|
Higher fuel prices
have bedeviled the stock of Carnival Corp. & PLC, even though the
company is otherwise doing pretty well, Carnival Chairman Micky
Arison told stockholders Monday. Asked about why shares have fallen about 20 percent since early 2005, Arison said traders have been focused on changes in fuel prices. He also said at the annual meeting, held in Southhampton, England, that the strength of the pound sterling has affected U.K. shareholders whose investments are mainly through Carnival PLC and are denominated in pounds. "Those are things well beyond our control," Arison said. Fuel accounts for about 8 percent of cruise ship operating costs, up from 3 to 4 percent several years ago. One shareholder asked if it was practical to build nuclear-powered cruise ships, but Arison said nuclear plants are very expensive and take a long time to load their fuel. "I don't think you'll see it in my lifetime," he said. Several shareholders questioned Arison at length about how the stock price could be improved. "We are seeing what may be the beginning of a trend and we are expressing concern," said one investor at the meeting, which was aired on Carnival's Web site. Arison said the $12 billion cruise company is managed for profit growth, but not quarter-to-quarter stock price improvements. "Over the long term, we believe that share prices will reflect that," he said. "If not, you can fire us." Arison and his family control about 29 percent of the voting power of Carnival Corp. & PLC shares. Carnival boosted total shareholder return on Monday by raising the quarterly dividend 27 percent. The new quarterly payout is 35 cents a share, up from 27.5 cents previously. "I'm delighted to hear of the increase in the dividend," commented one shareholder. "Hopefully, this will drive up the share price." Later in the meeting, Arison assured the audience that he had heard their stock price concerns. "Higher, better. Lower, not so good." he said. Carnival Corp. stock closed on Monday up $1.53, or 3.4 percent, to $46.78 in U.S. trading. Carnival PLC shares rose 55 pence or 2.3 percent to 2,440 pence on the London Stock Exchange |
|
The aftermath of the SEA DIAMOND's sinking at Santorini |
|
In the aftermath of the SEA DIAMOND's sinking at
Santorini on April 6, six crew members, including the captain, were
indicted on charges of unintentional shipwreck and violation of
international regulations to avoid crash and pollution. A
spokesperson for the ship's owners, Louis Cruise Lines, acknowledged
that "human error" was to blame for the incident. Meanwhile, the
captain contended that sea currents caused the ship to hit the rocks
and acknowledged that he tried to free the ship from the reef before
evacuating the passengers, causing the ship to list severely and,
ultimately sink. Meanwhile, the two missing passengers, Jean-Christophe Allain, 45, and his 16-year-old daughter, Maud, are still unaccounted for. In ongoing efforts, an ROV was deployed and divers were later sent to search for their bodies and to also retrieve the ship's voyage data recorder. Although Santorini's beaches remain unthreatened (they are located on the other side of the island), fuel has leaked from the sunken vessel. A 100 meter wide oil slick has already been removed. The local government will not sue Louis, as the company will be undertaking costly and difficult measures to remove the remaining oil from the SEA DIAMOND's tanks once the wreck has settled.
A number of news reports from Greece say there are
hundreds of tons of oil trapped in the sunken Louis Cruise Line
vessel, threatening an environmental disaster off Santorini |
|
Pride of Hawai`i will continue her
seven-day roundtrip Honolulu cruises through the
January 28, 2008 cruise. The ship will enter wet
dock on February 6 where she will receive
modifications including the addition of a casino and
new hull artwork. The ship will be re-named
Norwegian Jade and will be showcased during
inaugural events in both Los Angeles and Miami.
After a series of repositioning cruises, the ship
will arrive in Barcelona for her first 12-day cruise
beginning on March 30, 2008. As a Jewel-class ship and a sister to Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jade features all the attributes of NCL's purpose-built ships for Freestyle Cruising. Norwegian Jade features a vast array of accommodations including the very popular Villa complex at the top of the ship. This "ship within a ship" complex features two luxurious Garden Villas with their own private gardens and sun decks, 10 Courtyard Villas sharing a private courtyard, pool and sundeck on deck 14, and a spectacular top-of-the-ship Owner's Suite. Here, guests can enjoy an exclusive private haven while still experiencing all the amenities, and Freestyle flexibility, of a big ship. The ship features multiple lively public rooms, 10 restaurants, NCL's Bar Central area - the brand's popular new entertainment concept first introduced on Norwegian Jewel and impressive on board amenities. NCL is on target to have the youngest fleet in the industry by the end of 2007 with the introduction of Norwegian Gem, providing guests the opportunity to enjoy the flexibility of Freestyle Cruising on the newest, most contemporary ships at sea. |
|
Aker Yards delivered Liberty of the Seas to Royal Caribbean International |
|
Aker Yards delivered Liberty of the Seas to Royal
Caribbean International at a ceremony today in Turku. The ship is
the sister to last year’s 158,000gt Freedom of the Seas. Liberty of the Seas will head to Southampton for UK trade and media events from Sunday to April 26 before crossing to North America. Arrival at Cape Liberty in Bayonne, N.J., is set for May 3. Following events for the New York area trade, Liberty repositions to Miami, its year-round homeport, for further festivities. The vessel will be named on May 18 in Miami by travel agent Donnalea Madaley. |
|
Royal Caribbean Gives Go-Ahead for Second Liner |
|
Royal Caribbean Cruises has exercised its option to
build a second ship in its “Genesis Project”. Destined to become the
24th ship in the Royal Caribbean International fleet, the
5,400-guest, 220,000-gross-registered-ton ship would be built in
Finland, with delivery projected for August, 2010. Like the prototype ship due out in autumn 2009, the second Project Genesis ship will be a trailblazer in cruise-ship and vacation innovation. New icons and amenities will continue to challenge and expand guests’ expectations of cruising, and the latest technology and design will continue to increase efficiencies. The company estimates the all-in cost of the ship will be approximately $260,000 per berth. The contract is contingent on the completion of customary financing. |
|
If it's good enough for the Queen of England then its good enough for your program |
|
The English newspaper The Daily Telegraph recently
reported that the Queen of England is to celebrate her 80th birthday
next year by chartering a ship for a cruise around the Western Isles
of Scotland. She will be accompanied by Prince Philip and other members of her family on board the Hebridean Princess for the week-long trip, her first set cruise since the decommissioning of the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1997. The voyage will take place in August, four months after her birthday on April 21, and is expected to end with her disembarking at Aberdeen to spend time at Balmoral. A royal source said last night: "As it is a landmark personal anniversary, the Queen decided to take a cruise as a special holiday. "When Britannia was up and running it went there every summer round the Western Isles; it's a route the Queen is very familiar with and has a great affinity with. Members of the family will join the cruise as and when they can." The Queen inspected the vessel, which has 30 bedrooms, a library and clay pigeon shooting facilities, while it was docked at the Pool of London yesterday. A spokesman for the ship declined to say how much it cost to charter the vessel, which is manned by a crew of 38. However, a tour of the Western Isles would normally cost upwards of £1,500 per person, with the price rising to at least £125,000 to hire the ship. The source said the costs would be "borne by the Queen from her own private funds". Buckingham Palace refused to give details of where the Hebridean Princess would sail in the Western Isles "for security reasons". However, the Queen's itinerary is likely to include the Isle of Lewis and the Isle of Harris. According to the ship's website, most scheduled one-week cruises start from Oban and visit islands and remote coastal villages that are normally reached only by private yachts. "The common denominator is spectacular scenery, abundant wildlife and remote, peaceful locations," it said. According to the 2006 Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships, the Hebridean Princess has "a warm, totally cosseted, traditional country house ambiance and stately home service". Catering for a maximum 49 guests, it has none of the trappings found aboard larger ships such as glitzy dining rooms and bingo. A palace spokesman said: "We are simply confirming that the Queen will be taking a special holiday to celebrate her birthday but the details are a private matter." |