Cruise
NCL Joy Completes First Preview Cruise From Shanghai
After maiden calls to Singapore, Qingdao, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) welcomed its newest cruise ship, Norwegian Joy, to its new home port of Shanghai, China. The arrival of Joy to Shanghai marks a significant milestone for the cruise line as it enters the Chinese cruise market. From the first race track at sea to the innovative virtual reality experiences available at the Galaxy Pavilion to the 28 local and international dining options, Norwegian Joy has an abundance of features that will appeal to the modern Chinese family, including staterooms especially...
Chris Tucker Signs On To Carnival LIVE
Comedian Chris Tucker has signed on for two shows aboard Carnival Breeze and Carnival Liberty as part of the Carnival LIVE Concert Series this fall. Carnival LIVE is described as a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience that brings the best in live music and comedy to the seas and provides guests an opportunity to enjoy captivating performances in an intimate venue by major artists at a tremendous value. Performances are held in the ships’ main theatres – ranging in guest capacity from 900 to 1,300 – meaning there’s never a bad seat in the house. Famous for his starring role...
Cunard Unveils Queen Victoria Refurbishment
Cunard’s Queen Victoria has made its much-anticipated return to Southampton, showing off an array of new features following an impressive US$40-million refurbishment. Exquisite interior design takes centre stage in the new Britannia Club Restaurant and continues within the new 43 spacious Britannia Club staterooms. Further enhancements on board include the redesigned Grand and Penthouse Suites, as well as a luxurious new sun deck and an enhanced Winter Garden. Every stateroom has been refreshed, including the installation of large flat screen TVs and tea and coffee making...
Sailing Into The Future With Avalon Waterways
Avalon Waterways' managing director, Terri Burke was in Toronto this week talking about all that's new at the popular river cruise line – and there's lots. Burke observed that although 2016 had been a tough year, 2017 has seen a double-digit rebound and 2018 is looking even better – trending ahead of 2017. And Avalon Waterways seems to be intent on driving that growth, with plans for lots of new initiatives, like Avalon Fresh; new Active Discovery on the Rhine departures; new theme cruises; a new ship in Asia, coming in 2018; a new Vietnam/Cambodia itinerary; and it's No Single...
Agents See Positive Uptick in Cruise Travel
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has released its first Travel Agent Cruise Industry Outlook Report of 2017, uncovering cruise travel trends – including positive sales growth – and key insights from within the travel agent community. The report is part of an ongoing research study from CLIA intended to forecast cruise industry trends among travel agents. This installment shows that agents continue to experience positive sales growth. Some key trends contributing to this include the rise of multi-generational cruise travel, a high demand for shorter duration cruises,...
Celestyal Savings
Celestyal Cruises has an all-inclusive seven-day cruise promotion to Cuba that features 50% off the cruise-only fare on all summer sailings until and including Aug. 21. In addition, kids younger than 12 sail for free. Celebrating its fourth year of cruise operations in Cuba, Celestyal provides passengers the opportunity to experience UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites, Cuban cuisine and Cuban hospitality on board and ashore. The authentic Cuban itinerary is designed to be inclusive and hassle-free, with meals on board, drinks, entertainment, gratuities and selected excursions...
Carnival Introduces EasyPay Payment Plan
Carnival Cruise Line has launched a new pay-over-time program that allows guests to pay for their cruise in three monthly installments. Carnival EasyPay is designed as a truly hassle-free vacation payment option as it allows guests’ cruise payments to be automatically deducted from the credit card on file and applied to their current balance interest-free over a three-month period. Guests simply make their initial cruise deposit and then the balance of their cruise is charged in three equal payments which are taken out automatically on the same designated day for three consecutive...
Avalon Offers $299 Airfares to Europe
Avalon Waterways is making European river cruising more affordable with special return airfares from Canada to Europe for $299, along with savings of up to $3,000 per couple on sailings. The sale, which applies to select cruises, is in effect between June 7 and July 11 and applies to departures between March 1 and April 30 and June 1 and Nov. 30 next year. Available cruises range from the popular spring Tulip Time cruises in Holland to The Canals, Vineyards and Paris itinerary and include many along the most romantic and historic stretches of the Rhine, Rhone and Danube...