Cruise & Ferry Itinerary Planning 2020

1 Foreword 20 20 Cautiously optimistic The first-ever Seatrade Cruise Virtual event was a triumph when it was held in October 2020, engendering hope and optimism across the passenger shipping sector. Competition forgotten, the industry united to share experiences and best practices that will accelerate the pace of recovery in the wake of Covid-19. Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association, inspired delegates with her uplifting contribution to the State of the Cruise Industry keynote, saying: “By navigating with courage, confidence and purpose, we can sail forward together to help make the future of cruise stronger and better than ever, and the best way to experience the world.” This united approach is already working, with countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea becoming important industry allies for restarting operations. In this issue of Cruise & Ferry Itinerary Planning , we delve deeper into the appeal of cruising in the region in our keynote with Seabourn president Josh Leibowitz (page 6) who says: “I highly recommend a Mediterranean cruise once a year”. Costa Cruises’ Mario Alovisi also discusses the importance and versatility of Mediterranean itineraries in our Regional Spotlight on page 56, calling it an “an unbelievably enriching destination”. Elsewhere in this issue, we explore how remarkable historical, cultural and natural sights around the world will help to drive demand for cruising once again. In our cover story on page 20, Unesco’s Ernesto Ottone R. outlines how his organisation works with cruise lines to bring these places to life for travellers. Itinerary planning is a complex art and we’re proud to share the expertise of seven cruise executives in our Planner Perspectives section, which starts with MSC Cruises’ Elisabetta De Nardo on page 36. The devotion that these experts, and every other industry stakeholder featured in these pages, have for the cruise business is sufficient evidence to trust that there are better times ahead. I hope that your time invested in this issue provides rich rewards as we all look forward to getting back to sea. Jon Ingleton Executive Editor, Cruise & Ferry Itinerary Planning Executive editor Jon Ingleton Editor Rebecca Gibson Editorial team Richard Humphreys, Alex Smith, Elly Yates-Roberts Account managers Kimberley McLean, Shelly Palmer, Benedict Pask, Ben Surtees-Smith Publishing director Toby Ingleton Publisher Nolan Andrews Production manager Stuart Fairbrother Design Bruce Graham, Libby Sidebotham Cover image courtesy of istock/swissmediavision Website development Chris Jackson Advertise info@cruiseandferry.net Subscribe subscribe@tudor-rose.co.uk www.cruiseandferry.net/subscriptions Published by Tudor Rose Tudor House, 6 Friar Lane Leicester LE1 5RA Tel: +44 116 2229900 www.tudor-rose.co.uk ISSN 2633-4410 (Print) ISSN 2633-4429 (Online) Printed in Great Britain by Buxton Press © 2020 Tudor Rose Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be stored or transmitted or reproduced in any form or by any means, including whether by photocopying, scanning, downloading onto computer or otherwise without the prior written permission from Tudor Rose Holdings Ltd. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply official endorsement of the products or services concerned. While every care has been taken to ensure accuracy of content, no responsibility can be taken for any errors and/or omissions. Readers should take appropriate professional advice before acting on any issue raised herein. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject advertising material and editorial contributions. The publisher assumes no liability for the return or safety of unsolicited art, photography or manuscripts. £24.00