Cruise Europe
Cruise Europe
06/03/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/03/2026 10:32
Three sessions, three topics … increasing understanding
***A morning session on 'Small ships, different stories: understanding expedition cruising', moderated by Liz Gammon, Seatrade expedition ambassador, explored the difference between expedition and small ships.
Hugues Lamy, director port operations at Swan Hellenic, perhaps solved this riddle with an expedition ship being self-sufficient and able to call anywhere.
He went on to say that new destinations can test the industry with expedition ships and see how it goes before accepting small ships. While Kelly Hubbard, director & product development at Windstar Cruises, said: "We need different experiences in the summer and winter and we need more infrastructure in the small ports", for example making sure attractions, shops etc, are open when a ship comes in. Something as simple as local guides greeting the passengers with their own stories is very welcome.
Even here there was a request for confirmed bookings. She said: "I don't love the message of 'bumping' if you get a bigger ship booking. If you say it is confirmed, please keep it confirmed."
Lamy added: "It is better to tell us that a big ship is coming in at the same time than not being able to give us the services we need."
***Ana Lourenco, cruise manager Port of Lisbon & chair of the CE sustainability group, opened a session on the important subject: 'The cost of decarbonisation: Who pays and how we stay competitive".
Both Michele Franchioni, chief energy transition officer, MSC Cruises, and Ingvar Mathisen, ceo at the Port of Oslo, discussed the high cost element of connecting and also of installing onshore power supply (OPS).
In explaining that MSC Cruises connects where possible, it being an "effective way of reducing local pollution", he said: "We experience significant high costs of connection depending on the type of port, the ships and the fuel. We can have costs 100 percent higher than running on our own fuel. We need to work together to mitigate the costs." He also mentioned the technical challenges involved, such as black-outs and incompatibility between the ship and port in some places.
In terms of costs, Franchioni explained that the port pays for the shoreside infrastructure and the cruiseline that of the vessels but he said: "Long-term contracts between the line and port should help".
Mathisen pointed out that: "It is crucial to get funding as the investment is significant". In terms of future regulations making OPS mandatory, he said: "As ports we have to be efficient re use of the grid. We also have to incentivise cruiselines to use it, for example via EPI." He was keen to add that there has been less negativity about cruiseships from the Oslo community since the arrival of OPS connections.
Franchioni concluded: "If we are united in talking to government, we will find some solutions. We must work together."
***Jakobsdottir introduced the session on 'EU regulations and their impact on the cruise & port industry'. What can be a somewhat dry subject was certainly given a boost by herself together with Sandra Weir, VP government relations & public affairs, NCL Holdings, and Alessandro Carollo, AVP government relations at Royal Caribbean Group.
Carollo kicked off with the EES which is now up and running after a soft launch last year. He made the point that normal disembarkation of a large ship can take anything between three and 10 hours and that it is up to the ports to put on more desks and more staff where necessary. "We have known [this was coming] since 2017 so you could have been prepared," he pointed out.
Costs again came to fore. Sudden increases in port costs, taxes and restrictions coming in after calls have been announced 18-24 months ahead cause problems for cruiselines as, due to regulation, after tickets have been sold to passengers, these cannot be passed on. "We need destinations within themselves to agree a cruise strategy and then come to us with problems to work on rather than we finding, with short notice, that there is, for example, an extra tax".
Weir pointed out that, OPS aside: "We need fuels for when we are at sea. We need EU money to go into port infrastructure re storing fuels in port." In general, she added that whatever the challenge: "It is all about open and honest dialogue. We can come up with better solutions together for regulations that can be advantageous for both parties."
Hugues Lamy, director port operations at Swan Hellenic, perhaps solved this riddle with an expedition ship being self-sufficient and able to call anywhere.
He went on to say that new destinations can test the industry with expedition ships and see how it goes before accepting small ships. While Kelly Hubbard, director & product development at Windstar Cruises, said: "We need different experiences in the summer and winter and we need more infrastructure in the small ports", for example making sure attractions, shops etc, are open when a ship comes in. Something as simple as local guides greeting the passengers with their own stories is very welcome.
Even here there was a request for confirmed bookings. She said: "I don't love the message of 'bumping' if you get a bigger ship booking. If you say it is confirmed, please keep it confirmed."
Lamy added: "It is better to tell us that a big ship is coming in at the same time than not being able to give us the services we need."
***Ana Lourenco, cruise manager Port of Lisbon & chair of the CE sustainability group, opened a session on the important subject: 'The cost of decarbonisation: Who pays and how we stay competitive".
Both Michele Franchioni, chief energy transition officer, MSC Cruises, and Ingvar Mathisen, ceo at the Port of Oslo, discussed the high cost element of connecting and also of installing onshore power supply (OPS).
In explaining that MSC Cruises connects where possible, it being an "effective way of reducing local pollution", he said: "We experience significant high costs of connection depending on the type of port, the ships and the fuel. We can have costs 100 percent higher than running on our own fuel. We need to work together to mitigate the costs." He also mentioned the technical challenges involved, such as black-outs and incompatibility between the ship and port in some places.
In terms of costs, Franchioni explained that the port pays for the shoreside infrastructure and the cruiseline that of the vessels but he said: "Long-term contracts between the line and port should help".
Mathisen pointed out that: "It is crucial to get funding as the investment is significant". In terms of future regulations making OPS mandatory, he said: "As ports we have to be efficient re use of the grid. We also have to incentivise cruiselines to use it, for example via EPI." He was keen to add that there has been less negativity about cruiseships from the Oslo community since the arrival of OPS connections.
Franchioni concluded: "If we are united in talking to government, we will find some solutions. We must work together."
***Jakobsdottir introduced the session on 'EU regulations and their impact on the cruise & port industry'. What can be a somewhat dry subject was certainly given a boost by herself together with Sandra Weir, VP government relations & public affairs, NCL Holdings, and Alessandro Carollo, AVP government relations at Royal Caribbean Group.
Carollo kicked off with the EES which is now up and running after a soft launch last year. He made the point that normal disembarkation of a large ship can take anything between three and 10 hours and that it is up to the ports to put on more desks and more staff where necessary. "We have known [this was coming] since 2017 so you could have been prepared," he pointed out.
Costs again came to fore. Sudden increases in port costs, taxes and restrictions coming in after calls have been announced 18-24 months ahead cause problems for cruiselines as, due to regulation, after tickets have been sold to passengers, these cannot be passed on. "We need destinations within themselves to agree a cruise strategy and then come to us with problems to work on rather than we finding, with short notice, that there is, for example, an extra tax".
Weir pointed out that, OPS aside: "We need fuels for when we are at sea. We need EU money to go into port infrastructure re storing fuels in port." In general, she added that whatever the challenge: "It is all about open and honest dialogue. We can come up with better solutions together for regulations that can be advantageous for both parties."
© Eyglo Gisla/Ports of Faxafloi
© Eyglo Gisla/Ports of Faxafloi
Cruise Europe published this content on June 03, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 03, 2026 at 16:32 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]