MedCruise Newsletter Issue 51 Mar 2016 · Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The event...

1Bringing the Med Together

March 2016Issue 51

MedCruise News pg. 1-4

Port facilities & Destinations pg. 5-17

Meet the MedCruisemembers pg. 18-23

List of MedCruiseMembers pg. 24

Kristijan Pavić, is the new President ofMedCruise, effective from mid-February.

Since 2014, Kristijan Pavić has held theposition of svp of MedCruise, representing theport of Dubrovnik.

The announcement follows the decision ofoutgoing President Carla Salvadό to leave heroffice at Port of Barcelona,which was the MedCruiseport that Salvadόrepresented on theAssociation’s Board ofDirectors.

Salvadό is now cruisedirector at Global PortsHolding, also a MedCruisemember, and continues toadvance cruise activitiesunder her new role.

The Port of Barcelonaretains a position on theMedCruise Board of Directors.

Following his nominationPavić said: ‘All ports in theMed and myself personally are committedto continuing the excellent workundertaken by MedCruise in the recentpast. MedCruise is celebrating 20 years ofserving the needs of the ports and thecruise industry in the region, with a

membership that spans 20 countries. I amhonoured to assume the Presidency of thisvibrant Association, dedicated to achievingsustainable and responsible growth ofcruise activities in the Med and itsadjoining seas. I would like to express mygratitude to Carla Salvadό for the leadershipand her excellent work throughout her

Presidency, and I lookforward to working with ourdevoted family of more than100 cruise ports and 34associates in order tocontinue the same successfuland beneficial results.’

After graduating with aMaritime Science degree fromSplit University, Pavic workedas a cruise company employeeat sea. In 2006, he became thegeneral manager of DubrovnikCounty Port Authority andsince 2012 he has beenperforming the duty ofDubrovnik Port Authority,

deputy general manager. He has beenprofessionally active in cruise destinationmanagement and cooperation between portsand cities, as well as the development ofpartner relations for all cruise stakeholders,especially within the Adriatic region. Seatrade Cruise Global, the industry’s

global event which brings togetherevery facet of the business including

cruise lines, suppliers, travel agents andpartners is being held for the first time inFort Lauderdale at the Broward CountyConvention Center.

In addition to being present on theexhibition floor at booth 513, MedCruise isalso participating in the multi-trackconference program with President KristijanPavić participating on a panel sessionentitled: ‘Where To and Why? Factorsinfluencing deployment and itinerarystrategies’ taking place on Thursday March17 between 9.30-11.00.

Kristijan Pavić is appointed as thenew President of MedCruise

Come see MedCruise at SeatradeCruise Global on booth 513

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48th MedCruise GA in Odessa

The 48th MedCruise General Assemblywill take place 22-25 June 2016, inOdessa, Ukraine. This major cruise

event will mark the celebrations of the 20years of the Association.

During the General Assembly meeting,MedCruise member representativestogether with other esteemed guests willdiscuss the latest developments of the

cruise sector, as well as the implicationsand prospects of cruising in the Med andits adjoining seas.

In line with the MedCruise tradition, allregular and associate members will have a firstclass opportunity to discuss the developmentsin the region, while they will also devote timein B2B meetings and interactive Workshopswith cruise line executives.

MedCruise Newsletter Issue 51 Mar 2016 25/02/2016 11:23

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Cruise activities in MedCruise Ports:Statistics 2015 is an internalproduction of MedCruise. This is a

special edition of the flagship MedCruisepublication, as this year the associationcelebrates its 20th anniversary. Establishedin Rome in 1996, the MedCruise membershipspans today in 20 countries and threedifferent continents, namely Africa, Asia andEurope.

A total of 27.3 million cruise passengermovements were hosted in MedCruisemember ports in 2015, while at the turn ofthe century the very same ports hadrecorded ‘only’ 8.6 million passengermovements.

The second biggest cruise region of theworld, namely the Med, demonstrated aremarkable capacity for growth,

transforming thusMedCruise to thebiggest cruiseports Associationbeyond theCaribbean and areliable partner ofcruise lines,destinations,public institutionsand otherstakeholders.

This report-tobe presented during Seatrade Cruise Global2016-forms part of a series of studiesconducted or commissioned by MedCruise.The aim is to advance cruise portscompetitiveness via benchmarking andsharing of knowledge on industry trends.

MedCruise presents its 2016Statistics report at #SCG2016

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Based on the willingness of MedCruise andPrincess Cruises to enhance and furtherdevelop the close relationships and

collaboration, MedCruise and Princess decidedto develop a partnership project.

Following a most interesting proposaldeveloped by Bruce Krumrine, Vice-President,Shore Excursions of Holland America Group, thetwo partnering organisations currently work ona twofold goal: to Create the world’s best cruiseexperience and Increase Demand for

Mediterranean Cruising.The joint project gives the opportunity to 17

MedCruise port members to directly benefit tobe promoted and be educated, via a number ofinitiatives that will finally reach the guests ofthe Holland America Group.

Ten initiatives are developed in this context:welcome videos for cruise guests, local expertsport presentation videos, speaker series,exclusive guest experience in every port, newtour programs and framework, partnership portguides & walking maps, port welcome &departure experience, local artist exhibit & sale,cooperative marketing & public relations, filmproject.

The first phase of the project concluded inBarcelona the second week of February, whereMedCruise port members, and associatepartners at the respective destinations gatheredin a Mediterranean style scene set by PrincessCruises to shoot videos sharing experiences andthe beauties of the destination to be explored bycruisers at their ports and destinations.

The project will continue, involving moreMedCruise member ports and further actions.

Princess Project in Barcelona

Promoting the Med cruise experience to China•Are you Chinese and looking for a cruiseholiday?• Do you want to know everything about cruisedestinations in the Med and its adjoining seas?• Do you know how to spell MedCruise inChinese?www.medcruise.cn is now here to provide allthe answers

Since early 2015, MedCruise in collaborationwith Chinese Friendly is working on a ChinaMarketing Plan to benefit MedCruise Ports. This

project aims to help the Med andits adjoining region emerge as themost preferred cruise destinationamong Chinese cruise tourists.

The strategic marketing planfocuses on the fact that the regionitself represents a high degree ofattractions, combining differentelements such as history, nature,culture, gastronomy etc., all muchappreciated by Chinese tourists.

MedCruiseheading toTenerife inSeptember

MedCruise will take centre-stage atSeatrade Cruise Med 2016 with thelargest pavilion on the exhibition

floor as well as hosting the 49th GeneralAssembly on the day after. Previously knownas the Seatrade Med Cruise Convention, thenewly formed Seatrade Cruise Med event is theMediterranean’s premier cruise industry event.The 2016 edition will take place in Santa Cruz,Tenerife from 21-23 September 2016 at theInternational Trade Fair and Congress Centrein Santa Cruz, Tenerife, and it hosted by thePort Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Theevent comprises of an exhibition, conference,networking and travel agent training and isfully supported by MedCruise, CLIA and FCCA.

The Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerifemanages five ports in four of the Canaryislands. All received cruise calls last year andcollectively they welcomed 506 calls and933,161 passengers. Leading port Santa Cruz deTenerife welcomed 311 ships and over 644,000cruise visitors, followed by Santa Cruz de LaPalma in La Palma which had 125 ships and206,799 passsengers. San Sebatian de laGomera handled 59 ships and over 76,000passengers while Los Cristianos and La Estacatallied 5 and 6 calls respectively.

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Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Figen Ayan (Istanbul)and Bruce Krumrine


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Discussions on “Maritime Skillsand Careers in Blue Economy”

Towards aEuropean Codeof Practice forCruise Ports

MedCruise took an active part at the one-day conference 'Relations between thePort and the City', organised in Piraeus,

Greece.

MedCruise Secretary General Thanos Pallisjoined the Greek Minister for Shipping andIsland Policy, the Mayor of the City of Piraeus,and Stavros Hatzakos, General Manager of thePort of Piraeus and MedCruise HonoraryPresident, discussing the prospects and impactof cruise activities on city development for thecity of Piraeus and other cities in the broaderMediterranean region.

The one-day event took place at theUniversity of Piraeus, on Wednesday 9December and was attended by various shippingand cruise industry stakeholders as well asrepresentatives of local chambers, anddestination management institutions.

The contribution of cruise inport-cities development

MedCruise hosted a working meeting ofrepresentatives of ports associationsand cruise and ferry ports that

discussed and advanced the content of theforthcoming European Code of Practice forCruise and Ferry Ports.

The work is part of the efforts of the EuropeanCruise and Ferry Port Network, set up within theEuropean Sea Port Organisation (ESPO).

The Network brings together ESPO, CruiseEurope, Cruise Baltic, Cruise Britain, CruiseNorway, and MedCruise, in a strategiccooperation that provides a united voice of theEuropean Cruise and Ferry Port sector – while itadvances the sharing of expertise, andstrengthens the efforts to effectively representthe sector towards the European institutions.

The meeting was devoted on best practices asregards the relationships between ports andcruises and ferry lines, with MedCruise andCruise Europe chairing the discussions of theparticular sub-group of the Network. Among theparticipants were also MedCruise members Portof Piraeus and Cyprus Port Authority.

Four other working groups focus onCompetition and Cooperation between ports,Infrastructure Developments, Security andRelations of Ports and the City respectively.

The European Cruise and Ferry Ports Code ofPractice is expected to be released within 2016.

MedCruise welcomes the initiative ofthe European Commission’sDirectorate-General for Maritime

Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) to develop anagenda on Maritime Skills and Careers in theBlue Economy of Europe.

We share the views of the Europeaninstitution that growth in the blue economy willrequire appropriately skilled workforce, able toapply the latest advancements in a range ofdisciplines, whereas any skills gap must be

tackled. The Cruise world offers a unique

opportunity for growth of the BlueEconomy.

The cruise port industry and cruiseactivities in the Mediterranean and theadjoining seas have experience growthin all respects throughout the last twodecades. The presence of qualified andskilful personnel will provide anessential condition for thetransformation of this growth to asustainable one.

Secretary General, Thanos Pallis activelycontributed at the ad-hoc expert group meetingon “Maritime Skills and Careers in the BlueEconomy” that was organised by DG MARE, inBrussels on December 16th, 2015.

MedCruise welcomes the decision to makemaritime skills and careers to a key theme ofthe 2016 European Maritime Day, as well as thecommon view of stakeholders that concreteactions will help achieving the desired targets.

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Cruise Excellence Awards

The 9th edition of Cruise Excellence Awardswas celebrated under the auspices ofMedCruise on February 18th, in the

MedCruise member port of Cartagena, Spain.The event was organised by Cruises News

Media Group and included a round table sessionwith the participation of cruise companies, portexecutives, as well as port and shorex agencies.

MedCruise Vice President and CruiseManager of Ports de la Generalitat Maria Canojoined the participants discussing the state ofthe cruise industry and presented currentopportunities and challenges in the cruiseindustry.

Fernando Muñoz, Commercial Manager of thePort Authority of Cartagena that forms aMedCruise regular member also joined thediscussions.

MedCruise member Port of Valletta received

the Best Mediterranean Port & Destination award.Stephen Xuereb, CEO of Valletta Cruise Port

said, ‘We are very proud to be receiving thisaward. Valletta Cruise Port and Malta have theright mix to excel: port infrastructure,destination attractiveness, a good productoffering, outstanding service delivery with goodpassenger flows in the key facilities, variedtransport modes, and safety and security. Allthis within a value-for-money proposition, anddelivered with pride and passion. We dedicatethis award to all the personnel of Valletta CruisePort, who together with local stakeholdersrelentlessly work to ensure that Malta isprofessional, efficient, reliable and flexible inmeeting expectations on all fronts.’


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Greek Cruise Portrepresentatives gathered inThessaloniki

MedCruise will beparticipating at thefollowing eventsworldwide in 2016

Seatrade Cruise Global, Fort Lauderdale14-17 March, 2016

The next edition of Seatrade Cruise Global willbe held 14-17 March 2016. MedCruise will bepresent with a stand.

COTTM2016, Beijing12-14 April, 2016

MedCruise will participate in 2016 at the mainChinese tourism fair, namely COTTM2016(China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market),to be held 12-14 April, in Beijing, China.

Seatrade Cruise Asia, Busan12-14 May, 2016

Hosted by Busan Port Authority, BusanMetropolitan City, Korea Tourism Organizationand Korea Marine Leisure Network, SeatradeCruise Asia will take place at the BusanInternational Passenger Terminal.

48th MedCruise General Assembly, Odessa,Ukraine, 22-25 June, 2016

The 48th MedCruise General Assembly willtake place 22-25 June 2016, in Odessa, Ukraine.This major cruise event will mark thecelebrations of the 20 years of the Association.

Seatrade Cruise Med, Santa Cruz deTenerife, 21-23 September, 2016

Seatrade Cruise Med is the major biennialcruise event focused on the world’s secondlargest cruise destination - the Mediterranean.Hosted by MedCruise memberPort Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

MedCruise participated at a HellenicPorts Association organised publicevent on how to advance growth of

cruise in Greece that was held at the MedCruiseport of Thessaloniki.

During the opening session, MedCruiseSecretary General Thanos Pallis gave emphasison the “Working together” factor and thedynamics of cooperation which is the keyelement of MedCruise. “The resources areavailable to some but not all, whereas cruiselines deploy ships to a region not to a port”stated Thanos Pallis. “MedCruise providesexactly these tools to its members: to promote,develop & foster good relations andcollaboration among cruise ports of the region(and beyond), to reach the entire portcommunity (cities, travel agents, passengers

cruise-lines), to integrate port & thecity, to develop their ownmarketing, networking andprofessional development tools”.During the one-day event,participating ports, cruise lines anddestination representativesdiscussed on the ways to developthe cruise activities in the region.

Interventions concluded with aninteresting discussion of invitedstakeholders on the challenges andthe opportunities that ports face inGreece following the latestdevelopments in the region, and in

Greece in particular.The event followed a two-days seminar on

modern cruise demands that was attended bymembers of the Greek port authorities and wasorganised by Exantas, the educationalinstitution of the Hellenic Ports Association.

The port of Thessaloniki is expecting 35 shipsto call in 2016 bringing in 30-35,000 passengers.The numbers show an increase year on yearwith an emphasis on passenger numbers,reflecting the increasing size of cruise ship. Theport has a Master Plan spanning 25 yearsincluding a new passenger terminal andassociated passenger facilities.

The most popular shore excursion is the citytour comprising visits to various museums(historical, archaeological, art etc), churches,temples and local shoppong outlets.

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MedCruise Ports heading to Asia

Aiming to transform the Asian marketinto a major passenger source market forMediterranean cruise ports, MedCruise is

heading to Asia this spring. Τhe MedCruisedelegation will travel to Far East in order toattend COTTM2016 and Seatrade Cruise Asia.

COTTM2016 – Beijing, ChinaThe Association of Mediterranean Cruise

Ports will participate at the main Chinesetourism fair, namely COTTM2016 (ChinaOutbound Travel and Tourism Market), to beheld 12-14 April, in Beijing, China.

This forms an exceptional opportunity forMedCruise to meet with the 4,000 Chinese travelagencies attending the event and promotecruise ports in the Med and its adjoining seas.Thus, MedCruise member ports will furtherbenefit by expanding their professional networkwith key travel agents around the globe.

Seatrade Cruise Asia 2016 – Busan, KoreaMedCruise will be also present at the

forthcoming Seatrade Cruise Asia event that willtake place 12-14 May 2016 in Busan, Korea. Theevent will feature a showcase exhibition,conference and travel agent training.

MedCruise will sponsor the Travel AgentTraining programme and invite travel agents tocruise in the magic world of the Mediterranean,offering among others a great opportunity todiscover the history, the architecture, theculture, the gastronomy and the amazing sightsof 20 countries around the Med.


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Barcelona is expecting 750 calls andaround 2.6m passengers this year,compared to 749 calls and 2,540,302 in

2015. At Adossat Quay a new facility (TerminalE) will soon start to take shape as CarnivalCorporation & plc begins work on its new €30mterminal, which will have interior space totaling11,500sq mtr, the largest cruise terminal inEurope. It will be used by seven of Carnival's 10brands. The company already operates TerminalD, named Palacruceros, adjacent to the newfacility. The facility will be operational in 2018.

A city brimming with a wide variety ofexcursions, Barcelona Tourism Board highlightsthe artist Joseph Puig i Cadafalch Museum anda visit to Gaudi’s Casa Vicens for passengerswanting to discover new options.

Casa Vicens is a modernist building designedby Antoni Gaudi located in the area of Gracia. Itis considered one of the first building of ArtNouveau and one of the first houses designed byGaudi. The artist mixed different styles togetherin his architecture and used a variety ofmaterials such as iron, glass, ceramic tiles andconcrete, many of which can be seen in thisbuilding. Casa Vicens marked the first timeGaudi used an oriental style mixed withHispanic-Arabic inspiration.

MedCruise contact: Mar [email protected]

Balearic Islands

Brindisi

Last year Brindisi inaugurated a newcruise terminal which successfullyberthed its first cruise ship, MSC

Magnifica on her maiden visit. The buildinghouses ticketing area, baggage handling,Customs and Border Agency area andsecurity operations. The project wasdeveloped by the Port Authority of Brindisiat an investment of €300,000 and involvedthe renovation of an existing buildinglocated in the heart of the port and close tothe main streets of the city centre.

The port, located in southern Italy inApulia, welcomed around 150,000passengers in 2015 however this year therewill be a downturn in numbers as maincustomer MSC Cruises has dropped the

destination in favour of repositioningtonnage to the Caribbean. However positivenews is MSC Cruises’ is planning weeklycalls in 2017 which will lead to an increasein cruise visitors to the region.

Popular tourist attractions within 30 to60 minutes’ drive from the port include theunique city of Alberobello whose centre islisted by UNESCO World Heritage ofHumanity due to the ‘Trulli’ houses and thestunning city of Ostuni famous for itswhitewashed houses and small roads,alleys and arches. (see page 18)

MedCruise contact: Laura [email protected]

Barcelona

The Balearic ports of Palma and Ibiza areforging ahead with upgrading cruiseinfrastructure. In busiest port Palma a

new €16m terminal for mega ships is underconstruction covering a total surface area of9,564sq mtr and due for completion inDecember 2017. In addition, €23m investment isplanned for extending the North Poniente Quayesplanade covering a surface area of 36,000sqmtr and expected to be finished in January2019.

In Ibiza, €3.7m is being spent on extendingthe south berthing line in the Botafoc areaproviding a quay length of 330mtr with worksdue to be completed this summer.

In Palma, the port authority which managesfive ports in total (Palma, Alcudia, Mahon, Ibizaand La Savina) is focussing on increasing thenumber of calls during the winter season. ThePalma City Tour remains one of the most

popular for cruise visitors whilst in Ibiza, anexcursion by ferry to the island of Formenterais often sold out. Formentera is the smallest ofSpain’s Balearic islands known for its clearwaters, sandy beaches and water sportactivities and sailing.

MedCruise contact: Francisca Leal [email protected]

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Bastia/North Corsica

Horizon, Zenith and Seven Seas Explorerare among new visitors to Bastia thisyear where a total of 23,200 passengers

will visit on nine different cruise ships and 20calls. Ile Rousse will handle 14 calls includingHamburg for the first time and welcome 2,900passengers. In Calvi, 18 ships on 42 calls arescheduled to bring 29,000 passengers includingfirst time visits by Le Lyrial, Serenissima,Voyager and Oosterdam. Five ships will call inSaint Florent for a total of 500 passengers.Collectively the North Corsica port willwelcome 81 calls and 55,600 passengers thisyear which is a 5% increase compared to 2015.

A tour focusing on the mystical side of Bastiafeatures a private concert of Corsicanpolyphonic singing in the dark mysteriousOratory of the Holy Cross chapel built inRenaissance style.

MedCruise contact: Anne-Marie [email protected]

Calvi

Casa Vicens

Trulli houses


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Burgas

Five ships bringing over 7,500 passengersvisited the Bulgarian port of Burgas lastyear, including Emerald Princess, the

largest ship that can sail in the Black Sea. In2016, the Port of Burgas is expecting threeships and over 7,000 passengers as thenumber of cruise ships visiting the Black Searemains limited due to geopolitical issues inthe area.

Visiting tourists have plenty to see with theancient cities of Sozopol, Nessebar and AquaKhalide nearby plus the newest attraction, theisland of St Anastasia provide a rich historycombined with beautiful nature.

The abundance of historical buildings inNessebar prompted UNESCO to include it in

its list of World Heritage Cities in 1983. Oftencalled the ‘Pearl of the Black Sea’, Nessebar isolder than Rome and Istanbul where there are80 temples in this small peninsular which isonly 24 hectares in area.

The port is currently renovating the oldestwarehouse Magazia 1 into a maritime museumand cultural centre with functionality as asecond passenger terminal for vessels intransit. It was built in 1903 and designed byEiffel. Although planned to be completed in2017, as work is progressing well it could befinished as soon as May this year. (see page 18)

MedCruise contact: Stoicho [email protected]

Ceuta

Port of Ceuta, the gateway to Morocco, isinvesting €2.2m in upgrading its cruiseberth and terminal enhancing the

passenger experience with new signposting,gardens, new security system andreorganising of traffic flows within the portarea. Last year four cruise ships called atCeuta but this figure is set to increase in 2016with 15 ships booked to date.

Popular are shore excursions to theMoroccan cities of Tetouan and Tangier. Themedina of Tetouan and its network of shadedalleyways is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Its large Jewish quarter was called LittleJerusalem. Various souks sell clearly definedgoods and in their midst are Hassan II Squareand the Royal Palace, a fine example ofHispano-Moresque architecture.

The Tangier medina has always fascinatedartists and writers – Eugena Delacroix, HenriMatisse, Paul Bowles, Tennessee Williams toname a few have all fallen for the charm ofPetit Socco Square and its cafes, especiallythe famous Tingis when casinos and dancehalls abounded.

The old Mendoub Palace, built in 1929,situated in the north of the medina is now amansion for foreign VIPs. Paintings aredisplayed and one room is dedicated toAmerican writer Paul Bowles.

Those passengers wishing to stay in Ceutaitself can discover the town on foot passingseveral monuments, churches, palaces andthe Royal Walls providing a rich history ofthe Spanish autonomous city. For relaxationthe Mediterranean Maritime Park has twosalt-water lakes, solarium, gardens andmarina alongside.

MedCruise contact: Victor M. Jimé[email protected]

Cartagena

126 ships and more than 200,000passengers are expected to visit Cartagenathis year representing a 30% increase in

passenger numbers and 16% growth in calls. Ahost of ships are making maiden callsincluding Koningsdam, Oosterdam, PacificPrincess, Royal Princess, Costa neoRomantica,Rhapsody of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas,Celebrity Silhouette, Norwegian Jade andSeven Seas Explorer.

The cruise berth is being extended by 144mtrthis year to provide a quay length of over700mtr at an investment of €4.6m. It will take14 months to complete.

Cartagena and its Arsenal became the main

Spanish Mediterranean city in the 18thcentury. Dozens of defence fortifications werebuilt to protect the Arsenal, harbour and cityitself against possible attacks. Several externalforts were built in the surrounding hills. Threeexternal fortifications Galeras, Atalaya and LosMoros were declared cultural heritage assets in1997 and these three system defences managedto protect the city and the majority remainedin service until the beginning of the 20thcentury. The city is working to be named onUNESCO’s World Heritage City list. (see page 18)

MedCruise contact: Hortensia [email protected]

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Constantza

In 2015, 37 ships called atRomanian port ofConstantza bringing 35,000

passengers to the city but itsdifficult for the Port ofConstantza to predict howmany ships it will receive in2016 as cruise lines are veryoften only booking calls up totwo months ahead due to thegeopolitical issues in the Black

Sea area. That said in early February Constantza was

expecting 30 ships this year including thereturn of Costa Cruises with CostaneoRomantica sailing in the Black Sea afteran absence in 2015. Star Clippers’ RoyalClipper is also scheduled to visit twice thisyear. (also see page 19)

MedCruise contact: Teodor Patrichi [email protected]

Roma Cruise Terminal, the companymanaging cruise terminal operations inthe port of Civitavecchia, is expecting

2.3m cruise passengers in 2016 and close to 850ships. Maiden callers include Carnival CruiseLine’s Carnival Vista and Oceania’s Sirena. Lastyear, 2.2m passengers visited.

Without doubt Rome remains the mainattraction for passengers disembarking in theport. An hour away by road from Civitavecchia,its historic building, churches, monuments andruins, entices passengers for a journey through

time and the history of mankind.Roma Cruise Terminal is building a new

cruise passenger terminal on Quay 12B North.The 10,000sq mtr terminal is designed to handlea flow of 4,500 passengers a time and can storeup to 9,000 pieces of luggage. It will be equippedwith two retractable bridges to facilitate theembark and disembark of passengers and iscosting in the region of €20m. (also see page 19)

MedCruise contact: Malcolm [email protected]

Civitavecchia Corfu

Corfu is expecting an 11% increase inpassengers and calls this year buildingon the 407 ships and 612,551 passengers

that visited the island in 2015. Corfu is hopingto welcome 865,000 passengers and over 455ships including 40,000 passengers onturnarounds for Thomson Cruises which hasbeen homeporting in Corfu for the past 12years.

Holland America Line’s newest shipKoningsdam, Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Esprit,Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Sea, RegentSeven Seas’ Seven Sea Explorer, OceaniaCruises’ Sirena and Carnival Cruise Line’sCarnival Vista are all debuting for their cruisebrands in summer 2016, and all will be visitingCorfu for the first time.

With its new berth totalling 450mtr in lengthfully operational, the port can host up to sevenships simultaneously and is now planning tobuild a new 600sq mtr homeporting terminal tobe ready by end 2017 representing an estimatedcost of €600,000. In the meantime, works are inprogress at the existing terminal to increasethe capacity in the departure area, to doublethe check desks and to minimise queues andwaiting times.

Corfu Port is the only port in Greece that hasa licence to operate as a water airport withPaxos, which comes under the jurisdiction ofCorfu Port, expected to be the second one byend February.

This offers the opportunity for new flight-seeing tours to discover the beauty of Corfu andits nearby small islands from a seaplane. (alsosee page 19)

MedCruise contact: Aristidis [email protected]

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Cypriot ports of Lemesos, Larnaka, Paphosand Latsi plus two international airportsmake Cyprus an ideal homeporting and

a year-round cruise destination. Collectivelythey are due to welcome an important numberof calls this year.

A new €14.4m passenger terminal atLemesos is due to be operational soon and theMinistry of Transportation, Communicationsand Works has issued a tender for thesubmission of ideas and suggestions aiming toestablish Larnaka port and marina into a majorcruise destination.

From Lemesosport, cruisepassengers cantake a full dayexcursion toKourion whereone of Cyprus’most importantarchaeological

monuments islocated, theTemple ofApollo.

The tourmay thencontinue witha visit to

Kolossi Castle and the UNESCO World Heritagesite of Omodos village before returning to thecity for shopping. From Larnaka port,excursions may combine walking along thesandy beach up to Larnaka Castle, a visit to StLazarus Church and the Salt Lake, which is thehaunt of 85 species of water birds, thestonebuilt church of Angeloktisti and then avisit to Ayia Napa and Protaras, both populartourist resorts, characterised for their beautifulgolden sandy beaches

MedCruise contact: Eftychia [email protected]

Cyprus Ports

An artists impression of the new terminal

St Lazarus Church


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French Riviera Ports

The ports of Cannes, Nice, Villefranche,and Antibes are expecting 334 calls and592,000 passengers in 2016, a similar

number to 2015. French Riviera have launched a 2016 Awards

scheme to four categories: Destination Award - by studying all the

websites, brochures and promotional material itwill go to the company presenting ourdestination in the best way;

Excursion Award - same as above bystudying all the materials we will find anunusual excursion in our region;

Technical Award - given to the ship who hassuccessfully handled difficult circumstancescoming into port (i.e. high winds for example)'

Green Award for the best environmental/green ship to call at French Riviera ports.

The winner of each category will be decided

by the French Riviera Cruise according tovarious criteria and announced on our boothduring Seatrade Cruise Global in Fort Lauderdale.

The winners of first 3 awards will behonoured with a VIP invitation to the FrenchRiviera during the Film Festival.

Immersion in the picturesque beauty of thequaint village of St Paul de Vence with a winetasting at a beautiful Relais & Chateauxproperty features as a Silver Shore Collection,an original excursion for the French Riviera. Aguided walking tour is proposed through thisbeautiful medieval fortified village perched on anarrow spur between two deep valleys. Then adrive to the Chateau of Saint-Martin for winetasting with a sommelier. (also see page 19)

MedCruise contact: Anne-Sophie [email protected]

Dubrovnik

Global Port Holding and BouyguesBatiment International are workingtogether to finance, build and operate a

mixed-use infrastructure development,including terminal, at Dubrovnik Gruz Port,awarded by Dubrovnik Port Authority.

The plan calls for a new cruise terminal, ashopping mall, a multi-story garage and a maincity and international bus station built as amodern replica of Dubrovnik's historical citycentre, located at only few kms away.

Dubrovnik Gruz Port is located 3km awayfrom the Old Town, which is a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site and a popular tourist destinationin southern Croatia.

On-site work is planned to start inSeptember and October 2016 and to becompleted before end 2018. More than 250 jobswill be created during the construction works.

MedCruise contact: Kristijan [email protected]

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is expecting 16 first timecallers this year including MeinSchiff’s 1,2,3 and 4, Ovation of the Seas,

Koningsdam, Thomson Discovery andCarnival Vista. These are among 232 shipsexpected to visit bringing 346,574 passengersin total. 2015 closed with 205 calls and343,557 passengers so this year sees growthall round.

The Rock Tour remains the most popularshorex and is offered in either a 90 minutesor three hour tour. Traditionally guests go ona panoramic drive around the ‘Rock’ coveringboth the city and the east side, home tosandy beaches and coastline. The tour also

takes the visitor to famous Gibraltarlandmarks and points of interest such asEuropa 100 Ton Gun, Pillars of Hercules,Apes’ Den, Great Siege Tunnels and theMoorish Castle, these last three located inthe Upper Rock Nature Reserve.

Currently there is no investment takingplace at Gibraltar’s existing cruise berthingand terminal as it is able to meet currentdemand. Long term, opportunities are beingconsidered to cope with any additional andpotential growth. (also see page 19)

MedCruise contact: Nicky [email protected]

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Heraklion

Currently an estimated 300,000 cruisepassengers and 162 ships are expectedin Heraklion in 2016 including seven first

time callers namely: Costa Luminosa,Koningsdam, Oosterdam, Carnival Vista, RoyalPrincess, Celestyal Nefeli and MSC Magnifica.

Innovative investments in new cruiseinfrastructure includes a cruise terminal atHeraklion Airport for turnaround passengers, aspecial tent structure on the berth to enhancethe turnaround experience, the acquisition ofan Interactive Information Electric vehicleproviding information on local touristattractions and transportation to the city andthe opening of a duty free shop in thepassenger terminal. Moreover, the recent yearsin Heraklion Port significant projects havebeen implemented for the enhancement ofsecurity procedures according to the ISPS code.

The mission of the new management ofHeraklion Port Authority is to establish thedestination as an important cruise port in theEastern Med due to its georgraphic advantagelying at the convergence of three continents ofEurope, Asia and Africa and its 5,000 years ofhistory. (also see page 19)

MedCruise contact: Apollon [email protected]


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Kotor

Montenegro’s port of Kotor at the endof Europe’s southern-most fjord isexpecting 478 calls and 491,632

passengers this year. Visitors include severalmaiden calls such as Crystal Symphony andCrystal Esprit from Crystal Cruises,Silverseas’ Silver Whisper, Regent SevenSeas’ Seven Sea Navigator and Seven SeasExplorer, AIDA’s AIDAbella, Royal CaribbeanInternational’s Brilliance of the Seas andRhapsody of the Seas, Holland America Lines’Eurodam and Thomson Cruises’ ThomsonDream, among others, as well as a new cruiseline customer in Cruise & Maritime Voyageswith the Azores.

A modern terminal facility costing €721,746

became fully operational last year. Theberthing area and anchorages are covered byvideo surveillance as part of NATO’s EntityCode NCAGE issued to the Port of Kotor bythe Ministry of Defence of the MontenegroGovernment.

One of the most popular shore excursionsfrom Kotor is the Montenegro Tour visitingBoka Bay and the small baroque town ofPerast and two islands: Our Lady of the Rockand St George, Budva old town, Cetinje – theold royal capital city, Ostrog Monastry, MountDurmitor, Tara River and Skadar Lake.

MedCruise contact: Mladen [email protected]

Nine ships from Oceania Cruises,Silversea, Crystal Cruises and MSCCruises will make first-time visits to

Slovenia’s Port of Koper this year where 65ships will visit in total bringing more than70,000 passengers.

This represents a 25% growth compared to2015 when 49 ships brought 58,000 passengersto the Adriatic port.

An assortment of tours are offered in Koper.Excluding the walking tour of the city, themost popular shorex are the capital ofLjubljana, Lake Bled (often chosen by UK-sourced passengers), Postojna cave and the oldtown of Piran.

Lake Bled is 2,120mtr long, up to 1,380mtrwide and is of the tectonic origin. The thermalsprings in the northeast part are captured inthree swimming pools: at the Toplice GrandHotel, Park Hotel and Golf Hotel. Thetemperature of the lake reaches up to 25°C inthe summer and gets ice covered in winter.

Koper is currently in the planning phase fora new cruise terminal with goal to beoperational for the 2107/18 season, the buildingwill include all necessary facilities andservices for both transit passengers, as well ashome porting operations. (also see page 20)

MedCruise contact: Bojan [email protected]

Koper Huelva

21 ships and 29,000 passengers areconfirmed for 2016 which is a success forthe Spanish port which only started

attracting cruise business two years ago andwelcomed six calls in 2015. Three new cruiselines will visit Huelva this year: Thomson,Portuscale and NYK.

A popular tour sees passengers leaving thePort on a 30 minute drive through the coastlineto Doñana National Park: an environmental jewel

and one of the most important protected naturalareas in Europe. The tour will take you to thenorth of the Park in a truck, visiting two of themost important ecosystems of Doñana: theforests and marshes. Several stops will be madeduring the tour, and include a visit to the formerroyal hunting private area, Coto del Rey, amagnificent area crowned by the territory oflynxes and eagles. A nature guide will explaineverything about the fauna and flora in this area,and there will be opportunuities to stop forphotos. There will be a stop for appetizers insideof the National Park and, last but by no meansleast, a trip back to El Rocio Village, a villageknown by its unique pilgrimage, which attractshundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year, inorder to enjoy some free time and visit the HolySanctuary, where Andalusian beliefs, devotionand traditions await. (also see page 20)

MedCruise contact: Manuel [email protected]

El Rocio

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This year Thomson and SilverseaCruises have chosen Igoumenitsa as anew destination. The Greek port is

expecting 11 calls in 2016, almost double morethan last year.

The Region of Epirus offers an unusuallywide scope of historic sites and monuments,great cultural wealth, traditional lifestylesand stunning natural beauty.

The number one attraction that isaccessible from Igoumenitsa, 180km away, isthe UNESCO World Heritage Site of Meteora -a remarkable monastic cluster. Meteoraliterally means “suspended in mid air”, whichis probably the best way to describe thissublime merging of geological drama andreligious spirituality. The amazinglyimposing rocks of Meteora were formedabout 60 million years ago and evidencedates human presence there as far back as50,000 years. Christian hermitage probably

started around the 12th Century, but it wasnot until the 14th Century that theseprecariously perched monasteries began toemerge. Of the six monasteries still activetoday, Great Meteoron and Varlaam are thetwo largest and most visited.

MedCruise contact: Konstantinos [email protected]

Igoumenitsa


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La Spezia

150 ships bringing around 550,000passengers is predicted for 2016 at LaSpezia where the new 600mtr long

Garibaldi quay allows any size ship currentlysailing in the Med to berth alongside.

In September last year the new cruise

terminal Golfo di Poeti – Cinque Terre CruiseTerminal of La Spezia opened. With a internalsurface area of 1,500sq mtr it canaccommodate passengers in transit as wellas on turnarounds. Last year La Speziawelcomed maiden calls from MSC Armonia,MSC Divina, Anthem of the Seas and Allure ofthe Seas and recorded 656,000 passengers, up38% on the previous year.

Maiden calls this year include AIDAaura,MSC Fantasia and Harmony of the Seas – theworld largest cruise ship will debut on June15, 2016.

Thanks to its strategic position andexcellent rail and road connections cruisepassengers can reach the Gulf of La Spezia,Lerici and Porto Venere but can also visit theCinque Terre within 20 minutes. Otherdestinations reached by bus from the portinclude Sarzana, Florence, Pisa, Luca, Parmaand the marble quarries of Carrara.

Plans are currently being drawn up for anew quay for cruise ships offering two berthsof 393mtr and 339mtr as well as a new cruiseterminal building.

MedCruise contact: Fabrizio [email protected]

Livorno

The Alto Fondale Cruise Terminal,renovated in 2013 and where ships ofmore than 300mtr length can berth

alongside has been recently upgraded tooffer about 3,000sq mtr of space forturnaround operations including luggagehandling and Customs Clearance enablingLivorno to target interporting ships as wellas transit calls which currently make up themajority of traffic. The port is just a fewkilometres away from G. Galilei InternationalAirport.The Port Plan also foresees a €10m expansionof the building more than doubling itspresent space for handling of fullturnarounds of mega ships.

Livorno expects 409 calls and 800,000passengers in 2016 including new ships:AIDAstella(9 calls), Carnival Vista (18 calls),Costa Diadema (5 partial turnarounds), MeinSchiff 3 (1 visit), MSC Armonia (15 partialturnarounds), Thomson Discovery (10 calls)and seven calls by Viking Sea. Thisrepresents a 10% rise in calls and 14% hike inpassengers from last year.

A popular excursion is a visit to theVenezia district of Livorno’s historic heart.Designed in the 17th century, the area has anisland feel, criss-crossed by bridges andcanals reminiscent of the city of Venice. Theexcursion can be made easily by foot in halfa day and can be completed with a boat tripalong the Medici canals offering an unusualperspective of the city. Buildings of note arethe Churches of San Ferdinando and SantaCaterina, the Bottini dell’Olio (ancient oliveoil warehouse) and the Old Fortress with itsTuscan red colour, bastions and slopingwalls. (also see page 20)

MedCruise contact: Serena [email protected]

Lisbon

The port of Lisbon expects 320 calls andaround 535,000 cruise visitors this year,representing a 5% increase in calls and

4% jump in passengers.12 new ships will visit the Portugeuse capital

in 2016: Koningsdam and Harmony of the Seaswill call on their maiden voyages as well asmaiden calls from National Geographic Orion,Viking Sea, Monarch, Aegean Odyssey,Thomson Discovery, Sirena, Seven SeasExplorer, Mein Schiff 5, Norwegian Star and LeLyrial. They will all get a special welcomeceremony.

Lisbon Cruise Terminal (LCT), a privatelyowned company that operates the cruiseterminals of the Port of Lisbon startedconstruction of a new facility late last yearwhich is expected to be completed by end 2016.An overall investment of €22m. the new LisbonCruise Terminal will cover a total area of

13,000sq mtr and take into consideration theaspects of comfort, accessibility and flexibilityfor the services provided to passengers andships.

With this facility the Port of Lisbon Authorityaims to double its current more than half amillion passengers annually in the next tenyears. It will provide the capacity to grow thenumber of passengers annually as well as moreturnarounds.

New shorex this year include: a unique tour ofLisbon on a tuk tuk; a day at Mafra and its 18thCentury Palace plus wine tasting at Qunita deSant’Ana located in the countryside and RigidInflatable Boat (RIB) adventure on the riverproviding spectacular views of the monumentsand city-scape of Lisbon. (also see page 20)

MedCruise contact: Ana [email protected]

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Cinque Terre coastline


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Motril-Granada

The most popular shore excursion fromMotril is the Alhambra and theAlbaicín, in Granada, both UNESCO

World Heritage sites. It can be combined withflamenco and Spanish gastronomy which isalways a fun experience. Another classictour is the sugar cane route with a visit tothe plantations.

A new shore excursion is a visit to anagritourist farm where European subtropicalfruits are grown. Granada’s coastal area has

dozens of beaches andsmall coves withcrystal-clear water, 320sunny days a year andaverage temperature of20 degrees. Twocenturies ago, this wasthe only place in Europewhere subtropical fruitssuch as mangos,cherimoyas, avocadosand papayas weregrown. The Finca SanRamón, agro touristicfarm welcomes visitorswho can enjoy over 12hectares of crops andunbeatable views of thebeautiful bay of LaHerradura. Enjoy theexperience in aworkshop and tasting ofsubtropical fruits.

The Port of Motril, which is expecting 23ships and over 5,000 passengers this year,offers a new direct entrance to the highway,enabling quicker access for shore excursionsaround the region. New callers in 2016include Ponant’s Le Lyrial and L´Austral andAegean Odyssey operated by Voyages toAntiquity. (also see page 21)

MedCruise contact: Lorenzo Vera Franco [email protected]

Passengers visiting Mersin in southeastern Turkey can discover GilindireCave, located about 7.5km southeast of

Sancak Point and Kurtini Creek. It wasdiscovered by a shepherd in 1999 when thestate-owned Mineral Research andExploration Co undertook exploration worksin the cave they discovered a lake at the endof the cave, 480tr from the entrance.

According to experts the cave was formedin the beginning of the transition phase fromthe last glacial climate change when the

Mediterranean Sea rose 70mtr flooding thebottom of the cave. Stalagmites andstalactites abound in this cave and due tobeing underwater have remained unaffectedby atmospheric changes through the years.The lake’s water is brackish to a depth of12mtr while deeper water is saline.

Mersin is hoping to welcome five shipsthis year.

MedCruise contact:[email protected]

Mersin Marseille

70 cruise ships from 30 different cruisebrands will visit Marseille this yearbringing 1.7m passengers on 510 calls. They

will all call at the dedicated cruise port withthree cruise terminals, the largest of which isoperated by private consortium, MarseilleProvence Cruise Terminal. Small to medium-sized luxury ships can also berth at Joliette (J4)Cruise terminal close to the city centre.

To improve the access to the dock for thelargest ships, the port is currently widening thenorthern pass at an investment of €35m. Thedismantling of Mourepiane breakwater in 2016has already made access easier for the largestships in high winds. The work is due to be fullycompleted in 2017.

Marseille’s Forme 10 dry-dock, the largest inthe Med, capable of handling cruise ships ofmore than 330mtr is due to be operational laterthis year. (also see page 20)

MedCruise contact: Christelle Maubec [email protected]

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Messina

Messina is due to sign a contract soonfor the design of a new cruiseterminal, coming at a time when the

port is experiencing good traffic growth withcalls expected to be up by 18% and passengernumbers up 15% compared to 2015. 187 shipsbringing 377,112 passengers are booked to callin 2016 including 13 ships that have never beento the Sicilian port city before. Of these MSCPoesia will call 31 times. Passenger should lookout for the wine tasting tour in S. PlacidoCalonero, a Benedictine Monastery dating backto 1363. It offers a magnificant view of the Straitof Messina and houses an agricultural schooland wine cellar. It is an ideal place to relax andvisit the cloisters and vineyards of ‘Faro Doc’and sample some black pork salami, localcheeses, typical biscuits all served with localwines. (also see page 21)

MedCruise contact: Cristiana Laurà [email protected]

Gilindire Cave

S. Placido Calonero


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Odessa

Odessa is rich with picturesquepalaces, monuments, museums,boulevards and parks, cathedrals and

synagogues, hotels and universities. A halfday tour enables cruise visitors to see thefamous sights of the city in a nutshell. Thetour starts at Prymorsky Boulevard with its19th century buildings and continues to thepark tumbling towards the sea and thesweeping Potemkin Steps. The 193 stepsbuilt between 1837 and 1841 descend from astatue of the Duke de Richelieu in a Roman

toga. At the eastern end aPushkin statue and a BritishTiger Gun, captured in 1845during the Crimean campaign,stand before the pink and whitecolonnaded Odessa City Hall.

Several hundred metres fromthe City Hall is the impressivebuilding of the Opera and BalletTheatre designed by Viennesearchitects Felner & Gelmer in the1880s in the Habsburg Baroque ofthe day, with a number of ItalianRenaissance features.

Next up is the five domedUspensky Cathedral down thetree-lined streets to the Palace of

Count Pototsky, housing Odessa Fine ArtsMuseum. Its maze of over 15 rooms on twofloors has treasures reflecting thedevelopment of national art from 15thcentury icons to contemporary painting,graphic art, sculpture and decorative art.

Odessa is expecting 36 cruise ships andover 35,000 passengers in 2016. (see page 21)

MedCruise contact: Elvira [email protected]

Piraeus

This year sees Carnival Vistaundertaking six full turnarounds inPiraeus and in order to serve this vessel

the port is upgrading the facilities at TerminalB creating a fully air-conditioned waitinghalls for passengers of 2,000sq mtr, adding 60new check-in desks, additional X-Raymachines for checking luggage andpassengers with conveyor belts, new trafficregulations for the whole area and creation ofa new lounge exclusively for crew.

In July 2014 approval from the EU’s DG COMprovided for the financing of two new berthsfor cruise ships of more than 300mtr withalongside draft of 18mtr and additional landspace of 140,000sq mtr. The total cost isaround €135m with the aid approved covering€113.9m.

630 calls bringing an estimated 1.1mpassengers is the prospect for Port of Piraeusthis year which represents an increase from621 calls and 980,149 cruise visitors in 2015. Inaddition to Carnival Vista’s debut other newships visiting the Greek port for the first timeinclude Seabourn Encore, Amadea, Jewel ofthe Seas, Royal Clipper, Koningsdam, Venturaand Sirena.

China's Cosco Pacific is set to invest €135m($150m) in developing Piraeus' cruise facilitiesand services. In mid-January, Cosco Pacificemerged as the only bidder for the Greekgovernment's 67% stake up for sale in thePiraeus Port Authority. The Chinesecompany’s aim is to develop the potential ofthe Greek cruise market and for Piraeus toemerge as one of the world’s biggest cruiseports by 2017.

MedCruise contact: Stavros [email protected]

Palermo

Norwegian Epic returns to Palermo thisyear along with regular customersMSC and Costa as 182 ships are

scheduled to visit the Sicilian port.This year Palermo is a new addition to the

UNESCO World Heritage list and whilst mostshore excursions concentrate on thecoastline, visitors are recommended to take awalk among the city streets to admire itsrich treasure of churches and palacesincluding the Cathedral, the Royal Palace, thePalatine Chapel, the Churches of St Giovannidegli Eremiti, the church of Martorana, thechurch of St Cataldo, the Zisa Palace and theCathedral of Monreale and its cloister, justoutside Palermo.

Forty minutes from the city, within the

Madonie Park is Cefalu - one of the mostpopular attractions in Sicily thanks to itsNorman dome and cloisters. Close to the seaand near mountain villages it boasts a smallpicturesque port with peculiar archesprotecting the boats. At the MandraliscaMusuem view the Portrait of an UnknownMan by Antonello Messina.

Work on the new cruise terminal has beentemporarily suspended for a project varianceand it is not yet known when it will be readybut in the meantime the Port Authority isequipping Piave quay to welcome cruisetourists. (also see page 21)

MedCruise contact: Daniela [email protected]

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Rijeka

Croatia’s vibrant new cruise port ofRijeka is capturing major interest fromthe cruise lines and is eagerly looking

forward to welcoming 15 ships this year,including 9 maiden visits. In addition, 965pleasure craft will visit including motorsailing craft, catamarans, yachts andcruisers. Around 12,000 of the 160,500passengers arriving by sea will be fromcruise ships. The Port of Rijeka Authorityand Rijeka Tourism Board and the City ofRijeka report single and multiple callconfirmations from six US-based cruise linesand seven European brands through to 2018.

Rijeka won 2nd place in the recent UNWTO

awards for Innovation in Research andTechnology for its new mobile app foroutdoor bike tours enabling visitors to search40 cycling trails shown on Google Maps andprovide directions on how to reach them. Alltrails include descriptions of attractions,location of food and drink venues andservice centres. With the help of free Wi-Fiwithin the city of Rijeka its existing touristapp, Rijeka Connect, provides users with ahistorical overview of over 50 culturalmonuments across the city. (also see page 22)

MedCruise contact: Snijezana Papes [email protected]

The Marina of Portofino is investing in aproject that will allow more ships toanchor closer to the village, the new

cruise ship anchorage area, authorized bythe Harbour Master will be 0.3 nautical milesfrom Portofino Harbour entrance andprovides two radar detectable buoys toindicate the outer limits. The buoys areequipped with AIS signals, wave-windmeters and cameras. All transmitted datawill be visible online and available for allarriving ships. The project costing €200,000is expected to be completed by April 2016.

79 ships are due to call bringing around30,000 passengers to Portofino in 2016 whichis 10,000 more than last year when 65 shipsvisited.

A popular excursion is a visit to SanFruttuoso via private boat or ferry, a beautifuland secluded fishing village south ofPortofino with 10th century Abbey withhouses paintings and handicrafts,welcoming beachfront trattorias, a beach andunderwater statue of Christ as well as part ofthe Regional Natural park. (also see page 22)

MedCruise contact: Giorgia [email protected]

Portofino Portoferraio

More than 110 ships visited Elba in2015 bringing 37486 passengers anincrease of some 37% on the

previous year. Forcasts for 2016 areencouraging with 120 ships booked so far,many of them large in size. If this figure isconfirmed it will represent another recordyear with around 40,000 passengers callingin Portoferraio.

New ships to chose Portoferraio as a portof call this year include Sirena, CostaneoClassica, Seven Seas Navigator andThomson Discovery.

A new shore excursion is a trip to the topof Mount Capanne. A coach drivespassengers into the hills to the cable carstation passing through beautiful sceneryalong the coastline and up the surroundinghilltop villages. During the ride they will hearabout the history of the island and its cultureand nature. On arriving at the station,passengers embark the cable car two at atime every 20 seconds to take them up themountain to 1,019 metres inside 20 minutes.The views on the way up and from the peakare unforgettable – a not to be missed photoopportunity. From the top, passengers willenjoy views of the islands of the Tuscanarchipelago while relaxing with a coffee onthe panoramic terrace.

MedCruise contact: Giampiero Costagli [email protected]

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Savona

Last November 21, Savona welcomed its 10millionth cruise passenger a historicmilestone since the Ligurian port began

welcoming cruise ships in 1996. Paola Braschifrom Genoa who arrived on Costa Diadema withher husband and two children was presentedwith a prize of a cabin for a 98-day cruisearound the world on Costa Luminosa departingfrom Savona on September 2, 2016.

The special guest was also given a passallowing free entrance to the city’s museumsuntil the end of this year. ‘Slightly less than 20years ago it was unimaginable to think thattoday we would be celebrating the ten millionthcruise passenger that can be considered a

crowning achievement for the port of Savona’declared the mayor of the city, Federico Berruti.According to CLIA Europe, Savona was the fourthleading cruise port in Italy in 2014. Overall from2003 to 2015, Costa Cruises and the Port Authorityhas invested nearly €30m in Savona.

Savona is set to welcome 212 calls all fromCosta Cruises in 2016 resulting in around 1million passengers, up from 980,000 in 2015. Inthe year of the Holy Jubilee a visit to the NostraSignora della Misericordia in the city isrecommended. (also see page 22)

MedCruise contact: Cristina De [email protected]

Sibenik

Sibenik is known for its beautifulcathedral but it is less known that thiscity is proud of its four impressive

fortresses. St Michael’s Fortress is a recognizable

monument in the heart of Sibenik, open tovisitors and a place that promotes cultureand art through various musical andtheatrical events. Visitors can absorb thesoul of medieval Sibenik and its turbulentpast, enjoy the panoramic views and musicaland stage performances by Croatian andinternational artists on a unique open-airstage. Archaeological excavations inside thecomplex of the fortress revealed manyprehistoric and medieval cultural remains.

Also popular with visitors, the KornatiNational Park is made up of a group ofislands scattered off the coast of Croatia.There are more than 140 uninhabited isletsand islands in total, some rocky and somecloaked in vast olives groves and sweepingvineyards. It is possible to sail around theisland and swim along the way.

Port of Sibenik reports 82 ships and 12,000passengers expected to visit in 2016including new callers Crystal Esprit,Azamara Journey and Prinsendam. Therenewed and reconstructed Vrulje Quay of510mtr in length has changed the vision ofthis part of Sibenik and can accommodatecruise ships up to 260mtr in length. The portis planning to build a passenger terminal inthe next two years. (also see page 22)

MedCruise contact: Gordana [email protected]

Sète

Sète is looking forward to welcomingHolland America Line’s Oosterdam forfour calls in 2016 – the largest cruise

ship ever to call in the French port. In total,42 ships will bring 25,000 passengers thisyear, which represents growth of 35% in thenumber of calls and 22% increase in visitors.

One of the five UNESCO World Heritagesites accessible from the port, the Canal duMidi is a stunning attraction with itstranquil waters shaded by plane trees andfascinating architecture along the way. The240km long canal runs from Toulouse tothe Thai Lagoon near Sète and was built inthe 17th century to link the Atlantic to the

Mediterranean. Shaded by more than 10,000trees and lined by picturesque villages it isa beautiful heritage attraction. Passengerscan take a barge trip from the nine locks atFonseranes and experience a peacefulmini-cruise through the Languedoccountryside. For the more active, kayakingin the company of an instructor andEnglish-speaking guide enables passengersto enjoy a different view of this charmingcanal. (also see page 22)

MedCruise contact: Catherine [email protected]

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Nostra Signora della Misericordia

Canal du Midi

Kornati National Park


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Tarragona

Tarragona Cruise Port Costa Dauradacontinues to grow in stature as a cruisedestination. During 2015, 11 ships

visited the cruise terminal in the Port ofTarragona, located on Levante quay, bringing11,600 passengers. These figures represents83% growth on last year, and the forecast for2016 is even higher with 18 ships and 13,000cruise visitors expected.

Currently smaller ships of under 140mtrcan be accommodated at Marina PortTarraco, whilst larger vessels use Levantequay.

Whilst the destination is currentlyfocussed on attracting ships carrying around2,500 passengers in order to address futuregrowth potential, Port of Tarragona is

studying plans for a new, multi-functionalfacility at Prats quay, to be used exclusivelyfor cruise ships. It could be ready by 2018.

Attractions include the archaeologicalremains of the old Roman Tarraco and themedieval monastery of Poblet - both UNESCOWorld Heritage sites - as well as the HumanTowers. Gaudí's native city, Reus is close by.Under construction is Ferrari Land, the firstFerrari Park in Europe, which will be inPortAventura, Europe’s second largestdestination resort and the largest in theMediterranean. Tarragona is also hosting the2017 Mediterranean Games. (also see page 23)

MedCruise contact: Alba Colet [email protected]

Among the most popular shoreexcursions from Souda/Chania is theold city of Chania with its picturesque

old port, museums, archaeological sites andnarrow streets. A few minutes away fromthe harbour (7-15km) are Agios Apostoli (St.Paul’s beach) Platanias and Ag. Marina’sbeaches with various water sports availableincluding parascending.

7km from the port lies the ancient city ofAptera on the hillside and famous for its 4thcentury BC antiquities, Roman water tanks,an open-air theatre and the ruins of a 19thcentury castle.

Besides the famous Cretan Gorges(Samaria and Theriso), the lake of Kournassurrounded by mountains offers a peaceful

environment. Also near the city are historicsites such as the monastery in Agia Triadaor Venizelos tombs in the Akrotiri region.

The Cretan port of Souda is expectingmore than 70 ships and over 150,000passengers in 2016, representing a 25%increase in cruise business. The securitysystem at the port has been upgraded withelectronic surveillance equipment while thefacilities remain friendly for passengers.The local bus company offers free tickets forthose passengers in wheelchairs wishing totravel from the harbour of Souda to the cityof Chania and back. (also see page 22)

MedCruise contact: Stella [email protected]

Souda/Chania Split

Port of Split is building two new cruiseberths in the outer side of the harbourbreakwater which are due to be

completed by the end of this year. In themeantime one berth will be ready for thestart of this summer enabling the port tohandle cruise ships up to a length of 320mtralongside with a 10.5mtr maximum draft.

From 2017 the two berths willaccommodate ships of 270mtr and 320mtrrespectively both with 10.5mtr draftsignificantly increasing the capacity tohandle large ships and raise the level ofservice, safety and security for passengers.

291 ships are scheduled to call at Port ofSplit this year bringing 300,000 passengerswhich is an increase in traffic from 2015when 262 ships brought 271,445 cruisevisitors to the city.

The pedestrianised ancient UNESCO WorldHeritage-listed city of Split offers numerouscafes, taverns and restaurants for tastinglocal cuisine such as pruscuitto, sheepcheese, fish and stewed lamb or beef as wellas fine wines from the Dalmatia region.

Nearby are the ruins of Salona – theancient Roman Capital of the Province ofDalmatia, the historic Fortress of Kils, andthe UNESCO listed picturesque town ofTrogir. For the adventurous, an unforgettableexperience is rafting on the mighty CetinaRiver and the Krka River National Park withmaginifcent waterfalls. (also see page 22)

MedCruise contact: Josko [email protected]

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Valletta

Valletta Cruise Port registered a recordbreaking 668,277 passengers on 306cruise vessels last year representing

an increase of 150,683 passengers or a 29.1%hike on 2014. The previous record was set in2012, with 608,786 passenger movements.

Transit passengers represented 79% of themovements. Homeport operations accountedfor 21%.

The busiest month in 2015 was Octoberwhen 16% of the annual total arrived in theMaltese capital. The busiest day was July 22welcoming over 13,500 passengers

This February, Valletta Cruise Port hasreceived the Best Mediterranean Port &Destination award conferred at the Cruise

Excellence Awards in Cartagena, Spain.The Cruise Excellence Awardsrecognizes the protagonists of the cruiseindustry in 13 categories. The awards arebased on the results of a macro survey tocruise travellers that has been conductedin 2015.

Stephen Xuereb, CEO of VallettaCruise Port said, ‘We are very proud to bereceiving this award. Valletta Cruise Portand Malta have the right mix to excel:port infrastructure, destinationattractiveness, a good product offering,outstanding service delivery with goodpassenger flows in the key facilities,

varied transport modes, and safety andsecurity. All this within a value-for-moneyproposition, and delivered with pride andpassion. We dedicate this award to all thepersonnel of Valletta Cruise Port, whotogether with local stakeholders relentlesslywork to ensure that Malta is professional,efficient, reliable and flexible in meetingexpectations on all fronts.’

The Maltese port, in which Global PortsHolding holds a majority stake, is expected towelcome in excess of 740,000 passengermovements in 2016.

MedCruise contact: Stephen [email protected]

Toulon-VarProvence

Toulon Rugby Club is known to rugbyfans worldwide thanks to victories inthe European Champions Cup – three

time winners in a row - and its emblematicinternational players like Tana Umaga andJonny Wilkinson. The Rugby Club’s MayolStadium is located right in front of thecruise terminal and offers guided tours forpassengers where they can enjoy a beer atthe RCT pub, learn to sing its theme tunePilou Pilou and have a chat with theplayers.

For racing fans another sport-relatedtour involves a visit to the Paul RicardCircuit for a guided tour of the paddock, pitlane buildings, video control centre and forthe very adventurous a karting experience,driving a GT car or Segway tour of theracing track.

A new cruise terminal building iscurrently under construction in La Seynesur mer and will be operational for the firstcruise call of the 2016 season at the end ofMarch.

This year Toulon is anticipating anincrease in numbers with 146 calls due tobring 330,000 passengers which is a rise of37% compared to last year. 18 of the callswill be from ships visiting for the firsttime. (also see page 23)

MedCruise contact: Anne-Marie [email protected]

Venice

Venice is a unique city where historyand culture come in different shapes,offering an exciting array of

excursions and activities for everyone’staste and within a short walking, sailing anddriving distance from the ships at berth.Popular half day or full day excursions rangefrom a visit to the memorable St MarksBasilica and Doge’s Palace to an excursionamid glass creations, lace traditions andmosaic treasures on Murano, Burano andTorcello islands; from a serenade on agondola ride to a walk through an intricatelabyrinth of hidden passageways, clusters oftightly packed buildings, ornate squares andbridges.

Based on bookings received, Venice is

expecting to record 529 calls and 1.55mpassengers this year, versus 521 calls and1.58m passengers last year. Royal CaribbeanInternational’s Rhapsody of the Seas, AIDACruises’ AIDAbella, Holland America Line’sEurodam, Oceania Cruises’ Sirena and CrystalYacht Cruises’ Crystal Esprit are amongships making maiden calls at Venice in 2016.

Ongoing investments include an increasein the number of outdoor shelters forluggage delivery and passenger welcomearea and improvement of the automationsystem for parking and online bookingssystem. (also see page 23)

MedCruise contact: Francesco [email protected]

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Mourillon Beach


17

News in brief

After a record season in 2015, the Azoresis expecting a slight decrease innumbers with 135,000 passengers

scheduled to visit the islands, including tenmaiden callers, which will still result in thesecond best cruise season so far. The mostpopular shorex for passengers visiting theAzores is a full day trip to Furnas Valley withFire Lake on San Miguel Island. (see page 18)

MedCruise contact: Andre Velho Cabral [email protected]

In 2015, the Turkish port of Istanbulwelcomed 589,314 passengers and 331calls. The waterfront project is going

ahead with pile driving starting in the firstquarter of 2016 for a 10mtr extension of theexisting berth at Salipazari.

MedCruise contact: Figen [email protected]

The Ports of Madeira (Funchal and PortoSanto) are expecting 302 ships this yearof which five are maiden calls:

AIDAmar, Le Lyrial, Sea Explorer I,Koningsdam and Seven Seas Explorer. In2015, Funchal welcomed 308 calls and 578,492passengers while Porto Santo, located 43kilometre northeast of Madeira and knownfor its sandy beaches and natural landscapes,had four ships visiting bringing 1,856passengers. (also see page 20)

MedCruise contact: Alexandra [email protected]

495 cruise ships are expected to arrive inNaples during 2016 bringing 1,280,000passengers; new visitors include the

Viking pair of Viking Sea and Viking Sky aswell as Holland America Line’s new flagshipKoninsgdam, Carnival Cruise Line’s CarnivalVista and Royal Caribbean international’sHarmony of the seas. The numbers represent anincrease of 10% more ships and 1% growth inpassengers compared to last year. (see page 21)

MedCruise contact: Barbara [email protected]

406,720 passengers are expected inValencia this year arriving on 192 shipcalls and berthing on two quays for

ships up to 300mtr plus three more berths forships of over 300mtr. The new Northern partof the port includes plans for a new cruisefacility with three berths for large ships. Italso includes dock space to handle alloperational requirements. The excellentclimate with more than 300 sunny days ayear makes Valencia a great place to enjoy apleasant bike ride or Segway excursionthrough the narrow streets of the old town orthe wide open spaces along the length of theJardines del Turia. (also see page 23)

MedCruise contact: Francesca [email protected]

All infrastructure work in the new port ofGazenica, situated just 3km from citycentre is completed. It is directly

connected to the new motorway network (a fourlane highway) with rapid access to ZadarAirport, Zagreb, the rest of Croatia and centralEurope through the road and motorwaynetworks.

The new port provides extended berthingcapacity for large international ferries and

cruise ships and international standard on-shore facilities for passengers and vehicles (5berths). Draft depths in the new passenger portrange from 6mtr to 13mtr for cruise ships. Thelongest berth is 375mtr.

Port of Zadar Authority (PZA) has beenentrusted with the responsibility of relocationof the existing ferry port of Zadar in the area ofGaženica port, as well to build and manage anew ferry and cruise terminal building. The

construction of the Terminal is planned to startin summer 2016 and is expected to becompleted by the end of 2017. PZA expects tolaunch the tender for the terminal buildingoperator concession in the first half of 2016.

The Croatian port is expecting about 120cruise calls in 2016 and more than 120,000passengers compared with about 75,000 cruisevisitors last year which represents more than a50% increase in traffic. (also see page 23)

MedCruise contact: Djoni [email protected]

Zadar

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Zadar Sea Organ


18 ��

In contact

Captain Haluk Sayman, marketing &business development manager,Alanya Cruise Port

Captain HalukSayman is an oceangoing Master

Mariner having graduatedfrom Istanbul’s MerchantMarine Academy in 1984.After a career at sea hemoved into managementpositions in shipping,yachting, tourism and port operations. He alsoserved on the Council of the Antalya Chamberof Shipping and the MedCruise BoD. Since2011, Haluk has been Harbour Pilot andmarketing & business development managerat Alanya Cruise Port. Haluk’s favouritepastimes are reading, listening to music,fishing, hiking and travelling. ‘The biggestchallenge facing Alanya Cruise Port is a rushto cancel cruise calls against the backdrop ofcontinuing turmoil in the Middle East.’

Meet the personalities representing MedCruise ports and destinations in the marketplace.

Andre Velho Cabral, cruise manager, Azores Port Authority

Andre’s debut in the cruiseindustry started in 2010 whenhe was invited to manage all

cruise activity in the Azores.Together with Filipe Macedo, newguidelines were established and in2012 for the first time Azorean portsreached 100 calls and 100,000passengers. Last year new recordswere set when 138 ships brought 141,847cruise visitors to the islands. ‘In 2016 a big

challenge is AIDA’s winter season inthe archipelago – a new achievementand an important one. Together withthe Tourism Department we willdevelop a special and warm welcomefor those passengers.’ Andre hasbeen a cruise ship spotter from anearly age. He recalls seeing Canberrain the Azores as a child. He is also a

keen photographer of cruise ships.

Laura Cimaglia, manager cruise and communicationPort of Brindisi Authority

Laura was born andlived in Taranto untilshe went to

university in Bologna. In1996/7 she spent a yearabroad at the University ofKent, UK where sheobtained a Diploma inEuropean Legal Studies

and broadened her language skills. Shegraduated in shipping law at BolognaUniversity in 2000. Laura started work atBrindisi Port Authority in 2007 and has beeninvolved in the cruise business since 2102. Inher spare time she enjoys reading, going tothe movies and art exhibitions but travellingis her real passion. ‘We have many interestingshorex and I believe our main goal is to raiseBrindisi’s appeal in the vast Med cruisemarket and are working hard to increase thelevel of efficiency of the services offered tothe cruise lines.’

Dian Dimov, executive director, Port of Burgas

Dian Dimov, the executive director ofPort of Burgas, graduated from OdessaUniversity of Marine Engineers

majoring in economics and water transport.He has over 30 years of experience in portoperations holding various positions. He ispresident of Black & Azov Sea PortsAssociation. ‘Our challenge is to increase ourcruise business despite the complicatedpolitical situation in the Black Sea regionand increasing prices for crossing theBosporus. Over the past two years we have

proved we have thecapability to handle cruisecalls and an infrastructureto match. With theconstruction of a secondpassenger terminal wewill be able to serve twoships simultaneously andwith a close proximity ofBurgas Airport we could

become a home port.’ He takes a keeninterest in sport when not working.

Fernando Munoz, business development manager & Hortensia Sanchez, manager commercial and marketing, Port Authority of Cartagena

Fernando Munoz and Hortensia Sanchezare the public figures for Port ofCartagena’s cruise business. Fernando

graduated as a doctor in Physical Sciences atthe Complutense University of Madrid andhas been business development manager ofthe Port Authority of Cartagena since 1999.Hortensia graduated from the School ofTourism of Cartagena in 1998 and has beenworking in the port’s business development

department for 19 years. She was born inSpain but spent her childhood inWashington DC. ‘As of today the PortAuthority has experienced a great growthin the number of calls and passengers itreceives and the main goal is to maintainthese figure, however our biggestchallenge is to become a home port.’ Theyboth love travelling and learning aboutother cultures.

‘Our biggest challenge is tobecome a home port.’

‘Our challenge is to increase ourcruise business despite the

complicated political situationin the Black Sea.’


19��

John Portelli, general manager,Roma Cruise Terminal,Civitavecchia

John Portelli isgeneral manager ofRoma Cruise

Terminal, the privatecompany responsible forcruise operations in thePort of Civitavecchia. Hehas been involved inpassenger and cargo portsector for over 20 years and joined RCT fromValletta Cruise Port. He also served as thegm of CMA CGM’s Malta office as well asdirector of MFT Ltd one of Europe’s largestcontainer terminals. John has written andlectured about port reform, developmentand management. He is a graduate of theUniversity of Malta and University ofManchester. ‘The main challenge is to builda partnership between the terminaloperator, the port authority and the city andthe key rests on an appreciation of theeconomic and social benefits that emanatefor cruise activity.’

Teodor Patrichi, cruise terminal representative, Port of Constantza

Teodor Patrichi has a mechanicalengineering degree from OvidiusUniversity, Constantza specialising in

port machinery. After finishing his studies in2005 he stated working within the ConstantzaPort Authority with experience in variousdepartments and being placed in charge of thecruise terminal since 2006. As well as active

volunteering andrunning communitysocial projects, like the2015 InternationalCoastal Cleaning, hishobbies includeswimming, basketballand beach walks.

Aris Batsoulis, head of cruise dept.and PFSO, Corfu Port

Aris Batsoulis is a qualifiedMechanical Engineer who enjoysspending time with his family and

friends and is an avid reader, a trainedyachtsman and lovesbeing outdoors. Hestarted working in thecruise sector in 2000 as asupervising engineer inthe construction of theports’ cruise terminal. In2003 he became the PortFacility Security Officerand gradually took on

more responsibility for the port operationsand berthing allocation and in 2012 becamehead of the cruise department. ‘The biggestchallenge the port of Corfu is facing is toprove in a world with increasing tensionand uncertainty, it is chosen by the cruiselines as safe and secure. The fact we are awelcoming port is shown by the rise intraffic expected in 2016.’

Anne-Sophie Peyran, marketing,sales and communication manager,French Riviera Ports

Anne-Sophie Peyran isthe marketing, salesand communication

manager of the FrenchRiviera Ports with 10 yearsof experience in portactivities. She is thesecretary general of theFrench Riviera Cruise Club,

boasting 200 members and sits on theMedCruise BoD in charge of professionaldevelopment and CLIA France. ‘You maythink promoting the French Riviera is easysince the destination is so well knownworldwide but the reality is that in thecontext of globalisation and competition, wework hard to promote the hidden flavours ofthe area. This is our biggest challenge tooffer the best experience to the cruiseindustry’s complete value chain:passengers, crew, travel agencies and cruiselines.’ Her pastime is to ‘live’: dancing,drinking and talking with friends andmeeting new people.

Bob Sanguinetti, ceo and Captain,Port of Gibraltar

Bob Sanguinettiassumed the role ofceo and Captain of

the Port of Gibraltar inMay 2014. Born andraised in Gibraltar hestudied at OxfordUniversity and served inthe Royal Navy for threedecades, rising to therank of Commodore. The former marinerserved at sea and commanded several RoyalNavy warships and a multinational coalitionTask Group before working at the Ministryof Defence in a number of strategic roles.Married to Sylvia, they have threeuniversity-age daughters (Annabel, Helenaand Christina) and a very energetic springerspaniel (Tinto). ‘I am delighted to be back atmy birthplace and contributing to the well-being and continued development of thePort which is expecting over 348,000passengers this year.’

Apollon Filippis, president and ceo, Port of Heraklion

Apollon Filippis graduated as anelectrical engineer at the University ofPavia, Faculty of Engineering in Italy.

He speaks Italian and English. He has been aProfessor in the Electrical Engineering facultyat the Technological Educational Institute ofCrete and participated in Environment,Energy and Waste Management committeesin Crete and has made presentations on the

subject in conferencesand seminars. FromDecember 2015, he assumed the role ofpresident and ceo at the Port of Heraklionfocussed on further developing the portespecially the commercial department, cruiseand services. His vision, in cooperation withlocal authorities, is Heraklion becomes ‘a focalpoint’ in the Mediterranean Sea.

‘The main challenge is to build apartnership between the terminal

operator, the port authority and the cityand the key rests on an appreciation ofthe economic and social benefits that

emanate for cruise activity.’

‘I am delighted to beback at my birthplace

and contributing to thecontinued development

of the port.’


20 ��

Juan Manuel Vega Granda,commercial manager, Port of Huelva

Spanish merchantcaptain Juan ManuelVega Granda joined

the Port of Huelva aftermore than 11 years havingserved on merchant ships.He held various roles ashead of safety andoperations manager forover 19 years. He took on the role ofcommercial manager three years ago, whichincludes the cruise sector, among others.Port of Huelva first welcomed cruise shipstwo years ago and is expecting 21 calls in2016. ‘the most important challenge is forevery stakeholder involved in cruiseactivity throughout the city and port joinsas a single voice and to this end, we areworking on forming a network. Juan Manuelloves jogging and studying to improve hisEnglish language skills. He jogs an average40km a week.

Giovanni Spadoni, technical and commercial director, Porto di Livorno 2000

Apast MedCruise president, GiovanniSpadoni is technical and commercialdirector of Porto di Livorno 2000 – a

post he has held since 1998. His previous rolescovered ships’ operations and commercialactivity as a ship agent. He calls the term asMedCruise president in 2008-10, ‘a verychallenging and fruitful experience’. ForLivorno the port for Tuscany, ‘our single

biggest challenge is toincrease the infrastructureto match the growing sizeof cruise ships andarrivals. The recentLivorno Port Plan inprogress is supplying theanswers.’ Giovanni’s hobbyis reading.

Bojan Babic, cruise terminaldirector Vodja PC Potniski terminal,Koper

Bojan Babic has been overseeing Koper’scruise business since it startedwelcoming ships. His key role is to

involve all stakeholders in Slovenia to serve,develop and operate thebroad range of serviceneeds to cater to callingcruise ships, passengersand other customers. Oneof Bojan’s main focussescurrently is the planning ofa new cruise terminalbuilding which is due toopen for the 2017/18 season.

Ana Lourenco, cruise manager, Port of Lisbon Authority

Ana has been working for the PortAuthority for 16 years and has beeninvolved in cruise for the past 11

years. She calls this her ‘dream job’ allowingher to be in contact with a range of peopleincluding cruise ship operators, portoperators, agents, authorities, passengersand ships making her job both interestingand enriching. Ana is proud to work in asector that contributes to the growth andrecognition of Portugal asa tourist destination. ‘Onthe other hand thechallenge is working in aconstantly changingbusiness that requiresregular response to providehigh quality standards asfar as services renderedare concerned.’

Alexandra Mendonca, ceo, Madeira Port Authority

Alexandra has been ceo ofMadeira Port Authority sinceNovember 2011 and a member

of the executive board since 2009.She has also been on the board ofMadeira Tourism. Until September2014, Alexandra sat on the MedCruiseBoD, responsible for security matters.‘Our biggest challenge is the

changing face of cruising. TheMadeira Islands have a long traditionin the cruise market and we arefacing competition from other areasincluding the growing Asian marketand the variety of deploymentoptions available to cruise lines. Webelieve the Atlantic Corridor andMadeira region is standing still.’

Jean-Francois Suhas, head ofMarseille Provence Cruise Club

Elected in January 2015 toreplace Jacques Truau atthe head of the Marseille

Provence Cruise Club, Jean-Francois is a maritime pilothaving joined Marseille-FosPilots’ Station in 1999 and beenits secretary general since 2011.Hailing from the Basque Country and with apassion for the sea Jean-Francois firstdiscovered Marseille when studying at theEcole Nationale Superieure de Marseille. Hethen served on cruise ships first with theMermoz and later with Club Med. After tenyears at sea new family commitments broughthis back to shore. ‘Our biggest challenge is toexplain to everyone locally the importance ofthe cruise business and maintain Marseille asone of the top five Med cruise ports and to tryand be in the top ten in the world!’

‘On the other hand the challenge isworking in a constantly changing

business that requires regular responseto provide high quality standards as far

as services rendered are concerned.’

Jean-Francois workedon cruise ships

including Mermozand Club Med.


21��

Cristiana Laura manager ofpromotion Port Authority of Messina

45-year-old CristianaLaura has been themanager of the

port’s promotion officesince 2004 and her role isto promote cruise andlogistic activities at theports of Messina andMilazzo. She organisesspecial welcomes for maiden cruise ships,handles all PR activities and is involved inMOUs with other ports, public entities orprivate bodies in relation to development ofport activities. ‘The biggest challenge weare facing this year is co-ordinating PublicAuthorities and local operators to ensurecruise passengers and lines get a uniqueexperience in Messina. I am working withthe all stakeholders to plan and organisenew tours, special welcomes and events,new apps and tourist maps.’

Lorenzo Vera Franco, commercial manager, Motrilport-Granada

Motrilport-Granada was established asan Economic Interest Group in 2014to foster business

development in the province, based inthe hinterland of the Port of Motril.The objective is to integrate alllogistics and port sector efforts as akey element of success not forgettingthe significance of the tourist sectorto the economy of the area. ‘I findcruise is a fascinating world and I am

learning every day. A challenge is toconsolidate as a cruise destination by

increasing traffic, growing andinnovating on the shorex side. Our2016-2020 action plan calls for thedestination and port to improve ourcruise products.’ Hobbies includespending time with friends, having adrink and tapas, listening toclassical music and relaxing walksin Granada.

Elvira Leshchinskaya, head ofdevelopment and external relations,Odessa Sea Port Authority

After obtaining adegree of higheducation in 2003,

Elvira Leshchinskayastarted working in themarketing department atOdessa Sea Port Authorityfor 12 years beforebecoming head ofDevelopment and External Relations in March2012 (now part of Tourism andEurointegration Department). She joined theMedCruise BoD in 2014 and organised theBlack Sea Cruise conferences in 2008, 2010and in 2012 aimed at developing passengertraffic and cruising in the Black Sea. Talkingof current challenges she says,’ someinternational mass media stretch the realityof the political situation in Ukraine. Ukrainewith its high tourist potential and centuries-long history and fabulous hospitality has allthe opportunities to offer a safe andeconomically attractive cruise destination.’

Daniela Mezzatesta manager ofpromotion and communicationdepartment, Palermo Port

Mrs DanielaMezzatesta startedworking at

Palermo Port Authority in1994 and has always beeninvolved in the marketingactivities of the port. Priorto that she had over 15years’ experience in travel,destination marketing and PR field havingworked for travel agencies and touroperators, destination managementcompanies and a PR firm. ‘I was and still amliterally in love with this work.’ Her biggestchallenge is to make Palermo and its port a‘must-see destination; for anyone visitingSicily.’ To reach this result, ‘it is veryimportant that the port and city work welltogether as Palermo is expecting 182 callsthis year.’ Her hobbies are crocheting bagsand playing tennis if time permits!

The biggest challengewe are facing is

co-ordinating PublicAuthorities and localoperators to ensure

passengers get aunique experience.

Lorenzo’s hobbies are having a drinkand tapas, listening to classical music

and relaxing walks in Grenada.

Ukraine with its centuries-long history andfabulous hospitality has all theopportunities to offer a safe and

economically attractive cruise destination.

Tomaso Cognolato, ceo, NaplesTerminal SpA, Port of Naples

Tomaso Cognolato has20 years’ experiencein management,

development, marketingand sales in the transportand tourism sectors.Thanks to his naturalpredisposition to customersatisfaction and strategicskills in problem solving and communicationTomaso has been named chief of the TerminalNapoli SpA, a private stock companymanaging the maritime station in Naples port.The business includes a congress centre, ashopping centre and passenger terminal.


22 ��

Giorgia Collalti, sales and marketing manager,Portofino Servizi Turistici Srl

Originally from Rome,Giorgia moved toFlorida in 1997 and

graduated with a BS ininternational Business andTrade. After graduation sheimmediately got involved inthe cruise sector coveringdifferent positions in major cruise lines fromprocurement to IT and from Compliance toNautical affairs. She moved to the charmingtown of Portofino in 2014 where she took onthe position of marketing and sales managerrepresenting the famous harbour at majorcruise and yacht shows. ‘It is very crucial toalways differentiate and try to offer uniqueand fun attractions for visitors. Marina diPortofino, in collaboration with localbusinesses, strives to find new and exclusivetours to offer cruise passengers.’

Vlado Mezak, executive director, Port of Rijeka Authority

Vlado Mezak, Ph.D. was born inCroatia in 1962. He isexecutive director, Port of

Rijeka Authority and took the helmof the organisation after managingthe Commercial Affairs Departmentincluding a major role in the RijekaGateway Project – the biggestproject in the port’s history fundedby the World Bank. He has a degree in MarineEngineering, and postgraduate and doctoraldegrees from the faculty of Economics at

University of Rijeka. ‘In 2015 the portwas able to handle ships with thedeepest draft thanks to an alternativesolution to berth cruise ships in themodernised container terminal closeto the city centre. Interest in Rijeka asa cruise destination is growing and 15calls are due this year.’ Vlado picksout cruise manager Rajko Jurman and

head of marketing Snijezana Papes who have‘contributed significantly to the developmentof Rijeka’s cruise activity.’

Cristina de Gregori, cruise manager,Port Authority of Savona

Cristina has been working in thePromotion, Communication andInstitutional Relations sector of the Port

Authority since 2001. She has a degree inforeign languages (she speaks Italian, Spanish,

English, Portuguese andFrench) and aspecialisation inIntercultural BusinessNegotiation. She studied atthe University of Genoa andalso at the University ofValencia, Spain where sheprepared her thesis. TodaySavona welcomes around 1

million cruise passengers at its twoPalacrociere terminals. ‘My challenge is tomaintain this high level of activity both interms of numbers and in terms of quality of theservices provided and to make people discoverthe beauty of Savona and its province.’ Whennot working Cristina loves to travel (not only byships) and to practice sports.

Catherine Lafon, cruise manager,Port of Sète

Catherine Lafon hasbeen working forthe port of Sète

‘forever’ and took overcruise promotion in 2010.‘Our biggest challenge isto increase Sète’snotoriety. Marquee portssell by themselves as

people have heard of those places and wantto go there, so our job is to tell them whythey should be visiting less well-knowndestinations. We work closely with the townauthorities to raise awareness among allstakeholders the actions that are needed toensure guests satisfaction. We are alsocollaborating with several small west Medcruise ports to jointly promote the Boutiqueport concept to the lines.’ When not workingCatherine loves to read, music, gatherings offamily or friends and travel around Franceor abroad.

Kostas Manolikakis, president ofHarbour Management Organizationof Chania Prefecture, Souda Port

Amechanical engineer KostasManolikakis is contributing hisknowledge to

the development ofservice procedures forships calling at SoudaPort. Manolikakis’biggest challenge ‘is tomake sure visitingpassengers leaveChania completelysatisfied having fullyenjoyed Cretanhospitality.’

Marijan Petkovic assistant executive director, Port of Sibenik

Marijan Petkovic is assistantexecutive director Port ofSibenik but has 16 years of

experience in the role of ExecutiveDirector at the Croatian port. For thelast ten years, ever since Sibenikbecame a member of MedCruise hedevoted his attention to developingcruise tourism and has served on theMedCruise BoD for the past six years. ‘Sincethe cruise industry is in constant growth,

new ports and terminals are indemand. New itineraries anddestinations are sought after and thisis very beneficial for smaller portslike Sibenik as they can activelypromote themselves. Thecontinuous need for new facilities iswhy we are planning a new terminal

in the next two years.’ Marijan prefers tospend his free time in natural surroundingsand is a keen mountaineer.

Josko Berket-Bakota, manager,Split Port Authority

Managing a portwith over 2,000years of tradition

is a challenging task initself, says Josko. ‘Thegrowth that Split hasenjoyed in the past tenyears presents a whole setof new challenges for us

and we are looking to preserve a delicatebalance between heritage, sustainable growthand ecology for the future. Our goal is not onlyto make Port of Split the leading transit portsin the Mediterranean but a tourist destinationwith wide range of services to make itappealing for the cruise industry and it is achallenge we are gladly accepting.’

‘Marquee ports sell by themselves aspeople have heard of those places and

want to go there, so our job is to tell themwhy they should be visiting less well-

known destinations.’


23��

Genoveva Climent, commercialdirector, Port of Tarragona

Genoveva Climenthas a longprofessional career

at the Port of Tarragona,which has coveredoperations, supply chainand port community.Since 2012 she has beenhead of businessdevelopment at the port and assumedresponsibility for the cruise sector in 2015.Genoveva graduated in Law, Masters inInternational Business for Executives at theUniversity Pompeu Fabra, Port OperationsManagement graduate from PolytechnicUniversity of Catalonia and a Masters inPort Management and IntermodalTransportation from the UniversityPontificia de Comillas. ‘A big challenge is topromote the brand Tarragona Cruise PortCosta Daurada and the region’s touristattractions and ensuring excellent servicefor all visitors.’ Her hobbies includetrekking, horse riding and gardening.

Delphine Beudin, head of cruise development,Port of Toulon/Var Provence Cruise Club

Delphine spent her childhood onthe French Atlantic coast andafter studying in tourism

arrived in Toulon working in theoperations and quality managementsectors for five years. 10 years ago sheentered the cruise business with afocus of promoting Toulon first,followed by the whole Var Provence

region, as a major cruise destinationin the French Med. Passionate anddeeply involved in the cruise sector,Delphine has other hobbies and lovescooking and gardening and sailingand dropping anchor along thebeautiful Var Provence coast to enjoythe sea and sun. So whatever she doesit’s never far from the sea!

Dr Dimitrios Makris, ceo,Thessaloniki Port

Acivil engineer, specialising in SeaTransport and Port Operations and hasserved as an executive in Strategic

Planning as well as marketing and sales ofthe Thessaloniki Port.Professional areas ofexpertise include portoperations, portdevelopment andnegotiations between portclient sand investors.Dimitrios served as alecture and assistantprofessor of the University

of Thessaly 1998-2012 and represents the portat the European Seaports Organisation (ESPO).

Francesca Antonelli, marketingmanager, Port of Valencia

Francesca’sprofessional career,which started in

Switzerland beforemoving to Spain in 2002,has always been focussedon project management,promotion activities andpublic relations. She

speaks several languages including English,Spanish, German, Italian, French, Catalanand some Chinese, which is very useful insuch an international business as the portand the cruise business. ‘I like to face newchallenges and am a positive spirit andenjoy working in teams. What I most valuein the professional field is a good workingenvironment and emotional intelligence.’

Roberto Perocchio, managing director, Venezia Terminal Passeggeri

Roberto graduatedfrom Law Schooland has been

managing director ofVenice’s cruise terminalssince 2005. He alsomanages threecompanies specialisingin the management ofmarinas and touristvillages and is currently president ofAssomarinas. He was a MedCruise BoDlooking after EU Relations/Adriatic Seabetween 2010-2014 and enjoys spending histime in the mountains. ‘The biggestchallenge for Venice is gettinggovernmental approval for the modificationof an existing access channel to allowbigger ships to reach the Cruise Terminalsthrough the Malamocco lagoon entrance.’

Djoni Stambuk, assistant to general manager for commercial affairs, port ops and marketing, Zadar Port Authority

Djoni is 43 years old and hasabout 20 years’ experienceworking in the maritime

industry including the last 12 inZadar Port Authority. In 1997 hegraduated from the faculty ofEconomical Science University ofZagreb. ‘The biggest challenge for theport was developing and contracting thenew port facilities and relocation of ferryand cruise traffic from the old city port to

new facilities in Gazenica Zadar.’ Inthe next five years the nextchallenge ‘is to build a new terminalbuilding’ to cater for the increase inthe number of cruise and ferrypassengers.’ During free time Djon isa songwriter for hisindie/alternative band called the

Angry Babies (Ljute Bebe), which has threepublished albums. He has also writtenmusic for a few Croatian films.

Delphine loves cooking, gardening andsailing the beautiful Var-Provence coast.

‘The biggest challengefor Venice is getting

governmental approvalfor modification of

existing access channelto allow bigger ships to

Cruise Terminalsthrough Malamocco

lagoon entrance.’


MedCruise News

March 2016 | Issue 51

Alanya, TurkeyAlicante, SpainAncona, ItalyAzores, PortugalBalearic Islands, SpainBarcelona, SpainBari, ItalyBastia/North Corsica, FranceBrindisi, ItalyBurgas, BulgariaCagliari, ItalyCartagena, SpainCastellón, SpainCeuta, SpainCivitavecchia, ItalyConstantza, RomaniaCorfu, GreeceCyprus portsDubrovnik, Korcula, CroatiaEgyptian portsFrench Riviera portsGibraltarGioia Tauro, ItalyHeraklion, GreeceHuelva, SpainIgoumenitsa, GreeceIstanbul, Turkey

Kavala, GreeceKoper, SloveniaKotor, MontenegroKusadasi, Bodrum & Antalya, TurkeyLa Spezia, ItalyLisbon, PortugalLivorno, ItalyMadeira ports, PortugalMálaga, SpainMarseille, FranceMersin, TurkeyMessina, ItalyMonacoMotril-Granada, SpainNaples, ItalyNorth Sardinian ports, ItalyOdessa, UkrainePalamós & Roses, SpainPalermo, ItalyPatras, GreecePiraeus, GreecePortimão, PortugalPortoferraio, ItalyPortofino, ItalyRavenna, ItalyRijeka, Croatia

Savona, ItalySète, FranceSibenik, CroatiaSochi, RussiaSouda/Chania, GreeceSplit, CroatiaTaranto, ItalyTarragona, SpainPorts of TenerifeThessaloniki, GreeceToulon-Var Provence, FranceTrabzon, TurkeyTunisian portsValencia, SpainValletta, MaltaVenice, ItalyVolos, GreeceZadar, Croatia

MedCruise Members

Associate MembersCosta Brava Tourism BoardCouncil of Sant Carles de la RàpitaDubrovnik County Port AuthorityKvarner County Tourism OfficeTurisme de BarcelonaAlfashipAllegra MontenegroAloschi & Bassani B&A Europe (Bermello Ajamil &Partners)CemarCruise Services Monaco

D’Alessandro TravelDonomis Cruise ServicesHugo Trumpy SrlIberoserviceIdu Shipping & ServicesInflot World WideIntercruises Shoreside & Port ServicesKaravanmar Cruise ServicesLa Goulette Cruise TerminalLivorno Port AuthorityMediterranean Unique ExperienceMedov Srl

MH BlandMMS (Mercantile Marine Shipping)Navigator Travel & Tourist ServicesPérez y CiaSalamis Shipping ServicesSamer & Co. ShippingSNEAL ( Scandinavian Near East Agency S.A.)Tartus TourTranscoma Cruise & TravelTura TurizmWorld Synergy Travel

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MedCruise10 Akti Miaouli Str. 185 38 Piraeus, GreeceTel: +30 210 40 50 282Fax: +30 210 45 50 [email protected]

President: Kristijan PavićSecretariatThanos Pallis, Secretary GeneralEmail: [email protected]: Aimilia PapachristouEmail: [email protected]: Kleopatra Arapi Email: [email protected]

L-R: Aimilia Papachristou, Thanos Pallis,Secretary General and Kleopatra Arapi

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MedCruise Newsletter Issue 51 Mar 2016 · Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The event...

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Transcript of MedCruise Newsletter Issue 51 Mar 2016 · Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The event...