ROYAL CARIBBEAN INT'L president Jack Williams is
assuming the additional role of president of sister-brand Celebrity
Cruises, replacing outgoing Celebrity president Rick Sasso. Parent
company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said Williams, who also was
named COO of RCI and Celebrity, will manage both brands' day-to-day
operations, although the two divisions "will continue to operate
separately." Sasso, who will resign from the company Jan. 1, said,
"I will be cheering loudly from the stands as I pursue other
opportunities." Celebrity department heads will report to Williams,
who will continue to oversee the Royal Celebrity Tours division.
Williams joined Royal Caribbean as president in 1997 after holding
various management positions at American Airlines. Sasso served as
president of Celebrity since 1995.
THE FORMER PREMIER Cruise Line ship Rembrandt,
which earlier served as the Holland America Line flagship Rotterdam
V, will sail again as a time-share vessel, according to a
Florida-based operator. EXA Int'l of Deerfield Beach acquired the
Rembrandt from investment firm Donaldson Lufkin and Jenrette, said
Stanley Priskie, EXA's president. Priskie declined to discuss terms
of the agreement. DLJ repossessed the Rembrandt last year after
Premier filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Delivery of the
ship, currently docked in Freeport, Bahamas, is scheduled for May.
EXA will retain the Rembrandt name and will market the vessel under
the brand name Cruiseshares.
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE will inaugurate two-,
five- and six-day cruises from Mobile, Ala., aboard the
1,452-passenger Holiday. The ship will offer a two-day cruise to
nowhere departing roundtrip from Mobile on March 2, and five- and
six-day western Caribbean voyages leaving March 4 and March 9,
respectively. The Holiday then is scheduled to offer year-round
Caribbean sailings from New Orleans starting April 27.
STAR CRUISES, the Singapore-based parent of
Norwegian Cruise Line, reported third-quarter income of $39.6
million on revenue of $379.8 million compared with net income of
$21.6 million on revenue of $428.9 million for the same period in
2000. Star attributed the decline in revenue to a 4.8% decrease in
capacity days (days during which a ship is in operation) and a 6.9%
decrease in net yields (net revenue per available lower berth).
Revenue for Star's NCL unit fell 7.2% quarter-over-quarter because
of a 2.5% decrease in capacity days and a 4.8% decline in net
yields.
LUXURY CRUISE OPERATOR Cunard Line reached an
agreement with spa operator Canyon Ranch, which will design and
operate the spa, beauty salon and fitness facilities aboard
Cunard's Queen Mary 2. The vessel is scheduled to enter service in
December 2003. The spa will be the first shipboard project for
Canyon Ranch, which continues to pursue plans to introduce its own
cruise line. The company is negotiating with a Norwegian shipyard
for the construction of two ships, a company spokeswoman said.