Cruise
Short and ‘Suite’
For travellers not sold on one of the hottest trends in travel, river cruising, Avalon Waterways may have just the ticket – four-day mini-cruises. Avalon offers four-day cruises between Vienna and Budapest from May to November. These “Taste of the Danube” cruises include as ports of call Bratislava (Slovakia) and Melk and Durnstein in Austria. Like all of Avalon’s European cruises, each includes all meals, with wine included at lunches and four-course dinners; light entertainment and port talks in the evening; and a choice of optional shore excursions at each stop, such as a...
Carnival High On Two-Deck ‘Ultimate Playground’
Carnival Cruise Line has revealed additional details on BOLT, its first roller coaster at sea and the centrepiece of the Ultimate Playground, an expansive open-air recreation area on Mardi Gras, set to debut in August 2020. Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy says that BOLT’s all-electric, motorcycle-inspired vehicles will be adorned with metallic red and blue stripes and an eye-catching yellow lightning bolt. The vehicle will also feature a digital speedometre display and speakers with new sound effects that will activate to enhance the exhilarating, one-of-a-kind...
Carnival Celebrates 25 Years in Tampa
Carnival Cruise Line recently celebrated its 25th anniversary sailing from the Port of Tampa with a reception and luncheon aboard Carnival Legend highlighted by the presentation of a commemorative plaque from Carnival president Christine Duffy to Port Tampa Bay president and CEO Paul Anderson commemorating the milestone. Carnival was the first cruise operator to recognize the potential of Tampa as a year-round cruise homeport when it launched a schedule of seven-day voyages aboard the since-retired Tropicale in 1994 carrying about 28,000 guests a year. Fast forward to today and...
Virgin Sets Sights on the Med for Second Ship
Virgin Voyages has announced that its second ship will be called “Valiant Lady” and will sail seven-night Mediterranean itineraries out of Barcelona, Spain when it debuts in May 2021. Bookings for the three feature itineraries, that all offer overnight and late-night stops across some of the hottest destinations in France, Italy and Spain, will open Dec. 19. “We are thrilled to unveil the name of our second ship – Valiant Lady – and to deliver on our commitment to offer travellers a sea change in how they can experience cruising in this fantastic part of the world. Our...
Dark Revolution Sets Sail With Cunard
Cunard has partnered with microbrewery, Dark Revolution, to create a trio of craft beers now available exclusively on Cunard’s Three Queens – Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. The beverage collection features a ‘Black’ Stout, a ‘Red’ IPA, and a ‘Gold’ Pilsner and are the latest addition to Cunard’s custom drinks collection on board. Cunard Black is a handcrafted Biscotti Breakfast Stout, inspired by Cunard’s legacy of world navigation with flavours from around the globe. Cunard Red is a handcrafted IPA with a gentle nod to Cunard’s iconic...
Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve Opening Soon
MSC Cruises will open its Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve on Dec. 5, 2019. The development of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve has been a multi-year project in which MSC Cruises worked with multiple contractors and partners to transform what was once an industrial sand excavation site into a stunning tropical destination, including designating the surrounding waters as a flourishing marine reserve. It has been an extremely complex project as MSC Cruises has been fully committed to developing the destination in the most eco-friendly and sustainable way. At the same time, while the company...
Bold Adventures With Crystal Endeavor
For agents with clients looking for bold new adventures, immersive cultural connections and unexpected discoveries in 2020, then Crystal Expedition Cruises may just have the answer. Bookings are now being taken for the Crystal Endeavor’s 2022 and January 2023 itineraries, with sailings ranging from nine to 19 nights. The voyages will explore the High Arctic and Antarctica, Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland, the Falkland Islands and Chilean fjords and glaciers on designated “Remote Expeditions,” while “Cultural Discovery” and “Destination Exploration” sailings sail to Western...
A World Of Discovery
Does the old adage that there's strength in numbers apply to the travel industry? Well, a certain segment of the industry thinks that's the case. Chile-based explora, which has upscale resorts in remote parts of South America, teamed up with The Moorings, which offers rentals of boats in the Caribbean, the South Pacific and the Mediterranean; Quark Expeditions, which has polar sailings; and TCS World Travel, which uses private jets to whisk clients to often remote parts of the world; for a Wednesday night Toronto gathering that familiarized agents with their products. The Moorings,...