p20 Cruise Dec4 1/12/09 15:01 Page 20
Cruise
Chris Gray
020 7921 8003
cgray@ttglive.com
For the latest cruise news, visit ttglive.com/cruise
Silversea plans
Oasis chiefs stress
a worldly 2011
SILVERSEA Cruises’ new ship Silver Spirit
its global appeal
will run a 119-day voyage from Los Angeles to
Southampton as part of its 2011 schedule.
Sara Macefield.
people are interested in where the ship takes
The 540-passenger vessel will take in French ROYAL Caribbean International president and them. In our view, it’s the mix of days at sea and
Polynesia, Australia, Asia, Egypt, Italy, Monaco, chief executive Adam Goldstein is expecting up days in port that make it the best experience.”
Spain and Portugal. The trip is part of the line’s to half the customers for the line’s new ship, Goldstein was speaking at last week’s launch
2011 schedule, which includes 170 itineraries, Oasis of the Seas, to come from outside the US. of Oasis to the international travel trade and
visiting 335 ports in more than 100 countries. Based on the line’s experience with its other media on a three-night cruise off the Florida
Thirteen cruises, including three around the Florida-based vessels, Goldstein predicted coast.
British Isles, will depart or arrive at a UK port. that international markets would account for The event brought the ship to the attention of
The 2011 programme features seven new between 25% and 50% of passengers, with the the world, but Goldstein felt that with only 4,300
destinations: Brindisi, Italy; San Sebastian on UK leading the way as RCI’s largest market passengers onboard, compared with the 6,000
La Gomera; Ballycastle, Northern Ireland; St outside the US and Canada. he expects on regular sailings, there were not
Helier in Jersey; Matarani in Peru; Cooktown in He declined to estimate how big the British enough people to bring life to all the facilities.
Queensland; and South Australia’s Port Lincoln. market could be, though the line’s UK boss, “There are not enough people on this ship,”
A free flight and transfer initiative has been Robin Shaw, thought it might be as much as 10%. he said. “I walked into the Comedy Live club and
expanded and is now available from seven UK Goldstein also ruled out any chance of building the Viking Crown Lounge and there was hardly
airports including Heathrow and Glasgow. on Oasis’s appeal as a huge floating resort to anyone there.
Chief operating officer Ken Watson said: “It’s introduce “cruises to nowhere”, with the ship as “There are not enough people onboard to
always our goal to provide unique and enriching the main draw. fully inhabit the product. It needs 6,000 people
travel experiences at the best possible value. “We have never considered and are not consid- to do that.”
“Our 2011 schedule and pricing has been care- ering a seven-night cruise to nowhere,” he said.
fully designed to offer a broad range of travel “Research continues to be very clear that ■ Oasis of the Seas trade launch, p22
choices and to reward guests who book earlier.”
Hurtigruten offers
Arctic eco cruise
NICHE line Hurtigruten is promoting a “Climate
Pilgrimage” voyage for clients wanting to learn
more about climate change.
The 11-day voyage travels from northern
Norway to Spitsbergen.
Hurtigruten said the aim was to create ambas-
sadors for Arctic Norway and the wildlife threat-
ened by global warming. The sailing departs on
May 29 next year and is priced from £2,960.
Guests onboard the MS Fram will have the
chance to visit research stations, track wildlife,
participate in field studies and meet some of the
field’s top research scientists.
Hurtigruten sales and marketing director
Kathryn Beadle said: “We have worked hard to BEAR ALASKA IN MIND: Princess Cruises’ head of brand marketing, Pieter van der
educate the travel trade that our product is Schee and a brown bear meet Iglu agents Keren Bleich and Rebecca Hendry. They were
unlike other traditional cruise products and at Iglu’s call centre to promote the line’s new coffee-table booklet to help agents sell
this new voyage further demonstrates this by Alaska. Princess’s 2010 summer programme features a 12-night itinerary combining a
offering something out of the ordinary.” Grandeur of the Glaciers cruise from Vancouver to Whittier with a five-night land tour.
20 04.12.2009
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