Cruise
Sunquest cruise special
Sunquest has introduced a cruise "Wave"sale featuring free flights for second passengers, plus a free stateroom upgrade. The offer is valid on all new bookings made between Jan. 26 and Feb. 15 for travel between March 30 and June 30 on seven-, 11- and 12-night Mediterranean MSC Cruises. With the offer, the second passenger saves $750 in air costs. (http://www.sunquest.ca ,...
CLIA sets a course to review safety
CLIA is launching a Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review "in response to the Concordia incident and as part of the industry's continuous efforts to review and improve safety measures." In making the announcing, CLIA said that it was speaking on behalf of the global cruise lines industry, and indicated the review "will include a comprehensive assessment of the critical human factors and operational aspects of maritime safety." CLIA continued, "As best practices are identified, they will be shared among CLIA members and any appropriate recommendations will be shared with the IMO....
Nominations open for CLIA Hall of Fame awards
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has opened nominations for the eighth annual Cruise Industry Hall of Fame, with 2012 inductees to be honoured at a gala dinner April 28 at cruise3sixty in Fort Lauderdale. In addition to choosing an outstanding past or present Cruise Retailer and Cruise Industry Executive, CLIA members are being asked for the first time to nominate a Cruise Sales Innovator - a cruise vacation retailer who stands out as an innovator, pioneering unique strategies, ideas, and programs that have significantly contributed to developing and growing the cruise vacation...
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...