Cruise
Carnival Corporation Reports Record Q3 Earnings
Carnival Corporation & plc has reported a net income of US$1.4 billion, or $1.93 diluted EPS, for the third quarter of 2016, the strongest quarterly earnings in the company's history. Revenues for the third quarter of 2016 were US$5.1 billion, US$0.2 billion higher than the US$4.9 billion in the prior year. Carnival Corporation president and chief executive officer Arnold Donald noted, “We delivered the strongest quarterly earnings in our company’s history affirming our ongoing efforts to expand consumer demand in excess of measured capacity increases and leverage our...
ACV Partners With Celestyal Cruises
Air Canada Vacations (ACV) has teamed up with Celestyal Cruises to offer seven-night air-inclusive packages out of Montego Bay. The program, run onboard the Celestyal Crystal, starts on Nov. 18 and runs until the end of December 2017 with sailings taking place every Friday. Travel agents’ clients will have a chance to experience a true Cuban vacation as the itinerary includes two days in Havana, a day in Punta Frances, a day in Cienfuegos, a day in Santiago de Cuba and a day at sea. All packages include flights, seven-day cruise, three included shore excursions, onboard meals,...
Savoury Sailings
Holland America Line's (HAL) culinary programming is heating up with the introduction of new shipboard cooking shows produced in partnership with the long-running public television show America’s Test Kitchen (ATK), arguably the most popular and well-respected how-to-cook show on TV, reports Michael Baginski in this week's digital edition of Canadian Travel Press. Announced at a press conference at the New York's Institute of Culinary Education on Sept. 20, the new culinary program is part of a US$300-million fleet-wide investment that is “only just beginning,” says Holland...
Fleet Expansion
The American Queen Steamboat Company – which is the owner and operator of the American Queen and American Empress – has announced that the new American Duchess will join the U.S.-flagged fleet in June 2017. Construction begins soon on a recently purchased American-made hull that will become the third vessel of the Memphis-based company. The all-suite American Duchess will be the first purpose-built boutique paddlewheeler offering the river cruiser an intimate experience through America’s heartland. The 166-guest American Duchess follows in the pedigree of the line’s...
HAL Gets Cooking
Holland America Line (HAL) is turning up the heat on its culinary programming with the introduction of new shipboard cooking shows produced in partnership with the television show “America’s Test Kitchen.” HAL's shipboard Culinary Arts Center will be transformed to replicate the television set. Designed specifically for the cruise line, the shipboard shows will be hosted by Holland America chefs trained by America’s Test Kitchen culinary experts. Shipboard cooking demonstrations and hands-on workshops – with topics ranging from shaping Asian dumplings to making the perfect...
Katarina Line Adds Ships To Meet Demand
Katarina Line is expanding its fleet for 2017 with three new deluxe ships to meet demands for lavish, more comfortable cruising from North American travellers. Over the past three years, the Croatian DMC and small ship cruise company has added seven new ships as the popularity of small ship cruising continues to soar and tourism to Croatia reaches record numbers. The company is also increasing its outreach to North American travel agents with new incentives, trade show support, familiarization trips and a generous commission structure that provides agents with up to 20%...
Cruising a Family Affair: CLIA
In celebration of the recently held Grandparents Day, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has revealed its top five reasons cruise vacations are the best option for multi-generational families looking to travel together. According to The Family Travel Alliance, the demand for family friendly travel is one of the fastest-growing segments in the tourism industry and is responsible for more than one-third of all leisure vacations. And cruising is a perfect fit families planning a multi-generational vacation. “Cruise vacations offer a unique option for family members of all...
NCL Brings Back At-Par Pricing
Norwegian Cruise Line is relaunching its Canadian pricing at par promotion. The promo runs from Sept. 19 through October and will focus entirely on 2017 Europe. Norwegian is offering five ships in Europe next year – Epic, Getaway, Jade, Spirit and Star – covering all manner of European itineraries, including the Baltic, Mediterranean, Greece, and Adriatic. Norwegian decided to bring back the at-par promotion after feedback from the travel trade advising how price-driven the Canadian market has been in 2016. Dana Gain, national director of sales for Canada, notes that the company is...