(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, Aug. 24, 2022 – Carnival Cruise Line announced today that reservations are open for the inaugural season of its newest ship Carnival Luminosa which will debut from Brisbane, Australia Nov. 6, 2022 before repositioning for seasonal service from Seattle to Alaska next May. When Carnival Luminosa arrives to Australia in just three short months, it will be the latest Carnival ship to be adorned with the stunning new livery that was introduced on Mardi Gras in 2021 and has been added to half the Carnival fleet, with the red, white and blue hues long associated with Carnival Cruise Line. The ship will also boast a vintage funnel design reminiscent of the funnels on Carnival’s original ships like Mardi Gras, Carnivale and Festivale. “We couldn’t be prouder to welcome Carnival Luminosa to our fleet and to start our highly anticipated sailings from Brisbane followed by unique bucket-list itineraries in Alaska,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “To truly make Luminosa feel part of the Carnival Cruise Line family, we are adding our beautiful new livery to her hull, of course, and are keeping her throwback funnel design that once adorned some of our most iconic earlier vessels. We’ll be adding some Carnival features in the upcoming dry dock and adapting some existing features to align with Carnival’s casual style, but ultimately, our crew will make everyone feel right at home as soon as they join the ship.” (PRESS RELEASE)_Brian Christopher’s more than five million monthly viewers on social media love to watch him play slot machines at land-based casinos across the United States, and now they’ll be able to see him play at sea across the Carnival Cruise Line fleet as the line is now the exclusive cruise partner of Brian Christopher Slots. He is also Carnival’s exclusive casino gaming influencer. Christopher is the biggest slots influencer in the world with over one million subscribers across his YouTube and Facebook channels. He’s set to sail on several Carnival cruises over the next two years, including the upcoming $1M Slot Tournament Cruise, the biggest slot tournament ever at sea, on Mardi Gras November 5, 2022. He is also set to sail and play in casinos on Carnival Breeze, Carnival Magic and Carnival Dream in the coming months. His followers will have the opportunity to join Christopher at sea in real time as he livestreams from Carnival’s casinos. They’ll also get glimpses of all the fun outside the casino, as Christopher shares videos showing the dining, entertainment, shopping and spa venues on board. (PRESS RELEASE)_SAINT-NAZAIRE, FRANCE (August 24, 2022) – Sparks flew as workers at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard welded a ceremonial coin to a massive steel docking block forming the ship’s keel, officially marking the beginning of construction on the fourth ship in Celebrity Cruises® transformational Edge Series - Celebrity Ascent℠. Placing the coin in this time-honored maritime ceremony were Jason Liberty, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Celebrity Cruises; and Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique. According to the legend – and a tradition that has spanned centuries – the laying of the coin is thought to bless and bring good fortune to the ship. (PRESS RELEASE)_Geneva, Switzerland – August 23, 2022 – MSC Seascape successfully completed her first intensive systems tests at sea during a multi-day trial from August 17-20. This will be MSC Cruises’ fourth Seaside-class ship and second in the Seaside EVO subclass built by Fincantieri in Italy, which is one of the world’s largest ship building groups. The Seaside EVO ships are an evolution of the innovative and popular Seaside class with striking design features, stunning public spaces, and exciting new experiences for guests. MSC Seascape pays tribute to the beauty of the ocean and is designed to help guests enjoy new horizons at sea. Rubén A. Rodríguez, President, MSC Cruises USA, said: “Seeing our new U.S. flagship achieve another major milestone on the way to delivery is incredibly exciting for all of us here at MSC Cruises. Guests love our ongoing commitment to bring the newest and most advanced ships to the U.S. because it gives them access to the very best cruising has to offer. MSC Seascape takes everything that’s fantastic about our Seaside-class ships and makes it even better, and sending her to gorgeous destinations like Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve creates an unbeatable vacation experience—on land and at sea.” (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, FL, August 23, 2022 – Windstar Cruises’ small ships are known for sailing to luxurious and off-the-beaten-path ports around the world. The full breadth of sailings is highlighted best in their new brochure, available to order or access online today, including the line’s newest offering: cruises to the Red Sea and Persian Gulf – a first for the luxury cruise line. “With impressive UNESCO sights, beautiful beaches and wildlife, top-rated golf courses, amazing snorkeling and diving, and of course, great shopping, Windstar is excited to introduce our guests to the Red Sea and Persian Gulf with new itineraries in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar,” explained Windstar Cruises President Christopher Prelog. Cruises begin November, 2023, on the all-suite, 312-guest Star Legend. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI – August 22, 2022 – Celebrity Cruises® today announced new protocols for guests sailing from U.S. and European ports by dropping vaccination requirements and simplifying testing guidelines, making cruising more accessible and easier for travelers. Beginning September 5, 2022, all guests, regardless of vaccination status, departing on most sailings from the U.S. and Europe can now cruise as long as they meet local testing requirements to board. Celebrity Cruises will also now accept any commercially available test, including unsupervised self-tests, in many destinations. (PRESS RELEASE)_THE BAHAMAS, Aug. 22, 2022 – This weekend, Carnival Cruise Line sponsored a special back-to-school event with The Leading Ladies Project and surprised a group of Bahamian high school girls from throughout the Nassau area with tablets to use for the school year ahead. Carnival also provided school supplies like backpacks, folders and art supplies. As part of the celebration, held at the Fusion Superplex in Nassau, Miss Universe Bahamas Chantel O’Brian and Carnival representatives shared words of advice as the students prepare for their upcoming school year. “Carnival has maintained a strong commitment to the Bahamian community for five decades, and we are proud to help the next generation of leaders in their education journey,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Back-to-school expenses can be a prohibitive cost for some, and we are grateful to play a part in easing the burden for deserving families as the new school year approaches. We thank The Leading Ladies Project for hosting this event and for their ongoing efforts to inspire Bahamian girls.” The Leading Ladies Project is an organization dedicated to promoting education and empowerment for young women. At the event, co-founder O’Brian was also presented with a certificate for a free cruise and a special golden funnel in honor of her selection as the “Spirit of Carnival Award” recipient during the 2021 Miss Universe pageant. The Spirit of Carnival Award is presented to individuals who embody the line’s values of fun, friendship, diversity and inclusion. O’Brian co-founded The Leading Ladies Project in 2017, and her ardent efforts have continued to help youth fulfill their educational dreams. For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a cruise vacation, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit www.carnival.com, or contact your favorite travel advisor or online travel site. (PRESS RELEASE)_Geneva, Switzerland – August 22, 2022 – MSC Cruises announced an update today to its Winter 2022/23 program as follows:
(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, August 18, 2022 – Windstar Cruises has revised its COVID-19 protocols and procedures and will no longer require a pre-cruise COVID-19 test for embarking guests (unless required by one of the countries on our current scheduled itineraries). These changes will go into effect for cruises departing on or after Sept. 6, 2022.
As part of its Beyond Ordinary Care health and safety program, Windstar will still require all guests to be fully vaccinated and show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, FL - August 18, 2022 - Virgin Voyages, the newest ocean cruise line marked by its fiery red funnel and founded by billionaire Sir Richard Branson, is expanding its sales footprint in North America. Exponential, triple digit growth in bookings and the sunsetting of the CDC’s voluntary Program for Cruise Ships is signaling that the industry is rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. To continue driving momentum for the new brand, Virgin Voyages is expanding its sales & support teams in North America and promoting key individuals to elevated roles. Always striving to be “brilliant to do business with,” Virgin Voyages is growing its Brilliant Support team by 150%. Based at the brand’s headquarters in Plantation, Fl, these additional team members will support First Mates (Virgin Voyages’ cheeky term for travel advisors). A champion for any First Mate needs, Brilliant Support can help agents with securing commissions (16% and no NCFs), registering advisors for the award-winning Seacademy – the brand’s educational sales platform – creating a login and signing up for FirstMates.com, and setting up Circles (aka groups). |
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