Cruise
Holland America Set to Sail to Cuba
Holland America Line (HAL) has received approval to begin sailing to Cuba from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, starting with a Dec. 22 12-day holiday cruise aboard Veendam. HAL becomes Carnival Corporation's third cruise line to be approved to sail to Cuba following the company's historic inaugural sailings to the island last year. The addition of 1,350-passenger Veendam itineraries will help meet the growing demand for premium cruise experiences to Cuba. Nine seven-day itineraries will feature the capital city Havana, and three of these will add another Cuba call at Cienfuegos. The...
Carnival Introducing Online Pre-Sale WiFi Packages
Carnival Cruise Line is now offering agents and guests an opportunity to pre-purchase WiFi packages on carnival.com prior to their cruise. The pre-purchase option is currently available on two ships – Carnival Vista and Carnival Fascination – with fleetwide rollout expected by mid-summer. With this convenient new option, fully booked guests can select from Carnival’s popular social, value and premium WiFi packages through the “manage my booking” tab on carnival.com. Guests must purchase an Internet package that covers the entire duration of their cruise when purchasing...
More From Emerald Waterways
Emerald Waterways has upped the ante in 2018, adding 17 new EmeraldACTIVE excursions and programs for passengers on nine of its most popular European itineraries. With the growing popularity of river cruising – on that's catching on with younger travellers – Emerald Waterways introduced the EmeraldACTIVE program in 2016 – offering its passengers new opportunities to engage in athletic pursuits such as guided bike tours and hikes on their daily shore excursions. In 2018, Emerald Waterways is giving its passengers more choices like a canoeing trip in Pocinho, Portugal, puts guests...
Princess Cruises Unveils Americas Sailings
Princess Cruises has unveiled details of its 2018-2019 Americas cruise itineraries – including sailings to the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mexico, Hawaii, the California Coast, and Alaska. Now on sale, the upcoming season includes 12 ships, sailing to over 70 destinations on more than 40 unique itineraries on 250 departures from six North American homeports. Four of the 12 ships - Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Caribbean Princess and Island Princess -- will be OCEAN Medallion enabled for this fall 2018-spring 2019 season. Passengers will experience the highly anticipated, wearable...
It’s Christmas Already
Avalon Waterways is offering passengers a different way to see Europe, unveiling 16 festive cruises for 2018, offering them a chance to experience the sights, smells and tastes of Central Europe’s Christmas markets. Stéphanie Bishop, managing director for Avalon Waterways Canadian office, observed: “There’s no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by visiting the charming and traditional European Christmas markets.” Bishop noted that: “You’ll be immersed in traditions dating back centuries – so completely different from our crowded malls at that time of...
Cruising By The Numbers
CLIA reports that 24.7 million travellers cruised in 2016, surpassing its previous projections for ocean cruise passengers of 24.2 million. For 2017, based on current new vessel launch schedule and expected regional deployment, CLIA is projecting another positive year of growth for the industry with a passenger forecast of 25.8 million. Cindy D’Aoust, president and CEO of CLIA, said: “One of the many reasons that the cruise industry continues to thrive is because of the personalization it is able to offer to its guests from around the world.” D'Aoust pointed out...
Come Together
Five competing cruise lines are joining forces to host the industry's top executives at Virtuoso's 2018 Symposium in the Netherlands. Each of the five lines will dedicate one ship to accommodate Symposium attendees and all will follow an identical itinerary. Participating cruise lines include AmaWaterways, Avalon River Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises and Viking Cruises. The Symposium runs from March 17 to March 22, 2018, with cruises departing from Amsterdam on March 18 and sailing to Arnhem, Rotterdam and Kinderdijk in the Netherlands before returning to...
Carnival Unveils ‘Carnival Studios’
In a move designed to further elevate its award-winning entertainment offerings across the fleet, Carnival Cruise Line unveiled “Carnival Studios,” a state-of-the-art 44,500-sq.-ft. rehearsal venue in Davie, Fla., near the company’s Miami headquarters. Three years in the making, Carnival Studios brings entire bands, casts and technical teams from every ship together shoreside for intensive rehearsals as a team, while providing additional opportunities to conceptualize innovative new shows on site. More than 500 entertainers and performers will convene at Carnival Studios to...