The number of cruise-vessel calls in Uruguayan ports has increased 9.3% so far in this 2012/13 season with an influx of 20 million dollars for the local economy revealed Deputy minister of Tourism Antonio Carambula during a primary evaluation of business vis-à-vis the 2011/12 results.
The downturn in cruise bookings by North American and European customers noted earlier this week by industry giant Carnival Corp. is taking place at rival Royal Caribbean Cruises, too, but overall the industry is optimistic.
After growing 20% annually over the past ten years and reaching a level of 800,000 tourists annually, the pace of cruise expansion in Brazil is expected to encounter a sharp slowdown in the 2011-2012 season.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. received recognition for its shipboard “Building On Talent” leadership development program during this year's Seatrade Awards Ceremonial Dinner.
For the first time ever South America will be hosting the cruise industry major event, the Seatrade Cruise Convention organized by the Seatrade Group and Abremar, the Brazilian Association of maritime cruises. The event is scheduled for May 30 and 31 in Sao Paulo and CEO from some of the leading cruise companies have already confirmed their attendance.
Miami-based Royal Caribbean swept half a dozen categories in the Travel Weekly awards, including the top spot for “cruise line, overall” as well as “cruise line, domestic” and “cruise line, Caribbean.” Royal Caribbean also won in the category of “cruise line, sales and service,” and the line's much-promoted new Oasis of the Seas swept the categories of “cruise ship, rookie” and “cruise ship, overall.”
Florida State wildlife officials were called to the world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, to deal with a little stowaway – a burrowing owl.
Royal Caribbean announced that during the coming tourist season several of its ships will make 27 stops between Montevideo and Punta del Este in Uruguay. The announcement was made by Michael Ronan, Royal Caribbean's Vice President of Government Relations, Caribbean, Latin America & Asia, in a meeting with different Uruguayan authorities held in Montevideo.
The Antarctica season beginning in November is likely to be the last one as it has been known. Proposed changes to the type of fuel ships are allowed to burn and carry in this fragile ecosystem have now become a reality, making the future of big cruise ships in Antarctica uncertain.