A SOURCE CLOSE TO the European Commission's
investigation of Carnival Corp.'s bid for P&O Princess echoed
reports in European financial newspapers that the EC might clear
Carnival's bid, and likely without asking the line to sell off any
of its assets. The cruise industry, meanwhile, is holding its
collective breath, as an official decision from the EC could come
this week. However, even with the EC's blessing, a wedding is far
from certain: Carnival's proposal, as well as the rival bid from
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is still awaiting a decision from the
U.S. Federal Trade Commission. And, if all companies pass all
regulatory hurdles, P&O Princess shareholders still have to
decide with whom they want to partner.
A PROPOSED HIKE in tolls, and fees for the use
of the Panama Canal, would work out to an additional $20 per
passenger charge, the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association said --
and cruise lines are not happy about it. In fact, one cruise exec
said such an increase could prompt the line to consider deploying
its ships away from the Panama Canal. The FCCA made an oral
presentation at the Panama Canal Authority's public hearing Friday
regarding the proposed 13% rate hike. "The cruise industry uses
only 2% of the volume of the Panama Canal, but we pay 4% of the
revenue," said FCCA president Michelle Paige. The PCA said it will
review all submissions and make its recommendations to the Canal's
Board of Directors.
LESS THAN a week after Holland America
announced it is eliminating its calls to India on the Prinsendam,
the U.S. State Dept. withdrew its travel warning to the area. But,
HAL said, it's committed to the new 2002 Prinsendam schedule: The
Sept. 25 cruise from Cape Town, South Africa, to Mumbai will be
shortened to end instead at Mombasa, Kenya, and a previously
planned Oct. 17 cruise to Singapore from Mumbai instead will depart
Mombasa on Oct. 13. HAL added that it does plan on calling in India
in 2003.
CEO SHAKEUPS: The World of ResidenSea named
hospitality bigwig Robert Riley president and CEO. Riley replaces
Fredy Dellis, who resigned but will remain on ResidenSea's board of
directors. Meanwhile, Intrav Inc., the parent company of Clipper
Cruise Line (and upscale tour firm Intrav), appointed David Drier
CEO, effective Aug. 1. Drier, the firm's senior vp-operations,
replaces Ian Coghlan.
PORTS OF CALL
• Celebrity's Horizon will sail four, eight-day Bermuda cruises
roundtrip from Philadelphia starting Sept. 21, 2003. The series
will mark Celebrity's first cruises from the City of Brotherly Love
since the Horizon was briefly repositioned there from New York
after Sept. 11.
• Carnival Cruise Lines will offer daylong stops in Belize on new
five-day itineraries from Miami on the Imagination, beginning Sept.
2.
• Radisson Seven Seas Cruises set itineraries for the inaugural
season of the Seven Seas Voyager, which will debut with a 13-day
Monte Carlo, Monaco, to Venice, Italy, sailing next April 1. The
Voyager will spend most of next year in Europe, before
repositioning to the U.S. in November.