The fourteenth edition of the International Cruise Summit, held on November 12 and 13 in Madrid, analyzed the latest trends, including nights in port, the incorporation of artificial intelligence into administrative and creative processes, and the emergence of new boutique cruise lines.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 71 – December 2024
The ICS 2024 was inaugurated by Carolina Toledo Martínez de Galinsoga, Deputy Director General of Tourism Promotion of the Community of Madrid, and Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, President of State Ports and was attended by prominent directors and executives from more than 25 cruise lines, ports, tour operators, travel agents, shipping agents, consultancies and companies in the sector from all over the world.
After a record-breaking 2023, Spain is on track to break its own record in 2024, with more than 12 million passengers and an economic impact of €4.5 billion, according to figures from State Ports. Its main objectives include reducing atmospheric emissions, digitalization, and incorporating AI into administrative processes. In this regard, many Spanish ports are implementing projects to electrify cruise ship docks to supply ships in port with power from land, allowing them to shut down their engines (OPS).
ICS 2024 brought together the entire cruise industry in Madrid once again.
Kelly Craghead, president and CEO of CLIA, provided the global figures for the industry, which in 2023 generated an economic impact of $168.6 billion, 9% more than in 2019. 31.7 million passengers traveled on cruises in 2023, generating 1.6 million jobs, 37% more than in 2019.
It is also important to note that 68% of cruise passengers spent a night at their destination before or after their cruise.
The first panel of experts discussed the future of the industry, and the electrification of docks emerged as one of the most important topics of the moment. In Cruise Europe's partner ports, electrical connections are becoming increasingly available, and 70% of cruise ship calls utilize them where they are available.
Theodora Riga, president of MedCruise, stated that all associated ports want to implement OPS, but these are projects that take time to materialize.
The industry continues to face significant prejudice from both authorities and the general public. For example, while Santorini experienced scenes of tourist overcrowding this summer, cruise ships only account for 5% of the island's tourism. To combat environmental prejudices, Juan Trescastro of Virgin Voyages explained how they are demonstrating their scrubber, water purification, and waste treatment facilities to authorities in some ports.
Simone Maraschi, managing director of Cruise Gate Hamburg and president of Cruise Europe, wanted to emphasize that cruise terminals are not increasing in size while ships are getting bigger and bigger, hence the importance of digitizing processes to make them more efficient.
Following that panel, Shannon McKee, president of Access Cruise, gave a presentation on the use of artificial intelligence in industry and entrepreneurship, highlighting some of the practical applications and recommended tools for getting started.
Jorg Rudolph, president of Aroya Cruises, presented the new Arabian cruise line, which will launch on December 16th with a 150,695-ton ship, the former World Dream, which has been completely refurbished to meet the needs of the cruise line and its clientele. It will feature four restaurants included in the fare and eight optional ones, several shisha lounges, and a special area for suite guests. Although its initial season will be in the Red Sea, the company intends to also offer cruises in the Mediterranean and the Arabian Gulf.
Vianney Vautier, COO of Orient Express Silenseas, also impressed attendees by showcasing his innovative Silenseas ship, which will begin sailing in June 2026, with rigid sails and LNG, for only 110 privileged passengers served by 174 crew members.
After a coffee break sponsored by Intercruises, where attendees took the opportunity to network, the presentations resumed with Fernando Pacheco, Managing Director of MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys in Spain, talking about cruise charters for MICE events, and the challenges and opportunities that this entails.
Next up was the prestigious Les Roches hospitality school and Silversea Cruises, who spoke about their collaboration, where students, after spending 6 months of coursework and 6 months of onboard training, will receive a job offer onboard from the shipping company.
Alexandre Costa, Team Leader of Frontex's ETIAS division, gave numerous examples of the application of the new European immigration regulations in the case of cruise ships, where numerous scenarios can occur.
As a culmination of the intense morning, the second discussion session, sponsored by MedCruise and focused on cruise sales, took place. It featured six panelists, all vice presidents of sales from some of the world's leading cruise lines. They all expressed their satisfaction that 2019 was no longer being used as the baseline year for comparison, as 2023 had broken through that ceiling and demand remains very strong.
The three sales managers from the luxury companies showcased their different approaches: from Explora Journeys, which seeks clients who had never considered taking a cruise but usually take luxury vacations, to Regent Seven Seas, where their clients are so loyal that they establish bonds with their crew.
Similar differences in sales approach could be seen in the larger shipping companies, while MSC Cruises impresses its customers with the spectacular nature of its ships, NCL focuses on spreading its values through lifestyle magazines, as well as with continuous support to travel agents so that they recommend the right ship to the right person, something that MSC and Celebrity Cruises also subscribe to.
As for the forecasts for 2025, everyone agrees that it will be a very strong year, in which a good number of ships will be launched, and a sales record will be set.
Following the networking luncheon sponsored by Costa del Sol, Oriol Pamies, founder of Queer Destinations, once again highlighted the growing importance of the LGBTQ+ community in the cruise industry, while Susannah Daley, CEO of The Peel Entertainment Group, emphasized the significant entertainment industry on cruise ships, which employs numerous artists from around the world and has evolved from its very basic beginnings to the point where actors, singers, and dancers can now interact with a bartender making cocktails, or wear dresses made from recycled ocean plastic.
The third discussion session, dedicated to cruise itinerary planning, took place. Sponsored by the Port of Vigo, the panel included five itinerary planners who shared key insights into how they choose ports of call for their cruise ships. They also expressed their concerns about how the new European EES/ETIAS regulations might affect the appeal of Europe as a destination for guests from other regions.
The first day ended with a presentation by Wassim Daoud, Director of CSR and Sustainability at Ponant, who explained how the company has focused entirely on decarbonization, reducing the distances traveled by its cruise ships, always using low-emission fuel or biofuels, as well as OPS in ports where it is available.
In addition, the company is working on a new 17,000-ton ship that it hopes will be emissions-neutral, powered 50% by wind and 50% by green fuels.
Day Two
The second day began with an energetic presentation by Pedro Costa, co-founder and commercial vice president of Alma Cruceros, the new Spanish boutique cruise line that will begin operating on April 18, 2025 with a small expedition ship.
Next, Jonathan Daniels, Executive Director of Maryland Port Administration, recounted how he dealt with some of the crises he has faced throughout his extensive career as an executive at some of the most important ports in the U.S.
The fourth debate session, dedicated to port operations, services and investments, was sponsored by Perez & Cia, and featured five important port operations managers who gave some key insights on how to optimize processes during a cruise ship's stay in port.
Thus, Fiona Noone, Marine Planning and Port Operations Manager at Marella Cruises, took the opportunity to ask ports to reach regional agreements on which products can be used during port calls, referring, for example, to paints. Another interesting point she raised concerned the 15 minutes needed to restart the ship's engines after disconnecting from the power supply (OPS), a very valuable amount of time that should be optimized and factored into the planning process.
Matt Lebern, Virgin Voyages' Director of Sales for Europe and New Markets, explained why Virgin has made such a strong entry into the Spanish market thanks to a cruise concept that places special emphasis on gastronomy and passenger freedom, with premium service. Intellisensea, for its part, presented its project to offer the best information to companies and passengers so they can make the most of their time in ports of call.
The final discussion session was highly anticipated and did not disappoint, providing many ideas for the ports represented at the event. It focused on the growing trend of cruise ships spending the night in port, and numerous ideas were shared on this topic.
The cruise lines emphasized that for a port to attract these types of calls, it must be located near the city center, have a tourist information center readily available, and boast a vibrant nightlife. In fact, Virgin Voyages stated that in Mykonos and Ibiza, 80% of its passengers, and even a large portion of the crew, disembark to enjoy the evening. They also suggested cultural experiences, such as stargazing in Tenerife or experiencing the Sagrada Familia at night in Barcelona. Seabourn seeks ports with venues suitable for hosting exclusive evening events, such as palaces or similar locations.
The event concluded with a brunch sponsored by Virgin Voyages, where all participants had time to meet panelists and sponsors in a relaxed but professional atmosphere.
Winner Master ICS Quiz 2024
The famous Master ICS quiz, sponsored by Bilbao Port, was a very difficult quiz that tested the attendees' knowledge of the sector, causing moments of competitiveness and laughter, until Andrew Williamson, Head of Cruise & Ferry at the international port of Portsmouth, emerged as the winner.
More information: www.internationalcruisesummit.com
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