Thursday 17 April 2014 Travel Daily Cruise Update | 1300 799 220 | www.traveldaily.com.au/cruise Page 1 Happy Easter to all Today’s issue of TD Cruise Update features two pages of all the latest cruise informaon plus a Face-to-Face interview where we get to know Saxon Templeton from Travelmarvel. 2014 River Cruising NEW DATE NOW OPEN FRENCH WATERWAYS Paris to Lyon - 11 Aug ‘14 BOOK NOW & RECEIVE: •Free Hotel Night •US$100 Off •Solo Traveller Savings + A $50 Coles/Myer Voucher for you! CLICK HERE ONLY 15 CABINS LEFT Golden Princess to NZ NEW Zealand looks likely to be the key desnaon for Melbourne’s new homeported ship, the 2,600-passenger liner Golden Princess. Although ineraries are yet to be released by Princess Cruises, the Port of Otago’s online schedules show Golden Princess arriving in Dunedin every two weeks between Oct 2015 and Apr 2016. Princess Cruises also announced the introducon of AUD pricing onboard a record five ships based in Australia, as well as an extension to year-round cruising in WA and Qld’s biggest season. Sun Princess will be busy, starng early in Brisbane, from Aug to Nov 2015, before moving to Fremantle for 11 cruises, including the revival of its epic 46-night voyage to India and South Africa. Sea Princess is also operang out of Brisbane, with both ships offering cruises to PNG, South Pacific, Queensland and NZ. Pandaw meetup point PANDAW River Expedions has announced a new partner hotel deal with the InterConnental Asiana Saigon in Vietnam. From 01 Jul, the e-up will see the hotel become the new pickup and drop-off point for all Mekong Expedion guests depending on direcon of travel on the river. Evans cruise sold out CHARTER cruise operator The Great Escape has announced its upcoming Southern Kimberley cruise featuring celebrity chef Pete Evans is completely sold out. Evans, most famous as a judge on hit Ch 7 cooking program My Kitchen Rules, will board the MV Great Escape for the seven-night sailing from the Mitchell Plateau to Broome from 21-28 Jun. While aboard, Evans will whip up a fresh “dish of the day” as well as liaise with passengers on cooking ps and his paleo diet. Travellers keen to be added to a waing list for future departures can CLICK HERE for more details. Ponant 2015 summer UPSCALE French small-ship cruise line Compagnie du Ponant has released its 2015 European summer schedule for sale over a year in advance for the first me. From Apr to Oct 2015, 70 departures have been scheduled taking in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe & Balc, Japan, the Great Arcc North and more. New desnaons offered for the season will see Alaska complete the available Arcc semi-circle stretching west over the top of Canada to Iceland, Spitzbergen, the Norwegian Fjords and Russia. Changes made for 2015 will see an open bar policy implemented on all sailings, including wines, soſt drinks, champagne & spirits. Phone 1300 737 178 for details. Quantum to base in China ROYAL Caribbean Internaonal is hing the Asian market hard with its groundbreaking decision to deploy its newest, most advanced ship to Shanghai. Quantum of the Seas will reposion to China in May 2015 aſter its maiden winter season based in New York, bringing it one step closer to Australians. Adam Goldstein, president and coo, RCCL said the move would set an enrely new standard for the world’s fastest growing cruise market. “Consumers in China have grown to expect the best the world has to offer, and Quantum of the Seas meets that standard like no other ship,” he said. “We are ready to accelerate the growth of this vital market with a ship that will capture the imaginaon of travellers looking for a one-of-a-kind vacaon experience.” Yet to be completed, Quantum will join Mariner of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas in Asia, increasing the company’s capacity in the region by 66%. “Every trend we are seeing in China tells us we can achieve real long-term compeve advantage and appealing returns on our investments in this fast-growing market by accelerang our presence there,” Goldstein said. “We will have to be nimble, but the ability to move fast is one of our strengths.” Goldstein said the deployment was possible because its “new- ship pipeline” would also keep the US region supplied with top- rate ships as well. “We are very mindful of the importance of New York, which is why we are bringing Liberty of the Seas and then Anthem of the Seas to this market.” Quantum of the Seas is scheduled to debut in Nov 2014 and will spend its inaugural season operang departures from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, to the Caribbean. From Jun 2015, the ship will sail three to eight-night ineraries year-round from Shanghai to Japan and Korea. “Our mantra for the new Quantum class of ships is ‘this changes everything’ - and upping our game in these key markets achieves just that,” said Dominic Paul, vp internaonal, RCI.
Happy Easter to all Today’s issue of TD Cruise Update features two pages of all the latest cruise information plus a Face-to-Face interview where we get to know Saxon Templeton from Travelmarvel.
2014 River Cruising NEW DATE
NOW OPEN
FRENCH WATERWAYSParis to Lyon - 11 Aug ‘14
BOOK NOW & RECEIVE:
•Free Hotel Night•US$100 Off
•Solo Traveller Savings+ A $50 Coles/Myer
Voucher for you!
CLICK HERE
ONLY 15 CABINS LEFT
Golden Princess to NZNew Zealand looks likely
to be the key destination for Melbourne’s new homeported ship, the 2,600-passenger liner Golden Princess.
Although itineraries are yet to be released by Princess Cruises, the Port of Otago’s online schedules show Golden Princess arriving in Dunedin every two weeks between Oct 2015 and Apr 2016.
Princess Cruises also announced the introduction of AUD pricing onboard a record five ships based in Australia, as well as an extension to year-round cruising in WA and Qld’s biggest season.
Sun Princess will be busy, starting early in Brisbane, from Aug to Nov 2015, before moving to Fremantle for 11 cruises, including the revival of its epic 46-night voyage to India and South Africa.
Sea Princess is also operating out of Brisbane, with both ships offering cruises to PNG, South Pacific, Queensland and NZ.
Pandaw meetup pointpaNdaw River Expeditions has
announced a new partner hotel deal with the InterContinental Asiana Saigon in Vietnam.
From 01 Jul, the tie-up will see the hotel become the new pickup and drop-off point for all Mekong Expedition guests depending on direction of travel on the river.
Evans cruise sold outCharter cruise operator The
Great Escape has announced its upcoming Southern Kimberley cruise featuring celebrity chef Pete Evans is completely sold out.
Evans, most famous as a judge on hit Ch 7 cooking program My Kitchen Rules, will board the MV Great Escape for the seven-night sailing from the Mitchell Plateau to Broome from 21-28 Jun.
While aboard, Evans will whip up a fresh “dish of the day” as well as liaise with passengers on cooking tips and his paleo diet.
Travellers keen to be added to a waiting list for future departures can CLICK here for more details.
Ponant 2015 summerUpsCaLe French small-ship
cruise line Compagnie du Ponant has released its 2015 European summer schedule for sale over a year in advance for the first time.
From Apr to Oct 2015, 70 departures have been scheduled taking in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe & Baltic, Japan, the Great Arctic North and more.
New destinations offered for the season will see Alaska complete the available Arctic semi-circle stretching west over the top of Canada to Iceland, Spitzbergen, the Norwegian Fjords and Russia.
Changes made for 2015 will see an open bar policy implemented on all sailings, including wines, soft drinks, champagne & spirits.
Phone 1300 737 178 for details.
Quantum to base in ChinaroyaL Caribbean International
is hitting the Asian market hard with its groundbreaking decision to deploy its newest, most advanced ship to Shanghai.
Quantum of the Seas will reposition to China in May 2015 after its maiden winter season based in New York, bringing it one step closer to Australians.
Adam Goldstein, president and coo, RCCL said the move would set an entirely new standard for the world’s fastest growing cruise market.
“Consumers in China have grown to expect the best the world has to offer, and Quantum of the Seas meets that standard like no other ship,” he said.
“We are ready to accelerate the growth of this vital market with a ship that will capture the imagination of travellers looking for a one-of-a-kind vacation experience.”
Yet to be completed, Quantum will join Mariner of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas in Asia, increasing the company’s capacity in the region by 66%.
“Every trend we are seeing in
China tells us we can achieve real long-term competitive advantage and appealing returns on our investments in this fast-growing market by accelerating our presence there,” Goldstein said.
“We will have to be nimble, but the ability to move fast is one of our strengths.”
Goldstein said the deployment was possible because its “new-ship pipeline” would also keep the US region supplied with top-rate ships as well.
“We are very mindful of the importance of New York, which is why we are bringing Liberty of the Seas and then Anthem of the Seas to this market.”
Quantum of the Seas is scheduled to debut in Nov 2014 and will spend its inaugural season operating departures from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, to the Caribbean.
From Jun 2015, the ship will sail three to eight-night itineraries year-round from Shanghai to Japan and Korea.
“Our mantra for the new Quantum class of ships is ‘this changes everything’ - and upping our game in these key markets achieves just that,” said Dominic Paul, vp international, RCI.
released a video celebrating the recent christening of its newest vessel, National Geographic Orion.
Sydney-based business development director and third-generation Lindblad expeditioner Jeremy Lindblad, underwater film maker Valerie Taylor and Captain Mike Taylor took part in official ceremonies in Auckland prior to the ship setting off in Auckland.
CLICK here to view the video.MeaNwhILe, the expedition
operator said it will bring to life elements of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic journey of 1914 on its 2014/15 expeditions to the frozen continent.
In addition to normal activities, selected voyages in the season will feature a special Centennial event in collaboration with Shackleton author Kim Heacox.
A multimedia presentation to be shown will showcase surviving Frank Hurley photography from the original Shackleton voyage as well as guest lectures by a number of Antarctica specialists.
APT Europe extensionearLybIrd European river
cruise prices available through the APT 2015 preview brochure have been extended for sales until 30 Apr, APT has announced.
The 24 itineraries on offer all qualify for SuperDeals including Fly Free and Air Credits offers.
Scrubbers! MANY avid cruisers will be aware of new environmental controls that have taken effect in North America. In 2010, the North American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated an Emission Control Area (ECA), a zone that extends 200 nautical miles off the North American coast line where ships must limit the amount of sulphur present in their smoke stack emissions.The limit introduced was 1%, which decreases to 0.1% sulphur content fuel from 1st Jan 2015. To achieve the ECA target, ships need to operate on high-cost low sulphur fuels. Other options to achieve lower omissions are for ships to retrofit with the latest “scrubber technology”. In September 2013, Carnival Corporation announced it had reached an agreement with the EPA to add less expensive “sulphur scrubbers” to their ships’ exhaust systems to comply with the regulation as opposed to burning fuel that could add an expense to cruise operations of around US$150 per passenger. Described as “exhaust gas cleaning technology”, once installed, a scrubber is designed to reduce air emissions. This is yet another great example of the cruise industry taking a pro-active approach to protecting our marine environment.
2015 OPEN FOR SALE Magnifique!
MORE
Untapped frontiers for ERCbeyoNd the Rhine, Main and
Danube, where might river cruise expansion come across Europe?
The answer, according to Scenic Tours Group founder & managing director Glen Moroney, could be determined by “break-throughs” into “smaller niche rivers.”
“There’s a gamut of them in Europe,” Moroney says, adding it will only be made possible with smaller vessels than what is currently the river cruise norm.
“There are many other places you can go river cruising but it comes down to the size of the ship and the economics with European cost structure makes it very difficult to work.
Moroney estimates that pax sailing on smaller ships due to the narrower rivers will be subjected to significantly higher prices.
“A smaller ship has nearly the
same running costs as a 135 metre Space-Ship,” he explained to TDCU while in Europe.
“It’s disproportionate. Cabin costs would be very high, around $1,000 a day.”
“There’s a lot of opportunities but the economics is the hard part,” Moroney commented.
Quizzed where he thinks new opportunities in Europe may arise, Moroney suggested the Elbe River, which runs from the North Sea through Germany and the Czech Republic.
He flagged to TDCU a cruise between Prague to just outside Berlin as one potential route.
However, the Elbe is notorious for “drying up” once every three to four years, a gamble which could prove risky and costly.
He added because of the Elbe’s shallow waters, a new ship would need to be developed, requiring a very low draft of about 1.2m, which can’t be too long or too heavy, while passenger numbers would need to be kept low and there would be fewer balconies.
The Douro River, which passes through Spain and Portugal, also presents an untapped market, Moroney told TD Cruise Update.
North Africa may also be on the cards in the future.
P O R T H O L E
LaUNChING at the Sanctuary Cove Int’l Boat Show next month may be the ultimate in luxury personal watercraft with the world’s largest sailing catamaran design to market.
Dubbed Spectrum 52 (below), this Goliath of pleasure craft is the brainchild of naval architect Albert Sedimayer and will truly be a creation to behold.
Featuring a huge 1,700sqm of sailing area, the vessel reaches up to 20 knots in favourable conditions under sail or power.
Accommodation space for owners, eight guests and eight crew, bedrooms feature walk-in robes and separate bathrooms, lounge chairs and individual access doors to the sidedecks.
The ship will be ideal for both business and leisure travellers, with meetings able to be conducted in the onboard boardroom, while the fitness fanatics will love the indoor gym situated forward of the suites.
Details at www.sednav.com.Uniworld preview
sIx new all-inclusive itineraries and a new Super Ship highlight the 2015 Europe & Russia preview brochure from Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, released last week.
Ultimate France and Portugal cruises are featured in the guide.
P&O rerouted for ItaNewCastLe and the Hunter
Valley served as a last-minute replacement for a Pacific Dawn cruise originally set to head north before being forced to reroute to avoid Cyclone Ita in North Qld.
P&O Cruises has thanked the Northern NSW port for being able to step in at short notice and provide shore excursions to pax unable to cruise the Qld coast.
The visit ended up being Pacific Dawn’s maiden visit to Newcastle, ahead of the line announcing new Hunter Valley cruises in 2015.
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Face to Face: Saxon TempletonSales and Marketing Manager - Travelmarvel
Saxon’s Cruise Favourites!Ship: Le Marguerite.
Ship Activity: Sundowners up on deck.Favourite region: Europe. Diversity of language, scenery, cultures and cuisine.
Favourite onboard food/drink: Seafood platter / Mojito.Favourite perk of the job: Being paid to see the world.
Welcome to Face to Face, where we chat to cruise industry leaders.How/why did you get into the cruise industry?The love of travel and discovery is what led me into the travel industry. I was drawn to my current role because of the opportunity it offered both in terms of helping define and grow the Travelmarvel brand, and because of the fact that, as the fastest growing travel sector globally, cruise is probably the most exciting, dynamic and competitive industry environment.What is the key to your success?Our trade partners are at the heart of what we do, and we’ve built our proposition to help them achieve repeat business. At Travelmarvel we deliver a premium product, with prices that offer exceptional value for money. Our agents love our product because, being part of The APT Group, they have peace of mind that their clients are in good hands.What is your favourite destination, and why?France. Pretty much all of it. On second thoughts, maybe not Calais. I love the laissez-faire nature of the French. In so many ways so casual, yet on the other hand they will take 10 minutes selecting one baguette. Paris is my favourite city in the world and I love the challenge and reward of finding the hidden small pockets that still remain relatively tourist-free and ‘real’.What was your most memorable moment on a cruise?Has to be my trip to Antarctica on an Expedition Cruise. Life changing! I still remember when I sighted my first iceberg and the incredibly cute waddling of the Adelie penguins. The food was amazing too. Let’s just say the penguins weren’t the only ones waddling at the end of the voyage!Where is the next “hot spot” in cruising destinations?Rather than a destination per se, I think it will be a travel style – small ship cruising is my tip. I believe that mid-sized ships – larger capacity than river cruise vessels but significantly smaller than full ocean going liners – that stay close to shore with very frequent shore visits will become very popular.What do you think is the most underrated/overrated aspect of cruising?I know everyone says it but in terms of underrated - unpacking once. It simply can’t be overstated how great it is not to have to pack up your suitcase every other morning. Overrated – waterslides.What advice would you give other people who want a job like yours?Challenge yourself and don’t settle. Never burn your bridges, and go to bed Sunday looking forward to Monday!
