CMV adds Columbus, projecting a 10% share of ex-UK cruise market

The vessel is now transiting back to Europe with upgrades taking place en-route. It will have a stopover in Damen yard in Rotterdam for a makeover, ahead of a June 8 naming ceremony in homeport of London, Tilbury.

The addition of Columbus brings the CMV fleet to five ocean ships and one river vessel, accounting for a total of 4,906 lower berths.

At 63,786gt and with an impressive space ratio, she will carry about 1,400 mainly British passengers accommodated in 775 cabins (including 150 singles) and will become the new flagship of the CMV ocean fleet operating alongside Magellan (1,300pax), Marco Polo (800pax), Astor (600pax) and Astoria (550pax).

Predicting a 10% share of the ex-UK cruise market this year and rising to 12% in 2018, the company is Britain’s leading independently owned cruise line, says commercial director, Chris Coates.

He projects CMV Group will carry 130,000 passengers in 2018 and accrue a turnover in excess of £200m.

In 2017, the fleet will sail from 14 UK and Ireland departure ports on 87 cruises accounting for over one million bed nights. In 2018, this jumps to 92 cruises from 13 ports and over 1.2m bed nights.

Key source markets are UK, Germany, Australia and US with Northern Europe continuing to remain CMV's number one global destination with all five ships deployed in the region throughout the summer season, Coates told Seatrade Cruise News.

Speaking at this week Cruise Europe Conference in Bremerhaven, Coates said since his last appearance at a Cruise Europe Conference in Santander in 2015, ‘our ocean bed night capacity has grown by over 30%.’

This growth in capacity is very much in line with CMV's increase in calls to the Cruise Europe membership ports, he added.

In 2015, CMV called at under 45% of the members ports while in 2018 penetration will increase to 62% representing 429 calls and just under 400,000 passengers.

‘This strong growth reinforces CMV's commitment to North European cruising and the close partnership we enjoy with Cruise Europe,’ Coates remarked.