Cruise
Avalon Enhances Specialist Program
As part of its ongoing “Year of the Travel Agent” initiatives, the Globus family of brands is advising agents of new content in its Avalon Waterways Specialist program. The online program, which agents take at their own pace, now includes a module on its Exotic destinations. These include the Amazon, Galapagos, China, Mekong and – new for 2015 – Myanmar. “These are truly thrilling destinations, but not ones that a lot of agents have had the chance to explore,” says the Globus family’s Stéphanie Bishop. “This module gives some great insider information and selling...
Cruise Holidays Joins Forces With Vacation.com
Cruise Holidays will become a division within Vacation.com, bolstering the consortium’s size and prestige as Vacation.com’s ranks grow even further. The transition is taking place to not only add significant value to the ongoing participation by members of the Cruise Holidays family, but also to further increase the overall strength of the Cruise Holidays brand. Both Cruise Holidays and Vacation.com are part of Travel Leaders Group. According to officials, because Cruise Holidays agencies will be invited to continue using the Cruise Holidays brand via an annual license, there...
Regal Ceremony To Kick Off Princess Anniversary
It’s been nearly 40 years since the iconic television show The Love Boat went on the air and introduced viewers to modern day cruising and, in the process, made Princess Cruises and its ships synonymous with vacations at sea. As Princess prepares to celebrate its milestone 50th anniversary year in 2015, the company is honouring the role that The Love Boat played in its history by selecting the original Love Boat cast members to serve as godparents for its new cruise ship Regal Princess. All six Love Boat cast members – who played the roles of Captain Stubing, Gopher, Isaac, Doc,...
Regent Adds Free Internet to All-Inclusive Offerings
Regent Seven Seas Cruises has expanded its all-inclusive offerings to include unlimited Internet access. For all Regent Seven Seas Cruises voyages setting sail after Jan. 1, 2015, guests booked in Master, Grand, Seven Seas, Horizon, Mariner, Navigator and Voyager suites will receive unlimited complimentary Internet access, accessible in all public spaces and suites. The addition of free Internet access for upper suites coincides with the completion of a multimillion-dollar upgrade to Internet systems on all Regent Seven Seas Cruises ships. While top tier suites will enjoy...
Encore Prestige Exclusive
Encore Prestige – Encore Cruises’ luxury division – has introduced a special, exclusive offer together with AMA Waterways and Avalon Waterways – book a cruise in August and receive complimentary prepaid gratuities. The offer is valid on all new bookings made by Aug. 31 and applies to select departures in 2014 and 2015 on both cruise lines. For AMA Waterways, the offer applies to any 2014 or 2015 river cruise departure (excluding Africa, Russian and Douro cruises), and for Avalon Waterways, it applies to any 2014 river cruise departure, any 2015 “Tulip Time” cruise or any...
Carnival Gets Its Buzz Back
As managing director, Canada and International Sales for Carnival Cruise Lines, Justin French has certainly seen his share of ups and downs – but most recently he sees the cruise line sailing high once again, reports assistant editor, Greg Coates in this week's issue of Canadian Travel Press. So high in fact that YouGov’s BrandIndex recently ranked Carnival Cruise Lines as the most improved US brand in terms of consumer perception, or “buzz,” in its mid-year 2014 Buzz Rankings Report. This is due to a lot of hard work and initiatives designed to win back consumer confidence,...
CCL Goes Big in Galveston
Following strong consumer response to Carnival Triumph’s first-ever longer length voyages from Galveston and San Juan, Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) has added three new 10- to 12-day cruises departing in winter 2015 and visiting destinations throughout the Caribbean and Central and South America. Additionally, Carnival Magic will offer a series of four- to six-day voyages from Galveston in winter 2015, marking the first time that the 130,000-ton ship has offered a short cruise program from Texas. “Based on feedback we’ve received from our guests and valued travel agent partners,...
Fitness Garden to Bloom on Crystal Symphony
Beginning this fall, Crystal Cruises’ guests can train like world-class athletes with new fitness equipment that has been the official choice for Olympic and World Cup competitors. Complementing the cruise line’s new, active shoreside options that launched this year, the new equipment, provided by Technogym – the official supplier of Olympic Games and World Cup events – will make its cruise industry debut, along with an industry-first circuit training program, when installed on Crystal Symphony during a redesign commencing Sept. 9. Both elements will be key components of a new...