Cruise
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...
Encore picks Greca for new role
Encore Cruises has picked Sabrina Greca to take on the newly created role of director, products & retail partnerships. Greca's appointment was annouced by Encore's vice-president, Amr Younes. Greca joined Thomas Cook last fall as a project manager and will now focus on product development and supplier relations for the Encore brand, as well as working closely with the company's key accounts on various initiatives designed to further grow its cruise business. She will be based at Thomas Cook's Montreal office and can be reached at [email protected]...
Oceania plans departure day muster
Prestige Cruise Holdings -- the parent company of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises -- has announced that effective immediately all ships will hold guest muster drills on the day of departure. Right now, all Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises vessels hold muster drills on the same day of departure, with few exceptions. Robin Lindsay, executive vice-president of vessel operations for Prestige Cruise Holdings, explained that: "On just a handful of occasions the drill is held the following morning, primarily to accommodate late-arriving guests. However, in light of the...
Transat Distribution earns RCI award
Transat Distribution Canada (TDC) has received Royal Caribbean International's Partner of the Year award for 2011. Clearly pleased by the recognition, TDC's vice-president marketing and industry relations, Susan Bowman said: "This has always been such an important partnership and it great to be recognized. We have won this award due to the hard work by our network of over 2,500 travel consultants and our momentum is continuing to accelerate. This year, we look forward to being hosted on the Oasis of the Seas in April with over 120 of our travel consultants attending TDC's exclusive cruise...
AmaWaterways unveils new African cruise safari tour
Showcasing herds of zebras, grazing elephants and rivers teeming with exotic animals, AmaWaterways' African safari river cruises will debut this summer, exploring Africa's most renowned locations, including South Africa, Botswana, Kenya and Tanzania. Guests will have an opportunity to embark on the Zambezi Queen, a 28-passenger ship designed specifically for safari river cruising to maximize sightseeing opportunities. AmaWaterways' African cruises include the 16-day Stars of Africa, the 16-day African Sunsets and the 19-day Golden Trails of Africa. The tours bring the picturesque cities to...
MSC to call PortMiami home
MSC Cruises has announced that PortMiami will be its exclusive homeport for its Caribbean sailings as of fall 2013 pending approval by the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners. MSC operates a fleet of 11 cruise ships with its newest ship, the MSC Divina, scheduled to launch in May featuring the cruise line's "ship-within-a-ship"concept -- the MSC Yacht Club. Beginning in fall 2013, MSC Cruises, which now homeports out of Port Everglades, will join the PortMiami cruise line-up. The initial term of the agreement is for three years....
Oceania plans departure day muster
Prestige Cruise Holdings -- the parent company of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises -- has announced that effective immediately all ships will hold guest muster drills on the day of departure. Right now, all Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises vessels hold muster drills on the same day of departure, with few exceptions. Robin Lindsay, executive vice-president of vessel operations for Prestige Cruise Holdings, explained that: "On just a handful of occasions the drill is held the following morning, primarily to accommodate late-arriving guests. However, in light of the...
Carnival to review all emergency response systems
Following the tragic Costa Concordia accident, Carnival Corporation & plc, parent company of Costa Cruises and nine leading cruise lines around the world, has announced a comprehensive audit and review of all safety and emergency response procedures across all of the company's cruise lines. Carnival Corporation & plc and the cruise industry as a whole have maintained an excellent safety record over the years. "However, this tragedy has called into question our company's safety and emergency response procedures and practices,"said Micky Arison, chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc....