Silver Explorer and her expedition team accomplished a first in the ship’s history yesterday (26 January 2012), landing guests at Point Wild, Elephant Island – the location where survivors of the Shackleton Expedition lived under two lifeboats for more than four months while hoping for rescue. (expeditioncruising.com)
Historic Day, As Silversea Expedition Guests Land On Point Wild, Elephant Island, Antarctica
January 28th, 2012Concordia Update: Death Toll Rises to 17; Fuel Extraction Postponed; Costa Offers Compensation to Passengers
January 28th, 2012A 17th body has been found onboard Costa Concordia, which struck a rock and capsized two weeks ago. The search mission continues, even as bad weather conditions delay the start of fuel extraction from the ship. (cruisecritic.com)
Cruise Shipping Miami 2012 Adds Medical Conference Sessions
January 28th, 2012Cruise Shipping Miami 2012, scheduled for March 12-15 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, for the first time offers sessions Wednesday morning and afternoon focusing on shipboard medical facilities and technologies, medical tourism and luxury cruising, and health and wellness programs for both passengers and crew.
Carnival UK’s customer Care programme wins recognition
January 28th, 2012Its customer care and communications manager Andrew Baldwin was presented with The Penny Akam Unsung Hero in Travel award at the Travel Weekly Globe Awards ceremony in London on Wednesday evening. P&O Cruises was also named Favourite Cruise Company for the fifth year running. (seaviewcruises.co.uk)
11 Injured During Royal Caribbean-Sponsored Tour in St. Thomas
January 28th, 2012Thirteen passengers on Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas were involved in a traffic accident Friday morning in St. Thomas during a ship-sponsored tour. (cruisecritic.com)
Liverpool could pay back cruise liner terminal grant
January 28th, 2012There are “persuasive arguments” for Liverpool to pay back a majority of its £9m in government grants if the city makes changes to its cruise liner terminal use, the government has said. (bbc.co.uk)
G Adventures Introduces New Galapagos Tour Itineraries
January 27th, 2012G Adventures is introducing a new series of cruising itineraries in the Galapagos Islands in response to new regulations instituted by the Galapagos Park Service. (travelpulse.com)
Cruise Planners Named Royal Caribbean Home-Based Partner of the Year
January 27th, 2012Royal Caribbean International has named Cruise Planners American Express as its Home-Based Partner of the Year for 2011, for the fifth consecutive year. (travelpulse.com)
WLCVacations Offers Spring Savings, Barge Cruise Fam
January 27th, 2012World Luxury Cruise Vacations, which consists of France Cruises and WLCVacations, is offering savings on spring small-ship cruises. (travelpulse.com)
Regent Seven Seas Debuts Co-Branded Websites for Travel Agents
January 27th, 2012Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) is introducing a new co-branded website program for travel agencies, which it says can help them connect with their clients on a more personal level. (travelpulse.com)
Onboard the New Disney Fantasy (Part 2)
January 27th, 2012Bob Zalk, senior producer for Walt Disney Imagineering, speaks with James Shillinglaw about what Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship will feature in entertainment, dining and poolside attractions. (travelpulse.com)
All Leisure Group stages strong recovery
January 27th, 2012All Leisure Group, the UK based parent of Swan Hellenic, Voyages of Discovery and Hebridean Island Cruises, has staged a strong recovery and returned to profit in the latest financial year that ended 31 October 2011. (cruisebusiness.com)
Cruise industry announces operational safety review
January 27th, 2012In response to the Concordia incident and as part of the industry’s continuous efforts to review and improve safety measures, the Cruise Lines International Association, Inc. (CLIA), speaking on behalf of the global cruise lines industry, today announced the launch of a Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review.
Nominations for CLIA’s Eighth Annual Cruise Industry Hall of Fame Now Open
January 27th, 2012Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) today, January 26, 2012, opened nominations for the eighth annual Cruise Industry Hall of Fame, with 2012 inductees to be honored at a gala dinner April 28 at cruise3sixty in Fort Lauderdale.
Pullmantur Reducing Capacity, Ocean Dream Leaving Fleet?
January 27th, 2012The Ocean Dream may be leaving Pullmantur’s fleet as soon as this spring, sources told Cruise Industry News. The Spanish market is struggling amid euro-zone problems and the 1981-built, 1,422-passenger Ocean Dream has reportedly been chartered to Peace Boat. (cruiseindustrynews.com)
Azamara Revitalization
January 27th, 2012
Big things are in store for Azamara Club Cruises later this year when the Azamara Quest is expected to go into drydock in Cadiz in November, followed by the Journey in Singapore in Feb. 2013. (cruiseindustrynews.com)
Crystal Cruises to Launch Evening Bistro
January 27th, 2012With almost a dozen dining choices on each ship, Crystal Cruises’ most popular daytime gathering spot, The Bistro, is expanding to evening hours.
Harmony Cruise Publishes Itineraries
January 27th, 2012
Harmony Cruise will start operations on Feb. 16 with the ex-Costa Marina, now the 760-passenger Club Harmony. The line is operated under Seoul-based Polaris Shipping, which also runs 13 cargo ships. (cruiseindustrynews.com)
Costa Announces Compensation for Concordia Passengers, Cancellation Policies for Future Cruisers
January 27th, 2012Costa Cruises has announced more of its compensation plans for passengers onboard Costa Concordia on January 13 when it capsized. (cruisecritic.com)
Norwegian Cruise Line Honors Avoya Travel With Top Travel Award
January 26th, 2012Avoya Travel™ / American Express®, one of the leading travel companies in North America and beyond, today announced that Norwegian Cruise Line has presented the company with its 2011 “Home-Based Agency of the Year” award.
Windstar Cruises Introduces Three New Itineraries in the Baltic
January 26th, 2012
From the glittering styles and vibrant harbors of Scandinavia’s capital cities, to the hidden coves and ancient mysteries of Northern Europe’s beautiful islands and quaint villages, discover the Baltics under full sail with two-for-one savings fares plus two free hotel nights in embarkation or disembarkation port cities.
Windstar Cruises Offers Two Greek Isles & Turkish Delights Itineraries
January 26th, 2012Windstar Cruises offers two Greek Isles & Turkish Delights itineraries between Athens, Greece and Istanbul, Turkey this spring, summer and fall on the 148-guest Wind Star and Wind Spirit.
Norwegian CEO Sheehan Stresses Safety in Guest Letter
January 26th, 2012In the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster, Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Kevin Sheehan on Jan. 25 sent an email to guests stressing that safety is the line’s No. 1 priority. (travelpulse.com)
TravelPulse Shares Results of Recent River Cruise Webinar
January 26th, 2012TravelPulse.com, a division of Travalliance, held the first in a series of category and niche webinars scheduled to take place in 2012.
Onboard the New Disney Fantasy (Part 1)
January 26th, 2012James Shillinglaw speaks with Bob Zalk, senior producer for Walt Disney Imagineering, about Europa, the brand new adult entertainment district making its debut aboard the new Disney Fantasy. (travelpulse.com)
Could Pacific Sun be headed for Thomson?
January 26th, 2012When Thomson Cruises’ Managing Director Fraser Ellacott said in an interview that he would unveil “exciting plans” in the next three to four months, could he refer to the introduction of Pacific Sun that P&O Cruises Australia have sold with delivery to undisclosed buyers in the summer of 2013? (cruisebusiness.com)
Thomson Cruises to unveil “exciting plans” in three-four months
January 26th, 2012Thomson Cruises, which is part of TUI Travel group, is looking to modernise its fleet both with potential new ships and upgrades to existing ships, the company’s Managing Director tells Travel Weekly. (cruisebusiness.com)
P&O’s Azura Flip-Flop: Goodbye World Cruise, Hello Caribbean
January 26th, 2012
P&O Cruises announced today that it is canceling Azura’s planned 2013 world voyage and is instead basing the 115,000-ton, 3,100-passenger ship in the Caribbean for a series of winter fly-cruises next year. (cruisecritic.com)
Captain of Doomed Cruise Ship Says Course Change Was an Order
January 26th, 2012New evidence emerged Wednesday that suggested the captain of the Costa Concordia had been repeatedly ordered by superiors to deviate from its course on Jan. 13 and head toward picturesque Giglio Island off the Tuscan coast, where the 950-foot luxury cruise liner crashed and partly sank. (nytimes.com)
SA’s Summer Cruise Season Well Underway with Athena Commencing Her Adelaide Program
January 26th, 2012
South Australia’s first and only locally based cruise ship, Athena, arrives in Adelaide today – Wednesday January 25 – to begin her third and longest-yet cruise season here, with her 30-day SA program set to anchor $3 million in the local economy. (etravelblackboard.com)
Queen Mary 2 makes grand port call at Cape Town Harbor
January 26th, 2012Historically, South Africa’s main port, Cape Town, has a long history of welcoming ships and passenger liners to its shores. (eturbonews.com)
Early January and post-Concordia figures show cruise is still buoyant. Cruise.co.uk report
January 26th, 2012Without doubt it’s been a tragic week for the cruise industry with the capsizing of the Costa Concordia. (traveldailynews.com)
Scenic Cruises Immerses Guests In The “Gems Of The Danube” During Eight-Day All-Inclusive River Cruise
January 26th, 2012
Scenic Cruises guests are immersed in the historically-rich cities of Germany, charmed by Austria’s romantic settings, and explore Hungary’s thriving capital city of Budapest on the eight-day “Gems of the Danube” river cruise aboard the company’s deluxe “Space-Ships.” (wheretogonext.com)
Romancing, Mating and Marrying with Ecoventura On 7-Night Cruise Itineraries through Galapagos National Park
January 26th, 2012
Ecoventura’s (ecoventura.com) environmentally friendly fleet of small expedition vessels in the Galapagos always wraps hospitality around its cruising guests and will host vows ceremonies for couples who have obtained legal paperwork in advance in Quito or Guayaquil. (wheretogonext.com)
Queen of the Mississippi 2013 Schedule
January 25th, 2012Still six months away from the start of its inaugural 2012 season on the Mississippi River, American Cruise Lines has announced its 2013 schedule for Queen of the Mississippi. (cruiseindustrynews.com)
Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth to Make San Francisco Maiden Call
January 25th, 2012On February 4, Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth will make her inaugural call to San Francisco, marking her only U.S. maiden call this year. (cruiseindustrynews.com)
SeaDream taps into The Hippocrates Health Institute’s “Life Transformation Program”
January 25th, 2012SeaDream Yacht Club introduces the first of its kind at sea, a “Raw Food” menu option. A once-radical form of vegetarianism called the “raw foods” or “living foods” movement is creeping into mainstream.
Shipyard Strike Delays Maiden Voyage of Oceania’s Newest Cruise Ship
January 25th, 2012Shipyard delays caused by striking workers have scuttled the April 24 maiden voyage of Oceania’s new Riviera. Instead, the 1,250-passenger ship will launch on May 16. (cruisecritic.com)
Dramatic Video: Princess Cruise Ship Scoops Up Sailors During Midnight Rescue Mission
January 25th, 2012Passengers on Princess Cruises’ 113,000-ton, 3,080-passenger Ruby Princess witnessed a dramatic rescue on Monday in the Bahamas. (cruisecritic.com)
Concordia: Time for some answers
January 25th, 2012
As the confirmed death toll from the Costa Concordia tragedy reaches 16, and salvage experts begin the task of safely removing 2,400 tons of fuel oil from the ship, it’s time to start looking for some answers from Costa and the cruise industry as a whole. (blogs.mirror.co.uk)
Norwegian Pearl to Host Kiss Kruise II Sailing on Halloween
January 25th, 2012The rock band Kiss has partnered with Sixthman once again for the 2012 Kiss Kruise II, scheduled for Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 on the Norwegian Pearl from Miami to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas. (travelpulse.com)
Norwegian Cruise Line Launches Facebook Contest
January 25th, 2012Norwegian Cruise Line launched a Facebook contest encouraging fans to “See the World the Norwegian Way.” Through March 31, participants will have a chance to win one of five seven-day cruises. (travelpulse.com)
Celebrity’s Hanrahan Affirms Company’s Commitment to Safety
January 25th, 2012Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Dan Hanrahan sent an email to past passengers on Jan. 23, expressing deep sadness over the Costa Concordia sinking but also seeking to assure guests that stringent safety measures are in place. (travelpulse.com)
Port of Galveston Welcomes Balmoral on Maiden Call
January 25th, 2012On Wednesday January 25, 2012, the Balmoral of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines will call at the Port during its first voyage to the United States since February 13, 2010. (cruiseindustrynews.com)
Compagnie du Ponant Announces “La Grande Invitation”
January 25th, 2012In appreciation for the overwhelming response to Compagnie du Ponant’s 2011 marketing and sales efforts the company is responding during the popular “Wave Season” with “La Grande Invitation” – an array of extra-special incentives for 2012 bookings.
