(PRESS RELEASE)_Seattle, Wash., July 25, 2022 — Holland America Line’s guests and team members celebrated an important milestone this weekend, marking one full year of a return to sailing after the cruise industry pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nieuw Amsterdam was the line’s first ship back, resuming cruising July 24, 2021, in Seattle, Washington. The ship reached the one-year mark while in port in Whitter, Alaska. “The emotions and excitement from a year ago still resonate today as destinations around the world open and we persist in fully getting back to cruising,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “We are grateful to our guests who returned to sail with us, to our team members who came back to sea, to the ports that welcomed us, to our partners who stood by us and to all of our shoreside employees who got us back in the water. Over the past year we have operated more than 240 cruises, and we look forward to continuing to offer more memorable vacations.” Over the past year, Holland America Line’s 10 remaining ships restarted in a variety of destinations as ports opened to visitors. In addition to Alaska, the brand has resumed travel to Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mediterranean, Mexico, Northern Europe, Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South Pacific. Before the end of the year, the ships will return to Australia/New Zealand and South America/Antarctica. (PRESS RELEASE)_In August 2022, PONANT will debut the iconic three-masted sailing yacht Le Ponant following a complete refit by Jean-Philippe Nuel Studio. The 88-meter sailing yacht will relaunch in the Mediterranean with 10 departures and three new itineraries, followed by winter 2022-23 in the Seychelles and summer 2023 in western Australia’s Kimberley region. With just 16 staterooms and suites accommodating a maximum of 32 guests, Le Ponant offers a 1:1 staff-to-guest ratio—making guests feel like they’re aboard a private yacht. Cabins are spread over three decks, each with large windows overlooking the sea, while the muted color palette lends an air of understated elegance. An ode to art of slow travel, relax on the sun lounge looking up to the billowing white sails, order a drink from the outdoor bar, and enjoy organic dishes at the gastronomic dining destination Le Diamant. The wellness space offers Biologique Recherche treatments, and daily yoga sessions are held on the deck. With glass-bottomed kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, diving and snorkeling equipment, and a saltwater pool, there’s no shortage of activities. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI (July 25, 2022) – Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel with a 55-year history of breaking boundaries, pulled back the curtain today to announce the cast of its highly-anticipated headlining show, "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical," premiering aboard the all-new Norwegian Prima this August. The Tony Award®-nominated musical narrates the story of Donna Summer's prolific rise to fame, showing the Queen of Disco at three of the most pivotal stages of her career: Diva Donna, Disco Donna and Duckling Donna. The Brand has announced the cast who will take on the mantle of Donna Summer through her most memorable moments in life: · Beloved "American Idol" season two finalist, Kimberley Locke, takes on her first theater project at sea and will star in the breakout role of Diva Donna, playing Summer as she reaches the height of her career. Fans will be able to see the same charisma that got Locke to the final three contestants on her season of “American Idol” in this role. Locke is also well known for her work on television and Broadway, where she most recently performed in Kristin Chenoweth's one-woman show, "For The Girls." · Taking on the role of Disco Donna is Valerie Curlingford, an extraordinary talent from the Netherlands. Curlingford will play Summer in her late teens and early twenties as she first finds success in the iconic 1970s disco era. · Duckling Donna will show Summer as she grows up in Boston in the 1960s. The role will be played by D'Nasya Jordan, who most recently starred as Little Inez in "Hairspray." (PRESS RELEASE)_Fort Lauderdale, Fl. – July 21, 2022 – MSC Cruises USA has announced Koreen McNutt will join the cruise line as Senior Vice President & Commercial Sales Officer on August 1, 2022. McNutt will lead trade sales and relations efforts, collaborating with the commercial and leadership teams to continue building these important relationships. Reporting to Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer Lynn Torrent, McNutt’s new role is part of a broader organizational realignment to integrate commercial functions and support rapid growth in the U.S. market. McNutt’s impressive career includes 16 years at Expedia Group, where she most recently served as Senior Director of Global Supply. Prior to that, she spent 13 years at Holland America Line/Windstar Cruises leading complex product and project management. Known as a well-respected cruise industry leader, McNutt has also served on several cruise line Travel Agent Advisory Boards, including MSC Cruises. Rubén A. Rodríguez, President, MSC Cruises USA, said: “We are thrilled for Koreen to join the MSC Cruises family and bring her deep knowledge and expertise to our ambitious growth plans for the U.S. market. I’m confident Koreen’s history as an accomplished leader in global sales, operations and account management makes her the right person to support and grow our valued relationships with travel advisors and sales partners.” (PRESS RELEASE)_Following the milestone success of The 150th Open at the iconic Old Course at St Andrews, Azamara – the upmarket cruise line and leader in Destination Immersion® experiences – is inviting travelers to plan ahead for next year to sail on the 2023 British Isles Golf Cruise and attend The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool. In collaboration with longtime partner and leading provider of international golf tours PerryGolf, Azamara offers this unique sailing that allows sports lovers to not only attend one of the most anticipated major golf championships of the year, but also provides the opportunity to play six (or three) rounds of golf on some of the most renowned courses of the British Isles. With Azamara and PerryGolf experiencing very high demand, having sold out of all golf voyages for 2022 early and the 2023 season seeing similar early demand, limited space is available on the 12-Night British Isles & Golf Voyage. This special sailing aboard Azamara Journey includes seven late nights and four overnights, giving travelers time to properly immerse themselves in the elegant galleries and lively pubs of Dublin, the impressive castles of Glasgow and historic heart of Edinburgh. After gathering inspiration from the world’s greatest golf players at The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, guests will have the opportunity to play at highly revered courses including Royal County Down and Royal Dornoch plus Open Championship venues Royal Portrush and Ailsa Turnberry, as well as modern day classics such as Castle Stuart, Kingsbarns, and Dumbarnie. Travelers can choose between six or three rounds of golf for the opportunity to explore the destination at their leisure. To book the 12-Night British Isles & Golf Voyage or other golf voyages offered by Azamara and PerryGolf, please visit www.azamara.com/golf-cruises. (PRESS RELEASE)_PAPENBURG, GERMANY, JULY 21, 2022 – Carnival Jubilee is fixing to start sailing from Galveston, Texas, next year and Carnival Cruise Line’s third cruise ship to be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG) got its first taste of Texas today with the keel laying ceremony at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. Wearing cowboy-shaped hard hats, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy was joined by Meyer Werft Managing Director Bernard Meyer and Carnival's Senior Vice President of Newbuilds Ben Clement, among others, to celebrate the construction milestone by placing coins under a 375-ton keel block. (PRESS RELEASE)_FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (July 21, 2022) - American Queen Voyages™, part of the Hornblower® Group, is launching a new Pacific Coast sailing on Ocean Victory from San Diego, CA, to San José (Puntarenas), Costa Rica; which also offers guests a choice of two shorter voyages from San Diego, CA, to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to San José (Puntarenas), Costa Rica. These brand-new itineraries on the 186-guest vessel will explore the region with 15-, eight-, and nine-day voyage options beginning Oct. 3, 2022. As an added bonus, and for the first time in the cruise line’s history, American Queen Voyages is offering Free Air from select gateways for guests booking the entire voyage by Aug. 31, 2022. (PRESS RELEASE)_Seattle, WA, July 21, 2022 – Quark Expeditions, the global Leader in Polar Adventures, successfully launched its new Greenland Adventure: Explore by Sea, Land and Air itinerary on July 16, 2022. The 9-day expedition on the technologically-advanced Ultramarine has solidified Quark Expeditions’ position as the leader in helicopter-supported polar adventure. Quark Expeditions’ guests traveled by a private charter flight from Reykjavik, Iceland, to the small village of Narsarsuaq, nestled in the deep fjord of Tunulliarfik in South Greenland. From there, they departed on Ultramarine for an epic expedition exploring the mountains, alpine lakes, ice masses and fjords of South Greenland. Quark Expeditions’ guests are currently navigating the majestic fjords that dominate the southern and southeastern coasts of Greenland on Ultramarine. The game-changing vessel—equipped with two twin-engine helicopters and 20 quick-deploy Zodiacs—is designed to give unprecedented access to the hardest-to-reach places in the Polar Regions. Access to these remote wilderness sites is made possible through partnerships with local Greenlanders (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, FL. - July 21, 2022 - In response to the conclusion of the CDC’s voluntary program, Virgin Voyages will continue to consider the recommendations set forth by the organization, while also adhering to the industry policies outlined by CLIA. As a result of this update, Virgin Voyages will remove the requirements for pre-embarkation testing. Virgin Voyages has responded immediately to the CDC’s decision to discontinue their voluntary COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships and will mirror the rest of the travel industry in removing pre-embarkation testing for sailings from July 24 on EU sailings, and from July 27 on US sailings. Vaccine requirements will remain in place for both Scarlet Lady, operating out of the US, and Valiant Lady in the EU. Virgin Voyages is currently evaluating this policy and will announce further updates in the near future. Passenger and crew well-being is the major focus and they continue to follow the advice of their expert medical team. To clarify these updates:
Other well-being measures implemented during the pandemic, including enhanced air purification systems and deep cleaning/sanitization will be maintained. Virgin Voyages will continue to work closely with the CDC and collaborate with the industry to implement all appropriate measures. Along with the rest of the cruise industry, the brand welcomes the update and autonomy that has been afforded the rest of the travel sector over the past several years. The news comes as the cruise industry continues to regain post-pandemic momentum. For more information on Virgin Voyages' health and safety updates, visit the Voyage Well page here. (PRESS RELEASE)_From snow-capped peaks lining Norwegian fjords to the fine sandy beaches of South Pacific atolls, PONANT is launching its Winter 2023-2024 voyages. Nearly 30 different itineraries--13 of which are new--crisscross Asia, the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, Caribbean, and Latin America, offering once-in-a-lifetime journeys and unique points of access. Among the new sailings is a winter sailing to Norway in pursuit of the Northern Lights. The voyage includes encounters with the Sami people, one of the last European Indigenous people who have practiced traditional reindeer herding since the 17th century. Another new sailing whisks guests from Madagascar to the Mascarene archipelago, with a new port of call in Portu Mathurin, the little-known Rodrigues Island, plus overnight stays on Reunion Island and Mauritius. Depending on the destination, guests will enjoy a wide range of activities: meetings with local communities, visits to UNESCO World Heritage sites, diving, snorkelling, swimming, hiking, snowshoeing, biking, and sleigh rides. |
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