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Cunard, Regent and SeaDream Are Top Rated, Respectively, for Large, Mid-Size and Small Ships While Royal Caribbean, Crystal and Windstar are Most Popular in Each Size Category

Carnival Wins for Budget Travel and Singles; Disney for Families, Nightlife and Entertainment

When it Comes to Top Itinerary Choices, Romance, Shopping, Spas and Casinos, Cunard Sweeps

Zagat released the results of its first Cruise Line survey today. The survey, conducted on ZAGAT.com, covers 22 major cruise lines as voted on by 2,379 regular cruise-goers who had taken 9.5 trips, each averaging nine days. All told the surveyors had taken a total of 22,700 separate cruises.

"The survey reveals what the cruise line industry is doing plenty right, but that there's still room for improvement," said Tim Zagat, CEO of Zagat Survey. "Hopefully, these new results will help consumers during a time when making informed decisions is more important than ever."

Background: The cruise lines in the survey were categorized as follows: Large Ships (1,500+ passengers), Mid-Size Ships (200 to 1,500) and Small Ships (less than 200), based on the average size of the ships in its fleet. Each line was then rated on Zagat's signature 30-point scale for five aspects of its performance: (1) Cabins, (2) Service, (3) Dining, (4) Facilities and (5) Shipboard Activities, with an "Overall Score" based on an average of the five separate ratings.

Smooth Sailing: The top cruise lines, based on their Overall Scores, are Cunard Line (Large), Regent Seven Seas (Mid-Size) and SeaDream Yacht Club (Small). Lines with mid-size ships tended to get the highest overall ratings. Thus, following Regent were Crystal, Seabourn and Silversea all with a score of 26 out of a possible 30. Following with overall rating of 25 are Cunard and Disney. Based on their ratings, the major category winners are as shown below:

                   Large (1,500+)  Mid-Size (200 to 1,500)  Small (<200)
                   -------------  ----------------------   -----------
    Top Rooms          Cunard              Regent            SeaDream
    ---------          ------              ------            --------
    Top Service        Cunard             Seabourn           SeaDream
    -----------        ------             --------           --------
    Top Dining         Cunard             Seabourn           SeaDream
    ----------         ------             --------           --------
    Top Facilities     Cunard              Crystal           SeaDream
    --------------     ------              -------           --------
    Top Activities     Disney              Crystal           Lindblad
    --------------     ------              -------           --------
    Top Overall        Cunard              Regent            SeaDream
    -----------        ------              ------            --------

When asked to name their personal favorites, the surveyors chose Royal Caribbean (Large), Crystal Cruises (Mid-Size) and Windstar Cruises (Small).

Setting Course: When choosing a cruise line, 88% of surveyors say that Ports of Call is their principal consideration, with Past Experience (81%) and Ticket Price (80%) following close behind. Other major issues are Cruise Duration (72%), Dates (69%) and Balcony/Deluxe Room Availability (64%). Departure Ports are cited by 61% of surveyors, with Ship Size and Activities tying at 58%.

Staying Afloat: As a result of the recession, many lines lowered their prices. The three named as "best for budget cruises" are Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line in that order. When asked how the economy has affected their cruising, 47% say they're looking for better values, while 23% report cruising less. Surveyors report these alternate ways to be cost-conscious: 20% are limiting their excursions, 19% are choosing cruises that depart closer to home, 15% cut back on what's included in their packages, 10% choose less expensive rooms and 5% take shorter cruises. A lucky 18% say the recession hasn't affected their cruising habits, while an unlucky 19% say they "don't cruise enough to have habits yet."

Choppy Water: Although cruising is all about feeling good and relaxing, we asked surveyors about their top complaints: crowds/lines (23%), embarking/disembarking (15%), other passengers' behavior (12%), bad food (11%), poor service (11%), room sizes (5%), smoking (4%) and extra charges (3%). Surprisingly, bad weather, motion sickness, ship size and fixed dining times were not serious concerns.

More Winners: Other categories with smoother sailing are as follows:

    Top Fitness Centers              Top Live Entertainment

    1.  Celebrity Cruises            1.  Disney Cruise Line
    2.  Cunard Line                  2.  Cunard Line
    3.  Royal Caribbean              3.  Royal Caribbean


    Top Nightlife                    Top Spa Services

    1.  Disney Cruise Line           1.  Cunard Line
    2.  Royal Caribbean              2.  Disney Cruise Line
    3.  Cunard Line                  3.  Celebrity Cruises


    Top Onboard Shopping             Top Casinos/Gambling

    1.  Cunard Line                  1.  Cunard Line
    2.  Disney Cruise Line           2.  Royal Caribbean
    3.  Royal Caribbean              3.  Celebrity Cruises


    Top Excursions                   Best for Singles

    1.  Princess Cruises             1.  Carnival Cruise Lines
    2.  Celebrity Cruises            2.  Royal Caribbean
    3.  Cunard Line                  3.  Norwegian Cruise Line


    Top Itinerary Choices            Best for Romantic/Honeymoon

    1.  Cunard Line                  1.  Cunard Line
    2.  Holland America Line         2.  Celebrity Cruises
    3.  Celebrity Cruises            3.  Princess Cruises


    Best for Kids                    Best for Weekend Getaways

    1.  Disney Cruise Line           1.  Disney Cruise Line
    2.  Royal Caribbean              2.  Royal Caribbean
    3.  Carnival Cruise Lines        3.  Carnival Cruise Lines


    Best for Families                Best for Budget Cruises

    1.  Disney Cruise Line           1.  Carnival Cruise Lines
    2.  Royal Caribbean              2.  Costa Cruises
    3.  Carnival Cruise Lines        3.  Norwegian Cruise Line


    Best for Seniors                 Best for Expedition Cruises

    1.  Holland America Line         1.  Celebrity Cruises
    2.  Cunard Line                  2.  Princess Cruises
    3.  Celebrity Cruises            3.  Holland America Line

The Survey in Detail: Please visit (www.zagat.com/cruiselines) for the full survey results. Here's a sampling of outtakes from our surveyors, which were deemed 'not fit for print.'

"A conga line is not conducive to good digestion."

"No activities for anyone who isn't an alcoholic seeking random sex."

"They cater to the newly wed and nearly dead."

"Great if you like hairy chest contests."

"A rust bucket filled with rowdy people."

"The more you booze, the better you cruise."

"Bathrooms so small you have to sit on the toilet sideways."

"It does attract a crowd - it's called 'God's floating waiting room.'"

 

SOURCE Zagat Survey

Cruise spending is up in a down economy in destinations visited by cruise line-members of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association.

Cruise tourism boosted revenues for ports and businesses in Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean in one of the gloomiest financial years since the Great Depression, according to an FCCA-commissioned study from Business Research and Economic Advisors.

BREA reported that FCCA-regional cruise tourism in 2008-2009 generated more than $2.2 billion in direct expenditures, 56,000 jobs and $720 million in employee wages among 29 destinations surveyed.

"This certainly is wonderful news, but it doesn't surprise me," Michele M. Paige, FCCA president, told association members attending the 16th Annual Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association's Conference and Trade Show in St. Lucia. "FCCA members are known for seeing opportunities -- not obstacles."

FCCA Chairman Micky Arison agreed. "No industry is recession-proof, but the cruise industry traditionally has been recession-resistant," said Arison, chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc.

The new study analyzed spending by passengers, crew members and cruise lines in destinations ranging from the Caribbean islands, Mexico, Central America and South America, said Andrew Moody, Ph.D., president of the Exton, PA-based research group. Among BREA's findings:

• Cruise passengers (17.56 million) spent $1.71 billion in 29 participating destinations. An average of 52 percent of passengers bought shore excursions, generating $328 million in total payments to tour operators. Passengers also bought watches and jewelry ($634 million); clothing ($168 million) and other goods and services ($164 million).
• Crew members (3.24 million) spent nearly $289 million in the 29 destinations, mostly for clothing, food and beverages, as well as jewelry, electronics, perfumes and cosmetics.
• Cruise lines spent an estimated $279.9 million in participating destinations for port fees and taxes, utilities, navigation services and ship supplies.
  

"These expenditures have a direct impact on local employment and wages," Moody said. "Local businesses... create additional jobs and income."

BREA-surveyed destinations included Antigua & Barbuda; Aruba; The Bahamas; Barbados; Cayman Islands; Curacao; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Grenada; Jamaica; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Kitts and Nevis; St. Lucia; St. Maarten; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Trinidad and Tobago; Turks and Caicos and U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean; Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Cozumel, Ensenada and Huatulco in Mexico; Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua in Central America, and Cartagena, Colombia, in South America.

Paige noted that polled passengers said they enjoyed their cruises, a strong indication that they are likely to cruise again in the region and spend money.

"Establishing relationships among member lines and the public and private sectors of partner destinations was the reason we founded the FCCA," Paige said. "Never has it been more important for cruise and travel partners to link arms and share ideas. That's the spirit behind the conference we're attending here in St. Lucia."

A complete copy of the Economic study can be downloaded from the FCCA at: http://www.f-cca.com/study.

 

SOURCE Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association

Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises announced the winners of their annual environmental awards. For Royal Caribbean, Liberty of the Seas was selected as both the Environmental Ship of the Year and the Environmentally Innovative Ship of the Year. For Celebrity Cruises, the Celebrity Mercury was selected as the Environmental Ship of the Year, and the Celebrity Infinity was selected as the Environmentally Innovative Ship of the Year.

"Competing for these awards encourage and reward crew members who progressively advance their ships' environmental performance in ways that go above and beyond regulatory compliance," said Jamie Sweeting, vice president of Environmental Stewardship for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "I congratulate our winners and thank all of our crew members for doing so much to protect the oceans in which we sail," Sweeting said.

In its tenth year, this annual fleet-wide competition underscores Royal Caribbean and Celebrity's long-standing commitment to environmental innovation and improvement. For the first time, a panel of judges conducted the impartial evaluation for the award. The panel was comprised of leading oceanographic, marine biology, and policy experts, who reviewed the information provided by Royal Caribbean's 20 ships, Celebrity Cruises' nine ships and Azamara Cruises' two ships to determine the award winners based on their comparative performance.

The ships were judged on five rigorous environmental criteria established by Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. These included environmental performance, timeliness and effectiveness of corrective actions related to audit findings, reports of near incidents and nonconformities, submission of environmental status reports, performance of environmental equipment and innovative thinking. For each of these criteria, ships were scored individually and then ranked against one another to determine the winning ships in each fleet.

This year, Royal Caribbean International's Liberty of the Seas won both the Environmental Ship of the Year and Environmentally Innovative Ship of the Year Awards for its excellent overall performance, having one of the most thorough and wide-ranging environmental programs of the entire fleet. The crew members demonstrated an exemplary level of commitment to saving energy, reducing waste, and increasing their amount of recycled materials. There was a particular emphasis on learning and continuous improvement that included establishing a water and energy savings team, as well as educating staff on how freshwater is produced onboard and how wastewaters are treated.

For Celebrity Cruises, Mercury received top honors in the Environmental Ship of the Year Award for its energy conservation, recycling efforts and reuse initiatives. The Mercury was bestowed the award most notably for its compliance and waste management, especially in the face of a challenging itinerary. The ship's staff worked to establish recycling in numerous countries along its cruise track. Celebrity Infinity was awarded the Environmentally Innovative Ship of the Year Award for effectively demonstrating how day-to-day operational changes can be coupled with smart onboard insight and engineering to produce an innovative approach to energy savings in cooling the ship. Adding to their improvement is their continued strong efforts in recycling, management of waste streams, and the environmental honors received.

The winning ships receive an award they can display year-round, and get to select a non-profit organization that will receive a cash donation on their behalf. The organizations selected by the Environmental Ships of the Year received a $10,000 donation, and $5,000 goes to the organizations selected by the Environmentally Innovative Ships of the Year.

SOURCE Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) announced today that members of the Arison family and certain related entities, including trusts organized by members of the Arison family, have advised Carnival Corporation that they plan to sell up to 8.5 million shares of Carnival Corporation Common Stock in market sales, representing up to approximately 1% of the total combined voting rights of Carnival Corporation & plc.

Of the shares planned for sale, up to 5 million shares are held either directly or indirectly by Micky Arison, the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. If all the shares covered by the sales plan are sold, the Arison family and related entities will remain beneficial owners of approximately 220 million shares, constituting approximately 28% of the total combined voting rights of Carnival Corporation & plc.

The sellers have advised Carnival Corporation that they are selling for tax planning, estate planning and diversification purposes. In connection with the sales, the sellers are expected to enter into one or more sales plans under Rule 10b5-l. Rule 10b5-l permits the creation of written plans for buying or selling stock at a time when insiders are not in possession of material non-public information. Once a plan is established, the insider does not retain or exercise any discretion over sales of stock under the plan and the preplanned trades can be executed at later dates as set forth in the plan, without regard to any subsequent material non-public information that the insider might receive.

Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest cruise vacation group in the world, with a portfolio of cruise brands in North America, Europe and Australia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, The Yachts of Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Ibero Cruises, Ocean Village, P&O Cruises and P&O Cruises Australia.

Together, these brands operate 92 ships totaling approximately 177,000 lower berths with 13 new ships scheduled to be delivered between September 2009 and June 2012. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Tours and Princess Tours, the leading tour companies in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.

Source: Carnival Cruises PLC