Uniworld Boutique River Cruises’ new Uniworld University course for 2025 is now available in its online travel advisor education program. The course details what’s to come in 2025 for the luxury river cruise line, including five new itineraries, expanded land extensions, more ‘MAKE TRAVEL MATTER’ experiences, and a new ship setting sail next year, the SS Elisabeth.
MSC Cruises has unveiled an expanded slate of itineraries for guests departing from the line’s four US homeports: Miami, Port Canaveral, New York, and Galveston, Texas. The company’s Winter 2025/26 season will feature seven ships, including MSC Grandiosa’s debut in the US from Port Canaveral; the cruise line’s inaugural season sailing from Galveston; and MSC World America’s first winter season sailing from Miami, following her debut as the line’s newest flagship in April 2025.
Sliding into the tub and looking around at the extensive detailing of the bathroom in an elegant suite on Regent’s Seven Seas Explorer reveals a host of exclusive and steal-able design tips for creating a dream space in your own home.
A new agreement between Alaska’s capital city and major cruise lines seeks to cap the daily number of cruise ship passengers arriving in Juneau starting in 2026. The agreement, finalized late last week, seeks a daily limit of 16,000 cruise passengers Sundays through Fridays and 12,000 on Saturdays. However, officials in Juneau say that doesn’t necessarily mean there will be that many people every day.
When the ‘Queen Anne’ sailed up the River Mersey to Cunard’s “spiritual home” in Liverpool, UK – where Samuel Cunard launched the first transatlantic passenger cargo service in 1840 with steamship Britannia – thousands of people lined the waterfront, cheering on the majestic vessel in anticipation of the christening and naming ceremony of the illustrious Cunard brand’s first new ship in 14 years.
MSC Cruises says it will bring its largest and most luxurious MSC Yacht Club “ship within a ship” concept to North American shores with the launch MSC World America in April, 2025. One of the ship’s seven distinct districts, the MSC Yacht Club offers guests a secluded sanctuary within the bustle of the wider ship.
Explora Journeys is getting into race mode to celebrate the arrival of Explora II, its second luxury ship this summer. The new small-ship ocean travel brand is the Global Partner of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, that takes place in the waters off Barcelona. Meanwhile, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team are hosting a racing themed cruise, complete with a replica car on the ship and specialty shore experiences in Monte Carlo.
Virgin Voyages said it plans to crack down on predatory sales tactics being used by some of its ‘First Mate’ travel agent partners who are soliciting customers and offering misleading ‘discounts’ to boost their sales. North American sales VP John Diorio, said in an email to travel agent partners that this has become an ‘important and serious’ issue.
Can the big wheels keep on turning? A well-known fleet of paddle-wheelers that evoke the Proud Marys and Showboats that plied the rivers of early America face being cut up for scrap after a bankruptcy sale that has the cruise industry abuzz.
Here we go again. Cruise entrepreneur John Waggoner is reported to be relaunching Victory Cruise Lines to start cruising the Great Lakes in 2025. He scooped up two 190-passenger ships that have come and gone a number of times from the lakes over the past couple of decades in an auction of the assets of the bankrupt American Queen Voyages.
Quick: where’s Banjul? How about Cotonou or Lome? Suddenly, places along the west and east coasts of Africa that are likely to have even veteran travellers doing where in the world? Google searches are being asked to quickly arrange docks and shore excursions for multiple cruise ships.
A cruise ship worker from South Africa was arrested Tuesday in Juneau, Alaska, accused of attacking a woman and two security guards with scissors. The suspect, from South Africa, was recently hired by Norwegian and boarded its Encore cruise ship in Seattle on Sunday. The ship left that day for a weeklong, round-trip excursion to Alaska with stops including Glacier Bay National Park and Victoria, British Columbia.
A cruise ship sailed into a New York City port with a 44-foot (13-meter) dead whale across its bow, marine authorities said. The whale, identified as an endangered sei whale, was caught on the ship’s bow when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez said.
Set to debut in the Western Med. on Seabourn Venture in Spring, 2025, “The Collection” is a series of exclusive sailings featuring unique, one-of-a-kind shoreside experiences that includes exclusive access to private cultural events, fine dining at world-renowned wineries, and premium tickets to iconic tennis tournaments in select marquee ports.
MSC Cruises Canada will conduct an exclusive webinar series tailored specifically for travel agents in Canada. The first session will take place May 9. Hosted by MSC business development managers Annie Archambault, Mokhtar Kerkeni, Tammy Thompson and Facinet Yansane, the webinars are designed to offer useful insights into the company while boosting agents’ knowledge and sales skills.
When MSC Cruises’ World America enters service in 2025, it will feature Cliffhanger, the only over-water swing ride at sea. The swing will tower above the new US flagship’s top deck, promising adrenaline junkies a one-of-a-kind, edge-of-your-seat thrill as their view oscillates between the water below and the sky above.
Almost three quarters (73%) of cruise passengers say that travel advisors had a meaningful influence on their decision to travel, according to Cruise Lines International Association’s recently released 2024 State of the Cruise Industry report, which also notably revealed that 2023 passenger volume reached 31.7 million – surpassing 2019 by seven percent.
MSC Cruises Canada has announced the appointment of Facinet Yansane as Business Development Manager for Western and Central Canada, based in Vancouver. Originally from Conakry, Guinea, Yansane joined MSC Cruises Canada in January 2023 as a bilingual cruise consultant.
The Alaska cruise season from Vancouver has launched, but one ship was left at the starting gate. Royal Caribbean International cancelled the April 26 sailing of Radiance of the Seas after 1,900 passengers had already boarded. The company announced after a day of trying to fix a propulsion issue that the cruise was no longer going ahead and everyone had to go home.
Christopher Austin has been named President, North America, of Explora Journeys, the luxury lifestyle brand of the MSC Group. Based in Miami, Austin will direct Explora’s efforts and teams in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He joined Explora Journeys in November 2020 as the brand’s Chief Sales Officer.
Carnival Cruise Line has added its fifth ship to the fleet in 18 months as it christened its newest ship, Carnival Firenze, at its new home, the Long Beach Cruise Terminal in California. Hollywood actor Jonathan Bennett served as the ship’s godfather, and he and Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy celebrated all things Italian with the help of a Broadway star, a Puccini aria, and even a Catholic priest making a running jump onto the stage to deliver a blessing.
Holland America Line is debuting ‘Glacier Days’ on its Alaska cruises with expanded ‘We Love Alaska on-board experiences.’ HAL’s six ships doing cruises from Vancouver and Seattle are featuring more cultural enrichment and culinary and cocktail specialties designed to foster a deeper connection to the people and history of Alaska, the company says.
MSC Cruises has announced a new summer ‘Stay & Cruise’ program, offering guests the chance to extend their cruise with a new add-on package in five destinations: Athens, Venice, Rome, Miami, and New York. Clients can book extra accommodation for two or three nights (depending on the city) before or after their cruise, coupled with a half-day city excursion.
A “global travel industry champion,” Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy has been honoured with the Cruise Lines International Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024. Steering the flagship brand of Carnival Corp., Duffy leads more than 48,000 Carnival Cruise Line team members who cater to more than 5.5 million guests each year.
Cunard’s newest ship, the Queen Anne officially joined the luxury cruise line’s iconic fleet during a historic handover ceremony in Italy on April 19 and is now sailing to Southampton ahead of her seven-night maiden voyage to Lisbon on May 3.
Princess Cruises and ship builder Fincantieri have announced the mutual decision to postpone the delivery of the next Sphere Class ship, Star Princess, by nearly two months. The ship was due to be delivered July, 2025, but will now be handed over on Sept. 26 resulting in the cancellation of the vessel’s nine inaugural sailings.
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada’s easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
Decisions, decisions. On a visit to Australia’s Philip Island on a Seabourn Cruises voyage down under, two evening shore excursions were both listed as must-sees. One tour promised us an unforgettable avian airshow as thousands of seabirds fly in feathery clouds back to their nests at sunset as part of a spectacular hike along one of Australia’s most famed surfing beaches whose cliffside trails are the routes of loveable wallabies. We’re also promised an awesome surprise at the end.
Carnival Cruise Line is introducing a series of new features to its online booking tool for travel advisors, GoCCL Navigator. The enhancements streamline the booking process, providing travel advisors with the tools and resources they need to maximize efficiency and improve their overall experience to support their business and income growth.
A notable shift towards smaller and more luxurious vessels, including yachts, among affluent travellers, is among the latest trends in cruising, according to independent travel agency First in Service (F1S).