Foyle Port in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, is to welcome six inaugural cruise calls and nine different cruise brands in 2024, which is also its170th anniversary.  Between May and September, the port is expected to host nine different cruise lines, with first time visits from six ships, including Villa Vie Residences’ Villa Vie Odyssey . The vessel will visit as part of its three-and-a-half-year world cruise, which will depart from Belfast in Northern Ireland on 30 May.   The port will also welcome back at least six ships, including Hebridean Island Cruises’ Hebridean Prin ..read more

Virgin Voyages' fourth vessel, Brilliant Lady, will debut in September 2025 and spend its inaugural season sailing itineraries of up to 14 nights across North America. The ship will make port calls in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Alaska, and sail a voyage through the Panama Canal.  “Virgin Voyages started as a simple idea for me and has blossomed into the world’s top cruise line with a full fleet of ships,” said Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group. “This ship is going to be brilliant in every possible way, and that includes the incredible new places we can travel to. Alaska ..read more

The ferry sector has faced a multitude of complex challenges in recent years, from the pandemic to global pressures on revenue and ever-changing security risks.   “The slow volume recovery continues but shipping companies still need to manage risks through alternative revenue streams such as chartering,” says Paavo Nõgene, CEO of Tallink Grupp. “Meanwhile, the global geopolitical and security situation impacts both cargo and passenger transport, fuel prices are still high, and the logistics chains for ship fuels have changed significantly, resulting in higher fuel transport costs. Al ..read more

Expeditions cruise line HX has published its latest Environmental, Social and Governance report, revealing the progress of its sustainability initiatives. According to the report, HX reduced Scope 1 emissions per available guests night by 18 per cent between 2022 and 2023, despite its ships travelling 10 per cent further. This was accompanied by a 51 per cent reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions and a 47 per cent cut to sulphur oxide emissions. The cruise line invested in hybrid technology and energy optimisation strategies throughout 2023, implementing optimised sail routes, reduced sailing ..read more

Keeping passengers entertained is a top priority for cruise operators, according to Scott Lundmark, president of Adventure Golf & Sports (AGS). The firm is well positioned to help cruise brands achieve these goals by designing and installing a variety of facilities, including mini golf courses, golf hitting bays, shuffleboard and courts for pickleball, croquet, bean bag toss and other activities onboard their vessels.  “AGS takes a thoughtful and holistic approach to the design of all its products,” says Lundmark. “We are careful to consider passenger demographics, the size and locati ..read more

Work has begun to refurbish Villa Vie Residences’ vessel Villa Vie Odyssey in Belfast, Northern Ireland, ahead of its three-and-a-half-year world cruise.  The 929-passenger ship, which was formerly operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines as Braemar, will undergo a number of operational enhancements. The cruise line took delivery of the ship in March 2024 .  The dry dock refurbishment of Villa Vie Odyssey is scheduled to be complete on 21 May The refurbishment project is being carried out by shipbuilder Harland & Wolff and is scheduled to be completed by 21 May. The departure date fo ..read more

Carnival Corporation has completed a fleetwide roll out of Lloyd’s Register OneOcean’s EnviroManager+ software.   Jointly developed by Carnival Corporation and LR OneOcean, the system will streamline passage planning with digital planning tools that include automatic route generation, as well as supporting voyage compliance with all relevant international, regional, national, and local environmental regulations.   The system was developed during a five-year collaboration that involved senior maritime officials, shipboard crew members, company and industry environmental expe ..read more

Cruise Ship Interiors (CSI) Design Expo Americas will focus on the use of artificial intelligence in the cruise ship interior design process and other industry challenges and opportunities when it takes place in Miami, Florida, in June.  The event, which will attract some of the biggest names in cruise ship and hospitality interior design, will discuss future trends, AI tools and the guest experience in a specially curated programme of talks, Q&A sessions, conferences, and networking events.   Sessions taking place at this year’s conference will include ‘AI tools in the creative ..read more

Ship management company Anglo-Eastern completed the acquisition of Cruise Management International (CMI) and CMI Leisure Management (CMILM) in March 2023, rebranding the two arms of the business as Anglo-Eastern Cruise Management and Anglo-Eastern Leisure Management. The move marked Anglo-Eastern’s first foray into the travel and tourism sector after almost five decades of managing merchant vessels, and signalled a new beginning for the employees of CMI.   One of the people at the heart of the transition is Dietmar Wertanzl, president and CEO of CMILM, who has continued in the same p ..read more

Hong Kong expects to receive calls from 28 cruise brands in 2024, marking a 55 per cent increase from the number that visited in 2023. According to Kenneth Wong, general manager of MICE and cruise at Hong Kong Tourism Board, this growth is a good sign that Asia’s cruise market is rebounding after the pandemic. “We see a clear need for all our region’s ports to come together and say: ‘Asia is back’,” he says. Cruising is growing again in the USA, Caribbean, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, so now the time is right for the industry to focus on Asia again and give global passengers a full s ..read more