Cruise Industry News | Canada's Travel Industry

By TravelPress Staff

February 27, 2012

Paul Gauguin unveils 2013 cruise schedule

Whale watching, exclusive experiences and special guest-host sailings await guests aboard the newly renovated Paul Gauguin for the 2013 cruise season. Highlights of Paul Gauguin Cruises' 2012 schedule include: !!! Island of Whales: Following this year's inaugural 11-night sailing to the Australs & Society Islands, The Gauguin will return on Sept. 21, 2013, to witness the majestic humpback whales cavorting en masse off the coast of Rurutu. !!! The Society Islands: Throughout 2013, The Gauguin will visit the islands of French Polynesia for seven-, 10-, 11-, and 14-night sailings. Guests will...

By TravelPress Staff

February 24, 2012

Celebrity unveils largest Europe season ever

Celebrity Cruises has shared a sneak preview of its itinerary plans for the summer of 2013. Speaking to an audience of travel partners in London, Celebrity president Dan Hanrahan revealed that, for the first time, joining Celebrity Eclipse in the UK will be the newly "Solsticized"Celebrity Infinity. Eclipse will continue to offer sailings from Southampton in the spring and summer of 2013, while Infinity - which emerged in December 2011 from Celebrity's ambitious, four-ship, $140-million Solsticizing investment - will present new British Isles and Fjords sailings from Harwich, England. The...

By TravelPress Staff

February 23, 2012

Encore Cruises receives preferred rates from WestJet

Encore Cruises has received preferred rates from WestJet for guests booking flights and cruise packages together. According to officials, this new arrangement increases flexibility and choice when choosing a flight to best match a cruise product, in addition to enhancing the overall travel experience. Encore's Air/Sea program, with Westjet's preferred rate, offers choice and flexibility with more than 70 different scheduled airlines leaving daily from a multitude of gateways across Canada. In addition to the value-added airfares available with Westjet, the flight portion is 100% refundable up...

By TravelPress Staff

February 23, 2012

Book to win with Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean is reminding agents that it has launched a new contest in which those booking any Royal Caribbean International Europe or Caribbean cruise by March 15 can win an Apple iPad 2. Receive one entry for every inside or outside stateroom booked, or two entries for every balcony or above stateroom booked. Second prize is a $500 Apple gift card, third prize a $250 Apple gift card. Royal Caribbean will randomly select three winners from all entries in March....

By Bob Mowat

February 23, 2012

AmaWaterways unveils friendlier site

AmaWaterways has completely overhauled its web site following extensive research and feedback from both travel agents and its customers. Company founder, Rudi Schreiner said of the new site: "As AmaWaterways focuses on helping travel agents become experts on selling river cruise vacations, our new web site provides up-to-date information, stunning graphics and easy navigation. We designed every aspect around the warm and welcoming culture of AmaWaterways and we will continue to deliver top-notch service on and off line." Along with comprehensive information on AmaWaterways' destinations in...

By Bob Mowat

February 22, 2012

Say ‘I Do’ with Cunard

For the first time in the line's 172 year history, couples will soon be able to say "I Do" aboard Cunard's famous ocean liners. Beginning in April 2012, passengers will be able to celebrate a wedding day at sea, conducted by the Captain, aboard Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. Couples wishing to wed at sea can choose from the full spectrum of Cunard's worldwide voyages lasting seven nights or more and departing after April 2012. In addition to Crossings, destinations include the Mediterranean and Scandinavia, Canada and New England, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, Hawaii,...

By TravelPress Staff

February 22, 2012

Silversea has exclusive Canadian offer

Silversea Cruises has unveiled new fares on a host of voyages around the world and available to Canadians coast-to-coast. Canadian travellers can take advantage of fares from US$1,999 on dozens of sailings from March to November spanning the globe from Africa, Asia and the Americas to the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, including a few expedition voyages. Sweetening the deal are Onboard Spending Credits from US$500 to US$1,000 per suite available on these same voyages (with the exception of expedition cruises). The credits may be applied toward a host of onboard purchases, including shore...

By TravelPress Staff

February 22, 2012

It’s a Breeze to win with Carnival

Carnival is celebrating the debut of the new Carnival Breeze with a travel agent booking sweepstakes tied to the ship's Europe program, which will operate from June to October. For every online Carnival Breeze booking made on a Europe sailing, agents may enter to win a grand prize seven-day Carnival cruise for two or one of 50 runner-up prizes of MasterCard gift cards worth $50 each. Each online reservation counts as an entry so the more bookings agents make, the more opportunities they have to win. Qualifying bookings are automatically entered into the sweepstakes, which runs through April...

By TravelPress Staff

February 22, 2012

Carnival to increase capacity in San Juan

Carnival Cruise Lines will increase capacity on its seven-day Southern Caribbean itineraries from San Juan, as well as on its four- and five-day cruises from Miami, deploying newer, larger ships in both markets. The 2,974-passenger Carnival Valor will launch a five-port, seven-day schedule from San Juan beginning Feb. 10, 2013, becoming the newest and largest ship to operate year-round from that port. Carnival Valor will replace the 2,758-passenger Carnival Victory, which will reposition from San Juan to Miami to assume the Carnival Destiny's four- and five-day cruises beginning Feb. 4, 2013....

By Bob Mowat

February 21, 2012

Paul Gauguin completes $7 million reno

Paul Gauguin Cruises reports that it has completed a $7 million renovation on its ship, the Paul Gauguin. It is the largest in the ship's history and took place during the ship's 10-night crossing from Tahiti to Brisbane, Australia, as well as during the 11-night dry-dock that followed, when extensive enhancements were made to both the interiors and exteriors of The Gauguin. Renovations throughout the ship include new flooring and replaced carpeting, elegant new furniture, new window treatments and decorative wall panels, and new signage, providing a lighter, brighter feel. Additionally, all...