By
Laura Hyde |
What a year it has been for the Cruise & Ferry team, and the cruise industry as a whole.
We’ve covered a wide range of industry news on our website and social media channels throughout 2024 and published four magazines – two issues of Cruise & Ferry Review and our annual publications, Cruise & Ferry Interiors and Cruise & Ferry Itinerary Planning. We also published our first Expedition Cruise Business supplement in partnership with Expedition Cruise Network (ECN).
We will be taking a break for the holidays, but our usual coverage of passenger shipping news will resume in the first week of January 2025. While we take a short break, why not check out some of our highlights from the past 12 months?
A beacon of equality, diversity and inclusion
In the Spring/Summer issue of Cruise & Ferry Review, Stena Line’s female leaders, Marica Derenstrand, Margareta Jensen Dickson and Elisabeth Lonne spoke about how the pan-European operator is creating a more inclusive workplace and adapting to meet evolving customer demands.
“Diversity is about having employees with a range of thoughts, perspectives and backgrounds,” says Jensen Dickson.
Bringing the personal touch to cruise interior design
Interior designer Liz Schneider spoke about her journey through the cruise interiors industry, which began at Holland America Line, highlighting what she has learned and why people should always be at the heart of good design for the cover story of the 2024 issue of Cruise & Ferry Interiors.
“If we’re thinking about how to make people comfortable on these long voyages, it’s helpful to look at the places they call home,” she says.
Schneider worked alongside Cruise & Ferry’s graphic designer Libby Sidebotham to create a mysterious and majestic cover image for this issuecover image for this issue . The nighttime scene evokes the sense of exploration and the lifelong memories a cruise can create for guests.
How MSC Cruises is pushing the boundaries
In the keynote for the Autumn/Winter issue of Cruise & Ferry Review, Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, explained how the line is helping lead the industry into a new era with its high-tech ships, pioneering environmental sustainability technologies and commitment to continually redefining the guest experience.
“With every ship we strive to improve the environmental technology and features that enrich the guest experience,” says Vago.
Embarking on an adventure
In the first Expedition Cruise Business supplement, ECN CEO Akvile Marozaite shared insights into the appeal of expedition cruising and how the sector is developing.
“At their core, expedition cruises have always been about exploring unique destinations,” says Marozaite. “There is a destination for everyone. It’s all about getting off the beaten path and exploring the best these places have to offer.”
Rebuilding shore excursion sales
In a multi-part feature in the 2025 issue of Cruise & Ferry Itinerary Planning, Claudine Pohl, CEO of Lemoneight discussed how cruise lines can go about rebuilding shore excursion sales. She shared her experience in providing and promoting shore excursions that deliver for cruise lines, their guests and the destinations they visit.
“By focusing on tailored experiences and introducing an element of exclusivity, a marketing and social media campaign can increase sales of shore excursions,” she says.
In the second part of the feature, Christine Manjencic, vice president of destination services at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, and Priscilla Molina, director of product development for shore excursions at Carnival Cruise Line, shared how they are creating appealing excursions.
“Guest insights enable us to offer exclusive, tailored experiences,” says Molina.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our readers and partners who have supported and contributed to the Cruise & Ferry suite of publications in 2024. We look forward to bringing you more exclusive insights and updates from key stakeholders across the global passenger shipping industry throughout 2025, starting with our Spring/Summer issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. Subscribe to receive a copy directly to your inbox.
Best wishes for a peaceful holiday period and a prosperous 2025!