Cruise
Virgin Voyages Now Open For Bookings
Virgin Voyages is officially open for business, with the company’s first ship the Scarlet Lady, now open for bookings for its inaugural season with voyages departing from April 1 through Oct. 25, 2020 now on sale. “I’ve dreamed of starting my own cruise line since I was in my 20s, and now the launch is finally getting close,” said Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Voyages. “We have taken the time to think about every detail and craft an experience that brings the Virgin brand to life and disrupts the travel industry.” Scarlet Lady is a boutique-style, mid-sized ship...
Discover OZ With Cunard In 2020-2021
Cunard has announced that Queen Elizabeth will return to Australia for an unparalleled 118 days over the 2020-21 summer, headlining Cunard’s biggest ever Australian season. The season will also feature visits from Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2 and sister ship Queen Victoria during their world voyages, with the royal trio spending a record 49 days in Australian ports between them. Queen Elizabeth’s four-month season will begin in November 2020 and will include more than 60 itinerary options sailing from its homeports of Melbourne and Sydney. Voyages range from two-night cruises...
European Waterways Enhances The Experience
European Waterways continues to invest in unique experiential excursions for guests aboard their hotel barges, adding new experiences for 2019 that include a “Birds of Prey” demonstration and private wine tastings at such prestigious wineries as Domaine Laroche in Burgundy, France. They reflect the company’s ongoing commitment to providing guests with unique and memorable experiences that immerse them in the history, traditions and cuisine of the cruise regions. Last-minute promotions of 20% off on charters and cabins on select departures in April and May 2019 are still...
Play To Win With Carnival
Tapping into the momentum of Wave Season, Carnival Cruise Line has launched an interactive “Carnival Word Search Contest” for agents. The online game, designed to keep agents up to date on Carnival’s ships and itineraries, will run for 18 days, through Feb. 28. Every day of the contest agents who visit Facebook.com/carnivaltrade can play along and find three ship- or port-related terms in a word-search puzzle. Each time participants find a word, a fun fact pops up with relevant information. For example, finding the word “PANORAMA” yields “The all-new Carnival Panorama...
Shipyard Issues Delay Scenic Eclipse Launch
Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours has announced that the first sailing date for Scenic Eclipse, described as the “World’s First Discovery Yacht,” has been amended to Aug. 15. “We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience these delays to the launch of Scenic Eclipse have caused our guests. As a company we have done everything possible to complete the ship within the time limits that were set previously, but a series of events that are outside our control have put us in a position where we must delay,” stated a company spokesperson. As reported earlier, the ongoing financial...
Michelin Star Chef Floats New Menu on AmaWaterways
Two Michelin star celebrity chef, John Burton-Race, is to set sail aboard a luxury river cruise ship as guest chef for an exclusive group this September. Burton-Race is to partner with Go Cruise and AmaWaterways to provide his amazing flair and cooking skills to 20 exclusive guests. Teaming up with Go Cruise and AmaWaterways, Burton-Race is set to bring his outstanding culinary abilities aboard the “Amacello” for the seven-night cruise entitled “Colours of Provence.” Burton-Race will be holding a presentation and Q&A session for the exclusive guests at the cruise’s...
Cozumel Tops Own Visitor Record
Cozumel once again attracted a record-breaking number of visitors to one of the world’s busiest cruise ports last year and is celebrating an unprecedented year amid a slate of new tourism additions. Cozumel recorded a 4% increase reaching more than four million cruise passengers, approximately 54% of Mexico’s total number of cruise passengers received in 2018. The announcement follows a prosperous year for the island which saw the historic arrival of the world’s largest cruise, Symphony of the Seas, in November. The destination of Quintana Roo captured five million cruisers and...
UnCruise To Offer Summer Sailings in Hawaii
UnCruise Adventures has announced its first foray into summer island cruising in Hawaii with six departures in July and August. The week-long small ship cruises sail roundtrip Moloka’i and explore Lana’i, the Big Island of Hawaii, and sea turtle rich waters off West Maui. UnCruise Adventures’ 36-guest Safari Explorer has operated Hawaii cruises from November through April since 2011. A new week-long summer itinerary visits four islands with included activities exploring land and sea – kayaking, hiking, swimming, snorkeling, paddle boarding, wildlife searches and skiff...