THE CRUISE
SHIPS chartered by the government for Hurricane Katrina
relief purposes are already cost-competitive with other forms of
available housing in New Orleans, according to a cost analysis done
by the Department of Homeland Security. According to the
department, the per-person, per-day cost for each passenger at
capacity, including meals, is about $168, while the average hotel
room in New Orleans averages more than $190 per day. As of Oct. 4,
5,320 passengers are onboard the four ships (three Carnival Cruise
Lines vessels and one Canadian ferry) out of a possible total
occupancy of 8,136 passengers.
SILVERSEA
CRUISES is no longer allowing agents to charge a clients
credit card less than the full amount of the cruise purchase,
effectively trimming back on one way to rebate a cruise. The credit
card policy is effective for all bookings beginning Oct. 6, but
Silversea said it would be flexible with the policy through Nov. 1.
Silversea believes rebating continues to hurt the distribution
systems, and the company is fully committed to providing a level
playing field to agents, the company said in a
statement.
CIRQUE DU
SOLEIL AND CELEBRITY havent parted ways, but the
Cirque-run concept that Celebrity was hosting on two of its ships
has been withdrawn it has ceased on the Summit and will do so on
the Constellation on Nov. 10 and the two companies are at the
drawing board to come up with an alternative. The evening
entertainment involved Cirque characters interacting with
passengers in the forward observation lounges, renamed the Bar at
the End of the Earth. Celebrity and Cirque are in the midst of a
six-year marketing agreement, and Celebrity is continuing to
sponsor Cirque du Soleil shows.
CHUCK
WEST, whose work in Alaskas tourism market earned him the
nickname Mr. Alaska, died Oct. 4. He was 90. West was the founder
and chairman and CEO of Cruise West until the early 1990s. He also
was the founder of Westours, a major tour operator in the 49th
state that interwove bus transportation, hotels and cruising, which
he sold to Holland America Line in 1973. He served as president of
ASTA in 1969 and 1970. Chuck was a true pioneer, a friend and a
mentor, HALs chairman, Kirk Lanterman, said last week. His
influence on the tourism industry was immeasurable. We will all
miss his incredible spirit.
RIVER CRUISING
UPDATE:
" Michael
Lomax said last week that he has resigned his position as
president of Great American Journeys, which operates the Columbia
Queen riverboat in the Pacific Northwest, and will seek out similar
start-up opportunities under my Explorations Cruise Line company
name.
" RiverBarge
Excursion Lines will continue to offer its New Orleans and
Texas Gulf Coast cruises in late 2005 and early 2006. It will be in
New Orleans at the beginning of December.
" The Delta Queen Steamboat
Co.s American Queen, which normally operates from New Orleans,
began a 30-day charter last week. The ship sailed through the Gulf
of Mexico for the first time en route to Texas. The charterer was
not identified, but President Bruce Nierenberg said the charter
allows us to keep one of our steamboats active until it returns to
service in spring 2006.