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Robust First-Quarter Growth For
CLIA-Member Cruise Lines
Strong consumer demand for seagoing
vacations drove robust passenger growth in the first three
months of 2005 as the member fleets of the Cruise Lines
International Association (CLIA) carried 2.63 million
worldwide guests in the first quarter of 2005, an 8.9
percent increase over the same period in 2004. North American
passengers grew by 12.9 percent during the quarter to
2.34 million guests, up from 2.10 million first-quarter
guests one year ago.
The 2005 first-quarter passenger figures
are new statistics released today by CLIA, whose 19 member
cruise lines represent nearly 98 percent of the cruise
capacity marketed in North America. In addition to the
growing passenger totals, CLIA cruise lines also posted
impressive occupancy figures, with a 104.3 percent occupancy
factor in the first quarter of 2005 compared with 103.3
percent for the year prior. “The cruise industry’s strong
first-quarter 2005 passenger totals provide further evidence
of the fertile consumer interest and demand for cruise
vacations. The positive results are also testament to
the hard work and productivity of CLIA 16,500-plus member
travel agencies,” said Terry L. Dale, president and CEO
of CLIA, the cruise industry’s chief marketing and training
organization and North America’s largest travel industry
association. “As the cruise lines continue to attract
more and more consumers through non-stop innovation and
new onboard options, CLIA-member agencies also continue
to play a key role, providing today’s consumers with the
latest cruise product information and unmatched counsel
and sales expertise,” Dale added.
CLIA’s first-quarter passenger carryings
report also found:
-- Itineraries of one to five days
accounted for a 31.7 percent share of the cruise market;
itineraries of six to eight days accounted for 54.3 percent;
nine to 17-day itineraries accounted for 13.7 percent
and itineraries of 18 days or longer accounted for .4
percent of the market.
-- The average length of a cruise in
the first three quarters was 7.33 days versus 7.09 days
for the same period in 2004.
The Cruise Lines International Association
(CLIA) is the premier nonprofit cruise industry marketing
organization comprising 19 leading cruise lines, which
collectively accommodate nearly 98 percent of North American
cruise passengers. CLIA member travel agencies – of which
there are 16,500 – are considered the consumer’s very
best resource when planning a cruise vacation. For more
information on CLIA, its member cruise lines and travel
agencies, visit www.cruising.org.
Attention art lovers: You don't have
to go to New York's newly refurbished Metropolitan Museum
of Art or Paris' storied Louvre to enjoy some of the world's
finest art. The ships of the 19 lines comprising the Cruise
Lines International Association (CLIA) are resplendent
with extensive and eclectic art collections with some
valued as much as $100 million. "From Pop Art and
fanciful architecture to Murano glass sculptures and original
paintings by Masters such as Renoir and van Gogh, many
CLIA ships serve as virtual floating art galleries, offering
cruisers a taste of some of the best art in the world,"
said Terry L. Dale, president and CEO of CLIA - the cruise
industry's chief marketing organization and North America's
largest travel industry association based on agency membership.
CLIA cruise lines with Italian heritage,
such as Costa Cruise Lines, MSC Cruises and Silversea
Cruises, boast murals and sculptures by Italian artisans,
providing passengers with a distinct ambiance reflective
of the country. Norway's proud seafaring history is showcased
on board the ships of Seabourn and Norwegian Coastal Voyages.
And in the case of Holland America Line and Cunard Line,
guests will catch a glimpse into venerable liners from
the heyday of transatlantic travel.
Here are snapshots of what travelers
can expect to see from the art world on CLIA-member lines.
The line commissions artists to reflect
distinct onboard themes. Carnival Liberty, set
to launch this summer, will feature the work commissioned
to enhance the theme of great artisans and their work.
The collection includes pieces by Israeli artist Calman
Shemi, who created a series of large, colorful murals
that feature depictions of ironworkers, glass blowers,
jewelry makers, and sculptors practicing their crafts.
Carnival Glory’s artwork offers interpretations
of the onboard color theme. Carnival Valor art
complements a hero theme while Carnival Conquest
interiors pay homage to Impressionist and post-Impressionist
painters.
The line continues its tradition of
presenting permanent seagoing collections aboard its fleet.
Its notable collection is curated by the prestigious Marlborough
Gallery in New York, and gallery curators Tom Cugliani
and Tara K. Reddi. Having for ten years been a gallerist
to young emerging artists in New York City, Cugliani brings
to the Celebrity fleet a keen understanding of current
trends within the contemporary art world. For her part,
Reddi's broad experience in the art world includes a career
at Sotheby's in New York and London for more than 13 years.
Art, in all its forms, has always played
a major role on Costa ships. In addition to representing
an important part of the history of Italian passenger
navigation, the Costa fleet has been a showcase for Italy's
most modern art and architecture schools for more than
50 years. In fact, the line has always focused on the
architectural, decorative and design aspects of its ships,
taking full advantage of the talent and innovative spirit
of prestigious architects and famous artists, including
Campigli, Cerri, Luzzati, Pomodoro, Tadini, and Zoncada.
The art collection on board Queen
Mary 2 is valued at approximately $5 million with
128 artists from 16 different countries. In all, the ship
features 565 original, commissioned works of art, 1909
works of graphic art and 3,500 limited edition prints
in staterooms. A formidable element of the ship's art
collection is a 1,200-square-foot, bronze sculptural relief
in the lobby, a trompe l'oeuil delicately painted
on the ceiling of the Winter Garden lounge as well as
a 300-square-foot tapestry that serves as the focal point
in the three-story Britannia Restaurant.
HAL ships are appointed in millions
of dollars worth of antiques and old master artworks.
In the case of the Amsterdam, a $2 million collection
of art and artifacts boasts such special pieces as an
Astrolabe in its three-deck central atrium, which features
a carillon in its base and four different faces: an astrolabe,
world clock, planetary clock and astrological clock; the
gold-plated Four Seasons sculptures originally created
for the Nieuw Amsterdam of 1938; and life-size
bronzes of two brown bears fishing, created by British
sculptor Susanna Holt, at the Lido pool.
The line's MSC Opera and MSC
Lirica both feature works of art by world-renowned
Italian artist Raimondo Briata. A painter for 20 years,
he has exhibited both in the U.S. and in Italy. His works
are influenced by his experiences of living and studying
in Africa, Europe and the U.S. Briata uses handmade papers
from all over the world, which he places into his work
through a lengthy layering process. Glazes and aging techniques
are employed in an effort to depict the passage of time
and the accumulation of experiences.
The art on board NCV ships reflect
Norway's seagoing tradition, and its ships are veritable
floating galleries that showcase Norwegian paintings,
sculptures, and textiles. interior of the MS Finnmarken
is decorated in Art Nouveau style, while the MS
Midnatlsol and the MS Trollfjord are modern
in design with extensive use of Norwegian wood, stone,
and large expanses of glass. The line serves as a combination
of first-class cruise ship, working ship carrying local
passengers and cargo between ports, a lifeline to remote
coastal towns and villages, and a major tourist attraction.
Aboard Norwegian Dawn, a single
restaurant features four original works valued whose value
is, for all intents and purposes, priceless. NCL is displaying
a collection of original oil paintings by such 20th Century
masters Renoir, Matisse, van Gogh and Monet in its signature
Le Bistro restaurant. Elsewhere on the ship guests will
enjoy a collection of original Pop Art, featuring original
signed works by Andy Warhol. The artwork onboard Norwegian
Dawn is on loan from the collection of Tan Sri Lim Kok
Thay, chairman of Star Cruises, NCL's parent company.
Ships feature art collections ranging
from $5 million to $10 million in value. Overall, RCCL's
19 ships feature more than $100 million in artwork. In
the case of Voyager-class collections, 6,000 pieces by
internationally renowned artists are on display. Notable
pieces include a 12-foot-high cedar totem pole carved
for the ship by famous Native American artist Nathan Jackson
aboard Radiance of the Seas, and a soaring sculpture
in Mariner of the Seas' Centrum by American artist Larry
Kirkland called Planispheres, depicts 19th-century star
maps popular in the Victorian age.
Silversea Cruises is placing an artistic
emphasis on its Italian heritage and has added a new level
of décor with the introduction of Italian Factory artwork
aboard its four ultra-luxury ships. The first installation,
aboard Silver Wind, features the works of such
celebrated contemporary Italian artists as Marco Petrus,
Federico Lombardo, Paolo Fiorentino and Alfredo Rapetti.
The line is also adding pieces by acclaimed Italian realist
sculptor Francesco Messina, whose bust of Giacomo Puccini
graces La Scala Opera House. His work can also be found
at Saint Peter's Basilica.
Suites, stairways and companionways
aboard The Yachts of Seabourn are brightened by fanciful,
light-hearted original artworks by a number of Norwegian
artists. The prints and paintings vary in subject matter
from Norse legends and myths to land- and seascapes, but
all reflect the Norwegian affection for their homeland
and their heritage. The lobbies and spa entryways of all
three ultra-luxury ships—Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Spirit
and Seabourn Legend—also boast 360-degree,
hand-painted murals, added by a team of artists in 2002.
It will be a night like no other in
the cruise industry. In one 24-hour period on October
19, 2005, hundreds upon hundreds of Cruise Lines International
Association (CLIA) member travel agencies will participate
in the World's Largest Cruise Night. This exciting program
will mark the first time travel agencies across North
America will join together to promote cruising through
Cruise Nights, cocktail parties, luncheons and a myriad
of cruise promotional events in a single day.
The World's Largest Cruise Night (WLCN)
is just one of a series of innovative initiatives launched
in celebration of National Cruise Vacation Month (NCVM),
which CLIA moved from February to October, which is a
less hectic month for cruise retailers, to provide agents
with more time to participate in promotional initiatives
that increase awareness of cruising and drive additional
cruise sales.
CLIA is creating a WLCN registration
feature on its website— www.cruising.org
— as well as a WLCN Resource Center, which will be updated
to alert CLIA retailers on any new WLCN information and
resources. The WLCN Resource Center will feature event
tips, shell press releases and publicity tools for agencies
to attract local press coverage, as well as links to CLIA-member
cruise lines and sales resources.
CLIA is also creating a Home Page consumer
promotion on its website, along with a WLCN Event Locator.
More WLCN information and resources will be announced
over the next several weeks. Part of CLIA's slate of NCVM
activities, WLCN will correspond with CLIA's first-ever
travel agency event, cruise3sixty, to be held from
September 30 to October 2, 2005 in Fort Lauderdale.
All three programs will celebrate 2005
as CLIA's 30th Anniversary.
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