Tour-Smart Limited

Malta - Tui Cruises’ Mein Schiff 2, which takes 1,900 passengers and does Malta to Malta cruises is being replaced with a brand new ship – the Mein Schiff 3, that will take 2,500 passengers. The 295 metres long liner will, like its predecessor, use Malta as its home port. It commences cruising in June 2014.

Among other amenities, the Mein Schiff 3 has 11 restaurants, 12 bars and a 25-metre outdoor pool.

Malta's Tourism Minister Karmenu Vella told a news conference this afternoon that Tui Cruises was getting 2,000 Germans to Malta by air each week. They would then go the company’s cruises.

The sector, he said, was evolving and Malta was becoming more of a home port. Mediterranean cruises, he said, had suffered last year because of the economy and fuel prices and it was positive that Malta was associated with such an excellent cruise company name.

He noted that Tui Cruises were using Malta as a home port for the fourth year when companies usually relocated every three years.

Germany, he said, was Malta’s number one trading partner when it comes to cruises and a total of 7,000 Maltese passengers took cruises on the Mein Schiff in the past four years.

German Ambassador Klaus-Peter Brandes said that from 609,000 cruise passengers who came to Malta in 2002, 158,000 were German.

He looked forward to more German cruise tourists this year saying cruise passengers were ambassadors of the countries they visited.


Update August 2013

On August 14, Pam Allen and her husband John were greeted at the Cruise Port on their way to board Fred Olsen's 929-guest ship, 'Braemar', for a nine-night around the UK and Ireland ‘Celtic Experience’ cruise. Representatives from Fred Olsen and Dover Cruise Port celebrated the significant milestone by presenting Mr and Mrs Allen, from Wolverhampton, with a bottle of Champagne, a framed photograph of the 'Braemar' and a print of the Port of Dover, along with a commemorative Fred Olsen book.

Braemar’s Master, Captain Mikael Degerlund with the lucky couple

Clare Newman, Manager of Business Delivery at the Dover Cruise Port, said: "We are delighted to celebrate Fred Olsen Cruise Lines' 1.5 millionth embarking customer and extend our congratulations to Mrs Allen. Fred Olsen's first call to Dover Cruise Terminal 1 was with the 'Black Prince' on 18th January 1996, and the combined total of embarking, disembarking and transit guests for Fred Olsen is just over 1.9 million, which is a tremendous achievement."

From 2010 until the end of 2014 Fred Olsen will have completed a total of 140 turnaround calls at the Port of Dover.

Rachael Jackson, Public Relations Manager for Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “We have a very successful partnership with Dover Cruise Port. The Cruise Terminal offers our guests excellent facilities, with fast and efficient check-in desks, and a spacious departure area, with plenty of seating.

“We are committed to providing our guests with convenient regional departures and Dover is a very popular choice for Southern sailings; we are sure that this will continue to be the case for many years to come."

For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit their website at www.fredolsencruises.com .To find out more about the Port of Dover, visit www.doverport.co.uk

Editor's Note:

Having work for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines for a number of years and been Duty Manager at both of the Dover Cruise Terminals on many occasions I always found the Port Of Dover staff were a pleasure to work with. Many congratulations to my friends at FOCL and PoD. Keep up the good work.
 

This report from Terry Hutson's Ports & Ships (to read what this excellent shipping newspaper as to offer please click on  http://www.ports.co.za ) highlights what appears to be involvement with a substantial proposal in Belize. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) announced last week that it has purchased approximately 75 acres in Southern Belize for the planned development of an eco-friendly cruise destination.

The land, called Harvest Caye, is made up of two adjoining islands in the Stann Creek and Toledo districts that had previously been approved for a resort development with an air strip. Norwegian plans to invest US$50 million in the project.

“As our fleet continues to grow to 15 ships by 2017, we expect that we will double the number of guests sailing on our Western Caribbean itineraries and, once this new destination is complete, bring four times as many guests to Belize than we do today,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s president and CEO.

“In our quest to continuously look for new and exciting destinations for our guests, we plan to develop a cruise destination focused on sustainable design and eco-friendly principles that will retain the natural beauty and local culture of this tropical paradise.”

NCL has retained IDEA Inc of Orlando, Florida to design the destination and bring the project to fruition. IDEA is an industry leading designer of branded ports of call and branded destinations for the hospitality, entertainment and tourism industries. IDEA has worked with private developers, government ministries, and independent agencies to create branded destinations in Alaska; Florida; St. Lucia; St. Maarten; Mexico; St. Kitts; Honduras; Bahamas; and Jamaica.

“This project will set a new standard in the development of an eco-friendly destination. Rather than an imposed plan, we are focused on a design approach that is determined by the local environment to ensure that the unique surroundings and features of the area will be protected and showcased for all to enjoy,” said Hugh Darley, president of IDEA, Inc.

While the master plan for the 75 acres is still under development, the vision is to create a world-class cruise destination, consisting of two locations: an island destination with docking/tendering facilities and a mainland connection point for inland tours. Major components of the project are anticipated to include a floating pier, island village with open-air structures on raised platforms, marina, transportation hub for tours to the mainland, a lagoon for a variety of water sports and a relaxing beach area. The goal is to design an authentic experience grounded in the storyline of nature, ancient culture, art, adventure and music that celebrates Belizean, Mayan and Garifuna history and culture.

This could dovetail quite nicely with plans to operate a direct charter flight from Charleroi in Belgium to Belize. More news about this as and when it happens.
 

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Clare Newman and Captain Lis Lauritzen exchanging plaques on-board
RCI Vision of the Seas

Dover Cruise Port has welcomed Royal Caribbean International’s (RCI) Vision of the Seas on its inaugural call to the UK’s second busiest cruise port.

The aptly named ship is a perfect match for such an iconic destination as Dover. The 2,000+ passenger luxury liner, originally constructed in 1998, was designed to have an amazing amount of glass walls in its public areas to bring the views of the outside in.

Tim Waggott, Chief Executive, Port of Dover, said: “What better reason for designing a ship than to have the full vision of the famous White Cliffs of Dover greeting you as you sail into one of the world’s most historic ports.”

Once in port, the Master of RCI Vision of the Seas, Captain Lis Lauritzen was greeted by Clare Newman, Manager of Business Delivery, Port of Dover, during a ceremony to mark the ship’s first visit to the Port. The 78,491 tonne liner  continued on to Copenhagen after leaving Dover’s Cruise Terminal 2.

Mr Waggott added: “The Port of Dover is committed to providing the best facilities and services in the world to match what we consider to be the best view in the world for cruise customers visiting the UK. It is a gateway to many wonderful local attractions, which we promote through our award-winning destination partnership with Visit Kent.”

Port of Dover Chief Executive, Tim Waggott, has opened an exciting new exhibition by bronze sculptor John Toomey at the Port’s historic Clock Tower on Dover seafront.

The exhibition was opened on Friday 19th July at 4pm

As part of a new Port of Dover arts and culture initiative (Port-rait), the exhibition is entitled “Take the Time from the Dockyard Clock” and features eight bronze sculptures that encapsulate moments in history, including a seafarer from the Nelson period, a sculpture entitled “The Somme”, a blacksmith’s wife and daughter and John’s flagship exhibit of a life sized bronze man from the period 1750-1800.

Mr Waggott said: “John Toomey’s exhibition is of the utmost quality and you get an amazing sense of both the period and the emotions of the people depicted by each of the sculptures. The Port is proud to be working with him in creating this cultural and artistic offering, which sets the benchmark for what we want to achieve in the future by using our historic assets for the benefit of the community.”

The exhibition will be open each day up to and including the Port of Dover Community Regatta, for which it will form a cultural centrepiece.

Mr Toomey said: “I am delighted to be working with the Port of Dover on this exhibition, which I hope will interest and stimulate those who come to see it. The venue is perfect and it is great to see the Port collaborating on a cultural and community project such as this.

John has also offered to attend at other times for individual or group discussions with students who perhaps wish to take fine arts degrees or members of the public who wish to have further information on his work.
Mr Waggott added: “Our aim is to unite the Port and community through a common heritage whilst nurturing a shared cultural expression of Dover through the Arts.”

Opening times are 10am to 3pm and for the whole duration of the Regatta

Photos are of the exhibition at the Port of Dover’s Clock Tower on Dover seafront and of the opening ceremony conducted by Port of Dover Chief Executive Tim Waggott. The exhibition was opened on Friday 19th July at 4pm

Artist John Toomey worked on board Dover ferries in the 1960s and also 
used to own the Blakes of Dover restaurant in Castle Street. John carries out his work in a studio next to Cullins Yard in Dover.

The Clock Tower and former lifeboat house is a Grade II listed building due to its unusual and distinctive design. Built by the RNLI between 1876 and 1877, it was designed by George Devey who, amongst other things, did a lot of work in country houses and estates, particularly for the Rothschild family.

Update June 2013

The ceremony took place on Friday 21st June providing a brief respite from a busy schedule for the vessel as it set sail on a Northern European tour. The ship embarked on a 12-day Baltic Sea Cruise taking in Copenhagen, Warnemünde for Berlin, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, and Zeebrugge for Bruges before ending its journey back at its home port - Dover.

The Carnival Legend will be visiting Dover a further eight times this year and joins 147 other cruise calls for 2013. The 85,500 tonne ship was built in 2002, carries 2,100 passengers and nearly 1,000 crew.

Kate O’Hara commented, “Dover Cruise Port’s commitment is to be the best cruise destination in the world for first-class service and facilities. We continue to support our community through encouraging the cruise tourism business in Kent and we warmly welcome Carnival Legend’s staff and passengers to the diverse range of activities and attractions that the region has to offer.”

Guarantee yourself some sunshine this summer and experience the best of the Mediterranean with Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic.

Join Voyages of Discovery on the 15-day Mediterranean Medley cruise and take in the charms of picturesque French Riviera and enjoy a scenic drive along the Lower Corniche, 120 kilometres of coastal road. Visit Pisa and its famous leaning tower before taking a trip to see famous volcano Mount Etna in Sicily. Prices start from £1,399 per person (Saver Fare, based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

The Mediterranean Medley cruise departs from Marseille (France) and calls at Nice (France), Livorno (Italy), Civitavecchia – Rome (Italy), Castellammare di Stabia (Italy), Messina (Italy), Brindisi (Italy), Ancona (Italy), Venice (Italy), Sibenik (Croatia), Hvar (Croatia), Dubrovnik (Croatia) – overnight. Price is based on 12 September 2013 UK departure.

Alternatively join Swan Hellenic’s 14-day Aegean Odyssey cruise where guests can explore Ephesus one of the best preserved ancient cities in the East Mediterranean, before marvelling at Hadrian’s Temple and the Library of Celsus. A highlight of this cruise is sailing into Santorini’s steep caldera and exploring the cliff top, white washed towns of Thira and Oia. Prices start from £1,795 per person (Saver Fare, based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

The Aegean Odyssey cruise departs from Istanbul (Turkey) – overnight and calls at Kusadasi (Turkey), Kas (Turkey), Antalya (Turkey), Gythion (Greece), Santorini (Greece), Nisyros (Greece), Nauplion (Greece) – overnight, Paros (Greece) and Piraeus (Greece). Price is based on 10 October 2013 UK departure.

Price for both cruises include return flights to/from the UK (for fly cruises), all relevant overseas transfers, meals and entertainment and the Guest Speaker programme on board the ship. Cabin numbers will not be allocated at the time of booking.

For more information and to book these cruises please click on the following links.

For Swan Hellenic - www.swanhellenic.com 

For Voyages of Discovery - www.voyagesofdiscovery.com
 

Patrick brings a wealth of cruise industry experience to All Leisure Holidays. He has worked in key leadership roles for Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and most recently for Island Cruises. During his four years as Managing Director at Island Cruises, Patrick significantly increased profitability. Patrick has strong operational, planning and crisis management experience and his appointment forms part of the Company’s long-term strategy to build a highly skilled and professional team to take the Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic brands forward to the next level.

Ryan will report directly into Ian Smith, Group Chief Executive of the All Leisure Group Plc. Ian Smith commenting on Ryan’s appointment said “We are pleased to appoint Patrick to this new role, given his deep knowledge of the cruise industry and we are confident that he will drive the continued growth of the two cruise brands within his portfolio”.

In this new role Patrick will assume overall responsibility for the Swan Hellenic and the Voyages of Discovery Product, Planning and Shore Excursion teams. He is also the Director to whom the Masters of Minerva and Voyager will report. 

 

CareVacations / Cruise Ship Assist is a family owned company based in Leduc, Canada, with agents in most of the major cruise ports of the world and working with all the major cruise lines, are the leading providers of mobility equipment for cruising clients who have a disability, be it short term or long.

CareVacations provides a variety of equipment, including standard wheelchairs, scooters, power chairs and hospital beds and hoists.

In Europe the Company is represented by CareVacations & Commerce UK, who provide a complete service, delivering your hired and fully maintained equipment to your cabin on the day of embarkation and collecting it after you disembark.

CareVacations also offer mobility equipment for your pre/post hotel stays in London. Bookings are done over the phone or via email, clients only deal with one person in the UK.

CareVacations / Cruise Ship Assist have been offering clients in North America this service for at least 25 years. All the main USA and Canadian cruise ports are serviced, as well as the Caribbean.

Cruising is an ideal holiday for anyone who wants to leave the stress and strain of travel behind and just enjoy themselves, whether you have a disability or not!

For more information about the UK representation and the Canadian owned company, visit these websites:-

www.carevacations.co.uk

www.carevacations.com

Contact details in UK:-
Krystyna Stafford – Mobile 07821 614803
Email:- [email protected]