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Cruise Saudi Teams Up with COLUMBIA blue for New Premium Cruise Line

Cruise Saudi Teams Up with COLUMBIA blue for New Premium Cruise Line
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Cruise Saudi Teams Up with COLUMBIA blue for New Premium Cruise Line

Cruise Saudi Teams Up with COLUMBIA blue for New Premium Cruise Line

Wholly PIF-owned company, Cruise Saudi, is working with globally renowned leaders in the tech and innovation industry for the creation of a new premium cruise line, AROYA Cruises.

In its latest partner to be announced is leisure services platform, COLUMBIA blue, the Leisure Group with its operational brands COLUMBIA cruise services for the technical operations and COLUMBIA signature for hospitality services.

COLUMBIA blue, is the chosen ship manager for AROYA Cruises. It specializes in the full management of cruise and expedition passenger vessels and provides services to some of the most renowned brands in the world, according to SPA.

For AROYA Cruises, COLUMBIA blue will oversee the hotel management including housekeeping, guest relations, food & beverage, crew management and deck & engine management.
The CEO of Cruise Saudi, Lars Clasen, commented: “COLUMBIA blue is a leader in the ship management industry and an instrumental organization for AROYA Cruises to work with. This strategic partnership is crucial in ensuring that AROYA Cruises passengers have the best possible experience on-board.”

The CEO of COLUMBIA blue, Norman Schmiedl, also said: "We are extremely proud to be helping AROYA Cruises deliver a remarkably Arabian experience to their guests. We are deploying all of our 40 years of experience in cruise ship management to deliver safe, efficient and sustainable standards to AROYA Cruises."

Announced in June 2023, AROYA Cruises is Cruise Saudi’s owned, premium cruise line. Designed for Saudi nationals, expatriates and regional guests, AROYA Cruises will be tailored specifically to the interests of the Arabian market.
The creation of AROYA Cruises supports Cruise Saudi’s overall goals of creating 50,000 job opportunities in Saudi Arabia, and welcoming 1.3 million cruise passengers annually, by 2035.

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Starbucks Workers to Start US Strike on Friday

Unionized workers at Starbucks in the United States are walking off the job Friday in a strike that is set to spread over the following days - AFP
Unionized workers at Starbucks in the United States are walking off the job Friday in a strike that is set to spread over the following days - AFP
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Starbucks Workers to Start US Strike on Friday

Unionized workers at Starbucks in the United States are walking off the job Friday in a strike that is set to spread over the following days - AFP
Unionized workers at Starbucks in the United States are walking off the job Friday in a strike that is set to spread over the following days - AFP

Workers at Starbucks will walk off the job Friday in three US cities in a strike their union threatened could spread around the country in the busy run-up to Christmas.

The announcement, which will initially affect stores in Los Angeles, Chicago and the firm's home city of Seattle, comes as online giant Amazon was also hit by a walkout in the crucial final shopping days of the festive period.

Starbucks Workers United, which says it represents baristas at hundreds of outlets around the country, said its action was aimed at forcing the company to improve pay and conditions after months of negotiations that it said have gone nowhere.

"Nobody wants to strike. It's a last resort, but Starbucks has broken its promise to thousands of baristas and left us with no choice," a union press release quoted Texas barista Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi as saying.

The strike, which the union says will hit more outlets every day until Tuesday, comes as Starbucks grapples with stagnating sales in key markets.

Former Chipotle boss Brian Niccol was brought on board this year with a mandate to staunch a decline that saw quarterly revenue worldwide fall three percent to $9 billion.

"In September, Brian Niccol became CEO with a compensation package worth at least $113 million," thousands of times the wage of the average barista, said union member Michelle Eisen in the statement.

The union said Starbucks had not engaged fruitfully for several months, and threatened it was ready to "show the company the consequences."

"We refuse to accept zero immediate investment in baristas' wages and no resolution of the hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practices," said Lynne Fox, president of Workers United, AFP reported.

"Union baristas know their value, and they're not going to accept a proposal that doesn't treat them as true partners."

Starbucks pointed the finger back at Workers United, saying that its delegates "prematurely ended our bargaining session this week."

"It is disappointing they didn't return to the table given the progress we've made to date," the company told AFP in an email.

It added that it offers "a competitive average pay of over $18 per hour", and benefits that include health coverage, paid family leave, company stock grants and free college tuition for employees.

"We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements. We need the union to return to the table," the company said.