Cruise
itravel2000 Welcomes New Director of Cruise Product
itravel2000 has appointed Jordana Botting as the company’s new director of Cruise Product. “We are delighted that Jordana has joined our team,” said Nick Polifemi, vice-president of Partnership Development for itravel2000. “We will be launching a new cruise offering in the coming weeks, and Jordana – with her 12 years of experience in the cruise industry on both the retail and supplier sides – will oversee the program as we continue to build and enhance the itravel2000 brand.” Botting started in the industry at Expedia CruiseShipCenters where the agency she managed...
A Royal Treat Introduced by Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean is expanding its luxury offerings with the introduction of the Royal Suite Class, designed for the most discerning travellers and featuring a range of benefits and amenities that one would expect from a world-class luxury vacation. “The new Royal Suite Class redefines luxury at sea with exceptional experiences that discriminating travellers will appreciate,” said Royal Caribbean president Michael Bayley. “We offer some of the most amazing and unique suites aboard the most revolutionary ships, and with Royal Suite Class we are creating an experience that is both...
Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea
Guitarist Joe Bonamassa and Sixthman, an industry leader in festivals at sea, have announced the final lineup of the second annual “Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea” music festival sailing aboard the Norwegian Pearl Feb. 15-19 from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico. Guests will enjoy four days of non-stop tunes and musical collaborations. Blues-inspired acts confirmed to participate include Joe Bonamassa, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Blues Traveler, Beth Hart, Vintage Trouble, Marc Broussard, Shemekia Copeland, The James Hunter Six, Eric Bibb with Michael Jerome Browne, Monophonics,...
Carnival Set to Roll Out Enhanced Internet Access
Carnival Cruise Line’s new social media Internet packages – which offer access to a variety of popular Web sites for US$5 a day – are now available on more than half of the line’s ships with fleetwide implementation scheduled by the first quarter of 2016. Additionally, the line’s new mobile app – currently available on Carnival Breeze and offering an innovative “chat” feature – has been well received with a third of the ship’s guests actively using the app during their cruise. The app is expected to be available on five additional ships by the end of the year and be...
Marco Polo Returns, Montreal Set To Celebrate
On Aug. 13, the Marco Polo will return to the Port of Montréal for a 24-hour visit and 50th anniversary celebrations. To mark its arrival, the Montréal Cruise Committee is encouraging Montrealers and visitors to make their way to the Old Port's boardwalk at 8:15 a.m. when the ship is scheduled to arrive with 750 guests and 220 crew members aboard. To welcome the Marco Polo, there will be a water show with jets sprayed from tugboats owned by Ocean Group. In 1965, Germany's Wismar shipyard delivered to Russia a cruise ship named after the celebrated Russian poet Alexandr Pushkin....
Hornblower Welcomes its One-Millionth Visitor
In what has been a super summer season for tourism in Niagara Falls this year, Hornblower Niagara Cruises welcomed its one-millionth customer of the season Friday (Aug. 7), a full nine days earlier that it reached the milestone last year. At 10 a.m. on Friday, Barrie, Ont. resident Rachael Pintos, with her children Gabriel, 7, and Mila, 3, and her nephew Lucas George, 10, as well as Bradford, Ont.’s, David Lacroix and his children Addison, 7, Lexie, 6, and Piper, 3, boarded the Hornblower Niagara Cruises Catamaran for an up-close look at the iconic Falls. The family pushed the...
NCL Returns to Asia, Australia
Norwegian Cruise Line has introduced new itineraries for the brand’s Fall/Winter 2016/2017 deployment – including a return to Asia and Australia. Norwegian is offering several new destinations and new ports, including cruises to Asia onboard Norwegian Star, with itineraries departing from Istanbul, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney and Auckland – marking the line’s return to the Asia and Australia regions for the first time since Norwegian Wind Fall/Winter 2001-2002 and first-ever visits to The Gulf and India. Norwegian Epic will continue to spend its summers in Europe and...
Emerald Waterways Clarification
PressToday recently ran a story on a new Emerald Waterways agent specialist program. It has since been pointed out that the program has launched in the US, but is not ready to launch in Canada. Officials say it will be available...