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Adios
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Posted: Wed Jan 24th, 2007 01:16 pm | 1st Post |
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Source: Seatrader Inside News
http://www.cruise-community.com/ShowStory.asp?ID=11066
Starting in late March, Costa Allegra’s China-based cruises will be marketed worldwide, rather than solely within Asia which has been the company’s strategy since launching the programme from Shanghai last July.
Costa Crociere said the move was in response to demand from travel agents and customers, but Carnival Corp. officials back in September indicated the operation was off to a slower than expected start. At the time, they blamed a late marketing launch but said the ship, which underwent a €12m renovation to cater to Chinese tastes, was being well-received.
Carnival had budgeted a third-quarter operating loss for Costa Crociere Asia but the loss was ‘a little bit higher’ than anticipated, Carnival cfo Gerry Cahill told analysts at the time. On the subsequent fourth-quarter call Cahill indicated the operation was continuing below expectations.
Carnival vice chairman Howard Frank in September said the company would ‘stick with it for awhile.’ He said the product was late to market due to delays in securing licenses to operate from China, which had necessitated lower pricing. Costa announced its Asia strategy in March, and the 1,000-passenger Costa Allegra initiated cruises from Shanghai in July then repositioned to Hong Kong in November.
The ship’s new itineraries, open to worldwide sales, include a 16-day programme (including flights) departing from Hong Kong with stopovers in Manila (Philippines), Kotakinabalu (Borneo-Malaysia), Brunei, Singapore, Ho Chi Min City and Da Nang (Vietnam) and Sanya (China); an 18-day itinerary (including flights) from Hong Kong with calls at Manila, Kotakinabalu, Brunei, Singapore, Ho Chi Min City, Da Nang, Halong Bay and Sanya; and five different five-day routes, with departures from Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tianjin, visiting Vietnam, South Korea and Japan.
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Atlantacruise
Frequent Cruiser
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Posted: Wed Jan 24th, 2007 01:26 pm | 2nd Post |
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Who has sailed with Costa? Did you like them?
I have heard from 2 different people that the crew were not as nice as other cruise lines. Did anyone notice this or is not true? I almost booked a cruise with them and after speaking with the 2nd person who doesnt say many bad things I went with another line.
Thank you.
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Adios
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Posted: Wed Jan 24th, 2007 01:56 pm | 3rd Post |
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| I would pick MSC over Costa as what I have read has not been the greatest. The China cruises are not selling and that is why they have opened them up. For some reason the Asian market has been a tough nut for the US owned cruise lines to crack. Star has been the only really successful cruise line to operate there.
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hstrybuf
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| Joined: | Sat Jun 17th, 2006 |
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Posted: Wed Jan 24th, 2007 11:43 pm | 4th Post |
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| Ken, I'm guessing that the people you spoke with we're speaking from personal experience? Asia doesn't seem to get much talk on the boards but I would love to try those ports. I know I wouldn't go though if the crew were less than what I've come to expect on the mainstream lines. A bad crew makes a cruise much less enjoyable.
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