CARNIVAL CORP. reported fourth-quarter income of
$116.3 million on revenue of $959.1 million, compared with income
of $193.8 million on revenue of $850.3 million for the same period
in 2000. Profit declined 40%, which Carnival chairman Micky Arison
attributed to "the significant impact of the Sept. 11 events on the
vacation market." Net per diems for the quarter fell 3.3%, and net
yield was down 7% for the quarter. Arison said booking levels are
beginning to recover, with net bookings having surpassed last
year's level by 45% over the past five weeks. Pricing, while also
improved, remains below 2000 levels, Arison said, and advance
bookings for 2002 also are behind last year's levels.
LUXURY OPERATOR Silversea Cruises launched a
"Reassurance Program" that allows passengers to change their
close-in cruise reservations without penalty. Under terms of the
program, guests who purchase the protection and cancel their
Silversea cruise for any reason within one to 14 days prior to
departure will receive a 100% cruise credit on a future sailing.
The credit will be valid for 12 months following the date of issue.
The optional program, which begins immediately, is available for
new bookings made through March 31, 2002, for any voyage commencing
on or after April 1. Passengers with existing bookings on voyages
departing on or after April 1, 2002 may participate in the program,
but must do so by Dec. 31. The "Reassurance" option is available
for $250 per person when purchased with Silversea's standard travel
insurance or $500 per person when purchased alone.
THE FLORIDA-CARIBBEAN CRUISE ASSN. introduced a
revamped Web site at www.f-cca.com. The site features 200 pages of industry
information, plus links to FCCA publications, training programs and
research studies. The site also includes a member line section with
cruise executive profiles and fleet statistics, plus links to
member lines' Web sites.
LOS ANGELES-BASED Princess Cruises will offer
live broadcasts of Pasadena's Tournament of Roses Parade and the
Rose Bowl college football game aboard all of the company's ships
on Jan. 1 and 3, respectively. The events will be broadcast in
select public lounges and on stateroom televisions. This year's
Rose Bowl game will determine college football's national
champion.
DR. TAMARA JERNIGAN, who has logged more flight
hours aboard the space shuttle than any other female U.S.
astronaut, was named godmother of 85,000-ton Carnival Pride, which
begins service from Port Canaveral, Fla., on Jan. 12. Dr. Jernigan
will officially name the ship in a dockside christening ceremony at
Port Canaveral on Jan. 7.
WHAT WOULD COLUMBUS SAY? Windstar Cruises'
148-passenger Wind Spirit broke a company record earlier this month
by completing 103 hours under sail propulsion, exceeding the
previous record of 67 hours under sail, set in 1996 aboard Wind
Spirit. The Wind Spirit is a sail-assisted ship also equipped with
a motorized propulsion system. The sailing across the Atlantic
Ocean covered 690 nautical at an average speed of 6.7 knots.