Friday, November 21, 2014

Cruise News Daily Headlines for November 21, 2014

* Going Outside
Another cruise line has gone outside the industry to fill the position of president. Holland America Line today announced Orlando Ashford will join the company as president of the brand, effective December 1.

* Majesty of the Seas Leaving RCI Brand
Royal Caribbean International said today that Majesty of the Seas will be transferred to Royal Caribbean’s Pullmantur brand at the end of April 2016.


* Other Things You’ll Want to Know
CND subscribers also read about RCCL forming a joint venture in China ... Princess founder Stan McDonald dies ... a change of plans for Costa ... Fincantieri officially signing on ... and something to leave home without if you are sailing from Venice.

The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.

Holland America Line Names Orlando Ashford as President

Orlando Ashford
Seattle, Wash., Nov. 21, 2014 — Holland America Line announced today that effective Dec. 1 Orlando Ashford will join the company as president to lead the award-winning cruise line's brand and business, including its fleet of 15 premium vessels carrying approximately 850,000 guests annually to all seven continents. Ashford joins the company from Mercer, the global consulting leader in talent, health, retirement and investments, where he was president of the Talent Business Segment.

“We are fortunate to have Orlando join our team, bringing with him a career's worth of global experience leading high-performance teams that helped innovate some of the most respected and well-known companies in the world,” said Stein Kruse, chief executive officer, Holland America Group. “I am confident that Orlando’s leadership will enable Holland America Line to build on its uncompromising Signature of Excellence commitment to deliver a superior guest experience that will continue generating rave reviews from our guests, travel professionals and the industry alike.”

“Holland America Line is a remarkable and highly respected company that delivers exceptional experiences and indelible memories of joy and adventure to their guests,” said Ashford, newly appointed president of Holland America Line. “It’s a noble mission, and I am eager to get to work with this talented group of service-minded employees to unleash new ideas while building on the success of this thriving global business.”

Ashford will oversee Holland America Line’s sales and marketing, revenue management, deployment and itinerary planning, public relations, hotel operations and strategy. He will report to Holland America Group CEO Kruse and will be part of the Group’s executive leadership team alongside brand leaders Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises; Richard Meadows, president of Seabourn and president of Cunard North America; and Ann Sherry AO, chief executive officer, Carnival Australia. Ashford will relocate to the Holland America Line headquarters office in Seattle.

Prior to his role at Mercer, Ashford served as senior vice president, chief human resources and communications officer of Mercer's parent company, Marsh & McLennan Companies. He also has held several other leadership roles during the course of his career, including group director of human resources for 90 countries in Eurasia and Africa for the Coca-Cola Company and vice president Corporate Center human resources and cultural transformation. Previously he was vice president of global human resources strategy and organizational development for Motorola, Inc. where he helped modernize the human resources function for the global tech leader.

Ashford’s recently published book, Talentism, addresses the global disconnect between available jobs – more than one-third of employers worldwide cannot fill all available jobs – and the estimated 202 million eligible workers who are unemployed worldwide. Ashford examines how technology and human networks can help bridge the skills gap, improve business performance, and lead to the betterment of society at large.

Ashford is on the Board of Directors for a global manufacturing company ITT Corporation. He is among the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) 2013 and 2014 “Directorship 100,” and has been honored as a Purdue University School of Technology Distinguished Alumnus. An active community supporter, he is on the Board of Directors for the Executive Leadership Council, the preeminent membership organization for the development of global black leaders, and for Streetwise Partners, an organization that brings together low-income individuals and volunteer business professionals to develop workplace skills and employment networks. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership and Industrial Technology from Purdue University.

Source: Holland America Line

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Cruise News Daily Headlines for November 20, 2014

* Carnival Corp Again Shuffling Top Brand Execs
Cunard Line said today that well-known industry executive Rick Meadows will become president of Cunard Line-North America, reporting to David Noyes, CEO of Cunard Line.
   Meadows will be responsible for the brand’s North American operations, effective December 1.

* Marketing - But Not to You
Starting next Monday, the World’s Leading Cruise Lines, a/k/a the nine brands of Carnival Corp, are going to begin a major marketing initiative across multiple platforms, but it’s not aimed at you, because you are already a cruiser. They are specifically targeting people who have never cruised.

The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.

Carnival Corporation Releases Sustainability Report, Reduces Rate of CO2 Emissions by 20 Percent

World’s largest cruise company releases 2013 Sustainability Report highlighting key initiatives from company and its nine brands

Company meets goal for 20 percent reduction in rate of CO2 emissions a full year ahead of schedule

Other report highlights include investment in environmental technology, improvements in ship energy efficiency and reduction in shipboard water consumption


MIAMI (November 20, 2014) – Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise company, today released its 2013 Sustainability Report detailing the company’s sustainability efforts, including initiatives which enabled it to meet its corporate goal to reduce its rate of CO2 emissions from shipboard operations by 20 percent – a year ahead of its initial plan. The Sustainability Report was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 ”core” level, and a full copy can be downloaded from Carnival Corporation’s site.

To meet its corporate CO2 sustainability goal, Carnival Corporation and its nine global brands developed energy reduction and conservation initiatives, many of which exceed current laws and regulations. The company’s brands include Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn in the U.S.; AIDA Cruises in Germany; Costa Cruises in Italy; and P&O Cruises (United Kingdom) and P&O Cruises (Australia).

As a part of its air emission reduction initiatives announced in September 2013, Carnival pioneered an industry-first effort to develop ground-breaking exhaust gas cleaning technology, called ECO-EGC™, that removes pollutants from the exhaust gases at any operating condition of a ship – at sea, during maneuvering and in port. Carnival Corporation is currently installing the systems on its fleet with plans for installations on more than 70 percent of its fleet, representing a significant advancement in environmental technology and reduced air emissions.

In addition to this initiative, Carnival and its nine brands implement extensive measures to deliver on the corporate commitment to continue to keep guests and crewmembers safe and comfortable, protect the environment, develop and provide opportunities for its workforce, strengthen its stakeholder relations and enhance the communities in which the company visits and operates. These efforts are detailed in this year’s Sustainability Report – highlights include:

  • Committing to invest more than $400 million to install an industry-first exhaust gas cleaning technology to 70 percent of the fleet
  • Introducing two new ships, Royal Princess and AIDAstella, that are among the most efficient ships at sea today, both from a unit cost and fuel efficiency standpoint
  • Investing up to $700 million into the company’s ships and operations to ensure its ships operate safely and reliably, underscoring that the safety and comfort of guests and crew are the top priority for the company
  • Adopting a Passenger Bill of Rights along with other members of the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) to commit to further inform cruise guests of the industry’s commitment to their comfort and care
  • Donating over $1.5 million to Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in addition to other efforts to support the communities in which the company operates
  • Making progress with its Asian growth strategy, positioning the company to capitalize on the emerging region including doubling its presence in China, successfully launching an inaugural homeport in Japan and opening offices in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore

“At Carnival Corporation we believe that sustainability is about preserving our environment, respecting our employees and communities and returning value to our shareholders,” said Bill Burke, chief maritime officer for Carnival Corporation. “Today’s report details our progress towards both our goal to reduce emissions, and our ongoing commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen. For us, sustainability is a core part of how we conduct business. We continue to make major progress and are committed to maintaining our leadership in sustainability and setting industry standards for corporate citizenship.”

In October, Carnival released the results of its multi-year Fleet Fuel Conservation Program that by the end of 2014 will have saved more than one billion gallons of fuel and reduced fleet carbon emissions by 12 billion kilograms over a seven year period. By that time, the program will also have improved the fleet’s overall fuel efficiency by 24 percent compared to 2007, while saving approximately $2.5 billion in fuel costs, the company’s single biggest expense.

Source: Carnival Corp

Cunard Line Names Richard Meadows President of Cunard Line – North America

Appointment as President of Cunard in North America Expands Current Role as President of Seabourn

Richard Meadows
20 November 2014 – Cunard today announced that Richard Meadows has been appointed President of Cunard Line – North America, assuming operating responsibility for the iconic Cunard brand throughout the North American continent from 1 December 2014. He will report to David Noyes, CEO of Cunard Line. Meadows will retain his role as President of Seabourn, leading all business and global operations for the ultra-luxury cruise line.

“With Rick having worked at so many brands within the Carnival Corporation portfolio, we are eager to leverage his knowledge, experience and skills to advance the Cunard brand in North America,” said Noyes from the Line’s headquarters in Southampton. “His background in leading Seabourn is particularly valuable, as he understands well the nuances of delivering superior service and enriching onboard experiences – the things that directly appeal to Cunard passengers. We are thrilled to have him join our team.”

As President of Cunard – North America and Seabourn, Meadows will give his full attention to these two celebrated luxury brands, focusing in particular on generating brand awareness, growing revenues and yields, advancing exceptional product innovation and providing unmatched guest experiences. Under his leadership, Cunard and Seabourn will continue to create outstanding cruise experiences and lifetime memories for their passengers.

Meadows has held key positions at a number of Carnival Corporation & plc brands over his 29-year career with the group and has held the position of President of Seabourn since 2011. During that time, he also has served as Executive Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Guest Programmes for Holland America Line, where he had global revenue responsibility. With his appointment as President of Cunard – North America, Meadows will gradually step away from Holland America Line to give his complete focus to his new role. “It is an incredible honour for me to help lead and serve Cunard,’” said Meadows. “I am excited about the prospect of working closely with David and the Cunard management team to enhance how we deliver luxury on a grand scale to discerning travellers in this region of the world.”

Source: Cunard Line

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Cruise News Daily Headlines for November 19, 2014

* Done Deal
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd announced today they had completed the acquisition of Prestige Cruise Holdings, giving Norwegian ownership of two additional cruise brands (Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises) for $3.025 billion in cash and stock.

* Itineraries Fit for a King
Holland America Line today announced that Koningsdam will debut in the eastern Mediterranean. Fincantieri will deliver the ship on February 15, 2016 at Marghera, and its Premier Voyage will sail from Civitavecchia (Rome) on February 20.

* Seems Like Billy Joel Has Taken up Residence on Crystal Serenity
Beginning on the current voyage, passengers aboard Crystal Serenity are enjoying a new type of production show, “My Life: The Music of Billy Joel.”

The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.

The Stars of the Show in Two70

Quantum of the Seas is filled with technology, and one of the coolest pieces is in the Two70 Lounge. We're speaking of the robotic screens created for Royal Caribbean by ABB Robotics.

This first video gives you an idea of what they can do and how they perform with the dancers, singers and acrobats.



This video, entitled "Dance in a Box" demonstrates what the screens can do.


Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Cruise News Daily Headlines for November 18, 2014

* Back to Their Roots
This summer, Windstar went back to the South Pacific and Tahiti after a ten-year absence. Now they’ve decided - beginning next summer - to make it a permanent thing and sail there again year round.
   The return to Tahiti is Windstar somewhat returning to its roots. Tahiti was the line’s signature route (under the previous owners), and the return will even be with one of the original sailing yachts, the 148-passenger Wind Spirit, making it all the more romantic.

* Other Things You’ll Want to Know
CND subscribers also read about giving me 5 ... and Virgin Cruises securing a major investment.

The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.

 Mike Schwanke, Marketing Director of TUI Cruises. pushes the button to start the steel cutting
thus starting production of Mein Schiff 5

Monday, November 17, 2014

Cruise News Daily Headlines for November 17, 2014

* Norwegian Epic to Be More Like Other Ships
Norwegian Epic is moving to the Mediterranean full time beginning next spring, and when it gets there a major element of the ship will be changing - the entertainment.

* It’s Back and Bigger than Ever
Fincantieri has returned MSC Armonia to MSC, and as promised, it is 5,000 gross tons larger and 24 meters longer.
   Tonight the ship is sailing from the yard in Palermo to Genoa where it will reenter service on Tuesday with a 10-day Canary Island Cruise.

The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.

"Priscilla Queen of the Desert - The Musical" will open on Norwegian Epic in the fall of 2015

Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without permission.

Video: Quantum of the Seas in New York Harbor

And now for a brief musical interlude:



Just a nice video from Royal Caribbean International to start a Monday. No newsworthy quality at all. Have a good week.