Cruise
Celebrity in the game with live airing of the Olympics
It's estimated that more than one billion people will tune in for this year's Olympic Games in the host city of London, and Celebrity Cruises has arranged the rare opportunity for guests sailing on its fleet to be among them. From the eagerly anticipated Opening Ceremony July 27 to the celebratory Closing Ceremony Aug. 12, Celebrity will broadcast "live"via satellite the swimming, diving, gymnastics, rowing, cycling, athletics and basketball events, in addition to airing daily compilations of highlights from all 26 sports featured in the Games of the XXX Olympiad. On Celebrity ships sailing...
Cruise industry unveils new safety policies
CLIA and the European Cruise Council (ECC) released details of three new safety policies that have been adopted and which will be immediately implemented. The announcement was made by Manfredi Lefebvre, chairman of the ECC and member of CLIA's executive committee, during a presentation at a major European Commission-organized Passenger Ship Safety event in Brussels. Manfredi outlined how these policies have been agreed to by the industry and that they represent the third such announcement arising from the cruise industry's Operational Safety Review. The three new policies address issues...
Salvage contract awarded for Costa Concordia
Costa Crociere and the Costa Concordia Emergency Commissioner's Office have announced that the tender for the removal of the ship from Giglio Island has been awarded to Titan Salvage in partnership with the Italian firm Micoperi. The work will begin in early May subject to final approval from the Italian authorities and is expected to take about 12 months. Titan Salvage is an American-owned specialist marine salvage and wreck removal company, part of the Crowley Group. Micoperi is an Italian marine contractor with a long history as a specialist in underwater construction and engineering....
New proposals to address crimes at sea
CLIA reports that the United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) has agreed to the proposal of the United Kingdom, CLIA and the Philippines to develop guidelines to address concerns related to alleged serious crimes and persons missing at sea. All 24 delegations that spoke at the IMO meeting on April 18 expressed their appreciation for the proposal and supported it without exception. Building upon an earlier proposal from CLIA, the United Kingdom led a coalition of government and industry stakeholders in support of the proposal. CLIA President and CEO, Christine Duffy, said,...
Princess offers a ‘World of Savings’
For five days only, beginning today (April 19), Princess Cruises is offering special cruise deals to destinations around the world, including Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Hawaii, South America, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. With the "World of Savings"sale, passengers can take advantage of savings up to US$2,000 per stateroom, plus up to US$100 onboard credit. These select September 2012 to January 2013 sailings feature the best of Princess' worldwide cruise destinations, offering the opportunity to sail to such ports of call such as Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong, Sydney,...
Viking Ocean signs on for two new ships
Viking Ocean Cruises, sister company of Viking River Cruises, and shipbuilder Fincantieri have announced the signature of a Memorandum of Agreement for the construction of two new luxury ocean cruise ships. The memorandum also includes an option for a third vessel. In line with Viking's intimate, destination-focused approach to cruising, the new ocean ships will be small by today's standards at approximately 45,000 GRT and will host 998 passengers in 499 cabins. The first ship is scheduled for delivery in late 2014, the second one in late 2015. The parties have reached an agreement on the...
New online seminar from CLIA
CLIA has launched its 36th online training seminar -- 40 Best Practices for Travel Agent Success. The three-hour session, when successfully completed, represents 15 credits toward CLIA Cruise Counsellor Certification. The 40 Best Practices for Travel Agent Success seminar distills hundreds of tactics, strategies and practices culled from all of CLIA's training programs into what we consider the most important ideas or recommendations for business success, said Bernie Blomquist, CLIA's director of training. "We urge all agents to find out what these practices are and how they can be made to...
Crystal expands Jewish heritage tours
Crystal Cruises is offering almost 30% more Crystal Adventures exploring Europe's extensive Jewish heritage this year. A predecessor to the line's new Christian heritage tours, the popular program gives Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony travellers the opportunity to intimately experience Jewish culture and history. The boutique outings visit neighbourhoods, museums, monuments, synagogues and more somber sites in/near Palamós, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Dublin, Hamburg, Rome, Odessa, St. Petersburg and Israel. Highlights include: !!! Haifa: A kibbutz, the ancient holy city of...