longer getting theirholidays from a brochure

but asking agents tobespoke their holiday soagents are becoming minitour operators.”

If cruise passengers arenot visiting friends andrelatives, they are exploringthe region as a whole.Itineraries such as Sydneyto Bali and Sydney toSingapore are popularchoices, and booking back-to-back cruises such as aseven-day Australianitinerary with a 38-daycruise into Singapore.

The land of Oz

Cruising to, from and aroundAustralia is a fantastic jumpingoff point for pre and post landexplorations in the region

| Australia | CRUISE DESTINATION |

13| WINTER 2013 |

A U S T R A L I A

I N D I A N O C E A NT A S M A N I A

Newcastle

Sydney

Eden

DevonportLaunceston

Hobart

BurniePort Arthur

Brisbane

Cairns

TownsvilleWhitsunday Islands

AdelaideAlbany

Melbourne

Darwin

Broome

Geraldton

Fremantle

Geelong

| CRUISE DESTINATION | Australia |

14 | WINTER 2013 |

Round-the-world airfarescome into their own in thisregard, allowing passengersto combine multiplecountries. The likes of AirNew Zealand, BritishAirways, Emirates, Etihad,MAS, Singapore Airlines,Qantas and Virgin Atlanticprovide air access to all theprinciple ports.

Australia has long been aport of call on worlditineraries but it is now astand-alone cruisedestination. Sydney standsout as the country’s

marquee port. Cruising intoSydney Harbour framed bythe Opera House, SydneyHarbour Bridge andnumerous bays and beachestakes some beating.

Cruises tend to focus onports along the eastern andnorthern coast, ie Brisbane,Great Barrier Reef, Cairns,Port Douglas, Townsvilleand Darwin; or thesouthern and westerncoasts, taking in Melbourne,Adelaide and Perth.Tasmania is common tomany itineraries, for its

Cruises for 2014, from Paul Gauguin and Crystal Cruises:

An 11-night Fiji to Australia voyage:Lautoka, Fiji; Port Vila, Vanuatu; Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu; Guadalcanal,Solomon Islands; Kieta, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea; Samurai Island,Papua New Guinea; Rabaul, Papua New Guinea; and Cairns, Australia.Departing with Paul Gauguin 14th June 2014 with cruise fares from £4,290per person including airfare from Los Angeles.

Two 14-night voyages between Australia & Southeast Asia:Cairns, Australia; Thursday Island, Australia; Darwin, Australia; KomodoIsland, Indonesia; Benoa, Bali, Indonesia; Semarang, Indonesia; andSingapore. Departing on Paul Gauguin 25th June 2014 with cruise faresfrom £5,294 per person including airfare from Los Angeles. Reverseitinerary available 4th August 4, 2014 with cruise fares from £5,087 perperson including airfare from Los Angeles.

A 12-night Australia to Fiji voyage:Cairns, Australia; Samurai Island, Papua New Guinea; Rabul, Papua NewGuinea; Kieta, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea; Guadalcanal, SolomonIslands; Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu; Port Vila, Vanuatu; Malolo Island, Fiji; andLautoka, Fiji. Departing on Paul Gauguin 18th August 2014 with cruise faresfrom £4,579 per person including airfare from Los Angeles.

14-night “Kiwis & Koalas” voyage:Auckland; Tuaranga; Wellington; Christchurch; Dunedin; Hobart; Melbourne(overnight); Sydney. Departing on Crystal Cruises 2nd February 2014 withcruise only fares from £4,487 per person.

12-night “From Barrier Reef to Bali” voyage:Sydney; Cairns (overnight; Darwin; Komodo Island; Lombok; Bali (overnight).Departing on Crystal Cruises 16th February 2014 with cruise only fares from£2,801 per person.

Scuba diving coral reefs

| Australia | CRUISE DESTINATION |

15| WINTER 2013 |

culture and terrain,customs house, and Hobartthe natural port dwarfed asit is by Mount Wellingtonrising 3,600 feet from the sea.

One caveat forpassengers is not to do toomuch. Australia is such anexpansive country thatcruising around it is theideal mode of transport.The distances would be toogreat for an equivalent landjourney. Crystal’s Stewardremarks: “Passengers mayresearch their dreamholiday online but want theconfidence of using anagent to figure out how bestto get from A to B, orwhether the distances aredo-able and basically tomaximize their time.”

Cruise lines includemore time in ports andmore overnights andposition ships for special

occasions, such as amooring under SydneyHarbour Bridge on NewYear’s Eve.

Read on for the lowdownon what your cruisecustomers can see and doat the major ports aroundAustralia.

New South Wales:Eden, Newcastle,Sydney

Sydney: Circular Quay is theferry gateway to manyattractions such as TarongaZoo in the suburb ofMosman, Customs Houseand Museum ofContemporary Art. Wanderround the historic Rocksarea just behind the cruiseterminal; it’s where the 11ships of the first fleetanchored in 1788. It’scharacterised by narrowstreets and alleyways,

historic buildings, pubs,restaurants and shops.Pedestrian access to theSydney Harbour Bridgewalkway is also here. Visitthe tranquil BotanicalGardens.

The Australian NationalMaritime Museum, the SeaLife Sydney Aquarium, WildLife, Powerhouse Museum,an IMAX theatre, ChineseGarden of Friendship andfun shops and restaurantsare all to be found inDarling Harbour.Passengers can walk there,take the ferry from CircularQuay or the monorail fromthe city centre.

Northern Territory:Darwin

Sights include those fromDarwin’s colonial history,namely Government House,the 19th century Fannie

Bay Gaol, Chinese Museum& Temple and Darwin CivicCentre with its ancientbanyan tree. Culturevultures can head for theMuseums and Art Galleriesof the Northern Territorywhile green-fingeredtourists will love the GeorgeBrown Darwin BotanicGardens spread over 42hectares and some 2kmnorth of the city.

Queensland: Brisbane, Cairns,Townsville

Brisbane: Along the banks ofthe Brisbane River areParliament House, People'sPalace (a formertemperance hotel), the CityHall and the only twosurviving public buildingsfrom the convict past – thestone Commissariat Store(the oldest building

Bribane

South East coast line

The Great Barrier Reef


16 | WINTER 2013 |

in the city) and the OldWindmill in Wickham Park.City Hall houses an artgallery and museum onBrisbane's history.

Cairns: The southerngateway to the wild, sparselyinhabited Cape YorkPeninsula. The wet tropicsof Queensland and theGreat Barrier Reef MarinePark – both World HeritageSites – are nearby. It’s alsowhere passengers pick upthe rainforest Sky Rail(gondola cableway to beprecise) to Kuranda.

Townsville: This isAustralia's largest tropicalcity and a gateway to theGreat Barrier Reef. Anothertourist attraction is ReefHQ Aquarium, the world'slargest coral reef aquarium.

The Whitsunday Group of islands: the mostdeveloped of all BarrierReef islands.

Cruise ships sail throughthis group of islands usingtheir tenders to visit variousislands.

South Australia:Adelaide

Adelaide: The city isstudded with elegant

colonial buildings withpreserved façades includingGovernment House, SouthAustralian Museum (anatural history museum),Art Gallery of SouthAustralia, the impressiveinterior of Mortlock Libraryand Adelaide University's‘great hall’ or BonythonHalls.

Tasmania: Burnie, Devonport,Hobart, Launceston &Port Arthur

Devonport: Gateway toCradle Mountain NationalPark and World Heritageareas in the north of thestate. Also galleries andcraft centres and theTiagarra Aboriginal CultureCentre and Museum.

Hobart: Australia’s secondoldest city is located next toone of the most beautifulnatural harbours in theworld, at the base of themajestic Mount Wellington,rising 3,600 feet from the sea.

Launceston: In the heart ofthe city there’s the historicWaverley Woollen Millsfactory outlet and alsoworth a visit is anotherretail outlet, this time the

Design Centre of Tasmania.Also worth a visit are theQueen Victoria Museum &Art Gallery (Australia’slargest regional museum),Australian maritime collegeand the historic EntallyHouse, which is a fewkilometers outsideLaunceston.

Port Arthur: Visit thePenitentiary, guard towers,Lunatic Asylum and now amuseum, church andmodel prison and allconstructed by the inmates.

Victoria: Melbourne & Geelong

Melbourne: The capital ofVictoria, very British withmany Victorian buildings,grand boulevards andmanicured parks andgardens. Visit the beautifulSt Paul's AnglicanCathedral, the buzzyFederation Square (or FedSquare) with itsrestaurants, cafes, galleriesand programme of events,the impressive Town Hall,and also the State Library,Old Melbourne Gaol, whichis now a museum,Parliament House, andperhaps the finest buildingof them all – the OldTreasury Building. The

Royal Botanical Gardens isalso worth sightseeing time.

Geelong: A major port onPort Philip Bay with theNational Wool Museum, theGeelong Naval andMaritime Museum atOsborne House andGeelong Gallery.

Western Australia:Albany, Broome,Fremantle & Geraldton

Broome: One of the oldestsettlements in the countrywith good examples ofcolonial architecture.Cultured pearls are farmednearby. Attractions includethe Round House atArthur's Head, which is theoldest public building inWestern Australia, MaritimeMuseum and the spooky-looking neo-GothicFremantle Arts Centre -built by convicts as a lunaticasylum and ‘Invalid Depot’in the 1860s.

| Cultural Cruises | FEATURE|

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Rainfoest of Kuranda South West Australian coast

| Culture Cruises | FEATURE|

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We’ve heard itall before – it’sall about thedestination –

but with certain cruise lines,it really is. The likes ofVoyages to Antiquity,Hebridean, Swan Hellenic

and Voyages of Discovery,are all small ship cruisecompanies. They neatly tuckthemselves into smallharbours, inlets and baysthat larger ships cannot fitinto, include full lectureprogrammes on board andthereby create a differentdestination-rich itinerarythat satisfies an increasinglylarge population of thecruise-going public.

Not needing large parkingberths, these destination-immersive lines can choosegood harbours close to themiddle of town and call inwhen they might be the onlyship in town.

One company, All LeisureGroup, has three suchcruise lines: Hebridean

Island Cruises, SwanHellenic and Voyages ofDiscovery. “It’s all aboutenrichment and discovery,”stresses Sarah Weetman,Group Trade MarketingManager.

Hebridean has one ship,the Princess, whichaccommodates 50passengers and they pay anall-inclusive price thatincludes all tours on shore,entrance fees and transport(as well as all meals,gratuities etc). The crewratio is almost 1:1 so itprovides very personalservice and, not surprisingly,attracts a high level of repeatcustomers. It is also the onlyship to be By Appointment tothe Queen. Think of it as

There are ahandful of cruiselines that allowpassengers tobecome fullyimmersed in adestination.Gillian Uptonhas the lowdown

The major players

Cruise & Maritime Voyages, www.cruiseandmaritime.com

Hebridean Island Cruises, www.hebridean.co.uk

Paul Gauguin Cruises, www.pgcruises.com

Saga Cruises by Titan, www.titantravel.co.uk

Swan Hellenic, www.swanhellenic.com

Voyages of Discovery, www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk

Voyages to Antiquity, www.voyagestoantiquity.com

The UNESCO World Heritage site in the Orkneys is one of Hebridean's shore excursions

Casablanca's Hassan 11 mosque is one of Swan Hellenic's shore excursions

a country house hotel afloat.Between March and

November Princess cruisesthe Scottish islands andhighlands out of Oban.Shore excursions includevisits to castles, gardens,stately homes andsometimes meetings withtheir owners. “We takepassengers off the beatentrack with one-in-a-lifetimeopportunities,” saysWeetman. One of thehighlights is a private tour of Kinloch Castle on the Isle of Rum.

Swan Hellenic is a largeroperation, with one ship,Minerva, that accommodates350 passengers. Its lounge isused for the lectures, fromarchaeologists, zoologists,

naturalists and so on thatshare their knowledge everyday of a cruise. The ship’slibrary is reputedly one ofthe biggest at sea. Again,cruises are arranged on anall inclusive basis, includingall shore excursions andgratuities.

Entertainment comes inthe form of light entertain-ment, perhaps a pianist orharpist, rather than dancinggirls on a stage.

Voyages of Discovery islarger still, with one ship,The Voyager, thataccommodates 540passengers. VoD’s cruisesexclude excursions but doinclude gratuities. There aremore public spaces, moreentertainment and the odd

show in the evening. And ifSwan Hellenic sportsclassical décor in teak thenVoD is more contemporary.

In the summer, bothSwan Hellenic and Voyagesof Discovery cruise out ofPortsmouth; Swan Helleniccruises to Scandinavia, theBaltics, Iceland, the NorthCape, the British Isles andthe Black Sea, while VoDmajors on the British Isles,North Cape and the Baltics.

In the winter, VoD headsfor winter sun, in the IndianOcean, South Africa,Burma, Malaysia, Vietnamand Hong Kong while SwanHellenic winters in SouthAmerica and the Caribbean.

As with many long-haulcruise itineraries, pre and

post stays are popular andVoD markets a package thatincludes three-nights onland, including a visit toKruger National Park andCape Town.

Long stays in portcharacterise all three cruiselines in order to get themost out of eachdestination. “The key is todifferentiate ourselves as weare a niche cruise line,” saysWeetman. “A lot of ourcustomers have cruisedwith other cruise lines andare looking for somethingnew and unique places, orthey are just not interestedin the casinos and that sortof thing.”

Although Weetman saysshe doesn’t have a true

| FEATURE | Culture Cruises |

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Voyages of Discovery in a bay at St Kitts

Indonesia's Borobudur Temple, a UNESCOWorld Heritage site, is part of a Voyages ofDiscovery itinerary

Andalusia's Alhambra palace in Grenada, avisit courtesy of Swan Hellenic

Art classes on board a Voyages of Discovery cruise

competitor, arguably Voyagesof Discovery rivals thesimilarly-named Voyages toAntiquity (VtA). VtA is thenew kid on the block,having its first season in2010. Privately owned byGerry Herrod, VtA isanother enrichment cruiseline. “It’s more like a tourand the ship is not part ofthe experience itself,”explains Olly Symonds,Marketing & Communi-cations Manager. “Cruisingwas becoming cruising forcruising’s sake but we’re allabout the destinations andat a decent value. We’re notdancing girls and casinos.”

VtAs has one ship, theAegean Odyssey, that takes350 passengers and always

three experts too “for a bitmore meat on the bone”says Symonds. “It’s thecornerstone of our product.”The majority of VtAs shorexare included in its prices (aswell as gratuities, and wineand soft drinks withdinner), and excursions arealways small groups of nomore than 25- 30 peoplemaximum.

The atmosphere on boardis informal – “resort casual”says Symonds – and thereare large common areas, acomfortable and well-stocked library, two restaur-ants, four bars, a small spa,gym and beauty salon.

Time in port is key andVtA will try and stayovernight in ports such as

Dubrovnik to givepassengers a chance towander round town and seethe city as it should be,without the crowds. Twonight-stays in ports such asIstanbul and Athens aretypical.

Customers are thoseintellectually curious, aged50-plus and relatively fit.“It’s those who want morethan just to fly and flop,”says Symonds.

In the summer monthsVtA cruises around theMediterranean – Sicily is aparticular speciality - theAdriatic, Aegean and BlackSea and for winter 2014/5itineraries will include EastAfrica cruise safari toursand Asia.

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One step farther…

The expedition cruise lines goone step farther in terms ofdestination immersion. This iswhen passengers need to beagile and be able to get in andout of Zodiacs, climb, get upclose and personal withwildlife, cope with early startsand the like. This is not acomfortable stroll in theScottish highlands but beingwrapped up against bitingwinds in Antarctica dressed inwellies and waterproofclothing.

These expedition cruises arenot for the faint-hearted but doallow passengers to explore outof the way places, such as theGalapagos islands, Kimberley,Borne, Greenland and theKamchatka Peninsula in Russia.Some of the big name cruiselines have expedition vessels,such as Silversea, CelebrityCruises, Seabourn and Hapag-Lloyd. See a full list below:

Celebrity Expedition www.celebritycruises.co.uk

Compagnie du Ponant www.ponant.com

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises www.hl-cruises.com

Hurtigruten www.hurtigruten.co.uk

Lindblad/NationalGeographic Expeditionswww.expeditions.com

Noble Caledoniawww.noble-caledonia.co.uk

Quark Expeditionswww.quarkexpeditions.com

Seabourn’s Seabourn Questwww.seabourn.com

Silversea’s SilverseaExplorer and SilverGalapagoswww.silversea.com

Arabic cemetary in Al Balid, Salalah, a UNESCOWorld Heritage site in southern Oman

The long-nosed or Proboscis monkeysendemic to the south-east island of Borneo,one of the attractions of a Voyages ofDiscovery cruise

The library on a Swan Hellenic cruise ship

It’s all about thedestinations,”Larry Pimentel,

CEO and President ofAzamara Cruise Club, saidto me at the CLIAConvention in South-ampton earlier this year.“We provide what we call adestination intensive cruiseexperience,” he added,suggesting that I speak toClaudius Docekal, Directorof Deployment andDestinations as “Nobody

knows more about it thanhim.”

Days later Claudiustalked to me about theglobal reach of AzamaraClub’s two country clubstyle ships, with itinerariesthat reach to NorthernEurope and the NorthCape, all the corners of theMediterranean, far south toChina and Singapore andacross to South America.

“Our shore excursionsare planned to take guests

to the cultural, historic andgastronomic hearts of eachcall. We always includeseveral overnights and lateevening departures to giveguests the maximum timeashore to experience theport town and locality ofeach call.

“My favourite cruise forthis year is our Route of theWine Traders which givesguests an opportunity toexplore vineyards in thesome of the most respected

vineyards in Bordeaux andto taste the wines.”

A few weeks later Iboarded Azamara Quest inSouthampton to do justthat. The 694 guest shipsAzamara Quest andAzamara Journey are casualin style. There are noformal evenings and thedining experience certainlyequals many of the ultra-luxury lines, the accom-modations comfortablyfurnished, although thebathrooms, while being wellfitted, are on the small side.

The staff are outstandingin attention and service.Evening shows featuredboth Broadway style musicalproductions and classicalinstrumentalists. Daytimelectures gave guests theopportunity to study thenext day’s excursions.

In addition to the openseating Discoveries mainrestaurant, the deck 9Windows Café offers bothinside and outside seatingareas with a selection ofbuffet style dishes, a carveryand freshly prepared pastasat lunchtime and theexpected breakfast choices.

The two speciality diningrooms one deck above, openfor dinner only, are theAquilina, serving aninternational menu withseveral Italian dishes, andthe Prime C steak andseafood restaurant. Bothrequire prior reservationand there’s a $25 per

ShorexellenceAzamara Club Cruises plansdestination intensive itinerariesfor their programmes which reachout to ports worldwide offering awide choice of shorex experiences.Keith Ellis reports

| REVIEW | Azamara Quest Culture Cruise |

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N O R T H S E A

B A Y O FB I S C A Y

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Southampton

BordeauSt. Jean-de-Luz

Bilbao

Lisbon

Seville

St. Peter PortChannel Islands

Claudius Docekal Azamara Cruise Club’s Directorof Deployment and Destinations

Château Giscours, Bordeaux

head charge.High quality red and

white complimentary winesare served at meals andthroughout the day,together with a choice ofseveral complimentarybeers.

But it was the itinerarywhich really made thecruise shine. An extensiveexcursion programme washeavily, often fullysubscribed at every call andalthough these were all at acost, several were excellentvalue at well below £30 ahead for a three hour trip.

The first call to St PetersPort, Guernsey, offered achoice of four excursionswith opportunities to seethe island’s connections toWWII, the Napoleoniccoastal fortifications andalso visit the traditionalisland towns and villages,some with connectionsgoing back to Roman times.One offered the chance totravel by boat to view thecoastline from the sea.

The call to Bordeaux, setalong the Garonne River,offered a choice of fiveexcursions during theovernight stay. It gaveguests a good opportunity tovisit several classicBordeaux vineyards, andsample the wines, and alsoto explore the old towncentre and its long history,with walking and cyclingtours. Other excursionsallowed visits to outlying

villages and their ancientand unchanging centres.

On each cruise there is acomplimentary AzamazingEvening and for Bordeauxthe event was held in thehandsome 19th centuryPalais de la Bourse, withcocktails, traditional songs,dancing – and Can Candancers wearing not muchmore than feathers!

On to the small Frenchseaside town of St Jean doLuz, another overnight,with a choice of fiveexcursions, to Biarritz,favourite playground of thewealthy French, or tohistoric Bayonne with a tripto a chocolate factory. Therewas also a funicular railway

trip to the top of La RhuneMountain with views overFrance and Spain and anevening visit to SanSebastian, near the Spanishborder which ended in atraditional beef dinnerprepared in the local style.

And so it went on. ToBilbao with visits to thewondrous GuggenheimMuseum and two otherexcursion choices whichincluded a trip to Guernica,immortalised by Picasso ina huge canvas depicting thehorrors of the Spanish CivilWar, and an overnight inLisbon, tied up near the citycentre so I could wander into explore. Again there wasa choice of five excursions,

four of which were under£40. These included visits tothe astonishing architectureof Cintra, the mediaevaltown of Obidos, andopportunities to explore thetown of Lisbon itself.

Final call to Seville wasperhaps the most exciting ofall, with a long journeyinland along theGuardalquivir River beforeanother overnight prior todisembarkation. Guests wereoffered a choice of fourexcursions including a visitto a flamenco school and anevening dinner with Spanishsongs to the guitar andFlamenco dancing. I can’tthink of a better way to end a cruise.

| Azamara Quest Culture Cruise | REVIEW |

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Wine cellar tour Flower cat in Gugghenheim Museum, Bilbao

Metallic tracery outside the Palais de la Bourse

Bordeau vines Castle of St. George, Lisbon

Flamenco in Seville

| AGENT OPINION | Jos Dewing |

24 | WINTER 2013 |

Croisieurope: Fernando de Magalhaes

The key tosuccess inselling cruising,whether youhappen to be a

travel agent, tour operatoror the cruise line itself, isproduct differentiation andexclusivity. This is the onlyformula that will enable acompany to deliversomething truly eye-catching and desirable in amarketplace that can be soheavily drowned out byprice-led offers and thewrong kind of noise.

The world is anincreasingly small placewhen you take it on by sea,there are few places thatcruise ships cannot takeyou that you’d realisticallywish to visit. It’s no longerabout finding ‘new’ or‘pioneering’ destinations,it’s all about what you dowhen you get there now and one of the best ways to differentiate a tradi-tional cruise holiday is the addition of appealingpre and post cruise staysand tours.

A great example isGalapagos. It wasn’t manyyears ago now that the verynotion of taking a holiday orcruise to the Galapagos

Islands would have markedthe ultimate in pioneeringleisure travel. Now however,a trip to the Galapagosarchipelago is widelyavailable and people whoare fixed on visiting theunforgettable islands arenow seeking even morefrom the experience. Forexample, there is anexcellent opportunity topackage a Galapagos cruiseexperience with a stay inBuenos Aires and a visit tothe stunning Iguassu Falls.

Alternatively, many wouldexpect to be able tocombine Galapagos with ajourney to Cuzco, SacredValley of the Incas and theiconic Machu Picchu. Orfor the real adventureseeker, you can add anexpedition cruise up theAmazon river to yourGalapagos discovery. You’rein the right part of theworld, so why not make twogreat discoveries within thesame trip?

Moving north from theGalapagos and throughNorth America we come to

Alaska. Alaska is anextremely popular cruisedestination but once againthere are many cruisesavailable and many ‘deals’to be had for the savvy,discerning traveller.However, an Alaska cruiseis completely transformedwhen twinned with a touron the Rocky Mountaineer.This world-renowned andluxurious train offers threejourneys through Canada’sWest and is an extra-ordinary way to experience

the Canadian Rockies. Apost cruise tour on theRocky Mountaineer isexactly the kind of approachthat differentiates a cruisein Alaska and makes for atruly memorable trip.

At this point, I have noidea of taking you aroundthe world in a celebration ofthe best pre and post stayopportunities for the cruiseminded traveller, althoughthe company creating thepackage should neverconsider proximity to theocean to be a limitation ofscope for such add on’s. Las

Vegas for example is theperfect post-cruise stay forthe fun loving out there,having disembarked acruise in Los Angeles. Anight or two in LA followedby a short internal flightand a stay at one of themany iconic Vegas hotels.Throw in a tour of theGrand Canyon by helicopterand what started as a cruisearound North America hasbeen transformed into atruly unique experience. Ialso forgot to mention thatthis cruise could havetransited the Panama Canaltoo and that has to be threeticks off the Bucket list in asingle go.

There are so many otherexamples say, an afternoontea at Raffles in Singapore(Birthplace of the Singaporesling) or sunset BBQ’s inthe deserts outside of Dubaibut the point is clear. Thefamiliar phrase of ‘cruise-only’ seems a somewhatdisappointing approach to atravel experience that candeliver so much whenplanned well and packagedby an expert. And ifpassengers still don’t seeanything on sale that takestheir fancy, they shouldapproach a reputable ATOLholding agency with cruiseexperience and ask thatthey create something justfor them!

Who is Jos Dewing?Jos Dewing is Managing Director ofleading cruise specialist The CruiseLine. Prior to his joining thecompany he was a Director at AllLeisure Group Plc, owner of SwanHellenic, Hebridean Island Cruises,Voyages of Discovery andTravelsphere, where he had closeinvolvement in many aspects ofplanning, marketing and sales.

Cruise only? I’d rather top and tail!Agents would dowell to sell preand post cruisessay Jos Dewing,MD of The CruiseLine, who shareshis opinion hereon why thisaspect of cruisingis so important

When:March 10- 13 2014Where:Miami Beach What: Annual exhibition andconference for the cruiseindustry

When the next CruiseShipping Miami convenesnext spring, it will be arather special event as itwill be the 30th anniversaryof the industry's annualevent.

When agents, cruise lineowners, cruise operators,ports, shorex companiesand ground handlersdescend on the four halls ofthe mammoth Miami BeachConvention Center in a fewmonths time, they will beable to soak up a tribute tothe cruise business' past,present and future to markthe anniversary.

The global event offersfour days of networking,education and sourcing,with an exhibition hall and

concurrent conferenceprogramme. It is relevantto every stakeholder in thecruise sector and it takesplace in the cruise capitalof the world.

The port is only fiveminutes from downtownwhile the conventioncenter is walking distanceto the striking Art Decoarchitecture of SouthBeach. The city is anintriguing mix of Americanand Cuban cultures sobrush up on your Spanish.South Beach is a meccafor restaurants, nightlifeand shopping so theevenings need not be dull.

The event attractssenior spokespeople fromthe industry to shareindustry knowledge, alwayskicking off with a State ofthe Industry openingsession. The highlight of the last day is a TravelAgent Day, with the

focus on training. Next year's show will also

feature an expandedSustainable Cruisingprogramme, wheredestinations and technicalcommunities shareinnovative solutions, anAmusement andEntertainment TechnologyPavilion and much needednew food and beverageoutlets.

“The show continues toevolve in terms ofhighlighting trends andshowcasing the latestproducts and services forthe cruise enterprise,” saidDaniel Read, director oforganizer UBM Live’sCruise Portfolio. "This eventwill continue to be the placewhere all sectors of theglobal cruise industrygather to do business.”

This year’s eventattracted a record 11,000attendees from 136countries and more than900 exhibitors from 123countries – including 93first-timers.

Delegates, exhibitors andcruise executives offeredenthusiastic feedback.

Tour of dutySuppliers and buyers in the cruiseindustry congregate in Miami Beachevery spring to catch up on what’shappening in the industry

| Cruise Shipping Miami 2014 | PREVIEW |

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Check out www.cruiseshippingmiami.com, a brand new website for theevent which details its 30th anniversary new features and benefits.

La Rochelle is oneof the latestmembers ofCruise Europeand in joining is

hoping to win more cruisebusiness to its naturallysheltered bay by the islandsof Re and Oleron.

La Rochelle is an historicmaritime port, which

exported wine and salt in itsheyday and was the lastFrench city to be liberatedat the end of WW11.

A German strongholdduring the war, the U-boatpens can still be seen todaybut a more pleasurable sightare the yachts in its marinaat Les Minimes as well asthe thriving boat buildingindustry.

The city is located in theBay of Biscay and is thecapital of the ruralCharente-Maritimedepartment. It has its ownairport, La Rochelle – Il deRe Airport, while

passengers can journey bytrain to Bordeaux, Nantes,Poitiers and Paris, amongothers, from Gare de LaRochelle as La Rochelle ison the main TGV line fromParis.

The number of ports ofcall has dipped this yearover previous years, to 16from a high of 27 in 2012.Some 20,000 passengersvisited against over 35,000last year althoughprovisional 2014 passengerfigures show the portholding steady.

One cruise line, TUICruises, will make a maiden

Gateway to CognacThe mediaeval

city of LaRochelle lies onthe coastline of

the West Atlanticand has much to

offer the cruisepassenger

coming ashore

| PORT FOLIO | La Rochelle |

26 | WINTER 2013 |

N O R T H S E A


G E R M A N Y

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La Rochelle

La Roche Courbon castle

20 minutes. A taxi rank isdirectly outside theterminal building and this iswhere the tour operatorswill pick up passengers too.

La Rochelle as a tourist destinationPutting aside its darkhistory with the slave trade,this port of call has much tooffer the cruise passenger.Passengers can explore themedieval city, largeaquarium, small botanicalgarden, visit the MaritimeMuseum of La Rochelleand soak up the delights ofRé Island which isconnected to the mainlandby a 1.8-mile bridge to thenorth of the city.

They can marvel at thethree surviving seawarddefence towers whichprotected the innerharbour: Tour de la

Lanterne, Tour de laChaine and Tour StNicholas.

The city’s main feature isthe Old Harbour or VieuxPort, which is magically litat night and offers a prettybackdrop for a twilightpromenade. Passengers cantry out the fabulous seafoodrestaurants that pepper thisarea.

Excursions further afieldvisit La Roche-Courboncastle, which is known asSleeping Beauty’s castlewith award-winning formalgardens that pre-date thoseat Versailles.

The port of Rochefort isanother worthwhile trip,with lots of military historyhighlighted in the CorderieRoyal museum and at theold 17th century shipbuilding and repair yards.

Time allowing and there

| La Rochelle | PORT FOLIO |

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call into La Rochelle nextyear, with Mein Schiff 2.

If passengers andnumber of ports of callhaven’t shown growth, thenwhat has is length of stay.For the first time this yearthe usual pattern of one daywas broken with four callsstaying for two days. Nextyear, the port will receivethree calls doing the same.

The PortLa Rochelle has two berthsstraddling La Palliceharbour, at 380m and540m, and what greetspassengers is a year-oldcruise terminal buildingkitted out with touristinformation desk, check-inluggage counters, luggageroom, X-ray machine etc etc

The port is 7km from thecity centre and a bus or taxiwill get passengers there in

are plenty of othersightseeing options: thepretty market town ofSaintes peppered withRoman ruins andRomanesque churches; dueSouth is Marennes, thecapital of oyster farming;the historical town ofCognac is furthest away andthis is where the grape-based spirit has been madefor the last 300 years; andmuch closer, the miles ofnatural water channels andman-made canals in ‘GreenVenice’ or Marais Poitevinto the north-east of LaRochelle.

For further information email Mrs Marie Guegan at the port:Email: [email protected]: + 33 546 005361 or go towww.larochelle.port.fr orwww.frenchatlanticports.com

La Rochelle port

| PORT FOLIO | Nantes |

28 | WINTER 2013 |

Nantes is one ofthe six newmembers ofCruiseEurope. Its

location in West France onthe Loire River and some50km from the Atlanticcoast makes it an ideal portof call on an Atlantic coastitinerary.

With close proximity toother European Westernports it offers cruise lineslower speeds and thereforefuel savings. NantesInternational Airport is70km away, plus the port isjust five minutes away fromthe railway station, where

passengers can board high-speed trains direct to Paris.

The PortThe city was in a leadingport in the 18th centuryand today, it actually hasfour possible berths: one inNantes (accommodatingcruise ships up to 200m),another in Montoir-de-Bretagne, the region’sgeneral cargo and containerterminal (up to 290m), onein the historical port of StNazaire (up to 180m) andalso Chevire (up to 200m).

The cruise business hereis still in its infancy with, onaverage, half a dozen portsof call each year but thebusiness is buildinggradually. In 2011 Nantesreceived five calls with2,220 passengers exploringthe city; the following yearthat figure rose to six callsand three times the number

of passengers, ie 6,428 andthis year there has beenseven calls and marginallymore passengers – 6,672.

Next year, Nantes isexpecting anotherincrease, to eight ports ofcall and it will hit the7,000-passenger mark.2014 will also mark thearrival of three new cruiselines, namely P&O(Carnival UK), HollandAmerica Line and AzamaraClub Cruises.

Average length of stay inport is anything betweentwo and eight hours but in2014 the port will enjoy itsfirst two overnight shipstays.

On disembarkationinfrastructure is basic sothere is no terminal but,on the plus side, there is ashuttle bus which takes tenminutes to the city centrefrom all three berths.

Nantes as a touristdestinationPassengers disembarking atNantes Saint Nazaire pierhave only a short walk tothe city centre but there isalso a variety of shoreexcursions beyond the city’s walls.

It’s pleasant enoughwandering around thishistorical city with its castle,cathedral and mediaevalcity centre. Nantes is thehistorical capital of theDukes of Brittany and thecity centre castle is the firstof many chateaux along theLoire Valley. Shoppingexpeditions are well cateredfor, with many independentshops as well as GaleriesLafayette where shopperscan survey all sorts ofmerchandise under oneroof.

Outside the city limits,the entire Loire Valley andits many castles is aUNESCO – classed site andthis is the big excursion topromote as they are in anarea less than two and ahalf hours from the pier.

In terms of otherexcursion opportunities,

Nautical NantesNantes is one of the French Atlantic ports busy growingits cruise business and reinforcing an historical basewhere grand ocean liners were once built. Gillian Uptondiscovers what’s there for cruise passengers to exploretoday on shore

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Nantes

Chateau Nantes

| Nantes | PORT FOLIO |

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there is plentiful wildlifeand gardens to visit, notleast at the GrandBlottereau Park; and forwine lovers, an abundanceof locally-made wine, mostnotably the white slightlysparkling Muscadetvineyards, which are justoutside Nantes in thevillage of Clisson. Thisvillage also boasts aMichelin-starredrestaurant.

The local specialities arecrepes, cider and salmonwith Beurre Blanc sauce.

Passengers can exploremediaeval cities nearby,such as the Guerandewhere passengers canwander along the narrowpaved streets peppered withantique and craft shopsand marvel at the saltmarshes at Briere, orlanguish lazily on a cruisealong the River Erdre for a

few hours and take in allthe castles and local floraand fauna.

One unusual sight is thatof the huge mechanicalelephant that walks thestreets of Nefs with its 50passengers on board. TheJules Verne Museum isanother family-orientatedattraction, so too theMarine Worlds Carousel.

Golfers won’t bedisappointed either. Theregion has eight, 18-holecourses, including two inNantes – Nantes Erdre andCarquefou – pluschampionship challenges atthe 1912 Pornic Club andthe Barriere Internationalat La Baule.

Shore excursions makethe most of these localattractions and worthnoting for 2014 is theInternational Floralies, aprestigious and

international floralexhibition which takesplace every five years. It’sNantes’ version of ourChelsea Flower Show withover 200 exhibitors duringthe 11-day event that takesplace along the River Erdre.

This summer theEscal’Atlantic re-openedafter a majorrefurbishment. It is aninteractive museum thattells the story of oceanliners with displays ofartifacts (including aparticularly elegant Louis-Vuitton wardrobe trunkfrom the 1930s), interactivefeatures and audiovisualdisplays.

Other distractions of anautical kind include theSaint-Nazaire STX shipyardwhere QM2 and othercruiseliners were built anda visit to a formersubmarine base and now

home to Espadon, the firstFrench submarine to havedived beneath the NorthPole ice field.

For further informationcontact Mrs Laurence Paitel, Cruise Manager, Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port:Tel 332 40447141 or Email: [email protected] of a more generalnature can be obtained fromwww.atlanticalliance.eu,www.fgrenchatlanticports.comand www.nantes.port.fr.

Chambord castle is one of many UNESCO-classed sites along the Loire valley

Fun for all the family in Nantes.Copyright Jean-Dominique Billard

A cruise along the River Erdre takes cruise passengers pastmany of the castles along its shores

Ports joining forceswith other like-minded ports inthe same regionmakes much

sense as they give cruiselines ready-made itineraries(often showcasing little-known ports) and providejoined-up thinking,marketing collateral,training and fundamentallya higher profile for allconcerned.

In this regard theassociations have beeninstrumental in putting newports on the cruising map.

You’ll notice from ourlisting below that manyports are members ofmultiple associations.

Atlantic AllianceA grouping of seven westernEuropean countries offering 18 portsof call and dubbed the coast oftreasures. Masterminded by theHamburg Cruise Center in 2008. Thegrouping stretches from Lisbon at itssouthernmost point, all the way up toHamburg to the north. It also

stretches west, to Portland and Cork.The most popular ports are Vigo,Lisbon, Dover, Amsterdam, Hamburgand Le Havre.www.atlanticalliance.eu

Asia Cruise AssociationCovering the Asia Pacific Region, thisAssociation was set up in 2009 and isSingapore based. It includes as itsmembers the ports of Shanghai,Singapore, Kai Tak and Hakata, aswell as ground handlers, port agents,tourism boards and terminaloperators.www.asiacruiseassociation.com

Corsica Cruise Club/Club desCroisieresA grouping of four ports around thenorthern part of Corsica – Bastia,Calvi, L’Ile-Rousse and Saint-Florent.Called Corsica Cruise Club.www.clubcroisiere.corse.fr

Costa Verde CruiseAn association of four ports – Bilbao,Santander, Gijon and A Coruna – thathave been working together for adecade to promote these ports innorthern Spain.www.costaverdecruise.com

Cruise Atlantic CanadaThe grouping of Cruise AtlanticCanada is made up of four provinceson Canada’s east coast - NewBrunswick, Prince Edward Island,Nova Scotia and Newfoundland andLabrador. They are six main ports –Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island;Corner Brook, Newfoundland &Labrador, Halifax and Sydney in NovaScotia; and Saint John in NewBrunswick. There are also a handful ofassociate ports, including Baddeck,Digby & Pictou in Nova Scotia,Miramichi and St Andrews in NewBrunswick; and many smaller ports inNewfoundland and Labrador.www.cruiseatlanticcanada.com

Cruise BritainA grouping of 52 ports promotingpractically every UK port capable ofhandling either a ship turnaround ortransit call. It includes six ports inWales, 13 ports in Scotland and 12ports in the South West. Bristol is thelatest member to join. Cruise Britainalso includes six service providers andthe association is a joint initiativebetween CLIA UK & Ireland andVisitBritain.www.cruisebritain.org

Cruise BalticAn association of ‘Ten countries ona string’, as it dubs itself, and 28destinations around the Baltic Searegion, from Aarhus to Visby. Theten Northern European countriesare Denmark, Sweden, Latvia,Finland, Norway, Poland, Russia,Estonia, Germany and Lithuania.The association’s major ports areCopenhagen and Stockholm.www.cruisebaltic.com

Cruise Down UnderComprises 74 members made upof ports, tourist agencies, shippingagents and the like in theAustralian and Pacific region.There are some 18 port members,including Brisbane, Broome,Darwin, Fremantle, Melbourne,Port Arthur, Sydney, Hobart andLaunceston. www. cruisedownunder.com

Cruise EuropeAn association of 102 ports acrossNorthern and Atlantic Europe,including Europe’s West Coast, theUK & Ireland, Iceland, Norway &Faroes, and the Baltic Region. Itsmain ports are St Petersburg,

Strengthin numbers

| PORT ASSOCIATIONS |

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Copenhagen and Stockholm and in2014 membership swells with theaddition of St Malo, Brest, Nantes,Bayonne , La Rochelle and Lorient. www. cruiseeurope.com

Cruise Indian OceanAn association of 20 ports, includingall those in South Africa, Tanzania,Kenya, Sudan, Seychelles,Mozambique, Mauritius and Djibouti.The key ports in the grouping areMombasa, Dar es Salaam, CapeTown, Port Elizabeth, East London,Durban and Richards Bay.

Cruise NorwayAn association of the 41 ports thatspan Norway’s long coastline of 1,300nautical miles, including Bergen, Oslo,Eidfjord, Flam, Stavanger, Tromso,Trondheim and Alesund. www.cruise-norway.no

Cruise the Saint LawrenceNine ports have come together topromote cruising on the mighty river .They are Montreal, Trois-Rivieres,Quebec, Saguenay, Baie-Comeau,Sept-Iles, Havre-Saint-Pierre,Gaspesie and Iles de la Madeleine.www.cruisesaintlawrence.com

MedcruiseThe Association of Mediterraneancruise ports, launched in 1996,comprising 72 membersrepresenting more than 100 portsaround the Med, including the BlackSea, the Red Sea and the NearAtlantic. It also has 30 associatemembers, mainly tourist boards,ship/port agents and otherassociations. www.medcruise.com

Orkney HarboursAn association of 31 piers andharbours around the Orkneyarchipelago of 70 islands off theNorth East of Scotland. In 2013,Kirkwall, Orkney’s capital city, wasrunner-up in the Seatrade InsiderGlobal Awards in the Port of theYear category. www.orkneyharbours.com

Port ManagementAssociation of the CaribbeanAn association of a dozen portsacross the Caribbean – Anguilla,Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, BVI,St Martin, Montserrat, Nevis, StLucia, St Vincent and Suriname. www.pmac-ports.com

The French Riviera Cruise ClubThe Association (FRCC) comprises theFrench Riviera ports ofNice/Villefranche, Golfe Juan andCannes and the FRCC is a member ofMedcruise. FRCC spans the area inthe extreme south-east of France,extending westwards from Mentonnear the Italian border some 120km toCannes. The destinations includeAntibes, Beaulieu, Biot, Cannes, CapD’Ail, Eze, Grasse, La Turbie, LeCannet, Menton, Nice, St Jean CapFerrat, St Paul De Vence,Vallauris/Golfe-Juan and VillefrancheSur Mer. www. frenchrivieracruiseclub.com

The Italian Cruise TerminalProfessionalsLess a port association and more amutual support group, The ItalianCruise Terminal Professionals is abrand made up of cruise portmanagement companies, namelyVenezia Terminal Passeggeri(managing Ravenna, Catania, Cagliariand Brindisi), Ravenna TerminalPasseggeri (managing Porto Corsini),Catania Cruise terminal (managingCatania), and Cagliari Cruise Port(managing Cagliari and Brindisi) to

“exploit the advantages resultingfrom a synergic joint promotionalaction as a product club”. Theconcept of the brand is based onquality, sustainability andaccessibility.

SunCruise AndaluciaCreated to promote Andalucia as adestination for cruise vessels and toevaluate the needs of cruisepassengers to the region, SunCruise Andalucia comprises sevenports: Huelva, Cadiz, Seville,Algeciras, Malaga, Motril andAlmeria.

Var-Provence Cruise ClubAn association of ten portsstretched over the southernmostpoint on the French Mediterraneancoast, encompassing 430kms ofcoastline, and encompassingProvence and the French Riviera.They are, from the west, Saint Cyr-sur-Mer near Marseilles, Bandol,Sanary sur Mer, Six Fours/LesEmbiez, Toulon/La Seyne,Hyeres/Porquerolles, Le Lavandou,Cavalaire sur Mer, St Tropez and StRaphael near Nice.www.varprovence-cruise.com

| PORT ASSOCIATIONS |

31| WINTER 2013 |


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Cruise Ports & Destinations Winter 2013

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