Cruise

VIKING WELCOMES NEW SHIPS IN PORTUGAL AND EGYPT

Viking has welcomed two new ships, enhancing its fleets in both Portugal and Egypt. The cruise line says the additions reflect long-term growth plans as part of a strategy toward maintaining a leadership position in experiential travel. Based on Viking’s committed orderbook, the company expects to take delivery of 26 additional river ships by 2028 and 10 additional ocean ships by 2031. With these orders, Viking will have 112 river ships in 2028 and 23 ocean and expedition ships in 2031. 

TURNING UP THE TASTES ON A TALL SHIP

Talk about a Big Fish Fry! The grill tonight features a grouper so massive it’s almost larger than any of the cooks who are grilling it. But it will somehow vanish like magic into scrumptious filets over the course of a sunset dinner on the Sea Cloud Spirit. It’s just one taste of why dining on the world’s largest fully rigged sailing cruise ship, which carries only 136 pampered guests, is among the most varied and inventive at sea.

A SLOW BOAT TO BURGUNDY

By Cindy-Lou Dale/  Burgundy isn’t just a place – it’s a feeling, a flavour, and a memory in the making. And for travellers seeking a week where time slows to walking pace, European Waterways’ L’Impressionniste offers a six-night voyage through the heart of French region’s wine country, gliding from Escommes to Fleurey-sur-Ouche along the tranquil Canal de Bourgogne.

THE STAR OF THE SEAS IS MORE THAN A SISTER ACT

By Wallace Immen/ Dare we say super star? Royal Caribbean’s biggest-ever ship promises even more of the “adventures for all ages” than her sister in the fleet.

DISCOVERING LUXURY CRUISING’S BEST-KEPT SECRET

In a fantastic daily choreography, teams of skillful deck hands climb rope ladders to do tightrope walks along spars and unfurl sails by hand. We’re suddenly sailing in stillness, beneath dozens of huge white sails that billow from three tall masts.

UNCERTAINTY CREATES UNPRECEDENTED WINTER CRUISES IN THE MED

By Wallace Immen/ In a significant shift, Costa Cruises has cancelled the Middle East program of Costa Toscana due to ongoing uncertainty in the region, and another line is closely watching the political situation. Meanwhile other cruise lines are avoiding the Red Sea and Suez Canal and it’s creating an unprecedented winter cruise season in the Mediterranean.

FORBES TO MAKE FORAY INTO RIVER CRUISING

Forbes Travel Guide – the only independent, global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas, ocean cruises and ocean cruise restaurants – has announced it will begin rating river cruises, a cruise industry first. The inaugural river cruise ratings will be released in 2027, when the respected publisher unveils its annual Star Ratings in more than 100 countries.

A CLASSIC HOTEL WITH AN ULTIMATE VIEW IN VENICE

By Wallace Immen/ What to gondoliers do in their time off? I had a unique chance to glimpse behind the scenes of the daily lives of those ultra-fit boat jockeys from my quintessential room with a view in Venice.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN’S FIRST ROYAL BEACH CLUB READIES FOR GUESTS

Royal Caribbean has opened bookings for the first-of-its-kind beach club experience in The Bahamas. The all-inclusive Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will be available to guests visiting Nassau beginning late December with day passes now available to be purchased on the company’s website.

CUNARD AND BEATLES COME TOGETHER ON QE2

Cunard has “come together” with Abbey Road Studios to bring a new and exclusive Listening Lounge experience to music lovers on board Queen Elizabeth. The luxury cruise line has partnered with the famed recording studio of The Beatles to create a series of curated playlists packed with iconic recordings, each specially handpicked by the Abbey Road team.

GET OFF THE GRASS

A long-running experiment in green roofs is coming to an end. Like a growing A-list of Hollywood celebrities who have ripped out real grass and gone to synthetic greenery around their homes, Celebrity Cruises is phasing out the half acres of lawn on upper decks of its Solstice Class ships to install a high-tech artificial turf.

PORTRAIT OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRUISER: What motivates clients to plan, prioritize and book a cruise

A new international study of prospective cruisers reveals the segment’s prioritization of iconic destinations, bundled value and wellness-focused experiences. The comprehensive report examines the attitudes, motivations and behaviours of these travellers from Canada, the U.S., U.K., and Germany – countries that together represent more than two-thirds of the global cruise market.

US BORDER CRACKDOWN TARGETS GREAT LAKES CRUISE CREWS

By Wallace Immen/ U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have removed and apparently plan to deport crew members from at least four ships cruising the Great Lakes and others on ships sailing from U.S. ports, even though they held valid work visas, according to industry sources.

KEY ATTRACTION: Carnival ready to celebrate good times on July 19

On Saturday, government officials, community leaders and local residents of Grand Bahama received an exclusive preview of Celebration Key, Carnival Cruise Line’s new destination. The special preview event showcased the fun Carnival guests will experience and took place in tandem with the embarkation of Carnival Vista, which will make the first official visit to Celebration Key for its July 19 grand opening.

HOW YOU CAN SHAPE CELEBRITY’S NEWEST SHIP

How’d you like to design your dream cruise ship? Take this simple quiz: Would you rather your surroundings include colorful natural greens and blues or vibrant tropical reds and yellows?

VICTORY CRUISES TELL A TASTY GREAT LAKES STORY

A crowd on shore waves and cheers as we sail out of the Welland Canal into Lake Erie. This ship that’s cruising to all five of the Great Lakes is rare sight in itself. And our Victory1 has the retro lines of a passenger ship that might have plyed these inland seas a century ago.

CANNES CANS BIG CRUISE SHIPS

The French Riviera resort of Cannes is imposing what its city council calls “drastic regulation” on cruise ships, banning any vessels carrying more than 1,000 people from its harbor starting next year. The home of the world’s premier film festival is joining a growing global backlash against overtourism, which recently saw uproar over Jeff Bezos’ and Lauren Sanchez’ Venice wedding last weekend, water-gun protests in Spain, and a surprise strike at the Louvre Museum.

MORE PORTS CHARGING DAILY FEES FOR CRUISE VISITORS

Add Greece to a growing list of destinations charging fees for cruisers to visit on a day in port. Mykonos and Santorini are charging 20 euros per passenger for the summer season from July 1 to Sept. 30. The tax goes down to 12 euros in October and just 4 euros in the winter months.

MARGARITAVILLE AT SEA BOOSTS TRAVEL TRADE FOCUS

Margaritaville at Sea says it is implementing a series of “impactful initiatives” designed to strengthen its commitment to the trade, including a full-scale push to reward, engage and empower travel advisors through an expanded Travel Trade team, improved sales tools, and exclusive perks, including FAMs and advisor rates.

SPARING THE CHANGE: The new travel money realities

“I have a friend who just returned from a month in Thailand, China and Vietnam and she dealt exclusively with cash. Brought a wad of C-notes and paid on the spot. Used safes in the hotels for passport, and a belly bag for the day’s cash. Is this something I should do on my coming river cruise on the Rhine?”

SPOILER ALERT: Carnival ships slash food waste

Viewing the vast arrays of food on offer in buffets on Carnival Cruise Line ships, you may not realize the world’s largest cruise company has managed to cut food waste by 44 per cent in the past five years.

BRIGHTENING THE FUTURE OF CELEBRITY’S SOLSTICE SHIPS

Celebrity Cruises is investing more than $250 million to completely modernize a well-loved class of ships. Guests can look forward to eight new experiences, including four new-to-sea spaces, and many redesigned favorites which elevate everything that makes these ships unique.

CRUISE CLUES: CLIA breaks down sector’s wave of success

By Wallace Immen/    First-time cruisers are driving fast growth in cruising, with 31% of passengers in the last two years being new to cruise. But there’s also a rising tide in repeat cruising, the latest annual report of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) finds.

CARNIVAL ROLLS OUT TICKETLESS TOURS PLATFORM

Streamlining the guest experience for cruisers joining excursions ashore, Carnival Cruise Line announced plans today to bring an innovative digital platform to its tour operator partners that eliminates physical tickets and provides enhanced functionality.

CAN YOU MAKE PERFECT BADDER? Royal’s Going to Try

Bigger, badder, bolder. Those are the lofty goals Royal Caribbean wants to hit with its massive new destination for its cruises to Mexico. Perfect Day Mexico in Costa Maya will be Royal Caribbean’s largest private water park development, featuring the tallest water slides in the Americas, a river more than a mile long and six enormous pools. They’re promising 12 eateries and 24 drinkeries — including six swim-up bars.

EMIRATES, MSC CRUISES COMBINE TO DEVELOP DUBAI TOURISM

Emirates and MSC Cruises have extended their long-term strategic partnership aimed at enhancing the air-sea traveller experience, supporting Dubai’s cruise ambitions to become a major cruise hub, and exploring future opportunities for joint growth across the airline’s extensive network.

CRUISE LINES OFFER $1,000 BOOKING INCENTIVE

Ponant Explorations and Paul Gauguin Cruises are celebrating the “indispensable role of travel advisors” during Travel Advisor Appreciation Month in by offering a special booking incentive that gives agents the opportunity to earn up to US$1,000 in gift cards per new booking made in May. 

REGENT’S DRAMATIC NEW SHIP CELEBRATES PAST AND FUTURE

They call the atrium Starlight and its design swirls into the heavens. Regent Seven Seas Cruises is taking inspiration from the past and looking to the future with the showy interiors of its newest ship Seven Seas Prestige.

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