Holland America Line Adds Cuba – Other Cruise News: Black Sea Cruises To Start Up June 11 – Turkey’s Etstur Charters Aegean Queen

The Cruise Examiner for 29th May 2017

Holland America Line’s 1,348-berth Veendam, a regular to Bermuda and Canada, will now also enter the winter trade to Cuba

Last week it was announced that Holland America Line is the latest cruise line to acquire rights to sail to Cuba, with its inaugural voyage set to be performed in December by the Veendam. Elsewhere the new Black Sea Cruises sent its recently-acquired Knyaz Vladimir on a trial voyage before placing her into service in two weeks. And Turkey’s Etstur has announced another season of Greek Isles cruises, this time using the Louis Group-owned Aegean Queen.

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FOR THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                                                                   (See previous columns)

New CMA CGM And NSB Services Make Singapore Into A Hub For Australia, Europe and Indian Ocean Cargo-Passenger Services

The 10-passenger CMA CGM Marco Polo is one of a dozen ships sailing from Singapore to Southampton in 21 days flat on French Asia Line 1, cutting transit time from Australia by 11 days

With CMA CGM’s addition of four passenger-carrying container ships to the AAX Singapore-Port Kelang-Fremantle-Sydney-Melbourne-Adelaide-Fremantle-Singapore service and the addition of the Buxhansa to Singapore-Reunion-Tanzania-Maurtius-Singapore service by NSB, more connections are available over the major Southeast Asian port.

This recent move back to Singapore began when Indian immigration prevented CMA CGM from carrying passengers on its northbound Australia-Europe ships that call at Chennai and Cochin, thus chasing five ships from the northbound Australia passenger trade. This is not entirely bad news however as the Nemo Line ships took 32 days from Singapore to London, the substitute French Asia Line 1 runs Singapore to Southampton in 21 days, knocking 11 days and €1,210 per person off the elapsed northbound voyage time. Singapore hotels and meals are extra of course but this can usually be kept to between three and five days.

Sydney to Singapore is 15 nights on the Nemo Line or 20 nights via Fremantle on the AAX Line, while the voyage time between Singapore and Fremantle is 9 days in either direction on the AAX Line. This means that one can sail from Fremantle to Southampton with a total of only 30 days at sea and a few days break at Singapore en route.

The addition of an Indian Ocean departure from Singapore by the Buxhansa every eight weeks means that Réunion, Madagascar, Mozambique and Mauritius have been added to the list of destinations that can be reached from either Europe or Australia with a change of ship at Singapore.

For further details on any of these sailings please call Miri Lopusna at The Cruise People Ltd in London on +44 (0)20 7723 2450 or email PassageEnquiry@aol.com.

Sail Around Australia In L’Austral (40 nights), Sydney to Fremantle via Tasmania (14 nights) or Fremantle to Sydney via Darwin (26 nights)

For information on any of these specials please contact The Cruise People Ltd at 88 York Street London W1H 1QT, call +44 (0)20 7723 2450, UK Freephone 0800 526 313, or email PassageEnquiry@aol.com.

NSB’s Buxhansa Opens 56-Day Indian Ocean & East Africa Service, Calling Singapore, Reunion, Madagascar, Mozambique & Mauritius

NSB’s 34,020-ton Buxhansa accommodates up to five passengers in an Owners, a Double and a Single cabin.

NSB Freighter Cruises advised today that the m.v. Buxhansa has joined a new Southeast Asia – Indian Ocean – East Africa – Southeast Asia service, with the following port rotation:

Singapore – Tanjung Pelepas – Pointe des Galets, Reunion – Tamatave, Madagascar – Maputo, Mozambique – Beira, Mozambique – Nacala, Mozambique – Port Louis, Mauritius – Singapore. Passengers travelling from Europe may also use this service to change ship at Singapore for Maputo (19 days from Singapore) and Beira (22 days). Port Louis to Singapore on the reverse direction is 14 days.

The full round voyage duration is set at 56 days. The ship is fitted with a swimming pool and fares run from €85-90 per person double occupancy and €90-110 single plus port charges, deviation insurance and booking fee.

The next scheduled departure dates from Singapore are on/about July 17, on/about September 11 and on/about November 06, 2017.

For further details please contact Miri Lopusna at The Cruise People Ltd in London on +44 (0020 7723 2450 or email PassageEnquiry@aol.com.

Fincantieri Takes 66.66% Of STX France – Carnival Maritime Opens Third Centre – European Cruise Market To Grow 60% In A Decade

The Cruise Examiner for 22nd May 2017

Fincantieri has acquired a two-thirds shareholding in the famous STX France shipyard at St Nazaire

Last Friday it was announced that Fincantieri was acquiring a 66.66% shareholding in STX France, a company that will no doubt soon be renamed. The balance of the shares are held by the French State. At the same time, following the opening of Fleet Operations Centres in Hamburg and Seattle, Carnival Maritime has started hiring for a third such centre in Miami to manage the twenty-five ships of original group member Carnival Cruise Line. Meanwhile, Cruise Industry News Annual predicts 60% growth in the European cruise market over the next decade.

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FOR THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                                                                   (See previous columns)

Salerno Exchange Port For Israel For Passengers From The US, Transatlantic By CMA CGM And Transmed by Grimaldi Lines

With an increase in the number of passenger-carrying container ships working CMA CGM’s Amerigo Express Transatlantic service to four, Salerno has become the new exchange port for Israeli-bound passengers from the US.

CMA CGM’s transit time from Miami to Salerno is 17 days and Grimaldi Lines then operates weekly sailings from Salerno to Ashdod that take 9 days. Grimaldi ships return from Ashdod to Salerno in 5 days and CMA CGM then takes 19 days from Salerno to New York, and another 7 to return to Miami via Norfolk and Savannah.

The UK-flag CMA CGM Amber is one of four ships connecting Miami to Med ports that include Salerno, and returning via New York

The Transatlantic service is operated by the CMA CGM Amber and CMA CGM Coral, carrying five passengers each in an Owners cabin and three Singles, while CMA CGM Florida and CMA CGM Georgia each carry six passengers in two Doubles and one Twin cabin. These ships also offer a connection to Morocco by disembarking at Algeciras and taking the ferry across to Tangiers.

Grimaldi Line’s Italian-flag Grande Ellade and sister ships supply the link between Salerno (shown here) and Ashdod

The Transmed link is supplied by Grimaldi Lines’ Euro-Med service that also connects with Southampton and ports in Scandinavia and North Europe. Five ships, the Gran Bretagna, Grande Ellade, Grande Europa, Grande Mediterraneo and Grande Scandinavia, carry up to twelve passengers each in an Owners cabin, an Outside cabin and four Inside cabins.

For further details on how to book this service please call Miri Lopusna at The Cruise People Ltd in London on +44 (0)20 7723 2450 or by emailing PassageEnquiry@aol.com.

Bravo: Cruise of the Performing Arts On Board Celebrity Silhouette, 7 Days Southampton, Bilbao, Vigo, Cherbourg – May 19, 2018

For further information on any of these specials please contact The Cruise People Ltd, 88 York Street London W1H 1QT +44 (0)20 7723 2450, UK Freephone: 0800 526 313 or email PassageEnquiry@aol.com.