Cruise
Cruise Update: A Message From CLIA
Here's a good way to start the day, a message from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to travel agents outlining a number of initiatives that the industry association is putting in place to help them out ... A Primer On River Cruising From Avalon Waterways Over the past decade, river cruising has grown by 250%, proving that when it comes to bodies of water and ships, bigger is not necessarily better. Avalon Waterways has led the river cruise trend, unveiling for travellers an unforgettable fusion of distinctive sights, colourful cultures and enduring traditions...
A Little Assurance From Avalon Waterways
As it anticipates setting sail once more, Avalon Waterways has developed a new Avalon Assurance program that’s designed to safeguard the health and happiness of travellers throughout their Avalon river cruise vacation. Pam Hoffee, managing director of Avalon Waterways, said: “The world has changed but what remains certain is our steadfast commitment to our guests’ safety, comfort and peace-of-mind. To that end, we have established a Global Health & Safety team dedicated to ensuring that the cleanliness of all operations exceeds today’s standards from...
Set Sail With Le Boat This Summer
With the opening of on-water marinas in Ontario, Le Boat, is preparing to welcome guests this summer when Parks Canada opens the UNESCO World Heritage Rideau Canal on June 1, 2020. Lisa Mclean, North American marketing manager for Le Boat, said that: “Once it's safe to travel again, we believe that Le Boat is an ideal option for those looking to vacation closer to home this summer.” Mclean continued: “Being on your own private cruiser allows you to sleep on board, set your own schedule, plan your own route and control your environment, determine where you stop and whom you...
Cruise Update: Crystal, Atlas Ocean, Scenic
Crystal has unveiled its new Easy Book program that includes reduced deposits and waived administrative fees for all new bookings through June 30, 2020. The new program applies to all Crystal experiences – Crystal Cruises, Crystal River Cruises, Crystal Yacht Cruises and Crystal Expedition Cruises – in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The reduced deposit of 15% of the total cruise fare (normally 25%) and waived administration fee (granting guests a 100% refund of deposit if they need to cancel prior to Crystal’s standard cancellation schedules) allow travellers to plan ahead without...
Social Media Connects Tourism, Travellers
While many companies in the global tourism industry are focusing all of their financial resources on battling the threats they face from COVID-19, GlobalData says that they still need to stay relevant and social media is a relatively cheap way to promote. The data and analytics company points out, in its “Impact of COVID-19 on the global cruise industry,” that 70% of Brazilians are now spending more time browsing social media when compared to pre-COVID-19 outbreak figures, with an enormous 34% saying they spend all day using social media. Meanwhile, a considerable number of US...
Forward To The Future
After holding virtual meetings with its top accounts and travel advisors, Michelle Palma, Vice President, Field Sales – North America, Uniworld, said they’ve gleaned incredible insights into the current market conditions. “First and foremost is that consumers still want to travel. Many clients that have travel plans for late summer and fall 2020 are optimistic and are waiting to see what happens in the coming weeks as parts of Canada and the world start to open back up,” she told Travel Courier. “That being said, there are also consumers who have written off their...
Silversea Has Been Listening
Over the past few weeks, Silversea’s global team has been reaching out directly to its travel agent partners to answer their questions, listen to their feedback and discuss new ideas. And based on that input, Silversea’s has made some significant policy updates to help support agents at this challenging time. Commission Protection Silversea will now pay commissions on cancelled voyages for all guests who have paid in full, regardless of whether they choose cash refunds or a future cruise credit. This is retroactive to our first cancellations in March, 2020. And this policy...
When Will Domestic Travel Start Again?
In a special report for Canadian Travel Press, Eric Barber writes that if the Canadian government was looking for any guidelines on how to put the travel and tourism industry in Canada back to work, they might want to consider a new report from Germany’s Kompetenzzentrum Tourismus des Tourismus and represents the first document in tourism that plots a timeline for the return of tourism in Germany based on select factors: politics, economics and science. The report identifies four phases of COVID-19, which are represented by Shutdown, Loosening, Revival & Normalization. ...