Cruise
Symphony of the Seas Makes Its US Debut
Port Canaveral welcomed the world’s largest cruise ship last week (Nov. 8) as Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas made its historic first North American port of call. The massive cruise vessel arrived at the Port’s Cruise Terminal 1 from Malaga, Spain with nearly 5,500 cruise guests and 2,200 international crew members. “We’re proud of the confidence our partners at Royal Caribbean have in us. Although this ship will be home-ported in Miami, our cruise partner trusted the capabilities of this port for its first US port of call,” noted Port Canaveral CEO...
CLIA Opens Agency Enrolment for 2019
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has opened enrolment for its 2019 Travel Agency Membership and Individual Agent Membership (IAM) programs. CLIA membership elevates the credibility and reputation of agencies and their individual agents within the travel industry and is built to help members navigate the cruise industry, attract more clients and increase their earnings. CLIA membership also establishes agents as a cruise travel authority in the eyes of consumers and provides instant industry recognition with booking credentials (agency) and the CLIA EMBARC ID...
Fly Free With ACV
For a limited time, Air Canada Vacations (ACV) is offering an exclusive fly for free deal on select bookings of Celebrity Cruises. Until Nov. 25, when travellers book a Celebrity cruise to Europe departing from Rome, Barcelona, London, Athens or Venice, the first and second guest in the stateroom will fly for free and pay only flight taxes. This offer is valid for bookings of an oceanview stateroom or higher for select sailings between March 1 and Oct. 31, 2019. With non-stop flights from Toronto, clients can take advantage of itineraries like a seven-night Eastern Mediterranean...
Virgin Voyages To Rival Food Scene of World-Famous Cities
The newly launched Virgin Voyages has unveiled details of its onboard eateries, which include an expansive array of restaurants ranging from haute cuisine to casual fare, and designed to rival the food scene of the world's most famous cities. With a total of 20-plus food choices onboard Virgin Voyages’ first ship, Scarlet Lady, the company released new designs for its restaurants, seaside lounges and casual eateries by their Creative Collective, which includes world-renowned designers from Roman and Williams, Tom Dixon, Concrete Amsterdam and Soft Room, amongst others. According...
NCL Gives Hawaii Tourism A Boost
Unique culture, outstanding outdoor adventures and some of the best beaches in the world – just a small sample of what this exotic destination has to offer. Aloha, welcome to Hawaii, reports assistant editor, Greg Coates in this week's Travel Courier cover story. With the fireworks of the Kilauea volcano now a distant memory, tourism officials – and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) – are encouraging travellers that may have been scared off by the eruptions to come back and enjoy the aloha spirit. With numbers dipping slightly over the summer months due to the volcano, Hawaiian...
Breakaway Set For New Orleans Debut
On Nov. 11, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) returns to New Orleans, introducing Norwegian Breakaway to the Big Easy with five- to 11-day cruises to the Caribbean. At 1,068 feet and 145,655 gross register tons, the recently renovated Breakaway is the largest cruise ship to homeport in the city of New Orleans, as well as the youngest in port this season. “We are excited to introduce Norwegian Breakaway to New Orleans, providing our guests with another premium destination to cruise from when sailing to the Caribbean,” said NCL president Andy Stuart. “New Orleans is well known for its...
Uniworld Enhances Agent Booking Tools
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection has introduce new technology enhancements to its “River Currents” travel advisor booking tool, as well as new wait-list functionality, available now. These new advancements will offer agents more opportunities to generate sales, save time and ultimately avoid missing out on potential client bookings. According to Uniworld president and CEO Ellen Bettridge, improvements to the booking tool and need to wait-list guests for sold out cruises were informed by the brand’s partner travel advisors. “We value our partner agencies and...
Celebrity Edge Embarks on a 4,000-Mile Journey Home
Celebrity Edge is making its way home to Terminal 25 (T25) at Port Everglades in Hollywood, Fla. Slated for arrival on Nov. 19, the new ship set sail from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, on Sunday (Nov. 4) for its first transatlantic voyage. As of the morning of Nov. 6, Celebrity Edge was 3,300 nautical miles from its destination, positioned at 37 degrees 58 minutes north latitude and 17 degrees nine minutes west longitude. On board, more than 1,400 crew members and others are at work putting the finishing touches on the ship, making sure that...