Vancouver Anticipates 20% Boost In Cruisers – San Francisco Gains A Year-Round Ship – Bella Desgagnés Arrives In The Gulf of St Lawrence

THE CRUISE EXAMINER at Cybercruises.com

by Kevin Griffin

The Cruise Examiner for 15th April 2013

After a few years of battle royal with its rival port to the south, Vancouver stands to gain 20% more cruise business this year, while Seattle stands to lose 10%. Today, we look at some of the differences between the two ports, both important to the Alaska cruise trade. Meanwhile, for the first time in decades, San Francisco has a year-round ship, with the 2,600-berth Grand Princess based there since last month. And the Gulf of St Lawrence has received its first purpose-built passenger ship in seventy-five years. The new Bella Desgagnés (pictured above) will operate a weekly coastal and cruise service between Rimouski, Quebec, and Blanc Sablon, on the Strait of Belle Isle.

 THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                              (See previous columns)

Image courtesy of Deltamarin

Genting Acquires Superfast Ferry For Bimini – Celebrity To Increase Australian Capacity – Can Global CLIA Solve Perception Problem?

THE CRUISE EXAMINER at Cybercruises.com

by Kevin Griffin

The Cruise Examiner for 8th April 2013

Last month, when the Malaysia-based Genting Group acquired the 28-knot fast ferry Superfast VI, observors wondered what their intention was. But since then, the vessel has been renamed Bimini Superfast and it has been announced that she is intended for operation between Florida and Bimini North in the Bahamas, where Genting will open a new casino this December. From Australia comes news that the Celebrity Century will return to join the Celebrity Solstice Down Under in 2014/15. And with increasingly large ships bringing increasingly large crowds, CLIA going global and the US Cruise Vessel Security & Safety Act of 2010, Senator Jay Rockefeller sends a contentious letter to Micky Arison. Is the new global CLIA up to the task of combatting negative publicity from politicians?

THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                (See previous columns)

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Introduces Travel Concierge On Board Both ms Europa and ms Europa 2

For details of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Travel Concierge or any Europa or Europa 2 cruise please call Gay Scruton at The Cruise People Ltd in London on 020 7723 2450 or e-mail cruise@cruisepeople.co.uk.

Oasis of the Seas To Drydock in Europe in 2014 – Quark Expeditions Introduces New Ship in 2014 – Viking River To The Mississippi in 2015

THE CRUISE EXAMINER at Cybercruises.com

by Kevin Griffin

The Cruise Examiner for 1st April 2013

The Oasis of the Seas will operate two Transatlantic crossings and three cruises from Barcelona in 2014

Royal Caribbean International last week announced two Transatlantic crossings and a short three-cruise European season for its Oasis of the Seas, in September and October 2014. In some ways this is reminiscent of the way Norwegian Cruise Line used to bring the s.s. Norway to Europe from time to time, but on the other hand it may be an experiment, seeing as Royal Caribbean has recently ordered a third Oasis class ship at STX France. Elsewhere, Quark Expeditions has announced that it will be adding the 114-berth Sea Explorer to its fleet in 2014, to work alongside sister ship Sea Spirit. Meanwhile, Viking River Cruises, in addition to expanding into ocean cruising, has announced that it intends to put a European-style river cruiser into service on the Mississippi River in 2015.

THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                               (See previous columns)