World Cruise Review : All Issues

If you want to build big ships, you have to go where the water is deep.” As the operator of seven of the ten largest cruise ships currently in service, no one sails any deeper than Royal Caribbean International.

It is therefore unsurprising that RCI’s announcement earlier this year of its plan to build two new vessels, a new class dubbed ‘Project Sunshine’, grabbed so many headlines. The largest cruise ships in the development pipeline – they would be the third and fourth biggest at sea were they currently in service – this was a typically grandiose commitment by the most ambitious of operators.

But perhaps as intriguing as the scale of the project is how coy those in the know have been about releasing any details. In an exclusive interview, RCI CEO Adam Goldstein discusses the need for secrecy, how demographical change is driving ship design and why the new-build process lies at the very core of the operator’s DNA.

With five million European cruisers and an economic input of €34bn, the cruise industry has ridden the economic storm with success. Cruise ships offer a comprehensive portfolio of choice, service and value for money, but there are critical issues to be considered if we want to enjoy continued growth.

Top quality port infrastructure is crucial: cruise lines need facilities to accommodate new-generation vessels and manage increasing traffic. Investing in adequate waste recycling facilities is vital, and can affect a destination's potential.

The increased Europe-wide standardisation of regulations is a necessity. Business-friendly legislation that eases administrative burdens is critical for the wide range of policy areas that directly influence our sector.

The challenge is for the industry to pool its best efforts and provide support to partner travel agents by giving them every tool to promote the special benefits that cruises offer as a holiday destination.

Cruise is one of the strongest-performing industries with an ability to adapt and overcome obstacles. However, October sees the introduction of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, which demands that cruise ships must no longer be constructed using combustible materials. With the advent of SOLAS and safe return to port guidelines now in force, we examine how far the new legislation will affect the industry.

One of the biggest challenges has been the problem of effectively addressing crime at sea. Terry Dale, CLIA, and Gary Bald, RCCL, discuss the implications of the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act.

Cunard Line's 170th anniversary will see the arrival of its third ship, the 90,400t Queen Elizabeth. President and CEO Peter Shanks discusses his first year at the helm of the legendary company. MSC Cruises chief executive Pierfrancesco Vago reveals why the cruise industry stands strong in a weak economy.

Following the earthquake in Haiti, Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein explains how the cruise industry can help towards recovery.

Our annual survey shows that while sales are down, passenger numbers are up and the industry continues to grow.

A large proportion of the industry’s future health will be determined by the success of new launches such as the Oasis of the Seas. Wilson Butler’s Scott Wilson discusses the interior design and ground-breaking facilities of the ship that has revitalised the global tourism industry.

Kevin Douglas, vice-president of technical projects, newbuilds, for Royal Caribbean, explains how it is easier to fund the building of new ships than renovate existing ones as surplus cash becomes a thing of the past, while Peter Fetten, SVP of refits of Carnival Corporation, discusses the challenge of refitting ships that meet market expectations and demographic trends.

The last months of 2009 will see the launch of RCI’s 225,000t Oasis of the Seas. The facilities on Oasis of the Seas will top anything that has gone before. Harri Kulovaara, executive vice-president of maritime for Royal Caribbean Cruises, describes the challenges of producing this industry landmark.

Richard Vogel, chief executive of TUI Cruises, tell us about the operator’s first vessel, Mein Schiff, the result of a €50m transformation of Celebrity’s Galaxy. Vogel tells WCIR about TUI Cruises’ plans for the future in the wake of the financial slowdown.

Europe remains a hub of shipbuilding despite the downturn. When Costa’s Luminosa entered service earlier this year, it was the latest example of the cruise line’s envious production rate, but as Fincantieri chief designer Maurizio Cergol tells us, it represented the challenge of meeting innovation with practical requirements.

In an exclusive series of features, ‘Gear up for change’, we talk to industry leaders including Pierfrancesco Vago, Terry Dale and Daniel J Hanrahan to discuss how the cruise industry can navigate the unpredictable times ahead. We also ask if the sector is as recession-resilient as it says it is in a panel debate with David Dingle and Carol Marlow.

There are no less than 14 CLIA ships to be delivered this year, including the 220,000- tonne Oasis of the Seas. At the opposite end of the scale, Seabourn Odyssey will launch, carrying 450 passengers. We talk to designer Petter Yran of Yran & Storbraaten to find out why it will be one of the most luxurious cruise ships ever to set sail.

New ports and destinations and a raft of innovative onboard experiences keep the passengers coming. MSC Cruises is sailing to Canada and New England for the first time in 2010 aboard the MSC Magnifica, which debuts that year.

With cruise lines facing the global economic downturn, we talk to industry leaders including Terry Dale, president and CEO of CLIA, and Howard Frank, vice-chairman and chief operating officer of Carnival Corporation, to ask how they are weathering the storm. David Dingle, CEO of Carnival UK and chairman of the European Cruise Council tells us why so many operators are turning to Europe for a safe harbour in these turbulent times.

With the Seabourn Odyssey under construction, we talk to Pam Conover, president and CEO of Yachts of Seabourn, who tells us why there will always be a market for luxury cruising. We also talk to Jan Akerblad about his work designing Royal Caribbean’s MS Oasis of the Seas, set to be the world's largest passenger vessel.

More ships at sea mean a bigger impact on the environment. We chair a debate between cruise operators and environmentalists who discuss how they can work together to build a greener industry.

Our World Cruise Industry Review annual survey examines the state of the market and gives a rundown of how 2006-07 really was.

2007 was a good year for Cunard, launching the Queen Victoria and ordering sister ship Queen Elizabeth. President and managing director Carol Marlow talks to us about the future of luxury cruising. In a special report we examine the Queen Victoria project with Fincantieri's Pierluigi Punter.

In light of incidents such as the sinking of the m/s Explorer in the Antarctic in November 2007, we look at how evacuation procedures on ships can be improved and talk to Richard Pruitt, director of environmental and public health programmes at RCCL and John Creighton, commission president at the Port of Seattle.

President and CEO of Holland America Line Stein Kruse talks about the company's plans to accept ms Eurodam this June.

With the advent of Genesis building bigger has never been more popular. In this issue of World Cruise Industry Review we ask whether building big is the best way forward for the cruise industry. Bob Dickinson, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise lines, explains the concept behind the company’s ambitious ship overhaul and makeover programme, while Kai Levander from Aker Yards explains how ship designers can create impressive interiors.

The need for eco-friendly maritime operations is paramount today. Holland America Line’s Pieter Rijkaart explains how onboard technologies can help the cruise industry protect the natural environment while the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators’ Denise Landau advises cruise lines on how they can minimise their environmental impact on fragile ecosystems.

The increasing interest in the cruise industry is the high point of this issue of World Cruise Industry Review. Munir Samji looks at the popularity of smaller, luxury cruises, while Russell Mittermeier considers the impact cruise ships have on their surrounding environments, and what can be done to protect fragile ecosystems.

Elsewhere, Brett Bullock looks at the options for intellectual fulfilment for cruise passengers. High cuisine is a priority for many ships, and Steve Kirsch outlines Holland America Line’s new culinary arts programme.

Crystal Cruises' President Gregg L Michel talks to Huw Kidwell about his successes with the cruise line and what he hopes to achieve in the future. Richard Vie.from says Carnival Cruise Lines explains why constant re-evaluation of design must go hand-inhand with efficient and timely delivery and Dr Reinhard Lüken, Secretary General of CESA, gives insight into why European yards are benefiting from the growth in popularity of cruise holidays.

Elsewhere, Patricia Davis, Port of Seattle, and Niklass Oscarsson, Port of Stockholm, talk to Lee Adamson about how cruise lines and ports are combining efforts to reduce sulphur emissions.

Peter Fetten, Vice President of Fleet Design and Newbuilding for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, talks about the ground-breaking renovation of Enchantment of the Seas and Bill Morani at Holland America Line shows that although the shipping industry may not be widely regarded for its environmental concern, great efforts have been made to make the green agenda part of the business.

John Krousouloudis, Vice President of Marine Operations for Celebrity Cruises, gives insight into the scale and variety his role entails in maintaining the well-being of his passengers, ship and crew. And WCR speaks to Joe Farcus, the interior ship Architect for Carnival Cruise Lines, who has designed all the interiors of Carnival’s vessels for almost three decades.

World Cruise Industry Review talks to Carl-Gustaf Rotkirch of Aker Finnyards, the man responsible for introducing the life-cycle concept to the sector, about this new trend in the cruise shipbuilding industry.

NCL has been taken on board by Star Cruises, the third-largest cruise line company in the world, so we asks Trond Sorensen, Vice President, Technical Newbuilding, about the challenges ahead.

Regarding the forthcoming sulphur emission legislation, how can low sulphur fuel oil be exploited for the benefit of customers operating in restricted areas? From technology to training, detail is the difference-maker, explains Christian Sauleau, Executive Vice President of Operations, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises.

From newbuild to rebuild, cruise ship rebuilding and revitalisation contracts are a growing trend and we show how they could be a vital source of income for European shipyards and Jonathan Turvey, Manager, Auditing and Coordination for Holland America talks about future challenges that will increase the need for the cruise industry to develop a more collaborative approach to problem solving.

Regarding new technologies, we look at GSM at sea which allows cruise passengers to use their mobile phones during cruises, giving the cruise operator a major competitive edge. World Cruise Industry Review also talks to Charles Towsley, Chairman AAPA cruise committee, about how these expectations remain undimmed.