Cruise
Celebrity Adds Winnipeg to ‘All Included’ Program
Celebrity is once again expanding its “All Included” Caribbean cruise program with Winnipeg joining as a new point of departure for the packages that will take off and set sail weekly from Jan. 29 to April 3, 2016. This complements the original departure cities of Hamilton, Ont. and Ottawa that were joined by London (Ont.), Quebec City, Moncton, N.B. and Halifax in 2015. “Our continued expansion of the All Included program demonstrates our commitment to bringing Canadians cruise travel the way they prefer,” said Ken Brooks, Canadian sales director. “Celebrity’s All...
Avalon Delivers Special Interest Culinary Cruises
Thanks to an increased interest in themed cruises over the past five years, Avalon Waterways has tripled its culinary, wine and beer-themed offerings for 2016. The river cruise company is offering travellers six wine-themed itineraries, three beer-focused special interest cruises and one departure dedicated to helping travellers indulge their culinary cravings. “It’s no secret that one of the main reasons Canadians travel to Europe is for the food and wine,” says Avalon’s Stéphanie Bishop. “What a great way to combine a love of Europe with the experience of sailing past...
Chiang Named VP at Celestyal Cruises
As part of its ongoing expansion in Canada, Celestyal Cruises has appointed Christine Chiang to the new position of vice-president of sales and marketing in Canada. Chiang, a recognized expert in the Canadian tourism industry, will lead a core sales team in Canada to promote and sell the authentic Cuba Cruise brand, in addition to Celestyal’s signature Aegean and Adriatic cruise experiences. In addition to Chiang, the sales network for Celestyal Cruises in Canada includes: manager of tour operator and special interest accounts, Holly Varey; digital marketing manager, Dean de St....
Softvoyage Charts A New Course
Softvoyage is expanding into the cruise market with a new cruise booking engine scheduled to launch in the fall with Carnival Cruise Lines and MSC Cruises already on board, reports assistant editor, Greg Coates in this week's digital edition of Travel Courier. Negotiations are also in the works with Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line. By connecting directly to the cruise lines' reservation systems, Softvoyage intends to enrich its cruise content and augment the number of cruise offers available for Canadian tour operators and travel agents using SIREV, and to online travel...
Carnival Corporation Gets Approval for Travel to Cuba
Carnival Corporation & plc has been granted approval from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Commerce to begin travel to Cuba. Carnival Corporation intends to take travellers to Cuba beginning in May 2016 via its newly launched fathom brand – a new social impact travel brand providing purpose-oriented, social impact experiences, initially in the Dominican Republic. Carnival intends to operate fathom travel itineraries directly to Cuba for the purpose of providing cultural, artistic, faith-based and humanitarian exchanges between American and Cuban...
Hurtigruten Adds New Expedition Ship
Hurtigruten will be adding one more ship to its current fleet of 13 with the purchase of a new expedition ship to be temporarily named MS Norway Explorer. Hurtigruten is represented in Canada by GLP Worldwide Expedition Travel and Tours. “The new ship's maneuverability and optimal size will bring Hurtigruten`s guests even closer to nature,” says CEO Daniel Skjeldam. “We invest in our fleet to ensure that Hurtigruten remains a world leader in sustainable explorer travels along the Norwegian coast and polar destinations as well as enrich our guests' unique experiences by...
Cunard Celebrates 175th in Halifax
Cunard will celebrate 175 years of history, tradition and industrial achievement in Halifax on July 10 when Queen Mary 2 calls on the ancestral home of its founder Sir Samuel Cunard. This commemorative transatlantic crossing will pay tribute to the original voyage made by the company’s first flagship, Britannia, in 1840. The flagship vessel is scheduled to arrive in port at 6 a.m. Cunard will mark the milestone anniversary with a series of commemorative events, beginning with a special outdoor ceremony on the Halifax waterfront. Local dignitaries, port officials and key members of...
MSC Cruises, Etihad Team Up
MSC Cruises and Etihad Airways have launched a new global partnership agreement that will benefit MSC Cruises’ guests travelling to Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The partnership with Etihad Airways reflects MSC Cruises’ long-standing commitment to its guests and is testament to the company’s wish to always make its all-around offering a best-in-class experience, both at sea and in the air – with “Fly & Cruise” packages from destinations around the world – with Etihad Airways or partner airlines in its network. Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises chief executive officer,...