Carnival Corporation has announced that it has ordered two new ships for its Princess Cruises brand to be built by Fincantieri shipyards. Both ships will be 141,000-tons each and carry 3,600 passengers – deliveries are slated for spring 2013 and spring 2014.

Carnival stated the per berth costs will be approximately €155,000 ($204,000). The company says the ships’ design will keep with the themes of the line’s newest vessels, but will features new innovations such as the addition of balconies to all outside cabins, bringing the percentage of balconies on the ships to 80 percent of all staterooms. The company’s signature Piazza— a ship’s central atrium featuring dining, entertainment and retail— will be expanded, as will the Sanctuary, spa, and restaurants. Specific amenities and design elements for the new ships will be revealed over the coming months.

Stay tuned for more information…

Dubai has had some significant financial turmoil the past few months, but that has not deterred cruise vacationers to the embattled emirate as it is quickly becoming a must-see port of call. More cruise lines are placing ships in Dubai for the winter season, but no cruise line has dedicated more ships in the region than Costa Cruises.

Dubai loves ships

Cruise travel is the fastest growing segment of tourism in Dubai. The timing couldn’t have come at a better time for the emirate as tourism declined 6 percent last year, whereas, the burgeoning cruise industry grew 40 percent.

Costa Cruises, a Carnival Corporation brand, further solidified its commitment to Dubai when it named its newest ship the 2,286-passenger Costa Deliziosa there last month. Even more significant the event marked the first time that a cruise ship was named in a Middle Eastern country. Even the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum turned out to welcome Costa’s newest ship.

Costa Chairman and CEO Pier Luigi Foschi said that by christening and placing the line’s newest ships in Dubai it showed the line’s ongoing commitment. In 2006 the company was first cruise line to ever base a ship in the region because they clearly saw the value of Dubai as a cruise destination.

It’s easy to see why Costa was so enamored with the emirate. With its fabulous cityscapes, prehistoric sandscapes and endless beaches, Dubai is an amazing destination in every way. The city boasts stunning sights and attractions, including the world’s largest water park, and the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa—the magnificent centerpiece of downtown Dubai. Cruise travelers can indulge in excursions that range from “dune bashing,” camel rides, shopping the souks to even skiing on sand or on real snow at the indoor Ski Dubai Alpine slopes.

Costa currently has three vessels based in Dubai for the winter season. Including the line’s newest ships – the aforementioned Deliziosa, its sister ship Costa Luminosa, and the 1,494-passenger Costa Europa. Seeing the growth in the region other cruise lines like Aida Cruises and Royal Caribbean International have also chosen to base ships there.

Will Americans flock to this far and exotic part of the world? Maurice Zarmati, the president of Costa Cruises USA, is optimistic that there will be interest in the company’s Dubai sailings. Currently, most of Costa’s onboard guests for these sailings hail from Europe, but the number of American passengers are increasing each year he said. “We find that the Dubai itineraries appeal to Americans who are more travel savvy,” said Zarmati. Additionally, he touted the value of a 7-night Costa Dubai cruise, which visits Oman, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, and also includes two overnights in Dubai that would appeal to those savvy American travelers. “When you look at the cost for a hotel in Dubai over two nights, factor that into the cruise price, and add on all of the destinations, the value is incredible.”

Rapid growth

In 2009, Dubai drew 100 cruise ship visits and around 260,000 tourists, up 37 percent on the previous year. This year growth is expected to be around 40 percent with Costa’s three ships alone bringing in an expected 140,000 passengers. The rapid growth continues as the emirate expects the numbers to double in 2015 to 195 ships and over 575,000 passengers.

The christening of the Deliziosa wasn’t the only thing to celebrate; Dubai opened the new Port Rashid Dubai Cruise Terminal as well. The terminal, which is more than 37,000 square feet in size, can handle four ships simultaneously and is outfitted with services to make the lives of travelers easier, such as money exchange, ATMs, a post office, duty free shops, and a business center with free Wi-Fi.

Foschi praised the Dubai government for its vision in opening a terminal back in 2001 even when there wasn’t a sign that cruising was possible here. “That foresight has been rewarded by Costa,” said Foschi.

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If there was one resounding message amongst cruise line executives at Cruise Shipping Miami’s State of the Industry session it was – the customers are back! The tone was a far cry from last year’s convention where the weakened economy overshadowed each presentation.

Kevin Sheehan, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line joked that everyone should have taken his advice last year to buy Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean stock, shares in these companies have risen by almost 100 and 300 percent, respectively. Continuing on the stock theme Sheehan noted that the stock market is usually a leading indicator as to where an industry is headed. “We should all feel a sense of cautious optimism that the industry is being looked upon so favorably,” said Sheehan.

Now that the industry is rebounding the other message is prices are going up. “Most lines lost 10 to 20 percent off their ticket price in 2009”, said Gerry Cahill, president and ceo of Carnival Cruise Lines. He added, “We’re all pushing to rebuild that price.”

“It will take time for us to get to the pricing that the industry deserves,” said Dan Hanrahan, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. Hanrahan said he expects the industry yields to increase by 3 percent to 4 percent this year. Still, he doesn’t think the cruise industry got the yields it deserved back in 2006 when the economy was stable.

Cruise executives touted the value of a cruise vacation as key to its continued growth. “A study found a family on a five-night cruise could save 15 percent compared with going to Las Vegas or Orlando,” said Norwegian’s Sheehan.

The executives also talked about the growth of worldwide fleet deployment and new destinations. There were also harsh words for Alaska governor (Sean Parnell) who was seated in the audience. Holland America Line president and ceo Stein Kruse stated that Alaska’s 30 year record of cruise passenger growth ended in 2009 and capacity is down 17 percent this year – the only place in the world where there is a decline in cruise tourism.

“Alaska’s regulatory environment is more burdensome and costly than anywhere else in the world,” Kruse said. He went on to state that since the 2006 citizens’ ballot initiative, Alaska has collected $200 million in taxes that they don’t know where to spend it on.

Kruse added that the cruise industry supports reasonable environmental but is concerned with “overzealous regulations” when the technology does not exist to meet those regulations. “We can redeploy to other destinations if we’re not able to comply with reasonable operating requirements,” he added.

Three crew members were killed when the Costa Europa slammed into the dock at Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, a Red Sea resort on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. The Europa was carrying 1,437 passengers as it collided with the pier at approximately 4:45 a.m. local time Friday morning. Bad weather and high winds are believed to be the cause of the collision.

Costa, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, confirmed the three crew member deaths along with three passengers and a crew member who were admitted to a local hospital. The company says all guests have been disembarked and have been accommodated in hotels and will have flight arrangements back home in the coming days. Costa Europa was on an 18-day regular cruise from Dubai to Savona, with 1,437 guests on board. The ship built in 1986 is 55,000 tons and entered into the Costa Crociere fleet in 2002.