It has been very satisfying to report on the resilience of the passenger shipping industry, as we emerge from the pandemic and millions of customers have returned to the seas again. Pressures remain, not least spiralling inflation, particularly in relation to fuel, but there is a strong sense of optimism among ship operators. Take Royal Caribbean Group’s Jason Liberty, for example, who in our cover story (see page 40), says: “Our fleet is fully back at sea, our business has normalised and we continue to see strong demand for cruising.” MSC Group’s Pierfrancesco Vago echoes these sentiments in our keynote (see page 8), saying: “There’s no doubt cruising has an exciting future.” As passenger numbers and yields improve, cash will flow more freely throughout the supply chain, helping to restore prosperity and positivity to the people, businesses and communities who depend on the cruise trade. Good times are returning to the ferry industry too, with Interferry CEO Mike Corrigan noting in his regular column on page 74 that “our proven ingenuity and determination will win the day”. New ships are broadening the luxury cruise category and contributors to our roundtable discussion on page 44 are united in their quest to win new-to-cruise business, an endeavour bolstered by new entrants. “Luxury expedition cruising is growing rapidly and more operators are entering the market,” says Andrea Zito of Swan Hellenic. Food and beverage offerings are crucial to attracting new and returning customers, and on page 148 we hear from experts like Royal Caribbean International’s Linken D’Souza, who explains the value of curated cuisine: “Every dish and drink is made and served with authenticity, care and precision, no detail is too small.” For many years Claus Bødker has been a trusted industry collaborator always happy to share his wisdom and upbeat perspectives. We’ll miss his regular contributions to these pages as he steps down from his dual roles of directing affairs for Cruise Baltic and Cruise Copenhagen Network. Best wishes my friend. Happy reading! Jon Ingleton Executive Editor, Cruise & Ferry Review Fair weather ahead Foreword CONTRIBUTORS CFR would like to thank all of those who contributed to this issue, including: Mike Corrigan A former energy industry executive, Mike joined Interferry in 2017 after 14 years with BC Ferries – among the world’s largest ferry operators – where he was president and CEO from 2012. Michael Grey Michael is a master mariner turned maritime journalist and has edited both Fairplay and Lloyd’s List in a career spanning more than 60 years. Susan Parker Susan has written about the shipping industry since 1990 and was editor of Lloyd’s Cruises International until 2008. She is now a freelance cruise shipping specialist. Helena Sawelin Helena Sawelin is a partner, business director and head of the design studios at Tillberg Design of Sweden, and has worked with the largest clients in the marine industry. AW / 22
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