Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) held a keel laying ceremony for Norwegian Encore this week and unveiled the entertainment line-up and recreational amenities scheduled for the ship’s fall 2019 debut.
Following the major construction milestone and maritime tradition of embedding a “commemorative coin” within the keel blocks of the ship, attendees were treated to an unexpected presentation. Four performers appeared in extravagant costume provided a surprise performance from “Kinky Boots,” confirming the Tony Award-winning musical as the headlining act on Norwegian...
TL Network Canada celebrated its 2018 Elite Members with a special river cruise from Amsterdam, The Netherlands to Basel, Switzerland this month aboard AmaWaterways’ AmaPrima.
Elite membership is awarded each year to 30 agencies among Travel Leaders Network Affiliate Members who are the top sellers and leading supporters of preferred supplier partners.
“We are proud to honour these agency owners for the outstanding success they have achieved,” said Christine James, TL Network’s vice-president Canada. “These recognition journeys wouldn’t be possible without support and...
Holland America Line (HAL) took delivery of Nieuw Statendam yesterday (Nov. 29), officially making it the 15th ship in the fleet.
A hand-over ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Marghera, Italy, shipyard, and Nieuw Statendam set sail for Venice today en route to Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, for its Premiere Voyage with guests departing Dec. 5.
“Today the Holland America Line family celebrates the addition of Nieuw Statendam to our fleet, and it’s a proud moment for everyone involved,” said HAL president Orlando Ashford. “Thank you to our partners at Fincantieri and our...
PressToday's Greg Coates was among the first passengers aboard Celebrity Cruises' iconic new flagship, the Edge, this week as Celebrity hosted travel trade personnel from around the world for a first look at the new ship during a two-night sailing out of Fort Lauderdale.
The ship was clearly a hit as adjectives like “stylish” and “sophisticated” flew around the dinner tables. It could be said that Edge is understated, but still has a significant “wow factor.” As Celebrity president Lisa Lutoff-Perlo noted, “we wanted to make people feel comfortable, yet...
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has appointed Kelly Craighead as president and chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1.
Craighead takes over the role currently held by Cindy D'Aoust, who in July of this year announced her intent to leave the position by year’s end.
Craighead has spent over 15 years in the public and private sectors, recently serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism in the U.S. Department of Commerce where she advanced travel and tourism priorities within the Administration and with Congress. As the first Executive Director of...
Celebrity Edge represents a monumental leap in cruise ship design and innovation, and now, Celebrity Cruises is introducing its most technologically advanced ship in the most technologically advanced way – with the launch of the Celebrity Edge Access Tour app.
Narrated with insights by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. chairman and CEO, Richard Fain, and Celebrity president and CEO, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, the tour uses binaural audio, soundscaping and 3-D augmented reality technology to give guests ultimate behind-the-scenes access to the story of this groundbreaking new ship.
“This is...
Princess Cruises has unveiled its 2020 Alaska season with cruises and cruisetours now on sale.
The season features eight ships offering 11 cruise-only itineraries, plus 25 cruisetour itineraries, giving guests the bucket-list opportunity to see the top two attractions in Alaska – Glacier Bay National Park, with up-close glacier viewing, and Denali National Park, home to North America’s tallest mountain peak.
Highlights of the 2020 Princess Cruises Alaska season that runs from May through September include:
Golden Princess debuts a full season of 14-day Inside Passage...
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has introduced two new online courses, as well as three updated courses, for travel agents.
“CLIA is dedicated to providing the travel professional community with training and courses that will grow their abilities to sell cruise and further their business goals,” said Stephani E.D. McDow, director, Professional Development & Membership. “We are continuously looking for new opportunities to provide the best possible training and enhance our already top-notch programs and online courses.”
The new and updated courses are:
...
Luxury cruise line Cunard has launched an innovative partnership with the prestigious English National Ballet for the first-ever “Dance the Atlantic” Transatlantic Crossing on board flagship Queen Mary 2, sailing from Southampton to New York, Aug. 11-18, 2019.
Guests on the seven-night crossing will have the opportunity to meet six lead dancers from the British ballet company, including Lead Principal Erina Takahashi and First Soloist James Streeter. Guests will also have the unique opportunity to watch the dancers’ morning ballet class and drop-in on afternoon rehearsals.
A...
Windstar Cruises has introduced a “$250 Million Star Plus Initiative,” a multi-million dollar, multi-year undertaking that will impact and enhance all aspects of the guest experience for the small ship cruise line’s three Star Class vessels.
“We are thrilled to announce the $250 Million Star Plus Initiative, a significant investment in the future of Windstar Cruises. This exciting initiative is our 180 degree from ordinary solution to add new capacity and major enhancements to the guest experience in a very time efficient manner,” said Windstar president John Delaney. “The...