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Travel Industry News

16 Oct 2023

Hornblower Announces Leadership Promotions

Adam Peakes (Photo: Hornblower Group)

Hornblower Group on Monday announced the promotions of several key members of its leadership team.“These changes within the leadership team represent a significant milestone for Hornblower Group as we forge ahead in working toward our company’s ambitions goals,” said Kevin Rabbitt, Chief Executive Officer for Hornblower Group. “I have full confidence that this group, with their impressive backgrounds and extensive industry knowledge, will significantly contribute to supporting our company's overall business strategy and lead us toward a successful future.

13 Sep 2023

American Cruise Lines Hires Young as Business Development Director

Melissa Young (Photo: American Cruise Lines)

American Cruise Lines on Wednesday announced Susan Shultz-Gelino, Vice President of Trade Relations, has retired after several decades with the company, and that Melissa Young has joined the company as Director of Business DevelopmentShultz-Gelino began her career in travel with American Cruise Lines in the 1980s. Among her many achievements, she established and led American’s sales department to record numbers through the company’s early years. Shultz-Gelino developed strong trade partnerships industry-wide and also established a growing team of Business Development Managers.

31 Aug 2022

Royal Caribbean Will Be Industry's First to Use SpaceX’s Starlink High-speed Internet

Royal Caribbean first trialed SpaceX’s Starlink on board Freedom of the Seas. (Photo: Royal Caribbean Group)

Royal Caribbean Group this week revealed it will be the industry's first cruise ship operator to implement SpaceX’s Starlink for onboard broadband internet service for guests and crew fleetwide.The cruise giant said on Tuesday it will immediately begin installing Starlink high-speed, low-latency connectivity on all Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships, along with all new vessels for each of its brands going forward. Initial installations…

17 May 2022

Giersdorf Joins American Queen Voyages as Acting President

David Giersdorf (Photo: American Queen Voyages)

American Queen Voyages announced David Giersdorf has been named acting president for American Queen Voyages for a term of up to 18 months. He will report to Kevin Rabbitt, chief executive officer, Hornblower Group.Giersdorf has served in the role of advisor to American Queen Voyages for nearly three years and brings a deep passion and understanding of Hornblower’s overnight cruise industry including supporting the acquisition and reimagining of the independent shore excursions business…

03 May 2022

Cruise Line Azamara Adds New Vessel to Its Fleet

Credit: Azamara

Cruise line Azamara has officially added Azamara Onward vessel to its now four-ship fleet on Tuesday, following a festive naming ceremony in Monte Carlo. The christening ceremony was led by the President of Azamara, Carol Cabezas, and Azamara Onward Godmother, Beth Santos, founder and CEO of global community and lifestyle brand Wanderful."We are thrilled to introduce Azamara Onward and share this special moment with our loyal guests," said Carol Cabezas, President of Azamara.

11 Jan 2022

German Court to Rule in Row Over Funding for Shipbuilder MV Werften

(Photo: MV Werften)

A German court will rule next week in a case brought by Genting Group against a German regional government after a row over funding for cruise shipbuilder MV Werften, which filed for insolvency on Monday.Genting, led by Malaysian tycoon Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, bought MV Werften in 2016. The pandemic has hit the global travel industry, including cruise operators and led to production stops at shipyards that build cruise ships.Genting's subsidiary Genting Hong Kong said on Tuesday…

19 Jul 2021

Marella Explorer 2: First Cruise Ship Since 2019 to Arrive in Port of Cromarty Firth

 Marella Explorer 2 - Credit:Tamme/AdobeStock

The Scottish Port of Cromarty Firth is set to welcome its first cruise ship since 2019 with the arrival of the Marella Explorer 2 on July 25.The news comes as the Scottish cruise sector prepares to resume operations after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that Scotland will switch to Level Zero on Monday (July 19).The 72,000tn Marella Explorer 2 will be making her inaugural call to Invergordon with a further 3 calls throughout the season, carrying British passengers and calling at British ports only.UK Government…

30 Mar 2021

Lindblad Expeditions Names Berle CEO

Dolf Berle (Photo: Lindblad Expeditions Holdings)

Expedition cruising company Lindblad Expeditions Holdings has appointed Dolf Berle as president, chief executive officer and a member of its board, effective May 10. Berle succeeds Sven-Olof Lindblad, who will become co-chair of the board together with current board chair Mark Ein.The leadership change comes as Lindblad Expeditions announced that it will resume small ship expeditions cruises and adventure travel experience operations for the 2021 season in Alaska and Galapagos, beginning in the first week of June.

26 Mar 2021

All American Marine Sold to Bryton Marine Group

(Photo: All American Marine)

U.S. shipbuilder All American Marine (AAM) has been sold to family-owned Bryton Marine Group, the company announced on Friday.The aluminum vessel designer and builder will continue to operate in Bellingham, Wash. Bryton CEO Byron Bolton will assume the role of AAM CEO, and AAM's former CEO and owner Matt Mullett will serve in an advisory role. Ron Wille, AAM’s president, together with his management team will lead the business. AAM’s workforce and 57,000-square-foot facility will remain.All American Marine…

26 Jan 2021

Saga Sees Resilient Cruise Bookings Despite COVID Concerns

Britain’s over-50s holidays group Saga said on Tuesday total cruise bookings stood at 140 million pounds ($191.3 million) as it prepares to restart sailing in May after a torrid year for the travel industry due to the global health crisis.Mass vaccination drives have offered hopes for a revival this year but the industry faces fresh uncertainty as new variants of the coronavirus force some countries to bring back curbs, threatening a quick return to normalcy in leisure travel.The owner of Saga Holidays and Saga Cruises has mandated vaccinations for its travelers after customer feedback, cut guest capacity and has a multi-layer COVID-19 testing in place as it looks to attract customers after a year of suspension.“We are ready to restart both Cruise and Tours in May…

16 Jul 2020

Interview: Captain Havard Ramsoy, Genting Cruise Lines, Plotting the Return Course for Cruising

Captain Havard Ramsoy, Vice President, Marine Operations and Safety, Genting Cruise Lines

While COVID-19 has proven to be the biggest business disruption event in generations, for the once-booming cruise shipping industry it has meant a hard stop. Getting back to cruising will be neither fast nor easy. We reached out to Captain Havard Ramsoy, Vice President, Marine Operations and Safety, Genting Cruise Lines for insights on the path forward.Please give an overview of the Genting Cruise Ship fleet today, and COVID-19 and its impact on the Genting Cruise business.Throughout the unprecedented suspension of the global cruise passenger services due the COVID-19 situation…

27 Apr 2020

Norwegian Cruise Withdraws Forecast, to Cut $515 Mln in Spending

© Danny Lehman / Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd on Monday withdrew its 2020 forecast and said it would cut spending by about $515 million, as it extends the suspension of its ships to June 30 amid the coronavirus pandemic.The outbreak has effectively shut down the entire cruise ship industry, and with most international travel halted, cruise companies are now hemorrhaging cash and scrambling for new funds to ride out the slowdown that could last longer than expected.Shares of Norwegian and…

19 Mar 2020

Passengers On Coronavirus-hit Cruise Ship Can Disembark in Marseille

© Studio Porto Sabbia / Adobe Stock

Passengers who have tickets to travel back to their home countries will be allowed to disembark from the coronavirus-hit Costa Luminosa cruise ship in Marseille, the port authority and the cruise operator said on Thursday.A port official told Reuters that 639 passengers, including 187 French nationals, would be allowed to leave the ship in small groups, depending on the timing of their transport home.There were more than 1,420 passengers on the liner, including 230 Americans, 168 Italians and 100 Canadians…

12 Feb 2020

Stephens Elected PVA President for 2020

Colleen Stephens (Photo: PVA)

Colleen Stephens, President of Stan Stephens Glacier & Wildlife Cruises will be President of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) for 2020, the trade association announced.Elected during the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2020 held February 3-6, 2020 in Tampa, Fla., Stephens reaffirmed PVA's commitment to continuously improving safety in passenger vessel operations as well as the association's engagement in being good stewards of the environment. "PVA's Green WATERS program…

17 Sep 2019

​Hurtigruten Intros eSled Snowmobiles

Norwegian shipping company Hurtigruten has announced a partnership between Hurtigruten’s land-based adventure travel company Hurtigruten Svalbard, and the Finnish start-up company, Aurora Powertrains.The agreement is an industry first for snowmobiles, and starts a new era of silent and emission-free exploration by snowmobiling.“Exploring some of the most pristine areas of our planet has never been eco-friendlier. We firmly believe the future of travel is emission-free. Introducing electrical solutions in our land-based operations and activities is a major step in this direction; with the introduction of eSleds, Hurtigruten Svalbard once again leads the way with groundbreaking green technology…

20 May 2019

IAATO Votes for Whale Protection Measures

The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) voted measures into effect that will reduce the incidence of tourist ships striking whales around the Antarctic Peninsula. The vote occurred at its annual meeting, held in Cape Town this year, and offers Antarctic tour operators two possible options: They must either commit to a 10-knot speed restriction within a specific time zone and area, or (if they already have a program to reduce whale strike) they must recruit an extra crewmate to monitor and record whale sightings within the said area and time zone.These measures go into effect July 1, before the start of the 2019 – 20 Antarctic travel season…

15 May 2019

Hurtigruten Intros Electric Catamaran

Norwegian expedition cruise operator Hurtigruten has partnered with the Norwegian startup Brim Explorer, introducing battery powered catamarans custom built for Polar water exploration.Debuting in the spring of 2020, the 24-meter vessel will operate a variety of daily silent and sustainable ocean excursions from her homeport Longyearbyen on the Arctic island of Svalbard - operating under the Hurtigruten Svalbard brand."Brim and Hurtigruten found each other through our common passion for the oceans. Their vision to change the way people experience the Arctic is a perfect match to our bold sustainability ambitions. We firmly believe the future of travel is emission-free…

12 Apr 2019

CLIA: 28.5 Million Cruised in 2018

The global cruise passenger continues at a paced growth around the world with an almost seven percent increase from 2017 to 2018, totaling 28.5 million passengers.According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)'s latest global cruise passenger statistics, the average age for a cruise passenger is 47 years.Research also shows North American travelers continue to embrace cruising with an annual passenger increase of nine percent (14.2 million passengers) in 2018.While the cruise sector represents two percent of the overall global travel industry, this segment is on pace with international tourism worldwide. According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer…

26 Jun 2018

Maritime Decarbonization: The Path Starts in Norway

Images Courtesy: Brødrene Aa

Breaking new ground: the all-electric, zero-emissions Future of The FjordsNorwegian cruise vessel offers amazing tourist experience while protecting fragile UNESCO World Heritage environmentFuture of the Fjords, the world’s first all-electric and completely emissions-free ship, launched in April this year by Norwegian tours operator The Fjords, is now operating as a cruise vessel on the spectacular Gudvangen to Flåm route along the Nærøyfjord, Sognefjord and Aurlandsfjord of western Norway.

18 Sep 2017

New CEO at the Helm of Crystal Cruises

Tom Wolber (Photo: Crystal Cruises)

Genting Hong Kong appointed travel industry veteran Tom Wolber as President and CEO of Crystal Cruises, effective September 15. Wolber brings to the role over three decades of experience in general management, operations, newbuild construction and business development. He joins Crystal most recently from the Walt Disney Company where he served in various executive roles for 28 years, 10 of which were with Disney Cruise Line where he served as Senior Vice President of Operations. Wolber helped transform Disney Cruise Line into a global cruise line.

29 Jan 2018

Riverboat Touring: Status Quo or Ready to Grow?

Credit: Pamela Harding

If you want to book a plush river cruise vacation in America’s heartland – say on the Mississippi or Ohio Rivers – you can do it. The American Queen Steamboat Company’s website offers as many as 13 river cruises in 2018. Certainly, the ‘bourbon cruise,’ aboard the lavish American Duchess sounds like fun. Or, maybe next year you can sign up for the nine-day ‘Derby Cruise.’ And, next year means 2019 because the 2018 cruise is sold out. Maybe the most fun is that passengers themselves…

12 Feb 2018

Interview: Terry MacRae - CEO, HMS Global Maritime

Terry MacRae, President & Chief Executive Officer, HMS Global Maritime

Terry MacRae founded Hornblower Yachts, LLC (doing business as Hornblower Cruises & Events) in 1980, and serves as Chief Executive Officer, the President and is also its owner. MacRae is the Co-founder of HMS Global Maritime and the American Queen Steamboat Company, and serves as Chief Executive Officer of Alcatraz Cruises, LLC, Statue Cruises, LLC, Hornblower Canada Co., Hornblower Cable Cars, Inc. and HNY Ferry, LLC (doing business as NYC Ferry). He leads one of the largest and fastest growing charter, dining cruise, and ferry operating companies in the nation.

11 Mar 2018

Kiel Gets Second Cruise Passenger Terminal at Ostseekai

A second handling centre for cruise ship passengers and their luggage is being built at Kiel’s Ostseekai Cruise Shipping Terminal. Artist’s impressions of how the new building will look when complete have been made public for the first time at the ITB Berlin – the world’s leading trade fair for the travel industry. Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director of the Port of Kiel said:  “Sea tourism is a strong growth market sector for the port of Kiel. In particular, the second terminal makes it possible to balance out individual operational processes. Whereas previously two ships were handled by just one terminal at the Ostseekai Terminal, in future every ship will have its own handling terminal.