(FROM VIRGIN VOYAGES)_ Since 25% of Americans have a 2020 New Year’s resolution to travel more, Virgin Voyages, Richard Branson’s new company set to disrupt the travel industry this April is here to help.

To encourage people to keep their resolutions and book that trip, Virgin Voyages is offering $400 in complementary Sailor Loot, or on-ship credit to use for extra costs such as spa treatments to all those who book a trip between now and February 14th, 2020.

Additionally, Virgin Voyages is offering more sail date options for their most popular itineraries including Mayan Sol, Domincan Daze and Fire and Sunset Soirées. First Mates and Sailors can now book voyages between April 1, 2020 and April 2021.

Future Sailors and First Mates are invited to check out Virgin Voyages by visiting www.virginvoyages.com.

(PRESS RELEASE)_Miami, January 17, 2020:  Azamara — the no cruise, boutique cruise line dedicated to Destination Immersion® — is pleased to announce its 2020 Discovery Sale on select voyages departing June 8, 2020 – September 10, 2020. The offer applies to new bookings made between January 17, 2020 and January 20, 2020 and will include a $500 onboard credit. The Discovery Sale can be combined with Azamara’s 2020 Save Up to 40% Offer, which means guests will also have the opportunity to save up to 40 percent on select sailings. Azamara’s three ships — Azamara Journey, Azamara Quest and Azamara Pursuit — all have participating voyages.

To further emphasize Azamara’s commitment to Destination Immersion®, and the addition of more late-night stays and overnights in different ports, Azamara’s guests can immerse themselves into local culture with shore excursions ranging from a wine tasting at Pupillo Winery in Sicily to an authentic fishing adventure around Loen Fjord in Norway. For guests looking to spend even more time in a destination, and bookable with all sailings as an additional cost, Azamara’s newly expanded selection of 1,700+ pre- and post-voyage land programs — the largest selection in the cruise industry — provide experiences such as a four-night pre-cruise exploration of Edinburgh and a two-night journey from Italy to the United Kingdom aboard The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, which grants a glimpse into Europe’s golden age of rail travel.

For the full list of applicable sailings, visit the website here. Example sailings include:

18-Night Spitsbergen & Norway Voyage
Departing July 8, 2020

Itinerary Details: Guests can discover Norway’s hidden gems along the country’s pristine Atlantic coast, which includes a visit to Olden, where adventurers can opt to tackle the Briksdal — a million-year-old glacier. In Troll Fjord, travelers will experience the wonderous mythical lands of the Vikings on a journey through the Arctic Fjords. Passengers on this Azamara Quest sailing will then visit Longyearbyen — the northernmost town on Earth. In Tromso, dog-lovers can opt to experience a guided walk with native huskies along the surrounding fjords and mountains; the final destination being a traditional Sámi tent for an authentic-Norwegian snack.

Added Pre- and Post-Voyage Land Program: Adventurers can spend four-nights exploring Moscow and all its main sites, including the Red Square, Museum of Vodka and the Tretyakov Gallery, which is home to 100,000 exhibits.

9-Night Amalfi to Dalmatian Voyage
Departing August 20, 2020

Itinerary Details: Starting in Rome, guests will set sail for the picturesque Mediterranean cities of Sorrento, Amalfi, Kotor, Dubrovnik, Sibenik, Koper, and finish off in Venice. Travelers will have the chance to experience a medieval walking tour of Kotor, kayak along the Adriatic Sea in Dubrovnik, as well as experience one of the brand’s renowned, complimentary AzAmazing Evenings, which will be a live choir performance in Koper, Slovenia’s famed Tito Square.

Added Pre- and Post-Voyage Land Program: Travelers can venture to Milan, Varenna, Verona, and Lake Como, for a three-night land program, which includes tours of the Scala Opera House, Castle Sforzesco, as well as visit the house from William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

15-Night Rivers of Western Europe Voyage
Departing September 10, 2020

Itinerary Details: Beginning in Southampton, England, travelers will have the chance to explore some of Europe’s most charming riverside cities such as Bordeaux, Porto, Lisbon, and Seville. Guests can visit the filming locations for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in Guernsey, indulge in French macarons and wine at a tasting in Bordeaux, sample tapas in Bilbao, get acquainted with Portuguese traditions through a painting workshop in the legendary village of Barcelos, take a gourmet cooking class with a local chef in Seville, or spend the day searching for dolphins and whales at the end of the Iberian Peninsula in Gibraltar.

Added Pre- and Post-Voyage Land Program: Travelers can extend their trip and take a four-day journey to Spain’s Basque Country, where they will enjoy an exclusive tour of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao as well as meet local entrepreneurs and artists — one of Azamara’s celebrated “People-to-People Opportunities”— in the small town of Rioja.

(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, JANUARY 17, 2020 – Earning the top spot in two categories of the 2020 Editor-in-Chief Awards from Porthole Cruise Magazine, Crystal Cruises is celebrating recognition of its Crystal Visions® Lecture Series, which won “Best Speaker Series” in the publication’s annual awards. The series features engaging and entertaining presentations from experts across a myriad of topics on every sailing, offering guests uniquely specialized insights from the leading authorities in world events, politics, show business, sports and other areas.

Additionally, Crystal’s Gary Hunter won “Best Cruise Director.” Hunter has sailed with Crystal Cruises since 2003, when he became the first Cruise Director aboard Crystal Serenity, and is one of the company’s most beloved officers. He epitomizes Crystal’s philosophy of personalized, genuine connections cultivated aboard its ships. As the face and voice of all onboard entertainment and enrichment, Hunter is beloved by guests and crew alike for his warm character and easy laugh, making guests feel at home from the moment they step aboard.

Both awards speak directly to Crystal’s longtime commitment to comprehensive enrichment options aboard its Ocean ships. The Crystal Visions Lecture Series expanded in late 2019 to a new podcast series, Crystal Storytellers, featuring the guest experts in candid conversation with the ships’ Cruise Directors, meaning travelers can partake in the enrichment program from anywhere in the world. Crystal also has pioneered a wide and varied array of subjects and activities travelers can pursue during their luxury vacations with Crystal, including hands-on instruction in digital filmmaking, music, art, language and other disciplines through the Creative Learning Institute.

​If I had to choose one word to describe a cruise on Crystal Serenity, it would be “family.”

Pam and I just completed our first cruise with Crystal, the “Haute Caribbean Holidays” voyage — 16 days, round-trip Miami — and from the guests to the crew, family is fundamental to the overall experience.

First, consider how many of the nearly 1,000 guests onboard were repeat customers: Almost 70 percent. Among the senior officers and staff, many told us they’ve been with Crystal over 20 years. That combination of long-serving crew and long-term guests create the unique feeling that every cruise is a family reunion of sorts. Not to mention we met one woman who lives on the ship, and heard about another who’s taken over 400 cruises.

Of course, there are other reasons Crystal has such a loyal following. As the most honored of all cruise lines in the luxury category, the food and service is unparalleled, as well as their attention to detail. Here’s a closer look at what we found:

READ MORE ON 'ALL THINGS CRUISE'

Related: The Crystal Serenity 'Haute Caribbean Holidays' Cruise


(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 7, 2020 – Crystal Storytellers, the new podcast that brings some of the world’s most intriguing experts to listeners directly from Crystal’s award-winning luxury ships, has returned today following a brief holiday hiatus. The second half of the series’ first season features retired astronaut and U.S. Navy Commander Scott Kelly; renowned journalist and White House expert Ken Walsh; retired ambassador and veteran of the British Diplomatic Service Sir Michael Burton; acclaimed inspirational author Leslie Morgan Steiner; multiple award-winning Broadway producer Kevin McCollum; and Arctic, Antarctic and South African explorer Rob Caskie, all sharing tales from their respective global careers and experiences.

 “The response to the debut of Crystal Storytellers has been wonderful, as our guests are loving the ability to learn about Crystal’s enrichment experts no matter where they are in the world,” said Crystal’s senior vice president of marketing and sales, Carmen Roig. “Podcasts are now one of the most popular ways for people to engage with topics and people that fascinate them, which makes the medium a natural platform for Crystal to pursue, as enriching connections to the world and the people who explore it have been part of our brand since the beginning.”

In today’s episode, Scott Kelly discusses his untraditional path to aviation and pioneering space missions after struggling in school as a child and his years of subsequent perseverance. In upcoming episodes, Ken Walsh shares his family’s passion for current events and the childhood motivation for dessert that sparked his early interest in communication, while a “father-son career talk” began Sir Michael Burton’s path to diplomacy. Additionally, author Leslie Morgan Steiner recounts the life events that inspired her many best-selling books that have changed the lives of women around the world; Broadway producer Kevin McCollum and Crystal on Broadway partner shares the many roles he plays behind the scenes of the stage’s biggest hits; and explorer, filmmaker and photographer Rob Caskie describes the ways in which travel shapes who people become and their perspectives of the world.

Episode 6 of the weekly Crystal Storytellers podcast, featuring Kelly, is available today, along with the first five episodes, via most major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn (available through the Alexa app), Castbox, Castro, Overcast, Pocket Cast and Podchaser. Previous episodes include Kathy Reichs, novelist and television producer of the hit series, Bones; Bruce McGill, an American actor known for his memorable roles in both film and television including National Lampoon’s Animal House; General Anthony Zinni, a retired United States Marine Corps Four Star General, former Commander in Chief for the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and former special envoy to Israel and the Palestinian Authority; Melissa Manchester, a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and actress; and Michele Lee, a performer, philanthropist, award winning actress, singer, director and producer.

Crystal became the first cruise line to offer an enrichment series beyond its ships, as an extension of the engaging programming of the Crystal Visions Lecture Series® featured on board. Each episode of Crystal Storytellers features an expert guest speaker from a Crystal voyage in conversation with the ship’s Cruise Director about their respective areas of expertise, as well as highlights of their Crystal cruise and anecdotes about their careers and personal interests.

(PRESS RELEASE)_FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA., Jan. 2, 2020 – Small is the new ‘big’ and Atlas Ocean Voyages will bring big adventures from its small and understated elegant ship, World Navigator, when launched on July 17, 2021. The Luxe-AdventureSM cruise brand today unveiled World Navigator’s inaugural season, comprising 10 exciting itineraries, ranging from seven to 15 nights throughout the Holy Lands and the Mediterranean and Black Seas. World Navigator will call at a total of 66 unique destinations, where guests can choose from an expansive range of soon-to-be-announced, heart-pounding and marquee shoreside experiences. To mark its inaugural deployment milestone, Atlas Ocean Voyages is offering Travel Advisors an additional three percent bonus commission for a total of 15 percent. Travelers also will enjoy early-booking savings up to $2,000 per stateroom or suite, 50-percent-reduced deposit, as well as an additional five percent savings for sailing consecutive voyages. For more information or to reserve a Luxe-Adventure voyage, please contact a travel advisor; visit www.AtlasOceanVoyages.com; or call 1-844-44-ATLAS (1-844-442-8527).

            “World Navigator, our all-inclusive, small ship for just under 200 guests, will deliver big adventures when she launches in 2021 – making Small as the New Big,” said Alberto Aliberti, President of Atlas Ocean Voyages. “Guests will be able to select some of Europe’s most thrilling and unique shoreside experiences and return to share their day’s exploits with other like-spirited travelers in lively venues on World Navigator. Throughout, every member of our exceptional staff and crew will deliver engaging and personal service to every guest, one of the hallmarks of our distinctive Luxe-Adventure product.”

(PRESS RELEASE)_Geneva, Switzerland (January 7, 2020): MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately-owned cruise line, today reveals The Future of the Guest Experience, a forward-looking report that explores the trends that will impact the future of the travel industry.  Created in partnership with The Future Laboratory, one of the world’s leading futures consultancies, the report identifies the ways in which travel and hospitality brands will have to deliver ultra-high definition (UHD) experiences to satisfy the needs of the guest of the future. Impacted by hyper-connectivity, urbanization and demographic transformation, the report shows that the future for the cruise industry is full of challenges but more importantly opportunities.

Luxury will be hyper-luxurious, spas will be hyper-revitalizing, entertainment will be 5D and beyond, and purpose-driven travel that enriches the lives and minds of guests will be the norm. Guests of the future will prize fluidity, freedom and cultural fluency while seeking out discovery and self-improvement. Travel brands will need to respond by providing experiences that resonate with individuals across a wider range of mindset and communicating new perspectives that help them grow and progress.

Mr Vago, MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman said “One of the challenges of the cruise industry is that we need to design and build new ships that will still be cutting-edge for our guests 30 years from now. As such, innovation and consumer trends are at the very core of our DNA and we need to have a strong and clear vision for the future while combining this with timeless style. Through intelligent innovation and design, with strong commitment to sustainable travel, we will be able to facilitate all kinds of future experiences.”

(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI (Jan. 6, 2020) – Carnival Cruise Line has launched a new marketing campaign, “The Fun Ones,” that celebrates the playful spirit of Carnival’s guests, how they choose fun, and the unique bond they have with their fellow cruisers who are “shamelessly true to themselves.”

An evolution of the brand’s Choose Fun campaign that launched in 2018 and introduced Shaquille O’Neal as the company’s Chief Fun Officer, the Fun Ones, created in tandem with advertising agency of record Anomaly, showcases those guests who embrace life by being their most fun-selves on board. 

Combining vibrant imagery with tag lines like “The Fun Ones Plan for No Plans” and “Choose a Vacation as Fun as You,” the campaign conveys the everyone-is-welcome atmosphere that attracts nearly 6 million guests annually and how they make vacations more fun, while reminding viewers that when guests board a Carnival ship, they’re not sailing with strangers – they’re among friends.

This message is delivered in out-of-home elements along with 15-, 30- and 60-second commercials airing in key markets such as Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Tampa, Houston and Orlando on television and radio, as well as national digital properties including YouTube and Hulu. To view one of the spots, click here.

In one spot, a guest goes “full flamingo” and dons a pink flamingo-shaped inner tube as he shamelessly struts along the Lido Deck much to the delight of his fellow shipmates, while a bride playfully takes a plunge into the pool instead of tossing her bouquet to the crowd.

“We all have a ‘Fun One’ in our lives – someone we love to be around or want to be like and this campaign showcases the exuberant spirit of our guests who truly make a Carnival cruise a vacation like no other,” said Pete Callaro, senior vice president of brand and product marketing for Carnival Cruise Line. “When consumers see the new spots, they will recognize the ‘Fun One’ in their lives and be inspired to have that fun together on a Carnival cruise.”

(PRESS RELEASE)_SANTA CLARITA, Calif., (December 19, 2019) – Due to popular demand, Princess Cruises, the international premium cruise line known for its legacy of romance, announced a second Valentine’s Day (West Coast) cruise departing from Los Angeles to Mexico, to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the largest multi-location vow renewal. Officiated by the very first Bachelorette couple Trista and Ryan Sutter, the ceremony will take place onboard MedallionClass-ship, Royal Princess, setting sail from Los Angeles February 10-15, 2020, on a five-day, round-trip cruise to Mexico that includes an overnight stay in Cabo San Lucas, home of Lover’s Beach.

This newly added Cabo San Lucas Getaway cruise coincides with the previously announced MedallionClass-ship, Regal Princess Valentine’s Day cruise, a seven-day Western Caribbean voyage sailing from Ft. Lauderdale from February 9-16, 2020. Couples on Regal Princess will renew their vows in a ceremony officiated by Gavin MacLeod, who portrayed the endearing Captain Stubing with his television daughter, Jill Whelan, who played Vicki, serving as matron of honor. 

The mass renewal of vows ceremonies will take place simultaneously on February 11, 2020, with two official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS Adjuducators on each ship to verify the record.

The very first couple to marry from The Bachelorette, Trista and Ryan Sutter met and fell in love in 2002, when she was America’s first Bachelorette, on the most popular reality dating show in television history. The couple wed on December 3, 2003, drawing over 26 million viewers, making it one of the most-widely viewed episodes in all of reality television. They celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary serving as the godparents of Ruby Princess in 2008. The couple currently resides in Vail, Colo., with their two children Max and Blakesley.

“We’re honored to officiate this world record title attempt, renewal of vows ceremony onboard Royal Princess, reminding couples about the importance of making time to celebrate romance and their love for one another,” said Trista Sutter. “Ryan and I are also celebrating 16 years of marriage this year and know first-hand that a cruise is the perfect way to reconnect with one another.”

Additional romantic touches and activities will be available on both cruises, offering the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day in 2020.

Interested couples are encouraged to book now by contacting their travel advisor, calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com. To learn more about celebrating special occasions with Princess, visit princess.com/Celebrations.
​

(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI (Dec. 18, 2019) – After a successful debut in Long Beach, Calif. last week, Carnival Cruise Line revealed that Carnival Panorama features the largest retail collection in its fleet.

Among the new offerings is the line’s most expansive beauty footprint at sea with interactive hands-on events, mini-makeovers and beauty workshops such as smoky eye tutorials and contouring classes as well as a shop dedicated to the launch of the line’s reimagined and fashion-forward logo merchandise collection.

“We are thrilled to launch our most fun shopping experience in the fleet onboard Carnival Panorama. We’ve partnered with brands that our guests love and have introduced new brands that are sure to become Carnival fan favorites,” said William Butler, vice president of retail services for Carnival Cruise Line. “Our Panorama retail experience allows our guests to Choose Fun however they want whether it’s sporting a new beauty brand or fun designs from our new logo apparel assortment.”

At the new ‘Beauty Bar’ on Deck 5, beauty specialists guide guests as they indulge in the best makeover experiences at sea – perfect for a night on board or a special occasion. The Beauty Bar features an assortment of top skincare, cosmetics and fragrance brands including Urban Decay, Dior, Estée Lauder, and Clinique, among others.

Other onboard retail offerings include the largest Effy jewelry assortment in the fleet with exclusive Carnival Panorama pieces and a first-ever Carnival-branded inaugural collection; Carnival’s most expansive watch assortment with fine and fashion timepieces; terrific branded shop experiences with John Hardy and Swarovski; along with retail items connected to the Pixels Photo Gallery experience and shore excursions from Carnival Adventures.

Carnival Panorama’s new logo collection includes hundreds of exclusive items that combine fashionable designs and patterns with fun and reimagined takes on the line’s signature red, white and blue winged funnel and “Choose Fun” tag line. The line partnered with artists to further expand the assortment, giving guests a unique take on souvenir items that evoke special memories from their Carnival cruise experiences.  

The assortment features nearly 100 items as part of a Carnival Panorama inaugural retail collection, a “California Collection” with designs inspired by the Golden State and all of the classic logo items that guests know and love.

“For this collection, we listened to our guests who are spirited ambassadors of the brand and pushed our prior design boundaries to create an incredible assortment of lifestyle-based logo options that put the fun in FUNction and fashion,” said Butler.

Carnival Panorama is also home to the largest Cherry on Top in the fleet offering more than just tempting treats. In addition to the line’s widest candy assortment with 120 kinds of bulk candy, the “sweetest spot on board” also offers a host of new novelty products including a whimsical Dr. Seuss at Sea collection in collaboration with longtime partner Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

Carnival Panorama began year-round seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises on Dec. 14, 2019, with stops in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.