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).
Small-ship luxury cruise Windstar Cruises is expanding its fleet with the addition of two all-suite motor yachts, Star Seeker and Star Explorer. The first of the two ships, new-build Star Seeker, is expected to be delivered in December of 2025, followed by Star Explorer in December, 2026.
ACTA is launching quarterly professional development sessions focusing on different segments within the travel and tourism industry. The new initiative aims to provide a platform for learning and discussion of industry trends, enhancing industry knowledge and fostering dialogue. The 2024 spring session leadership panel takes place April 26 at 1 p.m. EST and will focus on the cruise segment.
Big ship orders and a buoyant future for cruising were the buzz at Seatrade Cruise Global, the cruise industry’s biggest confab of the year, held in this week in Miami. Record levels of early booking for 2025 are not a result of left-over demand from the shutdowns of the pandemic era, but the new normal, Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corp. declared in the State of the Industry panel discussion at the conference.
MSC Poesia docked at the Port of Québec April 10, officially kicking off the 2024 Destination Saint Lawrence international cruise season. Nine ports of call are gearing up to welcome 46 different ships from 29 cruise lines in 2024, while bookings to date are estimated to represent over 400,000 passenger-days and some 500 days in port.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holidays has revealed an “unprecedented decades-long strategy” that includes building eight new vessels across its three brands plus the construction of a multi-ship pier at Great Stirrup Cay, the company’s private island destination in the Bahamas.
In response to a “wish list” survey of past cruisers earlier this year, Avalon Waterways says it will introduce a series of new, longer cruises, checking in at 10 days and more to meet interest and demand.
Has Celebrity Cruises evolved to the point where the ship can be the destination? We’re about to find out on a cruise aboard the new Celebrity Ascent, which offers a range of daily activities for every age and interest. But is it right for you? Here’s a look at the ups (and some downs) on Celebrity’s newest addition.
With MSC Cruises’ new vessel ‘World America’ scheduled to set sail from its homeport in Miami in April 2025, and cruises already available to book, MSC continues to reveal detail of its new flagship.
To the beat of KC and the Sunshine Band’s 1975 hit “Boogie Shoes,” Avalon Waterways christened its 15th Suite Ship in Pinhão, Portugal, late last week with actress Cheri Oteri (‘Saturday Night Live’) doing the honours and serving as Godmother.
Ho, ho, ho, who wouldn’t go? An 18-night icebreaking voyage all the way to the North in July is among Abercrombie & Kent’s innovative new small-ship expeditions for 2024. There will be a cocktail party at 90 degrees north and a toast to Santa Claus. (Of course, it’s a myth he and his elves actually live at the Pole, but bears and Arctic birds could very well be surprise guests).
Viking “floated out” its newest ship for the Nile River – the 82-guest Viking Hathor— late last week, marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water. Set to debut in August, the Viking Hathor will join the company’s growing fleet of state-of-the-art ships for the Nile River and will sail Viking’s popular 12-day ‘Pharaohs & Pyramids’ itinerary.
Two crew members on a Holland America cruise ship died during an “incident” in the ship’s engineering space, the cruise line said. The unidentified crew members died Friday while the Florida-based Nieuw Amsterdam was at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, Holland America said in a statement.
It’s really unusual to get a birth announcement a year in advance. But MSC Cruises thinks the arrival of its new flagship MSC World America is an event cruisers need to make a priority in their planners for 2025.
Disney Cruise Line revealed the first details about its next ship, including its name – Disney Destiny – as the ship marked a construction milestone this week with a keel laying ceremony at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The ship will sail in 2025.