The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) is proud to announce that registration has opened for the FCCA Central America Cruise Summit. Taking place in San Pedro Sula, Honduras from May 10-12, the event offers local stakeholders the opportunity to attract and actualize cruise tourism by joining with cruise executives from FCCA’s 19 Member Lines for a series of meetings, workshops and networking opportunities. “The FCCA Central America Cruise Summit will let attendees meet with...
Today, Celebrity Cruises delivers a first look at the transformational Celebrity Edge, whose dramatically expanded staterooms, ship-climbing Magic Carpet platform and stunning suites set a new standard for ship design. Designed completely in 3-D, and featuring the work of A-list global architects and designers, the 2,918-guest Celebrity Edge aims to make discerning global travelers redefine how they experience the world and how intimate a vacation can be. “Celebrity Edge is one of the...
Luxury cruise brand, Cunard, has today unveiled its January to May 2019 program called the ‘Oceans of Discovery’ which will include a voyage to Alaska. This will be the first time that the current fleet will have travelled to Alaska, and the first time that the cruise line will have ventured there in over 20-years. From January to May 2019, Cunard’s iconic flagship Queen Mary 2 and her sisters Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria will call at 49 different countries and 109...
Carnival Corporation & plc announced today that it is expanding the commercial maritime industry’s first and most technologically advanced Fleet Operations Centers with the opening of a new facility in Seattle. The company’s first Fleet Operations Center is located in Hamburg, Germany, with both centers providing real-time support for its 102-ship fleet, the largest in the cruise industry. A third center will be added to the global network later this year when construction is...
Princess Cruises has announced that it will continue to feature Penang as a port of call for its homeporting seasons out of Singapore for 2017-2018. Diamond Princess will make eight visits to Penang this season and Sapphire Princess will follow with another eight calls for the next season. Both ships will bring in over 40,000 guests for two seasons. Diamond Princess visited Penang today, bringing with her over 2,600 guests and 1,100 crew, arriving from Port Klang en-route to Phuket on its 5...
Holland America Line’s ms Oosterdam joins sister-ship ms Eurodam this year by earning a perfect score of 100 on a routine United States Public Health (USPH) inspection conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Oosterdam’s unannounced USPH inspection was held March 3, 2017, during a turnaround at Tampa, Florida, at the start of a seven-day Caribbean cruise. The perfect score follows on the heels of sister ship ms Eurodam achieving its 11th perfect score...
Royal Caribbean today breaks ground on the dramatic new Port Miami Terminal A, which will herald the arrival of what will be the world’s largest cruise ship and the global cruise line’s newest addition, Symphony of the Seas. She and Oasis-class sister ship Allure of the Seas, each with a bold and unexpected lineup of thrilling experiences that have revolutionized the cruise industry, will unite in November 2018 to offer island-hopping adventures through the Caribbean from the Magic...
The MSC Fantasia will begin calls to Port of Spain during the 2017/8 cruise season. The announcement was made at the MSC Cruises Travel Partners Event hosted by MSC Cruises and co-sponsored by the Tourism Development Company on Friday, February 24, 2017. The MSC Fantasia has a passenger capacity of 3,900 with 1,200 crew members. It will be the second largest cruise ship to visit to Trinidad. The MSC Cruises Travel Partners Event was attended by local cruise-specific travel agents and their...
The world’s largest cruise line, Royal Caribbean International, has committed to a multi-year agreement with the island nation of The Bahamas that will help grow tourism to the destination, rapidly increase the cruise line’s employment of Bahamian nationals and invest in hospitality training to develop talent in the country. At a signing ceremony attended by Perry Christie, Prime Minister of The Bahamas and Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International, the cruise...
CruiseTrends report for the month of March 2017 was released today. Cruise experts have mined the wealth of data to provide information on the most popular cruise trends among consumers, including the top ships, lines and travel dates for premium, luxury and river cruising.The CruiseTrends report for March 2017 is detailed below. Most Popular Cruise Lines (Based on the total number of quote requests for each cruise line in the given month) 1. Premium/Contemporary: Carnival Cruise Lines 2...
Seatrade Cruise Global, the leading global business-to-business event for the cruise industry, announces the Professional Women in Cruise Brunch on Thursday 16 March. In collaboration with Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA), the event will introduce a new format that allows guests to network with peers and hear from a panel of extraordinary women in the cruise industry. A portion of the proceeds from this brunch will be donated to Mercy Ships, Seatrade...
Today, Travel Leaders Group released its travel survey data specific to the cruise industry, which together with real-time current booking data indicates increased demand among leisure travelers for cruise vacations in 2017. Nearly 87% of travel agent experts who book cruise vacations stated that their 2017 cruise bookings are equal to or higher than the previous year, and more than 84% of those surveyed said their Mediterranean cruise bookings have increased or on are par, year-over-year...
Amara, Oceanco’s newly designed and engineered 120-meter private yacht concept, designed in collaboration with Sam Sorgiovanni Designs was unveiled by His Excellency Saeed Harib, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, Vice President and Chairman of Dubai International Marine Club – Mina Seyahi, and Senior Advisor to the Dubai International Boat Show. Oceanco revealed the lifestyle philosophy of creating a yacht designed for extended families and friends. Amara provides...
Seatrade Cruise Global announces Paul Rosen, Department of Homeland Security Chief of Staff during the Obama administration, will be a panelist at the upcoming inaugural Seatrade Cruise Global Safety and Security Symposium. A new addition in programming for 2017, the symposium will take place 14-16 March 2017 in the Floridian Ballroom of the Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center. Rosen will share his knowledge and expertise on a variety of topics including cybersecurity from his...
Indonesia Port Corporations (Pelindo I, II, III, IV) is proud to host the 30th IAPH World Ports Conference in Bali from May 7-12, 2017 at Bali Nusa Convention Center (BNDCC). The event consisting of Conference and Exhibition will be attended by some 1,000 delegates worldwide, including government officials, operators, and associations, who are experts in the fields of ports, logistics, shipping, and maritime. Under the main conference theme, “Enabling Trade. Energizing the World,” the 30th...
Port Arthur Historic Site will welcome the majestic Cruise Ship Queen Mary 2 on Monday 27 February 2017 for her inaugural visit to Tasmania. The ship will have approximately 2,620 passengers plus 1,200 crew on board. Queen Mary 2 is scheduled to anchor at Port Arthur at 0800 and will depart at 1700. The Queen Mary 2 is visiting Tasmania for the first time as part of a sold out 5-night cruise departing from and returning to Sydney with stops at Port Arthur and Hobart respectively. This passage...
Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest leisure travel company, today announced that its cruise joint venture in China has signed a new memorandum of agreement (MOA) to order the first-ever cruise ships built in China for the Chinese market. Today’s agreement updates the terms of an initial shipbuilding MOA announced in September 2016, further expanding the cooperation between Carnival Corporation and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), China’s flagship...
Carnival Cruise Line has expanded its popular Carnival Journeys enrichment cruise series with 13 new 12- to 14-day seagoing adventures departing from homeports along the East and West Coasts and the Gulf of Mexico in 2018 and 2019. The new voyages are in addition to a number of previously announced nine-to 15-day Carnival Journeys cruises departing in 2017-18. In addition to visiting some of the world’s most beautiful destinations, guests sailing on Carnival Journeys cruises can...
Star Cruises has enhanced its itineraries from Shanghai to meet International standards of 8-Day/7-Night voyages, now taking in the capital city of Tokyo and the iconic Mt. Fuji, two “must see” destinations in Japan, in addition to Osaka and Kagoshima. The new cruise season will begin on July 6 and extend to November 30 to also take advantage of the beautiful autumn foliage in Japan. Japan remains a popular destination for the China market, currently with approximately 2 million Chinese...
Princess Cruises announced today that Island Princess will be the fourth cruise ship to feature the Ocean Medallion, debuting May 16, 2018 for the Alaska season. The wearable device powered by a first-of-its-kind interactive technology platform within the One Cruise Experience Access Network (O·C·E·A·N), enables a new level of personalization and delivers an enhanced guest experience not previously available in the global vacation industry. Unveiled by Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald...
After another year of impressive travel industry awards, Viking Ocean Cruises this week received a new set of accolades from Cruise Critic. The fast-growing cruise line is today celebrating that its 930-guest sister ships, Viking Star and Viking Sea, received top honors in 10 categories in the Cruise Critic 7th Annual Cruisers’ Choice Awards. Viking’s two ships won the top two placements in nearly every category where they were eligible. Viking Sea received First Place placements in...
Cunard, the only line to carry pets across the Atlantic, presented Rumor, the Westminster Kennel Club’s Best in Show winner, with an invitation to sail on a Transatlantic Crossing on Queen Mary 2 today in New York’s Times Square. Rumor will have an opportunity to take his place in history among celebrity dogs who have sailed with Cunard including Elizabeth Taylor’s pampered pooches and Hollywood film star Rin-Tin-Tin. Cunard sponsored the 2017 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show...
Cruise Critic today announced the winners of the 2017 Cruisers’ Choice Awards, based on ratings and reviews collected during a 12-month period. “With these awards we consolidate the thousands of reviews submitted to Cruise Critic each year and honor those lines that received the best ratings from cruisers,” explained Colleen McDaniel, Senior Executive Editor, Cruise Critic. “Reviews offer incredibly helpful insights for those planning a cruise but also highlight the...
Oceania Cruises announced an additional series of journeys to Cuba in November and December 2017. Ranging in length from six to thirteen days with departures from Miami, these voyages include the line’s first calls to Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, in addition to Havana. These new itineraries will open for reservations today, 15 February 2017. “There is tremendous demand from consumers for voyages to Cuba and our inaugural voyages to the island have been a sell-out success,”...
Nothing says luxury quite like an exclusive experience, and with their pristine beaches, aquamarine waters and a variety of adventures both in the water and on the shore, a visit to a cruise line’s private island certainly qualifies. In fact, per cruise experts CruiseCompete, private islands rank “Number One” on cruisers’ to-do lists. What makes a private island such a sought-after destination? 1. A private island offers a unique opportunity for relaxation; one that completely sweeps you away...
Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has announced that Kingston is set to welcome more cruise ships, with the next vessel set to dock in the first quarter of 2017. While addressing the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) today (February 14, 2017), he shared that the Ministry of Tourism has placed great emphasis on expanding cruise tourism in the island, with special focus being placed on the restoration of the ports of Kingston and its environs. “We are going all out to...
Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest leisure travel company, today announced that Cuba has granted approval for its Carnival Cruise Line brand to begin sailing to Cuba starting in June 2017. To help meet strong demand from U.S. travelers to visit Cuba, Carnival Cruise Line will offer a full series of sailings in 2017, expanding Carnival Corporation’s total sailings to Cuba in 2017 and providing more travelers with the opportunity to visit the Caribbean’s...
The New Orleans-based Carnival Dream recently completed an extensive makeover that added a variety of exciting food and beverage concepts. Following the renovation, which took place in Freeport, The Bahamas, the 130,000-ton ship yesterday resumed its year-round schedule of seven-day Caribbean cruises from the Big Easy. The new spaces include: • Guy’s Pig & Anchor Barbeque Smokehouse: Designed by Food Network star Guy Fieri, the open-air free-of-charge venue offers a variety of BBQ...
Years prior to the Cuban Revolution in 1959 that saw the communist Fidel Castro regime come to power, cruise ships from Miami regularly stopped in Cuba and Jamaica as part of their northern Caribbean itinerary. Now with the easing of US/Cuba relations just under 60 years following the revolution and prompting by Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, cruise executives are excited about the prospects for a surge in interest for the once charmed route which will prove popular and continue...
Dominican Republic Tourism is looking forward to more than 3,000 nudists. They visited Puerto Plata aboard the cruise ship Carnival Pride on Saturday. The mighty Dollar made it possible. CARNIVAL Cruise Lines’ Bare Necessities “Big Nude Boat” cruise offers this theme cruise. It’s the chance to relax onboard Carnival Pride wearing nothing but a smile. Although cruise- passengers do have to wear clothes for the specialty dining rooms, evening entertainment includes James...
