LE HAVRE, THE GATEWAY TO PARIS: QUEEN ELIZABETH KICKS OFF THE CRUISE SEASON

CRUISE UPDATE

Cruise activity is a fast growing business at Le Havre and efforts to attract cruise lines are paying off. 2012 is a great year overcoming the symbolic number of 100 calls.

The Greater Le Havre Tourist Office associated with its partners, the City of Le Havre, the Port Authority of Le Havre and the Chamber of Commerce has been supporting this activity for years. As a member of several cruise networks such as Cruise Europe or Atlantic Alliance, it has forged and developed contacts with cruise lines representatives over the years.

The turnaround facilities in the Cruise Terminal were inaugurated in May 2010. In 2011 Costa Cruises programed a new route “the great capitals of Northern Europe” with 11 turnarounds from Le Havre every ten days from May to September. Wind Star, Fram, The Oceanic and Princess Cruises also embarked and disembarked passengers, for a total of 16 000 turnaround passenger in 2011. 37 % passengers used the shuttle service to town. This doesn’t take in account the numerous walkers or bicycle riders.

THE 2012 SEASON

116 calls (+22 %)

230 000 passengers (+ 24 %)

3 cruise lines (Costa Royal Caribbean and Oceania) will operate turnarounds bound for European Capitals or the Norwegian Fjords.

13 double calls and 7 triple calls

The casting is prestigious and begins on January 6th with the departure of the prestigious Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth for her first world voyage. The season will end early December and maybe later if any Christmas call is added to the program. In this regard the so-called “off season” has enlarged in the recent years with more and more calls from October to March:

2009/2010: 8 calls

 2010/2011: 6 calls

2011/2012: 16 calls

2012/2013: 18 (forecast)

Whilst the call duration usually lasts one day it should be noted that Le Havre will have 9 overnight calls in 2012. 21 cruise lines have set up calls at Le Havre in 2012 (compared to 17 last year): Cunard, our host today (7 calls), Costa (23 calls), Aida (22 calls), Princess (12 calls), Celebrity (12 calls), P& O (7 calls), RCCL (7 calls).

The City of Le Havre, the Port Authority of Le Havre and the Greater Le Havre Tourist Office wish a warm welcome to AIDALuna, Car, Sol, Blu, Mar, the Costa Magica, Romantica, Allegra, Pacifica, Fortuna, Luminosa, to Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, Victoria, the MSC Lirica, Magnifica, Poesia, the Celebrity Constellation, Reflection, Grand Mistral, Mein Schiff 2, RCCL Brilliance, Independence, Jewel of the Seas, The Oceanic, the P&O Ventura, Oriana…

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