UK cruise industry predicts record 2014

Forecast figures released today by the Cruise Lines International Association show that a record 1.79 million British holidaymakers took a cruise in 2013

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AmaWaterways donates art collection to Community

Award-winning river cruise line AmaWaterways is to donate the entire art collection from one of its ships, AmaLegro, to a home for retired senior citizens in Normandy. The artwork, consisting of 53 reproductions of Impressionist paintings, will be delivered to the Residence Saint Jean retirement home in Bosc-le-Hard this month.

AmaWaterways has operated in northwestern France since 2013 and the 150-passenger AmaLegro cruises exclusively in the Seine River Valley. The company recently replaced the ship’s existing collection.

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Norwegian Getaway celebration campaign launched

campaign offering customers $100 free on-board spending money per stateroom.

Valid on every stateroom category on selected cruises of seven nights or more cruising before 27 April 2014, travel partners can help customers to find their perfect escape. From the Mediterranean to the Caribbean, Hawaii to the Bahamas, customers can take advantage of the offer on bookings made until 27 January 2014.

The campaign also extends to Norwegian Getaway’s year-round Eastern Caribbean sailings running until 18 April 2015, taking in the best of what the Eastern Caribbean has to offer.

Nick Wilkinson, Director Business Development UK, Ireland and Scandinavia, Norwegian Cruise Line said:

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Celebrity Cruises inks deal with New England Patriots

Celebrity Cruises and the New England Patriots have announced a comprehensive marketing agreement highlighting the brands’ shared commitment to premium experiences and entertainment. Through the partnership, Miami-based Celebrity Cruises will be recognised as a “Proud Partner of the New England Patriots.”
“This partnership has all the makings of a winning team,” said Marla Phaneuf, Regional Sales Manager and Team Manager of New England at Celebrity Cruises. “We look forward to raising local awareness and having more New Englanders join us on our stunning ships with enticing itineraries, including the New England Patriots Fan Cruise setting sail in 2015.”

Sailing March 15, 2015, Celebrity Silhouette will host New England Patriots fans who will have the opportunity to meet and spend time with former Patriots players as they sail through the Caribbean. The ship will depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and will make stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Basseterre, St. Kitts; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten. Onboard activities with the Patriots alumni players will include: karaoke nights, pool party volleyball and football time on the lawn, $50 on-board credit, and a Classic Beverage Package for two. Staterooms are now available for booking through Celebrity Cruises (www.celebritycruises.com/BOS) or your local travel agent.

In addition to the fan cruise, the partnership between Celebrity Cruises and the New England Patriots includes a variety of different elements that will span through the 2015 season.

“We look forward to working with Celebrity Cruises as our official cruise line partner,” said Murray Kohl, New England Patriots vice president of corporate sponsorships. “Their focus on premium experiences and quality service make for a perfect New England Patriots’ teammate.” 

Consumers who can’t wait until March 2015 for their Celebrity Cruises vacation can take advantage of Celebrity’s 123go! promotion, now underway through February 28, 2014 and valid on all ships (with the exception of Celebrity Xpedition) from February 2014 through March 2015 (excluding Transatlantic and Transpacific voyages).  When booking during the 123go! promotion, guests can choose from any of the following options on over 400 sailings:


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Brits to be a nation of explorers in 2014

Exploration is the key holiday trend for 2014 as research published today reveals that two thirds (65 per cent) of Brits are keen to experience something new on holiday this year.

In addition Brits are proving their holiday ambition grit with over a third (35 per cent) believing they will be able to tick off their bucket list of top destinations to visit in their lifetime. One in ten think it is likely or very likely that they will experience them all, according to the research from Celebrity Cruises.

Brits are keener than ever to venture into the unknown with trips that will exercise the mind, rather than the body. The biggest holiday ambition is to visit a famous site (30 per cent), followed closely by being able to see wildlife (25 per cent) and experience a new culture (18 per cent).

Celebrity Cruises commissioned the research ahead of the launch of

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P&O flies into Cardiff Airport

Holidaymakers can now add Genoa to the list of destinations they will be able to fly to direct from Cardiff Airport this summer.

Four chartered flights have been added to the schedule to allow customers across Wales and the South West to join P&O’s Mediterranean cruises direct from the Welsh capital.

The Mediterranean cruises will visit Florence, Pisa, Naples, Dubrovnik, Venice, Kotor, Corfu, Roma and Ajaccio over 14 nights.

Flights to Genoa will depart on April 2n , April 30th, June 11th and September 3rd.

This new route comes after P&O Cruises’ chartered flights to Barbados from Cardiff Airport in January and February 2014 sold out in just a matter of weeks.

Cardiff Airport chief executive, Jon Horne, said:

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P&O Cruises launches new regional flights for Ventura Fly-Med programme

P&O Cruises has added departures from seven regional airports on selected Fly-Med cruises on Ventura for this summer.

The direct

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Azamara raises a toast to The Golden State

Azamara Club Cruises is doing what it does best and immersing guests on its Coastal California Voyage in the world-famous wine region of California. Sailing roundtrip from Los Angeles, February 10, 2014, Azamara Quest will hug the California coast calling on picturesque favorites such as Monterey and Santa Barbara, before making a grand entrance into San Francisco by sailing under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco will serve as the region’s gateway to renowned winemakers and delectable cuisine when Azamara Quest remains for three full days to offer guests ample time to visit favorite vineyards or discover new ones through exclusive opportunities.

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Silversea launches new documentation package

Ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises today announced the launch of its new Travel Journal.

As part of the company’s 20th anniversary celebration in 2014, Silversea has given its documentation package a complete makeover, with the goal of making travel easier. The result is a versatile new Travel Journal that consolidates the traditional assortment of loose documents of booklets, wallets, and luggage tag holders.

For most voyages in 2014, guests will receive this convenient new all-in-one Travel Journal that contains the cruise ticket, air, hotel and/or land program information (if arranged through Silversea), personalized voyage itinerary, shore excursion details and other useful information.

“Our elegant new Travel Journal is unique to each guest and provides all the essential information needed for the voyage—all in one convenient place,” said Kristian Anderson, Silversea’s senior vice president of sales and general manager for North America. “And, it’s a beautiful keepsake of what we are sure will be a remarkable travel experience.”

The new Travel Journal will be rolled out in stages during the first few months of 2014, and some guests may receive the line’s previous documentation package during the transitional phase.

CONTINUES BELOW

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MS Artania makes maiden call in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Port has welcomed the maiden call by boutique German cruise operator Phoenix Reisen and its MS Artania flagship.

The arrival of the nine-decked, 45,000 tonne Artania - the largest ocean-going ship of the new-to-market operator’s portfolio

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Norwegian Epic to homeport in Europe from April 2015

Norwegian Cruise Line has announced that Norwegian Epic will home port year-round in Barcelona, Spain from April 30th 2015.

Norwegian Epic will be the largest Norwegian Cruise Line ship to ever home port in Europe year-round.

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Celebrity Cruises introduces two new destination-rich sailings

Modern luxury cruise line, Celebrity Cruises, has created two new, destination-rich itineraries for guests on Celebrity Century in 2015. The new sailings will replace three previously scheduled 12- and 14-night sailings in Asia in order to reposition the ship to Europe for the 2015 season.

The new itineraries

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Cuba Cruise embarks from Havana for premiere voyage

After four years of enthusiastic preparation, Cuba Cruise embarked from Havana last night for its premiere voyage circumnavigating the Caribbean island. International passengers excitedly watched from the deck as the ship sailed under the moonlit sky towards Holguin, the second port on the exclusive itinerary. Throughout the season, guests will visit six ports of call, relax on world-renowned beaches, enjoy the country’s UNESCO World Heritage sites and wander colonial towns where time stands still.

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Norwegian Cruise Line opens summer and year-round 2015 itineraries

Norwegian Cruise Line has announced, and opened for sale, its 2015 summer and year-round cruises. The deployment includes the line’s newest ship, Norwegian Getaway, sailing to the Caribbean from her year-round homeport of Miami. Norwegian continues to offer three ships in Alaska, four in Europe, two in Bermuda, as well as a variety of exciting Canada & New England; Bahamas & Florida; and repositioning cruises. Norwegian will also continue to offer its unique Hawaii cruises year-round on Pride of America from Honolulu and short Bahamas itineraries from Miami year-round on Norwegian Sky.

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Norwegians catch the free upgrade wave in Europe

Norwegian Cruise Line continues its Wave Season celebration, offering incredible savings on the line’s award-winning cruises throughout Europe. Guests who book a new Europe cruise reservation between January 6 and January 8, 2014, can receive up to $200 to spend on board their dream European vacation. Guests can use their on-board credit towards a variety of incredible shore excursions in Europe, pampering treatments in the ships’ award-winning Mandara Spa, dinner in any of the ships’ specialty restaurants, and much more. Air credits of up to $1,000, Military, AARP and Latitudes Rewards discounts may also apply on select sailings.

Named

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Launch of Sunborn Yacht Hotels set for March 2014

Sunborn International is pioneering a unique approach to the development of exclusive accommodation in the form of super yacht hotels.

Launching two new hotels in March 2014, Sunborn London will be operated by ISS Hotel Division London and Sunborn Gibraltar will operate under Sunborn International.

Super yachts have become the world’s ultimate symbol of wealth and exclusivity and Sunborn’s unique concept combines the privacy of a super yacht with all the amenities of a luxury hotel.

Sunborn has invested over

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Queen Mary 2 celebrates her first decade in service

Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 will celebrate her first ten years of service in 2014.

Since her naming by Her Majesty the Queen in January 2004, Queen Mary 2 has undertaken a total of 419 voyages including over 200 Transatlantic Crossings and called at 182 ports in 60 countries.

Since becoming Cunard’s flagship on completion of her maiden transatlantic crossings in May 2004, Queen Mary 2 has remained unchallenged as the world’s largest, longest, tallest, widest and most expensive ocean liner ever built and the most famous and fastest passenger ship in operation today.

At 1,132 feet in length Queen Mary 2 would be taller, if stood on her stern, than the tallest building in Europe, the Shard in London, and would be over three times the height of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Her 151,400 gross tonnage is the equivalent of nearly 19,000 London buses, and she boasts over four times as many rooms as the Dorchester Hotel.

She took a million hours to design, eight million hours to build and the one thousand miles of welding holding this amazing liner together would stretch from London to Moscow.

In her first ten years of service she’s sailed the equivalent of three times to the moon and back.

She’s carried over 1.3 million guests, enough to fill Westminster Abbey 651 times.

Looking after the guests on board Queen Mary 2 is what Cunard does best, and over the past decade the crew have served over 58 million meals, sufficient to feed the combined population of Hong Kong, Sydney, Cape Town and New York for an entire weekend.

The 21.9 million cups of tea served on board to date would fill an Olympic swimming pool three times over.

If the 2.7 million scones baked on board were stacked on top of each other, they’d reach 80 miles in height.
Cunard’s passengers have enjoyed almost 8,000 guest lectures, the equivalent of nearly a year’s continuous radio broadcast.

And they love to celebrate on board too: the one and a quarter million bottles of champagne drunk since her launch would be enough to fill 200 world-record-breaking 7 metre high champagne waterfalls.

Queen Mary 2 will depart on her eighth World Cruise today, when she and Queen Elizabeth sail together from Southampton after a fusillade of celebratory fireworks.

The major ten anniversary celebrations will begin on May 9th 2014 when all three ships of the Cunard fleet will arrive together in their homeport of Southampton and sister ships Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth will salute the flagship’s first ten years.

The day will feature special sail-pasts, a celebratory lunch and a spectacular send-off of fireworks as all three ships set sail together from Southampton that evening, with Queen Mary 2 leading the way.

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Celebrity Cruises introduces two new destination-rich sailings

Modern luxury cruise line, Celebrity Cruises, has created two new, destination-rich itineraries for guests on Celebrity Century in 2015. The new sailings will replace three previously scheduled 12- and 14-night sailings in Asia in order to reposition the ship to Europe for the 2015 season.

The new itineraries

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Norwegian completes deal for Sochi television

Norwegian Jade will visit Russia for the Winter Olympics

Oceans TV, award-winning provider of in-cabin TV entertainment to cruise lines and a subsidiary of Global Eagle Entertainment, has announced that it will supply Norwegian Cruise Line with Russian TV channels on-board Norwegian Jade for the duration of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi next year.

The liner, which has been chartered by TUI Travel, will serve as a floating hotel and will be anchored in the port of St. Petersburg from February 5th-25th 2014.

The channels will available in each of the Norwegian Jade’s 1,189 cabins and include Rossiya 24, the international and national Russian language news channel covering events from a Russian perspective and providing a broad view on life from the country’s European borders to the Far East.

Alongside Rossiya 24 is RTR Planeta, the international service of VGTRK and the Russian state-owned broadcaster.

Embracing its motto,

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American Cruise Lines expands river fleet

American Cruise Lines has announced it is building four new riverboats for American river cruising.

Construction has already begun on the first two ships, with the first to begin cruising in in the spring of 2015.

The first two new riverboats will carry between 150 and 200 guests and will cruise the Mississippi River system and the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

The four new ships will enter service between 2015 and 2017.

They will bring all the latest amenities and comforts to each area cruised, including the largest staterooms, private balconies, and spacious dining and lounge venues

At least one of the four new ships will operate cruises along the Columbia and Snake Rivers from the Pacific Coast to the Idaho border, more than 500 miles inland.

It will be specially built for cruising in the Pacific Northwest with historic accents and modern conveniences.

Every stateroom is designed to have panoramic views, private balconies, and room service.

The art collection is being carefully selected to highlight the Lewis and Clark expedition and the Native American tribes who helped them.

During the cruise, guests will learn about the Lewis and Clark expedition while enjoying the comforts of the finest ship to ever sail this region. 

The itinerary will be similar to American Cruise Lines’ existing itinerary on the Columbia and Snake Rivers aboard Queen of the West, which underwent extensive renovation in 2010.

In 2012, American Cruise Lines revolutionised Mississippi River cruising by bringing an unprecedented level of refinement and service to the river through its introduction of Queen of the Mississippi, the first new ship on the river in nearly twenty years.

The additional new ships will have many of the same features and carry approximately 150 to 200 guests.

They will have the largest staterooms ever with sliding glass doors for panoramic views, room service, and other amenities unique to American Cruise Lines.

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NFC wins World Travel Awards responsible tourism title for a second time

The Oman National Ferries Company has won, for a second year in row, the prestigious World Travel Awards Responsible Tourism Award in 2013.

The company’s achievement was announced during the World Travel Awards ceremony held in Doha, Qatar.

Over 1,500 candidates attended the event from hotels, travel agents, airlines, and tour operators, in addition to specialised tourism establishments.

NFC was able to come ahead of several global companies and win the World Responsible Tourism Award.

This achievement adds to the remarkable record of the company, which won awards two awards last year; namely the Middle East Responsible Tourism Award, and the World Sustainable Tourism Award.

The World Travel Awards, established in 1993, focuses on honouring the best establishments and companies in the travel sector worldwide, according to opinions of experts and specialists in the travel sector and based on global voting that, involves 171 countries.

Following the announcement of the award Mehdi Al Abduwani, chief executive officer, NFC commented:

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Celebrity Cruises expands sales operations in UK

Celebrity Cruises has announced a new business structure including broader brand-focused teams for revenue and commercial; sales; and marketing and PR in the UK and Ireland. 

Travel industry stalwart, Jo Rzymowska, will lead the new team as managing director for the luxury cruise line.

The new team, exclusive to the Celebrity Cruises brand, also sees an enhanced 16-strong sales team headed up by Nicki Tempest Mitchell as director of sales and supported by head of sales, Michael English.

Kathy Barbrooke has also been appointed to the role of head of guest and trade services and will oversee a 50-strong dedicated trade and guest services call centre for the UK & Ireland based in Weybridge, Surrey.

The trade support team will be headed up by Ian Sutton, recently appointed as trading support and planning manager, who will be supported by two executives.

The recently announced appointment of marketing and PR director, Toby Shaw, sees Shaw heading up an expanded team of 11 people dedicated to marketing and PR.

Jo Rzymowska, Celebrity Cruises managing director, UK and Ireland, said:

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