The development in the area is going to allow many cruise ships to come here and the dockyard will be able to . . . → Read More: Greenwich seeking authorisation as a major cruise terminal]]> Close to London is the Borough of Greenwich which is going to be a large cruise terminal in the future as long as authorities in the local area give authorisation for development to take place.

The development in the area is going to allow many cruise ships to come here and the dockyard will be able to accommodate ships which are up to 240 metres long. It is estimated that if the project goes ahead, around 100 ships are going to come to Greenwich docks every year.

It is expected that the project is going to begin construction late this year as long as approval is granted. It is estimated that the complete construction process will take five years and approximately 40,000 people every year will be able to depart from the dock.

The council and the local area have said that it is not yet sure whether it is going to grant permission, but is wanting to seek a mixed development area. It is also hoped that a hotel will be developed and homes in the area surrounding the potential dockyard will be built.

A representative from Greenwich Council John Comber has stated, “Bringing the cruise line industry into the heart of London is a great idea as it will bring a lot of tourism to the capital city. In the past the River Thames would have been a very busy waterway but this has disappeared as the city became less important as a trading dock. The development of this dock for cruise ships in the area would make the river once again populated with ships, which will be a good flavour of the past.”

The Cunard app not only features their latest brochure but also includes the companies full programme, including voyages, special offers and latest fares. It also has videos that show life . . . → Read More: Cunard see surge of bookings thanks to their Apple app]]> Luxury cruise operator the Cunard Cruise Line, has seen a significant rise in bookings via it’s app on the Apple iPad since the app’s launch in June of 2011.

The Cunard app not only features their latest brochure but also includes the companies full programme, including voyages, special offers and latest fares. It also has videos that show life onboard their ships, a slideshow if images of the fleet and access to all of Cunard’s social media options.

The app was created by  YUDU Media and allows users to book their cruises, and Cunard have found that their average cruise order has increased significantly in value compared to the transactions that have been made on their website; www.cunard.co.uk.

With over 10,000 app downloads to date as well as a high opt-in registration rate, Cunard will soon expand the app to include its weddings brochure as well as its quarterly Cunarder magazine. This will allow Cunard to directly link all relevant content on its website and social media sites to create an even smoother user journey.

Cunard’s Senior New Media Executive, Laura Beasty, says: “The app has been our first real step into mobile devices and something we want to continue to build on. Our website is now far more mobile friendly and, significantly, our bookings are beginning to reflect this”.

YUDU Media’s CEO, Richard Stephenson, says: “We create iPad and iPhone apps for some of the world’s leading brands and we are not surprised by either the strength of sales originating from Cunard’s app nor the increase in order values”.

Stephenson continues, “the latest iPad has 3.1 million pixels which puts it ahead of the average HDTV resolution. This allows users to view Cunard’s app and ‘virtually’ experience what it is like to be on board, say, the Queen Elizabeth at sunset. It’s the ultimate sales tool”.

Safety issues on cruise-ships are topical following the loss of 30 lives when the Costa Concordia sank off the coast of . . . → Read More: Cruise companies claim that ships are one of the safest modes of transport]]> It has been stated by the cruise industry, that ships are one of the safest transportation methods. The claim has been made 100 years after approximately 1500 people lost their lives when the RMS Titanic sank.

Safety issues on cruise-ships are topical following the loss of 30 lives when the Costa Concordia sank off the coast of Italy in January, as well as the Titanic anniversary. Carnival Corp, owner of the stricken Costa Concordia, and industry group, Cruise Lines International Association, have defended the safety record of the industry.

Chief executive of CLIA, Christine Duffy, last month told a Senate panel that one of the safest forms of travel and recreation is cruising. Differences in the results, however, can be altered depending on how you look at the figures. The research company that the industry uses to base its statements on does not include certain circumstances leading to the deaths of passenger and crew members.

Any drowning, where a person has fallen overboard, is often recorded as suicide; the industry also claims that generally passengers are older on cruise ships than air travel, therefore any death from a natural cause would also be eliminated.

The International Maritime Organisation has been called upon by the CLIA to develop more comprehensive records of safety records and deaths. London based United Nations agency, the IMO, is responsible for regulating the industry. They find that only a quarter of the countries report incidents to them.

The normal method used to make comparisons calculates deaths of passengers per mile they have travelled, however the cruise industry does not produce a passenger-mile statistic therefore even if casualties were correctly recorded, it would be difficult to make the comparison to other forms of transport. The fairest way to make the comparison would perhaps be time spent on board. This data, however, is not available.

This is largely because several of these bodies of water are going to suffer . . . → Read More: The closure of UK canals and waterways may scupper many holiday plans]]> British Waterways is a government body which is responsible for the waterways and canals in the UK. It is expected that they are soon going to start restricting some of the canals and waterways in the UK which can be used for transport.

This is largely because several of these bodies of water are going to suffer from a serious drought and it is expected that around 250 miles of the water network in the UK is going to be affected. This is going to have a significant impact on people who are looking to take a cruise in the UK this summer.

Much of the waterways that are going to be blocked are in the South as well as the Midlands and although some areas are only partially closed and only for certain dates, some areas have been closed indefinitely and blocked off to river traffic. One of the areas that has been most affected, and is likely to cause most disruption to people on the waterways, is the river that runs between London and Birmingham.

The chairman of Pleasure Craft Operators is Tim Parker and he has commented, “Although this is going to have some effect on the industry this summer we are grateful for the decision that British Waterways have made.

The long-term benefits of blocking off the canals is going to be significant and we think they have made the right decision in the long-term. By protecting the canals now, we protect them for all the people who want to take boat trips and canal holidays in the future.

“Besides, for the majority of waterways in the UK business is continuing as it normally would and we encourage people who are affected to plan alternative routes. We have experienced problems like this before and we are sure the industry will return to its strengths very soon.”

The company already own a similar . . . → Read More: Thomson Cruises launch new ‘Platinum’ venture]]> Platinum Cruises is a new venture that has been launched by Thomson Cruises. These new cruise offerings are going to be available on board two of the company’s ships, the Thomson Dream and the Thompson Celebration. These vessels are going to undergo multi-million pound makeovers before the new cruises start running.

The company already own a similar venture but based on hotels and this is called the Platinum Hotel company. The vessels are going to offer a wonderful ambiance which is going to be in a contemporary style. The cruise experience is going to be very exclusive and the company are saying that it will have unmatched food, entertainment and service.

The cruises being sold are going to be all-inclusive and this includes any necessary flights and these are going to be provided by Thomson Airways. The refurbishment of these vessels is going to mean that the suites are significantly upgraded to include modern facilities such as iPod docking stations. All of the lounges and bars on the vessels are also going to be upgraded and the restaurants are going to be changed to have a minimalist styling.

The first cruise is going to take place upon the Thompson Dream and is going to be a transatlantic voyage which is sailing from Portugal in December this year. The maiden voyage for the newly refitted Thompson Celebration is going to take place in May next year and is going to be a tour round the eastern Mediterranean as well as the Black Sea.

During these cruise journeys customers are also going to be able to stay at some of the Platinum Hotels that are nearby to the cruises itinerary. Prices are currently expected to start at £1600 per passenger. Thomson Cruises have said these cruises offer a unique experience to customers.