Cruise
Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Raise Gratuity Costs
Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have increased the costs of their daily gratuities. As of Jan. 2, the new recommended gratuities guideline at Royal Caribbean is US$14.50 per day, per guest in standard accommodations, and US$17.50 per day, per guest in suites. Royal Caribbean automatically registers the daily gratuities in guest folios; however, guests are free to change the amount at their discretion with the ship’s Guest Services staff. Guests who booked their cruise prior to Jan. 2 can prepay their gratuities based on the old guideline of US$13.50 per day,...
Avalon Scores Best Stateroom Award
Stéphanie Bishop, managing director for the Globus family of brands in Canada, reports that for the third consecutive year its river cruise brand, Avalon Waterways, has been awarded the coveted Best River Cruise Cabin award with Cruise Critic. In announcing the Editors’ Picks award, Cruise Critic remarked, “river cruise cabins come in many iterations. But we're hard-pressed to find one better than Avalon's signature Panoramic Suite.” “This is a huge honour for us, and clearly shows that these suites are an enormous hit with our passengers,” says Bishop of the cruise...
Keeping Cruise Ship Passengers Healthy
With winter now here, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) shares the industry’s top five best practices for keeping passengers and crew healthy. “For cruise lines, keeping passengers healthy is essential to an enjoyable vacation,” said Donnie Brown, vice-president of maritime policy, CLIA. “With more than 24 million passengers cruising each year from around the world, we know that prevention is key. That is why cruise lines have committed numerous resources and best practices to maintain a healthy ship environment.” From cleaning practices to passenger screening...
Cruise Travel Sailing High
The cruise industry continues to shine as revealed in Cruise Lines International Association's (CLIA) newly released 2018 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook. The report offers an in-depth look at the cruise industry’s overall global economic impact, as well as the trends impacting cruise travel in 2018. Current data shows cruise travel is steadily on the rise with a projected 27.2 million passengers expected to set sail in 2018. In 2017, an estimated 25.8 million passengers cruised compared to a confirmed 24.7 million passengers in 2016, an increase of 20.5% over five years from...
Azamara Savings
Azamara Club Cruises’ latest deal – the Wave Offer – has gone live, offering half off the second guest and free WiFi during the voyage for bookings now through Feb. 28. “Azamara has always been 100% immersive travel and now it’s offering 50% in second guest savings for all world travel-loving duos; be it your partner, best friend or family member. Itineraries on the Azamara Quest, Journey and the recently announced Pursuit, offer travellers the chance to Cruise Global and Connect Local with Shore Excursions like tapas in Barcelona, historic walking tours in Havana and biking...
Ready For A Rideau Canal Cruise With Le Boat?
Le Boat has been offering self-drive cruise vacations along many of Europe's waterways for more than 40 years. And now, in 2018, Le Boat is bringing its build-your-own-itinerary style of cruising to Canada and adding one of Ontario's most scenic waterways, the Rideau Canal, to its itinerary. Don't miss your chance to be one of the first in Canada to try out this unique travelling opportunity. Canadian travel agents are eligible to win a minimum three-night (based on availability) cruise, departing from Smiths Falls, Ont. Explore the Rideau Canal, one of the greatest engineering feats...
HAL’s Eurodam Scores Perfect Score
For Holland America Line’s Eurodam, 13 proved to be a lucky number with the ship recently earning its 13th consecutive perfect score of 100 on a surprise routine United States Public Health (USPH) inspection conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is the third perfect score for Eurodam in 2017 and continues the six-year run of perfect scores that is still setting records in both company history and the cruise industry. Eurodam’s unannounced USPH inspection was held Dec. 3 during a turnaround at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at...
Regent Adds More Cuba to Caribbean Lineup
Regent Seven Seas is adding Cuba calls to six itineraries during its 2018-19 Caribbean season. Travellers can visit Havana on select itineraries aboard Seven Seas Mariner, Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Navigator, which depart Miami from October 2018 through March 2019. Guests on these voyages can choose among a variety of free and unlimited shore excursions to learn firsthand about the lives, history and culture of the Cuban people. Regent first called on Havana in April 2017 with Seven Seas Mariner. “There is so much culture and history in Cuba, and Regent Seven Seas...