(PRESS RELEASE)_SEATTLE, WA, November 16, 2021 – U.S. headquartered Windstar Cruises is changing the way it sells cruises. Previously the small ship line had a base cruise fare, with an option to add things like alcohol, gratuities, and other onboard services on top. “In an effort to be more in line with other luxury offerings in the cruise industry, particularly with the rollout of our newly transformed all-suite Star Plus Class yachts, we’re now giving the option of an all-inclusive price for all of our sailings,” said Windstar President Christopher Prelog. “We didn’t want to take away the à la carte option from guests who enjoy going that way. We want our guests to have the choice based on their preference, what they need on board, and their general vacation philosophy.” The all-inclusive prices are now listed on Windstar’s website and all sales materials, along with the base cruise fares, which are listed per person in U.S. dollars based on double occupancy. For Windstar, all-inclusive means unlimited wine, beer, and cocktails; Wi-Fi; all gratuities; as well as the cruise fare. The new fare is available for the Wind Class yachts as well. “We thought about only offering the all-inclusive fare on the newly transformed Star Plus Class yachts,” said Prelog. “But after talking and listening to our repeat guests and valued Travel Advisors, we found some like to go à la carte and only purchase amenities as they go. After discussing internally, we all came to the same conclusion – why not offer both on all our yachts? We offer a choice between sailing yachts and all-suite yachts, and now a la carte or all-inclusive. That seems to fit the Windstar brand.” Windstar’s Beyond Ordinary Care health and safety plan requires guests and crew to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Beginning January 1, the line’s policies include a free COVID-19 antigen test at the pier for embarking guests. To ease travel back home at the end of the cruise, guests may also choose to purchase antigen ($69) or PCR tests ($135) in advance of their cruise or on board to take prior to departure from the yacht to comply with CDC policies currently requiring negative tests prior to flying into the United States. Any additional testing required by specific ports during the cruise may be purchased on board for guests’ convenience. For more details on Windstar Cruises, visit www.windstarcruises.com. (PRESS RELEASE)_Fort Lauderdale, Florida (November 15, 2021) – American Queen Voyages™, part of Hornblower® Group, is excited to unveil its 2021 Black Friday offer with up to 45% savings applicable on select voyages in 2022, including North American river and Alaska expedition itineraries, as well as lakes and ocean sailings. This promotion follows the recent rebrand and merger of American Queen Steamboat Company® and Victory Cruise Lines® into American Queen Voyages, allowing guests to take advantage of the Black Friday savings on more sailings than ever before. Black Friday savings are available on multiple 2022 itineraries, including the inaugural expedition season of the Ocean Victory™ between Vancouver, BC and Sitka, Alaska, as well as the immersive Yucatán exploration from Cozumel to Cancún, Mexico. Additional itineraries that guests can save on include the Southern Coastal Charm roundtrip voyages from Amelia Island (Fernandina Beach), FL in the Southeastern USA, and the Splendor of the Great Lakes sailing from Toronto to Chicago. Bourbon aficionados and country music fans will enjoy savings on the American Queen Voyages River sailings from Memphis, TN to Louisville, KY and the Louisville, KY to Nashville, TN sailings. (ROYAL CARIBBEAN)_November 2021 – A celebration of adventure took place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as Royal Caribbean International officially named its newest game-changing ship – Odyssey of the Seas. Watch as Erin Brown, the ship’s Godmother and the first Bahamian paratriathlete to compete in the Paralympic Games qualifiers, is joined by the cruise line’s crew members, executives and guests as she bestows a blessing of safekeeping on Odyssey and all those who sail on it for decades to come.
(PRESS RELEASE)_TAMPA, Nov. 14, 2021 – Continuing its successful restart, Carnival Cruise Line resumed guest operations today from Tampa, Fla. with Carnival Pride. A second ship, Carnival Paradise, will join Carnival Pride, in March 2022. To commemorate the special day, Carnival held a “Back to Fun” event at the Port of Tampa. Carnival’s Vice President of Guest Operations Sarah Beth Reno, Carnival Pride Captain Rino Costanzo, and Port Tampa Bay’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Raul Alfonso cut a ceremonial ribbon to much fanfare and officially welcomed the first guests on board. Carnival Pride is set to depart today on a seven-day cruise to the Western Caribbean with stops in the Mexican ports of Costa Maya and Cozumel, as well as Belize and Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras. “We have been a proud member of the Tampa community for more than 25 years, having been the first cruise line to sail from Tampa in 1994, so we’re absolutely thrilled to provide our guests an opportunity to get Back to Fun from the port while supporting the local economy,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We are so pleased to have Carnival Cruise Line returning to Port Tampa Bay today. The return of cruising has a far-reaching impact on our region, with many local businesses standing to benefit. It’s estimated that a ship like Carnival Pride generates an average of $334,000 in passenger and crew onshore spending per call,” said Raul Alfonso, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Port Tampa Bay. Carnival Cruise Line launched the first year-round cruise program from Tampa in 1994 on the since-retired Tropicale, carrying 28,000 passengers a year. The line has since increased passenger capacity nine-fold, making it one of the largest cruise operators in the area. Cruise operations in Tampa are part of Carnival’s close-to-home ship deployment strategy which positions ships near large U.S. population centers along the East and West Coasts and the Gulf of Mexico to make cruising convenient for everyone. Carnival Pride’s offerings from Tampa include six-, seven- and eight-day Western Caribbean sailings. With more than half of its U.S. fleet already in guest operations, additional ships will resume service in the coming weeks and months as Carnival’s successful restart of operations continues. All 22 of its U.S.-based ships will be back in guest operations by March 2022. 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. There are periodic light shows on Celebrity Apex at the Martini Bar in the Grand Plaza. The bartenders are pretty talented. For more about Celebrity Apex, GO HERE.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA., Nov. 12, 2021 – Recognizing that Travel Advisor’s hard work is the foundation for the cruise industry’s continued success, Atlas Ocean Voyages announced Unified: In It Together, a new recognition program with outstanding Travel Advisor benefits. From Nov. 8, 2021, through March 31, 2022, Travel Advisors can earn a $10,000 bonus for every five bookings made in any accommodation and aboard all voyages. The $10,000 bonus will be fulfilled in future cruise credits and will be paid after every fifth booking has departed. Travel Advisors can use the future cruise credits to pay for future bookings and keep the difference for themselves. As part of Unified: In It Together and to help Travel Advisors earn their $10,000 bonus, Atlas Ocean Voyages is also offering travelers a savings of $1,000 per guest – up to $2,000 per room – for making their luxe-adventure voyage booking with a Travel Advisor from Nov. 16, 2021, through March 31, 2022. Furthermore, Atlas is committing to providing marketing kits in advance of launching any consumer promotion to help Advisors promote the offer to their clients. For more information, Travel Advisors can visit www.AtlasOceanVoyages.com/PartnerOffers.
(PRESS RELEASE)_VALENCIA, Calif., Nov. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In partnership with The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation, Cunard will again pay tribute to the heroes of World War II, featuring several esteemed veterans on the fourth such powerful enrichment program on board a Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Crossing. This special voyage will depart New York and sail to Southampton, England, June 5 to 12, 2022. On this 7-night voyage, guests will have the opportunity to attend lectures and interact with several WWII veterans, hearing first-hand about their experiences during the war. From the "Battle of the Atlantic," and the DDAY landings in Normandy, to the last living survivor of Pearl Harbor, these distinguished war heroes will engage in discussions and Q&A's, giving guests a very personal glimpse into the human elements of wartime service. A special new feature on this Crossing will be the inclusion of veterans from the Korean, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, Nov. 11, 2021 – On the heels of the rave reviews of its newest ship Mardi Gras, Carnival Cruise Line today announced that its third Excel-class ship – to be named Carnival Jubilee – will be delivered in 2023 and based in Galveston, Tex. The announcement about Carnival Jubilee was made the same day that Carnival confirmed that all 22 of its U.S.-based ships will be back in guest operations by March 2022. Nineteen ships had been confirmed by February, and now Carnival Sensation will restart from Mobile, Ala. effective Mar. 5, Carnival Ecstasy will restart from Jacksonville, Fla. effective Mar. 7, and Carnival Paradise will restart from Tampa, Fla. effective Mar. 12. “Carnival was the first cruise line to offer year-round cruising from Galveston in 2000, and we have continued to grow our presence and support of the Port of Galveston’s expansion, so we are thrilled to bring our brand-new Carnival Jubilee to Texas and the greater southwest region,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “This beautiful, innovative ship will bring an entirely new cruise experience to our guests, and we’ve got some great surprises to fun it up in ways we know they are going to love.” (ROYAL CARIBBEAN_)November 2021 - Introducing the first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar. Royal Caribbean International’s transformed Italian dining experience debuts on the new, innovative Odyssey of the Seas. Learn about how the cruise line’s team of experts in food, beverage, product innovation and more cooked up this authentic, fresh taste of Italy at sea. Serving up a menu of Italian favorites – like an array of handcrafted pizzas, charcuterie boards and pastas – as many as 50 wines by the glass and classic cocktails with a twist, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar sets the table for an experience guests of all ages can enjoy.
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