Niche and Luxury Ships Eye Angola

Photo:  Port of Luando, Angola Wikipedia

Having prospered from an oil boom, the Republic of Angola is starting to catch the eye of smaller cruise lines and luxury operators.

A former Portuguese colony, the country achieved independence in 1975 and has seen a massive growth pace since the 1990s, coupled with the discovery of natural resources and the conclusion of a civil war.

Thus, this coming season, 10 ships are booked, including the Silver Explorer, Quest for Adventure, Astor, Hanseatic and Albatros, according to Jose Cabral of Travelgest, a travel agency and tour operator that services cruise ships in the country.

Next season will see the trend continue, with calls continuing from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Phoenix Reisen and Silversea, and also adding the bigger Crystal Serenity.

Continue reading:  cruiseindustrynews.com

The ‘Triple A’- Atlantic Alliance Award 2013 goes to PHOENIX Reisen GmbH

Picture: f.l.t.r.: Veit Huerdler (Bremerhaven),
Oliver P.Mueller (KOEHLERS GUIDE),
Schule (Cruise Director PHOENIX),
Captain Flohr.

ATLANTIC ALLIANCE - diversified in culture, united by the sea!
Submitted by Atlantic alliance on Thu, 2012-12-20 00:00 - Press Release

The arrival of the AMADEA in Hamburg on 20 December, heralding the start of a 144-day world cruise for the vessel, also provided the venue for this year’s presentation ceremony of the ‘Triple A Awards’ which was held on board the ship.

ATLANTIC ALLIANCE is a marketing project set up by 15 ports along Europe’s Atlantic coast between Hamburg and Lisbon, initiated in 2008. The project shows to cruise companies that there is in Europe also another attractive alternative beside the Mediterranean and Baltic.

Hamburg, 20 December 2012. The 2012 cruising season was again a record year for the member ports of the Atlantic Alliance. A total passenger volume of 2.2 million throughout the 15 ports equated to a 10 percent increase compared to the previous year (2011: 2 million passengers). At the same time, the number of port calls rose from 1,120 in 2011 to 1,215 in 2012, an increase of 8.5 percent. More than 50 cruise companies position their ships along the west coast of Europe, including at the English ports of Portland and Dover.

Also extremely positive is the outlook for the future, which again promises further growth for the 2013 season. The general conditions are excellent: high potential source markets, such as Germany, the UK, France and Holland are located on the according coasts. This combined with the trend towards “home-to-home” cruises favours the development of additional cruises within the region. The Atlantic Alliance region also offers short cruise distances between one port and the next, a fact, which meets the interest of cruise lines, because this helps to create fuel saving itineraries. Not least the multifaceted character and diversity of the destinations offer a versatile portfolio of cruise content for the cruise companies - one example being the Christmas cruises. The Atlantic region along Europe’s west coast is rapidly developing from what was purely a summer destination into an all-year-round one. Ultimately, in comparison to the Mediterranean ports, the west coast also offers an extremely interesting travel itinerary throughout the colder time of year.

So now it’s time to pay special homage to the cruise companies that have made a particularly significant contribution to this cruise region and for whom the ports have a particular empathy. The ‘Triple A’ Award this year goes to:

PHOENIX Reisen GmbH Bonn.

As such, this year the award goes to a cruise company that has called at the most Atlantic Alliance ports in the past twelve months; in fact, 11 of the 15 ports, thereby demonstrating extremely broad variety.

Mr Veit Hürdler of Atlantic Alliance member Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven and on behalf of all 15 member ports and Mr Oliver P. Mueller, publisher of the German cruising guide, KOEHLERS GUIDE KREUZFAHRT, presented the award to Michael Schulze, cruise director at this year’s winner PHOENIX Reisen GmbH.

Schulze commented that “PHOENIX is well-known for the high individual and personal cruise style with special and diversified itineraries compared to the normal mainstream. With this range of destinations, we like to surprise our guest every single time. As a German operator we are especially motivated in showing our guests the region along the Atlantic west coast, Hence, it is a great pleasure today to receive the Triple A-Award by the ports of the Atlantic Alliance.

"PHOENIX will also be a frequent guest in 2013. With routine calls, for example, along the North German coast, to the UK and around western Europe, including the cruises ‘Vive la France’ to Cherbourg and ‘World capitals - from Lisbon to London’, all those at Atlantic Alliance look forward to welcoming the PHOENIX Reisen GmbH ships to our ports”, stated Hürdler.

This is the second time the award has been presented, having been awarded last year to the Fred.Olsen Cruise Line (2011 winner) by the ATLANTIC ALLIANCE in cooperation with KOEHLERS GUIDE KREUZFAHRT.

Source:   atlanticalliance.eu

Phoenix Reisen

It's Merry Christmas Cruising in Hamburg

A panoramic view of the Hamburg Skyline of the Binnenalster taken from Lombardsbrücke. Wikpeida

It’s ‘Merry Christmas Cruising’ in Hamburg This year will again see the visit of cruise ships over the Christmas period officially bring the 2012 Hamburg cruising season to an end. The line-up will include a maiden call by the P&O Cruises ship ‘Oriana’ on 12 December and a visit from Cunard’s ‘Queen Victoria’ on 18 December. A total of around 10,000 expected passengers can look forward to a variety of thematic Christmas markets in wintry Hamburg.

Hamburg. Before the 2013 cruising season officially gets underway with a visit by Cunard Line’s ‘Queen Victoria’ on 7 January, throughout the upcoming Christmas period Hamburg Cruise Center will welcome a total of 5 cruise ships scheduled to call at the Hanseatic city seven times between 30 November and 20 December.

This will be the fifth time in a row that the Hamburg cruising season will run into December. Registering just one single month (February) without any ships calling for the very first time, the rapid development to an all-year-round destination is clearly evident. Whereas in the past the cruising season for northern European ports only included the summer months to the total neglect of the cold time of year, it is the winter months in particular that have now developed into an independent ‘Christmas market cruising season’ for the industry. “Through the targeted marketing of theme cruises, perception has been sustainably altered. What was originally called off-season in the early days is now an independent product,” declared Nadine Palatz, marketing manager at Hamburg Cruise Center and manager of the Atlantic Alliance.

The Atlantic Alliance, an association of 15 ports between Hamburg and Lisbon, has been marketing cruise destinations along Europe’s Atlantic coast since 2008. This has included the creation of special theme cruises, for example, ‘Bright Lights - Christmas Markets in Europe’; see Atlanticalliance.eu for more information.

The Phoenix Reisen cruise ship 'Amadea' will open Hamburg’s ‘Christmas market cruising season’ on 30 November, when the vessel heads out on a 14-day Scandinavian cruise under the motto ‘Christmas markets and winter magic’, before returning to the Hanseatic city on the 14 December. Subsequently, the ship will then embark on a short ‘Nordic Christmas markets’ cruise from/to Hamburg before then setting sail from Hamburg to South America on 20 December.

7 December will again see the return of the Saga Cruises ship ‘Saga Ruby’ to Hamburg. Within the scope of its ‘Advent cruises’, the cruise ship will call for a full day at the Hanseatic city before moving on to Copenhagen via Kiel.

On 12 December, the Hamburg Cruise Center Altona will ceremoniously welcome the P&O Cruises ship ‘Oriana’ (1,828 passengers). Underway from Copenhagen/Oslo to Southampton, the ship will dock at Hamburg for the first time in the course of its ‘Christmas spirit’ theme cruise.

The early hours of 18 December will then see the Cunard Line’s ‘Queen Victoria’ entering the Port of Hamburg, shortly followed on the same evening by the ‘Balmoral, which is operated by the Fred. Olsen Cruise Line. The ‘Balmoral’ is on the ‘German Christmas markets’ tour between Copenhagen and Bremerhaven. Hamburg has a lot to offer within the scope of these Christmas cruises.

For the mostly British passengers who wish to swop tea-time for mulled wine and Spekulatius almond cookies, there are numerous thematic Christmas markets. The latest flyers from Hamburg Tourismus GmbH provide information on all of these markets. Cruise passengers will be handed an English version of the flyers at Hamburg Cruise Center’s Infopoint inside the terminal, where they will be met by a memorable and festive atmosphere with singing Santas and decorations. Detailed information on berths is available at www.hamburgcruisecenter.de

“Mad about the Sea” - German Tv Show

Starting in October, German television network ADR will launch the third season of Verrückt nach Meer(Mad about the Sea or Mad about More), with another 30 episodes, starring Phoenix Reisen’s Albatros.

"We are proud that our Albatross is so popular as an actress," said Benjamin Krumpen, CEO of Bonn-based Phoenix Reisen.

Read more about this show at:  cruiseindustrynews.com

Albatros Returns as German TV Movie Star

Cruise Industry reports . . .

"Phoenix Reisen’s Albatros continues her role as a movie star on The First (Das Erste) German TV-network ARD, said Schulze. Starting its third season in October is the Verrückt Nach Meer show (with a double meaning: Crazy For More or Crazy for the Sea). Schulze described it as a combined reality show and documentary. Stories are built around Captain Morten Hansen and his crew, the ship and the passengers.

Phoenix Reisen is also gearing up for its 40th anniversary in November 2013. Meanwhile, the German operator has an interesting and varied year underway, offering among others 36 summer cruises from German drive-to-ports in 2012. Cruises range from two to 26-days without repeating itineraries, according to Michael Schulze, director of cruise.

Among the brochure highlights, the Artania will sail two two-night so-called “party cruises” and a 21-day cruise to Greenland. The Amadea will sail two winter cruises in December, a 14-day voyage to the North Cape for the northern lights and a six-day cruise to Scandinavian Christmas markets. The Albatros is also offering an extra four-day Mediterranean cruise in December.

During the fall the Artania is sailing an “Indian summer” cruise to Canada and New York, and the Amadea goes to the Amazon and the Orinoco rivers combined with the Caribbean.

Come next winter, the Amadea and Artania take off on their 144-day and 98-day world cruises, while the Albatross sails around the African continent in 90 days."

Source:  cruiseindustrynews.com

“Artania“ welcomed with a water fountain display at the Ostseekai- Kiel is expecting a total of seven cruise ships to make their first call this year

Kiel, May 15^th, 2012: The cruise ship “Artania” of Phoenix Seereisen made its first call in Kiel today (May 15th) at the end of a short trip around Skagen. It was welcomed by a water fountain display from one of the port tugs. During an on-board reception Cathy Kietzer, president of the federal state capital of Schleswig-Holstein, officially welcomed the ship, passengers and crew, and presented the traditional First Call badge to Captain Jens Thorn. Cathy Kietzer: “A first call is always something very special. We are very pleased that the “Artania” is performing the first kick-off to a number of inaugural visits this year.” The “Artania” is the first of a total of seven cruise ships which will make their first call at Kiel this year. On June 3^rd, Kiel is expecting the “MSC Magnifica”, while the “Columbus 2”, the “Hamburg” and the sailing ship “Star Flyer,” will be the new guests to the Kieler Woche (16^th – 24^th June). On July 24^th, Cunard’s “Queen Elizabeth” will follow, forming the seasonal highlight, before the “Thomson Spirit” makes its first call in Kiel on August 24^th.

 

Dr. Dirk Claus, managing director of the PORT OF KIEL (SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG) said: “We are proud that Kiel is again among the base ports of Phoenix Seereisen. Kiel, with its modern terminals, first-class service and easy accessibility, is the ideal turnaround port, especially for German passengers.” The “Artania” was built as the “Royal Princess” in 1984, and measures 44,500 gross tons. She is 231 metres long and can accommodate up to 1,200 passengers. This year the ship is expected to visit the Ostseekai four times, in order to exchange passengers. Her final call during this year’s season will be on Friday, June 22^nd, during the Kieler Woche. At around 7 p.m. tonight, the “Artania” will be heading for Riga, her first destination of a ten-day cruise to the “Pearls of the Baltic Sea.” 

 

The SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG operates Kiel’s commercial port on behalf of the Schleswig-Holstein state capital, being a 100% subsidiary of it. Being located in the close vicinity to the city centre, Kiel currently provides three passenger terminals for ferries and cruise ships at the Ostseekai, the Norwegenkai and the Schwedenkai. With 136 calls of 26 different cruise ships, Kiel has become, once more, the most popular German turnaround port. Up to the end of the season 375,000 cruise passengers are expected in Kiel additionally to 1.5 million ferry passengers. Kiel will continue to adapt the capacity of its terminals to meet the increasing demand. Berth No. 1 at the Ostuferhafen (East Bank Port) will be redesigned during the next few months ahead in order to be available also for cruise ships by next year. This year’s cruise shipping season will be completed by a ship from Phoenix Seereisen. The “Amadea” will visit Kiel on the occasion of its Advent cruise on December 15^th and subsequently leave the Ostseekai heading for Copenhagen.
Source:  port-of-kiel.de

Ships visiting Antwerp are getting bigger

Antwerp began the season on March 28 with the arrival of AIDA Cruises’ AIDAluna. The Belgian port is expecting 40,000 passengers this year on 29 calls compared to 35,000 on 30 calls in 2011.

There will be six ships calling for the first time this year, including MSC Cruises’ MSC Lirica, Windstar Cruises' Wind Surf, Star Clippers’ Star Flyer and Phoenix Reisen’s Amadea and Albatros. There will also be repeaters, such as AIDA Cruises, which has chosen to call the Belgian port for more than three years, according to Kattina Glasinovich, cruise manager Antwerp Cruise Port.

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines is also a regular visitor and comes with Black Watch and Balmoral this year. Its Christmas calls are extending the season into December.

In 2003 the port invested in a cruise terminal in order to be able to handle 1,500 passengers at once. There is an annex for luggage handling. Coach parking was extended in 2004.

The original building of Red Star Line - which carried 2.6m Europeans to the US from Antwerp between 1874 and 1935 - is being renovated to house a museum (Red Star Line Museum) which will be opened in September 2013.

The city is collaborating with Ellis Island, New York: “We are trying to implement the same type of centre where visitors can look up which ship their relatives travelled on. It is a life-changing story for many people,” commented Glasinovich.

Source:  cruiseeurope.com

New Riverboat for Phoenix Reisen

Phoenix Reisen has christened its newest riverboat, the Amelia, which is owned by Scylla of Basel, but will sail exclusively for Phoenix Reisen. The 135-meter long vessel has 108 staterooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and French balconies. Dining is open-seating. The Amelia will be sailing a variety of cruises on the Rhine and the Danube rivers. Phoenix Reisen offers river cruises in Europe, China, Egypt and South America.

Source:  cruiseindustrynews.com

Phoenix buys P&O’s Artemis

Germany’s Phoenix Reisen has bought the smallest vessel in the P&O cruises fleet, the 1,200 passenger capacity Artemis. The 1984-built vessel has been bought by Phoenix set-up Aratania Shipping with delivery taking place in late October. However, Artemis has been chartered back to P&O Cruises for a further 18 months, and will not join the Phoenix fleet until April 2011.

Phoenix Reisen is also believed to be interested in purchasing the 1996-built Alexander von Humboldt, which it currently has on charter. Owned by the now defunct Club Cruises, Alexander von Humboldt was recently towed from Bremerhaven, Germany, to the UK port of Tilbury for auction in November. Owning to the problems with this vessel Phoenix has had to charter in the 1948-built, 556 passenger capacity Athena from Portugal’s Classic International Cruises as a temporary replacement.

Maxim Gorkiy arrives at the breakers

A last-minute attempt to save the classic 1969-built cruise ship Maxim Gorkiy from the shipbreakers torches has failed and the steam-turbine powered vessel was arrived at Alang to end her days.

A last-ditch bid to turn the ship into a floating hotel in Hamburg failed, following the decision by Wayne Heller to delay the re-launch of Orient Lines because of the global economic crisis. Maxim Gorkiy was to become Orient Lines Marco Polo 2.

Maxim Gorkiy has operated for a number of years on charter to Germany’s Phoenix Reisen. She was sold by her owners, Russia’s Sovcomflot, for scrap for a price in the region of € 4.2m.