(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, FL, September 28, 2022 – Small ship cruise line Windstar Cruises has announced its lineup of James Beard Foundation®-affiliated guest chefs for its series of three themed culinary cruises in 2023. The trio of acclaimed visiting chefs include D.C.’s Jerome Grant; New York’s Ayesha Nurdjaja; and Boston’s Tracy Chang.
Windstar is the Official Cruise Line of the James Beard Foundation (JBF). The nonprofit organization’s mission is to celebrate, support, and elevate the people behind America’s food culture and champion a standard of good food anchored in talent, equity, and sustainability. The Foundation firmly aligns with Windstar’s commitment to fresh and local epicurean experiences around the world, as well as efforts to reduce food waste. All three themed cruises in 2023, detailed at the links below, include two on-board cooking demonstrations, as well as four dishes by the JBF visiting chef at a hosted dinner with wine pairings. Each chef will also lead a market tour, gathering fresh and local ingredients for dishes served on board. In addition, all three chefs will provide multiple recipes to be featured on Windstar’s menus across all cruises—adding to a growing menu of James Beard Foundation-affiliated chefs’ special menu items, served across the fleet on every sailing. (PRESS RELEASE)_SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - Sept. 27, 2022 - Aurora Expeditions, Australia’s award-winning travel adventure company, is offering one final opportunity to join the world-first Antarctic Climate Expedition sailing Feb. 13 - 24, 2023, led by renowned oceanographer, marine biologist, explorer and conservationist Dr. Sylvia Earle aboard the new Sylvia Earle vessel. Registrations for the ‘by-invitation’ Climate Summit are required by Oct. 28, 2022. Aurora Expeditions welcomes expressions of interest from visionaries of all walks of life, from teenagers to titans of industry, with interests in the fields of science, art, education and economics to contribute to this momentous expedition. (PRESS RELEASE)_(MONACO – September 27, 2022) Silversea Cruises®, the leading ultra-luxury cruise line, has revealed a new collection of 25 voyages for its highly anticipated expedition vessel, Silver Endeavour℠—the world’s most advanced luxury expedition ship. From May 2023 through March 2024, guests will journey to 116 of the planet’s most beautiful and remote cold-weather destinations across Northern Europe, the Arctic, and Antarctica, including 24 maiden calls for Silversea. Ensuring the cruise line’s trademark level of comfort, Silver Endeavour will welcome guests in some of the most spacious and elegant venues in expedition cruising, including an expansive Otium Spa & Beauty Salon; two mudrooms; the Observation Lounge, which offers 270-degree views of the surroundings; and more. “Expanding the most diverse polar offering in ultra-luxury expedition cruising, we are delighted to unveil Silver Endeavour’s new collection of voyages for summer 2023 and winter 2023/2024,” said Conrad Combrink, SVP of Expedition, Destination and Itinerary Management, Silversea Cruises. “With state-of-the-art expedition amenities, the industry’s highest space-to-guest ratio, and the leading team of experts on board, Silver Endeavour will deliver the most enriching experiences for guests in the world’s most remarkable destinations, as they journey in unparalleled comfort. Silver Endeavour represents the commitment of Royal Caribbean Group and Silversea Cruises to pushing boundaries in travel; she is the most advanced ship in her class.” (PRESS RELEASE)_Antarctica is the destination on everyone’s bucket list right now, and luckily the best time to visit is quickly approaching. From November to March, Antarctica’s summer season, the days in Antarctica are at their longest and wildlife is most active. This year, adventure fanatics should choose to travel to the great white continent with Aurora Expeditions, where they’ll be fully immersed in this new world with innovative itinerary combinations and activities, such as polar scuba diving, not offered by others. During this season, the temperature in Antarctica is regularly above zero, so wildlife enthusiasts will have a chance to spot an abundance of animals, such as polar bears, penguins and more. The sun is also in a perfect position for photographers to capture incredible sunrises and sunsets, and the long daylight hours make the weather much more favorable for land excursions. The beauty doesn’t end at night, because of zero light pollution coming through, travelers will be surrounded by millions of glistening stars at night and even catch a glimpse of the beautiful northern lights, as well as the milky way! Aurora Expeditions hosts a variety of new itineraries that will appeal to anyone interested in visiting. Please see below for details. (PRESS RELEASE)_ATHENS, GREECE (September 21, 2022) Celestyal, the award-winning, number one choice for travelers to the Greek Islands and the Eastern Mediterranean, has announced the removal of its COVID-19 vaccination, proof of COVID recovery and pre-departure testing requirements for all guests on sailings commencing on or after March 2, 2023, unless required by local regulations.
All Celestyal crew members will continue to be fully-vaccinated, and the company encourages guests aged 12 and over to be fully-vaccinated. Regardless of vaccination status, Celestyal will continue to recommend that all guests get tested at their convenience prior to travel to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable travel experience. Testing results will no longer be required to board Celestyal’s ships. For the remainder of 2022, Celestyal will maintain current, relaxed protocols, which were previously announced. “The health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we serve is our top priority and we continue to monitor and adjust to the evolving global situation,” said Celestyal’s Chief Commercial Officer, Leslie Peden. “Our crew will continue to maintain our stringent hygiene protocols based upon the most up-to-date guidelines from the European Healthy Gateways, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and Greek health authorities. We look forward to welcoming all guests for the immersive experience that we are known for as we explore the unique destinations of the Greek Islands and Eastern Mediterranean.” Celestyal’s health and safety measures are continuously evaluated and adjusted based on new and updated prevention, therapeutics and mitigation measures. For more information visit https://celestyal.com/us/, contact your travel agent or call +1.877.222.7405. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI (Sept 21, 2022) – Virgin Voyages, a new cruise line with an efficient fleet of ships amongst the youngest in the industry, today announced that it has partnered with independent sustainability experts, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), along with three leading waste-based sustainable fuel providers to deliver low carbon fuels to the marine industry. Argent Energy, GoodFuels and Twelve are collaborating with the cruise line to further advance Virgin Voyages’ commitment of reaching net zero by 2050. Following months of detailed research, Virgin Voyages has taken an important step to advancing a low-carbon future by establishing key partnerships and building a portfolio approach to sustainable marine fuel (SMF) supply. Recognizing there is currently no one-size-fits-all, low-carbon fuel solution, Virgin Voyages will enter into long-term agreements for sustainable marine fuels with these providers, which includes plans to add others over time. (PRESS RELEASE)_(Monaco – September , 2022) Silversea Cruises®, the leading ultra-luxury and expedition cruise line, has named its line-up of experts for the inaugural voyage of new ship Silver Endeavour℠, the world’s most luxurious expedition ship. Departing round-trip from King George Island on November 21, 2022, Silver Endeavour will host qualified historians, marine biologists, anthropologists, naturalists, filmmakers, and more on her maiden voyage, enriching guests’ experiences with informative lectures, workshops, and excursions as they journey deep into the White Continent. In celebration of the milestone occasion, Conrad Combrink—Silversea’s SVP Expedition, Destination and Itinerary Management—will accompany travellers on the seven-day fly-cruise sailing. “The world’s most luxurious expedition vessel, Silver Endeavour has broadened Silversea’s polar offeringthe most diverse in ultra-luxury expedition cruising “Marking my 78th journey to the continent, I am excited to accompany our guests as we fly on an exclusive, Silversea-curated, chartered DAP Antarctic Airways flight directly into Antarctica, embarking Silver Endeavour at King George Island, before spending seven days discovering this frozen world. Our industry-leading expedition team will design an exceptional line-up of experiences to showcase the very best of the continent’s icy landscapes and captivating wildlife during Silver Endeavour’s inaugural season, while Captain Niklas Peterstam and his crew will ensure an exceptional service throughout—having served aboard the ship since September 2021.” (PRESS RELEASE)_Seattle, Wash., Sept. 16, 2022 — Holland America Line completed the cruise industry’s first multiweek test of biofuels on board Volendam at Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The 20-day test was conducted in partnership with GoodFuels, a leading producer and supplier of sustainable biofuels for the transportation industry, and Wärtsilä, a global leader in power and propulsion technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine market. The assessment was completed September 7. In the first five days of the test the ship used a mix of 30% biofuel and 70% marine gas oil (MGO) in one of its main auxiliary engines. For the final 15 days of testing, the ship used 100% biofuel. According to GoodFuels, there was a 78% decrease in lifecycle CO2 emissions during the final 15 days of trial compared to marine gas oil emissions. If the Polar regions are on your bucket list, here's a great new resource to plan your journey. You'll find details about cruise lines and what to see and do, brought to you by All Things Cruise. You can find it online HERE.
By GERRY BARKER FT. LAUDERDALE -- While storms roamed South Florida all day, in the late afternoon the rain stopped and we could all proclaim, "Here comes the Sun" -- as in, "Sun Princess," the newest, largest, most innovative Princess ship to date. Top executives from both Princess and its parent company, Carnival, along with Randy Fenoli, host of the TLC show, "Say Yes to the Dress," were on hand here at Terminal 2 at Port Everglades to formally reveal the name of its next generation, Sphere-class ship in a ceremony that included an aerialist suspended below a giant yellow balloon emblazoned with "Sun Princess." Now under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard, and scheduled to debut in early 2024, it's the largest Princess ship ever built. The 175,500-ton vessel will accommodate over 4,000 guests and feature 21 decks, as well as almost 30 dining venues. But the feature creating the most excitement for Princess Cruises President John Padgett is the ship's signature Dome. Located on the top deck, it's described as the "first-of-its-kind true glass-enclosed dome ever constructed on a cruise ship." Daytime, it houses a pool and water feature; at night, it becomes an entertainment venue and place for aerial acrobatics. Along with the Dome, Sun Princess will feature a three-story Piazza, where guests can enjoy ocean views "from every direction" as well as an LED screen for entertainment offerings. In a press release following the unveiling, another Sun Princess exclusive "will be a new level of suite accommodations, the Signature Collection. In addition to premium stateroom amenities, Signature Collection suites include access to the Signature Restaurant, Signature Lounge, and Signature Sun Deck, a private area of the Sanctuary." Sun Princess will sail an inaugural spring/summer season of Mediterranean cruises followed by Western and Eastern Caribbean voyages out of Port Everglades in the fall of 2024. A second, Sphere-class ship is set to be delivered in spring, 2025. Sun Princess renderings, Courtesy of Princess Cruises Watch the Aerialist Perform at the Event |
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