Cruise
Costa details Concordia guest reimbursement
Costa Crociere has announced a compensation proposal for guests who have returned home after the Jan. 13 tragic Costa Concordia accident. The proposal is the result of negotiations between Costa Crociere and consumer associations protecting guests' interests, with the support of multiple tourism and travel industry associations. In Italy, the company has already reached an agreement with the National Council of Consumers and Users, a national organization. The families of the deceased and guests who were injured and required medical treatment on site will be covered under a separate proposal...
Cruise webinar with expert Vanessa Lee set for Feb. 1
Are your clients asking questions about the safety of cruising? Are you unsure of how to answer them? Do you have questions yourself about the current state of the cruise industry? Then don't miss the "Cruising: State of the Union"Q+A webinar with well-known industry expert, Vanessa Lee. On Feb. 1 at 1 p.m., Baxter Travel Media and Encore Cruises present a Q+A webinar in which Lee will provide an overview of the current state of the cruise industry, answer all your questions and prepare you for any of your clients' concerns. Lee is a founding partner of Encore Cruises and the owner-publisher...
Vacation.com unveils Culinary Collection
Vacation.com has announced its 2012 Culinary Collection, which includes 32 food- and wine-themed cruises with departures from ports of call worldwide. The specific culinary-themed cruise experiences were chosen from some of Vacation.com's top luxury and premium cruise line partners, such as Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line, Oceania Cruises, Paul Gauguin Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Clients booking a cruise from the collection will receive extra amenities at no additional cost, and certain itineraries offer clients the services of a concierge host, an...
Transat ‘Partner of the Year’
Royal Caribbean International has named its top travel agent partners of 2011, with Transat Distribution taking top honours for Canada by winning the Partner of the Year Award. "Royal Caribbean International is delighted to recognize our top performing travel agency partners for 2011,"said Vicki Freed, senior vice-president of sales, trade support and services, Royal Caribbean International. "Each recipient represents a distinctive business model and has significantly contributed to the overall success of Royal Caribbean throughout the past calendar year. We sincerely appreciate all of our...
Strikes delay Oceania’s new ship
Oceania Cruises has been advised by Fincantieri shipyards in Italy of construction delays and as a result, the cruise company will reschedule the maiden voyage of its new ship, the Riviera. Construction on the 1,250-guest ship fell behind schedule when strikes at the shipyard, located near Genoa, Italy, lasted longer than expected. The maiden voyage of Riviera has moved from April 24 to May 16, and all guests affected by the delay will be contacted by their travel agents or by Oceania Cruises directly to discuss alternative cruise dates. Oceania's president, Kunal Kamlani said: "We sincerely...
Go dynamic with Encore
Encore Cruises has introduced a number of new enhancements to its online booking engine that will let agents dynamically package their clients' air and cruise components to create custom cruise vacations. Amr Younes, vice-president of Encore Cruises, said: "The system is now much more user friendly. These enhancements make the entire booking flow virtually seamless, enabling agents to book every aspect of their client's cruise vacation from start to finish." A key enhancement is that the system now offers the ability to book the air component alongside the cruise. "Agents booking through our...
DCL sets a new course in 2013
Disney Cruise Line (DCL) is setting a new course in 2013 with a host of new itineraries, including an expanded portfolio of European cruises that will feature new destinations that will include Venice and the Greek Isles. As well, DCL will add a second home port in Florida, offering Caribbean sailings that will depart from the Port of Miami for the first time. With the addition of the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy to its fleet, Disney Cruise Line said that not only can it take more families to more destinations around the world, it will also be enhancing the cruise options for guests...
Costa Cruises details refund plan
Costa Cruises has released details of its refund plan for all guests who were on-board the Costa Concordia on Jan. 13, 2012. Costa Cruises said, in a prepared statement, that it will refund the full cost of the cruise, either directly or through the passenger's or passengers' travel agency. The company will reimburse all travel expenses incurred both reaching the port of embarkation and on the homeward journey, including any independent arrangements made for transfers. Any on-board expenses will also be refunded and any credit card charges will be credited to the account and any cash deposits...