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Cruise Week 7/21/10

1. Cruising The Apps
Cruise-related applications for the iPhone and other smartphone systems have been trickling into the market....

2. Targeting America, Carnival-Style
Evidently, Carnival Corp. has no plans to slow down its European capacity increases, despite sharpened concerns about the European economy. Even with a 13% increase in European brand capacity--which might be expected to deflate prices--Vice Chairman/COO Howard Frank said during the most recent earnings call that second quarter booking volumes for European brands and European itineraries "had been higher and are keeping pace with year-over-year brand capacity increases." Carnival Chairman /CEO Micky Arison added of Europeans: "They not buying the cruises on credit."....

3. Fain On New Partners, Old Partners
Suppliers are working hard to reassure agents worried about suppliers' attempts to directly connect to consumers. For example, at the Vacation.com conference in Orlando, a key message from Richard Fain, chairman/CEO of Royal Caribbean, couldn't have been more basic: "Travel agents and the cruise industry need each other."....

4. Fleetwide Shipboard Changes
Changes made by lines fleetwide to their onboard product continue full force. Florida correspondent Art Sbarsky provides a status report on some major lines....

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