Cruise
Get Active With Emerald Cruises
Emerald Cruises is continuing to expand its EmeraldACTIVE tour program for guests. The program, available at no extra cost to the river cruise company’s passengers, was introduced in 2016. As the small ship cruise line has grown and expanded its reach into the rivers of Southeast Asia and into the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Red and Caribbean seas with its new ocean-going yachts, Emerald Azzurra and Emerald Sakara, its active tour offerings have expanded as well. In fact, Emerald Cruises now offers more than 50 complimentary EmeraldACTIVE excursions across their cruise collection in...
Seatrade Will Be Cruising In 2023
Seatrade Cruise Global will host its 2023 conference and exhibition at the newly renovated Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center from March 27 to March 30, 2023. The four-day event is expected to attract more than 10,000 attendees, bringing together cruise professionals, thought leaders and innovators from all facets of the industry. Following feedback from exhibitors and attendees, the date change for the upcoming year mitigates challenges that may come with the potential of sharing Miami Beach with the Formula One Grand Prix event in 2023. The decision was...
Holland America Tests Biofuels On Volendam
Holland America Line completed the cruise industry’s first multi-week test of biofuels on board Volendam at Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The 20-day test was conducted in partnership with GoodFuels and Wärtsilä. The assessment was completed Sept. 7. In the first five days of the test the ship used a mix of 30% biofuel and 70% marine gas oil (MGO) in one of its main auxiliary engines. For the final 15 days of testing, the ship used 100% biofuel. According to GoodFuels, there was a 78% decrease in lifecycle CO2 emissions during the final 15 days of trial compared to marine...
Virgin Voyages Has Big Plans For First Mates
Virgin Voyages First Mates have certainly been soaking up all the cruise line has to offer, including competitive commissions, no NCFs and events designed around the travel agent community. On the heels of its new LetsGoBook reservations platform -- an advisor-friendly interface created to streamline the booking process -- Virgin Voyages is announcing its first-ever First Mate Spectacular Soiree and the launch of its Golden Ink Awards. The top 100 North American First Mates with the most bookings between Nov. 1, 2021 -- Oct. 31, 2022 will be invited to pack their chicest nautical...
Costa Cruises Says ‘Ciao’ To Fall
Costa Cruises North America is sailing into autumn with cruises starting at $499 per person, double occupancy, on select Mediterranean, northern Europe and Caribbean itineraries. Costa’s Fall Sale promotion features savings of up to $800 per cabin when booked by Oct. 31, 2022. With the Fall Sale event, guests can book their next adventure from featured cruises departing November 2022 through December 2023. Port departures include Amsterdam, Netherlands; Barcelona, Spain; Istanbul, Turkey; Kiel, Germany; and Bari, Genoa, Marghera (Venice), Savona and Rome, Italy; as well as...
Avalon Waterways, ACTA Partner For 2023 Summit
Avalon Waterways and ACTA are partnering to set sail on an inaugural River Cruise Summit for 100 travel advisors in October 2023. This special event and custom, travel advisor-only cruise will set sail in Amsterdam. Throughout the seven-day “Romantic Rhine” itinerary, travel advisors will not only have the chance to experience the Avalon difference on ships, they will also have the opportunity to curate their curiosities and immerse themselves in the world around them with a choice of “Classic,” “Discovery” and “Active” excursions. Travel advisors will also partake...
Volendam Completes Rotterdam Charter
Holland America Line’s Volendam departed Rotterdam this week after the completion of a charter with the city and the government of the Netherlands that began in April. For the past six months, the ship has been home to families from Ukraine who fled the war there. Over the past several weeks, the families have been resettling with relatives or moving to more permanent accommodations in the Netherlands. Volendam is now headed for Trieste, Italy, where the ship will board guests Sept. 24 and depart on a 14-day Holy Land & Ancient Kingdoms Explorer cruise – its first full...
Carnival Celebration Completes Sea Trials
Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship, Carnival Celebration, is one more milestone closer to its highly-anticipated debut in its homeport of PortMiami after successfully completing sea trials in the Baltic Sea. Carnival Celebration set sail on its first round of sea trials Sept. 5 from Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, the same shipyard where Celebration’s sister ship, Mardi Gras, was built. Carnival Celebration had a full contingent of officers, technicians and engineers on board to thoroughly test the ship’s technical, mechanical and navigational systems. The ship’s arrival...