Tour Operator News

Facing rising costs, an Icelandic tour operator is using technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance safety and slash insurance premiums for its fleet of high-speed rigid inflatable boats (RIB).Reykjavík-based Whale Safari runs tourist RIBs for whale and bird watching excursions in Iceland. From an insurer’s standpoint, the endeavor—which sees vessels that seat up to 12 passengers achieving high speeds and g-force wave impacts—is inherently risky. To make matters worse for companies like Whale Safari…

Hurtigruten Svalbard said it has teamed up with Volvo Penta to test a new hybrid vessel that will allow guests to experience the wonders of the Arctic archipelago without disturbing the habitat around them.The near-silent, Marell M15 cruiser called Kvitbjørn (polar bear in English) will allow for fully electric operation in the environmentally sensitive waters around Svalbard, which is hugely popular with nature-loving adventure travelers. Hurtigruten Svalbard plans to test the…

Cruises are renowned for their gargantuan all-you-can-eat buffets. Cruise company Carnival is stuffing its face again with a $1 billion equity raise – its third such helping after Chief Executive Arnold Donald feasted on a combined $2.5 billion in share offerings late last year. It’s not clear that Donald needs the financial calories this time round: Carnival had cash to ride out 15 months of zero sales, assuming monthly cash burn of $600 million, at the end of 2020.Despite ships remaining moored, investors can’t seem to get enough: shares are priced at a mere 3% discount to Monday’s close.

A pair of first-of-their-kind passenger vessels installed with all-electric propulsion will bring Niagara Falls sightseers to experience one of the wonders of the natural world undisturbed by exhaust fumes, engine noise or vibrations.The zero-emissions ferries, named the James V. Glynn and the Nikola Tesla, respectively in honor of the Maid of the Mist chairman and the renowned energy pioneer – are the first all-electric vessels built in the U.S., with power drawn from a high-capacity battery pack supplied and integrated by ABB.

Wight Shipyard Co said it has built and delivered four ferries simultaneously from its yard in Cowes, Isle of Wight, for a Maltese tour operator.The order, WSC’s largest ferry export order to date, consists of two 20-meter and two 33-meter lightweight ferries, designed by One2Three Naval Architects.Jo Daly, COO, WSC, said the four ferries were produced within a year, despite the restrictions and changes to working brought about by the worldwide pandemic COVID-19.The bespoke vessels for Captain Morgan Holdings Ltd…

Saga announced it has completed the sale of cruise ship Saga Sapphire to Anex Tour, a family-run Turkish tour operator. The ship is scheduled to reenter service as Blue Sapphire operating for Anex Tour’s new cruise line in 2021.While many cruise ships are currently being sold or scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Saga Sapphire sale is unrelated to COVID-19. Anex Tour had announced in August 2019 it would acquire the vessel.Neset Kockar, Chairman of Anex Tour, said,…

The continued operation of an amphibious passenger vessel despite severe weather warnings led to its fatal sinking during a derecho in July 2018, the National Transportation Safety Board said during a public board meeting Tuesday.The 33-foot-long, modified, World War II-era DUKW amphibious passenger vessel Stretch Duck 7 sank in Table Rock Lake, near Branson, Mo., killing 16 of 29 passengers and one of two crewmembers on board for a tour.Operator Ripley Entertainment Inc., dba Ride The Ducks of Branson continued to run waterborne tours after a severe thunderstorm warning had been issued.

With social media updates and conference agendas addressing the subjects of climate change, emissions reductions and alternative fuels, it’s a wonder we are not climbing the Himalayans in search of the Jedi Master that will provide us with the magic potion. Yoda’s blessing with a calming breath, “You have chosen wisely.”Government emissions intervention started with a move to reduce energy and fuel consumption measured in greenhouse gas (GHG), at a time when the world and our politicians spoke about global warming.

At the very cutting edge of clean, modern and ultra-efficient propulsion and automation solutions, ABB takes its rightful place amongst MarineNews' prestigious 2019 MN100 winners.The Case:ABB believes that modern ships will be built on the foundation of electricity. This expands their range of viable energy sources beyond traditional fuel to for instance batteries and fuel cells. The electrical backbone, integrated with automation and control systems, will also transform the industry…

Turkish-based tour operator Anex Tour is entering the cruise business with the acquisition of Saga Cruises' Saga Sapphire.Anex chairman Neset Kockar said the acquisition would allow the Turkish holiday giant to create a “unique eastern Mediterranean cruise experience”. “With changing habits of travelers, we must adopt our product offering accordingly,” said Kockar.The 800-passenger vessel will be transferred to ANEX Tour in mid-2020 and begin sailing cruises around the Eastern Mediterranean from her new homeport in Antalya, Turkey.Spanning 12 decks, Saga Sapphire offers various onboard amenities, such as 382 cabins, restaurants, pools…

Based in Miramar, FL, ABB Vice President Ed Schwarz is today responsible for developing and leading the newly created new sales team for ABB in North America.He is the firm’s leading advocate for new build opportunities in US and Canada and more importantly, developing the business strategy necessary for bringing hybrid and electric solutions to North America market. A graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering and Shipyard Management in 2000.

Building on its 125-year heritage, Norwegian shipowner Hurtigruten has become a leader in exploration travel offering voyages to more than 200 unique destinations in more than 30 countries ranging across the globe from the Arctic to the Antarctic and including cruises in Norway, Greenland, Svalbard, Iceland, Western Europe, and the Americas. In an interview with Maritime Reporter and Engineering News, Dan Skjeldam, the company’s CEO, emphasizes the need for the cruise industry…

Niagara Falls tour operator Maid of the Mist orders two new passenger vessels sailing on pure electric power, enabled by ABB’s technologyVisitors to the iconic Niagara Falls will soon be able to experience one of the USA’s top landmarks emission-free. Two new Maid of the Mist passenger vessels will be powered entirely by high-capacity battery packs, becoming the first all-electric vessels ever built in the US.The new vessels will benefit from ABB’s zero-emission technology when they start operating later this year…

The captain of the World War Two-style tourist "duck boat" that sank on a Missouri lake during a storm in July killing 17 people was charged on Thursday with misconduct, negligence and inattention to duty by a federal grand jury, prosecutors said.Kenneth Scott McKee, 51, of Verona, Missouri, was charged in a 17-count indictment, one count for each of the passengers who died when the vessel sank on July 19.McKee was captain of the vessel operated by Ripley Entertainment Inc, which ran duck boat tours in Branson…

The families of four of the 17 people killed when a World War Two-style tourist "duck boat" sank on a Missouri lake during a storm this month have sued the tour operator, saying it recklessly allowed the vessel out in dangerous weather.On Sunday, relatives of Ervin Coleman, 76, and 2-year-old Maxwell Ly, his great-nephew, both of Indianapolis, sued tour operator Ripley Entertainment Inc, which operates under the name Ride the Ducks, and vessel manufacturer Amphibious Vehicle Manufacturing LLC…

The 2016 Polar Code has its first luxury-adventure cruise adherents for the long, new ice-free seasons in the high latitudes. Likewise, many designs winning over owners and explorers target exotic Asia-Pacific destinations. Competition is fierce among “designer-shipyards” seeking to build their designs, but their creations could face fewer hurdles to construction than the designs of independents without a yard. Concepts bound for the slipway have something else in common: new davits for large numbers of water craft.

Almost 200 passengers and crew on a cruise along the Danube river had to be evacuated from their vessel on Monday when a blaze broke out on board, the Austrian fire service said. The passengers, who were on a trip with German river-cruise line A-Rosa from Linz to Budapest, were taken off and moved to a nearby ship after the blaze started close to the village of Schoenbuehel-Aggsbach in Lower Austria, a fire brigade spokesman said. No-one was hurt. Twelve fire trucks and several boats with around 150 fire fighters fought the blaze before bringing it under control after two hours. Five ship crew members who tried to extinguish the fire were treated for smoke inhalation in hospital, a spokesman for the Red Cross said.

Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) continues its investigation into the sinking of passenger vessel which killed at least five near Tofino, British Columbia, Sunday. Of the 24 passengers and three crew aboard the whale-watching tour boat Leviathan II at the time of the sinking, 21 people were rescued, five have died and one remains missing. Leviathan II is a three-deck cruiser operated by Jamie's Whaling Station and Adventure Centres. The boat, which has capacity for up to 46 people…

The world’s first LNG hybrid barge of Becker Marine Systems was christened with the name "Hummel" on October 18, 2014, at Grasbrook Quay in HafenCity Hamburg. The godmother of the inaugural event for the floating LNG power plant for environmentally friendly energy supply of cruise ships was Dr. Monika Griefahn, Chief Sustainability Officer at AIDA Cruises. The co-founder of Greenpeace Germany and former Minister of Environment of Lower Saxony has been involved in sustainability and environmental protection for more than 30 years. "With this pilot project, Becker Marine Systems and AIDA Cruises are together setting an example for environmental and climate protection, not only for the city of Hamburg but also for the entire maritime industry," said AIDA President Michael Ungerer.

Willard Marine, a 56-year-old builder of composite and aluminum boats, is supplying a seven-meter Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RIB) for Na Pali Coast Hanalei Tours in Hawaii. The aluminum-hull boat, which is being customized to meet the requirements specified by the tour operator, will be used for snorkeling and exploring sea caves, secluded beaches and ancient Hawaiian sites on the North Shore of Oahu. Na Pali Coast Hanalei Tours has been providing personalized tours of the region since 1974. The tour company is owned and operated by a local Hawaiian family. Willard Marine’s range of passenger boats includes fiberglass and aluminum-hull craft up to 54 ft. in length, including water taxis, cruise-ship harbor boats and tour boats.

Passenger ferry and tour boat market segment has suddenly been revitalized and is on the verge of becoming hot. It is no secret: new vessel construction for the passenger vessel industry came to a virtual standstill in conjunction with the troubled economy. For many operators, just keeping the shingle hung, skilled crew at hand and something afloat at the other end of the mooring line has required the most scrupulous cost controls and strategy. With the results of the past election now set and several years of waiting and seeing under their belts…

On the occasion of Metal Craft Marine’s 25th anniversary, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News ventured north, to the boat builder’s Kingston, Ontario headquarters, to discover the secret to its success. Metal Craft Marine is well regarded in maritime circles for designing and building high performance craft outfitted for the most demanding work conditions. While the company is diverse in its work scope and capability, its history lies in high-performance jet boats and its current core competency lies in the construction of tough fire boats and military boats for worldwide use.

The Spanish Antitrust Authority has granted official approval to the acquisition of sole control by Costa Crociere S.p.A. of Iberocruceros, a brand operating in the Spanish market. The operation was first announced on May 29 this year following the signing of an agreement between Costa Crociere S.p.A. and the leading Spanish tour operator Orizonia. Now, following the go-ahead from the antitrust authority, the deal is to be completed during July 2009. Iberocruceros was established in 2007 as a joint venture between the Costa Crociere Group, which owned 75% of the company, and Orizonia, which had a 25% stake. Through its acquisition of the remaining 25% of the capital, Costa Crociere S.p.A. now is the only shareholder of Iberocruceros.