Cruising is now a year round product with the number of ships deployed in the Mediterranean outside the traditional summer season significant and growing. There are many other examples around the world of deployments that break out of the familiar seasonal pattern with ships based in New York year round, and Christmas cruise itineraries in North Europe.

With interest in winter cruising growing, final plans are being made for the Seatrade Winter Cruising Forum which will unite a cross section of the stakeholders in this still new cruise concept to discuss how its huge potential can be realised. Between 17-18 January 2008, Malta, at the epicenter of many winter cruise itineraries, will play host to the inaugural event.

Sponsored and endorsed by the Malta Tourism Authority, along with Cruise Europe and MedCruise, the event will consist of a one and a half day conference dedicated to worldwide winter cruising and a half-day winter cruising workshop for participating destinations, allowing them the opportunity to have 15 minute pre-scheduled meetings with the cruise lines.

Conference sessions will examine:

• The current scope and future potential for winter cruising in the Med and around the world
• The seasonality challenge for the cruise industry
• Shoulder season deployment
• How to challenge a consumer mind set that cruising is to be enjoyed in peak summer conditions
• The selection of itineraries for winter programmes
• Shorex products
• How ports should gear up for winter calls
• Ship design and construction for winter cruising
• Navigation and route planning
• The demographics of winter cruisers
• Marketing and distribution of the product
• Activating the retail agency network
• Air lift for winter programmes

 

The speaker pool consists of renowned industry figures including Amilcar Cascais, Carnival Cruise Lines; Angelo Capurro, Costa Crociere SpA; Darius Mehta, Regent Seven Seas; Jim Droney, Silversea Cruises Ltd; Joanne Salzedo, Norwegian Cruise Line & Orient Lines; John Marden, P&O Cruises; John Tercek, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises; Michael Pawlus, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Nigel Lingard, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.