Cruise
TravelBrands Encore Cruises earns award from Celebrity Cruises
TravelBrands Encore Cruises has been honoured with the Tour Operator of the Year award from Celebrity Cruises for 2023, marking the third consecutive year of recognition from the cruise line. This accolade follows the receipt of the True Partnership Superstars award in 2022 and 2021. At the heart of TravelBrands Encore Cruises’ mission is the cultivation of strong, enduring partnerships, and its collaboration with Celebrity Cruises exemplifies this commitment. Nathalie Tanious, President & CEO at TravelBrands, said: “We are profoundly grateful for the partnership we've...
Explore the Mediterranean with Swan Hellenic
Swan Hellenic has released details of its four 2024 cultural expedition cruises in the heart of the Mediterranean. All will be aboard the SH Diana, following on from the 10-night cruise ‘Mysteries of Carthage and the Moors’ (Aug. 10 to Aug. 20, 2024), which will see her sailing from Lisbon, Portugal, through the Straits of Gibraltar, then along Hannibal’s North African coast and on to Palermo, Sicily. The four Mediterranean cultural expedition cruises are: ‘Secrets of Sicily’ – Aug. 20 to Aug. 28, 2024 – departing from Palermo for an eight-night circumnavigation of...
Virgin Voyages makes further changes to Resilient Lady sailing plans
Virgin Voyages is cancelling the 2024-2025 voyage season plans for the Resilient Lady. The company had previously announced changes to the ship’s early 2024 repositioning cruise from Australia to the Mediterranean. The comes following regional and government advice that Virgin Voyages has received, with the company indicating that “we remain very concerned about potential escalations in the Red Sea over the next 12 months.” It notes that the significant and ongoing conflict puts unacceptable risks for safe passage through the region for our Sailors, crew and vessel (Resilient...
Ponant & Smithsonian Journeys partner for 2025 sailings
Ponant has announced its 2025 sailings in collaboration with Smithsonian Journeys, the travel program of the Smithsonian Institution. Drawing on Smithsonian's rich history as the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, the 30 itineraries—the most ever offered in one year, due to growing interest and demand— will feature notable experts and experiences that embrace local cultures and dive deeper into a destination’s history, cuisine, language, environment, and wildlife. This is the fourth year Ponant and Smithsonian Journeys will offer co-branded...
TICO issues closure advisory for American Queen Voyages
TICO is advising of the Feb. 20 closure of American Queen Voyages (AQV), and that it has filed for Chapter 11 to conduct its business shutdown. All future cruises have been cancelled. TICO also advises that AQV has outlined a three-step process for consumers to follow to receive refunds from Argo Surety. More information about this refund process is available at https://www.aqvinfo.com or https://aqvrefunds.com, however, TICO notes that at times, this website appears to be offline. TICO says that as it’s not known how long the Argo Surety consumer claims process will take or...
MSC sailing from the Canary Islands for winter 2024/2025
MSC Cruises will base a ship in the Canary Islands for the winter 2024-25 winter season and sales are now open. MSC Opera will operate seven-night itineraries with six ports of call between Nov. 3, 2024 and March 16, 2025. The ship will depart Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Tenerife for Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura, Funchal in Madeira, Santa Cruz de la Palma in La Palma and Arrecife in Lanzarote before returning to Tenerife. About the new itinerary The new itinerary also offers flexible embarkation options, including Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Sundays,...
American Queen Voyages shuts down
American Queen Voyages (AQV) has shut down its operations. The company made the announcement on its Facebook page, stating: “We are saddened to share that American Queen Voyages (AQV) has made the difficult decision to shut down. The overnight cruise industry was especially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and related changes in travel preferences. Despite great efforts by our team, Crew and partners, demand has not recovered, and AQV has become financially unsustainable.” The post continued: “Effective immediately, all future AQV cruises have been cancelled. We sincerely...
MSC Cruises launches “open booking” program
MSC Cruises has launched a new ‘Open Booking’ program that allows guests to make a reservation, without the need to commit to a particular vessel, itinerary or sailing date. The new initiative aims to complement MSC Cruises’ ‘Future Cruise’ program introduced in summer 2023. The open booking means that guests simply pay a reduced deposit of $100 (Canadian) per person on board their cruise and are given a certificate that allows them up to 12 months to choose their next sailing holiday. Guests receive up to $200 (Canadian) of onboard credit per cabin if they select their ship...