MORE THAN 4.5 MILLION passengers worldwide,
including nearly 4 million North Americans, cruised on a Cruise
Lines International Association-member line during the first half
of 2003, according to CLIA. That's a 13.6% increase over the first
half of 2002. More than 2.3 million of those people cruised during
second-quarter 2003, a 5.7% year-over-year jump. CLIA-member ships
sailed at 100.7% occupancy during the first half of 2003 -- which
CLIA executive director Bob Sharak said was because of "the joint
efforts of the industry and its professional travel agent
partners."
PROFITS WERE UP at Carnival Corp. and plc. The
world's largest cruise company in the world reported net income of
$734.3 million for the third quarter ending Aug. 31, a 47% jump
over third-quarter 2002. Revenues for the quarter were $2.52
billion, compared with $1.44 billion in 2002. Net revenue yields
were down 3.4% but were better than Carnival's previous estimates
of a 4% to 6% drop. The decline was based primarily on lower cruise
ticket prices. The earnings were reported on a pro forma basis.
ALHTOUGH THE THIRD-QUARTER yields came in ahead
of projections, Carnival executives sounded a note of caution
heading into the seasonally slower fourth quarter. Yield is
projected to fall 4% to 6% compared with last year. Frank noted the
expansion in capacity means as more and more ships repositioning
back to the Caribbean, pricing becomes more agressive. The Carnival
plc brands also tend to be more seasonal.
ULTRA OF THE SEAS: Royal Caribbean Cruises
placed its order for what will become the largest cruise ship in
the world. The Ultra Voyager will be 160,000-plus tons and carry
3,600 passengers in lower berths, which makes it 15% larger or, in
RCCL's words, "an even larger model" of the current
world's-largest-class of ship, the Voyager series. The Ultra
Voyager will be built by Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Finland and will be
delivered in May 2006. Ship costs are estimated at just over
$200,000 per guest berth. Meanwhile, the Ultra could be one of at
least two: the yard also granted the company an option for a second
Ultra Voyager, with a 2007 delivery date. The Jewel of the Seas,
meanwhile, will be RCCL's final 2,110-passenger Radiance-class ship
-- at least for now -- when it is delivered in 2004. RCCL said it
will not exercise its two long-standing options for fifth and sixth
Radiance-class ships.
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE will get two new ships as
well. The orders were placed by parent company Star Cruises at
Germany's Meyer Werft shipyard for two 2,400-passenger ships for
delivery in fall 2005 and spring 2006. The two ships together are
estimated to cost about $790 million.
THE DELTA QUEEN STEAMBOAT CO. said its sales of
on-the-river vacations more than doubled in the January-to-August
period, compared with the first eight months of 2001. And gross
sales during the first two weeks of September set a record, the
company said, at $2.4 million and $2.7 million, respectively. The
DQSC, which was purchased by Delaware North Cos. of Buffalo, N.Y.,
in May 2002, attributed the sales spike to coordinated direct
mail/ad campaigns and an early booking bonus program.
CARNIVAL CORP.'S CFO Gerald Cahill said the
Internal Revenue Service issued final regulations for section 883
of the U.S. tax code, the section that exempts international
shipping companies from U.S. taxes. How those regulations are
defined: cruise operations can be taxed on "nonshipping" items that
are U.S. sourced. For example: U.S.-based shore excursions, the
sale of air fares and cruises-to-nowhere that leave and return to
U.S. ports are subject to U.S. tax laws. The changes go into effect
in Carnival's next fiscal year, Cahill said. "The definitions are
what we were expecting," he added, saying it is a "minimal" part of
Carnival's business.
THE CARNIVAL MIRACLE will land in New York next
summer for sailings from the Big Apple to Port Canaveral, Fla., and
Nassau and Freeport, Bahamas. The 2,124-passenger ship, which is
currently under construction, will begin its seven-day Saturday
departures on June 12. It also will offer a one-off five-day cruise
from New York to New England and Canada on June 7.
THE SEVEN SEAS NAVIGATOR, Radisson Seven Seas
Cruises' 490-passenger ship, will make its first calls in Tampa,
Fla., in November. The ship offers four voyages from Tampa
beginning Nov. 8: a 10-day southeren Caribbean cruise from Palm
Beach to Tampa, two seven-day western Caribbean roundtrip Tampa
cruises and a 10-day southern Caribbean voyage from Tampa to Fort
Lauderdale.
NEW HIRES:
• Holland America Line appointed Tracey Kelly vp-sales, taking over
a spot vacated by Linda Elhenberger. Kelly comes from Carnival
Cruise Lines, where he was vp-sales, southern region.
• Oceania Cruises named Victor Gonzalez, formerly with ANC Rental
Corp., senior vp-passenger services.